The
institution of marriage is a sacred social institution where by two souls or
people i.e. a man and a women are united together to carry forward their
generation and simultaneously to discharge their miscellaneous social duties.
This is a social and legal sanction to live together. In all societies of world
marriage is celebrated in an auspicious manner by their own means and ways.
In
our Yajurved and Manu Samriti books, eight types of marriages are described. These are Brahmin Vivah, Dev Vivah,
Rishi Vivah, Prajapati Vivah, Asur Vivah, Gandharv Vivah, Rakshash Vivah, Pishach Vivah. Out of these eight the Dev Vivah
is most common in Hindu rituals which is performed by Purohits or Pandits by
chanting special Mantras and hymens. Similarly, couples of other religions also
perform marriages according to their own cultural rituals and methods. However
one thing what is common in all whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian that
extravagant expenditure is being incurred over marriage functions which is
eroding the economic situation of the society.
Recently I
attended a marriage of daughter of one of my friend. He was working as a clerk in
a Central Government Department and he had to incur more than twenty lakh Rupees over
marriage of his daughter. Fifty percent of expenditure was attributed to expenditure over
eating and decoration and other expenses in Marriage resort. One eating plate was
costing for Rs. 3000/-. My friend has to take loan from a Bank. The money spent by him was earned by hard dint of work during past thirty years. All was done
because the daughter insisted upon to marry a particular boy of rich community.
By seeing this ripples of analytic thoughts started waving in my mind, where and
in which direction Indian Society is going? I thought that a major portion of
this expenditure could be saved and utilized for other fruitful purposes of
newly married couple.
Marriage
is a purely private affair. Normally, the state should not interfere in this
institution but when menaces are spread just like cancer then it is the duty of
state to interfere in it and to prescribe ways and means to check menaces
spread in this institution
Now
a days so many evils have been intruded in the system of marriages in India. Dowry is
one of these evils. The Government of India has made Anti Dowry Law which
has apparently checked this menace up to great extent. Another menace which is
eroding the institution of marriage is extravagant expenditure on marriages for
pomp and show. This evil is spreading just like fire in forest. The
Indian society is famous for adopting sheep’s movement. Now a days, huge
extravagant expenditure is incurred during marriages for renting marriage
Halls, Marriage resorts, Hotels, decorations, lighting and more over foods.
Ordinary man earns money by budgeting his day to day expenditures
and saves a part of money so earned for rainy days. But this earning is wasted
in marriage ceremonies just like water. One food plate costs for Rs. 500 to
5000 in Hotels and Resorts. This thing is also putting bad effect on Indian
economy. The Hoteliers , marriage palace, marriage Resort Owners and caterers
are earning huge profit. This profit is going in the pockets of some selected
people instead of being distributed amongst multiple people doing
economic activities in the society. So, the wealth is being accumulated in the
hands of a bunch of rich people. The flow of Indian economy is disturbed
through such accumulation.
The other problem
is huge wastage of electric energy. Sound pollution is other major cause. The
ordinary people are wasting their money over marriage functions without
thinking that this money could be utilized for productive purposes of newly
wedded couples. If this money is deposited in banks in the name of newly wedded
couples, then they will be worry free about economic future. A major portion of
money can be utilized for construction of houses and other important day to day
activities.
The
efforts of Government of Pakistan are appreciable in this regard where a Law
has been framed regarding method of celebrating marriages. There limit has been
imposed on the number of dishes to be served in marriage functions. Similarly
limit has also been imposed over number of Baratis.
Indian
Government is silent over this issue. No political party or social;
organization of India
is raising voice over extravagant expenditure being incurred over marriage
parties. The reason is simple that the owners of marriage palaces / marriage
parks/ marriage Halls are funding the political parties for elections. Raising
a voice against this menace Ordinary people are just like sheep. They follow
each other. The look towards rich persons of society and follow them while
organizing marriage parties. They show themselves beyond their economic limits.
For this purpose they usually borrow money from banks and private bankers. In
this way they are trapped in the borrow-web from which they can come out for
years together. Their economic situation is disturbed.
In
order to correct this menace the Government of India should enact a Law to
impose limit over expenditure to be incurred over marriages. The Indian society
has so many economic strata ranging from poor people, lower middle class, upper
middle class and rich people. The poor and the rich people can manage
expenditure over marriages and other types parties lavishly but worse hit are
lower strata of society. Middle class is worse hit by this menace who imitates
the rich people blindly and show that it is equally rich as are the rich class.
Day by day the situation is worsening.
Now,
the question is who is responsible for this menace. Directly the youth class is
responsible and indirectly the Government of India. When few youths were
interviewed by me regarding this extravagant expenditure, their version was
that marriage will happen once in their life and they will sacrifice every
thing over this occasion without thinking that the money being wasted has been
earned by their parents is by virtue of mixing blood and sweat. These are their
individual thoughts. While saying so they might be comparing and visualizing
about marriage functions of their friends and trying to perform slightly more
than what their friends did. But they are not thinking about the Indian
economy, they are not thinking about the truth that if such extravagant
expenditure is not incurred over marriage functions, the money so saved can be
utilized for other fruitful purposes of their day to day life activities.
Primarily it is the society which can put checks over such menaces but Government intervention is a must to start reform chain. Government of India should impose restrictions over extravagant expenditures in the name of marriage functions. Limit should be imposed over number of dishes to be served in such function. Serving non-veg and wine should be completely banned. The Government of India should exercise full control over marriage functions. Huge tax should be imposed over marriage functions performed in resorts / marriage Halls / Hotels.
It
would be better if Government of India establishes a marriage Department who
can arrange performance of marriage ceremonies in simple way. The parties
should have to deposit least possible money with such newly created marriage
Department and officers/ officials should manage marriage ceremonies in least
possible economic way according to the religious needs of people. The
arrangement of Pandit-Purohit or Mulla or Padri should also be done by marriage
Department. The marriage function should be performed according to religion of
wedding couple. Marriage function should last for one single day only. If this
thing is adopted then the dirty social practices shall definitely come to an
end.
But
the question is who will bell the cat. who will take the first step to clean
this menace from Indian Society? The celebration Marriage function lasts for a couple of days but the economic impact which it puts over the families lasts for so many years.
This is worth thinking that many other social evils like Bribery and
other type of corruptions are cropping up in the society due to unchecked expenditure upon marriage functions, which is not a healthy
sign for India and Indian Economy. Therefore I request the members of Indian society to think upon this and to devise minimum and economic steps to celebrate such occasions.
…..GAUTAM
PRAKASH
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