At these VIP weddings, help yourself to opulence

The extravaganza and the ostentatious spending refuse to die down in the big fat weddings in the city while the middle class and lower classes make rounds to the banks with the proofs of marriage, all for withdrawing just Rs. 2.5 lakh of their own money.

A series of marriages in the city involving the high and the influential, including politicians and bureaucrats since the demonetisation decision, reflect nothing has changed on the ground for them and, in fact, the cash shortage has failed to take the sheen out of the grand weddings.

Union Minister of State Bandaru Dattatreya daughter’s marriage on Thursday was in no way subdued despite the cash crunch with mouth-watering dishes served for the large gathering. Two-time Parliamentarian and senior Congress leader Anjan Kumar Yadav son’s marriage is scheduled for December 1 and it is likely to be a grand affair too with more than 10,000 guests expected.

Since the Prime Minister Modi’s announcement on November 8, the city has seen several marriages. Prominent among them was the wedding of Namaste Telangana CMD Damodar Rao’s son. Telangana Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav was lucky to have escaped the cash crunch as his daughter was married on November 6, two days before the big announcement.

“Cash crunch has not unnerved any of these big-time businessmen and politicians,” said a caterer well known in the big fat weddings circle. “Such weddings attract not less than 15,000 to 20,000 people given their popularity and even if each plate costs Rs. 1,000 on an average one can imagine the money spent,” he says.

How are they managing the cash? Given the clout and connections cash is not at all an issue as a close relative of Mr. Anjan Yadav explains. “Most of it is on credit and we will pay them once restrictions on cash withdrawals are relaxed. All our relatives and well-wishers are chipping in where cash disbursal is a must.”

Marriages in rich families are no more assisted by family members in terms of arrangements but by the event managers who take care of even minute things and all of them accept cheques and electronic payment. “So there was no problem for us,” explained a close follower of Mr. Dattatreya. But the message for the common man is definitely not a positive one. “It only shows how the big and mighty rarely get affected while the poor and middle class have to bear the brunt,” says Srinath, whose colleague’s son was married recently. It was tough for them to manage the wedding and missed all the fun.