The solemnisation of weddings has evolved from being a pure family affair to a social event. In many instances, it is even managed by professional wedding planners. It is ironical that in a country such as India where a fifth of the population lives below the poverty line, the wedding business is estimated to be a market worth ₹2.5 lakh crore. Weddings are a blend where technology, Bollywood and the mass media meet. Values are taking a back seat. One hopes that people rediscover the joys of having a simple wedding and draw inspiration from the example set by the Jammu and Kashmir government (“No big fat weddings here”, Feb.22).
Venika Singhal,
Noida
The guidelines are well-thought-out and a laudable effort to control ostentatious expenditure on weddings. As this has become a widely prevalent undesirable practice followed all over the country, similar guidelines need to be issued by all other States as well. Considering the mindless extravaganza, vulgar display of wealth and waste of food at weddings, there is a need for appropriate legal provision to restrain such wasteful practices considering the large number of poor living below the poverty line in the country and who go to bed without a square meal a day. In the larger interest of the country, it maybe desirable to set up a separate regulatory authority for effective management and control of wedding expenditure.
Joseph Abraham,
Gurgaon, Haryana
