Wedded to luxury

If how much is too much when it comes to spending on weddings is the question, the answer is...limitless! If Punjabis have proudly carried the burden of the ‘Big Fat Weddings’ tag with helicopters for doli, silver and pearls for return gifts, and extravagant buffets for parties, let’s admit, Indians celebrate it all, specially the weddings, with much ostentation.

However, now a bill introduced by MP Ranjeet Ranjan in Lok Sabha aims at capping the expenditure on weddings. What it aims at is limiting the number of guests invited or dishes served; an attempt to check the wasteful expenditure. By no means a cap at the spending, the bill proposes that 10 per cent of money spent above Rs 5 lakhs will be give to the government welfare fund, which will be used to solemenise the weddings of daughters from the underprivileged families. 

An idealistic move, does it cut ice with youngsters today; here is what they say.

Transparency issues 

I am open to it. In my religion, any which way there is the concept of ‘daswant’, which roughly translates to giving 10 per cent of one’s earnings in charity. So if the budget for my wedding is Rs 50 lakh, giving away another Rs 5 lakh is no issue. What I am bothered about is how and where it is spent. I would be more than happy that I block that 10 per cent and spend that money on a girl’s wedding in my care. Transparency is all I seek.

— Inder Raj Singh, realtor

Vague idea

The proposed bill is meaningless. Not only is it difficult to get it passed, but also difficult to implement. Those who are going to spend and not willing to make a contribution for poor families will resort to their own ways. Personally, I don’t think I would spend more than this money on my wedding. Even if I were to, I strongly doubt that the money collected would be put to the right use. We already pay taxes to the government, without having any idea of where the amount goes. 

— Shailja, B.Sc student

Quite unfair 

How much and how to spend is the prerogative of the person who has it. My dad has risen from a very humble background and earned the wealth all on the basis of his hard work. Now if he wants his children to travel abroad or host lavish weddings for them, what has government got to do with it? Of the money earned, taxes have duly been paid. Ten per cent of wedding expenditure probably he wouldn’t even mind spending on poor girl’s wedding, but then our politicians don’t walk the talk. The proposed bill comes from an MP who reportedly had a lavish wedding in the family with families being flown in private planes and the whole city as guests. Unless we have a fair system in place, let people be.

— Harsha Thakur, B.Com student

Intention is right

I feel with exception of the source from where the bill comes from, the intention is right. The government, the Prime Minister can endorse it and leave it at the will of the individuals. Indians are generous and this could be an excellent move to help in weddings of BPL families. But it cannot be forced on someone, just like Swachh Bharat; if the initiative is good, people tend to associate with it. Sadly, most our plans and policies fail to achieve the desired effect. 

— Arnav Sundra, businessman

— Compiled by Kriti Thakur and Mona