Last October I had attended my friend's wedding in Palakkad. Her wedding album was nicely done and was huge. Few days back I wanted to know how much she spent on it. "Was Rs. 10,000 spent for photography in your wedding?" I asked her. "Which age are you living in? I spent Rs. 45,000," said she. Shocked by hearing the figure, I proceeded to ask her the total expense for her wedding. "Somewhere near Rs. 12 lakh," she said.
Some six years back I had attended a wedding of a girl in Palakkad whose mother was a servant maid and father a fisherman. The bridegroom and his family had demanded from the bride's parents dowry in the form of cash and gold which was then worth over Rs. 3 lakh.
There was another wedding that happened last November. There again the bride's mother was a servant maid. They had spent a sum of Rs. 2.5 lakh and had taken a loan of Rs. 90,000 from a money lender for an annual rate of interest of 72%! The total money spent stopped at this sum because the boy's family did not ask for any dowry, the girl's mother told me.
I genuinely urge you readers to consider this proposal and share your thoughts.
Some six years back I had attended a wedding of a girl in Palakkad whose mother was a servant maid and father a fisherman. The bridegroom and his family had demanded from the bride's parents dowry in the form of cash and gold which was then worth over Rs. 3 lakh.
There was another wedding that happened last November. There again the bride's mother was a servant maid. They had spent a sum of Rs. 2.5 lakh and had taken a loan of Rs. 90,000 from a money lender for an annual rate of interest of 72%! The total money spent stopped at this sum because the boy's family did not ask for any dowry, the girl's mother told me.
To repay this loan the family has to pay over Rs. 5,000 per month, and this sum is only towards the interest, this repayment does not cover the principal. Which means for this family which earns just over Rs. 10,000 a month, half of it goes for repaying only the interest amount of the loan that they had taken, and this is perpetual. There is no possibility that they can get Rs. 90,000 at one instance with which they can repay the debt once and for all.
They were forced to secure this loan from a private money lender because banks would not have given them a loan. Their annual income remains meagre and unsatisfactory to avail a bank loan. Nor do they possess any property document to mortgage with a bank to avail a loan.
While taking loans to conduct a wedding may not be the case for you readers, it is required for people who live on meagre levels of income. What they earn is just enough to cover their day-to-day expenses; they hardly have any savings. It is almost impossible for them to have the marriage ceremonies conducted without availing financial support from others.
People from the economically weaker sections of the society do not themselves wish to carry out wedding ceremonies by taking loans. But without that they cannot conduct these ceremonies in a manner which is "acceptable" to the society. I am quite convinced that it is societal pressure that force them to stretch their levels of expenditure beyond their capacity, forcing them to knock the doors of money lenders.
They were forced to secure this loan from a private money lender because banks would not have given them a loan. Their annual income remains meagre and unsatisfactory to avail a bank loan. Nor do they possess any property document to mortgage with a bank to avail a loan.
While taking loans to conduct a wedding may not be the case for you readers, it is required for people who live on meagre levels of income. What they earn is just enough to cover their day-to-day expenses; they hardly have any savings. It is almost impossible for them to have the marriage ceremonies conducted without availing financial support from others.
People from the economically weaker sections of the society do not themselves wish to carry out wedding ceremonies by taking loans. But without that they cannot conduct these ceremonies in a manner which is "acceptable" to the society. I am quite convinced that it is societal pressure that force them to stretch their levels of expenditure beyond their capacity, forcing them to knock the doors of money lenders.
It is we who must reduce the pressure falling on them. And for that we must help them financially, there is no better possible way to help.
To that effect I propose that every parent who conducts their daughter or son's marriage must reduce the set expenditure for the wedding ceremonies by 5% and give away the equivalent money that is not spent to such parents who belong to the weaker sections. Or if they feel that the reduction is not possible they can consider spending 105%, the extra 5% can be given to the poor.
The 5% rule shall apply equally on all those who spend Rs. 8 lakh and more. My friend told me that this sort of binding will not be right, and that we must ask them to contribute as per their wish. But I think that such a flexibility will lead to disparity. One may give more, one less, and one may not give anything at all. The percentage rule will remove this disparity I feel.
5% is not that big an amount. For one who spends just Rs. 8 lakh, only Rs. 40,000 needs to be set aside for this cause. A small reduction in the exorbitant, and largely unnecessary manner in which the stage in the wedding hall is decorated, a reduction in one or two items on the food menu can by itself attract this sum. A small compromise in the brand of the dresses for the wedding can save a lot of money. There are very easy means to reduce the expense by 5%. So let not the reader wonder seeing the 5% figure.
I genuinely urge you readers to consider this proposal and share your thoughts.
