Extravagant marriages

Letter July 06, 2020
We tend to spend on marriages way beyond our means which results in life-long debts

Marriage is an integral part of any community. Since we live in a diverse society fragmented on the basis of religion, sect and ethnicity we also celebrate marriages in a somewhat similar manner. However, one thing remains common throughout; the want for extravagant and luxurious weddings.

The socio-economic class we come from doesn’t matter, since we tend to spend on marriages way beyond our means which results in life-long debts. We spend on marriage functions with the money we don’t have, on the things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like. Recently, I attended a wedding that included a variety of different events. Guests had arrived from over the world and the events offered lavish buffet dinners. The dowry, which was itself beyond imaginable, was presented like a trophy in front of the guests. Is it absolute necessary to conduct weddings in such a manner? Many of our young children are suffering because of these lavish customs, which have transformed the way we look at marriage and relationships. A marriage is supposed to me much more than just these mere events.

The solution to this problem is two pronged. One, the government should enforce a strict ban on lavish wedding functions while the groom and his family should be prosecuted for taking any kind of dowry. Two, the affluent people who can afford such weddings should instead conduct simple weddings with limited number of guests and give away the rest of the money to charity. This will encourage people of all socio-economic classes to build proper relationships before and after marriage.

Syed Hussain Ahmed

Karachi

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6, 2020.

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