DATE OF BIRTH AND OTHER DETAILS SHOULD BE ON MARRIAGE-CARD
Bureau,Odishabarta
Date of birth and other details should be on marriage-cards – Accountability and transparency required in marriage-related expenses
DELHI:A District Collector of Bharatpur (Rajasthan) in the year 2012 made it compulsory to print dates of birth on marriage-cards, making it mandatory for printing-presses to first getting attested birth-certificates. Such and other noble ideas should be rather made compulsory all over the country for an effective check on marriage-related social evils. An estimated outlay of marriage-expenditure mentioning number of guests should also be printed on marriage-cards.
List of gifts and cash-envelopes received or distributed on the occasions should be submitted to appropriate public-authorities within some stipulated time-period after marriage-functions are over. Even a Supreme Court verdict dated 12.07.2018 asked central government to consider making it compulsory for families to disclose wedding expenditure by both sides of the families of bride and groom jointly to the marriage officer concerned. Even a marriage-tax of say 10-percent can be imposed in case expenses cross rupees five lakhs by one side as was suggested in a private-member bill introduced in Lok Sabha in February 2017. It will check in aborting female foeticides which is done in fear of heavy expenses on marriages of girls in our dowry-addicted society
Considering large-scale wastage of food-items in marriage-celebrations, some legislation like that of Guest Control Order 1960 should be there. Union government should study models of other countries like Pakistan where only soft drinks and beverages are allowed to be served in such functions. Even Afghanistan took measures to curb such mega-expenses on marriage-celebrations.
Bihar Chief Minister while attending marriages only without dowry, rightly suggested to print on wedding-cards if marriage being without dowry. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister in a departure from tradition, organized marriage of his son in daytime without any pomp and show, ornate arrangements, musical bands or feasts requesting guests not to bring gifts. It may be recalled that the then Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit pledged to boycott mega-budgeted functions. But otherwise marriages in political families in general are ugly show wealth with leading politicians cutting across party-lines attending such lavish marriage-functions.
Input;Ms.Madhu
