Extravagant weddings posing serious social problem in Kerala THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite its reputation as a progressive state, wedding extravaganzas continue to be a serious social problem in Kerala, often leading to financial ruin of many families, especially those in the lower and middle income rungs. Costly gold ornaments, luxury cars, hefty pocket money, posh ambiance of marriage halls and sumptuous feasts - weddings have become more like an extravagant melas in the state. Even the fallout of global financial crunch and soaring gold prices seem to have failed to dent this trend. While women rights activists and social outfits have begun to take up the issue seriously, their campaigns seem to have had little impact. They say this is a dangerous trend that drives many families to debt trap and even to suicide. Victims are mostly from the poor and lower middle class. T N Seema, CPI(M) leader and member, state Gender Board, says lavish marriages are another form of dowry system since in most cases the grooms parents have the final say in how luxuriously the wedding should be celebrated. Now we have come to a stage where it is necessary to redefine dowry and laws amended to make extravagant weddings punishable, she said. Campaigns against obsolete social practices and lavish marriages used to be on the agenda of organisations like Nair Service Society and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam in the past. These kind of social evils should be opposed, she said.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:58:18 +0000
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