Pakistan Shows
The Way
By Salil Kader
17 January, 2004
Countercurrents.org
Our
neighbour Pakistan usually figures in our print and electronic media
for all the wrong reasons. Reports on issues like Pakistans support
to terrorism in Kashmir, sectarian violence in Karachi, honour killings
in Sindh and Baluchistan or the much reviled madrasas which train the
future terrorists, keep appearing in the media in India.
However, The Hindu newspaper dated 7th November carried an interesting
news report, quite different from the kind of news we are used to hearing
from across the border. B. Muralidhar Reddy covering news on Pakistan
for the Hindu reported that the Pakistan Supreme Court had banned serving
of meals at hotels, clubs and marriage halls for marriage ceremonies.
The Court, in its order, specified that no meals or edibles other
than hot and cold drinks could be served to guests.
Interestingly, it
was the Union Government of Pakistan under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
that first came out with the Marriage (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays
and Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance, 2000 prohibiting meals at the valima
(a reception organized by the bridegroom's family a couple of days after
the nikah or wedding). The basic objective of the Union
Government's ordinance was to curb ostentatious expenditure and
give relief to poor people.
The Supreme Court
ruling, while upholding the Ordinance passed by the Union Government,
also effectively struck down the Punjab Assemblys Punjab Marriage
Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses)
Act 2003, which allowed one dish food to a maximum of 300 persons on
the eve of marriage and valima.
The Union Governments
ordinance clearly delineates the dos and donts of a wedding ceremony.
Section 4 of the ordinance states that no person celebrating his, or
the marriage of any other person, shall serve or allow any one to serve
meals or other edibles to persons participating in the marriage in a
club, hotel, restaurant, wedding hall, community centre or any other
place except hot and cold soft drinks. However, the ordinance allowed
eating of meals within the house by members of the family celebrating
the marriage or the houseguests.
Section 5 of the
same ordinance was directed towards those running hotels and restaurants.
No person owning or running a hotel, restaurant, wedding hall,
community centre or club being the site of marriage ceremony or any
caterer shall serve or allow anyone to serve any meal or edibles to
the persons participating in the marriage ceremony other than hot and
cold soft drinks.
The Pakistani society,
which is seen by many as feudal and patriarchal in nature, isnt
very different from our own society when it comes to customs and mores
associated with marriage. Dowry and ostentations, which have become
synonymous with weddings of all communities across India, also typify
marriages in Pakistan.
However, the Ordinance
of 2000 and the recent judgement of the apex court contradict the general
perception that one has about the governing establishment in Pakistan.
After all, they too are products of the same society, which accepts
and encourages extravagance and vulgar displays of wealth under the
pretext of celebrating wedding ceremonies. Laudably, both the judiciary
and the executive have come together and disapproved of the reckless
spending and excesses that were against all norms and values known
to a civil society.
The decision of
the apex court of Pakistan has important lessons for India too. Let
us take a look at the most common case scenario in a middle class family
in India. Most matrimonial alliances are finalised only after the terms
for lena-dena (a figure of speech for dowry) have been settled.
The brides family ends up taking loans against steep interest
rates to ensure that the demands of the grooms family are met.
Add to this the pressure of accommodating a huge guest list and an elaborate,
rich menu. The wedding passes off well but the father of the bride spends
the remaining part of his life repaying the loans. Imagine a situation
where parents with meagre income(s) have to marry off more than one
daughter.
The insidious practice
of demanding dowry from the brides family has left many families
on the brink of suicide. And the pressure from society and relatives
to organise weddings with fanfare and ostentations forces families to
spend a great deal on flower decoration, lighting, clothes, bridal jewellery
and most importantly on the wedding feast. One often comes across cases
where the grooms party has left in a huff because they were not
served the type of fare they expected! One wonders if invitees to a
wedding are there to bless the couple or test the quality of food. Ironically,
most people remember weddings not because it was a special day for the
bride and the groom but because of the type of fare dished out at the
feast!
It is here that
the decision of the Pakistan Supreme Court becomes so important for
us. Why cant the Government of India too bring about a similar
legislation that puts restrictions on the ostentations involved in weddings?
Such legislation would automatically take the pressure off both parties
involved, as they wouldnt be obliged to spend money wastefully.
Moreover such a move would bring a semblance of parity across class
lines, as all weddings would be following the same course. Another consequence
of such legislation could be that parents would stop looking at the
girl child as a burden, which could then result in the decline of the
abominable practice of female infanticide.
The decree of the
Pakistani court is of great importance to all Indians, especially the
Muslims of India. This is so because the practice of dowry, and extravagance
and ostentatious display of wealth practiced by Indian Muslims during
weddings, goes against the very grain of Islam, which lays great
emphasis on simplicity. Moreover, the Supreme Court of Pakistan
has based its judgement on the teachings of the Holy Quran. Profligacy
during marriages and the scourge of dowry are having a debilitating
influence on the Muslim society and legislation to curb ostentations
seems to be a definite panacea for this ill.
A legislation of
this type will obviously raise many dissenting voices in the society.
Some might even consider this as an infringement on their fundamental
rights. Naturally, consensus has to be the byword. Nevertheless, Pakistan
has for once shown India the way. The Pakistani establishment deserves
appreciation for its initiative in taking head-on the deeply ingrained
tendency of wasteful expenses in society.