Band, Baaja, Baraat & Black….

Published on Times of India on 7th March 2011 – http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tiger-trail/entry/band-baaja-baraat-and-black

Indian weddings are almost always psychedelic and a feast for the senses. Every state in India has a rich tradition and within every state, its diverse communities have heterogeneous practises and rituals to celebrate the union of marriage. What joy to watch a blushing bride and a peppy groom in their finest accoutrements, bedazzling in splendour and finery amidst an ocean of smiling faces and warm wishes. Marriages always bring in a carnival of rapturous merriment. It does not matter how grandly the wedding was conducted, what matters ultimately is the happiness along the journey of marriage. What also matters is the source of funds used to conduct these big, fat and vulgar Indian weddings.

Big, fat, Indian weddings are no longer made in heaven but planned meticulously here on earth. Marriages are fast becoming the union of powerful conglomerates, a merger of influential houses. Amidst the band, baaja and baraat fanfare that ear marks Indian weddings, the festivities pave an easy way out to spend that black money stashed away in club lockers and water tanks of sprawling farmhouses. No longer is the bride blushing and looking demure, instead her skin glitters off the diamonds she wears. The groom is rubbing his hands in glee and is probably waiting to take off in the chopper that was presented to him as a wedding gift. The parents and relatives of the groom have that smug, snooty and pompous look written all over their made up faces despite a tilak-shagun running into crores. Somewhere in the backdrop, Bollywood stars would be gyrating unceremoniously on an ostentatious stage. Guests would relish over the stars and devour an array of rich, greasy food topped with non-stop free flowing alcohol.

At the outskirts of New Delhi recently, it is estimated that Rs 250 crores was spent at a lavish wedding of a Congress Leader’s son with the daughter of an ex-MLA. Fifteen thousand guests were in attendance and a helicopter was presented to the groom. Guests were also presented with silver biscuits, safari suits and cash and were amply entertained by Bollywood stars. (This Congress leader’s other son was involved in a fatal accident a year ago that killed a woman when the Mercedes he was driving rammed into a taxi. Expectedly, the accused was out on bail shortly thereafter.)

Two hundred and fifty crores spent for a wedding by a Congress leader is nothing short of shameful. The money spent at this wedding exceeds even the annual GDP of Lakshadweep! Social functions on a scale like this get endorsed to be “acceptable” when the event is attended by political bigwigs and noted celebrities and treated as a page three event. In this particular case, the Rs 250 crore wedding was even featured on the main pages. Hardworking Indians, who abide by the law and pay their taxes unfailingly, struggle to conduct weddings even of mediocre standards despite trying to save for their child’s wedding for twenty-five years. Uncouth weddings such as these are never under the scanner; instead they become a media circus and celebrated over. With food inflation and corruption still a primary concern, weddings such as these showcase the enormous and growing gap (of gargantuan proportion!) between the rich and the poor. There is enough food wasted at these boorish weddings and they account for nearly 15% of India’s total wasted food grains. Mr KV Thomas, Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister has stated that the Government plans to introduce a bill in this regard and restrict food grain usage in weddings. How about the Government looking into the source of funds for these weddings as well? Can we expect this to happen?

Which makes me ask the same question umpteenth time over. When I pay my taxes, where does my money go? I don’t see it going to notably improve the infrastructure of the city I live in or to improve education and neither do I see it going to acquire more hospital beds. The Government spends less than 3% of our GDP on health care and is now even levying a 5% service tax if I admit myself in an Air-conditioned hospital. Can somebody educate me as to which hospital has a Laboratory or an Operation theatre that is not air-conditioned! There is a good chance we will all be paying this service tax when we are admitted in any Hospital. And this money paid by the common, “sick” Indian invariably funds the Band, Baaja and Baraat of the healthy, good spirited Indian, popularly known as our “Neta”.