In a bid to alleviate the financial burden on families and promote social equality, the Auqaf Committee here in north Kashmir announced the implementation of a new marriage system, calling for an end to the traditional marriage customs.
The initiative has been taken in a response to growing concerns of escalating costs associated with the high-profile marriages, taking place in Kashmir, leaving an impact on the economically restricted families.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Abdul Majeed Khan, Chairman Auqaf Committee Bangdara Baramulla said that they had a joint meeting where the escalation of fatty weddings—a concerning trend, which veered away from religious and cultural values — was discussed.
Just to fix it, a joint decision was taken to change the existing marriage system to ensure that the weddings reflect the religious teachings and traditions, he said.
We have decided to simplify the Wazwaan menu, keeping it modest. However, we have not set a specific limit on the amount to be spent on marriages,” Khan said.
Khan said that they are not only focusing on religious teachings, but also on environmental and health concerning aspects, as the excessive waste from disposal items and other practices are harming the environment.
The decision should not be implemented in this locality only but across the entire valley. We are all witnessing the growing trend of extravagant marriage systems, which forces the poor to follow suit, said Firdous Ahmed, a local resident.
“A poor father, who earns a meagre amount, cannot afford 20 dishes for a wedding. We are already grappling with financial crises. It is the responsibility of everyone to adopt this step and conduct their weddings in a simple and modest manner,” he said.
Similarly, Mushtaq Ahmed, a local preacher while hailing the efforts of the Auqaf Committee, said that the step is appreciable and needs to be implemented in a sense it gives a sense of equality and unity.
He said that high-cost weddings have taken a toll on marriages, leading to late marriages becoming a serious issue across the valley.
Earlier, a similar kind of imitative was taken by the Auqaf Committee in Sopore’s Warpora, which was followed by other Auqaf’s including Seelo in their jurisdiction—(KNO)