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Wedding cards cost Rs 7000, video shooting and food cost millions, expat families become poorer.

Luxurious and pompous marriages in the state of Kerala, especially in the Malabar region, and among expatriate families is becoming a major source of bankruptcy and economic collapse of even well-established middle class and upper middle class families, prompting a leading Indian political party to take a firm stand against the evil and start a marathon campaign in Kerala as well as the Gulf region where most of the decision makers are making money.

Many middle-class and lower middle-class families, especially with more female members to be married away, have become bankrupt or have been caught in severe debt traps, as they try to imitate the posh weddings, which are deemed to be status symbols in the most consumerist state of India.

Even after spending a fortune to conduct luxurious marriages, nowadays conducted by event management companies, many marriages end up in divorces and some families are caught up in debt traps tempting family heads to commit suicide. 

Using elephants, camels, heavy equipment like JCBs in marriage processions and venues, to lining up expensive Mercedez, BMW for the bridegroom in front of the modified or expanded houses, fireworks, very expensive menu are just some of the factors adding to mounting marriage expenses in Kerala.

Several kilograms of gold ornaments, posh vehicles and marriage venues in star hotels and resorts, very expensive invitation cards, 10,000-plus guest lists, expensive video and film shootings, heavy pocket money and dowry are some of the reasons for escalating marriage expenses. With the skyrocketing of gold price many ordinary families find it difficult to finance the marriages of their female members.

The Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), overseas body representing the Indian Union Muslim League, is conducting a marathon awareness campaign in the UAE to encourage its members and well-wishers to avoid spending too much money for weddings and stem the economic downfall of the community due to an avoidable extravaganza. 

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Anwar Naha, President, Dubai Chapter of KMCC said: “The campaign against luxurious and extravagant weddings has started from August 25, 2014 based on a resolution by Muslim League because mounting wedding expenses have ruined many families who have either sold their family properties, borrowed heavily from friends and relatives, money lenders and ended up paupers only because middle class people consider spending a lot of money on wedding of their daughter as a status symbol. Some marriages cost as high as Indian Rupees 60 million (six crores), which is much higher than his assets.”

A leading Indian businessman and official of KMCC has recently decided to reduce the marriage expense of his daughter by half, following the KMCC/Muslim League campaign. “Earlier a most expensive marriage was conducted by the NRI businessman in Dubai, by chartering two flights for guests from Kerala.  The original plan to have a menu of Indian Rupees 1600 per guest was cut down to Rs 800 per guest, thereby reducing the wedding food expense  alone from Indian Rupees 4 million to Rs 1.6 million. Many others are following suit,” said an Indian social worker  campaigning against marriage extravaganza.

Naser Oorakam, Indian social worker and director of Voice of Kerala, a leading Malayalam Radio station conducting such awareness camapigns said: “The life dream of many expatriates here is save enough money to get their sisters or daughters marriages. There are cases were ordinary expatriates have postponed their marriage to finance the marriages of three to four sisters and ended up in big debt.” He added that weddings can be a simple inexpensive affair, but the cost of wedding food alone is running into several million Indian Rupees. “If the per plate cost of food is Rs 1,600, conducting a marriage with 2000 or 3000 guests will cost Rs1.6 million to Rs3.2 million rupees. If the number of guests go up, so will the food expenses,” added Naser.

Anwar Naha, brother of Kerala Education Minister Abdurab, is heading the awareness campaign in Dubai, continuing the campaigns back home. He added that while big businessmen and NRIs can afford such luxurious marriages, ordinary people too are tempted to imitate such luxury, leading to the proliferation of a number of event management companies specialized in conducting themed marriages and the wedding venues have become five star hotels and resorts.