The economics of Indian marriage

When two people decide to get married- its pure economics. From the day it is fixed till the time the family expands and beyond ....it only revolves around money.
Indian marriages, I think, are intentionally designed to suit Indian economic conditions. Indian marriages generate so much employment, from the caterer -to the card printer, to the flower decorator, to the tent vendor, to the DJ wala and so on....Such social service I must say;)
Then not to forget so much income earned by the jeweller and the wedding trousseau planner.
Finally the day of the marriage, florists, gifts shops - brisk business, beauty parlours - reeling in money. And then why to forget soooooooooooooooo much of cash exchanged!!!
Cut to next day, neighbours and some distant relatives(which I am sure are seen for the first and the last time in that wedding only) want to see the bride. Bingo!!! Gifts again! Cash again!
When this pure economics ends, biology takes over.
Scene change:
Kids are born! Biology becomes redundant and again economics takes over. Celebrations in the house. YES you got it right- Gifts again! Cash again!
As the family expands, demand for goods and services increase, leading to an increase in the aggregate demand. This provides necessary impetus to the producers to increase production. The economy grows.
Cheers to the BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING!!!

the right mould!!!

A little girl at the school gate leaves her mother’s hand and runs inside, telling her mom not to come to pick her up. Standing there,  I was wondering why doesn’t the child want her mother to come and pick her. Unable to control my inquisitiveness, I asked her, “Beta, why shouldn’t mumma come to pick you?”. Aghast I was at the reply! “Mumma has a small cheap car.” I gave a feeble smile and let the girl go. But the words kept echoing in my ears and I kept on wondering what made such a young mind think like that.

The answer lies with the way we respond to things. On the road if an Audi or a BMW or a jaguar or for that matter any such car passes by, we ogle at it. The reaction in all probabilities is “Ooo! that’s what we call a car.” The young impressionable mind sitting at the rear seat simply imbibes it. “keep the phone away, its expensive….don’t touch the TV, its imported.” Aren’t we exposing them to brand consciousness?

The solution is not to stop exposing them, but to expose them the right way. Tell them about such brands but also tell them about the effort that goes in earning money to buy them. Tell them the difference between purchasing and owning. The concept of piggy bank (wonderful way to inculcate the habit of saving, I think!!!) does not exist now. Small amount of pocket money use to be precious, but today its whenever, whatever. The amount of pocket money kids get these days is more than my salary at my first job. (how much I don’t want to sound like a relic!)

The potter’s mould has to be right for the urn to be of the right shape. Think!

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