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Dear Readers,
Happy New Year.
We have celebrated Merry Christmas and New Year. Three sages from the East came to a virgin Mother Mary for meeting the Divine Child showering gifts to comfort the mother. The saintly child lying in the mother’s lap welcomed the saints who said the child would deliver Love and Love alone to this world. Anger, hate and lust would leave to know the God within and Love to feel.
The 11th edition of the World Confluence of Humanity, Power & Spirituality was graced by a galaxy politicians, religious heads, philosophers, enlightened persons, eminent writers, scholars, entrepreneurs – both men and women, industrialists, eminent personalities from different parts of the world, and while the youth comprised a large segment of the audience. There was thunderous applause to addresses which advocated imbibing humanity, harmony, honesty, peace, love, cooperation, unity, sincere and hard work with devotion, fearlessly, selflessly, righteously aimed for at creation and generation of wealth for the welfare of all and protection of Mother Earth.
Some of the eminent speakers were Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of West Bengal, Dr. Farooq
Abdullah, MP (Lok Sabha), Dr. Sonal Mansingh, MP (Rajya Sabha), Prof. Dr. Ernesto Kahan, Sr. Vice President, World Academy of Arts & Culture and Stjepan Mesic, Former President of the Republic of Croatia.
Marriage is a divine union of an adult boy and an adult girl, two bodies in one union – oneness of happiness. Lord Ardhnarishwar – Shiva and Uma in one body that is half Shiva and half Uma. The purpose of marriage is continuity of creation in the social order with lineage of individuality and personality. Marriage is essentiality of the law of creation to satisfy the natural physical instincts and to avoid disorder in society.
Rishis had heard the voices of Lord Vishnu’s command which was to follow the path of Dharma (righteousness), Artha (money), Kama (lust-family) and Moksha (liberation). It is to create and generate wealth with righteous means to have family and then liberation. Lord Brahma is the lord of creation. He gave birth to Manu and Satarupa from his mind. He entrusted them with the creation of human beings like them taking vows to each other that (a) they will be faithful to each other, (b) the male husband (Manu) will provide protection, care and providence to the woman wife (Satarupa), (c) the woman wife (Satarupa) will nurture the family, support all activities with her wisdom and love and make provision for rainy days, (d) woman wife (Satarupa) will be the first guru (teacher) of children who will deliver lessons on the basic values, ethics and the purpose of life with love and devotion to the creator (God). Marriage is a divine union of two spirits. The mission is to have children with sense of values, virtues, and love with skill to live happily for full span of life i.e. hundred years. Kama (lust – family) is preceded by Dharma and Artha. According to the Bible, God created Adam and Eve for continuity of creation and civilisation.
Lord Vishnu commanded that without the consent of the girl, she would not be given in marriage. Four systems of marriage like (a) mutual love (Gandharva), (b) choosing the boy in an assembly of boys on invitation (Swayamvara) by the girl (like Lord Rama and Arjuna). Every boy is introduced/ put to show his bravery like Arjuna to put the arrow in the eye of the fish seeing the shadow of the target in oil, Lord Rama breaking Lord Shiva’s bow. The girl has the choice to put the garland of wedding on the neck of her choice, (c) the boy (lover) elopes with the girl with her consent (Lord Krishna eloped with Rukmani as her brother was pressing her to be given in marriage to King Sishupal) and (d) parents arrange the marriage (arrange marriage). Almost the same practices are being adopted globally.
Marriage is a sacred occasion. It is a personal and social function. It has been held in temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches and places of specially developed for weddings. It is now being held in five star hotels as well. It has
slowly become a status symbol. A number of ceremonial functions are held with extravagance. The rich class can afford, but the poor and the middle-class people spend without having the means, getting burdened with debts. Social evils like dowry have crept in. Burdened with the worries of how to give a daughter in marriage, people indulge in crime of foeticide. Wines and non–veg foods are served even in Marwari weddings, breaking norms and violating rules of scriptures and vitiating the atmosphere of sacredness. On several occasions, after marriage, both boy and girl indulge in alcohol and drugs leading to divorce and or uncultured children.
With the influence of western culture, valueless education, affluence, egos, parents’ indifference, lack of tolerance and adjustment, divorces have become very common even after years of togetherness and having children, ignoring the ill-effect of this on the children’s future. The Supreme Court has given ruling against divorce by simply saying three times ‘Talaq’ (divorce). Fair maintenance and allowance as per the standard of living of the husbands needs to be given on the court’s ruling. In Germany, a divorced woman gets 50% of the total wealth of the husband. Now, there are contracts for giving a certain amount on the breakup of a marriage. Both (boy and girl) do not know the art of adjust-ments, humbleness, mutual respect, trust and commitment, happiness of togetherness and above all faith and love.
However, pomp & show, extravagance, varieties of food items, alcohol have created more employment. New expertise in terms of event management, destination wedding, theme wedding have emerged. Matter of concern is that foreign liquors and destination marriages overseas have been draining large foreign exchange reserves. It has promoted consumerism. NRIs have been selecting Rajasthan and Goa as wedding destinations resulting in inflow of foreign exchange and creation of employment and boosting economy.
It is estimated that the Indian wedding business is worth more than $38 million per year. Several professional marriage agents, consultants, legal advisors and matrimonial websites like shaadi.com and jeevansathi.com have witnessed great returns. Many Banks and Non-Banking Financial companies offer tailor-made personal marriage loans. Wedding insurance is the new kid on the block.
Social Reformers and NGOs are concerned with food wastage, drainage of foreign exchange, the drinking culture and creation of imbalances in terms of inferiority and superiority complex and heartburns. The All India Marwari Federation is also working on these issues. The Marriages (Compulsory Registration and Prevention of Wasteful Expenditure) Bill 2016 is sought to prohibit extravagant and wasteful expenditure on weddings and to enforce simpler solemnization. A total of six such bills were introduced in Parliament in the last 20 years. But these bills have so far remained only on paper.
Prime Minister Modi has said that on 99 items GST would be reduced to give relief to the people after the BJP’s defeat in three major state elections. However, the GST council has reduced rates on 23 items in the range of 28%, 18%, 12% and 5%. On some items, tax is now nil. BE had reported earlier on the impractical levy of GST on a number of items. Still GST rates on several items required by common people and by manufacturing and farming sectors are very high. How can Make in India be a success? How can the farm sector survive? The cement and housing sectors have high rates of GST. People are unable to repair their houses. Cost of even affordable houses is high due to the levy of GST. GST rate on trucks and commercial vehicles is kept at 28%. How can operators afford this? What is the use of these six lanes of roads if the cost of the vehicle is so high? Maintenance cost of these roads is also very high. On the other hand, foreign liquor and alcohol and other items of intoxication have not been brought under the coverage of GST, whereas these items deserve to be under the sin tax category i.e. imposition of highest possible rate of tax.
Chanakya, the guru of Arthashastra, said that the emperor/king should not levy high taxes on people causing untoward suffering to them. Proper and logical thinking in the policy making process is the need of the hour.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) has not helped farmers. Only small quantities of grains were procured. It is better to waive interest on loan and restructure the same way with interest of 9% for a period of seven years.
May Bharat Mata bless Bharatwasi to adopt practical policies so that people do not suffer.