Teams formed to ensure ‘one dish’ at marriage ceremonies
RAWALPINDI: On the directives of the Punjab chief minister, the government has constituted various teams comprising police personnel and City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) to ensure implementation of one-dish at marriage ceremonies. The teams have been directed to take strict action against violators of one-dish party. Besides one-year imprisonment, Rs 500,000 fine could be imposed on the violators as the punishment. One dish means curry and chapatti or rice. The ban came into force in the form of the Marriage Ordinance of 1997 under the Nawaz Sharif Government in Islamabad. In 2002 the Supreme Court declared the Marriage (Prohibition of Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance 1997 as ultra vires. But now the Punjab government headed by Mian Shahbaz Sharif has again enforced the “one-dish” law with 300 guests as a limit.
this law has been like prohibition...it was never enforced properly. people STILL found ways to feed their guests (at their homes) and so people could not use the excuse that there was a one-dish law. This basically defeated the purpose of the law which was to protect the have-nots from being judged on how many dishes they served. The law only ends up taking people's jobs away. one dish = less business and lost jobs for caterers. i mean ...weddings are probably one event in which desis dont mind spending extravagantly... the kapra, jahez shopping and 3 day celebrations all translates to an economic stimulant. Choosing to spend more or less should be a personal decision and not one regulated by the government.
but, you know, when people waste food, it is the best way to cause them to think. no?
otherwise, those who feelstrongly that it is every person or family's personal affair, and if they have so much to show off, they should invest in lavish food dishes or marriages, then basically, such people are supporting the wastage of food and sustaining a societal culture of wasting food.
not only does it gets wasted, the sense of helplessness or even avarice that it may cause in much less well to do, is not something nice to cause.
maybe the manner of the govt policy on this particvular issue and its great emphasis is a little off and too much, but, discouraging wastage of food, is not a bad idea, economically and as a societal call of raising wasteful peoples' conscience.
My sister just got married and i am not sure how the one dish rule works but my parents had one rice dish and one salan for dinner. I didnt get to go but i was told the food was great and most all if not everyone was happy with it. Same was the case for walima: they had one salan and one rice in which they later put in some bbq chicken.
I remember when I was in karachi and this rule came for the first time in Zia Ul Haq's time. In fact that was no food rule. Amazinlgy bad move. Thousands of people who belonged to poultry farms, cooking and such business went bankrupt ..
The rule hurted more families than it saved the life of
Why stop at wedding meals? Perhaps the government should regulate how many outfits people give their daughters in jahez? Why not have national price limits set on the wedding jora, and set a weight limit on how much jewelry the bride can wear (call it the one necklace rule)? Where does this meddling end?
like others have said, the catering business is huge in pakistan, by making a one dish policy you are forcing job losses in one large section of the economy. secondly caterers will simply slowly increase their prices for a once dish menu making the whole exercise pointless.
what needs to be done is a ban+public awareness campaigns on the disgusting practice of giving jahez and gifts to the groom's side (gold karay to teh saas etc). it is these things that put people into debt and have been incoporated into pakistani muslim society by past hindu cultural influences
Lol at Economic experts here ,poultary,less business.You desi after running have money so its not bother u people but it matters to avg. families here in Pakistan so if u dont know ,ordinance,assembly bill and Shahbaz Sharif governance then shut mouths.
no the rule is good as it protects people from wasting their money esp people who can not afford it. I mean since i have been going to Lahore either their is a complete ban on food or one dish policy. I think it works fine.
Lol at Economic experts here ,poultary,less business.You desi after running have money so its not bother u people but it matters to avg. families here in Pakistan so if u dont know ,ordinance,assembly bill and Shahbaz Sharif governance then shut mouths.
desert bird, you should not need a law to help you decide that you should live within your means. ppl should try to stop being part of the rat race and look at their own finances and have wedding menus acording to their means.
and contraary to popular pakistani belief the 99.9% of overseas pakistani are not millionaires but actually are average earning families who work just as hard as everyone else to earn their living.
and some of us have studied economics so we do know what we r talking about