Deconstructing Arranged Marriage

The East is always looked upon by the world for its culture, morals, values and ethics. People have been travelling to east since time immemorial in search of their true self, their pure soul and enlightenment and India always tops the chart as the favorite destination for all these hunts.

The institution of Arranged Marriage is the high held trophy that Indians are proud to show the whole world. Arranged Marriage is considered one of the greatest forms of marriage beholding all the values a sacred marriage possesses. It’s not only a ceremonial tying of knot between two people who promise to be together in sickness and health but also for both the families.

However this much praised form of marriage is becoming hollow from within with time. The ancient logic has clearly failed to live through modern times. The parents lay all the ground rules for the marriage with a little or no say from their children who are actually getting married. Arranged Marriage has been reduced to a mere sophisticated institution of trading where humans are being traded instead of goods. Nobody knows what they are buying.

In India moreover girls are expected to pass some sort of screening test that her future in-laws may conduct by bombarding questions on her to test her femininity, her ideals and ethics and if she is capable of becoming a sweet, docile, shy and perfect “Bahu” unlike men. There are certain rules that the girl is supposed to follow after her marriage.

But where are morals and values hidden in this form of marriage? All we are searching for is to purchase people like goods who have qualities we want them to have. Arrange marriages are nothing but mere business transactions. Groom is treated as commodity and there is monetary exchange in the form of dowry or the expensive gifts and the girl’s side are expected to present.

Maybe that is the reason that there is little equality in such marriages and domestic violence and prevalent on such large scale. Because marriage has lost its sanctity and sacredness and there are no ethics in business transactions like marriages being held these days.

The only way to change the scenario is by combining our modern education and ancient values together. From the very beginning the equality stone should be laid down in the marriage. We fail to see the loopholes in our own value system. Arranged Marriage doesn’t necessarily means the same in present day scenario as it did long back. It is all a big fat Indian wedding scam!