Big fat weddings went illegal in Punjab 40 years back

CHANDIGARH: The big fat wedding may have become a glitzy norm in North India and among the Punjabi diaspora, even spawning movies and a TV series, but not many know that it became illegal in Punjab and Haryana 40 years back.
According to the provisions of a law applicable since 1976, nobody in Punjab can have more than 25 people as baraatis (members of marriage party).The penalty for violating this law is jail up to one year. The same law applies in neighbouring Haryana where apart from the cap of 25 on the number of `baraatis', even the band can't have more than 11 members.
Punjab and Haryana had amended the central law, Dowry Prohibition Act 1961, in 1976 through which certain new provisions were incorporated to discourage people from indulging in extravagance during marriage functions and to eradicate the social evil of dowry from society .
The Punjab act, notified in May 1976, and the Haryana's Dowry Prohibition (Haryana Amendment) Act 1976, which came into force in August 1976, put stringent restrictions on the number of wedding guests. However, nobody has been booked for viola tion of these laws in both states in all these years. Explaining the reason for this, H C Arora, advocate and rights activist, said that the provisions are very narrow on the point of locus standi (right to file a case) of the complainant . “Only a person aggrieved by the offence or a parent or other relative or recognized welfare organization can file a complaint and that too before the court, which is empowered to initiate action under the act,“ Arora added.
Sociologist and retired academician from Panjab University Prof Manjit Singh said that such rules were partly implemented during terrorism when militants used to issue restrictions to curtail expenses on marriages in Punjab. “I have seen people following such rules out of fear. Now marriages are occasions for people to flaunt their wealth and political clout and it is the middle class and poor who suffer. I feel social sanction works more than the legal provisions,“ he added.
Ranbir Singh, sociologist and former dean (social sciences), Kurukshetra University, said that in the sixties and seventies even Khaps in Haryana used to issue directions restraining people from extravagant weddings, but people did not listen as there was consensus of both parties in such big celebrations.