City does not buy Chidambaram's no-gold proposal

CHANDIGARH: P Chidambaram's appeal to restrain the passion for gold for one year is unlikely to deter women residents of the city from tightening their purse strings. As the finance minister tries to reduce large gold imports that have put undue pressure on the government's coffers and affected the value of the rupee, the fairer sex picks up tradition, culture and marriage to reject the cooling-off proposal.
"Wearing gold is a tradition in Indian culture. How can people leave their traditional values?" asks Annu Talwar Basrao, a manager at a retail outlet. For a majority of people, gold is synonymous to prosperity, making it all the more difficult for them to give up on it.
"My daughter's marriage is approaching and it will get really hard if we pay heed to the finance minister's advice. Gold is a must in a marriage. How can my daughter tell her in-laws that she will not bring gold as it is the sign of a family standing and its prosperity," says Anita Nahal, a bank manager in Sector 8. Then, there are also those who believe life without gold is impossible.
"Ladies and gold go hand in hand. I love buying gold at any cost. If a ban or some restriction is being planned, I think I will buy as much gold as I can, so that I can secure it for my future,"says Gunita Sabharwal, a businesswoman in Sector 21. But there are a few differing views too.
"If the government is doing something good for its citizens, one should follow it. It is for our welfare only that such a proposal has come," says Divjot K Grewal, an interior designer in Sector 9. Some are more direct and willing to change tack.
"I prefer investing in shares and bonds rather than gold as it won't hit the economy and it will yield me more return," says Vikram Hans, a businessman in Sector 35. "We should not be so self-centered that we are not concerned about our economy. All of us should take a pledge that at least for one year we will not buy gold in order to build the economy," says Meenakshi Sehgal, a housewife in Sector 8.