BHOPAL: Pre-wedding photoshoots and hiring of male choreographers to train women in dancing for Sangeet ceremonies will now be forbidden in the Jain and Gujarati communities of Bhopal.
Citing financial burden, the onslaught of vulgar Western culture and possibility of girl’s life being adversely hit in event of break-up post-engagement, organisations from both the communities in Bhopal have resolved to ban pre-wedding photoshoots and hiring of male choreographers to train women during weddings.
Going a step further, the Jain community has also called for banning women from dancing in marriage processions.
Justifying the stand, Sanjay Patel, the head of Bhopal Gujarati Samaj and the national general secretary of Gujarati Samaj said, “No diktat has been issued, but it’s a fervent appeal to create awareness among entire community that the exorbitant cost of pre-wedding shoot can be borne by rich families, but it becomes a financial burden for middle-class families aping it. What’s the need for pre-marriage photo shoots, it can happen from the next day of the marriage.”
Patel added, “Also there is no need for hiring a choreographer to train women and girls for the Mahila Sangeet functions, as such practices promote western culture, which promotes vulgarity. What’s the need for training in such dances, when we already are well trained since generations in dance forms like Garba.”
He also hoped that the appeal to the community is followed across Madhya Pradesh.
According to Pramod Himanshu Jain, who heads the Bhopal Digambar Jain Samaj, “Our community’s religious and spiritual gurus have objected to growing trend of pre-wedding shoots and hiring of male choreographers to train women and girls for Mahila Sangeet ceremonies. They’ve particularly objected to it, as such practices are promoting vulgarity and obscenity in the name of colourful marriage functions.”
Taking a cue from the Jain and Gujarati community, even the Sindhi community is mulling to impose a similar ban. Former bureaucrat Bhagwan Dev Israni, who heads the Sindhi Panchayat here, while backing this move said, “A similar draft is being prepared by our community elders also. On many occasions, the marriages have broken after pre-marriage photo shoots. Why can’t we wait for the marriages to solemnize if we are so crazy about photo shoots.”