STOP WASTING FOOD AT MARRIAGES

Bulging tummies and people filling their plates with food more than they can consume is a common scene at weddings in India. Of course the occasional sounds of ‘burps’ and ‘farts’ are common too; overeating leads to both right friends. Apart from all the glamour, dance and happiness associated with Indian weddings; food consumption or let’s say its wastage is more often witnessed by all at any matrimonial occasion in India.

Wastage of food in Indian Weddings

The Arabs it is said to often offer gifts and valuable items to the bride’s family in exchange for the ‘bride’; but in India the bride’s family apart from dowry has to prepare for an extensive feast for the entire guests. Uncle’s, aunts, cousins, relatives, distant neighbors, colleagues all are invited to witness the holy matrimony and then feed on the ‘food’ laid before them. The quality and quantity of the food made available are scrutinized with such vigor that ‘chef contests’ may seem child’s play in front of them.

All this would have been bearable; but the sight of plates almost full of food being thrown in the garbage; due to the simple reason that the honorable ‘guest’ did not like the food offered or wished to try different items and thus ended up eating less but wasting ample. These are not ‘unique’ scenes but common episodes of Indian wedding ‘sagas’; trust me for I have been a witness to all such scenarios on numerous occasions.

Wastage of food in Indian Marriages

The moment ‘food’ is ready to be served to the guests; a struggle for being the first to fill the plate starts and everyone seems to be in a hurry as if they are going to miss the last train to Pluto or never have the opportunity to eat again in their life. At times it would feel that ‘refugees from Ethiopia’ are invited at wedding feasts in India; no disrespect intended here for the Ethiopian brethren. The way those honorable guests indulge in pushing and pulling would certainly amaze even the most professional rugby players.

To add insult to injury; is the quantity of food wasted at such occasions. If the food left uneaten or half eaten is taken into account you can easily deduce that it will come to twice the quantity consumed by the guests at any wedding feast. Imagine if this food instead of being wasted is used to feed poor people who are unable to have three meals a day; will it not be a blessing for them and eternal happiness of our empty souls. We have become so selfish and status conscious that we forget our extravagance is not only foolish but also unsuitable; for if we avoid showing off and use the same money spent on feeding the poor instead of our guests it will be an act of kindness that would please heaven and earth alike.

Food wastage in Indian Weddings

There are numerous ways to help the poor and stop wasting food at marriages is certainly one of them. We can confine to having a one dish wedding feast and thus use the excess money to feed our unfortunate brothers and sisters living in various slums all over India. May we get the desire and will to do the right thing!