Spending to celebrate an occasion
Recently there was furor about spending money on the occasion of marriage of daughter of one minister in state cabinet of government of Maharashtra. Leader of his party, Sharad Pawar, requested all his ministers that they should not spend lavishly so that poor people particularly jealous media persons, feel envious and create fracas on that issue. In a way he is right but after reading that news I remembered one post I had put on this blog on 30th November 2009; I feel that post need be put once again to tell that lavish spending by rich people during such occasions in not waste of money and one need not bother to care for jealous, good for nothing, mediocre media people.
We also know that such spending is always done out of black money and in that case, it is all the more beneficial that they spend their black money to celebrate and enjoy the occasion. If not, then that money may go to Swiss Bank or some Singapore Bank. I suggest that we should actually encourage these people to spend away their B. money on such occasions so, that money will come in circulation and become white. In addition to that many deserving simple people will benefit out of that spending; read my original article to understand what I mean by that. I am giving it here again.
The other day, I read a news item saying, the chief minister of government of Maharashtra, Mr. Ashok Chavan appealed to his followers to not waste money on flower bouquet, garlands, posters showing their happiness on his birth day; he further appealed to them that instead of spending money in this wasteful manner they better give that money to his chief minister’s fund.
I have seen that spending money to celebrate an occasion in this way is often condemned as wasteful expenditure and very often people request not to spend it in this manner and so the advise of Ashok Chaven fell in the line of this usual mediocre thinking. I say mediocre because the very idea to consider, spending money in this manner is waste of money is actually not correct. All those people suggesting not to spend money like this; and advising to preserve money for more useful spending stems from the ignorance of practical economics! What is that more useful spending they are talking about? If we compare the two manners of spending we finally find that spending money in this way is at times found to be more worthwhile than the so called useful manners.
I set out to compare the two methods of spending and to my surprise it was proved that spending money for celebrating an occasion in the style given above is at times more helpful to the society than the so called preferred useful spending. How I came to this conclusion let me show. For that we shall make out first what are those useful spending for which people advise to keep this money. Give money to orphanage, old homes, destitute homes, giving money to an educational institute, giving to funds like chief minister’s fund and so on and so forth. The question is; how do you know that these places mentioned in the list are utilizing that money given to them in the correct manner? We really do not know how; but then we prefer to presume that they do it properly and satisfy ourselves. However, on one occasion I found that an old home run by a catholic person kills the old and destitute persons lodged with his institute within six months. I say kill because it is generally observed that nobody in that old home is living longer than that period especially the people who have lodged their old do not care to visit often! I refuse to accept that it is a mere coincidence. Of course, one cannot prove to that though; since it is a perfect crime. When I privately asked one maid working in that home I was told that if they do not die how will the institute accept new entrants. This was probably a suitable explanation indeed. Similar results I have seen in other places also. I do not advocate for not giving money to such places altogether but the bottom line is we really do not know whether or not the money is actually being put to proper use.
On the other hand I observed where the money goes when spent on celebrations as mentioned before. See my findings. One fellow quite rich celebrated birth day of his daughter and for that he arranged for a dance troupe to perform. It was a team of 20 persons, boys and girls and their coach. They charged fifty thousand for that occasion and the rich businessman readily gave that. I witnessed the dance and it was very nicely performed. After the show I mixed with the troupe and asked about how they do there living. One girl told me out of this money she will pay for her fees for the school since her father is too poor to finance it. Other girl told me she will buy new sari for herself as old one is too much withered. I approached the bandwallah who was beating the tune for the dance; he confessed that they got a good work after a long time and he will be using the money he gets to pay for the grocer. Then I went to the persons who had done the illumination. It was a good job, lighting is a skilled job and they had done it flawlessly. That lighting did not put glare on visitors eyes and so I wanted to know how he and his team shall spend the money. They told me that they need this money to pay for their rent and other expenses after the wages are paid. Then I went to the group of very poorly clad men sitting in a cluster on one corner, waiting for the order to play with their acetylene lamps. I asked them about their work. They were reluctant to talk but after some persuasion one fellow blurt out that today they are going to have a good meal and their families will also have a good meal if the shetji gives the leftovers after the party!
Over all I found that the money was not wrongly being spent. While the rich friend of mine was enjoying the celebration of his dear daughter he was unknowingly solving problems of so many people. I feel the more we celebrate our occasions by giving employment to deserving simple people from our society the better it is, then how one can discard such spending as wrongful expenditure? I after this experience came to the conclusion that people who can afford should deliberately spend money on celebrations to give at least temporary succor to these ‘deserving people’.
I may give more such instances to prove my conclusion but there is not limit to it, nevertheless, one example is unique and I must mention it here, on one such celebration of a festival I saw moving robots made by local skill, the robots were moving so perfectly that it deserved the applauds. I was curious to know more about the man behind the show, I called on him and I found that the skilled man is a most uneducated person, learned the skills at the hands of his master and now he confidently told me that he can make a robot which can do any play. He had charged just twenty thousand for the ten day celebration; can you say it was wrongly spent? I say; not at all. One student from IIT told me that he will not be able to make such robots unless helped by his teacher!
As for the advise of the chief minister I may say that the money spent on flowers gave succor to flower merchant and the garland makers, posters and banners gave succor to printers and the workers in that place, so how one can dub it as wasteful spending? Nevertheless, I admit that if money is spent on liquor and such things, we can call it wasteful.
I shall say vehemently, the money is well spent! I advise you my friends and readers next time you want to celebrate any occasion please do celebrate it in such a way that you give succor to many well deserving people. Adieu!!
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