The Arranged Economics

Frederic Engels definitely is not a name that surface up when we think about marriage. For enlightened ones Osho comes up easily when they think about sex (pun not intended). I was knocked down to contemplation when I read one of the rhetoric of Osho that Marriage is not a spiritual or social institution but an economic institution. Articulation was never an issue with Osho but originality was. A brilliant recycler that he was, when I read Engels’ view on Marriage I smiled. Indeed Osho took a hitchhike with Engels.

Why all of a sudden I am musing over a communist and spiritual rogue? It’s because she told me that her marriage is delayed because of the real estate prices have been crashed in Kerala. Her parents were hoping for a fatter price for the property so that they would get her married to a fatter money bag and rest of her life she would eat rich food, travel in swanky cars and gain the diseases of rich. And ha, she would also deliver some fat babies who will go to international schools and would speak accented English and scoff at their mother tongue. And the parents? They would brag about the alliance in the church, during the holy mass, to the bystander. In the whole process the only ignored factor will be ‘she and her life.’

And he, finally going to see a girl tomorrow after his parents rejected innumerable proposals, mostly based on the balance sheet of the girls’ family. Now do you understand why I remembered Engels after a long interval? In fact I have forgotten him ever since I started working in posh air-conditioned comforts of neo economy companies.

When economics (fat pay, family wealth, abroad jobs, government job where getting big bribe is a possibility etc…etc..) is the primary concern and the girl’s or boy’s feeling is the most neglected aspect in our arranged marriage then Engels has a point, right? The dowry calculation formula in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh etc. is based on some complex analysis of the economy of the family of the groom. It’s a miniature economy where the GDP, inflation, deflation, trade deficits etc. gets analyzed and then agreed on an amount. Chances of an economic recession in the family is also predicted by the brilliant economist parents. I heard that IT Professionals are available at throw away prices in the current marriage market because of the collapse of the world economy.

Alliances of nations also show the same behavior traces. Look how hard the mighty USA is trying to date with China. China’s new found affluence and stronger economic fundamentals are the prime reason for the affinity and not because USA has learned to love off late. Profiting from a relation is the fundamental capitalist whim anyway.

Move over Engels, now all I wanted to do is pray sincerely for the real estate prices to go up in Kerala so that many girls may get arranged to a good economy.