Inspired by Modi's appeal, Maharashtra family not to buy gold for son's wedding

New Delhi: Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal, a family in Maharashtra's Wardha has decided against buying gold jewellery for their son's wedding and instead to refurbish a 'mangalsutra' for their future daughter-in-law.

In a letter addressed to Modi, Satish Gaurishankar Choubey, who runs a puja materials shop at Pulgaon in Wardha, said his family has decided against buying a new mangalsutra for the bride after being influenced by the prime minister's call for responsible spending in the national interest.

“Inspired by the prime minister’s appeal, we have decided that we will not buy any new gold jewellery for the wedding of my son Yash, a software engineer, on July 1,” Choubey said.

According to Choubey, whose family migrated to Maharashtra from Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu decades ago, discussions were underway in the family to buy a new mangalsutra for the bride.

However, his wife Seema Choubey decided to polish and refurbish her own mangalsutra and gift it to the would-be daughter-in-law.

In the letter, Choubey said it was not just about saving money, but a conscious effort to show that even ordinary citizens can contribute to national causes by making small personal choices.

The family felt that responding positively to the prime minister's call was their way of participating in a greater national effort, he said.

Choubey also wrote that although they are a simple Marwari-Rajasthani household and would conduct the wedding with full traditional customs and celebrations, they wished to set an example by avoiding any unnecessary purchase.

The family also invited the prime minister to bless the newlyweds, and hoped that they may receive a letter conveying his blessings.

According to Choubey, such a message would be a cherished memory for the family and reinforce their belief that they had acted in accordance with the prime minister's appeal that is “resonating with ordinary citizens”.

Addressing a rally in Hyderabad on May 10, Modi called for judicious use of fuel, postponement of gold purchase and foreign travel, among other measures, to strengthen the economy, and emphasised that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of the conflict in West Asia.

Stressing the need to save foreign exchange, Modi called for postponing the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year.

“We have to save foreign exchange by any means,” he had said.