Open bars with unlimited tap-flows of alcohol, lavish luncheons with all sorts of meat dishes, and grand, ostentatious receptions during Sikh marriages will soon become passé – or so say Sikh religious leaders in India.

According to the members of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC), they have come up with a set of guidelines to curb ostentation associated with weddings in order to rein in female foeticide.

“Marriage is a very expensive affair in our community. To get their girls married, our people sell their lands and those who are poor don’t prefer a female child at all,”said Pramjit Singh Sarna, chief of the DSGPC.

“Fearing how they will afford to marry off their daughters, many poor people kill the girls in the mother’s womb,” Sarna added.

Punjab, the parent state of Sikhs, has less than 800 females per 1,000 males, one of the lowest in the country. The figure is way below the national male-female ratio of 927 females per 1,000 males.

The DSGPC has come up with a code of conduct that strongly directs the community to refrain from non-vegetarian food and lavish parties laced with liquor during weddings.

It asks all people to conduct simple weddings before noon and urged others to stay away from marriages that breach the code.

“All Sikhs in Delhi have to follow this else they will face social boycott. They will not be given marriage certificates and the clergy (granthi) will not solemnise their marriage,” said Sarna.

‘The code was formulated for greater cause and if observed seriously, it will curb cases of dowry harassment and female foeticide,’ he added. The code was a collective decision by 173 Singh Sabhas (groups) across Delhi. Reacting to the religious verdict, many Sikhs welcomed the move and said that such a code should have been in place much earlier.

“It’s a boon for middle class families who go out of their budget for unnecessary display. Some people take loans and in the process lose their valuable properties, lands, home and even jewellery,” said Tejinder Singh, a call centre executive.

Jagjit Singh, another Sikh youth, said that the idea was really good. “It would be nice if everyone adheres to the code and helps build a healthy and simple society.

“I think female foeticide and dowry harassment are important issues and any rules framed by the government or the religious institutions are a welcome move.”

Sarna added: “As of now, we have set up these guidelines for Delhi only and hope it would be followed in Punjab and Haryana later.

“If we can cut down on ostentation attached with marriage then millions of people in our community will not be debt ridden. They will not go for female foeticide and the in-laws will not harass brides over dowry,” he added.

He said affluent Sikhs should donate around 10% of their marriage expenditure to poor students.

“Instead of wasting money and creating unnecessary pressure on those who cannot afford such things, rich Sikhs should donate 10% of their budget to some poor students.”

This will produce a few engineers and doctors for the betterment of our country,”he said.