Madhya Pradesh minister backed a ban on pre-wedding shoots. (Representational)
Madhya Pradesh public relations minister PC Sharma on Tuesday backed a ban on pre-wedding shoots imposed by members of three communities in Bhopal.
"These things were certainly not a part of our culture. I believe that whatever people prohibits, it is from a social point of view. If people start following old trends and cultures again, their marriages will become more successful and joyful," he told news agency ANI.
In a controversial decision, members of the Gujarati, Jain and Sindhi communities in Bhopal threatened to boycott families that violate the ban on pre-wedding shoots.
National General Secretary of Gujarati Samaj Sanjay Patel said, "Pre-wedding shoot is wrong. It has been felt that many marriages break even before they take off, so our executive body has decided to stop this tradition."
Defending the ban, Bhopal Jain Samaj president Pramod Himanshu Jain said they banned the practice after their spiritual guru termed it "obscene".
Echoing the view, Bhagwan Das Israni, president of the Bhopal Sindhi community, said: "We will also pass a resolution banning pre-wedding shoots and that will be circulated to the community members."
Last year in Chhattisgarh, the Sindhi and Maheshwari communities issued a similar diktat, banning pre-wedding video and photography.