Tajiks Told Not to Over-Spend on Celebrations

New restrictions on lavish celebrations in Tajikistan have not taken the strength of tradition into account, and people are likely to carry on spending most of their income on family events despite the ban, say NBCentralAsia observers.



On May 30, the lower house of the Tajik parliament voted unanimously to adopt a law on “traditions, celebrations and ceremonies”. Members of the upper house are expected to approve the law on June 7 and then send it to be signed by the president.



The law is intended to curb lavish celebrations and funerals, so for example, no more than 200 guests can be invited to a wedding.



Anyone breaking the law will face a fine of up to 6,000 somoni, or about 1,740 US dollars, but it is still unclear under what circumstances the penalties will be issued.



In late May, President Imomali Rahmon said the law had been drafted in response to the growing trend where people spend far more than they can afford on over-the-top celebrations. He noted that this had a damaging effect on living standards in a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line.



The average family earns less than a dollar a day but spends 60-70 per cent of its income on lavish celebrations and funerals.



NBCentralAsia observers say that as part of the nation-building process, state is trying to adjust the role played by tradition - but it has underestimated the social significance of ritual events for local communities.



The restrictions apply only to private functions and not state-run festivities, and expert Khodi Abdujabbor says this show the state is trying to promote official celebrations as it tries to build up more of a sense of national identity.



But other experts say this attempt to change the face of traditional celebrations may be fruitless, because the government has miscalculated the strength of community feeling about such events.



Political scientist Parviz Mullojanov says pressure within communities to put on a good show is so great that despite the ban, even the poorest families will be prepared to spend everything they have to keep up appearances.



“Social status in traditional Tajik society is largely defined by whether a family fulfills expectations when it comes to holding traditional rites and celebrations,” said Mullojanov. “It is impossible to eradicate traditional ritual, because it forms the basis of Tajik traditional society and its main nucleus – the patriarchal family,” he said



Another NBCentralAsia observer based in Dushanbe who wishes to remain anonymous, believes the restrictions won’t change people’s basic attitude to ostentatious ceremonies, especially if the law is enforced too harshly. Such restrictions remind him of the Soviet era, when people routinely flouted the ban on religious and other traditional practices and performed all the rites in secret.



“This law infringes not only citizens’ identity, but also their constitutional rights, since it is a violation of privacy. People have the right to spend the money they earn however they want,” the observer said.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)