Just few days back in a family get together we discussed Office Romance.
During the discussion my young niece stressed on that the wedding ring must be ingrained as a custom for all married men just like the mangalsutra or equivalent adornment(like shakha & Pola among Bengali women) are requisite for married women in India.
My niece works for an international firm and find most of the married men do not wear their wedding bands. This bothers her because it suggests that most of the men want to appear single and unattached. This may inter alia be a reason for adultery, infidelity and present epidemic proportions of divorce rate in the country.
She is a hip girl, member of this space generation but still has certain ethical values and do not agree with all prevalent pop culture. She strongly feels that it will make easy for a girl not to fall prey to the ogles and adept ways of a married man and be lured into a unethical relationship on time.
Though, I personally do not believe that adultery is pop culture(popular though it may be), and not that all ring less married men are out to commit it. Still I understand her anxiety and apprehension. How useful it would be to label people by their eligibility for respectable romance! Sure wedding ring is a symbol, not an announcement to prospective consumers of what to expect. Moreover these rings are easily removable, so they do not offer much protection against unscrupulous advances either but still it is an issue to be pondered.
Any thoughts!
