A Pakistani bride was found wearing tomato and pine nuts jewellery at her wedding. Why? Because price of gold is through the roof and so is price of tomato in their country. Pakistan-based journalist Naila Inayat shared a clip of a Pakistani media channel where a bride is talking about her decision to choose tomato jewellery over traditional gold jewellery.
Tomato jewellery. In case you thought you’ve seen everything in life.. pic.twitter.com/O9t6dds8ZO
— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) November 18, 2019
The bride, with a sense of humour, is wearing tomatoes in place of necklace, bangles, earrings and even maang-teeka. A bewilder news anchor congratulates the bride on her wedding but then asks her why is she wearing tomatoes. The bride says how the price of gold is through the roof and so is price of tomatoes and pine nuts. “Hence I wore tomatoes and pine nuts in place of gold,” she said. When the news anchor inquires where the pine nuts are because he couldn’t spot them under the tomatoes, she opens up an envelop and shows off pine nuts which were sent to her by her elder brother as ‘salami’ (money, gifts given during wedding). Her uncles, aunts and cousins had all sent her pine nuts as gift.
Clearly trolling the state of her own country’s economy, the bride then says how she has got three suitcases full of tomatoes as ‘gift’ from her parents’ home. “Parents who have given tomatoes to their daughter have given everything,” she says. “Since my parents gifted me tomatoes and pine nuts, the entire mohalla is in awe.
When asked why she chose tomatoes over gold, she says, “Since price of gold, tomatoes and pine nuts is increasing, I thought that after 10 years if I save these tomatoes, it’ll help me only.” She further jokes that after her marriage, she expects that her husband goes to the market every day and get her tomatoes.
While above skit may be a joke, tomatoes is not a laughing matter in Pakistan. In Karachi’s vegetable markets, prices of tomatoes have gone as high as Rs 320/kg. The ‘tomato thieves’ have started deploying innovative techniques because of which owners of tomato farms have started keeping armed guards to protect them.
There have been multiple reasons responsible for the scarcity of tomatoes in Pakistan. The Pakistani government’s disastrous agricultural policy and untimely rains have also contributed to the tomato woes of the country. Some reports have also suggested that the suspension of trade with India in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 had also played a crucial role in the rising prices of vegetables in Pakistan. According to reports, the supply gap has widened after the import of vegetables through the Wagah border was indefinitely abandoned.
