By Yang Ater Yang
The governor of Lakes State Rin Tueny Mabor has banned, (Kalbash and Yau-Yau) created cultural practice which is believed to be destroying the Lakes cultural norm. Kalbash and Yau-Yau is a cultural practice which exaggerates charges during marriages, and was banned during a visit made by the governor to Yirol West County.
Yes, I think it has been a practice which is recently engaged in and sometimes, it is not part of the culture. The community call it “Yau-yau” and “Kalbash” so, I don’t know how to explain it. But it is about some additional costs when somebody is making or approaching marriage process,” explains the Governor Rin.
He said there are things that you pay first like cows, heifer, some goats or good money.
“And of course, it is exaggerating the marriage to go higher and even the nature of marriage itself does not make that sense. It does not represent the culture and the government cannot tolerate such because you know in this economic crisis there is no need of allowing such things because it is causing fear to youth who are supposed to marry in the community and those who want to marry because not everybody has everything,” he said.
He said there are some people who have wealth and there are some people who don’t have in the community.
“And of course, something which is not in the culture and it is not a norm from the government in the area or in the state could not be tolerated,” he said.
“You can see number of our girls, they are actually in the family without getting married and it is because of such and the government is even working hard to make sure the bright price for dowry is fixed somewhere, where it can be affordable. But yet, we don’t reach that. But something must be done about it so that we get to marry easily instead of making it harder for our people or the youth,” he said.
He said culture of Kalbash and Yau-yau are harmful to the culture of paying dowry because it adds a different cost of dowry payment.
“You pay some cows, you pay some money and a lot of other funny things that you pay and in economic that’s a different cost of payment already and yet, you did not reach the real marriage. Why don’t people go to the real marriage where you go and pay the dowry as required by the culture and norm,” he asked.
He said there is no need adding something locally because it looks like a deal and off course it is exaggerating the dowry payment in the society or in the community.
He said this Kalbash and Yau-Yau is commonly practiced in greater Yirol. It is reported that the whole population of greater Yirol and the youths have appreciated the ban on the cultural practice of Kalbash and Yau -Yau.
“Not only that, the ministry of culture is even looking at bad cultures. Some of the things that were there but we realized that it is harmful. It cannot be allowed like this issue of initiations on forehead. These are some of the things people want to ban and we will eliminate them out, one by one in the community to make sure that the harmful culture is put aside and a good culture is allowed,” he said.