Jai Hind: Proud to be an Indian

A national survey conducted by the All India Democratic Women’s Association reveals that the dowry system is widespread and has permeated every section of society.”Even as we did the survey, a very ordinary looking girl was beaten up with a spice-grinding machine. Her fault: she was not good-looking, nor did she bring enough dowry.”— from the survey report presented by the Rajasthan team of the All India Democratic Women’s Association.

Dowry (Daughter’s Own Wealth Released to You) is the most dreaded and surprisingly accepted word in Indian marriages. Irrespective of women’s movement and newly imposed laws, the phenomena of dowry still keeps its prominence in marital relationships. Let us analyze the new faces of dowry in Indian marriages.What will be your reaction when someone ask your opinion about dowry in public? If you are a bachelor, your response may go like this ” Dowry! There is no need of dowry for me. I have the capability to look after my wife and children. If her parents gift her something, it is for her only.” But the fact is that dowry system is still existing in every section of the society, right from lower middle class to upper class.

Dowry originated in upper caste families as the wedding gift to the bride from her family. The dowry was later given to help with marriage expenses and became a form of insurance in the case that her in-laws mistreated her. Although the dowry was legally prohibited in 1961, it continues to be highly institutionalized. The dowry system is so deeply rooted in Indian culture, that sometimes one feels that there’s going to be no way out – at least not for another century. Even modern, well-educated families start saving up money for their daughter’s dowry as soon as she is born, so what can one expect from the uneducated masses, whose only form of education is tradition? When demands for dowry are not met, the bride is subject to torture, and often even killed. The reason many parents don’t want to have daughters is because of the dowry they will have to shell out at her marriage, and the stress they go through due to never ending demands from her in-laws.

There are several reasons for the prevalence of the dowry system, but the main one is that it is a necessary precondition for marriage. “No dowry, no marriage,” is a widespread fear. There has also been an emergence of a feudal mindset with a materialistic attitude in a new globalized economy. The price tag for the groom is now bigger and bolder. The emergence of an affluent middle class, the torchbearer of social change in modern India, is the main factor for the perpetuation of the dowry system. Families arrange most marriages, and a man who does not marry for love learns he can marry for possessions. For this man, and his family, a woman becomes the ticket to shortcut riches through the system of dowry. There are a number of things people desire to have in their own houses but cannot afford; they use the opportunity of a son’s marriage to get them. The girl’s parents do not protest against the blatant extravaganza, as they regard the alliance as a stepping-stone towards higher social status and better matches for the remaining children. Dowry as a phenomenon has gone beyond the ritual of marriage.

Dowry is an evil, evil system and all of us, at some level, condone it and even contribute to it. In spite of modernization and the increasing role of women in all walks of life, the practice of the dowry in India is becoming widespread, and the value of dowries is increasing. If a bride’s family fails to pay the amount of dowry demanded by the prospective groom’s family, the bride will be cruelly treated by the in-laws, and in many cases will be burnt to death. Official statistics show a steady rise in dowry crimes. More than 9, 5000 women are killed every year in India over dowry. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still record the maximum number of dowry crimes, but Bangalore, India’s fastest growing city also shows an alarming rise – four women reportedly die every day because of dowry harassment and domestic violence. The cases of dowry torture are the highest accounting for 32.4% of crimes against women in the country. Though prohibited by law in 1961, the extraction of DOWRY from the bride’s family prior to marriage still occurs. When the dowry amount is not considered sufficient or is not forthcoming, the bride is often harassed, abused and made miserable. This abuse can escalate to the point where the husband or his family burn the bride, often by pouring kerosene on her and lighting it, usually killing her. The official records of these incidents are low because they are often reported as accidents or suicides by the family.

One must not forget that the chunk of the GDP comes from the urban cities where the dowry laws are prevalently misused. If the misuse of laws still continues then the social infrastructure will collapse which will have a direct unfavorable impact on the country’s economy. If the law can’t curb dowry deaths, can’t even stop misuse, then what is the use of such a law that causes millions of people to suffer ? We as a youth want India to be the superpower in the world but unless we bring change in our attitude we cannot prosper. It is very essential that we should stand against any form of social evils that is existing for years in our so called modern society. The change can be brought if we change ourself. If we can not then the education is of no use. Education aims at betterment of our society but if it is not serving the purpose then why to initiate campaigns like “Education for all”. Our constitution believes in equality but we treat men and women differently in our society. Women need real social, political, financial and moral support in their fight against the system. They have to be empowered so that they can take their decisions about their own life by refusing the dowry system.

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