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The Evil of Dowry in Indian Society



The Evil of Dowry in Indian Society
  

‘Dowry’ may not be an alien word but the concept will certainly seem extra-terrestrial to those who are not familiar with the evils associated with this 5 letter word. My Indian society in particular is plagued by this phenomenon. Marriages are made in heaven as we say; but in India they are made and broken courtesy of ‘dowry’ given to grooms. The British were ‘kind’ enough to abolish the concept of ‘sati’ in the subcontinent but couldn’t root out the dowry system prevailing within the society.


The Indian Law of 1961 prohibits the practice of dowry and it is a punishable offense but in reality it exists and is practiced with fervor throughout India. Interestingly there is no prohibition on bestowing ‘gifts’ upon the bride or groom. Technically speaking these gifts are owned by the bride and in the event of an unfortunate divorce she is entitled to keep those gifts.
The reality though is that the ‘bride’ has been never actually able to retain possession of these items for they either depreciate to a negligible value  or are sold by the ‘in-laws’ long before for any ‘special’ need that may have arisen during the course of the marriage. And trust me these needs often arise on a regular basis. Males in Indian society are considered bread earners and their birth is celebrated where as deaths are mourned. 


On the contrary ‘women’ are considered mere objects of pleasure or ‘fertility clinics’ with the sole duty of giving birth and raising children. Therefore the majority of parents especially in rural areas think that by marrying their son to any woman; they are actually doing a favor to the ‘bride’s family.

A list of demands presented before the ‘bride’s family before marriage often includes a house or land, a suitable vehicle and gold ornaments. Some are audacious enough to ask for outright cash so that their ‘son’ could open up a business or some shop.
From a legal point of view they are considered as gifts to the bride but in fact they are provided so that the groom and his family may treat the girl with respect and she can live peacefully. For neutral observers this practice resembles to a ‘trade’ where security, comfort and a groom is being purchased at a reasonable price.

To add insult to injury; if the girl successfully fulfills all the demands still then her behavior is often kept under close watch and the slightest mistake of hers often puts her in deep trouble. Divorces are not taken lightly in Indian society and a divorced woman is considered ‘spoiled goods’ with no future. Therefore the bride’s family often goes out of their way to ensure that no bitter issues may arise due to lack of ‘dowry’. The laws exist on paper but in practice they are found nowhere. 

It is more of a social issue than legal; education and mindsets are two important factors that need to be focused if the ‘dowry’ system is to be eradicated from our Indian society. Nevertheless all is not so gloomy; India is changing and some educated Indian families already recognize that ‘dowry’ is not only an unnecessary burden on the ‘bride’ and her family but it weakens the bond between husband and wife.

Comments

  1. Oh wow! I don't know much about the Indian Society and dowry sounds horrid! I'm glad it's not legal and but it's not right that it's still happening! Thanks for teaching me something new today!

    --Autumn from My Kind Of Introduction

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  2. Not one place in this post did I see the word LOVE mentioned. What happens when a man falls in love and doesn't care about a dowry?

    It is almost like the women in your country are slaves.

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    1. Well love marriages are also common in India but you'll be surprised to know that Dowry is must whether it is love marriage or arranged. Dowry extortion or harassment happens due to their families. People used to think that these things are happening in lower and medium class families but the fact is that people from lower class background adopts upper class rituals. Most cases of dowry harassment are registered against upper class families. I guess many of them are rich but not civilized yet!!

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    2. So how about you Akhil,
      Are you married and did you get a Dowry? Just curious..

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    3. Lol no I am not married yet :P And thankfully my family doesn't support Dowry system.

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    4. Well good for you and your family!! Now you need to find the Love Of Your Life!

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  3. i have a lot of indian friends when I was in china and I heard about this all the time. I have a filipina friend who married and indian guy and she never GAVE A single cents. but then again she is not indian.

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    1. Indian is changing and i Hope these rituals will vanish soon :)

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  4. This is an interesting post. I love learning about different cultures.

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  5. Oh, Akhil, how horrible for the poor woman in this situation! I am glad to see that India is changing and hope that these rituals do vanish soon. I'm also thankful that your family doesn't support this system. Thanks to you I have learned a lot about Indian culture and society these last few days. :)

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    1. Indian culture is very colorful...Actually i am just sharing some bad points..that's it. As i said, India is changing and developing so you'll see a new and better India very soon. Thanks for reading Pam :)

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  6. I am not familiar with the Indian culture at all. Very interesting read.

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  7. Yeah I knew this and think it is a shame in this day and age that it still is practiced. That women are mere objects. I do hope things change, for the women of Indian in more ways than just this. Higher education, no more forced marriages and on and on. Thanks for sharing I am sure your opinion is not popular among traditional Indian men. Kudos to you for standing out.
    Dawn
    Spatulas On Parade

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    1. Thanks Dawn, you can also share your blog link here :)

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  8. I know this the cultural norm in India but I personally find this to be disgusting. I don't like the fact that women are treated as a "pleasure palace" with no worth of their own. I can't imagine being a women in that culture.

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  9. It's such a shame that it still happens, I can't quite get my head around it I have to admit. I'm so glad to read your family believe in love :) x

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  10. I am glad to hear that things are changing. Given that the tradition seems to be so deeply rooted in Indian families and culture, it's commendable that some families are bucking the system and rejecting it. Let's hope more people join them.

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  11. So far I wasn't familiar with the Indian culture at all. Great to get a little inside look. Hope there is more like that coming!

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  12. This is horrible. But at least the indian culture is coming out of the dark ages and becoming more civilized.

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  13. Very interesting article. I am glad that things are changing. I hope that it moves at a quick pace and women can be seen as equals.

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