“Any young man, who makes dowry a condition to marriage, discredits his education and his country and dishonours womanhood”— Mahatma Gandhi
Dowry or Dahej, one of the deep-rooted social evils, is flourishing in our society at an unprecedented rate. There is no denying the fact that modern citizens condemn it, yet this practice varies according to the region, caste, and creed.
Although it is difficult to determine the exact cause, here is a tentative list of responsible factors:
• Greed Factor
• Patriarchal Society
• Religious Constraints
• Constraints related to Caste/Creed
• Lack of Formal Education
• Conservative Thinking
• Desire to flaunt Social Status
• Low Status of Women
• A False Sense of Prestige
• Illiteracy & Ignorance
• Lack of Knowledge about Anti-Dowry Laws
From being a financial burden on a daughter’s family to wastage of money, this evil is silently claiming the lives of innocent married women. Dowry deaths are relatively higher in developing and underdeveloped economies, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran, to name a few. Although our Constitution grants equal rights to women but has our patriarchal society stopped seeing them more than a personal possession? Simply put, the infamous dowry system dehumanizes females by treating them as exchangeable commodities. Creating social awareness among the masses should be the first step in the fight to eradicate this social evil.
No doubt, several laws have been enacted so far, including the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, but the action needs to be taken on the front of enforcement. Our conscience needs to be fully awakened to the evils of the dowry system. Also, educated males must refuse to be sold and choose their partners in a fair manner. Dowry system entails giving huge amount of cash, jewellery and other gifts to the groom’s family by the bride’s parents as a condition at the time of marriage. However, it has turned into an evil social system over the years.
Many cases of brides being tortured physically and emotionally for not bringing enough dowry have come up. In many cases, the bride turns to her family to meet the demands of her in-laws while others end up giving their lives to end the torture. It is time the government of India should take strict action to stop this evil practice.
Eduindex News 