By: Dr. Abhishek Kumar Pandey, Asstt. Editor-ICN
LUCKNOW: India is home of many highly educated and intelligent people, as well as to many who are illiterate, poor, hungry and troubled. India boasts the beautiful Himalayas, deep blue seas, green forests and glistening rivers, but also acres of slums and dry lands. The country is also famous for its big, Indian weddings – a major and thriving industry. But in India, the dowry system is an ever-present menace which frequently changes shape to adapt to society. There are many dead, rotten, harmful and old traditions and customs that still prevail in our society. They are a blot on the fair name of our culture and civilization. Dowry system is one of these curses.
India has had a long battle against dowry – an unsuccessful one. Legislations have been made and amended. But the practice seems to be growing. It has spared no economic or social group. Even highly educated, civilized, modern and well-off families and people are not free from it. Many people have been found publicly denouncing but secretly indulging in the practice of the evil. This reflects how selfish, inhuman and greedy we can be. It is really amazing how low we can stop to serve our mean and selfish needs.
No doubt, the practice of dowry had social, religious and cultural sanction in ancient and medieval India. But in present circumstances and situations it is totally undesirable and condemnable. It is an evil which should be eradicated immediately. It is totally against our democratic, social and cultural ethos and values. It discriminates against women and tries to show that women are inferior to men. It is a direct attack on the equality of women guaranteed by our constitution.
“Dowry is not only a curse; it is actually the mother of all evils in society.”
This is a call to parents of every girl child in every country where the dowry system is flourishing. Why should we not say no? It starts with the birth of our daughters. Let us give them a good education, a good upbringing, a happy and safe environment at home and combine all this with a good dose of self confidence and self esteem. Let us say no to any potential groom and his family who talk about marriage like a business transaction. Let us stand strong and firm so our daughters learn from us to say no.
Let us teach them that life throws us many challenges. That we are all supposed to enjoy the journey of life – marriage is never the final destination. It is one part of our journey. Let us give our daughters the confidence to walk out of a marriage where they are being abused and harassed for dowry, knowing that it is not the end of the world. Let there be no more burned brides, hanged brides, poisoned brides or strangulated brides.
“ God reside there, where women’s are worshipped.”
The abolition of the dowry system would be a landmark toward social reforms. With whatever intentions this custom may have been started, it cannot be denied that it has failed to give equal status to women in the society. The time has come to scrape the roots and branch of dowry system. Unless we become more progressive in our outlook, less orthodox in our ways and more revolutionary in our ideas, dowry will remain the bane of our society.
“Be a Man, not beggar to ask dowry.”
