Voice Against the Anguish and Pain of Dowry:

Pretty much everyone is aware of what dowry is, but before diving into the chief thought of this article, a brief explanation of dowry will be included in the beginning.

What is dowry?

Dowry means the assets given to a woman at the time of her marriage which she brings to her husband. These assets may include monetary cash, residential property, expensive cars and so forth. The concept of dowry was derived from the fact that the bride was given gifts by her family as a symbol of love and affection according to the family’s status and financial stability. Thinking of this, do people really take dowry in its literal sense or has it become more of a problem rather than a simple sign of affection?

Dowry—A Curse, A Problem, A Threat To Life:

Reading this sub-heading, some people might wonder that how can dowry be a threat to life, but just wait till you get your answer as you will read further. Read some of the following excerpts from real-life experiences and headlines which made news.

1)      “For nineteen-year-old Rinki dreams of a happily married life was never to be. Barely a month after her marriage, she was allegedly tortured and then set ablaze by her in-laws for dowry in Indiranagar[India] in the small hours of Saturday. Daughter of late Gyan Chand, a fish contractor who expired a year ago, Rinki was married to Anil on April 19... However, soon after the marriage, Balakram [Anil’s father] demanded a colour television instead of a black and white one and a motorcycle as well. When Rinki’s mother failed to meet their demands, the teenage housewife was subjected to severe physical torture, allegedly by her husband and mother-in-law... On Saturday morning she [her mother] was informed that Rinki was charred to death when a kerosene lamp accidentally fell on her and her clothes caught fire.”

2)      “ Dowry harassment claimed yet another life here recently. Jyoti, daughter of Chandrashekhar Byadagi, married to Ajjappa Siddappa Kaginelle in Guttal village (Haveri taluk)[India] had taken her life after being allegedly harassed by her husband Ajjappa, mother-in-law Kotravva, sister-in-law Nagavva and father-in-law Siddappa for more dowry, the police said. Police said that the harassment compelled her to consume poison... The Guttal police have arrested her husband and father-in-law.”

3)      “The police said that a woman’s body was found floating in a well at Tilawalli (Hanagal taluk)[India] near here... The deceased has been identified as Akhilabanu Yadawad (26). The police said that Akhilabanu was married to Abdul Razaksab Yadawad five years ago. In spite of dowry being given, her husband and his family tortured her to bring some more dowry. Her father, Abdulrope Pyati in his complaint, alleged that she was killed by them. Her husband and his two brothers have been arrested, the police added.”

(The above 3 excerpts are taken from Times Of India)

4)      “A recent report by Human Rights Commission on the eve of International Women’s Day, Sunday, carries some horrific statistics about women rights violations throughout Pakistan. Out of 9,670 women, immediate relatives including husbands, brothers, fathers and others killed 1,638 ladies. About 8,041 women were killed due to property and other such issues. About 3,379 women were killed for not bringing dowry with them and asking for their rights.
They were either killed by setting them on fire or by acid throwing.”

(The above excerpt is taken from The Nation)

The above excerpts are just a minute number of stories while there are many more out there. Many of these stories are not even reported so one can imagine the actual rate of deaths resulting from insufficient dowry. Every year many young women are killed or are forced to commit suicide as a result of torture and stalking by husbands and in-laws due to the dowry issues. How can the greed overcome the human minds so heavily that people begin considering human lives worthless as compared to the worldly luxuries? Dowry death is just one of the many types of violence faced by women all over the world. The rate of dowry deaths is particularly high in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh but not limited to these countries only.

It is fine for the parents of the bride to bestow gifts to their daughter but there should be strict laws against gifts demanded by the groom’s family or the gifts which are asked as a precondition for the weddings. There are some laws against such demanded dowry but are not strictly implemented by the people specifically in those areas where women are still treated unjustly. If women will stand up against dowry mutually and strongly, then revolutions can be made but unfortunately, despite of being in such an advanced era, many women lack confidence.

The dilemma of dowry can certainly not be solved by enhanced status of the bride’s family not can it be solved by mutely fulfilling the demands of the groom’s family. Dowry is a curse for a woman and no matter how much or less can be given to the groom’s family, some greedy people never get enough of it and therefore keep on demanding more and more. There have also been cases that the bride’s parents spent every penny in order to cover the dowry demands and the stories keeps on going on.

Strong steps should be taken against the violence against women and awareness should be made throughout the world. There are many developed areas where women are strong enough to raise their voices against women violence but what about those areas where women are still struggling with their esteem every day? Even if the father of the bride can sustain the dowry demands, he should happily give according to his heart, not as a result of some condition or demand. The issue of dowry is not limited to a specific region, religion or cast, it is the issue of every women who is deprived of her basic rights! Which religion demands people to kill a woman for not meeting the dowry demands? Which government laws states that a woman should be burnt if her father cannot meet the expectations of the groom’s family? Who can put an end to this battle of survival? The questions and the thoughts are endless but what is the solution of all this? Is marriage before the legal age the vital cause of women suffering like this? The dowry does not end with the wedding ceremony; instead it keeps on increasing on ceremonies and new births. If we cannot do a lot individually against this menace, then we should at least look at the women around us, and take steps in making this world a better place for women as well as men to live! Let’s get rid of this infuriating act and play our roles! We all are educated men and women, and even if men will take a stand against it and refuse to accept any burdensome favor from the brides’ parents, then this can also create a revolt!