General Essay on Dowry
Dowry is that which is paid to the groom and his family by the bride’s family at the time of marriage, which includes payment in cash, jewellery, goods, immovable property etc. The concept of dowry is aid to have been specific to North India region-wise and to the higher castes. Till the nineteenth century South India practiced the system of bride-price where in the groom pays the bride’s family. But through the centuries
the dowry system has enveloped the entire India transcending class, caste, region and religion barriers.
The marriages wherein dowry is paid also hold the implicit social construct that the bride moves in with the groom’s family. This is a point to be noted as this implicit social construct is what makes a woman vulnerable to violence. Dowry has evolved out of the economic dependence of the Indian woman. As the father of the bride is marrying her off, she will be a non-productive member of the her husbands family, in short, an economic liability. The dowry stands as compensation for the losses incurred by the husband !!!!
An average man’s desire to show off in the public has also caused the dowry system. The once in a life time opportunity to present and reaffirm one’s status would be a grand wedding. For the father of the bride, this could perhaps be the single most expensive event of his life. God help him if he has a couple of daughters. But there is no need to feel sorry for the father as he too must have taken dowry. Indians, especially those belonging to the higher castes, support the system of dowry by claiming dowry as a form of inheritance. If a woman rightfully receives a share of her parents’ wealth, then that argument is feasible, but in reality it has become more of a son-in-law’s property right.
A quote from Manu Smriti (Chapter 9 verse 194)
A woman’s property is traditionally regarded as of 6 sorts, What was given
- in front of the marriage fire
- on the bridal procession
- as a token of affection
- by her father
- by her mother
- by her brother.
So, this evil practice has been systematically developed by the beneficiaries over a long period of time ranging in centuries.
In it’s pathological form, dowry manifests itself as wife-battering, torture, and compulsion to commit suicide
Safeguards to the women in India
The legal system has provided certain safeguards for the protection of women in India. The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 was passed to curb this menace but it did not bring about any substantial change. According to this Act, any person who demands dowry is to be punished with a fine and imprisonment. The Act was further amended in 1984 but this did not help either. The Act provides that Women Welfare Associations can complain on behalf of the victim. Section 498A of IPC, introduced in 1983, states that the husband or a relative who subjects a woman to cruelty causing physical or mental injury will be fined and imprisoned. Section 198 of Criminal Procedure Code states that judicial notice will be taken of the offenses under section 498A of IPC if the complaint is made by,
- the victim or the victim’s relatives,
- any person related to the victim by blood, marriage, or adoption with the court’s permission,
- presentation of the facts by the police.
In spite of all these provisions, the legal system has not been able to eradicate the dowry disorder.
Is the “Indian mentality” the root cause of all evils ?
Blindly following the out dated traditions without rationally questioning the relevance or the authenticity – is what is famously known as the INDIAN MENTALITY. It is very much true indeed. We, in India never bother to question any established belief because, it is already an established belief. We buy a brand new BMW, and take it to the temple to offer prayers before using it. Why ? It is the established belief. We study very hard from our childhood and become doctors, software engineers and scientists, we take to careers in the United States, but when it comes to marriage, we marry the highest bidder. We do all the non-sense in the world and still claim to have a great tradition. There is no great tradition, there are only traditions. No tradition is fool proof. It should be understood only as a way of life of that particular period in a specific region and nothing more than that.
A large proportion of the women suffer because of the cultural sanctions of the family as their frames of reference are still largely dependent on their father, husband or son. Mythology, religion, culture and the media project the idea that the sole purpose of a woman’s existence is procreation and thus what is important is her traditional role as wife and mother!!! She has to perform these roles efficiently and the patriarchal society will ensure that this will happen. Even some of the woman are also responsible for this pathetic situation of women in India as they are quite happy playing second fiddle to men.
It is to be noted that when one talks about violence with regard to dowry, the parents of the women play a major role in the perpetuation of this custom. It is assumed by the parents of a girl that if they do not give dowry, then their daughter shall never get married. This attitude of the parents should change.
As a child (15 years ago), I used to read and hear a lot of stories written with the concept of eradication of dowry. Then I used to think that by the time I grow up, dowry would be a thing of the past. Today, no stories are written with this concept, not because dowry is eradicated, but the very concept of eradicating dowry itself is eradicated.
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