Today
India is knocked down by many problems like illiteracy, unemployment, cast
system terrorism, population growth, female feticide etc… Among the many other
problems that surmount the Indian Scenario is Dowry system. Dowry system is
rampant in some cultures than in some other cultures for example that Southern
side of India has this practice much more impose than in any other parts of
India.
This fact is discussed and condemned by many serious
minded people. Yet it continues to rule the human mind. Yet Dowry system is
practiced faithfully by the people by and large under various lame excuses. The dowry
system is responsible to a great extent for child marriage and discrimination
against girls. If a girl is married at a tender age, a small amount of dowry
will work, but if the girl is educated and qualified, she needs an equal amount
of dowry to get a bridegroom of the same status.
Dowry system is faithfully by the people by and large under various
lame excuses. Dowry system has deeply rooted in Indian Culture. Unfortunately,
the dowry system is still prevalent in India despite the provision in the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961. it
says that: "If any person, after the commencement of this Act, gives or takes
or abets the giving or taking of dowry, he shall be punishable with
imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years, and with fine
which shall not be less than fifteen thousand rupees or the amount of the value
of such dowry, whichever is more."
It is a
reality that serious minded people decide to say no to dower but the external
forces, parental insistence etc…. Yet we lack people who can take independent
decision and stand by the decision taken. Following are some of the points that
can be adapted to refute the evil practice of dowry system.
1 Start practicing dowry prohibition in your
family.
2 Educate the members of your family with the
provisions of law – that demanding and accepting or giving dowry is an offence.
3 A woman is an important member of family and
is entitled to all the rights and privileges a man enjoys.
4 Educate the members of your family and your
neighbors to respect a woman’s rights and privileges.
5 Gather like-minded people who are fighting
against this evil and begin to conscientise people on the issue.
Despite every stigma, dowry continues to be the signature of marriage.
According to the dowry marriages make or break.
It
is high time each one of us should make sure not to encourage this practice, if
we choose to call ourselves educated, aware & moral, and seeking for
spirituality. This is just another way contributing to the ill treatment of
girls and their subjugation and we should have the policy of zero tolerance in
the matter which will help us solve
other problems associated with it automatically. Women should insist on marrying
only those men who have the courage of their conviction to say no to dowry. Men who insist on living on the wealth
provided by their in-laws are as good as impotent and should be avoided at all
cost. Women
need real social, political, financial and moral support in their fight against
the system. They have to be empowered so that they can take their decisions
about their own life by refusing the dowry system.
The evil of dowry cannot be tackled by
a few individuals. It requires a combined effort of noble-minded persons to
eradicate this noble cause
Dowry, indeed an ancient practice. We read about another form of dowry even in the Sacred Scripture. I think, even if the whole world come under the same roof to tackle the Dowry system, nothing will happen. Because the term 'dowry' is less used by the people. Post modernity named it as 'share'. And they, now don't give dowry but their 'share'. Indeed, both are same, at the same time different.
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