Tag: Dowry system

Dowry system

In ancient time parents used to give some important things to his daughter at the time of marriage for their future use. At that time it is called as a gift. But after passing some years this gift system changes. At that time parents gave these thing with their own happiness but now the situation is completely changed. Now the groom’s father directly asked the girl’s father to gave the thing. This custom have turned into malpractices.

This system destroyed the whole society. Society in which the birth of girl called them that Laxmi is birth in our house but now when the girl birth the family started thinking about her marriage not only the family the whole society started talking about. If a girl born in poor family then our society started to talking that how they marriage their daughter they never thought that only few hours passed to get the birth of that child.

If the parents are not able to pay the money to groom’s family then the girl is harasses the whole life by the groom’s family. The girl’s parents saving the money from the birth of the girl. The reason behind them is that if they not full fill the condition of groom’s patients then her daughter never be happy. They do all this thing only for her daughter happiness. Even doing all these things their daughter not live happily in his law house. Sometimes if parents are not capable to complete the all conditions at the time of marriage then they get insulted between the whole society and their daughter is tauchered. Some times the girl take wrong decision or some times the groom’s family do wrong thing with the girl.

The boy who earned more money they are more cleaver. In our society boys are sailer. The boy is more educated her price is more.

Some laws are made against this system but none of them is followed by the people some action is taken against this and this is very useful. It save the life of girl not completely but around 25 % it save the life of girl.

Dowry is not a good thing because it take someone’s life.

Why Dowry is popular in India

Why Dowry is popular in India

Around eight thousand dowry related deaths are reported in India every year and the real number could be even higher as many cases are not reported at all.

Practice of dowry may bring severe consequences including violence, sex-selective abortion and female infanticide. Research shows that in 1980s when international gold prices inflated mortality of females also increased in India. Often the financial decisions of households depend upon dowry as research has shown that the estimated value of dowry is equal to the annual income of the family. This leads to families with daughters saving up their resources for dowry which otherwise could have been invested elsewhere.

But the idea and practice of dowry is not limited only in India. This practice was common in Europe in the medieval period. The current financial capital of India, then known as Bombay was gifted to the British Crown by the Portuguese as a part of dowry of Queen Catherine of Braganza in 1661.

The practice of dowry decreased in Europe along with the economic development but on the contrary it hiked up in India. Data shows that almost 40 per cent of marriages were reported with dowry in 1940 which increased to 90 per cent by the year 2000.

There are several theories about the origin of dowry. One of such theory says daughters were given away to the in-laws along with money as women didn’t had any legal rights on their family’s property. Hence dowry served as a compensation given to the woman. But with time the concept evolved and the current practice of dowry can be equated to the practice of groom price where the value of dowry is determined by the market value of the groom. This so-called value of groom is determined by factors like education, job type, salary, caste etc. This concept of groom price is contrary to the bride price practice which was common in parts of south India and is still existent in northeast India where the groom’s family pays a certain amount to the bride’s family as a compensation for her work. Research shows that the practice of bride price hasn’t changed much over the years but dowry has seen a significant increase inspite of many activists like Satya Rani Chadha protesting against this malpractice since years.

There are several theories explaining the increase in the dowry practice. The most significant of them are the theory of Sanskritisation proposed by famous sociologist M. N. Srinivas which says that dowry was prevalent only in upper castes but as several lower castes started to adopt practices of upper castes in order to increase their status, dowry became a common practice. Another such theory by Siwan Anderson indicates economic development leading to cross-caste competetion as the main reason of increase in dowry. Theory by Gaurav Chiplunkar says relative groom quality has increased over the years as mostly men got educated and pursued better jobs hence families are forced to give dowry. And the cycle can break when potential brides are educated and financially independent.

Considering the developments in India over the recent years women are still a small proportion of workforce despite women outperforming men in many cases during education. NSS report of 2014 shows that about 60 per cent of women said they had to do all the domestic work(unpaid) due to the reason ‘no other member to carry out the domestic duties’.

Such problems often require creative solutions. There have been laws against dowry since decades and little did they affect the practice in reality. Women need to be educated and provided with economic opportunities to counter the relative hike in groom quality. Surveys have shown that promoting rural manufacturing and improving transport infrastructure tend to increase women’s participation in the workforce in rural parts of the country. Punishments to all families practicing dowry isn’t the perfect solution, change in the mindset of the society is the real way to do away with this age old malpractice.

Dowry system- a curse to society

Dowry system

Dowry system advert to sturdy goods ,and chattels that grooms, and his relatives demand from bride’s family. It is tradition provided by ancestors to us and we have to follow it though it is our choice we are ought to follow. Growing up in the society where tradition expect woman to reside with husband’s family, how would woman stand against dowry?

origin of Dowry system

During Chivalric and Renaissance Europe the dowry often assist not only to raise the acceptance of a woman for wedlock, but to fortify the authority to specify frontiers and prudence of nations. Later on in 19th and 20th century this practice went vanish.

In context of South Asia, it turned further approved at the end of 20th century. The practice of kanyadaan next varadakshina leads to the growth to dowry. History says that Rishi karav grant a number of presents to his daughter Shakuntala.

It can be inferred that since early marriage were norm in bygone society. As a daughter have to leave her maternal home, number of gifts are provided.

Current situation

Marriages have become a business deal. As dowry is exceedingly controlling the system of marriage in our society, now marriages are made by money. The more groom earns and is educated, more he and family demand as dowry. What’s the use of education if social evils are connived by those so called educated people?

In marriage market, boys are viciously sold. The appraisal of demand depends on boy’s education. Today, glutinous boy marry the car, chattels and household appliances. Every piece of household furniture, Tv sets and goods have become dowry.

Even girls nowadays are interested about what they are getting. Even when a girl is against this practice fingers are pointed upon girl’s family for not fulfilling their demand. Any which way this social evil is still prevailing in our society.

Despair of dowry

There is nothing bad about parents giving gifts for new journey. What if parents can’t afford it? Is it okay to demand? Not at all. The problem lies in the word “willingness”. It is illegal to demand other’s property. Every marriage of girls child drains out a huge amount of money from bride’s family to groom’s family. Even after fulfilling all the demand, sometimes groom’s family are not satisfied. This practice threatens the level of women and leads to the despair.

This is the main reason for female infanticide and female foeticide. Yearly there is recorded case of 12 million female infanticide. That means 12 million girl infants are died in a year of birth. Not only this, small girl who should focus on their career have to start working to get a dowry expenses. Innocent girls are even sexually harassed. This results in suicide and homicide. In a day approximately 20 women dies.

It is not only illegal but horrible as per women’s life. Due to this poor people get trapped in debt. Moreover, dowry keeps women from economic independence.

Government Act

Dowry system had been outlawed since 1961. In 1986, law against abuse and domestic violence in first 7 years of marriage in terms of dowry was amended. The worst thing even after legislation and government is that people are scared to report.

we’re living in a modern era of 21st century characterized by liberalization, privatization and globalization. But mentally we are not. It’s high time revolution should be taken. Government alone can’t bring change. Change starts from us and our society.

Dowry system in India

What is dowry?
It is a cash or a goods that is given by the bride family as a gift to the groom family.

It has become a social evil in this society. The bride family has to go from many pressures with the demand by the groom family in their daughter’s marriage. This can become an issue with raising the girl child. That is why, the life of the girl miserable in some circumstances. If the demand is not fulfilled the marriage can be cancelled or tortured after becoming the wife.

Due to this, many parents abort their girl child or murder them after new born. Many girl child has been found thrown in the dustbin or rivers. The number of dead girl babies has increased in some areas. The number of boys exceed in comparison to girls in the entire population. Dowry has become a greed in today society.

The system of dowry was to give their daughter as a gift so that after the marriage she will be financially independent. The parents give their daughter with their own happiness. But when the demand came from the boy’s family, it has became an social evil.

Every girl should have the right to live their own life. Educate girls and women and make them aware about the social issue. Women can take action against the dowry system as various laws has passed by the government.