Dowry System
Even after independence India has not made much social progress. Age old conventions and time torn traditions are being still preserved by the people in all earnestness by leaps and bounds and women’s liberation movement has come to stay in all countries Indian woman are still backward and have not been freed from their Conventional shackles.
The sati system patronised by the Rajputs could be put an end to only by the stern measures taken by the British rulers. The child marriage and sati even though put down by law does not fail to raise its vicious hood at unexpected moments and odd places in India.
But the dowry system has made India its permanent abode and has been victimising all middle class women. Though the anti-dowry bill has been passed, its efforts have been thwarted by indiscreet bargaining by the parents for a better consort for their daughters.
No marriage in India is performed without dowry in cash or kind is given on behalf of the girls to the bride-grooms. Democracy demands that woman should have equal status with man not only in politics but also in all other departments of life. But at the time of marriage, man is treated superior to woman whatever the educational qualifications or status in life be and her parents have to part with huge sums of cash as dowry to satisfy the male. This is more or less a purchase consideration paid to man by or on behalf of a woman. It is an insult to woman hood.
Some people say that dowry is given as a financial help to the newly wed to settle down in life. In that case both the parties to the marriage should be ‘made to con-tribute according to their might. But it is not so. The woman only is compelled to pay dowry as a tax pre-requisite to the marriage.
Marriage instead of being a holy sacrament has become a method for extorting money – as much money as possible from the other party. A large number of divorces and even larger member of suicides have been reported on account of the dowry system.
By this system, we have fallen low in our moral values. Sometimes dowry becomes prestigious. The parent of the daughter think that they should give a good dowry and the parents of the boy feel that they should get a good dowry. In both the cases dowry becomes a matter of prestige
Dowry system shall be abolished more effectively by stringent laws and through persuasion. There should be social organisations which should be espouse the cause of woman and make the people to realise that marriage Is completely different from business. The Government should enforce the law against dowry more strictly that the people will be discouraged from this bad system.
