Essay on Problem of Dowry System

Dowry System ( Dahej Pratha)

Dowry System is known as “Dahej Pratha” in Hindi.

Dowry refers to the amount of money and other valuables brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.

In modern age, even in this age of science and technology, many evil practices are prevalent in our society. These evil practices are early marriage and also the dowry system.

Dowry as part of marriage consideration is prohibited by law in India. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 was enacted to help the women who are victim of Dowry System.

Evil effects of Dowry System

In modern age, still in different cities, towns and in villages, the dowry system is going to be practiced.

Even in poor families sometimes the father of an young bride had to take loan from the bank to pay the demand of a groom.



Though anti-dowry bill has been passed in the parliament, it is not yet practically implemented.

Sometimes young brides commit suicide for the torture.
Dowry System in India

Dowry System is the one of the worst problem in Indian Society. It does not only affect the individual victims, the brides, but the entire social fabric which was created to help realize the aspirations of both the individuals and the collective. The brides as sacrificial goats only show the canker that spreads all over this social fabric.

Dowry System has its root in the attitude of Indian society towards women. However reverential we may be in our references to the women, our mothers, daughters, sisters and wives, the society has done very little to end the servility of women to men. The Indian women do not really have any will of their own, nor do they have any aspirations beyond serving and humoring their men. In spite of the social bonds the women are treated, even today, with pity and nobody thinks of giving them equal status with men.

Sometimes people talk about social injustice of dowry system but there are just like many of our annual rituals and exercises in futility.

When the question of marrying the girls comes, the parents are the unhappiest creatures on earth. The only problem is not to find a groom suitable for the girl, but to meet demand of dowry. Even after the marriage the bride’s parents have to shut their mouth in front of the groom and his family. Many times often girl is tortured, slighted and humiliated for no fault of hers but because the dowry she brings is not rich enough. The custom is that the bridegroom’s parents would be made richer and the bride’s the poorer, so the bride must suffer if the dowry fails to make the bridegroom’s parents rich. At her in-law’s place, she must be prepared to suffer silently and stoically. She knows well enough that the women are born to suffer and it is a sin to protest against their destiny.

However, in a civilized society it is a shame that the happiness of our women are dependent of the quantum of dowry and other valuable materials that she brings from her parents to her husband’s home. When almost every day we read in the newspapers the news about bride-burning, we cannot but find our civilization to be a fake one, all those stories about our progress seem to be told by an idiot and they mean nothing.

It appears that brides are not humans, they do not have the feelings or dreams or natural desire to be loved. The husbands and the in-laws treat them as mere bundles of rich dowry. Unfortunately this attitude to the brides has proved demoralizing enough to have their hopes withered and the dreams blighted. Today many of the grooms only dream of netting of the bigger fish and if the brides are found to be bringing with them a small fortune they feel deceived and frustrate. The wedding does not create a bond of love for them. Sometimes the brides may refuse to be servile and to submit without protesting. But that only leaves them involved in some sort of scandal, which even the organized movements cannot bust, and consequently very often they are made to commit suicide.

Status of women in the society:

Females in India are numerically fewer than the males. In practical field the plight of women in India is pitiable now-a-days. Girls and women constitute Indian’s largest oppressed section. Indeed they are some of the staunchest upholders in a family set-up where not only women but girls are expected to bear the entire domestic drudgery, perform most of the parental duties as mother and sacrifice themselves for the benefit of their offspring.

Dowry Laws:

Section 304-B of the Indian Penal code lays down that where the death of a women is caused by any burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise than under normal circumstances within seven years of her marriage, such death shall be ‘dowry death’, and such husband or relative shall be deemed to have caused her death.

It is very good that the law has been imposed to protect the victims of dowry system but in adequate practices strengthen the oppressors. As for the parents of the girl, their guilt in marrying off their girl child to a dowry-hunter and thereafter shut their eyes to the plight of their daughter in her husband’s home is not punishable in law to some extent.

Solution

So what is the remedy of this evil practice of this dowry system?

Only all the women should be unitedly fight against this evil system.

Women commission and all the different women forums should find out such causes of dowry system and punish those greedy guardians who encourage this system.

The most effective remedy is to bring consciousness against this evil system through education and social awareness.

There is also the necessity of spreading of women’s education to fight against the dowry system.