Dowry- A Reality
Dear Readers,
I’m Anandita Singh, here with a few words for you to think, wonder, and act. A healthy discussion is always welcome.
Dowry- a commonly debatable term that holds great significance in the history of women and India. It's never too much to read the news of women facing harassment, violence, and even death in cases related to Dowry. 10366 cases were registered under The Dowry Prohibition Act in 2020, 109 cases of dowry deaths in the Indian capital city of Delhi, 6966 deaths due to dowry in India in 2020. And this is not all, just search ‘Dowry’ on google and let the news of all the deaths, suicides, and reports make you think to think on this aggravated topic deeply.
There’s enough information to make you well acquainted with a dowry, be it the internet/books or your own neighborhood. And it is the latter that makes this conspicuous crime actually more true and scarier. A crime well written in books is appreciated and a crime well performed is disturbing. The fact that you already know everything you need to about dowry, makes no sense for me to describe it here again. But at the same time here are a few things I would want to share with anyone who feels agitated by this crime.
- Dowry is real and you are surrounded by it, accept it.
- Dowry is an ISSUE that needs critical thinking, it is not a problem ONLY for the poor.
- Doing your part matters a lot, even if it's a try or a small part unworthy enough to get awarded, but in any case your correct stand matters.
- Your thoughts are your world, if you change your thought you will change your world.
- You will get support, but the question is will you initiate the solution? As Rumi puts it, “As you start to walk on the way, the way Appears”
To the people debating that if financially stable, what is wrong in gifting any form of security or wealth to son/daughter on their marriage at their own will? is akin to a terrorist debating, I have my own guns and bombs with me, so what’s wrong in killing people with them of my own will? or a politician saying my team has invested so much in these elections on our own will, what’s wrong in earning money by corrupt ways from people?
The point which I am trying to highlight is gifting your child wealth is in no way wrong but why did you not gift him/her anything before? Why don’t you gift them something expensive anytime after the wedding? Why is it so, that all the expensive gifts need to be given just on one occasion, one day, one time? Doesn’t this seem indecorous? Doesn’t this seem unfair? Doesn’t this seem Dowry?
Think, wonder, and act.
