What Is Dowry?
Dowry
is an ancient tradition system where the bride’s family pays some sort of payment
to the groom’s family. It is not certain when and where dowry is generated but
is usually exchanged or takes place during weddings and engagements.
According to the culture, the dowry system was
made with the concept of giving some gift to the groom’s family by the bride’s
side directly or indirectly in the form of cash or some durable goods like
cars, furniture like cupboards, dressing tables, sofas, beds and sometimes
engagement rings, etc.
How Dowry Took Turns in the Culture!
But
a gift can
be defined as stuff which is chosen by the person who gives the gift and it is
chosen according to their financial status and some other important
circumstances. Which later on changed in culture and dowry took the position of
demand or condition through which the bride was selected for marriage. People
started making dowry a condition, started making high cash and durable goods
demand from the bride’s family and then only would accept the marriage
proposal.
This
caused a serious issue in society. As the groom’s family made huge dowry
demands, from the bride’s family, in the case of the lower class and middle
class, sometimes people were unable to pay such huge amounts which resulted in
breaking up of engagements, marriage divorces, suicides, and even deaths.
After
looking at so many social issues later dowry became illegal in many countries.
Is Dowry a Culture of India?
There’s
always been a false idea amongst people that dowry is most practiced in India.
But this culture had spread among many religions and countries. It is mainly in
parts of Asia, but still has a long history in Europe, South Asia, and Africa.
And it is currently practiced in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Egypt, Morocco, Bosnia, and Serbia.
The
Dowry system is practiced in most parts of the world in the same way but is
addressed with a different name, like jahez in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, dahej in
Hindi, daj in Punjabi, daijo in Nepali, ceyiz in Turkish, varadhachanai in
Tamil, steedhanam in Malayalam, etc.
Dowry in India
Dowry
has covered a wide area of Indian culture. In medieval times it was a gift to
the bride from her family in cash or some other valuable thing as her
independence after marriage and safeguard her with wealth which is solely hers
given by her parents. British made the practice of dowry mandatory as during
the colonial period it become the only legal to get married.
As
dowry was considered a gift for the bride from her family which meant to be
solely by her family as a safeguard also known as Shreedhan.
So
according to this custom the gift given by the bride’s family is decided by her
family itself because as is it said, it’s a gift. But in reality, it’s kind of different,
with time this custom became a burden for the bride’s family and a win
situation for the groom’s family. The groom’s family make started making huge
dowry as a demand and a condition based on which the marriage will take place
otherwise the marriage was made to be canceled cause of unfulfilled dowry
demands. This affected many bride’s families in their reputation in society, and
domestic violence on the bride after marriage forced her for more dowry after
marriage, especially middle-class and lower-class families. Many times it
resulted in suicides, female birth control, etc.
After so much cruelty and misuse of this custom, the government took several actions and even made a law against dowry, both giving and taking, and bought many sections to society and law to end this. Below are some acts made against the dowry system.
The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
The
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961,Act, 28 of 1961
Section.1-
Short title, extend, and commencement.
Section.2-
Definition of “Dowry”
Section 3-
Penalty for giving or taking dowry.
Section 4-
Penalty for demanding dowry.
Section 4
A- Ban on the advertisement.
Section 5-
Agreement for giving or taking dowry.
Section 6-
Dowry to be for the benefit of the wife or her heirs
Section 7-
Cognizance of offenses.
Section 8-
Offences to be cognizable for certain purposes and to be bailable and
non-compoundable.
Section.8
A- Burden of proof in certain cases.
Conclusion -
Still,
after these acts dowry is practiced in many countries and it can only end when
people themselves will end it and go against it. People have to take some
serious actions otherwise this won’t end ever and keep draining society. So
stand up against a society that still approves dowry.
Written
by Aditi Singh
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