Dowry: Marriage and Young Women
Dowry as Social Evil!!!
There are many dead, rotten, harmful and old traditions and customs that still prevail in our society. They are a blot on the fair name of our culture and civilization. Dowry system is one of these curses. It has been customary to give cash and many valuable articles by the parents of a girl in her marriage, to the bridegroom.
This evil practice; s spreading rapidly in spite of loud protests, legislations, public condemnation and bride-burnings. Even highly educated, civilized, modern and well-off families and people are not free from it. Many people have been found publicly denouncing but secretly indulging in the practice of the evil. This reflects how selfish, inhuman and greedy we can be. It is really amazing how low we can stoop to serve our mean and selfish ends.
During the recent years there has been significant increase in the cases of bride-burning and dowry-deaths. Everyday many cases are registered with the police and other law-enforcing agencies all over the country. There are reports in periodicals and newspapers of harassment, threats and deaths of young married women, because of the reasons connected with dowry. The vice and menace has been on the increase very dangerously in spite of very vocal and theoretical protests. But the irony is that on practical level most of these people are willing parties in the vice. This exposes the bankruptcy of our ethics and double standards of thinking and practice.
No doubt, the practice of dowry had social, religious and cultural sanction in ancient and medieval India. But in present circumstances and situations it is totally undesirable and condemnable. It is an evil which should be eradicated immediately. It is totally against our democratic, social and cultural ethos and values. It discriminates against women and tries to show that women are inferior to men. It is a direct and blatant attack on the equality of women
There are many dead, rotten, harmful and old traditions and customs that still prevail in our society. They are a blot on the fair name of our culture and civilization. Dowry system is one of these curses. It has been customary to give cash and many valuable articles by the parents of a girl in her marriage, to the bridegroom.
This evil practice; s spreading rapidly in spite of loud protests, legislations, public condemnation and bride-burnings. Even highly educated, civilized, modern and well-off families and people are not free from it. Many people have been found publicly denouncing but secretly indulging in the practice of the evil. This reflects how selfish, inhuman and greedy we can be. It is really amazing how low we can stoop to serve our mean and selfish ends.
During the recent years there has been significant increase in the cases of bride-burning and dowry-deaths. Everyday many cases are registered with the police and other law-enforcing agencies all over the country. There are reports in periodicals and newspapers of harassment, threats and deaths of young married women, because of the reasons connected with dowry. The vice and menace has been on the increase very dangerously in spite of very vocal and theoretical protests. But the irony is that on practical level most of these people are willing parties in the vice. This exposes the bankruptcy of our ethics and double standards of thinking and practice.
No doubt, the practice of dowry had social, religious and cultural sanction in ancient and medieval India. But in present circumstances and situations it is totally undesirable and condemnable. It is an evil which should be eradicated immediately. It is totally against our democratic, social and cultural ethos and values. It discriminates against women and tries to show that women are inferior to men. It is a direct and blatant attack on the equality of women