Dowry System in India

Abstract

The Dowry system in India has been running for a long time. It is the money that is given during marriage to the boy or their family, even property can also be included in dowry. The system of dowry started from ancient times like during marriage the money will be given to the groom so that he can take proper care of his bride, it was used to honour both sides of the family. As the time changes dowry still remains in the society but its significance keeps changing with time. Nowadays, the dowry system is becoming like business for some castes. Dowry system is becoming a burden for the bride’s family. Many times if demand is not fulfilled for the boy's side then the marriage is abruptly cancelled as a result of this failure. If we see it in our Asian country, then dowry is becoming more important for the groom's side, mainly in countries like India. To end this heinous social practice, the government has made a law to refrain people from taking dowry under the Act of 1961. Whatever money or property given by the bride side they should accept but it never followed. Many places we come to know that because of not doing so on the groom's side the girls are harmed in such a way that sometimes even it leads to death. Some people even think dowry is like crime, it's illegal and they never ask anything from the bride's family. In India, everyone speaks and progresses for women's rights and says ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ but a girl even after achieving everything in her life; where she starts taking care of her family but even then she can't escape the shackles of dowry. Some time because of dowry which is mostly prevalent among the below poverty line people they kill their daughters after they are born or before their birth in the mother’s womb itself so that they can escape dowry. Since they know after growing up and educating her, they still need to give dowry in order to get her married. However, one fails to understand that it is not a daughter’s fault for which she is being wrongfully punished but the fault of the society that allows such practices even after so many years of independence.