Skip to main content

Need to destroy dowry, annihilate greed and toxic patriarchy in India

By IMPRI Team

Talking about an evil ever-persistent in our society and highlighting the presence of toxic patriarchy, #IMPRI Gender Impact Studies Center (GISC), IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi organized a panel discussion on Destroy Dowry: Annihilation of Greed and Toxic Patriarchy in India under the series The State of Gender Equality – #GenderGaps on May 4, 2022. The chair for the event was Prof Vibhuti Patel, Former Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and a Visiting Professor, IMPRI.
The distinguished panel included – Asha Kulkarni, General Secretary at Anti Dowry Movement, Mumbai; Kamal Thakar, Sahiyar Stree Sangathan; Adv Celin Thomas, Advocate at Celin Thomas and Associates, Bengaluru; Shalini Mathur, Honorary Secretary, Suraksha Dahej Maang Virodhi Sanstha Tatha Parivar Paraamarsh Kendra, Lucknow and Secretary, Nav Kalyani Foundation, Gender Resource and Training Centre; and Dr Bharti Sharma, Honorary Secretary, Shakti Shalini, New Delhi.
Prof Vibhuti Patel started her discussion by defining dowry and stated the practice was earlier followed only among aristocrats but later, with time, became generalized among all castes and groups. She commented on the brutalization of the bride by the greediness for dowry and talked about how dowry demand can escalate violence. The current condition highlights that husband’s family should be given compensation in the form of dowry. Many deaths due to dowry have been addressed as kitchen accidents. Prof Vibhuti lastly talked about how a marriage foundation should be based on respect, love, and care and not on the dowry or monetary valuation of the bride.
Ms Kulkarni stressed bringing a change for youngsters in multiple ways. She started her discussion by focusing on banning Kanyadaan as according to her, this practice designates a bride as an object which is donated to the groom’s family. She believes that there are many rituals which need upliftment or abolishment as they encourage inequality, for instance, a woman changing her surname after marriage. Another important aspect she focused on was how weddings today are very expensive and pressurize the bride’s family in many ways. She stressed more awareness programmes related to dowry and Streedhan and asked to celebrate 26th November as Dowry Day. She concluded by saying that girls are not a burden on the family and that boys should support women and encourage them.
Dr Bharti started her discussion by stating that dowry was and is still present, no matter how educated or developed the families are. Although dowry cases are less when compared to violence cases after her investigation, she found that the root cause for violence in the majority of cases is dowry. She stressed the fact that in terms of dowry, it doesn’t matter how educated people are, as even highly educated people follow such practices. She asks the men to understand the real value of a woman and concluded by asking us to focus on mindset change and an integrated approach.
Starting her discussion by highlighting why only women are asked to adjust all the time, Ms Kamal said that majority of dowry cases are registered indirectly in the police station. She discussed in detail the practices in Gujrat and highlighted the fact that these days wedding expenses are too high, and the bride’s family is obliged to do that along with the expenses demanded by the future in-laws. She questioned whether marriage is the sole objective of a girl’s life. She claimed that the girls need to be independent before considering their decisions about marriage.
Adv Celin started her discussion by defining dowry and streedhan in a legal way. She then moved towards discussing the Dowry Protection Act (DPA), 1961 and in detail talked about legislatures and provisions of this law. Adv Celin then shared the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data and stated that although dowry deaths have been declining for the past three years, it is still prevalent. She thinks that there is less stigma and more status attached to this problem. She discussed the administration of justice, the evidence which is counted as proof under DPA and the court’s decision in some dowry cases. Lastly, she concluded that religious places should come forward and contribute their role in making people understand and spread awareness, stigma of live-in relations and taking divorce is going away.
Ms Shalini started her discussion by highlighting that the patriarchal mentality is persistent even with high education and high incomes. A very important point brought by her was that in a recent survey people below the poverty line decreased due to measures by the government, but after some time they were again below the poverty line; the potential reason could either be the medical expenses or wedding expenses. Talking a bit about legality she stated that DPA alone isn’t sufficient and needs support from other sections. She suggested giving some allowance to section officers and that the wedding guest list should be reduced. Ms Shalini believed that urban exposure or geographical change for a girl from rural villages makes them feel more independent. She highlights how youngsters today fear marriage and questions whether we, as a society, are doing right. She concluded by stating that the National Education Policy should bring ways to improve girl’s life and asked the government to celebrate 26th November as Dowry Day and limit the gift exchange at weddings.
Prof Vibhuti concluded by stating that we need to focus on simpler weddings. Education and awareness are strong pillars which need to be executed rightly for girls in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. She asks to make girls independent and not agree to dowry centred marriages. She emphasised understanding the real foundations of marriage, i.e. trust, respect, care and not support dowry.
---
Acknowledgement: Sunishtha Yadav, research intern at IMPRI

Comments

TRENDING

Crucial to revisit roots, embrace core Hindu principles: love, compassion, harmony

A note on religious leaders'  Satya Dharam Samvad in Haridwar: *** In a groundbreaking gathering, more than 25 religious leaders including Swamis, Acharyas, Pujaris, Gurus, and Sadhvis from all over India convened to discuss the tenets of Hinduism on September 16th, 2023, in Haridwar, to discuss and discern the current trajectory of Hinduism. This brand new initiative, the Satya Dharam Samvad, was inspired to organize its first assembly in response to the December 2021 Dharma Sansad, where hate speech and calls for violence against the Muslim community contravened the essential principles of Hinduism. Religion is being used to incite riots among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, etc. In the face of such hatred, Swami Raghavendra felt that something meaningful should be done in the present climate. 

Commodification of road accident deaths: The hidden health hazard of motonormativity

By Chandra Vikash*  Jahnavi Kandula, an Indian student from Andhra Pradesh, studying in America was killed in a road accident by a police motor car in January 2023. Now, 8 months after the accident, a bodycam video of Daniel Orderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, has gone viral on social media. He was laughing at her death and saying that “she was 26 years old, anyway… she had limited value… just give her $11,000 (ie Rs 9.13 lakh)”.

Telengana peasant uprising 1946-51: Path breaking period in Communist movement

By Harsh Thakor  Telengana armed struggle from 1946-51 was path breaking period in the Indian Communist Movement, enabling it to reject the Russian insurrectionist path and emulate the Chinese model. The intensity of the movement escalated people’s democratic power to a scale unparalleled in Indian history. It literally dawned a new era. Revolutionary zeal climbed heights rarely traversed in semi-colonies. The death defying spirit which the comrades displayed in giving a blow to the Nizam ruler of Hyderabad and the Razakar landlords will be written forever in the red letters of history. Tragically it was crushed by the Congress party led by Nehru, who mercilessly ordered the army to swoop on the rebellion, with the Communist Party of India adopting a compromising position. It was ample proof of how Nehru and the Congress party collaborated with the feudal landlord class.

Inside Indian energy-mining giant Vedanta's campaign to weaken environmental rules

By Akshay Deshmane  It was 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic was ripping through India, crippling the country’s health system and bringing the economy to a standstill. But for Anil Agarwal, chairman of the energy and mining giant Vedanta Resources Ltd, the crisis presented an opportunity.

Job opportunity in unexplored territory... to bulldoze hurdles on way to Akhand Aryavart

By Abdul Puncharwala*  Baba and Mama the Jai-Veeru Jodi of Shuddh desi politics bring an excellent opportunity of employment to all the bright matriculate drop-outs busy with their Insta and YouTube reels. Keep your phones aside for a moment and read this advert carefully. It is going to change your life forever.

Abrogation of Art 370: Increasing alienation, relentless repression, simmering conflict

One year after the abrogation by the Central Government of Art. 370 in Kashmir, what is the situation in the Valley. Have the promises of peace, normalcy and development been realised? What is the current status in the Valley? Here is a detailed note by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties , “Jammu & Kashmir: One Year after Abrogation of Art. 370: Increasing Alienation, Relentless Repression, Simmering Conflict”:

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

Informal efforts to help children of remote Bundelkhand village unable to go to school

By Bharat Dogra  Rajaram Ka Purva is a remote rural hamlet in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh inhabited by the poorest of the poor. Almost none of the children in this hamlet are able to go to school. The reasons relate to poverty, distance of the nearest school as well as the unsafe path to school.

Understanding universe, time, space: A crucial, unresolved question before humanity

By Prof Sudhanshu Tripathi*  A crucial question before humanity, still unresolved, is to comprehend the true nature and expanse of Time and Space in Universe. If both are indeed limitless, there is no question then to go beyond them. Because both Time and Space are indeed the two key determinants in this mundane world which define the very expanse of the life period of all living organisms and non-living entities and their relative spatial area producing mental and extra-mental consciousness. 

2024 elections in India: An agenda for justice, peace, democracy and environment

By Bharat Dogra  As debates leading up to 2024 union elections in India preceded by some important state assembly become intense, it is not enough to talk about election alignments among various political parties and their seat adjustments; the questions relating to the most important priorities and a future agenda based on justice, equality, peace, environment protection and democracy must get the most importance.