This dowry system essay tells dowry meaning and focuses on dowry system in India. Read this dowry system paragraph to know the best definition of dowry system. This topic is well explained in this paragraph on The evil of dowry. Because it is time to say no to dowry.
The Evil of Dowry Time to Say No to Dowry
It is well said that marriage in India is not a union between two people but a union between two families. It does not simply join a man and woman in a marital cord but bonds the families of the two. This makes marriage a very sacred thing in the Indian society and moreover, a very happy occasion. It has become a matter of pride for the people. However, there are still some age-old customs that keep spoiling this happiness and replace pride by greed.
The dowry system is one of these issues and has been a great problem and source of embarrassment and disturbance in our society. The system of giving dowry or ‘dahej’ to girls in marriage is an ancient Indian custom. Since ancient times, the parents of the bride have indulged willingly in the practice of giving money and gifts at her wedding to the groom and his family as a token of love and respect.
The reason for willingly parting away from one’s wealth for their daughter was to give her a comfortable start for her married life. However, shamefully the sad truth is that nowadays dowry is not given willingly, but is demanded.
The serious form of the so-called dowry system in India has developed into a full-fledged bargaining business today and has become the main issue about a girl’s marriage whereas all other considerations of much more real value and importance like the girl’s family background, her qualifications, merits, etc., have altogether been set aside.
The fact that it is condemned by every modern citizen of this country and yet it flourishes at a very large scale in our society is a testimony of how deeply rooted this system is in the Indian society.
This system has become a menace, a social evil in our society. The greediness has come so far that now it invites criminal activities. The groom’s family forcefully asks for dowry or threatens to call-off the wedding. It is also observed in a large stale that brides are tortured for dowry even after marriage. And torture is just one part of the story, they are harassed and insulted to the verge of their committing suicides, and most horrifyingly, they are also murdered for not meeting the dowry demands.
Official statistics show a steady rise in dowry-related crimes. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures state that 8,233 dowry deaths were reported in 2o12 from various states. The statistics work out to one death per hour.
This has also led to the poor state of women of India and in a way, it has also flared up the favouring of the male child, in turn leading to female foeticide. The time has come to throw this evil practice away from our society. The law has abolished any form of dowry but laws can do nothing if incidents go unreported.
Moreover, parents of girls have to stop treating their daughters as burdens and should not give in when the dowry is demanded. They think that it would be shameful and publically humiliating for them if the marriage gets broken.
Further, they think that their daughter would be insulted and not have a happy life in her husband’s home if the dowry demands are not met. In reality, the fact that they must realise is if a man can torture their daughter for money, would he ever care for her?
The answer is no. Young men should take a pledge that they would never ask for dowry. They should show self-respect and make it clear that they can take care of their families on their own. Dowry is like taking alms or payment for some work. Marriage is none of these. It is a union of two souls, two families and must not be marred by dowry. The most effective remedy is to bring consciousness against this malady through education and social awareness.
