Dowry System
Dowry system is the biggest evil of our society. The sacred institution of marriage is reduced to a business transaction. In fact, the whole affair has assumed the proportion of a scandal. It ,is the system that lowers the dignity of women. The parents of the girl are made to pay not only huge amounts of cash but also give luxury items like television sets, refregirators, cars and what not. Poor parents borrow huge sums of money on high rates of interest to provide dowry. Many girls are put to a lot of trouble and some of them commit suicide.
The system has been in practice in India from time immemorial. As the Hindu law in the past did not give daughter the right to property so the father gave away a part of his property to the daughter in the form of dowry. It was also thought to be a sort of help to the young couple to set up a new house. The custom became an evil as the greed of bride-grooms, parents mounted. Thus from a grace it became a shame of our society.
Today most of the girls are educated and many of them are employed and economically self-sufficient. They are in no way inferior to the boys. So the girls are no longer dependent on their husband’s income. They can stand out individually as they have an identity of their own.
Giving of Dowry is no problem for the rich. In order to enhance their false social prestige they give maximum dowry. The poor try to imitate the rich and fall into trouble. So the practice must be put to an end. Laws cannot produce the desirable results unless the people especially the youth take a pledge not to give or take dowry. Being a social problem it has to be tackled on social level. The social organizations must carry out intensive anti-dowry propaganda. The young boys and girls can come forward and resolve not to give consent to any such marriage where any type of dowry is involved. Marriages must necessarily be performed in presence of some legal authority and a legal bond got signed by both the parties that no dowry will be exchanged. Above all, it is only the education of girls which can make them awakened and self-sufficient and also aware about their rights along with the duties which they have to perform in their new house. The question of marriage should not be exclusively a matter to be settled by the parents only; the involvement of youth should be of prime importance, it would surely minimize the chances of such evils of dowry.
