Vol. 1, Issue 7, Part B (2015)
Dowry deaths: The cancer of India society
Dowry deaths: The cancer of India society
Author(s)
Dr. Ashwani Kumar
Abstract
Dowry system has given rise to many socio-economic problems with very serious consequences. Numerous incidents of bride burning, harassment and physical torture of newly-wed women and various kinds of pressure tactics being adopted by the husbands/in-laws pressurizing for more dowry have compelled the social reformers and the intelligentsia to give serious thoughts to various aspects associated with the institution of dowry (Sachdeva, 1998). Govt. of India enacted “Dowry Prohibition Act†in 1961, which was further amended in 1985 to control this menace. In spite of this Act, the “give and take†phenomenon of dowry is practiced widely throughout India, irrespective of caste and class (Ghansham, 2002). In many cases, when dowry amount is not considered sufficient, the bride is often harassed, abused and tortured (Singh, 2005). Dowry related violence and bride burning ( dowry-death) are only peculiar to our country and beside husband, his kin also join together in persecuting the bride as the dowry and related customs provide a good excuse to them for humiliating, insulting and even beating up of woman (Haveripeth, 2013). The bride is helpless in her new home and physically so powerless that she cannot retaliate against the coercive tactics or actions of other; not many women have the guts to divorce their husbands on the ground of frequent mental or physical torture since they have nothing to fall back upon in a traditionally and poorly developed country like India (Singh, 2005).
How to cite this article:
Dr. Ashwani Kumar. Dowry deaths: The cancer of India society. Int J Appl Res 2015;1(7):102-106.