Is Dowry good or bad?

 

Dowry is not just a word, it holds the history of our India and I think, it holds back the future as well. First of all, let me tell you what dowry is. It is given by a father to his daughter in her marriage, because either the father is forced by the Groom’s family or by his own joy and bliss.

Dowry has been an ancient tradition in our India and it is good as long as it is given happily and blissfully. But if I see recent years, it is no longer a tradition only; it has become a core-crime or height of cruelty for the daughter’s family.  I hear so many cases about dowry and there are many aspects of it. It means different person to person.

Let’s take an example of a rich father, who gets his daughter married to a wealthy and young boy. Now he may give an expensive car, a flat, a bungalow or many other prestigious things. Rich father may give everything happily whatever seems possible to make his daughter and her in-laws happy.

Former scenario is happy and lovely to our eyes and to ears to listen to. But it becomes harsh and bitter when it comes to a poor father.  

 A father who has nothing to give to his daughter in her marriage except some savings, and mostly that saving is not enough for the groom’s family.  Their second demand is ready before the first one. Yes, you heard it right; nowadays it has become a cruel demand of groom’s family. They don’t care whether the daughter’s family is able to fulfill that demand or not.

 

I often see the cases, where a father has to sell his house, fields or some gold just to fulfill the demands of groom’s family as dowry. Even I have heard the case where a daughter has been killed, because her father could not give enough dowries or in groom’s family’s language enough gifts. 

Now it will not be wrong if we replace the dowry word with “The Demands of groom’s family”.  When a marriage of a daughter is being fixed, people and relatives often ask, “What are the demands of groom’s family”?

I think for an extent, daughter’s family is also the sole reason of dowry, because when they see a wealthy boy of a wealthy family, then they just try to get their daughter married to that wealthy boy, come what may. They get ready even when they cannot afford that demanded dowry. 

It is one of the biggest stigmas in our country by which many innocent daughters and parents are suffering. Many leaders had fought to remove this stigma from our country and they did whatever seemed possible to them. 

 All in all, it has become a big problem and it only can be sorted out by developing the understanding that dowry should be given with happiness and joy not by any kind of force on daughter’s family.

Please share to spread awareness.