Dowry/DahejDefinition: The money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage, or, a gift of money or property by a man to or for his bride.
Considered a ritual in India, the practice of dowry abuse is rising in our country. The practice of burning the brides alive whose parents are unable to give adequate dowry is also increasing. When these cases are reported, they are faked as an act of suicide or accidental burns. It is evident that there exist deep rooted prejudices against women in India. Although prohibited in the year 1961, the extraction of dowry from the bride's home still takes place. When this dowry is not considered to be sufficient, the bride is harassed and exploited both by the husband and the family. This abuse usually leads to the killing of the bride by burning her with kerosene. |
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These incidents are reported as suicides hence there are limited reports against the families who participate in it. Every 12 hours, a bride is burnt alive in the capital of the country, the fact that this practice is now shifting towards urban cities is even more threatening. The killings are increasing at an alarming rate. 2,209 women were killed in the year 1988 in dowry related incidents and in 1990, 4,835 were killed .These are official records which are not even close to the rate at which it is being happening due to the under reports. In Delhi, 90% of the killings are reported as suicide, 5% as accidents and 5% are reported as murders.
Government says that there were 5,377 dowry deaths in 1993, an increase of 12% from 1992. Despite the existence of rigorous laws to prevent dowry-deaths under a 1986 amendment to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), convictions are rare, and judges (usually men) are often uninterested and susceptible to bribe. Recent newspaper reports have focused on the alarming rate of deaths of married women in Hamirpur, Mandi and Bilaspur districts in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Government says that there were 5,377 dowry deaths in 1993, an increase of 12% from 1992. Despite the existence of rigorous laws to prevent dowry-deaths under a 1986 amendment to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), convictions are rare, and judges (usually men) are often uninterested and susceptible to bribe. Recent newspaper reports have focused on the alarming rate of deaths of married women in Hamirpur, Mandi and Bilaspur districts in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
