DOWRY

Posted by Abbas Mushtaq on Friday 30 December 2011
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NOTES
  • In 2001, nearly 7,000 dowry related deaths were recorded in India
  • These include suicide, torture, murder, usually done by husbands or close families if dowry isn't deemed sufficient
  • Dowry became prohibited in India in 1961, but still widely practiced illegally
  • One of the reason why Indian women prefer sons to daughters because of the financial burden and stress of dowries with daughter marriages
  • 933 females/1000 males in India
  • 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act

dow·ry  (dour)
n. pl. dow·ries
1. Money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage. Also called dower.
2. A sum of money required of a postulant at a convent.
3. A natural endowment or gift; a talent.
4. Archaic See dower.
[Middle English douerie, from Anglo-Norman douarie, from Medieval Latin dtrium, drium, dria, dower; see dower.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published byHoughton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
dowry [ˈdaʊərɪ]
n pl -ries
1. (Sociology) the money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage
2. (Sociology) (esp formerly) a gift made by a man to his bride or her parents
3. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity a sum of money required on entering certain orders of nuns
4. a natural talent or gift
5. (Sociology) Obsolete a widow's dower
[from Anglo-French douarie, from Medieval Latin dōtārium; see dower]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
Dowry a portion given with a bride; a gift of nature or fortune; a lot, a great deal—Slang Dictionary, 1874.
Example: dowry of parny [rain or water], 1874.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dowry



Dowry system in India

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In India dowry (known as Dahej in Hindi)[1] is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to bridegroom's family along with the bride. Generally they include cash, jewellery,[2]electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, crockery, utensils and other household items that help the newly-wed set up her home.
In India the dowry system has been putting great financial burden[3] on the daughters family. It has been one of the reasons for families and women in India resorting to sex selection [4]favoring to have a son.[5] This has distorted the sex ratio of the India (933 females per thousand males [6])and have given rise to female foeticide.[7] The payment of a dowry has been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

History

Dowry originated in the upper caste families as an insurance to the bride to take care of herself and her children during crisis. The rich and rajas (kings) used to gift land as dowry.Mumbai was presented as part of the dowry when Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal was married to King Charles II in 1661.[8] The dowry has been considered as 'Stridhan' where 'stri' means women and 'dhan' means 'wealth'.

[edit]Domestic Violence

Anti-dowry poster in Bangalore, India
In 2001 nearly 7,000 dowry deaths[9] were registered in India over inadequate dowry, apart from other mental trauma cases.[10] Bride burning,[11] inducing suicides, physical and mental torture by their husband or in-laws is sometimes found to be done if the bride fails to bring sufficient dowry . There are laws like Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 that help to reduce domestic violence and to protect women's rights.

[edit]Laws

See also: Dowry law in India
Dowry became prohibited by law in 1961.[12] IPC Section 406, IPC Section 304B and IPC Section 498A are sections in Indian law which relate to dowry. Despite the anti-dowry law in India, it is still widely and illegally practiced across the country.[13]

[edit]False dowry allegations

Many times the dowry law (article 498a) have been misused[14] by women to lodge false or exaggerated complaints against husbands and entire extended family accusing them of cruel behavior. As per the data only 2% of the cases registered for dowry demand have been able to convict the groom or grooms family. This had raised questions about the alleged misuse of the dowry laws in India.

[edit]References

  1. ^ Godrej ‘Nupur Jagruti’- Dahej Ke Khilaf Ek Awaz
  2. ^ "Dowry death: Police recovers Payal’s items". Tribune.
  3. ^ . May 17, 2011. http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2011/05/indian-man-accused-of-killing-wife-who-refused-to-abort-third-daughter/.
  4. ^ Govt looks to tighten abortion norms - Times Of India
  5. ^ Son preference attitude among Indian parents - A silent emergency | TwoCircles.net
  6. ^ Census of India - India at a Glance : Sex Ratio
  7. ^ AFP. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5icE4hXn5sk-QkPYRXAeFXXB-mPWA?docId=CNG.477403fb22cbf6f9627f77ef6427bad2.4c1.
  8. ^ MAHARASHTRA TOURISM, The Official Website of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Govt. of India - Mumbai
  9. ^ BBC NEWS | Programmes | Crossing Continents | India's dowry deaths
  10. ^ . Friday 20 May 2011. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/156070/till-death-do-us-part.html.
  11. ^ Brideburning claims hundreds in India - CNN
  12. ^ http://mahilaayog.maharashtra.gov.in/new/pdf/dowery-%20act.pdf
  13. ^ "A satire on weddings, dowry and 'match-making aunties'‎".
  14. ^ Amend dowry law to stop its misuse, SC tells govt - Times Of India




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