Loudness of the rage and screams was insurmountable, when Arnab Goswami was reporting about a brutal sexual assault that shook the capital. Despite all the echoing voices nothing has changed in two years after 16th December’12, has it? Yes, we are doing nothing but expressing about it through various mediums, because what else can we do? Only a makeover of heinous mentality can do any good for women of the society. Seamless women safety campaigns and the freedom of expression slogans “Kiss of Love” have reached the Everest for the good. However, another voice that is still buried is that of dowry harassment, marital rape, and domestic violence that is practiced to outrage a woman’s modesty.
There is no denying that India has a long way to go when it comes to considering women equal citizens in their own country. In 2014, SC wiped the automatic arrest in the Anti-Dowry laws. Adding to it, court of law has excluded the subject of Martial Rape altogether. Height of ignorance! In other words, marital rape is legal. Unimaginable is the plight of a married woman who cannot prosecute her husband for rape. Further, domestic violence, which is most common, is nothing but accepted form of violence in India. Its a game of pleasure behind the walls of patriarchal society. Its an attack that vanishes into thin air. 21st first century ain’t very different from the Golden age in this respect. Well depicted in the movie – Highway.
India has highest number of women who are missing at birth. That explains the lowest Sex Ratio of India in the world (According to census’11 – 943:1000). A new born girl found in a garbage/bush? Shocking, as it sounds, but no more in modern India. Why do in first place is a new born girl child still hated, fired, or thrown? No, parents don’t have a “Girl child – A liability “syndrome. The societal norms and economic dependence menace is the root cause of this shameful act. One is such menace that is monstrously prevalent in modern India is Dowry. In India sticking to tradition and rituals is extremely important, howsoever cruel and irrational be the implication.Quite unreasonably dowry concept has been inherited by our forefathers. Though it was never meant to be a brutal tradition, but today the insensitivity of the literate towards this barter system appalls me.
Dowry brings upheavals in an Indian wedding proceedings – Domestic Violence, Marital Conflict, Divorce, or Financial Burden etc. The demon inside the groom’s family is looking for tantalizing options of a wealthy family and a typical bride. In other words – “Fairness with Wealth”. The impatience and jolting excitement of these families forces them to approach Marriage + Dahej facilitating agents who in addition eat commission. Father of the princess is left to spends his life saving for his daughters wedding. In Accounting terms, Dowry can be referred to as a situation when a creditor is forced to write off his asset as a liability to pay the the bills in order to be accepted in the market. Fear and burden of dowry forces people to resort to sex selection and thus to Female Foeticide. Dowry system is an unwanted black spot on the enriching Indian Culture. To ask for Dowry is a crime, but to facilitate it by paying is a bigger crime.
To those who believe in Dahej culture – until you sensitize to the issue, India can never come out of its meaningless traditions that jeopardizes the peace in the society. Resorting to dowry is nothing but setting a worth for your son in the market. Stop it! Because one day you will have a grand daughter too.
To those who become the victims of this despicable tradition – Don’t get fired by people who ask for Dahej. Instead, fire them. Reject the male who is isn’t capable of standing up for your daughter and is hence a self proclaimed handicapped persona. Don’t let your daughter get rejected. Live with pride. Stop worrying about saving money for their wedding. Educate your daughters with higher education. Let your daughters carry your family name forward. It’s time you let your daughters wear confidence.
To all women – there is no force equal to a women determined to rise.
# Kill the dowry system, not the girl child.
Shades Of Being 