Good Samaritans To Fund Surgery Of Woman Set Ablaze Over Dowry

In a heartening move, some Good Samaritans of Lucknow are coming forward to help Kamla, a 25-year-old dowry violence survivor. A mother of two, Kamla was admitted to PGI’s burns and plastic surgery department after being allegedly set ablaze by her in-laws for not meeting their dowry demands.

The woman has 60% burns on her body and has been under treatment at PGI for the last 45 days. The doctors have proposed to perform a life-saving reconstructive surgery that will cost around Rs.1.5 lakh.

Read Also: 27 year old PhD scholar commits suicide after dowry pressure

With the help of some residents of the city, the family has managed to collect Rs 90,000 for the surgery.

Roop Rekha Verma, former Lucknow University vice-chancellor and activist, is also willing to help by offering to fund the remaining amount needed for the procedure.

“We are thankful to everyone who helped us, but Kamla also needs prayers to recover from her injuries,” her brother told HT.

What happened with Kamla isn't a stray case. Such incidents are very common in our country.

Also: Dowry and Dowry Harassment: Know Your Rights

In June this year, a 27-year-old PhD, who was being harassed for dowry, committed suicide. Her father had told HT that his son-in-law was demanding Rs 20-25 lakh from them. The girl's parents also claimed that her husband wanted her to quit studies and help him in set up his business, which possibly pushed her to take this extreme step.

Talking about the extreme step that his daughter took, the PhD scholar's father told Hindustan Times, “It was a mistake to educate my daughter and send her to IIT. I should have saved all the money for her dowry."

Instances of this kind are a big question mark on the social status of women in our country. How long will women have to suffer for attitudes to change?

Read Also: “Educated Brahmin Man” Seeks Suggestions for Dowry on Quora; Gets Slammed