How Many Souls Must Dowry Crush Before Going Out Of Fashion?

A groom is reported to have killed his aunt and injured other extended family members with his new car which he received as a dowry. Among the injured who are currently being treated at a hospital is a 10-year-old girl. The groom Arun Kumar drove the car despite claiming to not know how to drive.

Groom himself being a police constable took dowry, think of common people. Police is known to be the executive wing for enforcing the law. Where do people should seek refuge, when the same body responsible for enforcing the law is also guilty of breaking it? 

Dowry was deemed as ‘other offences’ by the Station House Officer that was being taken by the Police constable groom. However, Station House Officer responded-

"We have taken the accused into custody. Once we receive a complaint, we will charge the accused with causing death by negligence, rash driving and other offences." 

Dowry was prohibited by the Government of India in 1961 by the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961. Fast forward to six decades and a year later and women are still victims of this patriarchal act. The penalty for taking dowry is imprisonment for five years with a fine of fifteen thousand rupees. But how is the above mentioned penalty a befitting punishment for the perpetrator? Neither the law could curb the dowry, only longed the battles of survivors. Every year, certain suicides are results of dowry, however the issue is left unattended. 

Police Constable Dowry Car Accident, 1 Died On Spot

In Arun’s case, he took 35-year-old Sarala Devi’s life and seriously injured a 10-year-old child among others despite not knowing how to drive. Does the price of a life, fatal injury, patriarchy, dowry, and objectification of women all amount to a mere fifteen thousand and five years in jail? Will such a penalty undo all of the aforementioned crimes? 

Women are no object to sell off in the marriage market. Instead of going along with notions that have been practiced in the past, parents and caregivers needs to question how such an act quantifies your daughter’s position post-marriage in a patriarchal society. 

If you are saving money for your daughter’s marriage and dowry, reconsider and invest the same in educating her. Your daughter’s worth is not equivalent to her marital status. When you raise strong, independent daughters who can take care of themselves, you need never worry about a man not wanting to marry your daughter. 

Indian culture normalises parents saving money for their daughter’s big fat wedding. But what is the point of spending so much money on a one-day event. If feeding is the goal, then why not feed the needy over a privileged crowd, whose primary goal at a wedding might be to pester your daughter with delivering ‘good news’ soon? This money can easily be invested as old age savings or using it for her education? When will we recognise that educating a daughter, providing her with opportunities to achieve financial independence will give greater agency over her own life.

Trust your daughters to find the man they deem worthy of their standards in their own time. Rashly marrying a daughter off to someone who decides to weigh her worth in money is never the right choice.