DOWRY SYSTEM- the lust for money
                

We are living in the 21st century and it’s unbelievable that practices like dowry system still exists in our society. Dowry system is basically transferring of money, property or other assets to the groom's family by the bride's family. In very few cases giving dowry is actually voluntary, rest in other cases people are left with no option. Marriages has started to look more like materialistic deals. But is dowry system ethically right? Don't you think dowry is like another name for selling daughters? Dowry system is really a big curse for a bride and her family and especially those who are not financially that strong. There are many parents who are taking such high loans that could even leave them on debts forever just in order to pay dowry for their daughter's marriage.  This is also one of the major reason behind higher rates of female infanticide and why parents prefer a boy child more than a girl child. The demand for dowry doesn't end with the marriage, even after that groom's family constantly try to extract things from bride's family by blackmailing or torturing the bride. Unable to handle the pressure, in many of the cases women even committed suicide. The report 2014 showed that A total of 24,771 dowry deaths have been reported in the country in past three years with maximum of them occurring in Uttar Pradesh with 7,048 deaths. According to the Indian law (Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961) the dowry system is considered to be illegal and also the punishment could be imprisonment for a term not less than 5 years and a fine not less than ₹15,000 or the value of the dowry received, whichever is higher.  People don’t want to give up on such practice as firstly they call it as a part of their customs and secondly they are not willing to give up on their easy money making means. People need to understand that there is nothing in the world that could ever justify the practice of dowry taking. There is a strong need to root out dowry system from our society in order to be a fully developed country. If you see or know anyone involved in such practice, immediately report it to the police and save a life.

A WOMEN IS NOT A PROPERTY, SO STOP TREATING HER LIKE ONE. Each and every women deserves respect and by giving or taking dowries you are in a way disrespecting them. A marriage should be purely based on faith on love and faith rather on lust for money.

- Anshika agarwal