DOWRY AN EVIL FOR THE SOCIETY : Essay Writing

DOWRY AN EVIL FOR THE SOCIETY

‘Dowry’ is an evil that has always been there in Indian society. In the earliest times, dowry was given to a girl at the time of her marriage. It consisted of jewelry, clothes, utensils and other household goods. It was considered to be the gift to the girl. Some rich people and kings even gave horses, elephant etc. to their daughters. As the society changed, our values also changed and now people openly demand dowry according to their status, and education of their boy. The higher the status, the higher the rate of dowry. If the bride’s parents are not able to pay the required dowry, the bride is harassed and even physically tortured. In many cases, they are burnt alive. Some even commit suicide as they are not able to bear the harassment meted out to them. Many families are ruined due to the demand of dowry because poor and middle class families are not able to find suitable matches for their daughters. Many reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand and Tagore tried to eradicate the dowry system from our society but they could get a little success. Our government and several NGOs are working to save brides from this evil. Cases of dowry and bride burning are punishable under law. Still something more has to be done to completely root out this system from our society. The young generation should come forward and take pledge to uproot this system.