Thursday, August 21, 2008

DOWRY LAWS IN INDIA

Long back when I saw the movie ANDHA KANOON ifelt so strongly for the protagonist that he ddint get justice but that doesnt happen in the movies only. Recently something happened to someone I know which tells us that we need to do something about our legislations where witnesses and proof only get the verdict and the law becomes really blind.
There was this young lower middle class boy, let us call him Ajay. he got married to a impetous girl. He loved her a lot and cared a lot for her.Once they had a fight on a very petty thing like she wanted him to take her to her mother;s place, he denied as he had to go to his job, cudnt take leave every second day and when she insisted he slapped her. and that slap wrote his destiny as she drank the poison. The boy took her to hospital crying all the time,but couldnt save her and she couldnt give her statement before dying.
Now Indian laws are such tht if within 7 yrs of marriage something happens to the girl, her inlaws are taken to task, and here his sister-in-law said that she saw him giving poison to her, so a case was made against his full family including even the brother who wasnt home.
As is the norm, case went on for 10 yrs---in fighting the case, they lost everything, their bussiness ,money and all,with no peace of mind.
And now all 5 brothers and their parents(80 yr old) are sentenced to 8 yrs imprisonment.
As is the case normally they are all the bread earners of their families. Ajay also married a handicapped girl and has 2 very young kids. Now all the families will be left without anyone to feed them.
Now the question arises, is it logical to punish so many people, where many innocents will be suffering.Cant we devise a way where we dont create a situation to encourage crime--like here if the children are deprived of their father who is main bread earner also, what will happen to them/ Isnt there any solution for this social problem?

18 comments:

Monika said...

its a very tricky situation... the dowry laws in India are indeed skewed towards women and I have personally heard of a couple of women misusing the same but the problem is that if u make it any lenient it doesn't work.. it is indeed disheartening to the see the children who have no fault here suffering... may be they should appeal but then i guess that would hardly of help to a already devasted family

Piper .. said...

Hmm.. thought provoking post. Actually I know someone too who has been made a victim to the laws set by soceity. The girl`s side more often than not, takes undue advantage of such impractical laws. But I guess the change has to come at higher levels. What can the common man do? Pbly protests are in order. But who shall take the initiative? Its sad really..

Renu said...

I don6 know actually what to do, but we can certainly do is...teach our daughters to be sensible. and one thing I know is that adjustment is nevr a bad word, if it is done looking at the long term prospective of a happy family.before marrying a daughter, rather for anybody before marriage, there should be a coaching:) because marriage is not ticket to shopping and enjoyment only.

my space said...

A very thought provoking post...It is really sad cos many girls actually see marriage as ticket to freedom..in this case due to the girls childish behavior so many more have to suffer..

Piper .. said...

You`ve hit the nail, I guess. The problem arises when mothers encourage such behaviour on the part of their daughters. I`ve seen a couple of marriages fall apart when there`s been severe and unwanted interference from the girl`s family! Its not always that the boy`s side is to be blamed.

Renu said...

I feel so incompetent when i see innocents suffering and me watching helplessly.....

Renu said...

My space:least we can do is not to encourage this haughtiness of girls, Independence doesnt mean waywardness,

Piper:Now we will have to remove the bias that its always the boy'and his family who exploit.

Renu said...

Monika, I have hardly ever seen this type of laws working, specially in our country where coruption is so rampant, its better to remove them, they havent stopped the bride burning or dowry deaths, but increased the victimisation of innocents in so many cases, better change the mind set of people , remember , for bringing a better change we shudnt go to the other extreme

sansmerci said...

i have been personally affected by this :( n din wanna blog bout it to avoid further problems.. but u jus spoke my mind.. gals shud kno tht marriage is not like a one time honeymoon.. n most of all if the mother teaches the values .. which i definitely have acquired from my mom.. there wont b any such cheap issues of misusing law..

i already c my in-laws as my fam (m not even married yet, my fiance's fam)n i think even in case of misundersdting i wud never wanna harm my own family.. the concept of love is often forgotten!

Renu said...

I have also seen many cases where either the boys had to give lot of money to get divorce though it was demanded by the girl(she wanted separation) and in some cases they are living together but an unhappy life due to the girl's stubbornness and I, me ,my family attitude.

I scribble here said...

ya, the laws are in favour of women, and this must be a one of case..but mostly if u see, i think women are on the receiving end.. it should be fair, ofcourse, but against one such case i am sure there would be 10 others where men get away wo being charged legally.

Anonymous said...

not just dowry laws..look at our education system thts choking..racism, corruption..etc

here laws r made 2 b broken..u bribe n get away..

THNX FOR DROPPING BY MY BLOG RENU :-)

Anonymous said...

hmmm...some of our Indian laws are too archaic & time has come to change them but the power centres really cares about it...indeed our justice system has its own loopholes & people willingly or unwillingly take advantage of them at various points of time....really a sad incident & the society should need to take note of it & do something!

Malika said...

I think this should not have happen if girl and boys would have concentrated about their family life. I don't think only one argument can go that far and girl will take poison. usually in this type of case things pile up and one day peak comes and a person feel that they don't have anything in life. their presence and absence does not affect anybody. Thats why person should not think or blame anybody on that. No one can say thats boys side fault, if they have not seen anything bad between them. there must be something cooking on. If he is the only bread earning guy then why he did that. why they did not solve the problem, slapping somebody and showing their power is not a solution. he should be punished for that. I agree other people should not be punished for that, but I don't think only one slap can make any body (7 yrs marriage life) take poison.

Renu said...

ISH: But i have seen many cases where women are vitimising men,evn today's TOI has this as a main news on II page.I strongly feel that to bring a better tomorow for some we need not to destroy others.men and women are 2 units of a family who should work in a harmony and be on the same side of fence not opposite.

Swats:That has been true for a long time-I mean about bribe, now the time has come to change that.we must stop giving it, come what may.

Flyingstars :Laws are archaic and people implementing them have a rotten mentality, they see the truth, know the truth,and still do the opposite. Its not only laws, but our whole system needs a thoroufgh shaking.

Renu said...

Malika : No malika, the incident happened only afte few months of marriage, and u r right that things pile up slowly, but i very strongly oppose this extreme step, not because it has hurt a boy's family but because life is very precious, and there are many more people in this world who love u too much,If u dont find compatibility go ur own separate way,. I have seen the suide of 2 very young man due to the incompatibility and then saw the devastation their step caused to their parents. and here these people are from lower middle class, not educated much to think rationally. In their society slapping is not something unheard of.

सुजाता said...

I invite you to be a member of CHOKHER BALI.
pls give your e-mail i d.
regards
sujata

Malika said...

Yes, My email is singh.malika73@gmail.com
I think like western contry we should also plan our marriage by ourselves and then seperate from the family and stay alone and try to understant each other. There will not be much interferance from family for dowry and day to day life and frequently visit both parents. This will solve the differece between wife and husband and they will have their own time also.

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