Raja Ishfaq Lateef
The word of just seven alphabets represents the index of our life and we are all aware about that but no one cares of this simple word which means a lot for us, If going through our religious beliefs there is not a single religion which opposes us to this word, Kashmir is the Muslim majority region but look-afters’ the minority communities like Hindu’s Sikh’s and Christians too. Each and every colony in our Kashmir is defunct in any manner not by like water supply, electric supply but the scene of illiteracy, I can’t understand is it the mental stress, illiteracy, or any deliberate scene by which our society is degrading day by day, if we talk about a simple but indiscriminate word “DOWRY”, Society’s social life has been vitiated by a large number of practices and traditions that are irrational and have seriously hindered the progress of the people. The system of dowry is absurd and illogical and has continued to be a source of mental agency to almost all people. This is one of the chief causes of social tensions and has done incalculable damage to our social fabric. The Dowry system is a social evil. Dowry custom has been a case curse for our Society. Now it poses a challenge which seems difficult to meet. It has proved to be a greatest curse for the poor classes of our Society. The birth of girl is said to be degree of Rs 20,000 or above for the parents. Gunshot kills a person ones, but this word kills the victim not ones, not everyday, but after every fraction of seconds, the ratio of women is already low than man in our society than why we not care, respect her, before some years in Hinduism the “Satya” system was active and soon after when they feel understand that what they are doing is wrong and a big sin before the eyes of law as well as the God, they stopped the same but why not us, why we people not feel, understand what we are doing, why we people treat this system as enjoyment, by this we have deadlocked infinite number of houses, the lives of infinite number of daughters and sisters, why we people are in hurry to enjoy “DOWRY” instead of stopping it.Though Society has host of problems to tackle today, yet the biggest which the society is facing is the lone dowry. Dowry, in fact, has destroyed our economy. Today we fix dowry rates of boys of deferent categories – doctors, engineers, lecturers, business men, executives, administrative services, etc. Merit of the girl has nothing to do in the settlement of the marriage proposal. We generally see that ordinary parents find it difficult to select a boy, well settled in life, for their girl who is well qualified and well versed with household activities. But by this system many of our sisters have traced the blood marks of their lives in many houses. It is the time to understand, It is the time to take U-TURN of our minds from a greedy to back as a Muslim, a human , It is the time to flow this system as wrong in the society, The murder which reds our hands by this dowry system not seems to be our fault but the fault of his below poverty level, low income of his father
Nowadys in many Muslim countries as well as in may parts of India the social evil of dowry system (custom) attracted the attention of the government. It started its campaign against dowry custom. It enacted the Anti-dowry Act in 1961. But it received no support of the society and the administration also neglected the act. Hence this gave no relief to the poor people. The proclamation of national emergency had given this social evil a death blow. The government seemed to be determined to root out this growing evil. India’s late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had asked the young boys of the country to come forward to fight this social evil. She herself had set the example by marrying her son Sanjay to Meneka in a very simple ceremony without any dowry. Her call received a warm welcome. Millions of young boys had taken oath not to accept any dowry. Similar thousands of girls had decided once for all to marry those boys who demand no dowry.
Many state governments took some bold steps at the call of the Prime Minister. They amended the old Anti dowry Act. They also made new act. Dowry was restricted to Rs 3000 to Rs 5000/-. Indian states like Punjab and Bihar came first in the fight followed by other states. People have been asked to celebrate marriages in the day time with ordinary decoration. This will reduce the expenses of the marriage. Road blocking and fixing Shamiyanas on the public places has been banned. Number of Baratis (members of the marriage party) has been restricted to 25. Government servants, officials and ministers have been asked not to take part in any marriage in which dowry is taken or given. But nobody cares of our Kashmir, neither the Government is supportive nor the Society is cooperative. Now in Kashmir the Baratis were restricted 400 and 500.
This is the right time when we should help the government to eradicate dowry from our country. The youth should spare no effort to break the bonds which have slacked our mind and soul.
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