My Google News alert is set to the word 'dowry'. In the last 72 hours my blackberry has buzzed 12 times with dowry related news alerts. You'd think most dowry related harassment cases would be in the rural parts of India. Or even better, you'd think with the advent of stricter laws, increasing NGO's dealing with women's rights, most articles would be about how more and more women are fighting this so called "necessary evil". My intention with setting up the Google Alert was to track this positive trend. Well, if you're thoughts are anything like mine, then you're as far removed from reality as I am.
Highlights of some of the alerts I received:
1. “Kumar, a businessman allegedly beat Rohini up and threw her out of her marital house due to her parent’s inability to give in to his demands.”
2. “Saira burnt alive in Mumbai by her husband, Samsher and his sisters Afroz and Naseem after four years of marriage because of her non-payment of dowry. They poured kerosene on her and burnt her alive when she questioned her husband’s fidelity. Saira was later taken to Sion hospital where the doctors declared her dead. She had suffered 96% burns.”
3. “Bhakti Shah, a 26-year-old woman, jumped to her death from the fourth floor of her residential building in Borivali, Mumbai. Her husband Tejas and mother-in-law had been mentally and physically torturing her for dowry after they realized Bhakti’s parents had spent a lot on the wedding.”
So why did Bhakti have to resort to suicide? Why couldn’t Saira leave Samsher in spite of his extra marital affair? It’s because most of these girls are not educated and do not have the ability to support themselves. We are wrong. The vicious cycle of dowry is still prevalent and prevalent in urban cities. You know you can help. You really really know you can: Udaan: The chance at a new life
Bhakti Shah had a 5 year old son
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