The Best Essay on 'Dowry System' in English

The Dowry system is one of the greatest evils of our society. The sacred institution of marriage is reduced to a business transaction. In fact, the whole affair has assumed the proportion of a scandal. It is the system which lowers the dignity of women. The parents of the girl are made to pay not only huge amounts of cash but also give luxury items like television sets, refrigerators, scooters, etc., all in the name of dowry. Poor parents borrow huge sums of money at high rates of interest to provide a dowry. Many girls have to face a lot of trouble, and some of them even commit suicide.

The system has been in practice in India from time immemorial. As the Hindu law in the past did not give the girl the right to property, the father gave away a part of his property to the daughter in the form of a dowry. It was also thought to be a sort of help to the young couple to set up a new home. The custom became an evil as the greed of the bridegroom’s parents mounted. Thus from a grace, it became a shame of our society.

Today girls are educated and some of them are employed and are economically independent. They are in no way inferior to the boys. The argument that since the bride’s parents are very particular about boy’s income, qualifications, etc., does not hold weight. Giving of dowry is no problem for the rich. In order to enhance their false social prestige, they give maximum dowry. The poor try to imitate the rich and in the process ruin themselves.

This inhuman practice must be put to an end. Law cannot produce any desirable results. The Dowry Prohibition Act, first passed in 1961, remained ineffective and the Amendment Bills of 1976 and 1985, which declared taking and giving of dowry as a punishable offence, have brought little respite to the people. The evil of dowry is grinning at us as never before.

This social evil needs a treatment at the social level. The social organizations carry out intensive anti-dowry propaganda. To combat the evil, young boys and girls should come forward and resolve not to give consent to such marriage which involves dowry. Marriages should be performed in the presence of some legal authority. The services of a government employee demanding dowry should be terminated. Above all, if more and more girls are educated and made to enter employment through various competitive examinations, the evil can be eradicated. Inter-caste marriages should be encouraged. The question of marriage should not be tackled by the old who lack constructive vision. The young should have more say in the matter. Thus, the most heinous of the social evils can be fought in our country.