Dowry culture: the height of idiocy!

Dowry culture of India is ancient. In it, the girl's family provides money, goods, and property to the bridegroom and his family. The bride's father and family also pays for the whole expenses of the wedding. While bridegroom's side just sit back and enjoy!

Any logic? It is due to deep-rooted patriarchal mindset of that society. It is the price for purchase of the bridegroom. It is the price paid to the the in-laws and husband to cover for the expenses that they would incur to take care of their daughter lifelong!!! And what about the unpaid household chores and childbearing that the bride does to run the lineage of the in-laws? Well, no one wants to talk about it! It is ignored and considered nothing in society. Shameful. 

Read here: How patriarchy harms children?

What might have started as voluntary became mandatory in modern era. Moreover, it soon established itself as a social status symbol. I wonder why bride's family even agreed to it and continue to do so? Shameful. 

But according to me and rightfully, it is nothing but the height of idiocy. This is on part of bride's family, society and bridegroom's family. It is one idiot paying another idiot money that never was meant to be given! It is one idiot paying another idiot and also giving away his daughter to run other family's lineage and in return ruining his own family. No logic. 

The social curse of dowry in India 

Here, we have a daughter and her family. Her father educates the daughter and she should become independent in all matters. But the parents bring her up to be submissive and obedient. Then to please society and daughter's prospective in-laws,the parents pay them money and wealth and also do all wedding expenditure. 

Parents thinks that their daughter would be protected in that new household. And they thinks that she will not be raped which in that society is a matter of dishonour. To save her from that one rape that might have never happened, they push her to another household where there are higher chances that she might be raped daily and sexually abused, given to understand that sexual urges in men are more than that in women. 

And what is the job of the daughter in that household: unpaid household chores, caring, cooking, taking care of someone else's parents with no money in hand, no autonomy, no decision making, no property on her name, changed name, and birthing to run someone else's lineage. If she is a working woman, she does double shifts: at workplace and at home. And her father has paid money to bridegroom and family and also for wedding and also pushed his daughter into the gutter! What an irony! 

No culture could be as mad and anti-women as this! Despite some laws, dowry system continues unabated under the very nose of law and police. Judges and police men too are involved in this 'trading' and hence remain quiet. Educated parents are not strong enough to put their foot down and stop this wrong practice. Educated daughters have no voice. And bridegroom's family is the ever-hungry type. Women groups are quiet or doing ineffective job of mere patch work here and there. Only some remedies here and there. 

The girl's parents should educate their daughter, make her strong, independent and happy. She should be able to lead her life alone. No dowry should be given. Wedding expenditure to be borne by both sides. Neolocality is best. There should be no patrilocality. Widen security welfare and safety nets to accommodate care of aged and elderly. 

To stop this bad culture, you need an overhaul of society, law, government and enforcing authorities that would go the preventive way rather than therapeutic way. An effective and safe 'vaccine' is needed. Mere medicine will not halt this spread of this dangerous germ in society.