The would-be husbands and wives should take a pledge that no dowry will be involved in their marriages
KARACHI: Our ancestors started the dowry system for valid reasons but now it is leading to issues and problems in our society, as it has become a ritual in marriages. To say that this is a common practice among uneducated people is wrong because educated people are also involved in this. There is no religious concern with this practice, but people have happily adopted it. The groom’s parents usually misuse this tradition. They want their daughter-in-law to provide ample dowry so that they can show it off to their neighbours and relatives.
The elite class is responsible to some extent for perpetuating this tradition because they give luxurious goods that a poor man cannot afford. On the other hand, the lower income group cannot afford dowry for their daughters. So many of them take incur huge debts to meet societal pressure. They spend the rest of their lives paying it back. Others do not hesitate to earn money by unfair means so that they show off the amount of things they have given. The girl’s parents try to fulfil all the demands so that their daughter would be at peace as she has to live with her in-laws. However, the demands gradually increase to the point where parents are often on the verge of bankruptcy. In the meantime, the girl is physically and mentally tortured by the in-laws. Parents think that only a handsome dowry can ensure the happiness of their daughters. They face humiliation, misery and incur huge debts simply because of this evil practice. Parents think that their daughters will not get respect if they are not able to give dowry. A campaign was conducted recently against this evil, and despite mixed criticism, it got many people speaking up against the dowry system.
The would-be husbands and wives should take a pledge that no dowry will be involved in their marriages.
Anum Fatima
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2020.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
