DOWRY DEATH - THE WORSE SOCIAL EVIL

Dowry system is one of the social evils that prevails in the Indian society. Marriages are made in heaven is an adage. A bride leaves the parental home for the matrimonial home , leaving behind sweet memories therewith & hope that she will see a new world full of love in her groom s house. she leaves behind not only her memories but also her surname and gotra.
          But all the dreams and ambitions are spoiled , beaten and abused for sake of some money and property.

During the last few decades India has witnessed the black evils of the dowry system in a more acuate form in almost all parts of the country since it is practised by almost every section of the society. Women are not only harassed , humiliated , beaten or forced to commit suicide but thousand are burnt to death because parents are unable to meet the dowry demands of in-laws and husbands.
               Dowry is worst form of domestic violence wherein many married women have been killed at their matrimonial home by her husbands and relation out of greed for dowry. dowry death are death of young women who are murdered or driven to suicide by continuous harassment  and torture by husband and in-laws in an extort an increased dowry.
           The most popular way to murder a young  bride is to burn her alive , dousing her with kerosene in the kitchen and igniting her because indian women cook with kerosene and it is readily available in every household . It is also inexpensive much cheaper than gun or knife . The sari worn by bride ensures that she will burn quickly and easily. because the murder is committed behind closed doors the murderers can later claim that the young bride died as result of kitchen accident.

 

Causes and Consequences : Dowry although banned by law in 1961 but never seriously

                                              enforced . The existing law has certain loopholes and needs to made stricter. In indian society family honour resides in the women social mores dictates that a women must never speak out against her husband. Consequently indian women accuse their husbands and in -laws .Women will not complain about a husband s abuse or even a murder attempt refusing to implicate their husbands even on their deathbeds.

                Even when a bride has the courage to seek help her parents almost refuse to allow her to return home out of fear humiliation . thus the bride who has nowhere to turn for help is placed at great risk of dowry related death.

                Consequences of dowry include female foeticide , discrimination against girls, unsuitable match for girls , lowering of women s status and increased rate of suicide and so on.

 

SUGGESTION AND SOLUTION : To stop dowry system : 

It is shame that reaching at modern age the dowry system is prevalent in our society.

• Firstly we need to change our thinking and views. we should think that if other parents are giving their daughter to us, we should take care of her.

• Secondly government should also make strict laws against this bad dowry system stringent punishment to the people convicted of such crime can also help to create a deterrent effect.

• Speedy trials system also works in favour of the victim and acts as deterrent.

• Education is another approach to increase awareness by educating people about such issues .

• illiteracy must be eradicated from the society

• Female members of society be treated as like male members .it is required by parents that a daughter is equal to a son . she has same right as son .moreover female has to be conscious about her rights , necessities and urgencies.

• Women are to be introduced in every field of work not only in the house hold work .working opportunity is to be given the competent female candidate . unemployment problem is also criterion to accelerate this curse.

Legal provision regarding to dowry death:

1. THE DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT 1961:  SEC.3 of act provide punishment for gives or   

                                                                takes or abets the giving or taking of dowry .such person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 5 yrs and with fine and which shall not less than 15000 or the amount of value of such dowry whichever is more.

             Sec 4 . provide punishment for demanding directly or indirectly from the parents or other relatives or guardian of bride or bridegroom and such person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not less than 6 months and which may extend  to 2 yrs and fine which extend to 10000 rupees

 

2. SEC. 304-B OF INDIAN PENAL CODE:   Where the

• The death of women should be caused by burns or bodily injury or otherwise than under normal circumstances .
• such a death should have occurred within 7 yrs of her marriage.
• she must have been subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband.
• such cruelty or harassment should be for or in connection with the demand of dowry.
• such cruelty or harassment shown to have been meted out to the women soon before her death .

Such person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not less than 7 yrs but which may extend to imprisonment for life .

 

 

        

ACID ATTACK - AN EVIL CRIME

In a male dominated society like India , most of women have been facing exploitation and oppression at every step of their lives.

          Acid attack is one of the most heinous crime against women. it is senseless crime that has no place in this country. An acid attacks involves the pre meditated throwing of acid on victim usually on her face. In addition to causing psychological trauma , acid attack results in severe pain, permanent disfigurement , subsequent infection and often blinding in one or both eyes. An attack of revenge , acid attack are experienced mostly by women and children as way of permanent damaging and dishonuring individual.
                    Every few days there are report of acids beings thrown at some girl  in some part of this vast country.in the nation capital new Delhi received 56 complaints of acids attacks in the first quarter of 2013.

    Reasons: Perpetrators commit acid attack for a number of reason include revenge for
                    refusal of a marriage proposal or other romantic or sexual advances land disputes precieved  dishonour and jealously.  80% of attack however occurred as an outraged response from a man whose marriage proposal had been rejected.
                    As was the case for 25 year old Laxami who was attacked in 2005 when she was just 16 , disfiguring her permanently. her attacker a friend's 32 year old brother planned tom use the acid to destroy laxami 's face after she refused respond to his  marriage proposal. where most victims hide their face  ,the laxami was courageous in taking a public stand against aid violence . such courage has led her to be successful in petitioning the S.C to order the Indian government to regulate the sale of acid and to support women in successfully prosecuting their attacks.

 

Consequences of acid attacks:  Acid throw on victim's face perhaps the worst form of torture. this 

                                                 way you don't just kill a women but condemn her to something which worse a living death a life time in hell on earth . the painful consequences of acid burns are well known. skin tissues melts bones dissolve and one's eye are reduced to hollow socket.

 

How can this stopped:

                                    one of the casual factor of increasing incidence of acid attacks in the absence of the law regulating the sale of acid to common people . Acids found easely  and cheaply across the country are increasingly being used as weapon against women.. by putting curbs on the sale of acid can be stopped it.

             Meanwhile in neighbour Bangladesh there is evidence the stricker laws leads to fewer attacks. There those charged with committing an acid attack are eligible for death penalty and the sale of acids is strictly regulated.as a result of Bangladesh saw a decline in acid attacks between 2002 and 2013 while India saw a rise.

Legal provision regarding acid attacks in India:

Until march 2013 an acid attack was not even a separate punishable offence under indian law. in april 2013 followed the fatal gang rape of delhi student in December . previously acid attacks were prosecuted as general act of violence and courts are free rein to issue sentences.

               In march the government passed a law that for the first time created criminal charge specifically for stalking , voyeurism , acid attacks.

     For the first time 226th report of law commission of india has suggested the introduction of sec.326 A and 326 B into INDIAN PENAL CODE deal specifically with acid attacks.

 

SEC. 326 A: VOLUNTARILY CAUSING GRIEVOUS HURT BY USE OF ACID,ETC:

                                                                                                                                                       whoever cause permanent or partial damage or deformity to or burns or maims or disfigure or disable any parts of the body of a person or cause e grievous hurt by throwing acids on or by administrated acid to that person or by using any other means with the intention of causing or with the knowledge that he is likely to cause such injury or hurt shall be either description for a term which shall not be less than 10 years but which may extend to life imprisonment for life and with fine.

                 such fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses of the treatment of the victim and such fine shall be paid to victim .

 

SEC.326 B: VOLUNTARILY THROWING OR ATTEMPTING TO THROW ACID :

 

whoever throw or attempt to throw acid or any person or attempt to administer acid to any person or attempts to use any other means , with the intention of causing permanent or partial damages or deformity or burns or maiming or disfiguring or disability ,that person shall be punished of either description for a term which shall not less than 5 years but which may extend to 7 years and shall also liable to fine.