People's Democracy

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON EXPANDING DIMENSIONS OF DOWRY

 Practice of Dowry Is Itself A Crime, Not Just Its Excesses

IN their work among women, activists of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) have repeatedly confronted what appears to be an epidemic-like spread and intensification of the practice of dowry. Of immediate concern is the impact of this practice on the urban and rural poor.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

Earlier this year, the AIDWA’s central working committee (CEC) decided to conduct a survey, with a set of questionnaires, to understand the expanding dimensions of the practice of dowry and its impact on different sections of society. Both from the activists and respondents, response to the conduct of the survey and participation in it was encouraging. The survey was conducted in 18 states. Those who filled up the questionnaires numbered close to 10,000 --- from different classes, castes and communities. This was perhaps the first time a women’s organisation in India conducted such a wide survey through its own activists.

To present the preliminary findings, AIDWA and its affiliated research centre --- Indian School of Women’s Studies and Development (ISWSD) --- jointly organised a national workshop on “Dowry as Crime, Crime as Dowry: The Expanding Dimensions of Dowry” in New Delhi, September 1 and 2. Over 200 activists attended the workshop from 18 state units that had conducted the survey. In the AIDWA’s fairly long experience, the workshop was still unique as activists in the field were trying to learn new methods of understanding social realities through study and discussion in a theoretical framework, to learn the problems that they have to confront everyday. The workshop was a small step towards linking up the streams of research and practice.

Through the two days, there was concentrated attention from the delegates as state after state presented its findings. The workshop was scheduled in such a way as to enable participation from delegates after each group presentation. This led to interesting sessions of questions, clarifications and additions. Some other organisations of women also attended it, and their representatives chaired different sessions. So did leaders of fraternal organisations. Some of them participated in the discussions and also addressed the concluding session on the strategies for an anti-dowry struggle.

INAUGURAL SESSION

The inaugural session was varied and lively. It was presided over by ISWSD honorary director Dr Shakti Kak and AIDWA president Subhashini Ali, who both made introductory comments, stressing that the workshop must help build a movement against dowry. Justice Sujata Manohar, member of the National Human Rights Commission, made the inaugural speech; it was thought provoking and focused. Pointing out that during the 1990s women’s movements have been silent against the practice of dowry, she said old forms of oppression sometimes get a new life. Hence the movements must be alert to fight against such practices in a more sustained manner. Calling the practice of dowry a basic human rights violation, she asked all those present to organise a movement against it.

The framework for the workshop was set in the detailed presentation made in an overview paper by Dr Rajni Parliwala, member of the ISWSD. Among the several important points she made, she said dowry as it is practiced today has never been part of the tradition or reflected in the shastras. Today dowry has to be understood in terms of “what dowry does, what it reflects, what dowry realises in our daily social relations in the economic and political life of the nation and the people who make it up. In a concentrated form, dowry encapsulates contemporary and intensified inequalities and oppressions ---caste, class and gender; it encapsulates the…..consumerist desires of today, the new religion of liberalisation.” She also pointed out that the denial of recognition to women’s work and lack of property rights for them were crucial issues in the struggle against dowry.

In a most interesting exposition of the various religious rituals, Dr Chandrakala Pande, member of parliament, showed how deeply anti-women some of these rituals are. Quoting profusely from the Vedas, shastras, smritis and various sages, she showed how in a large body of Hindu tradition the only function a woman fulfilled was as the producer of sons. She said women’s movements have to confront such traditions and cultures. The imposition of karmakand and jyotirgyan in universities aims at reviving these very cultures.  

Speaking on issues of judicial approaches towards the practice of dowry, the AIDWA Legal Cell’s convenor Kirti Singh pointed out that the laws related to dowry prohibition are still inadequate and that the state did nothing to implement the law or create an awareness of the law. Without this, it is never possible for the law to be effective. There has been a tendency to give lesser punishments in cases of dowry violence and murders because the courts think a dowry death is not as heinous a crime as a murder.

This session ended with a presentation made by Kamakshi Malhotra, of the AIDWA Media Monitoring Committee, of three objectionable advertisements that either promoted son-preference or encouraged dowry and, in all cases, displayed a marked anti-woman bias. The ICICI advertisement sends the message that for a woman marriage is the only protection and her husband the only possible protector. The Fair & Lovely advertisement shows a man lamenting over the fact that he had a daughter and not a son while his family needs an additional breadwinner. The daughter is shown to be a simple, plain young girl. She then, by using a Fair and Lovely product, transforms herself into a mini-skirted glamorous woman, noticeably more fair-skinned, and gets a job in an airline. The message is clear --- sons, not daughters, are natural breadwinners; a girl can land a good job only if she improves and displays her physical attributes. The LIC advertisement recommends the advisability of insurance policies which may help pay for a son’s education or a girl’s marriage, thus reinforcing a retrograde social attitude that sees marriage as the only future for a daughter; a daughter is a liability while a son is an investment. The committee had sent written objections to the organisations concerned and is now planning legal action against them. Justice Sujata immediately reacted by saying that complaints against such offensive advertisements could be sent to the NHRC as well.

STATEWISE SESSIONS

During a total 7 sessions, 18 states presented their survey findings. Those to chair the sessions were Prem Choudhury, Kumkum Sanghari (both have done extensive work on issues of women’s subordination), Jyotsna Chatterjee (Joint Women’s Programme), Syeda Hameed (Muslim Women’s Forum), Gargi Chakravorty (NFIW), Jashodara Bagchi (West Bengal Women’s Commission), Vina Mazumdar (CWDS) and Mrs Khurana (general secretary, All India Nurses Union). 

All India Kisan Sabha general secretary K Varadha Rajan and AIDWA working president Shyamali Gupta chaired the concluding session. In this session, AIDWA general secretary Brinda Karat moved a resolution urging for a nationwide campaign against the practice of dowry and on issues related to the subordination of women. In this inspiring session delegates applauded the strong support that leaders of various organisations extended to the call. They were K Varadha Rajan (Kisan Sabha), W R Varadarajan (CITU), Suneet Chopra (All India Agricultural Workers Union), P Krishnaprasad (SFI), and Mahesh Kumar (DYFI). 

SURVEY REPORTS

Even as there are statewise, community-based and caste-based variations, what came out clearly was the homogenising impact of an all-powerful market and the ongoing destruction of pluralist traditions regarding marriage, many of whom were women-friendly and sympathetic. A few such examples were given; they exist even today. In the survey of a small Kannada Devange community in Karnataka, there is no dowry practice but the response in the survey form --- “it is treated as below the status of the groom to take from the bride” --- does not necessarily denote equality! But the marriage expenses are born by the groom, or sometimes divided between the two sides.

In the north east, a survey was done in Tripura, Assam and Manipur. Here, dowry is certainly not as widespread as in the rest of India, but is on an increase in some communities. In the hill areas in Uttaranchal, dowry is not that common although the expenditures on marriages and demands for a lavish reception put burdens on a bride’s family. A survey among the Jaunsari tribal community showed that they have no dowry practice. According to the survey, Dalits in the hill areas rarely practise dowry.

Many presentations brought out a significant finding. When interviewed, families with both sons and daughters stated that they had to give dowries for their daughters’ marriages, and they would certainly try to make it up at the time of their sons’ marriages, by demanding equal if not more dowry. In such a situation, families with no sons appear the biggest losers. The implications are clear and can be seen in the proliferation of sex-determination clinics.  

The delegates who had conducted surveys among the Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim communities, made some interesting presentations. Rooprani, a Dalit activist from Lucknow, said dowry was never an issue in her community earlier. We are all workers, she said; we cannot afford even our children’s education. But now if we want to live with honour, we have to spend on our daughters’ marriages and give dowry. Our boys say: we can’t get jobs, but we can get dowry to start our work!

Around 20 per cent of the questionnaires were filled up by scheduled caste families and the findings matched Rooprani’s experience.

Rehana Syed and Razia Naqvi presented the findings on Muslim women in Delhi and Kanpur. The surveys were mainly in the low-income groups, the self-employed and middle class Muslims, and showed an overall spread of the dowry practice. Whereas the amount of mehr among those interviewed in Delhi has remained the same, ranging from Rs 125 to about Rs 500, the expenses as well as ‘gifts’ expected at marriages have enormously increased.

There was a heated discussion on the comment some Muslim men made during interviews --- that dowry has been a Muslim tradition. Many delegates refuted it. In the discussion, Maimoona Mollah brought out a startling fact that the Muslim Personal Law Board has published a handbook that purports to be a codification of Muslim personal law. It includes “exchange of gifts at the time of mangni (engagement ceremony).” In fact, mangni has never been a practice among Muslims. This, she said, was a justification for making the girl’s side bear the added expenditure. This led many delegates to demand that protest be immediately conveyed to the MPLB.

Sangeeta, an elected panchayat member from an ST seat in Thane district of Maharashtra, reported on the survey among poor Adivasi families. She said even as poverty is increasing, expenses on daughters’ weddings are forcing more and more families into debt. The practice of dowry has replaced the earlier brideprice. Giving an example of increasing marriage expenses that have become status symbols, she said it was usual to serve the guests home-made brew at such ceremonies, but now the groom’s side demands “foreign made” liquor; otherwise, it says it has been insulted. All this has greatly increased expenditures.

The surveys conducted among tribals in Tripura and Assam also brought out similar findings. Rama Das and Swarnalata presented them. In some areas and communities, the traditions (like ga-dhan or brideprice) are quite different. In jamai khatani, a prospective groom had to work in the bride’s house to prove his worth. But, now, across communities the dowry practice has increased. The survey in five districts of Assam found: “The poor peasants of rural Assam and the lower income groups of urban Assam are badly affected and the girls from poor families often remain unmarried due to unhealthy competition and greed for dowry that has grown in dowry-free Assam.”

The Orissa survey, reported by Tapasi Praharaj, was conducted in the five coastal districts where more cases of dowry-related violence have been reported. The survey was mainly among agricultural workers and other rural poor, and most of them are in debt because of marriage and dowry expenses. In one area of displaced workers, marriage of five girls in a village was fixed on the expectation that they would get jobs in the mining company. This was in 1992. But they have not yet got the jobs; so the boys have refused to marry them. Moreover, since they are that much older, it is not possible for them to get married at all. The survey showed that all families with daughters are in debt, even up to Rs 1 lakh.

The largest survey was done in West Bengal; here over 3,000 families were interviewed. Of them, over 50 per cent stated that in their perception there could be no marriage without dowry. The survey done in Burdwan district concentrated on areas where there have been industrial closures. Presenting the findings, Sangeeta Singh brought out the shocking reality of how working class families, affected by closures and retrenchment, are doubly hit because of the practice of dowry. In the course of the survey, the interviewers found families where the VRS money received was spent on the marriage and dowry of daughters. A striking incident came to the notice of the surveyors in Bankura district. It was found that quite a few teachers got married only after taking a big amount of cash as dowry. The AIDWA district committee met the school authorities and lodged a strong protest, saying that these aspects must be included in teacher training programmes. Malini Bhattacharya traced the changes in the practice of communities that never had the dowry tradition.

Though not as extensive, the Kerala survey covered all sections. It was presented by Sindhu of the Working Women’s Coordination Committee and was much appreciated by the delegates. This was the only state where a substantial section --- about 60 per cent of urban and about 40 per cent of rural respondents --- said they would give their daughters a share in property. However, the majority said that the dowry practice has increased in the last decade, mainly through demand of gold and also of goods. Those interviewed in the northern districts of Kannur, Kasargode and Malappuram said, although no form of dowry had existed in their communities earlier, “this social evil has entered their societies also and they were forced to surrender before it to ensure a good future for their daughters.”

The presentations from West Bengal and Kerala sparked off a discussion on the need of progressive forces fighting such practices that are destroying whole families. Participating in the discussion, Hannan Mollah (Agricultural Workers Union) stressed the importance of having a comprehensive view of work among the working masses, rural and urban. Sometimes when we go to the people we see only this issue or that, and ignore what is happening right under our noses. Dowry, he said, is one such practice that has intensified in the era of liberalisation. We need to address it unitedly.

The Tamilnadu presentations by Ragini and Mythily Sivaraman brought out the links between female feticide and dowry. During the survey in Theni district that is notorious for female infanticide, a respondent, with a monthly income below Rs 5000, said she had to give gold sovereigns at the time of her daughter’s marriage, Rs 30,000 for expenses, vessels worth Rs 25,000, and had later to give gold jewellery for her two grandchildren. She wrote at the end of the survey sheet: “I regret that we did not kill her at birth.” In answer to a question “when did the dowry practice start,” 50 per cent said it had started much earlier but had got worse in the last ten years. Another working class woman, a mother of two sons and five daughters, described how she had to have repeated pregnancies till at last she delivered two boys. She wrote on the survey sheet: “One should not be born a girl, and if born a girl one should not get married. A woman in this society is an accursed being.”

The surveys in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, UP and Bihar also showed similar trends.

NATURE OF DEMANDS

The demand for dowry is not made only at the marriage time. The survey reports gave details of the ways, both novel and supposedly traditional, that are used to extract money and gifts from the girl’s side. Demands are made on the first visit of a boy’s family to the girl’s house, at the time of engagement, before the marriage is solemnised and, after the marriage, throughout the girl’s married life. In many cases, when very young girls are married, at the time of their gauna (their departure for their marital homes after puberty), their parents are expected to give as much gift as they did at the time of the wedding. In many cases, gifts are taken when after marriage a girl visits her natal home and again when she returns to her marital home. The underlying threat is that she will not be allowed to visit her natal home or, else, she will not be welcomed back to her marital home.

Graphic details of dowry demands were also given. Among the middle classes the dowries expected/demanded range from jewellery, cash and ornaments to consumer goods, two-wheelers and cars. The ever growing display of new and newer goods and the ostentatious display of wealth at the marriages of the rich and powerful has influenced all classes in society, and that influence is getting multiplied by TV serials, films, etc. The survey noted several cases in different states where the demand was of cash for starting a business enterprise or a shop, in one case a clinic. What was very disturbing was that, even working class families and the rural poor surveyed, had to bear very heavy expenditures for their daughters’ marriages --- up to Rs 50,000 and more. A fair percentage of them are in debt because of such expenses.

RESPONSES OF UNMARRIED WOMEN 

In this context, some responses from unmarried women are very significant. Their ages ranged from 16 to 30. The actual percentages from the surveys are yet to be worked out, but a large majority feels they cannot get married without dowry. Many of them were totally opposed to the practice of dowry but felt completely helpless. There were differences between the responses of the poor and the middle class. Most of the girls from poor families feel that dowry will ruin their families and would prefer to get married without dowry. But a fairly substantial section of urban young middle class women feel that dowry is “inevitable,” and their parents would not listen to their objections. Others opined that, since they do not inherit anything from their parents, at least in this way they would get something of what they feel is their due. Many others, especially among the more educated and better-off, thought only a handsome dowry could ensure them financial security and status. 

The delegates pointed out: many women are aware that they should have property rights. However, realising that its implementation is extremely difficult, they are satisfied with whatever they get as dowry. Many respondents did say that they would prefer to get a share in the property.

The surveys brought out the negative impact of television serials and films in which ostentatious marriages, fancy trousseaus and the docile women are projected. The glamour of marriage, the security of a married life and the modest daughter-in-law propagated in the media reinforces the image of a docile woman who has to live by customs and traditions, however negative.

Given the increasing expenditures on marriages and dowry, brides/wives are facing increasing pressure from their natal families to remain within their marital homes even they are subjected to humiliation, violence or torture.

CALL FOR CAMPAIGN

AIDWA CEC member and a member of the ISWSD, Indu Agnihotri presented the findings of the survey. In an inspiring speech, she analysed the different trends that emerged from the workshop, stressing that organisations like the AIDWA have to develop a comprehensive perspective to take the social reform movements of earlier times forward. Surveys such as these help develop such an understanding. She congratulated those who had conducted the survey, for the beginning they had made in this direction.

The convention ended with the call for a national campaign against dowry practices. Moving a resolution, AIDWA general secretary Brinda Karat said dowry is perhaps the only crime that has social sanction from its perpetrators as well as its victims. The survey findings bring out the devastation and destitution this practice continues to cause. We see it not only as a social evil, but related to structural inequalities in Indian society. It is the practice itself that is a crime, not just its excesses in form of dowry-related violence. We need a wide campaign and struggle involving different sections of people. The need is for joint, collective action to eradicate dowry and related anti-women practices, the resolution stressed.

Apart from the representatives of women’s organisations and fraternal organisations who spoke, distinguished academicians Utsa Patnaik and G P Deshpande also addressed the meeting, making useful suggestions to strengthen the resolution and the movement.

(Report Prepared By AIDWA)