http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=enart=15514size=A
Bride Burning: another chapter on the humiliation of the Indian Woman
by CT Nilesh
Almost 5 thousand women are burnt every year. Even domestic violence and
torture are on a rise with more than 75 thousand cases. Inability to pay
dowry, revenge, betrayal are some of the reasons for this violence. These
problems exist even amongst the Christians.
http://www.asianews.it/files/img/INDIA_-_DONNE_AL_GATEWAY_MUMBAI.jpg
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Only a few weeks back the nation was rejoicing for the
election of its first female speaker in the Parliament. But it also has to
face an ever rising phenomenon: bride burning. In the last few days the
Supreme Court, in a rare pronouncement, took the opportunity to vent its ire
against those resorting to bride burning.
The case at hand is related to the burning of a woman by her husband because
of her protest against his alleged illicit relationship. The accused,
sentenced to life imprisonment asked for the case to be revised. The
vacation bench comprising Justice Markandey Katju and Deepak Verma, angered
by the plea of the convict challenging his life sentence, was of the firm
opinion that persons like him (the husband)deserved no leniency and should
be awarded the death penalty.
This sharp reaction was caused by the spiraling crimes against women in
matrimonial homes. The National Crime Records Bureau had reported a whopping
75,930 incidents of torture and cruelty against women within the family last
year. More than 5,000 wives are burnt to death every year. But statistics
precise that the incidence is increasing: 6.787 in the year 2005, 7,618 in
2006 and 8,093 in 2007.
The case taken up by the Supreme Court is related to the death of Rajni who
in her dying declaration alleged that her husband Mahender Gulati, his elder
brother Prem Kumar and the latter’s wife Vimla poured kerosene on her on
December 9,2003 and set her on fire. She had also accused Mahender ofhaving
an illicit relationship with imla and alleged that the motive behind the
crime was her protest against the affair.
The Supreme Court has always been of the idea that violence in matrimonial
homes should be dealt with sternly and Justice Katju is known for his
radical views in such cases.
Such cases do not take place only in villages or slums but is very much
present in the urban middle class too. For example, even in the cities the
age old costume of demanding dowry from the family of the proposed wife is
very much alive. The families who cannot provide everything immediately may
agree to a delayed payment of rates of dowry, but when the promises are not
kept, the wife’s in-laws start harassing her to recover the promised items
or sums. When finally they feel cheated (because they did not receive the
entire amount of dowry) they try to get rid of the woman simulating kitchen
accidents or suicide.
Awareness campaigns had been started by governments and private
organizations to discourage and outlaw the system of dowry, but the age old
system supported by tradition and greed is difficult to stop. Also in some
traditional Christian communities, like in Kerala, it is considered an honor
and a duty to give and to demand dowry.
--
Rosa sat so Martin could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run, Obama ran
so your children can fly
--
Ranjit
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