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President Patil launches MKVY scheme in Bihar

Patna, Sat, 16 Feb 2008 Vikash Ranjan

On her maiden visit to Bihar, the President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil launched the ambitious Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojna at a function held in Patna on Saturday.

The project is unique and first of its kind initiated by any state government so far for the support of poor families. The monetary support will certainly be very helpful for the poor parents, who continuously face difficulties to get his or her daughter married in the wake of dowry demand, which is so high in Bihar.

Under the scheme, the families, whose income is below 60,000 per year, will get five thousand rupees for the marriage of their daughters. Although the amount-in-aid is far less than the demand like a drop in the ocean, but will certainly help a bit to the hapless parents.

In order to know the origin of dowry system, which has engulfed today the all section of the society, we will have trace back to Vedic period, where the ancient marriage rites were associated with Kanyadan. What was started that time as a custom in the form of dakshina, now has been the coercive element of marriage.

According to Dharamshastara (the Hindu mythological book), the act of kanyadan was not considered complete till the bridegroom was not given a dakshina i.e. something in cash or kind, which constituted varadakshina. The varadakshina, which was offered that time out of affection has been now miserably become the compulsion for the marriage.

The voluntary element in the course of time disappeared and in place coercive element crept in and simultaneously with the transformation of its kind also changed its name: from ‘dakshina’ to ‘dowry.’

During the British period, the provincial government of Sind had passed an enactment known as “Sind Deti Leti Act, 1939 for the purpose of dealing effectively with the evils of dowry system. But the enactment could not create any desired impact and effect for the good of the society.

During 19th and late 20th century, the social reformers had endeavoured hard to get rid of the social evil of dowry system, but of no avail.

In a bid to eradicate this evil from the society, the State Governments of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh enacted "The Bihar Dowry Restraint Act, 1950" and "The Andhra Pradesh Dowry Prohibition Act, 1958" for the respective States, but both these enactments have been failed yet to achieve the objectives for which they were enacted.

After rejecting many proposals for the passing of Bill on the dowry in Parliament even after the enactment of the Hindu Succession Act in 1956, the government felt that separate legislation to prohibit dowry was not essential.

As the pressure from all corners started building up, Dowry Prohibition Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in April 24, 1959. And after much discussion eventually the Bill was passed in May 1961 in the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament and became an Act- the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 on May 20th, 1961.

According to the Act, 1961, penalty for giving or taking dowry has been laid: “If any person, gives or takes or abets the giving or taking of dowry, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years, and with fine which shall not be less than fifteen thousand rupees or the amount of the value of such dowry, whichever is more.”

And, Penalty for demanding dowry was laid: “If any person demands, directly or indirectly, from the parents or other relatives or guardian of a bride or bridegroom, as the case may be, any dowry, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months, but which may extend to two years and with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees.”

In a move to restrain the threat of dowry and related violence, the Bihar Government during the regime of Rabri Devi made mandatory for all bridegrooms, particularly the government’s employees, to declare all gifts received at their wedding.

The cabinet headed by CM Rabri Devi approved the amendments to the Bihar State Prohibition of Dowry Rules (BSPDR), 1998 and made the law more stringent against the practice of dowry. The cabinet approved the Bihar State Prohibition of Dowry Rules, 2003, with a view to tightening the noose against dowry.

But unfortunately despite the enactment of anti-dowry law, the evil of dowry system still takes the life of many brides every year.

In fact, equal rights for women is only electioneering demagogy. The women of India are still an epitome of oppression and exploitation in the name of religion and custom practised by the conservative male chauvinist and social patriots.


Read More: Dhar

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