Bizarre! Man Demands Tortoise, Labrador Dog And ₹10 Lakh In Dowry
In recent months, I’ve read about a lot of dowry-related cases, thanks to my job. It is sad to know that there are people in this country who still think it is okay to ask for dowry. Not only is the practice illegal but also unjustified. I mean, why should a woman give “gifts” to the man for marrying her? What is even more frustrating to know, is that men demand what they want and how much they want in their dowry. Take the instance of this man in Maharashtra, who demanded tortoise, labrador, and ₹10 lakh. Yes, now the demands are getting bizarre.
In Maharashtra, a bride’s family filed an FIR against the to-be-groom and his family for demanding dowry. The man demanded a tortoise with 21 toenails, a labrador, and ₹10 lakh as dowry. I think the guy should have had the guts to admit he just didn’t want to get married.
When the bride’s family was unable to fulfil their demands, the man and his family called off the wedding. According to the police, the bride’s family had “expressed their helplessness to meet… demands.”
The icing on the cake is the fact that the bride’s family had already given the man and his family dowry before their engagement. The police report states that the bride’s family had given the man ₹2 lakh cash and 10grams of gold as dowry in February, right before the engagement.
And even after getting this amount, the demands of the man and his family didn’t stop. And when the bride’s family weren’t able to meet their demands, they called off the wedding at the last minute.
What I don’t understand is why does the man think it is okay to ask for dowry? What has he achieved so great in his life that a woman should give him dowry to get married to him? Even more so, it is the woman who is leaving her family behind, leaving her house, and even her surname, for the man, and yet it is her that needs to give dowry to get married?
Asking and or giving dowry is a serious crime. There is a good possibility that the demands of the man and his family might not end after marriage. We have heard enough cases to know what happens to the wife/daughter-in-law when these demands after marriage are not met. We women and our families need to stop entertaining such demands and practices. It is only then that we will see a change in society.
