AGARTALA, November 27 (TIWN): Dowry is an unimaginable curse for the society, said Minister for Social Welfare & Social Education Bijita Nath while addressing in the inaugural ceremony of celebration of the dowry prohibition day at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan, here today.

The minister further said that at present society is surrounded with many problems such as unemployment, illiteracy, population growth, terrorism, etc. Among these problems, a problem which is deeply rooted in our society is the problem of dowry system.  In the modern Indian political discourse the custom of dowry is often represented as the cause of serious social problems, including the neglect of daughters, sex-selective abortion, female infanticide, and the harassment, abuse etc. 

This fact that it is condemned by every modern citizen of this country and yet it still flourishes at a very large scale in our society is a testimony of how deeply rooted this system is in our society, the minister added.

The giving and taking of dowry was made punishable by the Dowry Prohibition Act in 1961. However, the practice of dowry continued to flourish and even extended into communities where the custom was not traditionally prevalent. The advent of more and more goods into the market fed into the practice. The nature of the items in dowry changed from buffaloes, bicycles and transistors to motorcycles, refrigerators, televisions and cars, the minister mentioned.

Ever since Independence there has been concern and distress with regard to the murdering of women for dowry, or harassing them to the point of suicide. The enactment of the Dowry Prohibition Act in 1961, a review of the workings of the Act, suggestions and amendments in the definition of dowry, the creation of the offense of dowry death and cruelty towards women within seven years of marriage, and insertions introducing presumption with regard to abetment to suicide and dowry death in the law of evidence are all part of serious attempts by society and Parliament to check dowry-related crimes, the minister said.

Secretary, SW and SE department M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Law Department D.M. Jamatia and other high level official officials were present in the program.