Marriage is supposed to be about love, loyalty and a promise to stay together, but even in today’s time, it is tainted by societal evils like dowry and infidelity. While there are laws to protect either party from being trapped in these shams, the real problem of finding the right match still persists. Parents, on one hand, spend their entire life’s earrings to secure the safety and happiness of their daughters, while on the other hand, the daughters feel the burden and bitterness of this weight.
Netizen shared the dowry list of his Bua from 1993
While there has been slight progress in society, a big part of the country is still pro-dowry. And the people need a reminder of how draining these asks can be, no matter if you veil it as ‘gifts’ or ‘dahej’. A person sparked the conversation about dowries on the discussion platform Reddit once again by sharing the four-page long list, stating the things that were given to the groom during their bua’s marriage.
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The long list included electronic items, including fridge iron, lamp, sandwich maker, bedding items like pillow covers, fridge and sofa covers, blankets and more. The long list also mentioned furniture items, including a sofa, bed, dressing table and almirah. Apart from this, the list mentioned the clothes and gold items which were given to the groom and his family. However, what surprised us in the post was that the list included things like glass, plates, ladles, spoons, and chakla belan as well.
Netizens react to the post
Once the post was shared on the discussion platform, Reddit, netizens started chiming in with their views on it. A user gave an estimate of how much these things would’ve cost the bride’s parents and, after a detailed note of it, gave a range of Rs. 7.5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh. Another user wrote, “Bhai tumhare ghar se unko saara samaan gya ….fufa ji vanwas me bade hue the kya.” A comment read, “Pillow cover? Rumaal? Ghar khareedne ke baad shayad paise nhi bache honge.” A user stated, “People forget how bad the dowry problem used to be (and still continues to be). To the point that brides were burnt alive in the 80s and 90s if the groom’s demands were not met.” A commenter shared:
“Somebody show this paper on subs which says that women are not exploited, women are gold diggers, and feminism is not required. Just reading this is giving me chills. Imagine the fear and anxiety that the girl’s parents had to go through while preparing for all this. Then a relative from the groom’s side would come and pass remarks over this as well.”
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Click here to see the post.
Dowry-related crime awareness advertisement in the 1990s
In the 1990s, the dowry-related crime rates got so bad that the government had to release an advertisement on Doordarshan, making families aware of wrongful deaths. The advertisement was not about stopping dowry, but about what to do if their daughter or known is ‘caught on fire’. In the 90s, nearly 6000 dowry deaths were reported, leading to the government raising awareness about what to do in case.
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Click here to see the video.
What are your thoughts on the dowry list shared by the netizen? Let us know.
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