Changing the Terms of the Discourse

The Dowry (Prohibition) Act, 1961: The Struggle for an Amendment

Samya Shakti

Vol. 5, No. 2, 1984

 

Although a Dowry Prohibition Act was introduced in 1961, it is clear to all, that the Act has done nothing to mitigate this social evil. In fact, in the twenty-old years since the Act was passed, dowry, though the giving and taking of it are illegal, has occupied an increasingly important place in both hidden and overt forms. Larger and larger dowries are being demanded — in some cases they are measured in terms of the boy’s educational or other qualifications. Moreover, what used to be a one-shot affair has now become a continuous process. Goods and money flow in a steady stream from the girl’s natal family to her conjugal family — every social ...