Dowry given as ‘gift’ & ‘will’  in Kerala, 212 lives misplaced in 13 years

Express News Service
KOZHIKODE: Everyone is aware of that dowry is prevalent within the state however, legally, nothing may be finished because the menace takes place within the type of reward and can. Though dowry has been banned since 1961 by the Kerala Dowry Prohibition Act, solely a negligible variety of folks come ahead to complain. “We have almost nil dowry-related complaint. If any complaint is filed and we start an inquiry, we learn later that it has been settled between the couple’s families,” says Women and Child Development (WCD) Department Director T V Anupama.

While making ready the Domestic Incident Report (DIR) through the home violence case, there’s a column to be crammed by the district ladies safety officer (WPO) with regard to dowry. But most frequently, the complainant would reply that her dad and mom hadn’t given dowry however solely gold ornaments and money as “gift” through the marriage. “Hence, we cannot fill that column, resulting in dropping of the charge under the dowry prohibition Act,” stated a WPO in North Kerala.

Officers say that in addition to dowry circumstances being largely settled between the households, the police additionally encourage them to go for a settlement. “We are helpless. Most of the complainants and their parents will demand settlement, rather than proceeding with the case. The girls’ parents are afraid of the social taboo when a daughter who is married stays with them for long. We cannot proceed with a case without the petitioner’s consent. But the police can take action lawfully but they don’t,” says a WPO from South Kerala, who requested anonymity.

Asha Unnithan, activist and lawyer practising within the High Court, says the consumerist tradition is the premise of dowry in a social perspective. “Giving a huge quantity of gold as a parameter of social status is the theory proposed by the market. We bought that theory,” she says. She factors to how dad and mom bypass the succession legal guidelines by making ready a will that states that every one their belongings would go to the son(s), which has been duly agreed to by the daughter. “Such parents might have given all the gold and cash to the daughter as dowry during her marriage. Hence, she has no right to the parents’ immovable property thereafter. The practice of giving dowry will end only if it is ensured that all assets of the parents are divided equally among the children,” she says. 

Asha Unnithan additionally proposes a prenuptial settlement between the bride and groom on the traces of legal guidelines in international international locations.Though the ladies and little one growth division has no knowledge on dowry circumstances or deaths, Kerala Police have recorded 212 dowry deaths within the final 13 years. The WCD division’s proposal to amend a rule empowering the district ladies and little one growth officer because the dowry prohibition officer is awaiting the regulation division’s nod. “As per the proposal, the WCD officer will be the dowry prohibition officer in each district and the WPO should be the inquiry officer,” stated a supply.