Steady climb in dowry deaths - ‘Educating girls a must’

The above figures are only for Jharkhand, from the Telegraph

Ranchi, June 5: On May 23 this year, Anil Mahto (21) of Hazaribagh bludgeoned his 19-year-old wife Dina Devi to death because her father failed to gift him a two-wheeler. The couple had married barely a month before on April 28.

Same day, same city. A 19-year-old married woman, later identified as Suman, was discovered in a water tank. Hazaribagh police suspected this was also a dowry death.

In 2012, there were 309 dowry deaths in Jharkhand, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. In 2011, it was 282 and in 2010, 246.

Police are yet to update 2013 figures in full, but with Sumans and Dinas turning up dead, it is safe to assume that the shameful upswing is very much on.

District-wise, in 2012, Dhanbad clocked the maximum dowry deaths — 49. Giridih, Palamau, Hazaribagh, East Singhbhum and Ranchi followed with 32, 26, 23, 17 and 16, respectively.

In all, save Ranchi and Palamau, the corresponding numbers the previous year were lesser. In 2011 for instance, Dhanbad clocked 33 dowry deaths, which is 16 less compared to 2012.

India prohibited dowry through legislation in 1961 but as the social evil was sanctioned by custom, there was little impact. In 1986, Indian Penal Code was amended to include section 304B, specifically against murder following harassment for dowry. Section 498A was added to define “harassment and cruelty” meted out by husbands and in-laws.

It has taken another 25 years for families or married women to slowly brave stigma, but if the rising dowry deaths in Jharkhand are any indication, the tide against this evil is yet to turn.

State women’s commission chairperson Hemlata S. Mohan said the social evil was entrenched in customs. “The problem can’t be uprooted in isolation. We need to involve college students and NGOs. Eradicating dowry deaths will be possible when we stress on the education of girls,” she said.

Mohan said the commission would write to all deputy commissioners and the superintendent of police in every district to ensure higher conviction rates and swift penalty. “The last man and woman in society needs to know that no one can get away scot-free in a dowry death,” she said.

Sundari Tirkey, chairperson of Ranchi Zilla Parishad, said awareness and attitudes had changed.

“Look, families of girls are not hushing up cases now. They are coming forward. At the same time, much needs to change as families also continue to save money for dowry. We need to brainstorm with intellectuals, women’s organisations and government functionaries to come up with a strategy to bring an end to dowry deaths as well as other violence on women,” she said.

In spite of knowing that dowry is a dreadful thing, people still commit murder for dowry.

How should such crimes be treated?

No amount of education will change these people.

They should be treated as the rarest of rare crimes and the death penalty should be awarded.

We have a population of 1.2 billion, ie. 1,200,000,000.

There were 309 dowry deaths in Jharkhand in 2012

There are 28 states and 6 Union territories in India.

However some 50% of the states have almost zero dowry deaths.

Assuming that 309 is a representative figure for 17 states we would be having around 5250 dowry deaths throughout India. Let us assume there are an equal number of rapists.

That would bring the figure to 10500.

We can surely afford to loose these 10500 by hanging in our population of 1.2 billion.

It would be a deterrent to the rest of the population and remove a stigma to India.

Unfortunately this will never be carried out for the politicians are the main culprits together with the rich and super-rich who cause these deaths.