JEDDAH, 5 September 2004 — A Jeddah-based social activist and writer Aleem Khan Falki’s Urdu book “Mard Bhi Jism Bechtey Hain,” was released recently in Hyderabad.
The book deals with dowry, a social evil rampant in Indian society. The author has cited several instances where brides were burned, tortured and brutally killed for failing to bring enough dowry to the in-laws.
Falki equated the trading of bridegrooms with male prostitution. He said the whole-hearted cooperation of youth, both male and female, was a prerequisite for rooting out the menace.
He argues that though dowry was prohibited by law in 1961, the extraction of dowry from the bride’s family prior to marriage still occurs on a large scale.
As a matter of fact, the evil was spreading in India. When the dowry amount is not considered sufficient or is not forthcoming, the bride is often harassed, abused and made miserable. This abuse can escalate to the point where the husband or his family burn the bride, usually killing her.
Statistics of such incidents are scarce because they are often reported as accidents or suicides by the family. According to the National Bureau of Investigation dowry causes the death of 16 women every day, Falki said. Besides, hundreds of girls commit suicide as a result of this social evil, he added.
“Furthermore, female infanticide is a direct consequence of dowry.” The latest census data shows that the sex ratio in India has fallen from 945 (1991) to 927(2001) per 1000 males. Prosperous states like Delhi, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab and Haryana have the worst sex ratio, the author said.
“My book is nothing but an honest effort to highlight the curse of dowry, to create an awakening among the masses against it and, hence, to make this world a better place to live in,” Falki said. The book, which won rave reviews in the Indian press, is to be launched soon in Jeddah.
