Dowry System Practice Among Tribal Community of India
Dowry System Practice Among Tribal Community of India
Dowry System Practice Among Tribal Community of India
“Any young man, who makes dowry the condition to marriage, discredits his
education and his country and dishonours womanhood.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
The dowry practice puts heavy financial burden on the bride's family. In some cases
to get more dowry, it also leads to crime against women such as emotional abuse,
physical injury or even deaths.
But when British rule came, they didn’t want women to own any property. Women
were not allowed to buy any property, land or assets. Hence, men started owning all
the “Gifts” given to the bride by her parents.This rule changed the pure dowry system
into an evil practise. Now brides were being looked at as a source of income.
Although the origin of the custom lies with parents trying to assure financial stability
for their daughters, today it has translated into parents paying up for the fundamental
condition for marriage of their daughters. The jewelry and cash brought by the bride
from her parents’ house is referred to as “Stridhan” and in theory is the property of
the girl, but in reality it is often treated as their rightful due by the groom’s family.
Solutions :- The following solutions can be helpful to end this practice and culture:-
● Strict enforcement of law
● Education
Kritika (C20-079)
● Social Awareness
● Encouraging girls do better in their career
Their number and other demographic features vary from one part of the country to
another. The census of 2011 mentions that Bhil is the largest tribe in India having a
Kritika (C20-079)
population of over 40 lacs. Tribal societies and their people form an integral part of
our society.
lakh. Most families do not have money and are forced to sell their land, do
migration to other places to earn. They also borrow money from money
lenders at very high interest rates and fall into a debt trap.
● Yanadis tribal community :- This community from Krishna district is keeping
alive an age-old tradition where the groom has to pay the reverse dowry. They
refer to this custom as “Gamaalam”. The Gamaalam is paid once the alliance
gets accepted by both the families. It is directly paid to the parents of the
prospective bride.
● Bedias Community :- These communities follow the tradition of both dowry
and reverse dowry based upon different conditions and varied circumstances.
● NorthEast tribal communities :- The entire Northeast part of India is almost
free of dowry. Here, women are treated equally and are given equal status
and respect. Here, females are independent and have equal opportunities.
They are not considered inferior to males. The brides are showered with gifts
from the family of the groom and her family is treated with immense respect
and honour. There is hardly any concept of dowry system or practise in states
like Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya,.
CONCLUSION
The practice of the dowry system in India depends upon multiple factors including
the geographical area, residence, inheritance system, social system, education,
women's role in production or economy, kinship, relative availability of potential
spouses, and social stratification in society. We examined how the dowry system
turned from a sweet gesture into an evil practice in India. We also looked upon
various causes, effects and solutions to the dowry system in general. Indian tribal
community also forms a significant proportion of the population of India. These
communities are strengthened with unity and common custom and culture.
REFERENCES
● https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/a-tribe-that-pays-dowry-to-
the-bride/article29535032.ece
Kritika (C20-079)
● https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-madhya-pradesh-a-campaign-to-
save-tribals-from-bankruptcy-over-marriage/story-GYuryyDDiEJCYbGH6Up4VM.html
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● https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=16376
● https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335015261_TRIBAL_MARRIAGE_SYSTE
MS_IN_ANDHRA_PRADESH_A_STUDY_ON_BANJARAS
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world-rabari-tribals-cling-to-their-customs-with-defensiveness-771112-2013-07-18
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