Dowry an absurd custom

Eassay Outline

1. Introduction
2. A positive approach
3. A negative effect
4. A rational way of thinking
5. Conclusion

Generally dowry means money and/or property that, in some societies, a wife or her family must pay to her husband or vice versa when they get married. In our society, dowry consists of household commodities which a wife or her family gives to her husband to establish a home for both of them.

Basically, the idea of dowry was a positive approach. It was a gesture of courtesy and benevolence in the form of some things which we need to set up a new home. But, practically, this idea was enlarged to the extent of irrationality and was implemented as a compulsory condition.

Wife and her family try to arrange maximum dowry in the form of commodities of everyday use, garments and gold ornaments. And the husband or his family expects maximum show of dowry. Thus a virtuous spirit of an idea was corrupted by greedy minds. It is not bad if both parties gather some necessities of life for the couple as a token of sympathy but unnecessary and unaffordable spending and demands are certainly agonizing. This is the very thing which set a bad example for the whole society. Therefore, a positive thing reflected negative effects.

A rational way of thinking is, in fact, a moderate approach. Both the parties should develop a coordinated approach to the issue. They should assist each other to manage the whole affair affordably and easily. This is certainly not a hard target to achieve. Even all the relatives and friends may play a role according to their convenience. The underlying idea is that no one should be burdened with debt or unnecessary financial crisis. Such a thing will set an easy example to follow for the average families and the poor as well.

The prevalent custom of dowry and its magnitude, no doubt, has set a bad example for the society. It has created a lot of problems for the lower class. Burdened with financial problems, the poor guardians sometimes commit suicide because they find no way to fulfill their parental duties. No doubt individuals have great responsibilities in this regard but the role of government cannot be denied. The government should devise a social policy to tackle this issue. It should limit the minimum expenditures of dowry or it should ban this perplexing practice altogether. Anyhow there must be a unanimous and equal way of action for the whole society so that the lower class may arrange the marriages of daughters easily and without any stigma. It is a matter of common sense that demanding commodities of a luxurious life from a girl or her family is one of the most degrading aspects of human nature.