Dowry deaths: Kerala officials have to give affidavit, only on paper

With reports of suicide deaths by young girls after being harassed in the name of bringing less dowry, a note by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy in 2014, has turned viral on social media. In the Facebook note, he said government servants are banned from giving or taking dowry.

Thiruvananthapuram:With reports of suicide deaths by young girls after being harassed in the name of bringing less dowry, a note by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy in 2014, has turned viral. In the Facebook note, he says the rules about dowry are quite clear that it first surfaced in the 1961 Kerala Government Servants Contract Rules and through an amendment in 1976 it became more clear wherein it's said government servants are banned from giving or taking dowry.

Chandy in 2014 further tightened these rules when a fresh directive came wherein each and every government official who gets married has to give an affidavit to this head, that he has not taken any dowry. But Chandy says this might not have happened in the recent episode. The menace of dowry in Kerala, has again raised its head when the young wife of an Assistant Motor Vehicle officer-Kiran Kumar committed suicide at his house early this week and the reason was he was unhappy with a brand new Toyota Car costing above Rs 10 lakh which gave low mileage.

Read:Kerala govt moots helpline for dowry harassment after woman tortured to death by husband

Along with the car, he was given 100 sovereigns of gold and 1.20 acre of land by her parents, but still Kumar was unhappy.

Her grieving brother lamented that all can say no to dowry, but if you have to marry one's sister/daughter, dowry has to be given, if not they will remain in their homes.

Even though giving or taking dowry is banned by the rule of law, today the going rates of dowry among religions continues unabated and among Christians, even though the amount of gold is very less, hard cash has to be given and a doctor with a PG degree can easily get anything above Rs one crore in cash, and of late the girls in the families are given a share of the property of her parents.

Among Hindus, it's gold and today 100 sovereigns of gold is a common feature and then comes the share of the properties and not to mention about pocket money given to the groom by the bride's parents.

In the Muslim community also things are no different.

Chandy adds that one has to find out if the practise of government staff giving the affidavit is happening. "The concept of dowry should be wiped out from our society as it has become a very grave issue with numerous incidents getting reported. I will take up the issue with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan about the 2014 order," said Chandy.

Read:Woman Lieutenant found hanging in Ambala Cantt

Incidentally, Vijayan after the reporting of dowry deaths again raising its head, said very strict action will be taken against the law breakers and a special officer has been appointed to look into cases and has given two mobile numbers where people can get in touch with the Police Control Room to raise a complaint about incidents where women are being harassed.

IANS