Kerala CM speaks out against the culture and practice of dowry

Describing it as a social evil, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has raised his voice against the practice of dowry following the death of a 24-year-old woman from Kollam. She was allegedly tortured and killed for dowry. Vismaya, the victim who was an Ayurveda medical student, allegedly committed suicide in the home of husband’s house at Sasthamkotta district in south Kerala on Monday. This has triggered an outrage.

Vijayan said torture and death in the name of dowry has been happening in various parts of the country. “But to become a place like that doesn’t befit the cultural enlightenment that the state has acquired. This is totally regrettable, not befitting to our land.”

The Kerala CM highlighted that it has been six decades since dowry has been legally banned in the country. However, it’s still been given and accepted in various forms and quantities. “This is the social evil of utmost gravity. We should deal with dowry and domestic violence with this perspective. We should take an unrelenting stand on this, irrespective of the bride’s family, groom’s family or wife or husband,” Vijayan said. “The yardstick for a family’s dignity shouldn’t be what was given to a bride and how much. Those who think in that way should remember that they are making their children products for sale.”

He noted that conversations around dowry at home are passed onto children, and questioned whether gender equality and anti-dowry lessons should be made a part of the education system. Vijayan said there should be no thought that manhood is beating up women and womanhood is tolerating and forgiving.

“And don’t pass these kinds of stupid thoughts to our children. The time is such that society needs new thoughts on gender equality. The government will examine whether to incorporate such things in the curriculum. We need to build up a generation of high knowledge and ability. It’s the responsibility of all of us to ensure that there won’t be any place for inequality. The basics should begin from homes. There will be government’s intervention to encourage such perspectives in public places and at work places,” the CM said.

Vismaya had sent an SOS to her family, a day before the incident, in a series of WhatsApp messages over the alleged harassment she was suffering from over dowry. She had also shared photos of wounds and marks of beatings on her body which she suffered from the recent severe physical torture from husband S Kiran Kumar. The family alleged she was beaten, mistreated and tortured in her in-law’s house.

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According to PTI, Thrivikraman Nair, Vismaya’s father, claimed that they had given 100 sovereigns of gold and over one-acre land, besides a car worth Rs 10 lakh as dowry to Kumar during their wedding in 2020. He said Kumar assaulted his daughter in front of him as well over the dowry demand. Nair has also alleged that his daughter would never die by suicide, and it was a case of murder by Kumar’s family.

Loknath Behera, the state police chief, said the incident has shaken the conscience of the people in Kerala. He assured of stringent legal action against those allegedly involved in the incidents that led to the woman’s death.