Jayanthi Natarajan has rightly called the anti-dowry law toothless especially in the context of its changing format with judicial caveats every now and then (“Punishing the victims”, August 5). But what she has perhaps failed to take note of in her defence of women is that the law passed in 1961 has, over the years, been used to induce chaos in many a household. A section most affected here are non-resident Indians and their immediate relatives. There is certainly a need to introduce checks and balances.
The writer seems to have ignored statistical data on the misuse of the provision. In the case of NRI grooms, there are many instances of the boy’s family caving into the demand for heavy monetary settlements for fear of being held back by the police, facing prolonged court proceedings and also, most importantly, jeopardising their overseas jobs. A solution to all this is counselling before and after marriage and creating greater awareness of the disastrous results of dowry demands. This should be treated as a social evil rather than as a crime to be dealt with by police and courts.Family welfare committees to look into dowry harassment and help the police avoid taking hasty actions are a must; this was also a judicial prescription. Victim-hood is not gender bound.
Syed Qamar Hasan,
New Delhi
I wish the writer recognised that in the application of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, men and their families too have been humiliated and harassed. The law certainly needs amendment. No judiciary would in any way like to dilute the powers of the Act, but I think the provision of district family welfare courts and their studied recommendations before any police action is taken is the only answer in the Indian context. Such courts should be overseen by responsible and widely accepted personalities and psychiatrists. Cases which go to the police directly almost certainly result in a broken home.
Mohan Singh,
Amritsar
The conditions prevalent today are different from that in 1961 when Section 498A was introduced. Although it is a fact that there are large numbers of women who are harassed for dowry, that does not mean that the law should be misused against innocent relatives or in-laws. In some cases, laws should be stringent but not draconian.
Aditya Saxena,
Lucknow
One wonders whether the writer is aware of the ground reality of how a well-intended enactment can end up in men being harassed. In several cases, aged parents-in-law are implicated to belittle or cow down the husband. In the encouragement of registering false complaints, family systems have been affected severely. The laws should be re-examined so that there is no harassment by arrest prior to or pending investigation.
Valampuri Mosay,
Vallioor, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
