- By Poorva Karki
- Wed, 14 Feb 2024 01:39 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Viral Video: Despite it being an offence, the dowry system, unfortunately, is still pretty much deeply rooted in Indian society. In fact, families taking dowry is common to the extent that people don’t even do it in a hush-hush manner, despite the law. But even that faded somewhere in the background when a video of a bride and a groom’s families openly discussing dowry worth lakhs and crores was shared online. In the video, a group of men was seen listening to the negotiation, while the family members read the dowry that was to be exchanged, along with the price tag of each exchange.
The video went viral and left people shocked and irked at the same time. Some were disheartened to see the practice being celebrated as an ‘achievement’, while some found it hard to believe that a law still exists against the ages-old ‘ritual’.
The video was shared on the social media platform Instagram, by the handle ‘The Indian Feed’. The post was captioned, “A viral video on social media has once again shed light on the persistence of dowry practices in Indian society. The video depicts families at a wedding in Uttar Pradesh negotiating lavish gifts to be exchanged between the bride and groom's families.”
Watch the viral video:
View this post on Instagram
The video, ever since it was shared, began to do rounds on social media. Most people opposed the practice of dowry being discussed openly despite it being an offence, while the rest demanded strict action against the people involved. Some also expressed anger over people defending the dowry system. The video was shared five days ago and drew thousands of reactions.
Taking to the comment section, people shared their take. “And the funny part is the label of being a gold digger is given to the women,” a comment read. “People in the comment section, how TF are you guys comparing something that's illegal(dowry) to something that's legal(alimony)? And tell me how many people are actually there who have had the circumstances to pay for alimony and compare it to people around you who actually still take dowry,” said a second.
“What is this? An auction for the highest bidder?” read a third. “So many men exposing themselves here. Just so that you know, it's not a social debate. It's a criminal offence. Get that in your thick heads,” added a fourth. “This is just greed our daughters are not for sale parents should wake up,” added a fifth person. “Bruh. Never paying someone to marry me. Get the f away. I'd rather marry someone from a different country in that case,” said another.
