User:Sairamaret/Human rights in India

Dowry Death
Dowry death is when newlywed women are harassed, tortured and sometimes even killed when the bride’s family refuses or is unable to pay the extra dowry requested by the husband’s family. Some of these women may not be murdered, but torture leads many of them into suicide, particularly by hanging. Some of the women who aren’t led to suicide are burned. Many use this method and disguise it as an accident so they are able to avoid punishment. This harassment ripples through all aspects of this young woman’s life as she is abused by her husband, his family and even friends. It can be physical or emotional. These deaths can be caused by religious beliefs or socioeconomic status. There are  around twenty one deaths reported everyday, but most of the people tried aren’t convicted. There either isn’t enough evidence in order for a conviction to go through or the cases are still waiting in different types of court.

The number of dowry death’s or related deaths has increased throughout the years and is seen to keep increasing. There is also no structure put in place to help the women that are victims to these forms of abuse. There is now shelters or legal aid. Most people are against the dowry practice today in India, but continues to be practiced, with very little repercussions.

Widow Burning
Widow Burning or sati is a ritual practiced where the widow is either burned or buried alive with her recently departed husband. It was done because it was believed that the women where considered “unmarriable” in society and her community after her husband passes away. Since she is an extension of her husband, that is where her social status would come from. It had started as a tradition where men would not want their enemy to get ahold of their prized possessions after death, so they would be buried with them. Despite the middle and lower class being an enemy against women, this was a ritual practiced by high classes or the Brahman caste.

The practice of this ritual has had different opinions for many years. The “liberal” thinkers had thought that there needed to be change in order to advance the way of society. On the other side of the spectrum, the “conservatives" believe that these practices should remain the same in order to keep tradition and to maintain their connection to their religion. Different religions also have different opinions on sati. While Hindu’s believe that it is a sacrifice, some Christian’s argue that it is suicide.

This ideology has followed through out time as it looked down upon to this day. More recently, due to tourists, these rituals have been exposed to other cultures around the world, which has caused some moral objections.

In order to perform the ceremony, the widow needs to have fulfilled some requirements. She would have to remain faithful to her husband for the entirety of the marriage. She is also not allowed to remarry for this reason, as she would no longer be pure.