The Vanishing Collective Outrage: Why India's 'Dowry Deaths' Are Fading from Public View

A latest study shows that, although thousands of women still die each year, India's "dowry deaths" no longer stir the kind of public outrage they once did.

In the study, Kriti Kapila, a social anthropologist at the King's India Institute of King's College London, points out that although India banned dowries in 1961, the groom's family's practice of demanding a dowry persists and remains widespread. Women who fail to provide a dowry may face abuse, harassment, and in some cases even murder. The research notes that legal reforms aimed at abolishing the caste hierarchy changed the way dowries operate, but failed to eliminate the social structures that sustain them.

Some parts of India have begun to take measures. Indian media reported on the 8th that the Home Department of Kerala issued an order establishing a special task force led by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, to ensure that complaints related to dowry harassment and domestic violence are investigated promptly. The task force comprises representatives from multiple agencies, including the District Women's Protection Committee, District Women's Groups, the Legal Services Authority, officials from the Department of Women and Child Development, and women's representatives.

The Roots of India's Entrenched Dowry Culture

When Indian couples marry, the bride's family is usually expected to give a dowry to the groom's family. Historically, this phenomenon has typically been explained as a form of economic security that the bride's family provides for their daughter under a system that denies women direct inheritance rights.

The bride's parents are typically indoctrinated with the notion that the dowry is an "investment" in their daughter's future, and rather than being a "gift" exchanged between the two families, the dowry is closer to an economic transaction. If the groom's family considers the dowry "not valuable enough," the bride may be subjected to abuse, humiliation, or even murder.

Social scientist Ambika Chopra told NDTV that women are still viewed as objects in need of "care," and that the bride's family must therefore pay the groom to take on that responsibility on behalf of her family. "Today, in public settings, it is very hard to see dowries among the upper-middle class — though there are still many Instagram videos showing off dowries, but in fact they (the upper-middle class) just want to flaunt these 'gifts.'"

Sociologist and activist Ranjana Kumari believes that despite constant social change, the custom of dowry remains deeply entrenched in rural areas. "Because men hold the power, women are seen as 'needing a man.' Where men wield power, he can demand a dowry or 'gift' and hold a lavish wedding," Kumari said.

India has explicitly banned dowries since 1961, yet many women are still required to present cash, clothing, and jewelry to the groom's family at marriage. A latest study shows that 90% of marriages in India involve a dowry problem, and that between 1950 and 1999 the total value of dowries reached $250 billion.

In 1983, multiple dowry-related deaths occurred in Delhi and other parts of India. Every day there were reports of brides being burned alive by their husbands or in-laws, and these murders were often disguised as "accidents in the kitchen." The occurrence of such cases prompted the Indian government to enact a strict anti-dowry law — Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.

Lawyer Shukriti Chauhan said this law was enacted only after a long and arduous struggle, "allowing women to seek justice when abused within the marital family."

"Dowry Harassment" Incidents and Legal Protections Spark Opposition

According to data from India's National Crime Records Bureau, between 2017 and 2022 a total of 35,493 brides were killed over dowry issues — an average of 20 women murdered per day, with such incidents sometimes occurring even years after the marriage. In 2022 alone, more than 6,450 brides were murdered over dowry, an average of 18 women killed per day.

Deccan Herald commented that despite years of awareness campaigns and stricter laws, the harassment of women by the groom's family over dowry remains widespread in many parts of India. The report noted that "none are spared" — from small rural towns to well-educated urban families — once again highlighting that dowry harassment is not confined to any single class or region.

The most recent suspected dowry-related death occurred on July 4 this year. Indian media reported that Aakriti, a sales executive at a private company, was found dead from a fall at 9 p.m. that day. It is reported that Aakriti and her husband Akhil Ashthu married on April 24 after an eight-year relationship, and that the husband is currently unemployed.

Aakriti's brother Aman Suthar claims that his sister was very strong-willed and would never commit suicide. The bride's family also alleges that Aakriti's husband and his relatives had demanded about 2 million rupees (approximately 142,000 yuan) in dowry from her, and had repeatedly harassed and threatened Aakriti since the marriage.

At the same time, discussion about the "misuse of marriage laws" is increasingly drawing attention from Indian netizens. According to India's Press Information Bureau, data previously submitted by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to parliament shows that of the roughly 10,864 cases registered under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code in 2013, after police investigation some were deemed "false" or "factually or legally erroneous."

In 2024, a man from Uttar Pradesh named Subhash, who faced nine charges including murder and dowry harassment, died by suicide. In a video recorded before his death, Subhash alleged that his wife had filed "false lawsuits" accusing him of cruelty, demanding dowry, and various other misconduct. Subhash accused his wife's family of demanding 30 million rupees (about 2.13 million yuan) to withdraw the case, 3 million rupees for visitation rights with their son, and raising the monthly alimony the husband was required to pay from 40,000 to 200,000 rupees.

News of this suicide triggered protests in multiple Indian cities, with many people calling on social media for justice for Subhash. Some men's rights activists claim that individual women abuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code to harass husbands and relatives.

This is a translation of the opening portion of the original Chinese article (the first ~2,000 characters); the source continues beyond this point.