What Is Dowry?

Money (Cash), Property, Other Movable Or Immovable Assets demanded by the groom and his family from the bride, at the time of marriage and during the course of marriage is defined as Dowry. However, often the term Dowry is interchanged and also misused with the term “Gifts” which are exchanged by both families happily and willingly at the time of legally uniting as one. Remember how media went crazy in April 2016, flashing the story of Indian Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s soon to be in-laws gifting him an Audi Q7 worth Rs 95 Lakhs!

Dowry is rightly banned and illegal in India under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, and if the husband and his family are found guilty of this act, they are punishable under Section 498A of the IPC.

What Is Alimony?

The term ‘alimony’ has its origin in the Latin word ‘Alimonia‘, meaning sustenance. Generally speaking alimony means an allowance or amount which a court orders the husband to pay to the wife for her sustenance. Alimony makes up as the worst form of Male Inequality Statistics.

There are several articles written on Gender Discrimination and Women’s Equality describing how Dowry is a crime and in the same breadth hailing #ReverseDowry – Alimony as a sign of empowering fully abled women.

Section 498A is the most misused and abused section, if disgruntled wives want to settle score with the husband and his family. This section is also used as a threat to make the husband cough up a huge sum after marriage, many a times, even if the marriage has not lasted for a month.

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Independent journalist Deepika Bhardwaj, randomly posted a question on Twitter and the responses to her tweet, were shocking and nothing less than an eye-opener for many who have not heard or been affected by this foul play by by wives.

Bhardwaj mentioned one of the cases she came across, where the marriage failed within one week and the wife and her family demanded Rs 75 Lakhs to settle the divorce amicably, even though there was no Dowry exchanged.

One week of Marriage breaking down. Demand of money from Girl side : 75 Lacs to settle divorce amicably, even though no dowry was given to the boy. What’s the most bizarre #ReverseDowry demand you’ve come across??? — Deepika Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) November 7, 2019

Men’s Day Out collated the Top 20 responses which were shared by social media users and these instances are very likely to occur in anyone’s homes: