Women in East Indian Society

From Himendra Thakur, Chairperson, Board of Directors, International Society Against Dowry and Bride-Burning in India, Inc. (ISADABBI)

The article below is in response to a complaint (see the first paragraph) about reports that female infanticide and bride burning is common in India.

I read this on your website. Contrary to sensational reports sometimes appearing in the news-hungry media in both India and other countries, female infanticide, bride burning (for reasons of dowry) and 'sati' (widow burning) are NOT normal in India. Each of these acts is a criminal act and an extremely rare occurrence". You have described these as "an extremely rare occurrence". In an answer to a question in the Parliament of India on August 3, 1995, Government of India published statistics which reported about 6,000 dowry death in India every year. Do you call it an extremely rare occurrence ? http://www.indiaonestop.com/debate.htm#Status

In the "First International Conference on Dowry and Bride-Burning in India" held at Harvard University in 1995, knowledgeable professionals like Attorney Rani Jethmalani and Attorney Subhadra Chaturvedi, both of them practice law at the Supreme Court of India, made statements that the government statistics were a result of gross under-reporting. According to them, the actual "unofficial" number of dowry death in India would be between 12,000 to 13,000 every year. In 1997, I interviewed a magistrate in New Delhi who was willing to talk. This official not only confirmed the "unofficial" number of dowry death, but also pointed out that an equal number of brides were beaten so mercilessly that they became invalid for the rest of their lives. That makes an estimated total of 25,000 brides "killed or maimed" every year in India over dowry disputes.

These are NOT "the news-hungry media in both India and other countries". The blazing wildfire of bride-burning was originally admitted by the Government of India in an answer to a question in the Parliament of India. The people I am quoting above are NOT newspaper reporters whom you are accusing of creating "sensational reports". These are attorneys and administrative officers. As for myself, I am an engineer from IIT Kharagpur, and I am NOT a subscriber to any "news-hungry media". I want to know from you on what grounds you are categorizing the tragedy of dowry and bride-burning in India as "an extremely rare occurrence". I hope you will reply to me as soon as possible.
Thank you.