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AIDWA for review of judgment on dowry

NEW DELHI: The All-India Democratic Women’s Association will file a review petition in the Supreme Court next week against its order that said demands for customary gifts, and payments given at the time of birth of a child or during ceremonies was not dowry. It wanted the government to re-define dowry to avoid its misinterpretation.

Talking to reporters here on Friday, AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman said this was the third judgment of the apex court in which it had been held that demands made after the marriage for various reasons and on various occasions did not amount to dowry.

“We feel that the judgment totally misinterprets the definition of dowry. The definition of dowry in the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 states that dowry is money or valuable security given before, at the time of, and after the marriage, in connection with the marriage. The words ‘in connection with the marriage’ obviously means that the articles have been demanded as a result of the marital relationship between the parties,” she said.

“It has been AIDWA’s experience over the past 20 years that the demands for dowry have always been made on occasions of festival, birth of a child, anniversaries, and other such events. The penalty for non-compliance by the girl’s family are grave and adversely affect the marriage between the parties,” Kirti Singh, the legal cell convenor, said.

Dowry also had a direct link to son preference, female foeticide, and women not receiving their due share of property in their parental homes.

Meanwhile, the National Federation of Indian Women has expressed shock over the ruling, and described it as regressive.

In a statement issued here, NFIW general secretary Annie Raja said the ruling in a way diluted the existing dowry laws and justified the practice of dowry.

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