A string of dowry-related deaths in Kerala has caught the attention of the media over the past few weeks. While our society has struggled with the issue of dowry for decades, these deaths seem to have brought back the problem into the public consciousness.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in response to the public outcry, has called for reform in the prevailing system of marriage itself – and termed the dowry system 'barbaric and degrading'.
The Kerala government has also declared a series of measures to address the problem – fast-track courts and police helplines being the primary interventions. However, media reports suggest a different mood.
The call is for public action, a social movement to rid society of the menace of dowry. This vision is rooted in the belief that the anti-dowry law, enacted 60 years ago, has failed to deliver.