In the West, we fall in love and we get married. In India, we get married and love comes later… or not. Getting married is like a bet, or an arrangement concluded by the parents, who play an important role in their children’s wedding : from choosing the right partner to organising the wedding.
Along with the celebrations, darker sides of this institution have somehow found their way to exist in the Indian society. Dowry is one such custom where the bride’s family has to pay a hefty amount- in terms of cash, gold, property or kind as a token of acknowledgement to the groom . The dowry amount can wary from 150 to 150,000 euros or even more and is calculated on the basis of the caste and social position of the groom’s family as well as salary and assets of the groom himself.
I just attended one of my friends marriage and again seen the darkest side. Groom's parents demanded a new honda city which costs almost 12,00,000 in Indian currency ($18000) and according to the indian customs, this car was given on the wedding night. Rich or poor, educated or not, arranged marriage and dowry practices are so common in India that it doesn’t seem like an injustice to many in the rural and urban areas.
