Dowry deaths in Assam

Gone are the days when the Assamese people used to take pride in saying that there was no dowry in the Assamese society. Look at the figures provided by the government in the State Assembly – as many as 316 incidents of dowry-related death of women were reported in Assam in the last two years. The number of cases of dowry-related violence reported in the state during the past two years, on the other hand, stood at 2,185. This means there have been at least 2,185 marriages in the state where dowry was demanded. While these statistics were laid in the State Assembly on Monday, what was not asked was how many of these incidents and cases involved Assamese families. But then, going by the district-wise break-up given, it is evidently clear that many of these incidents have occurred in Assamese families. The district-wise break-up showed that Barpeta district alone accounted for 47 dowry-related deaths during 2017 and 2018 put together. Likewise, Guwahati city reported 14 incidents of dowry-related deaths during the above-mentioned years. Other districts that reported alarming number of such death cases included South Salmara, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Kamrup and Sonitpur.

It is a fact that newspapers of the state have been carrying increasing number of news items about incidents of death of women under ‘suspicious circumstances’ in different districts. On close examination, one would find that while the majority of such victims belonged to Assamese families, most such women were either newly-wed or were only a few years into marriage. Though no social scientist has come out with any research-based report or explanation about why the menace of dowry has made inroads into the Assamese society, there is a tendency among many to believe that television and other mass media have been the vehicles through which it has spread to Assam from mainland India. A close look at the Assamese society would also probably reveal that an Assamese wedding ceremony was slowly and gradually losing its typical ethnic or indigenous cultural character and was becoming increasingly closer or similar to the North Indian or Hindi-belt practices. Certain Assamese traditions like ‘doyon’ and ‘gathiyon’ have practically vanished, making way for the entry of North Indian traditions like ‘mehendi’, ‘sangeet’ and so on. The rich tradition of ‘biya-naam’ — and more particularly ‘jora-Naam’ – singing is also gone, while the ‘dora’ or groom nowadays is seen more in North Indian attire instead of the paat-silk kurta and cheleng chador that were once the pride of Assamese gentlemen on such special once-in-a-life-time occasions. And, dowry too is one such element that has crept in. Alas!