Red, marigold and peacock blue prints of silk fabrics, the smell of exotic spices and old traditions of yoga come to mind when one hears India.

Traditions such as the caste system are considered old beliefs, irrelevant to today’s modern Indian society.

It was not until quite recently, with movies such as Slumdog Millionaire, where the poverty driven issues of India were brought to the table.

In discussing the movie with my American and European friends, I heard comments such as, “All of India is not like that.”

And it’s true. It isn’t “all like that”.

But it’s this attitude, this that-only-really-happens-in-the-villages-and-slums mentality, which allows so many of us to turn our heads when we hear of issues in a world so far away from our comforts.

But when 74% of the 1.1 billion population live in 638,365 different villages, (2001 Census of India), and millions, yes millions, live in the slums of cities like Mumbai and Delhi, can we really turn our heads to any of these issues?

Today, issues that we think don’t exist in the India envisioned in our heads, the “new” India, still plague several parts of the country, like the issue of dowry.

First-generation Indian American women, like me, may hear terms such as dowry and think of our grandparents’ arranged marriages. An issue of the past.

The custom of dowry is derived from the ancient Indian customs of kanyadan (kanya meaning daughter and dana meaning gift) . In kanyadan, the father of the bride offers the father of the groom money or property. In contrast, the custom of stridhan, which involves family and friends giving the bride jewelry and clothes at her wedding. In another tradition, varadakshina, the father of the bride presents the groom cash or a gift. All of these customs are to be done  voluntarily and out of love and affection.

Greed overtook this custom, and dowry became a burden for the families of women in India, where it became standard for the groom and his family to demand a large dowry.

The government of India passed the Dowry Act of 1961, which prohibited the giving, demanding and receiving of dowry.

The idea was that girls were to no longer be a burden to their families.

India is a beautiful country that keeps its traditions strong, traditions that still allow the beauty of yoga, meditation, and ayurvedic medicine to exist in today’s society.

Which is perhaps, a reason to why the issue of dowry remains today.

Prior to the introduction to sonograms and abortion clinics in India, many newborn baby girls were killed by being drowned in milk or burned to death.

In the 1980’s, ads for sonogram clinics in Delhi had messages and slogans like “better 500 rupees now than 500,000 later”.

Fetal sex testing and abortion became a multi-million dollar business.

In 1994, India placed restrictions and passed laws on fetal testing for non-medical purposes. Of course, like anything that brings in millions, corruption prevailed and the testing and abortions continued.

In 2006, a Unicef report stated that India loses almost 7,000 female fetuses every single day through abortions.

Exponentially, greed increased, as the value of a woman’s life decreased. Bride burning became popular among the communities.

This involved a demand of dowry, and then once paid, the groom and/or his family burned the new wife in a “kitchen accident” which resulted in attaining new bride with dowry.

In 2000, the UN reported 26,000 women were burned annually.

According to the 2001 census, the UN reports a ratio of 800 females to 1,000 males in Delhi alone. It is reported that at the next 2011 census reading, the numbers will be just as, if not, more skewed.

It’s hard to turn away from such alarming numbers. The way to help?

To start, turn your head to aid organizations such as The International Society Against Dowry and Bride Burning in India, (ISADABBI), http://users.skynet.be/fa103362/indiahuis/Home/Dowry/ISADABBI/isadabbi.html and the Centre for Women’s Development and Research (CWDR), which work hard to end this issue of femicide.

Photo Credit: Girl at Anjuna Beach by Steve Weaver

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