By Pardeep Verma : Social evils in Indian society or for that matter in any society is not a new phrase and India is fighting since long to eradicate the prevalent social evils in it’s society like Poverty, castism, dowry, child abuse etc. However in past, India successfully eradicated some of worst form of social evils prevailing in it’s society like Sati & untouchability due to immense efforts made to spread awareness in society byRaja Ram Mohan Rai and Mahatama Gandhi respectively.
But when it came to Dowry System instead of changing the mindset of society through awareness & discussions, the Government under pressure from vested interests of NCW and WCD, radical feminists etc taken the route of using gender biased civil & criminal laws to curb this practice . The Government in this process has mixed this social evil eradication with Women Empowerment which paved the ugly way of gender differentiation in Indian judicial system and almost all the family & matrimonial laws in India are made/converted into gender biased i.e favoring women. The enforcement of these gender biased laws has created a complete chaos in family system and society by virtue of their misuse but the dowry menance as claimed by the same feminists & Government is still ever increasing.
So what went wrong ? – it’s wisdom of Combating a social evil with creating & applying another social evil. To make it clear, the criminal laws made to eradicate this practice has instead of curbing the dowry practice has added yet anotherSocial Evil – the IPC 498A in the society. How? Just see the comparison of this social evil with “Sati” pratha:
“SATI” Pratha for reference below – SP
False IPC 498A for reference below – 498a
1. SP- Was based on a traditional belief and ethics in Society
498a-Created and promoted by the Government of India and radical feminists. It is taking upthe shape of a tradition on the part of young empowered wives.
2. SP- Was practiced only on death of a husband.
498a- May start any time after marriage and many deaths could occur till the completion of it’s trial.
3. SP-Was prone to any kind of misuse
498a – Being gender biased it is wide open for misuse of any kind on account of women by making false and frivolous complaints & allegations on husband & in-laws
4. SP -A woman was forced to burn to death in the flames of her husband’s funeral
498a – Husband & in-laws forced to face death each moment they for their whole remaining life.
5. SP -Atrocity came to end with heinous & tragic death of wife
498a – Atrocities like physical, mental, emotional, economical and social harassment begins for the whole life of husband & in-laws and they caught entangled in a condition where it is neither life nor death to them. The loss of dignity, honor & humiliation many a times results in many deaths in in-laws & husband’s family.
6. SP – Was considered as a honorable sacrifice by wife.
498a – Husband and in-laws are portrayed as inhuman, criminals & monsters in society.
7. SP- Was having no financial dimension
498a – An open and legalized extortion tool.
8. SP- Was a bad, cruel and condemnable tradition underlying thinking that wife be free from all miseries in future without her husband
498a – Is more condemnable and cruel being a legal terrorism.
9 SP- Was a social evil effecting relatively (as compared to IPC 498A) small section of society.
498a – So easy to misuse that it is effecting whole society at large by propagating breaking of family system and criminalization of marriage system.
So, after this point to point comparison, I am sure you are now somewhat convinced that YES, IPC-498A is a SOCIAL EVIL in India practiced & propagated by Wives ,Government, Judiciary & Police .
But then, larger question remains that why not Government Scrapes this IPC 498a ?
May be It is still awaiting some more social reformist like Raja Ram Mohan Rai Or Mahatma Gandhi to eradicate this social evil(a child of it’s own misqued wisdom).
