Key facts
- Dowry deaths in India, involving murder or suicide over dowry disputes, have decreased in public and political attention.
- The number of dowry deaths in India has increased, with 6,516 recorded in 2022 compared to 1,841 in 1988.
- A recent widely shared case of a dowry-related murder sparked brief online outrage and protests.
- The study suggests that political control and a shift in the nature of dowry violence contribute to the lack of public outcry.
- Dowries, despite being illegal since 1961, continue to be demanded and are linked to the economic potential of male children.
Dowry deaths in India, a practice where women are murdered or driven to suicide due to disputes over dowry payments, are no longer eliciting the same level of public anger and political debate as they did in previous decades, according to new research. Despite a significant increase in the number of such deaths, with 6,516 recorded in 2022 compared to 1,841 in 1988, public and political engagement has waned.
The study, authored by Dr. Kriti Kapila, a social anthropologist at King's College London, suggests that a combination of factors, including a more controlled environment for political protest and a shift in the nature of dowry-related violence, has contributed to this decline in public outcry. While a recent case involving the murder of Nikki Bhati, who was set alight by her husband in a dowry dispute, gained some traction on social media and led to brief protests, the momentum quickly faded.
Kapila explains that while dowries have been legally banned in India since 1961, the practice persists and has evolved. It is now characterized as a 'premium on the male child,' tied to his economic potential, rather than a traditional offering. When brides' families cannot meet these escalating demands, grooms' families may resort to physical and psychological violence. The research highlights a historical shift from brides being murdered in staged 'accidental' kitchen fires to being driven to suicide, a change that transformed public outrage into 'private shame and sorrow,' making it harder to mobilize collective grief.
Furthermore, the study points to the increasing prevalence of sex-selective abortions as a means to avoid future dowry-related debt, which has led to a skewed child sex ratio in certain regions. Kapila posits that violence occurring within the family structure inherently hinders public mobilization. The researcher concludes that the fading of public animation around dowry deaths reflects a broader political moment where challenging social norms and finding solidarity are difficult.