Dowry system

Dowry system has been an aged-old ill plaguing our society. As an observant onlooker and born and brought up in a village, I have witnessed the powerful existence of dowry system and its adverse effect on impoverished families very closely. A typical village marriage is full of festivities like singing, dancing etc.
However, the apparently happy situation is blackened by the shameless demand of dowry by the father of the bridegroom. The father or the guardians of the bride are forced to provide money or other properties to meet the greed of the father or guardians of the bridegroom. Although the snapshots in newspapers reflect a very small portion of the incidents happening in rural areas, as they are far from the centre and thereby disadvantaged, still we cannot but be alarmed to see how the innocent village girls fall victim to dowry system.
It is a shame that the spectre of the cursed malpractice haunts our society even in this modern era.
So, we are in need of concerted efforts to start a crusade against this social malpractice and ensure a safe future for our girls.