Author:
Publication: Deccan Herald
Date:
In a welcome move that comes not
from feminists but from those representing the orthodoxy, priests in a
Madhya Pradesh district have decided not to solemnise marriages where the
groom has taken dowry.
A group of 50 priests, from two
organisations called the Brahman Samaj and the Parshuram Vahini, met in
the state's Chhattarpur district and unanimously decided to boycott marriages
that involved dowry. S.S. Tiwari, who presided over the meeting, said the
priests had decided to ask whether or not the bridegroom's family was taking
dowry before deciding to solemnise a marriage. "If we come to know that
the bridegroom's family is taking dowry, we will not solemnise the marriage
and will boycott it," Tiwari said. He said the step would enable priests
to check the social evil.
"We will contact priests in other
districts of Madhya Pradesh as well and ask them to adopt the stand taken
by us," said Tiwari.
