LIST OF CONTENTS

S.NO. CONTENTS : PAGE NO.

Chapter-I
Introduction : 1-24
Statement of the problem : 1-8
Origin and spread of dowry and bride price : 9-18
Methodology : 18-20
Significance of the study : 21
Hypotheses : 21-22
Objectives : 22
Chapter-II
DOWRY: ITS SOCIO-CULTURAL DIMENSIONS : 25-73
Ubiquity of dowry: its prevalence outside India : 31-33
History of dowry : 33-39
Dowry as a social institution : 39-41
Socio-economic profile of the respondents : 41-47
Dowry: prestige and prejudice : 47-63
Wedding ceremonies: the framework for dowry : 63-70
Chapter-III
PROPERTY ACTS OF HINDU WOMEN : 74-129
Schools of Hindu religion : 75-82
Stridhan and woman’s estate : 82-90
Property acts related to women : 90-109
Property rights of widows : 109-112
Property rights of women in J & K: The Permanent Resident
: 112-127
(Disqualification) Bill
Chapter-IV
AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF PROPERTY RIGHTS : 130-153
Surrogate sons: brotherless women inherit property : 142-144
Case studies : 145-147
Property as payoff: elder-care and other family
: 147-150
responsibilities
S.NO. CONTENTS : PAGE NO.

Chapter-V
DOWRY HARASSMENT AND DOWRY DEATHS : 152-194
Dowry: A crime against women : 163-171
Dowry violence : 171-179
Dowry deaths : 179-183
Case studies : 184-192
Chapter-VI
ANTI-DOWRY AGITATIONS AND THE LAW : 195-233
Anti-dowry agitations : 197-211
Laws related to dowry : 211-219
Loopholes in dowry prevention : 219-231
Chapter-VII
CONCLUSION : 234-257
Dowry and inheritance : 237-249
Findings of the study : 250-257
BIBLIOGRAPHY : 258-265
APPENDICES : 266-361
ANNEXURE-I: Incidence Of Crimes Committed Against
: 266-267
Women During 2007
ANNEXURE-II: Interview Schedule (18-40 Years) : 268-271
ANNEXURE-III: Interview Schedule (Above 40 Years) : 272-277
ANNEXURE-IV: The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 : 278-306
ANNEXURE-V: The Dowry Restraint Act, 1960 : 307-310
ANNEXURE-VI: The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 : 311-342
ANNEXURE-VII: The Jammu And Kashmir Hindu Succession
: 343-356
Act, 1956
ANNEXURE VIII: The Hindu Widows Remarriage And
: 357-361
Property Act, 1989 (1933 A.D.)
Recommendations : 362-367
 LIST OF TABLES

Table
TITLES : PAGE NO.
No.

1.1 Selected Cases of Dowry Cases in Jammu District : 20

2.1 Age composition of the respondents : 42
2.2 Caste of the respondents : 43
2.3 Marital status of the respondents : 43
2.4 Educational level of the respondents : 44
2.5 Monthly income of the family of respondents : 45
2.6 Family size of the respondents : 46
2.7 Occupation of the respondents : 47
2.8 Reasons for Dowry : 50
Respondents’ desire of giving/taking dowry in their
2.9 : 52
marriage
2.10 View of respondents regarding supporting dowry : 56-57
2.11 Reasons for dowry less marriage : 62
2.12 Monthly income and dowry : 64-65
4.1 Reasons for not claiming property rights : 138
4.2 Awareness of property Acts : 141
4.3 Women who received parental property : 143
5.1 Management of dowry by the respondents : 158
Crime Head-wise incidents of crime against women during
5.2 : 165-166
2004 - 2008 and Percentage variation in 2008 over 2007
Proportion of Crime against Women (IPC) towards total IPC
5.3 : 166
crimes
5.4 All India Figures of Crime at a Glance-2008 : 169-170
Dowry harassment cases registered in Police Station Crime
5.5 : 173
Branch, Jammu
Statement of complaints and disposal of cases registered in
5.6 : 174
Women Cell, Jammu
Dowry Deaths registered in Police Station Crime Branch
5.7 : 181
Jammu
Variation in the amount of dowry in parents and their
6.1 : 206
children’s marriage
6.2 Views of respondents regarding implementation of laws : 225
 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig.
FIGURES : PAGE NO.
No.

Map 1 Map of Jammu District

Map 2 Map of Jammu City

2.1 Graph showing reasons for dowry less marriage : 62

3.1 Diagram : 97

3.2 Diagram : 97

3.3 Diagram : 100

3.4 Diagram : 102

3.5 Diagram : 102

3.6 Diagram : 103

3.7 Diagram : 104

4.1 Reasons for not claiming property rights by daughters : 138

5.1 Comparison between woman and dowry : 156

5.2 Graph showing management of dowry by the respondents : 157

Pie Diagram showing percent distribution of crime against
5.3 : 180
women during 2008.
5.4 Photograph Showing Shalika with her son : 189

Collage I

Collage II

6.1 Pie Diagram showing dowry law and its awareness : 228

7.1 Picture of a ghagher of brass as a dowry item : 253

Picture showing utensils of copper and other metals as
7.2 : 253
dowry items