Anti-dowry drive: Thousands of

Indian Muslims return millions to

bride families
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2018/11/08/Anti-dowry-drive-Thousands-of-Indian-Muslims-
return-millions-to-bride-families.html

A man in India has launched a massive campaign against

dowry, one of the biggest social evils claiming hundreds of
lives every year in the country. Such is the impact of the
campaign that close to 1,000 Muslim families have now
returned dowry to the bride families, expressing regret
over their conduct in public and vowing not to repeat it in
future.
The credit to this unique campaign straightway goes to
Haji Mumtaz Ali who has launched the campaign in the
eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. The success of the
campaign is underlined from the fact that villages after
villages are joining it every day, openly taking an oath not
to accept dowry in future.
initially, the campaign was started in Palamu district but
now it has gone beyond its boundary and spread to
several others districts as well. But what’s further
fascinating about it is that the campaign is not limited to
any particular community only as the Hindus too have lent
a wholehearted support to this campaign, joining the anti-
dowry rallies in large numbers.
“I am happy to inform you that what started as a silent
campaign against this social evil two years back has now
turned out to be the mass movement. Now it’s not limited
to any particular area or the community only but Hindus
too are joining us in large numbers,” said Ali who happens
to be the brainchild of the campaign.

the peak of the campaign was when the Muslim villagers began returning dowries years after they
had taken them at the time of their son’s wedding. (Supplied)

Rs 60 million returned
The peak of the campaign was when the Muslim villagers
began returning dowries years after they had taken them
at the time of their son’s wedding. According to Ali, close
to 1,000 Muslim families have returned dowries worth Rs
60 million to the brides’ families so far, impressed by his
appeals to give up dowry.
One of them was Nizamuddin Ansari who returned Rs
40,000 to the bride families. “I regret about taking dowry
from my daughter-in-law’s families but feel proud to return
it now,” Ansari told an anti-dowry meeting held in Palamu
recently.
However, the campaign didn’t reach at this level all of a
sudden. Ali had to work hard, day and nights for months
during which he held more than 100 such meetings and
rallies in entire Palamu division to convince his community
members not to take dowry, braving sweltering heat and
chilling winter.

But what compelled him to launch the campaign? “I saw

many families getting destroyed under the impact of dowry
although it was not initially prevalent in Muslim families. I
came across many poor families selling their ancestral
properties or taking loans on high interest to arrange
money to solemnize wedding of their daughters”.
“What was terrible this money was being wasted on
arranging decoration, DJ, orchestra and various types of
dishes; it was not being used for important works! So I
decided to launch a campaign in the society, sooner the
better,” Ali said, in a telephonic interview on Thursday.
“I was aware of the economic status of my co-villagers. I
knew their financial background just wouldn’t permit them
for lavish wedding. They were doing so just because they
had taken dowry from the brides’ families. So it was
necessary to alert them,” he said.
Haji Mumtaz Ali being honoured by Jharkahnd Chief Minister Raghubar Das. (Supplied)

Crowds of villagers
Eventually, Ali launched the campaign in April 2016 but
got encouraged to focus on it after seeing huge crowds of
villagers attending his each rally and meeting.
“I told the Muslim villagers to fear from the almighty and
swear in the name of Allah not to take dowry in future and
this ultimately clicked,” Ali revealed, describing his
campaign as a “huge success”. Recently, Ali was honored
by Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das for his
campaign against dowry.
Ali is happy to tell that villagers are now opting for “dowry-
less” marriages. “Now, the general masses have taken
over my campaign. This indicates the success of my
campaign, Ali remarked, with his voice exhibiting
satisfaction and delight.
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‘for falling in love with Hindu boy’
Dowry has been claimed hundreds of lives every year in
India. As per an official report, a total of 24,771 dowry
deaths were reported in India in between 2012 and 2014
with Uttar Pradesh taking the lead with a maximum of
7,048 deaths. This information was given to the Lok
Sabha in a written reply by federal minister for Women
and Child Development Ministry Maneka Gandhi in April
2016.
The minister further told the House that India recorded
348,000 cases of cruelty by husband or his relatives
during this period with the West Bengal topping the chart
with 61,259 such cases, followed by Rajasthan (44,3111)
and Andhra Pradesh (34,835), as per the National Crime
Records Bureau data.
Last Update: Friday, 9 November 2018 KSA 23:15 - GMT
20:15