VERY INTERESTING

Indian Woman Strips in Dowry Protest
    

 
 
Message #27258 of 27475                                               

Rajkot, INDIA (July 5, 2007): A woman in western India has stripped
to her underwear in public to protest over alleged abuses from her
husband’s family for not providing a dowry.

Her in-laws were questioned by the police and have been released on
bail.

The Hindu woman shocked residents of the normally conservative city
of Rajkot in Gujarat state, by her half-naked parade through the
street.

Women’s groups say her case highlights the plight of women who
continue to face abuse at the hands of males.

‘EXTREME STEPS’

There are reports that the 22-year-old tried to set herself on fire a
few days ago demanding the police take immediate action against her
husband and in-laws, who she alleged had been physically torturing
her for a dowry.

In an interview to a local TV channel, Pooja Chauhan justified her
action saying she did it to embarrass her husband and in-laws.

Although paying and accepting a dowry has been illegal in India for
more than 40 years, it still goes on.

Official estimates show that every year almost 7,000 women are killed
by their spouses and in-laws because of inadequate dowry payments.

Ranjana Kumari – who runs a refuge for victims of dowry and domestic
abuse – says the law enforcement authorities need to be more active
in tackling the problem.

"It’s a shame that women are driven to take such extreme steps. The
law enforcing agencies must be more active," she told the BBC News
website.

A police inspector in Rajkot, SS Jhala, told the BBC that "swift
action" had been taken against Ms Chauhan’s family, who had been
arrested and were now on bail.

Police have denied reports that they charged her for indecent
behaviour.

SOURCE: BBC NEWS. By Jyotsna Singh BBC News, Delhi
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2stfmq

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