More than half of Indian girls would cancel wedding if in-laws demand dowry, says survey

Kolkata: More than half of the Indian girls would cancel their wedding if their would-be in-laws demand dowry, according to a new survey. [caption id=“attachment_2024649” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] When single Indian women were asked in a survey by Shaadi.com about what they would do if they learnt about a dowry demand made to their parents, 51.4 percent women said they would call off their wedding. Another 48.6 percent women said they would name and shame the would-be in-law’s family by publicly humiliating them, as per the survey. The online poll received 5,680 responses from single Indians in the age group of 24 to 35 years. When single Indian men were asked how dowry seekers should be treated, 59.8 percent of them said such persons should be instantly jailed, while 40.2 percent said those making the demand should be socially humiliated. More than 75 percent respondents felt dowry could be prevented, the survey said. Commenting on the survey, Gourav Rakshit, COO of Shaadi.com said the website was working towards making India a dowry-free society. PTI