India, May 21 -- Rising dowry deaths reflect a collective moral failure. Until society challenges the mindset that commodifies women in marriage, laws alone will not end this menace

This is sad and unfortunate, but true. The much-cherished Indian marriage institution is largely becoming transactional, as marriages are more about a give-and-take relationship than the bond between two individuals choosing to spend a lifetime together. Thanks to patriarchy rooted in the Indian psyche, dowry is considered a necessary tradition where the groom receives gifts, often in cash and kind - and the bride's family complies with the irrational demands of the groom's family, failing which the girl pays the price through mental torture and, in some case...