DOWRY PAYMENT IS HERE TO STAY

                          Human life is sacred.It can't be quantified in monetary terms.I mean no one can purport to have the means to pay or buy human life.It is simple.Nothing can rival the value of human life.This is an age-old truth.Human beings have lived with this truth since the time immemorial.I write this piece not as a human life campaigner but to raise my voice on the issue of dowry payment.Some say dowry payment is "outdated".Others describe it as "human trafficking".Still others argue that dowry payment is same as "buying" somebody.That by "buying" one assumes legitimate grounds to "use" the "product".I think before condemning dowry payment it is imperative that we ask ourselves these questions : What is the logic behind dowry payment? Assuming that dowry payment is abolished what replacement shall we have? What wrong has dowry payment done to merit abolition? Will abolition contribute to the common good of the society or cause more harm?

                           I beg to state here clearly that I'm a strong supporter of dowry payment.This is my stand.I stand proud to state it.I make this declaration out of clear inspection of myself and my conscience.The following reasons justify my stand -dowry payment is not a market value for a product.Dowry payment is more immaterial than material.It is not a measure of somebody's value.It is a show of appreciation for a job well done.A present is not a payment for a product given or a service rendered.A present is a symbol of human bond and closeness that we cherish.It is a sign of somebody's gratitude.We give out presents because we have inner "pressure" to show appreciation.It is under these circumstances that dowry payment exists.Not under the economists' definition of a payment to the bride's family.

                           In my native motherland dowry payment is highly regarded.It is held high.Here it is not its material value that counts,it is the philosophy behind it.It is the reason behind it.It is the spirit that the act brings to the families involved and to the society at large.Dowry payment here is not a two-family affair.It is a whole community's affair thereby erasing the logic that dowry payment is meant to extort money and wealth from the groom's family.Where dowry payment was observed the benefits are there for anyone to "see".The bond is so strong.This bond in turn helps to strengthen the family not just as a union but as an institution to be respected.This forms the basis for dowry payment.

                         So for opposers of dowry payment I have this for you;what do you want to "correct" when the results are out there for everyone to see?What do you have in your mind when you push for abolition of dowry payment?Please spare us our age-old practice!