Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities
Year : 2012, Volume : 2, Issue : 10
First page : ( 41) Last page : ( 53)
Print ISSN : 0000-0000. Online ISSN : 2249-7315.

Growing incidences of gender crimes and dowry deaths: An evolving threat to assamese society

Dr. Vauquline Polly

Assistant Professor, Department of Women’s Studies, Guwahati University.

Online published on 6 October, 2012.

Abstract

Human history is replete with violence against its own kind. However, violence based on gender within the confines of the community and home is perhaps the most degrading of all other forms of violence. Crimes against women are as old as civilisation and equally ancient are the efforts to combat and arrest them. These efforts have not succeeded and crimes persist.

There have been growing incidences of gender crimes in Assam during the last few years. Cases of dowry deaths also get reported occasionally but without much speculation. The general Assamese community consciously withdraws from these incidences. It is assumed that the occurrences of these incidences are within the non-Assamese communities residing in Assam because dowry was never a part of Assamese marriage custom.

In this paper reported crimes against women and dowry deaths in Assam are analyzed (1997-2009) and in-depth case studies of dowry deaths are carried out from 2001-2010. Both primary and secondary data are taken into consideration for this study. The study reveals that the incidences of crimes against women in Assam are not only high but are increasing at faster rate so also are the cases of dowry deaths. Dowry deaths are the highest among the Assamese community in Greater Guwahati, which is a matter of grave concern and immediate action indeed.

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