Thaindian News

By Sujit Chakraborty
Agartala, Jan 9 (IANS) In an exemplary gesture against the evil of dowry, a newly-wed government school teacher in Tripura Sunday donated Rs.48,000 to the chief minister’s relief fund after selling the gifts received by him in marriage.A resident of Dhanbilas village in northern Tripura, 37-year-old Bimal Singh Debbarma wedded Jesmi two months ago.

“Despite my strong opposition, my father-in-law Chandra Mohan Debbarma during the marriage ceremony gave furniture, gold and other valuables as customary dowry as Jesmi is his only daughter,” Bimal told IANS over phone.

“I and Jesmi agreed to sell these gifts (dowry items) and donate the money to the chief minister’s relief fund,” said Bimal.

Bimal handed over Rs.48,000, obtained from the sale of gifts, to Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty for depositing in the chief minister’s relief fund.

“Bimal’s donation to the chief minister’s relief fund is an exemplary act against the system of dowry and deaths of married women,” Chakraborty said.

According to Director General of Police K. Saleem Ali, crimes against women account for 37 percent of all offences in the state.

A bulk of the incidents of death, suicide and torture of women were related to marriage and dowry, Ali told IANS.

“As part of the on-going police week, we have launched ‘Prayaas’, a multi-pronged community policing scheme, to reach out to the people, root out crime against women and to flush out terrorism,” he said.

Under the new project, each police station area would be divided into several police beats” controlled by committees consisting people’s representatives.

Residents of a locality active in educational and cultural fields, retired policemen and ex-servicemen, NGO representatives, workers and representative of women’s organisations would be included in the proposed beat committees.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)