Dowry is one of those pests which are deeply enrooted in our society and have been hollowing it from within for ages. It has taken many lives in past and its bloody game is still not over!
Recently on Tuesday, a girl from Marathwada who was studying in the 12th standard sacrificed her life in the name of dowry. We are talking about Sarika Suresh Zute who was afraid that her father, a farmer by profession, might end up his life on account of financial burden and to save him, she hanged herself.
Sarika used to live in Parbhani’s Javlazuta and as per cops, an FIR was lodged by her cousin in Pathri police station. Here’s what an officer had to say,
“In her suicide note, addressed to her father, 18-year-old Sarika said she was ending her life to ensure her father didn’t end his, owing to the burden he incurred on her elder sister’s marriage last year and the additional debt he would incur for her own marriage.”
Sarika left a suicide note which read,
“Dear Papa, Bhau (her uncle) committed suicide five-six days ago due to crop failure. We have also lost all crop and I can’t bear to see your financial hardship. I am afraid that you will incur more financial burden when I get married and end your life too as Bhau did, so I am ending my life.”
PTI was told this by a Pathri police station officer,
“Sarika hanged herself at her home on Tuesday morning. We are yet to receive the post-mortem report but prima facie this is a case of suicide.”
This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place in Maharashtra and in April 2017 too, a 21-yr girl named Sheetal Vyankat Vayal committed suicide by jumping into a well for reducing her father’s economic burden. She also left a suicide note which read,
“My parents are poor and they don’t have money for my marriage. I am ending my life to lessen my father’s burden and to end the dowry practise in my Maratha community.”
Dowry is a serious offence and strict actions should be taken to annihilate it completely otherwise it will keep on taking innocent lives!
RIP!