Kerala Governor’s suggestion: ‘Students should sign bond that they will not engage in dowry’

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan indicated that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was enthusiastic about the proposed move.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan Friday suggested that students should be asked to sign a bond, at the time of admission into colleges and before receiving their degrees, stating that they will not engage in the practice of dowry. He is learnt to have put forth the suggestion at a meeting with a section of vice-chancellors of universities in Kochi on Friday.

“Universities cannot and should not allow dear degrees to be used as a license to increase the price of a bridegroom in the marriage market… universities have every right to ask the person who is going to get the degree to sign a bond. And it is not extra-legal. This (dowry) is a punishable crime,” Khan told reporters outside the Ernakulam Guest House where he had a meeting with the vice-chancellors.

“It is demeaning to the university if the degree given by it is used to demand more dowry,” he added.

There was also a suggestion at the meeting, the Governor said, to get parents of the respective students to sign a bond at the time of admission stating that they will not accept or give dowry. The rule could also be applied for appointments to posts in universities.

Khan indicated that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was enthusiastic about the proposed move.

“This (dowry) is not a woman issue, this is a human issue because if you bring down women, the society will be brought down. This is a duty that we owe to ourselves….demanding dowry is repugnant to human dignity,” the Governor said.

He said a final decision on the implementation of the rule would only be taken after another round of meeting with the vice-chancellors in Thiruvananthapuram after July 21.

Earlier this week, Governor Khan had sat on a one-day fast to protest against the practice of dowry and related violence. The Opposition Congress had decried that the constitutional head of the state was forced to sit on a fast as the state government had failed to check crimes against women.

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