NEW DELHI: Flagging a page, shared by many social media users as a textbook for nursing students, which highlighted one of the merits of the dowry system was to get ugly girls married off, Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shot off a letter to the union education minister, asking him to “immediately” stop the circulation of such “regressive textbooks” and to take them off the circulation.
Describing the textbook as a “shame” and “derogatory,” the Shiv Sena leader in the letter said she is bringing to education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s “immediate attention” the book ‘Textbook of Sociology for Nurses’ by author TK Indrani, which lays down ‘merits and advantages’ of the dowry system. She said the book is part of the curriculum for the second-year B.Sc students.
She said one of the 'so-called advantages’ stated in the textbook says, “Because of the burden of dowry, many parents have started educating their girls. When the girls are educated or even employed, the demand for dowry will be less. This is an indirect advantage.”
Another point, the textbook states, is that “ugly looking girls can be married off with attractive dowry with well or ugly looking boys.”
“It is appalling how such derogatory and problematic text remains in circulation,” she said, adding that it is a “shame for the nation and its constitution” that a textbook elaborating on the merits of dowry exists in “our curriculum.”
“It is regrettable that we have such outdated ideas prevailing despite dowry being a criminal act. It is even more concerning that students are being exposed to such regressive content, and no action has been taken. Such reinforcement of the dowry system is oppressive and should be actioned upon immediately,” she said.
She also requested the minister “to take strict measures in this regard” and to “ensure in future such anti-women content is neither taught nor promoted, especially by the academic institutions, and that the textbooks are reviewed and approved by a panel.”
The section from the book that is shared on social media states that "dowry helps establish a new household" with furniture, appliances such as refrigerators, and vehicles.