Dowry death and bride burning: A look beyond the smoke screen
(MRM India)  The phrase “bride burning” conjures up images of a
cruel husband and his family members dousing a young woman in
kerosene, flinging a lighted matchstick on her and gloating as
the hapless bride goes up in flames. The term “dowry death” also
sparks off vivid imaginations of a woman being taunted and
harassed for money and finally, hanged to death within the four
walls of her house. We also have watched movies and TV serials
where a malicious mother-in-law poisons the unsuspecting
daughter-in-law’s meal or quietly causes a gas leak and locks
the new bride in the kitchen right before she lights the stove
to make tea for the family.  There must be many families who
burn their brides for dowry as a routine practice otherwise, why
would there be so many news reports about dowry deaths? As they
say, there cannot be smoke without a fire. Right?  Feminists
would have you believe that every unnatural or untimely death of
a married Indian woman i