Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/12/84; site mit-hermes.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!mit-hermes!jpexg From: jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Burning Indian brides--one who won't Message-ID: <2283@mit-hermes.ARPA> Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 17:45:20 EST Article-I.D.: mit-herm.2283 Posted: Thu Jan 17 17:45:20 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 05:32:53 EST Distribution: net Organization: The MIT AI Lab, Cambridge, MA Lines: 16 [For those joining us at this point--there was a series of postings a couple of months ago about how in India a husband's family expects a large dowry from the wife's family, non-payment of which may cause the husband's family to burn the woman to death.] I had an Indian friend when I was a student, who has since returned to India and married. His wife is also American-educated, so they understand each other's bi-cultural outlook. My friend was in town last week and we went out for drinks one evening. Getting in a dig at him (not expecting that a forward- looking Indian would ask for a dowry, of course) I said, "So, how much dowry did you get with your wife? Did they pay plenty to get rid of her?" And he said "No, nothing; _she's_ the dowry!" Now that's the right way to think about it.