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.