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Safeena, Kerala Dowry Harrassment and the girl child

I was the eldest daughter of my family and was married off at a very early age by giving a dowry of fifty sovereigns and fifty thousand rupees. My family was very poor and hence had to sell our property to pay this dowry. Inspite of this I was harassed and demanded for more money. Soon I became pregnant but was told by my in-laws to abort the child if it was a girl. I did not listen and soon delivered a baby girl. During this time my in-laws used all the dowry money and without even informing me. I was made to do all the household work and was not given food to eat. My husband’s family was always biased towards the girl child. My in-laws asked for a dowry of fifty thousand rupees for the second time, which my parents somehow managed to give. I became pregnant for the third time and this time I was not only tortured but also forced to follow the fast during the month long ramzan festival. One day I was beaten so badly by my in-laws that the neighbours came to my rescue and my parents were called. I left the house with my two children and filed a divorce petition. My husband not only accused me of giving birth to girl child but never came to see or enquire about our children.