The Supreme Court direction on the anti-dowry law is disappointing. Primarily, it takes away the presumption that women are the harassed party. While that would be true in a majority of such cases that come to the notice of law enforcement, there might just be room for abuse. But then there is no law that is not abused by someone. National data shows that in a large number of dowry cases the women are indeed the victims. To treat them differently now and burden them with proving their case in front of special police officers and district welfare committees is to change the very concept of protecting vulnerable women. In its intent to ensure cases are ruled upon quickly, the court may have ordered that the committees file their reports within a month of the complaint. Whether this would be achieved is anyone’s guess as even great institutions like the top court are unable to dispose of cases within a reasonable time frame.

Consider the plight of abused women. A majority of them will be unable to stand on their own feet financially, which is the top reason why they suffer so much in silence before being pushed into venturing a formal complaint of dowry harassment. Now they may think twice before going to the welfare committees and argue the case themselves as they may not have the wherewithal to hire expert legal help. Marital discord represents the single biggest erosion of the nation’s cherished family values. It is often the cause or even effect of dowry harassment. Giving the women victims, particularly those who are not working, a fair shot at life is not the simplest of propositions. Where the top court may have erred in judging the issue is to recognise abuse of the law as an insurmountable problem as to change the law itself.