One gentleman: ‘You really did a wonderful thing, yaar!’
Second gentleman: ‘Wonderful? You should rather say that he has hoisted the flags of his success. So far we had only seen people sermonizing from the pulpit. But when it came to action, they turned tails.’
Third gentleman: ‘. . . Such excuses are cooked up . . . Sahib, I hate dowry. It’s against my principles. But what can I do, the mother of my son doesn’t relent and so on. Some blame it on their fathers while others on some elderly relative.’
Fourth gentleman: ‘Aji, there are many shameless people who openly say that they want back what they spent on their son’s education and upbringing—as if they had deposited that money in some bank to withdraw later.’
Fifth gentleman: ‘I can see very well that you are trying to sling mud on me. Is only the groom’s side to be blamed for this or does the bride’s side also have a role?’
First gentleman: ‘What is the fault of the one on the bride’s side except for the fact that he is the father of a girl child?’
Second gentleman: ‘God is entirely to be blamed because he created girls. Correct?’
Fifth gentleman: ‘That is not what I said. The fault lies neither with the bride’s side alone nor with the groom’s. Both are at fault. If the folks on the bride’s side don’t offer anything, they have no right to complain why the other side didn’t bring dal, and beautiful dresses or why they weren’t accompanied by an orchestra band and fanfare? Don’t you think so?’
Fourth gentleman: ‘Indeed, your question is worth pondering over. As far as I think, there should be no complaint to the boy’s father in such a situation.’
Fifth gentleman: ‘Then we should rather say that, along with dowry system, the practice of gifts of dal jewellery and dresses should also be dropped. It will be futile to try and abolish the dowry system alone.’
Yashodanand: ‘This is a poor excuse! I have not accepted any dowry but shall I not carry gifts of dal and jewellery?’
First gentleman: ‘Sir, you are matchless. Why do you compare yourself with us commoners? Your place is among gods.’
Second gentleman: ‘. . . turned down a sum of twenty thousand rupees. What a gesture!’
Yashodanand: ‘I firmly believe we should always abide by our principles. Money has no value before principles. I have never delivered any lecture on the vices of the dowry system; I have not even written any play on the subject. But I have seconded the proposal in the conference and find myself committed to it. My conscience will not allow me even if I wished to break free from it. To tell the truth, if I take this money it will be so hard on my heart that I may not perhaps survive this shock!’
Fifth gentleman: ‘It will be a great injustice if the conference doesn’t elect you as chairman this time.’
Yashodanand: ‘I did my duty. I don’t care whether I get recognition for this or not.’
In the meantime, the arrival of Swamidayal was announced. People geared up to welcome him. He was seated on the masnad and the tilak ceremony began. Swamidayal put before the groom a coconut, betel nut, rice grains, a betel leaf and other things on a dhak leaf plate. Brahmins chanted hymns; a havan was lighted and tilak was put on the groom’s forehead. The ladies of the house immediately began to sing mangalacharan. Yashodanand mounted a small wooden stool and began delivering a lecture on the ills of the dowry system. He was reading from an already prepared (written) speech. He explained the history of the dowry system. ‘Dowry was not known in the ancient period. Gentlemen, no one even knew of this bird called dowry or thahrauni. Believe me, no one knew what this thing called thahrauni was, an animal or a bird, of sky or earth, a food item or a drink. It was founded during the imperialist rule. Our youth started joining the army. These people were brave and took pride in joining the army. Mothers sent their loved ones to the battleground, adorning them with weapons with their own hands. This led to a decrease in the number of young men and hence began the buying and selling of boys. Today, we have come to a point where a small and most ordinary service like mine is being commented upon in the newspapers, as though I have done something extraordinary. Let me tell you that if you wish to survive in the world, you must immediately end this system.’
One gentleman expressed a doubt: ‘Shall we live to see the end of this practice?’
Yashodanand: ‘I wish we do. The guilty would be punished and that’s how it ought to be.. What a tyranny that such greedy, sacrilegious money-seekers, slave-dealers and sellers of their sons are alive and thriving. The society does not desert them. But all of them are slave-dealers and so on.’
The lecture was long and full of scorn. People were all praise. After his lecture, he brought his younger son, Parmanand, who was around seven years of age, on the stage. He had handed the boy a short written speech. He wanted to show how intelligent even the small children of his family were. No one complained as making children deliver speeches in social gatherings was a familiar practice. The child was very beautiful, bright and cheerful. He came on the stage smiling and started reading with pride from a note he took out of his pocket:
Dear brother,
Namaskar,
Your letter indicates that you don’t trust me. With God as my witness I swear that the agreed upon money will reach you so secretly that no one will suspect anything. But I do take this liberty of asking you for a favour. What will be my discount in lieu of the good image and prestige that you
