Those who do not see the heart behind partner's gold

Congratulating the couple on their wedding was an important ceremony in the past. The bride and groom would be greeted in person and through songs. Those who lead a long married life with the same heart will be role models in the family and society. The concepts and ceremonies of marriage are changing. Many ceremonies are now held before and after the wedding. Many ceremonies are extravagant. Although the price of gold is increasing day by day, its weight and shine are not diminished in wedding ceremonies. However, the hopes and dreams that were there until then often fade after the reality of married life. The biggest challenge facing Kerala society is the disintegration of marriage ties.

Human life is a mixture of harmony and conflict. Minor problems may arise even when the bride and groom from two families get married. The wise and mature members of the family may resolve it amicably and secretly without revealing it to everyone. Suicides and murders in families are a sign that such interactions and solace are decreasing. Although all religions say that dowry is a social taboo, there is no end to the domestic violence and murders that take place over it. The sad thing is that even those who are culturally and economically advanced are not free from this taboo. Kerala cannot help but hear the note of Sajitharaj, the mother who committed suicide with her daughter in Kamleshwaram, Thiruvananthapuram, saying that Unnikrishnan, who had lived with her daughter for twenty-five days, threw her away "like a used cloth" and that they could not bear the humiliation. This is not just the grief of one mother. There must be many parents in Kerala who are living with such mental anguish.

The accused husband Unnikrishnan was arrested in the incident where Sajitha and her daughter Greema S Raj committed suicide. Unnikrishnan, who was trying to escape abroad, was detained by the authorities at the Mumbai airport under a lookout notice issued by the Kerala police. The lookout notice was issued because Poonthura police suspected that Unnikrishnan, who works in Ireland, would try to leave the country at any time. Unnikrishnan left Kerala and tried to leave the country via Mumbai after learning that his name was in the suicide note. If the police had not caught him in time, he would have escaped somehow. Sajitha's note states that Unnikrishnan had no reason to split from her daughter. The note also explains that Unnikrishnan and his brothers should not be allowed to enjoy their wealth. These words reflect her anger and resentment towards the person who ruined her daughter's life. Greema's marriage was arranged with the dowry of more than two hundred sovereigns of gold, a house and land.

Sajitha's husband and former agriculture officer Rajeev died of a heart attack a month ago. The mother and daughter were deeply distressed when Unnikrishnan, who had come to attend a relative's funeral, announced that he was not interested in continuing the marriage with Greema. Then, both of them committed suicide by consuming cyanide. How they got the cyanide is also a mystery. Many money-hungry people get married not to share love and lead a good family life. They are driven by the thought of how much they can exploit the wife's family. There are also men with distorted minds who consider women as disposable clothing. They enter the marriage market to fulfil their own pleasures and make gains. Our legal system should be ready to punish such people. Only then can such crimes be eliminated at least to some extent.