Sushil Modi blames foreign rule for child marriage, dowry

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday blamed 'ghulami' (foreign rule) for social evils like child marriage, dowry and purdah in India.

Without directly naming Muslim rule, Modi, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said: "Social evils like child marriage, dowry and purdah were created in India during the 700 or 800 years of ghulami phase."

He said this while speaking at the launch of a massive state-wide campaign against child marriage and dowry in Bihar.

Modi, not known as a hardliner or a vocal champion of Hinduvta politics, said in chaste Hindi that "samajik kuriti" (social evil) is the result of foreign rule in the country.

"There was no child marriage, dowry and purdah either during the Vedic age nor later during ancient period in India."

He said India is a country where women used to enjoy equal rights during Vedic to Ramayana period.

There is no evidence of any such social evils in the society as neither religious books nor scriptures mentioned about them.

"In ancient times, girls used to choose their groom or life partner at a function and there was no child marriage or dowry."

--IANS

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