Belagavi Banjara Community Imposes Rs 11 Lakh Fine Under Anti-Dowry Drive

The Banjara community in Belagavi has launched a campaign titled ‘Dowry Hatao, Tanda Bachao’ to curb the practice of dowry and reduce extravagant wedding expenditures across its settlements.

Under the resolution passed as part of the campaign, the community has decided to impose an Rs 11 lakh community fine on anyone who takes dowry and gets married.

The decision comes after a four-month awareness drive conducted across 35 tandas. During the outreach, community leaders observed that the demand for dowry, gold, and costly wedding customs was pushing several families into severe financial debt.

In addition to penalising dowry, the community has resolved to discourage child marriages, costly engagement ceremonies, extravagant weddings, and the use of DJ celebrations during marriage functions.

Traditional leaders across the tandas have been tasked with enforcing these community rules and monitoring adherence to the campaign guidelines.