Date:22/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/22/stories/2007052216910200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Fighting the dowry menace

Akshay Rajmohan

ON A MISSION: Bhau Saheb Bhawar has covered 1.8 lakh km spreading the message against dowry. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: This Indian has been fighting against the dowry system for 14 years. Seven bicycles and 1,80,000 kilometres later, Bhau Saheb Bhawar is one union territory short of covering the whole country.

Setting out after the Mumbai blasts in 1993, Bhawar has been travelling around the country and trying to spread awareness and create a dowry-free India. "I travel to schools and colleges and talk to people, trying to explain how inhuman dowry is," he says. He is infuriated by the concept of dowry, more so, the demanding of it.

Coming from a small village in Maharashtra, Bhawar has seen first hand the kind of problems dowry cause. His sister's marriage cost him Rs. 3,500, which his family had to take as loan.

Bhawar has been on his bicycle around the country. He has lived in the homes of the villagers and gotten a feel of the real India as it is.

"It is undoubtedly the most beautiful country in the world. I love interacting with people and the way I travel, I get to meet a lot of beautiful people."

Bhawar is enamoured by the people of Mizoram and Nagaland in particular.

"They are very warm and helpful people. They do not really care, who you are or where you are from, they are human beings and treat you like one too," he says.

He has been through more ups and downs and his journey throughout the country has not been an easy one. A severe case of frostbite in Leh-Ladakh threatened to take his leg.

A more recent incident saw Bhawar intercepted by Bodo militants.

"They took me to their camp for a few days, roughed me up but eventually let me go," he says.