Young 19 Yr Old Burned Alive. Parents Not Meeting Endless Demands Made By In-laws For Dowry.

[Khalsa_Girl_1]

One of the courses I took this year is Geographic Analysis (Canadian and World Issues)

Before dismissing the class today, my teacher handed out a news article.

(New Delhi, india)

When I took a Religion course last year, an article was brought in by my teacher.

It talks about a girl who was named Charanpreet Kaur, age 19, who was married to a man.

Though I could clearly identify her bias, opinionated thoughts, which caused people to point fingers at me and also question the Sikh faith, I still had to try to teach them that this is all in fact against Sikhi. People thought that I was just "defending my people".

the link to the article is:

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/hamiltonspecta...killings+endure

It may have been posted before....but i couldnt find it...

You have limitted access to the article itself, but I will post the entire article.

It follows EXACTLY:

India's horrific dowry killings edndure

She was 19 -- a shy young woman,

married and three months pregnant.

When her family failed to ante up to the

inlaws' endless demands, she was

bunred to death.

By John Lancaster

The Washington PostNEW DELHI, INDIA (Nov 2, 2005)

Charanpreet Kaur, 19, of India, had been married less than nine months when her husband and his family decided it was time for her to go.

Trapping her in the bathroom, her husband clamped his hand over her mouth while his father doused her with kerosene, according to a police document.

The father then lit a match, setting his daughter-in-law on fire. She died five days later.

India's endless dowry wars had claimed another victim.

Notwithstanding the gold jewellery, colour television set and other finery that served as the price of admission to her husband's middle-class Sikh household, Charanpreet's new relations were not satisfied with the bounty and kept demanding more, according to Charanpreet's relatives and the statement she gave investigators before she died.

"Even before this incident my father-in-law used to put pressure on me to get more money," said the statement by the young woman, who was three months pregnant.

It is unusual only because Charanpreet lived long enough to point a gingr at her alleged attackers, who claimed the fire was accidental.

The case underscores the deeply entrenched nature of dowry in some parts of India -- and its grim corrolary, the murder of young brides whose families fail to ante up -- even in the face of rising levels of income and education linked to India's fast-growing economy.

In particular, the death of the young newlywed -- a shy, deeply religious schoolteacher's daughter whose husband had a college degree and worked in computer graphics -- shows that the age-old practice endures even, and perhaps especially, amoung the educated urban middle-class.

Despite laws barring dowry, and decades of protests and public awareness campaigns, a nationwide survey of 10, 000 households by the All-India Democratic Women's Association in 2002 found that the practice was no longer confined to the Hindu upper castes, where it originated, but had spread across a broad range of classes and communities, including Muslims and Christians.

One consequence is the growing dearth of baby girls in India, where many middle-class parents, fearing the high costs of dowry, have taken to aborting female fetuses identifiedthrough ultrasound examinations.

The skewed sex ratio is most pronounced in relatively prosperous areas such as New Delhi, the capital, where the 2001 cencus found 868 girls for every 1,000 boys under age six. The figure for India as a whole is 933 for every 1,000 boys.

"I think it's in a way very shocking that social relations are not changing in a fast-growing economy," said Ranjana Kumari, the director of the Centre for Social Research in New Delhi. "All this modernization, liberalization, golbalization -- all this modern economy -- and the people are not changing. The mindset is so rigid."

There are some signs of progress. For example, the number of reported dowry killings has dipped sligtly, from 6,285 in 2003, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

And two years ago, Indian news media made a heroine our of Nisha Sharma, a 21-year-old computer student who summoned police to her wedding when the groom's family escalated their dowry demands at the last minute.

Matrimonial ads placed by parents of prospective brides occasionally come with the caveat, "Dowry seekers need not apply."

By all accounts, however, dowry-giving remains the norm in Indian marriages. the union of Charanpreet Kaur and Sarabjeet Singh was no exception.

Born in 1985, Charanpreet grew up in the New Delhi neighbourhood of Gruru Nanak Nagar, a maze of narrow paved alleys with small brick row houses. Pungent with cooking smells and motorbike exhaust, the largely middle-class neighbourhood is dominated by migrants from the fertile agricultural region known as the Punjab.

Like Charanpreet and her family. most are SIkhs, a religious minority known for its strong work ethic and egalitrian values. Typically, Sikh men use the name Singh and women take the name Kaur.

Until last year, Charanpreet lived with her parents in a tiny, well-scrubbed ground-floor apartment with a closet-size kitchen, a refrigerator in the hall and pictures of Sikh gurus on the walls.

She shared a bedroom with her brother, Amandeep, 14. Her father, Satwant, 47, earns his living as a private tutor to primary students; her mother, Paramjit, 42, teaches at a government primary school.

A quiet young woman with wide-set eyes and a diffident manner, Charanpreet graduated from high school two years ago and had enrolled in a college correspondence course with the aim of following her parents into teaching, relatives and neighbours said.

With few close friends, she preferred to spend her free time at home, where she immersed herself in Sikh prayer books and sometimes watched the Indian Discovery Channel and Indian Cartoon Network on a small colour television.

Then, early last year, neighbours provided Charanpreet's parents with the name of an eligible bachelor.

The son of a retired army subendar, or junior commissioned officer, Sarabjeet Singh earned a degree from Delhi University, brought home $227 in rupees a month designing catalogues at a computer-graphics company and lived nearby with his parents, brother and sister-in-law.

During a meeting with Sarabjeet's parents at the local gurdwara, or Sikh temple, Charanpreet's parents were so impressed by the young man's credentials and the family's evident piety that they agreed on the marriage then and there, without setting eyes on their future son-in-law.

"They told us our little girl would live like a princess in that house," recalled Paramjit Kaur, a compact, expressivewoman in a satiny blue tunic.

Bearded and handsome beneath his turban, Sarabjeet Sigh had a polished, self-confident manner, and he apparently made a good impression when, several months later, he met his wife for the first time, at a ceremony where the two exchanged rings.

"She was actually very happy to find a man who didn't eat meat or drink alcohol," her mother recalled.

Last November, in a ceremony performed by a barefoot priest, the two were married at the gurdwara, where Charanpreet's parents hosted a lavish vegetarian feast for 250 guests.

Bride and groom posed for photographs with garlands of rupee banknotes encircling their necks.

The wedding cost the bride's family the equivalent of $11,000 Cnd, in rupees, according to Charanpreet's parents. The largest share went for a dowry that included the colour television, bed linens, kitchenware, fine fabrics for suits and saris and gold jewelerry for the groom, his parents and other relatives.

"The rich gave diamonds," Paramjit explained.

But things went quickly awry. A month after joining her husband and his extended family in their cramped, three-storey house, Charanpreet approached her parents with a request from her husband for $2,280 (Cnd) in rupees, saying he wanted the money to start his own business.

The demands apparently continued. During accasional visits home, Charanpreet hinted that she was unhappy in her new home and sometimes "would ask if there was any more money to spare," her mother said.

Charanpreet's parents were unable to provide more financial help and could only counsel patience.

"We'd keep telling her to adjust because we thought she was just a young bride and was going through teething troubles," her mother said.

The truth was far worse than anything the family had imagined.

On the morning of Aug. 19, Charanpreet returned from the bathroom to her husband, his parents, his brother and his brother's wife waiting for her in the third-floor bedroom, she said in her statement.

Her sister-in-law, Harvinder Kaur, forced her into the bathroom, followed by Charanpreet's husband and father-in-law, who "started pouring kerosene oil all over from a plastic bottle."

Her husband then left the room, leaving her father-in-law to strike a match and set her on fire.

"I ran downstairs with my body on fire," the statement said.

Burned so badly that her plastic bangles had melted into her wrist, Charanpreet lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital by her husband and father-in-law, who apparently believed she was close to death and would not be able to incriminate them, the young woman's relatives said.

but Charanpreet regained consciousness a few hours later and gave her statement to a magistrate; her in-laws were arrested the same day.

"The gods she used to pray to came to her help," her mother said of her daughter's ability to describe what had happened to her. "Even though she was such a shy girl, she was able to give the police such a clear and detailed statement."

She found the strength then, and the last words she gave to the magistrative were, "These people should be punished."

Ombir Bishnoi, an assistant police commissioner, said all four suspects had confessed to the killing. The family's lawyer, baldev Raj, disputed the validityof the confessions and described the fire as an accident, without giving further details.

The four are in jail awaiting fromal muder charges.

source: THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

Legal Notice: Contents copyright 1991-2005, The Hamilton Spectator. All rights reserved.

On the morning of Aug. 19, Charanpreet returned from the bathroom to her husband, his parents, his brother and his brother's wife waiting for her in the third-floor bedroom, she said in her statement.

Her sister-in-law, Harvinder Kaur, forced her into the bathroom, followed by Charanpreet's husband and father-in-law, who "started pouring kerosene oil all over from a plastic bottle."

Her husband then left the room, leaving her father-in-law to strike a match and set her on fire.

"I ran downstairs with my body on fire," the statement said.

did her sister-in-law not try to imagine herself in Charanpreets shoes?? :wub:

not sure how common it is now...but...

look at how "sikhs" do this as well..

soooo....how does this make you feel? and should the person really have the name "Singh" etc...

[Guest Papi]

its sad you gots jacks like people above.....narkan vich marangey, bahut dukh paangey.

o kuri maar nu ta guru muh ne launda......fitkaar paindi aaaaa.

today they have burned someone,,,,,,time will come when they will get burned. stuff like this is never never forgiven.......they will pay for this. tusi saare dekhyo

pwpIAw no n dyeI iQru rhix cuix nrk Goir cwilAnu ]

paapeeaa no n dhaeee thhir rehan chun narak ghor chaalian ||

He does not give the sinners any stability or place of rest; He consigns them to the depths of hell.

i dont understand how a human can be so cruel..........does your soul not weep doing this? how can someone have such a emotionless heart??

another article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/cros...nts/3071963.stm

[Khalsa_Girl_1]

its sad you gots jacks like people above.....narkan vich marangey, bahut dukh paangey.

o kuri maar nu ta guru muh ne launda......fitkaar paindi aaaaa.

today they have burned someone,,,,,,time will come when they will get burned. stuff like this is never never forgiven.......they will pay for this. tusi saare dekhyo

pwpIAw no n dyeI iQru rhix cuix nrk Goir cwilAnu ]

paapeeaa no n dhaeee thhir rehan chun narak ghor chaalian ||

He does not give the sinners any stability or place of rest; He consigns them to the depths of hell.

i dont understand how a human can be so cruel..........does your soul not weep doing this? how can someone have such a emotionless heart??

another article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/cros...nts/3071963.stm

yeah...

now thing i gotta do is teach all the people in my class that this is wrong...

we gonna discuss it tomorrow. everyone in my class is 'white' so it gonna be a bit hard

o kuri maar nu ta guru muh ne launda......fitkaar paindi aaaaa.

^^^meaning?

[Khalsa4ever]

Waheguroo jee ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo jee kee Fateh!

The simple answer: they aren't sikh.

The rehat maryada explicitly states that dowries are banned, and that monetary consideration is completely aginst sikhism.

The only point I would try to make is that there is a fundamental difference between religion and culture... and that indian culture in its essence is the opposite of what sikhi teaches.

hoir mnmuK dwju ij riK idKwlih su kUVu AhMkwru kcu pwjo ]

hor manamukh dhaaj j rakh dhikhaalehi s koorr aha(n)kaar kach paajo ||

Any other dowry, which the self-willed manmukhs offer for show, is only false egotism and a worthless display.

-- SGGS 79

Waheguroo jee ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo jee kee Fateh!

[Pakandi baba]

They should do the EXACT same to them!!

[Sarpanchni_007]

I WISH THEY GET THE WORST OF THE WORST PUNISHMENT EVER THERE COULD BE, STUPID BUMS :wub:

MAY GURU JI PUNISH THEM IN SUCH A WAY THAT NEITHER WOULD THEY BE ALIVE OR DEAD

VAHEGURU

[Guest Bass Singh]

VJKK VJKF!

This shows how stupid Panjabi Culture really is!!!

vaheguroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

VJKK VJKF!

[Guest Papi]

its not just punjabi culture its all over india. but sikhs should have a better understanding of it. they would if they read n contemplated any bani with guru's kirpa.

[palamrinder]

Please don't insult SIKHS by referring to those people. There is a huge difference in getting a sikh name and earning one. In this age and time, most of the sikhs are sikhs just because they were born into a sikh family and have no regard whatsoever to the core beliefs.

As for khalsa_girlji, if your teacher is prejudiced against sikhs hearing one article of misdeeds by a so called sikh family, you can question them about the countless criminal acts committed by whites in the country. Should we simply put it as an act of christianity? The oklahoma blast was done by a white guy and killed numerous... Should we propagate it as an act of christians around the world. Of all the people, teachers in schools and univ. need to be more subjective in their approach and make effort to educate themselves before coming to a conclusion about a particular religion.

Still it is disgusting to see killers roaming around in the garb of sikhs!

[Greater-Punjab]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

Justing Keeping Turban, long beard and last name Singh dosn,t make you sikh.

As PALAMRINDER has said "There is a huge difference in getting a sikh name and earning one."

I am saddened by what I read, and I do not understand how anyone with a conscience can do this not intervene to put a stop to this.

it should also be remembered that the Tenth Guru had designated the word of the Granth as the final word of authority binding on all Sikhs.

This is very informative Article regarding Sikhism

BECOMING GURMUKH

Articles written mainly by Dassan Dass (Slave of God’s Slaves)

explaining how to go from a Manmukh to Gurmukh

Great Great Supreme Transcendent Master.

Great Great Satguru True King.

One God Named “Truth” attained by the Guru’s grace.

Beloved ones of the Guru,

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIKH, GURSIKH AND GURMUKH................

The Difference Between Sikh, Gursikh And Gurmukh

ik oankar satnaam gurprasad||

Are you a Sikh? Or a GurSikh or a Gurmukh? Or do you like to add Khalsa to your name? All these

words tend to get used interchangeably, but from a spiritual point of view they signify different states of

spiritual progress.

In short :

Manmukh : is one who has no interest in God just himself.

Sikh : believes in God and Gurus, but lacks solid commitment

GurSikh : makes a commitment to the Guru eg getting initiated or coming under guidance of a Sant and

practising whatever gurbani says

GurMukh : has defeated the 5 thieves, becomes enlightened.