‘Give pistols, not gold in kanyadaan’: UP mahapanchayat after Noida ‘dowry killing’

Following a dowry-related murder in Greater Noida, a ‘mahapanchayat’ in Baghpat has controversially urged parents to gift daughters weapons like pistols and swords during ‘kanyadaan’ instead of traditional dowry. The gathering, largely attended by Rajputs, cited concerns over women’s safety and the ineffectiveness of dowries. Following a dowry-related murder in Greater Noida, a ‘mahapanchayat’ in Baghpat has controversially urged parents to gift daughters weapons like pistols and swords during ‘kanyadaan’ instead of traditional dowry. The gathering, largely attended by Rajputs, cited concerns over women’s safety and the ineffectiveness of dowries.