Dhadhicha Pratha: A Patriarchal Legacy Of Exploitation

Despite significant strides toward women’s empowerment, many unsettling incidents continue to reveal the mistreatment of women in various parts of India. Even after decades of independence, the oppression of women persists in society in multiple forms. Women still face sexual harassment, objectification, and become victims of backward and alarming practices. One such shocking tradition is Dhadhicha, observed in some Indian villages.

The practice of Dhadhicha treats women as mere commodities. While renting cars, houses, or rooms is commonplace, the idea of renting human beings is both appalling and deeply troubling. Sadly, in certain villages in India, women are rented out as wives. This concept of renting brides, previously seen in countries like Burma, Pakistan, North Korea, and Bulgaria, has now taken root in India. It has been documented in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, where women are chosen as rented brides based on criteria such as their virginity, physical appearance, skin tone, and beauty.

What is Dhadhicha Pratha?

In Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, a shocking tradition called Dhadhicha has been practiced for decades. This custom involves families renting out their daughters or wives. Every year, a market is held where men select women as companions, and families agree to rent them out. 

What’s even more troubling is that parents willingly allow their daughters to be rented out, and in some instances, even husbands rent out their wives. These women are handed over to wealthy men who lack a spouse or partner. The arrangements are formalised using official stamp papers for nominal amounts such as ten, fifty, or a hundred rupees. Every year, thousands of such transactions take place.

This regressive and disturbing practice has now also been found in some villages of Gujarat, showing how it is spreading to other regions. The continued existence of the Dhadhicha practice is partly due to the significant gender imbalance caused by female infanticide in India, especially in states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. As a result, many men in these regions struggle to find brides and resort to buying or renting women from economically weaker areas such as Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar.

Some families justify this practice by claiming it is necessary to continue their lineage. Other factors, such as financial struggles or an inability to afford large dowries, also lead parents to involve their daughters in this tradition. These transactions are usually arranged by brokers, who take the largest share of the money, leaving very little for the families.

In a society where girls are often killed at birth simply for being female, using them to fulfill needs and subjecting them to such degrading practices reflects the deeply entrenched hold of patriarchy on our society even today.

The pricing of brides

In the context of Dhadhicha, the focus is predominantly on young, virgin girls aged between 8 and 15 years old. These girls are highly preferred over married women due to their perceived purity and fertility. The practice involves renting out these girls for varying periods, from hours to years, with the price determined by factors such as the girl’s age, physical appearance, and virginity.

Healthy girls who are considered capable of bearing children are particularly sought after. The rental agreement can be renewed with the same girl or a new one can be chosen at the end of the contract period.

The financial arrangements for these transactions typically range from 15,000 to 25,000 rupees per girl. The families of younger girls command higher prices due to their perceived value. In some cases, the prices can reach lakhs of rupees, especially for extremely young and attractive virgins.

Non-virgin women are considered less desirable and are generally offered lower rates. The price for non-virgins is influenced by factors such as age, skin tone, and the number of previous contractual marriages.

What makes a girl eligible to be a bride in Dhadhicha?

The custom of Dhadhicha is a particularly heinous form of child marriage and sexual exploitation. Young girls, as young as six, are married off without any age limit. Before they even reach puberty, these girls are subjected to horrific sexual abuse. The most disturbing aspect is that parents themselves administer drugs to their young daughters with the intention of accelerating their breast and body development. This is done to make the girls appear more mature and sexually appealing to potential buyers, thereby commanding a higher price for them.

Once married off, these girls, often referred to as “paro” or “molki” (meaning “price”), are subjected to daily sexual abuse not only by their husbands but also by other men in the household. They are essentially treated as sex objects, forced to have sexual relations with any man in the family, including the father-in-law. The reason behind this cruel practice is simple: the girls are seen as a source of income. Parents view their daughters as a commodity to be sold, and they often prefer having more daughters to increase their family’s earnings.

When the contract period ends, the girl is either returned to her family to be remarried or the contract is renewed with the same buyer. This cycle of abuse continues, with countless girls suffering both physical and emotional trauma. Many contract sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis B.

Has the Dhadhicha practice been challenged legally?

This issue has existed for centuries, but only recently has it come to light, gaining some attention. However, it still isn’t being recognised as the serious problem it truly is. Some studies have been conducted, but the media has given very little attention to this issue. In fact awareness has spread more through social media and YouTube. Furthermore, no one has come forward to file a police report yet, and the police have not shown much interest in such matters unless there is media attention or a major incident.

Some NGOs have started addressing this issue, speaking with many victims of the Dhadhicha practice to learn about their experiences. They are working to raise awareness so that more people understand that women trafficking is illegal. However, this is very challenging because villagers don’t see anything wrong with it and consider it part of their tradition and customs. They believe that women exist for this purpose and treating them this way is not illegal, but rather a necessary way for them to earn money.

India has laws in place to prevent bride trafficking, including the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, and provisions within the Indian Penal Code. These laws criminalise trafficking for purposes like sexual exploitation and forced labor. Despite this, studies indicate that gaps and weaknesses in these legal frameworks hinder a comprehensive understanding and effective resolution of the problem.

Bride trafficking remains a disturbing reality in India, even though it’s officially illegal. Poverty and outdated cultural practices continue to push young girls into this exploitative cycle, robbing them of their basic rights and dignity. What’s even more heartbreaking is the role some parents play, turning a blind eye to their daughters’ suffering and treating them as mere commodities.

To put an end to this cruel practice, the government needs to enforce stricter laws with harsher punishments for traffickers and anyone who supports this system. Equally important is raising public awareness to help people understand just how damaging and illegal this is. By combining stronger legal action with widespread education, we can take meaningful steps toward eradicating bride trafficking and creating a safer, more just society for all girls.