The Sociology of Silence in Indian Marriages #marriage #socialissues

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]It is better to have a divorced daughter than a dead one.

[00:00:03]The remark came during hearings linked to the suspicious death of Twisha Sharma, whose family has alleged dowry harassment and institutional bias in the investigation. According to the latest NCRB report, India recorded over 1.2 lakh cases of cruelty by husband or relatives in 2024 alone. That is the single largest category of crimes against women in the country. There were also more than 5,700 dowry deaths reported last year.

[00:00:30]Marriage in India is often treated not just as a relationship, but as a social institution tied to family honor, economic status, inheritance, caste, and gender expectations.

[00:00:42]In many households, women are still expected to adjust even when the marriage becomes emotionally, financially, or physically abusive.

[00:00:50]That is why violence inside marriage often stays invisible for years.

[00:00:55]Sociologists have long argued that patriarchy survives not only through laws, but through normalized everyday behavior. The pressure to stay silent, the fear of social stigma, the idea that saving the marriage matters more than saving the woman.

[00:01:09]And maybe that is the real shift happening in India right now. For decades, society asked women to protect the marriage. Now, more women are asking, "Who protects the woman inside the marriage?"

[00:01:20]Because when an institution becomes more important than the safety, dignity, and freedom of the person inside it, it becomes a social problem.