While giving the english poetry in Kanyasulkam I found the following
data in the preface, printed in 1897 ( approximately hundred years back )
Incomplete table of marriages involving kanyasulkam was relased by
Vizainagam maharaja shows that
344 marriages in one year,
99 girls at age 5
44 at age 4
36 at age 3
6 at age 2
3 at age<1 350-400 rs was paid
some occassions the marriage was fixed during the pregnancy.
Sri Gurajada Appara Rao says
" Such a scandalous state of things is a disgrace to society,
and litearture can not have a higher function than to show up
such practices and give currency to a high standard of moral ideas........
............... . These considerations prompted me to compose KANYASULKAM."
( from Gurajada Rachanalu - Kanyasulkam Ed:Setti Eswar Rao, Visalandhra)
In my recent visit Sri Gollapudi Maruthi Rao told me that he conducted
his PRAJA VEDIKA, a T.V item brioning peoples discusiions on relevant
social issues, on VARAKATNAM in Vizainagaram. He gave the following data.
8 dowry related deaths in PER month in Vizainagaram district alone
( source EENADU daily reported news item)
SO WHAT IS THE ANDHRA WRITERS DOING ABOUT IT ? Can we look at such literature?