NEW DELHI: Ace Indian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt may have won bronze at the London Olympics, but his latest gesture off the mat is truly worth its weight in gold as he chosen to swim against the tide and said no to the dowry.
Dutt, who is also a two-time Asian Games medallist, chose to take only a token Re 1 from his bride’s family ahead of his marriage on Monday. He is getting married to Sheetal Sharma, daughter of Haryana congress leader Jaibhagwan Sharma.
The reason for Dutt’s decision is inspiring. His family had suffered as they had to cough up huge sums as dowry for the daughters’ marriage. Dutt, who saw his parents’ plight, vowed as a youngster that he will take a stand to ensure his bride’s family did not suffer.
“I saw my family struggle to collect dowry for the girls of the family,” said the 34-year-old Dutt, who got engaged at Murthal in Sonipat on Saturday. “As a result, I decided on two things while growing up — I will excel in wrestling and I will not accept dowry. I have realised my first dream and now it’s time to keep my second promise.”
This is not the first time Dutt has taken a bold stand, when there was speculation that Dutt’s 2012 Olympics bronze medal might be upgraded to silver after the urine sample of the late Russian Besik Kudukhov, who had finished second, tested positive for a banned substance.
Yogeshwar said he wanted Kudukhov’s family to keep the silver medal. Besik died in a car accident in 2013, a year after the London Games. However, the situation didn’t arise as Dutt’s medal was never upgraded.
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