Supreme Court clarifies that every gift given in marriage is not dowry . It is a well reasoned and well thought judgment . 

The reportage to this is here 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2747113.cms
The writing is by Dhananjay Mahapatra whose social understanding I had flayed earlier here 
where in Dhananjay had demanded that the farmer do a suicide rather then ask from help from his inlaws
http://genderindian.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/01/supreme-court-ruling-right-on-appasahebs-case.htm

A famous organisation which is famous for breaking chairs of High court judges and demanding that farmers commit suicide rather then ask for monetary help from inlaws is planning for a review of the judgment . Let us not be shy the name this organisation it is Aidwa who would rather have appa saheb commit suicde rather then ask for inlaws help. 

Now an important fact of marriage is that every demand is not dowry . 

Two extremes 

A husband demands that he be given a choclate otherwise he will not sit for marriage . 

A government official demanding a honda city failing which he will not marry . 

The first is absurd to take as dowry demand and the second one clearly is on . 

Now we start going in between marriage has expectations , demands .

If every demand is taken as demand for dowry then we will have very absurd situations

A child demanding an expensive mobile toy from his uncles wife may be treated as dowry demander . Is that the reason why every day one minor is put to jail 

Every NRI when he/she come back from abroad faces a lot of demands . I have personally seen NRI husbands go mad becuase his wifes brother demands an Ipod. Her sister demands an expensive Diamond set . Her brothers wife demands gold chain becuase it is cheap and her father demands a laptop . 

IF an NRI does not meet his demand he is flayed as being chikoo , kanjoos and not being in Style . 

Is that Dowry harassment ?

Becuae it has become customery experience for an NRI husband to face these demands else face emotional and mental stress

Let us look at other customery events 

Birthday 

If the husband has a birthday then can he not demand a small token of gift ? or should it be at Rs 11 . It is laughable becuase even for a childs birthday we today give atleast 100 to 150 worths gift. Even if the husband demands a gold chain of Rs 800 - 2000 rs worth  and cribs about kanjoosi or lifestyle 

Is it Dowry harassment  ?

Sisters marriage 
A wife would typically demand a gold necklace or armbands worth Rs 10000 to 250000 to go to her or his sisters wedding . Many a times this demand is made to her inlaws
As every husband knows failure to do so leads to denial of sex for atleast 2 months .
Shouldn't this be treated and the wife be arraigned under dowry harassment ?

Diwali gift 

A hudband or wife demand some gold from in-laws of either gender . This happens by both wife or husband 

A Dowry harassment ? 

A women demand that the husband provide her with a house spearating from his parents causing him economic hardship 

Or she demands that the husband move to a penthouse
and then casues a 120 decible in the house for the failure to do so

We r having situations illustrated clearly which fall in non dowry range but a review would not start making every demand a dowry demand . A dowry harassment ? I think so as it fall beyond resonable ?

So now what is a dowry demand ? 

A dowry demand is a demand for lifestyle or gift from either husbands family or wifes family which would cause economic hardship to husband or wife or husbands parents or wifes parents and is not asked in distress or as an SOS   

A customery demand of small gold chain or small household utility cannot fall under the category of dowry demand for events .

The appa sahebs judgement brought in reason and This  new judgment has brought in sense. 

It is now up to supreme courts hands do they want to listen to reason or to people who break chairs of judges  . The choice is theres .