Times Now Navbharat launches anti dowry campaign Ab Bas

MUMBAI: The wedding band may still be playing, but behind too many decorated doors, the soundtrack is turning painfully sour. From affluent urban homes to seemingly progressive families, dowry harassment continues to lurk beneath the carefully curated image of the “perfect marriage” and Times Now Navbharat Digital now wants that silence broken, loudly and publicly. Responding to the growing number of dowry-linked abuse cases across the country, the digital news platform has launched a special awareness campaign titled “Ab Bas…”, aimed at sparking deeper conversations around marital abuse, misogyny, emotional coercion and the cultural conditioning that continues to burden women long after the wedding ceremonies end.

The campaign comes at a time when several high-profile incidents, including the Twisha Sharma and Deepika Nagar cases, have reignited public outrage over dowry-related harassment and violence. But the initiative argues that the issue stretches far beyond isolated headlines or financial demands. Instead, it points to a much deeper societal problem where women, despite becoming financially independent and professionally successful, are still expected to “adjust”, remain silent and carry the emotional weight of preserving marriages at any cost.

Through “Ab Bas…”, Times Now Navbharat Digital plans to move the conversation beyond crime reporting and focus on the social mindset that enables such abuse to survive across class divisions. The campaign will run across the platform’s website and social media channels including Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube, with a mix of expert conversations, awareness-led content and detailed reportage examining how institutions, authorities and society respond to such cases.

Rather than treating dowry harassment purely as a legal issue, the campaign places its spotlight on the emotional, psychological and cultural structures that often normalise abusive behaviour inside marriages. From financial manipulation and emotional intimidation to societal pressure and silence from families, the initiative aims to unpack the many invisible forms of abuse women continue to face behind closed doors.

The platform said the campaign will feature inputs from sociologists, psychologists and legal experts, alongside articles centred on women’s rights, marital relationships, mental health and legal awareness. The idea, according to the network, is not only to educate women about their rights but also encourage wider behavioural and cultural introspection within families and communities.

Importantly, the campaign also attempts to understand how younger generations are reshaping conversations around equality, consent, independence and dignity in relationships. While social attitudes around marriage may be evolving publicly, “Ab Bas…” questions whether traditional expectations around gender roles and marriage continue to quietly dominate private spaces.

This is not the first time Times Network has entered the social awareness space. The network had earlier launched “SafeHer Times”, an initiative focused on addressing misogyny, objectification and unsafe environments faced by women and young girls across the country. With “Ab Bas…”, the focus now shifts specifically towards marriage-related abuse and the silence that often surrounds it.

Leveraging its reach across multiple vernacular digital platforms, Times Now Navbharat Digital hopes to take the conversation beyond metropolitan audiences and into homes across Tier I, II and III markets. The campaign’s central message is simple but pointed dowry abuse is not somebody else’s problem tucked away in another household or another social class. It is a deeply rooted societal issue hiding in plain sight, and perhaps, as the campaign title suggests, one that has finally heard enough.