Dowry as a practice was abolished in India on May 1, 1961, and it was applicable to all religions. However, it took 63 years for the society to try and get rid of this malpractice. According to the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 6,450 dowry deaths occur in India in 2022. As dowry deaths and harassment cases are quite frequent in India, people were quick to react to the controversial dowry calculator. But this is not where the story ends. Shaadi. , a dating application backed by Anupam Mittal, the judge of Shark Tank India, has stirred up interest on social media for this sensational characteristic that prompts users to answer the question, “How much Dowry are you worth?”
The Controversial Feature
Shaadi. A feature that Com had introduced since the decade has come back for all the right reasons. This option features an illustration of a man in a suit with images of a study lamp, books, money bags, a globe, a house, and a car around him. Below this image, there is a form where people are asked to input their age, occupation, monthly income, level of education if they own a house, and where they live.
When the form is filled and the ‘Calculate Dowry Amount’ button is clicked, the users are taken to a video montage of a calculator. The page presents the figure 91,202, which signifies dowry deaths recorded in India between the year 2001 and 2012. It then asks, “Do you still want to know?” and “Is her life worth the price?” It concludes with an image of a physically abused married woman, captioned: The two slogans are: “Let’s make India a Dowry-Free Society” and “Be the Change. ”Make a difference!”
Social Media Reaction
The concerned tweet was posted by user @DoctorHussain96 on the social media platform X, where the user stated, “Initially was shocked to see Dowry calculator in Shaadi. com. One part of the site informs the users how much they are worth in terms of ‘dowry’. When you provide details such as educational qualification and income, you will be shocked. ” He appreciated Shaadi. com founder Anupam Mittal, and further said, “Respect and wonderful idea @AnupamMittal. ”
This post created a lot of discussion; within a few minutes, it attracted numerous comments. One said, “It is shameful to see that people are still taking dowry in some form or other!” Another said, “Brilliant!”Ideally, no one should be Web linking on the ‘Dowry calculator’ in the portal. They should also indicate how many people have used the tool.
The Purpose Behind the Dowry Calculator
Initially was shocked to see Dowry calculator in https://t.co/EQr0sQBWQD
A segment of the site show users how much they are worth in the ‘dowry’ stakes. When you enter your details like educational qualification and income, you are in for a surprise.
Instead of showing their… pic.twitter.com/a9jw1P3oBf
— The Cancer Doctor (@DoctorHussain96) May 19, 2024
Shaadi. This feature was launched by Com in 2011 as a significant social cause to address the issue of dowry. Clicking the page which was masquerading as a dowry calculator exposed the ugly side of dowry deaths. With the help of this campaign NGO Stree Mukti Sanghatana was working to eliminate this social menace from marriage.
An official from Shaadi. com said that the campaign raised awareness of the issue of dowry, which has been an issue for years. While the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had claimed the dowry calculator to be misleading in 2018, the Delhi High Court in 2023 called it “quite creative” to a plea.
Campaign India reported that Shaadi. com founder and CEO Anupam Mittal said he was saddened to see marital social issues. He explained that the goal of marriage is to find a life partner and provide support to one another, which dowry and domestic violence jeopardize.
Mittal further added that Shaadi. com, which is a leading online dating site, has the mission of assisting the victims of marital abuse. With Shaadi Cares, the platform educates its 30 million members about building marriages on equality and mutual respect.
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