Dowry was abolished in India in 1961, so when an X user posted about a dowry calculator, it gained a lot of attention among users. But the calculator, hosted on Anupam Mittal's shaadi.com, has a hidden and powerful message that has struck a chord with people. The calculator asks users "How much dowry are you worth?" It then displays a photo of a professionally dressed man with images of a house, a globe, books and bags of money in the background. You will think it's actually a way to calculate the dowry amount. Well, read on.
Once users click on the 'Calculate Dowry Amount' button, they are taken to a page that reads, "91,202 dowry deaths were reported in India between 2001-2012. Do you still want to know?" It adds, "Is her life worth the price? Let's make India a dowry-free society. Be the change. Make a difference."
It is this message that has led to users praising the initiative. The calculator was shared by X user @DoctorHussain96 who said, "Initially was shocked to see Dowry calculator in Shaadi.com. 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 dowry worth, the 'calculator' shows the visitor stats about dowry deaths in India. Respect and wonderful idea @AnupamMittal," he added.
Other users also liked the idea.
"Shameful to see that people are still taking dowry in some form or other," commented one user. "Logged in accounts using the calculator should be reported to authorities. All accounts should require a signed affidavit saying they won't accept dowry in any form," said another.
"Fantastic! No one should ideally click on the 'Dowry calculator' in the portal. They should also show how many people have used the tool," said a third user.
Other users commented: "Deserves an award!" and "Dil jeet liya sahab".
The matrimonial site launched the innovative campaign against dowry more than a decade ago.
