‘Angry Brides’ Game Wages War On Dowry
The game by matchmaker shaadi.com inspired by the hugely popular ‘Angry Birds’ game sees players attack prospective grooms greedy for dowry with a variety of weapons, from a brick-red stiletto to a broomstick.
The three grooms an engineer, a doctor and a pilot dodge the attacks while demanding dowries starting at IRs 1.5 million ($30,000). Each time a player hits a groom, he or she wins money towards a virtual anti-dowry fund.
The game, available as a free application on Facebook, has already attracted more than 272,000 ‘likes.’
“Shaadi.com has always believed that marriage is an institution of love, where there is a place for togetherness, mutual understanding, family values and emotional support but not for dowry!” it said in a statement.
Paying and accepting a dowry in India has been illegal since 1961, but the centuries-old tradition of the bride’s parents presenting gifts of cash, clothes, jewellery, even appliances to the groom’s family remains strong. Demands for dowry often persist well past the wedding ceremonies, and in the worst cases, brides are tortured and even murdered if they or their parents do not comply. According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau in 2010, 8,391 women died in dowry-related deaths.
