Beef Vindaloo

India’s largest and oldest insurance agency, Life Insurance Corporation has announced a special, co-branded coverage program for Indian brides who pick their husbands from shaadi.com, one of the country’s most well-known online groom shopping catalogue. Under this special scheme, LIC will provide full, comprehensive insurance coverage for brides who emigrate to the United States with their husbands immediately after the wedding. In the event of the bride being dumped, she will be flown back to India at no extra cost to her. In addition, her visa costs will be refunded and her shaadi.com account will be reactivated free of cost and she will be provided with 10 prospective groom contacts free of charge.

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to protect Indian brides from being exploited by Indians,” said T.S.Vijayan, Chairman of LIC India. “Even though this sounds like a losing proposition, LIC will be able to make truckloads of profit from the scheme.” While the insurance premium will be decided on a case-by-case basis for brides across communities, the payout will remain similar. For example, brides marrying Bihari grooms would get a full payout on being dumped and brides married to Bengali and Keralite men would get the next highest payout in case they get divorced.

Registered prospective brides of shaadi.com hail this move as being extremely forward thinking. Orkut’s shaadi.com community has been overflowing with comments from users. Nice_Girl_234 said, “Earlier my parents would not dream of me marrying outside our wholesome Gujarati community, now they are encouraging me to find a good Bihari boy. But I am asking them: What is a good Bihari boy. LOL” Her sentiments were echoed by Homely_Aunty_303 who said, “Suddenly there is so much to look forward to in married life. I don’t know about America but shaadi.com is definitely the land of opportunity.”

Anupam Mittal, CMD of shaadi.com is confident that this scheme would not be abused. “We have had people suggest that women might get married to incompatible men, which would inevitably result in divorce and then they would get paid.” Mittal believes that these people are being unnecessarily pessimistic, “If you think about it, is there such a thing as a comptabile Bihari man? Compatible with what? And if there is a woman who would marry and divorce a Bihari man then she should not only receive the payout but also a mdeal for bravery above and beyond the call of duty as well.”

LIC has reported that a whopping 18,548 women have signed up for this scheme in the first day of it being announced. Each application will be reveiwed on a case by case basis and approved accordingly. “The internet is a great way for us to connect with a new generation of insurance buyers,” said Vijayan, “hopefully this scheme will be the first of several offerings for our loyal customers.”

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