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INDIAN
WOMEN are facing another kind of mental and physical trauma
especially in the states of Punjab, Gujarat and Haryana where
incidences of fraudulent NRI marriages are on the rise. Every
month hundreds of cases are being reported in the media. The
National Commission for Women (NCW) receives several complaints
from desperate women abroad for being duped by their NRI husbands.
There are thousands of others, languishing in their village
home waiting for the call from America or Canada that never
comes. NRI brides are forced to put up with lying, cheating,
false promises, and unreasonable dowry demands; not to mention
divorce, desertion and abduction of children. According to
NCW there are nearly 15,000 women deserted by NRIs in Punjab
alone. Gujarat with a substantial NRI population also has
a large number of battered women in need of help. Women are
especially vulnerable in foreign country often without any
financial support. They have no one to turn at the time of
crisis.
The decision of ministry of Overseas Affairs to appoint volunteers
in countries with a high density of NRIs and PIOs to carry
out check of the grooms abroad has remained just on paper.
With globalisation the number of NRI-Indian marriages is on
the rise. It is sometimes impossible for the bride’s parents
in India to verify the credentials of the NRI grooms. What
is required is some institutional mechanism in order to get
some authentic information before these so called NRI marriages
are finalised. Indian missions should help out with the task
in conjunction with local NGOs and even come to the rescue
of victims of these fraudulent marriages. Police and law enforcing
agencies in India need to be more sympathetic in dealing with
them. FIR reporting should be made possible for the victims
from the influential families. The government needs to bring
in a comprehensive regulation to ensure that all the protection
accorded by the law to all Indian women with regard to -marriage,
divorce, maintenance, inheritance and custody of children
are applicable to victims of fraudulent NRI marriages as well.
NRINews
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