A lifeline for abandoned and abused NRI spouses
A website with data on the marriages of NRIs could be a single window of redress
The State is stepping in to provide relief to women abandoned by non-resident Indian (NRI) husbands. The ministry for women and child development is contemplating setting up a website on which registrars from states will upload details related to marriages between Indian women and NRI men. On December 21, external affairs minister VK Singh told Parliament that Indian missions abroad had received 3,328 complaints from women about marital disputes with their NRI spouses since 2015. In 2009, former NCW chairperson, Girija Vyas, had remarked that “out of 10 NRI marriages, two resulted in the wife being abandoned after honeymoon”. The picture doesn’t appear to have improved over the past few years.
Providing a single point of redress with a website that has data related to marriages of NRIs with Indian nationals could help the government tackle complaints with greater urgency. The site is likely to include advice on how to proceed with a case, approaching the Indian missions overseas and seeking assistance of empanelled lawyers and NGOs. At present, the measures include providing legal and financial aid ($3,000 in developed countries and $2,000 in developing ones) for women who are abandoned or face divorce proceedings within 15 years.
In September, a high-powered panel had recommended that husbands who harass or desert their wives face cancellation of their passports. Among the other suggestions was the creation of a nodal national mechanism involving the MEA, the home ministry and the National Commission of Women to deal with desertion by NRI husbands; and the inclusion of details such as the social security number and the address of the NRI spouse in the marriage registration certificate. The State’s intervention may prove to be a good support mechanism for women who have been wronged. Stringent measures may act like deterrents for those who think of abandoning or abusing their wives.