Steps against wife abuse will help curb violations

An interventionist mechanism for abused expat Indian women’s welfare is urgently needed

The proposal to impound the passports of Non-Resident Indians who abandon or abuse their wives is to be welcomed for opening the doors to what is hopefully a watertight legislation to come. The issue of scores of NRI women being abandoned or abused by their husbands with meagre legal or financial recourse has been a long-standing problem with severe social, emotional and psychological consequences for them, and sometimes, even for their children. Therefore, an iron-clad law, such as one that is authorised to divest the offender of his passport thus pinning him inside the circle of accountability, would be a great way to break this deadlock. Ancillary steps such as detailed information of the spouses on marriage registration forms, compulsory registration of NRI marriages with the Indian government, and creating a purpose-driven role for the External Affairs Ministry in this domain, can strengthen the efficacy of redressal. In effect, these steps will fill a critical lacuna — the absence of an interventionist mechanism for NRIs, which is what emboldens many offenders to begin with.

The proposal to increase aid to affected NRI women from $3,000 to $6,000 (Dh22,020) is a thicker silver lining but the need of the hour is to ensure violations are curbed using the right deterrents. Cases of spousal abandonment and abuse are quite high — in Dubai so far this year, 126 cases of marital disputes have been logged with the Indian mission — and therefore, the panel constituted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has posited a strong measure. No longer should an NRI offender have the comfort of assuming that the arm of the Indian law is not long enough to reach him here.