Marriages involving Non Resident Indian (NRI) grooms are turning fragile by the day, exposing an ugly social malaise that primarily afflicts northern states of Punjab and Delhi, and Andhra Pradesh in the south. Worse, the conviction rate is abysmally low due to the complexity that arises out of the jurisdiction involved in such cases.
The latest report by the overseas Indian affairs ministry shows that there is a month on month increase in the number of divorces filed this year. The ministry also registered a sharp increase in the number of cases registered by Indian women against harassment and desertion by their spouses: from 381 cases reported in March 14, 2012 the figure jumped to 418 by June 30.
A puritan social mindset that prefers NRI grooms over their desi counterparts hasn’t helped. Many Indian families prefer NRI grooms, and see them as an opportunity to advance their socio-economic status. Few families, however, run due diligence checks on the grooms. As a result, many of these marriages are turning out to be a traumatic experience for the brides once they leave India.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) report reinforces the overseas ministry data. The NCW report too shows that till January 31, 2011, 540 complaints related to Indian women deserted by their overseas husbands were reported and the complaints increased to 843 by February 5, 2012.
Blaming complex jurisdiction for the inflating number of cases, Gurpreet Kumar Deo, inspector general of Punjab police, NRI affairs and community affairs division, says, “We get many complaints and also face a lot of problems due to complexities in jurisdictions. I strongly believe that prevention is better than cure so, people should be aware before permitting such marriages.”
As per the overseas ministry report Punjab, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh registered the highest number of complaints from Indian women against their NRI husbands. While Punjab reported 101 such complaints, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh had 74 and 42 cases respectively.
Concerned by the rising number of fraud NRI wedding cases, Praveen Sharma, member of the Punjab state commission for women, says, “The number of cases could actually be greater as many victims still do not get the opportunity to complain. We need to spread awareness so that more people step out and register their complaints.”
More than legal recourse, what’s needed is a change of social mindset. “Changing the mentality of people will take some time because the whole community believes that NRI grooms are better than grooms in India,” adds Sharma from the Punjab state commission for women.
As per a NCW report, the maximum number of complaints relating to NRI marriages were registered from India followed by the US and Australia.
Summing up the irony about NRI marriages in India, Dr Ranjana Kumari, director at Centre for Social Research, says, “Indian parents send their daughters abroad in order to extend their business and assets. But in the end the bride is left alone to bear all the consequences.”
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