The world comes crashing down for women abandoned by NRI husbands. However, a new centre in Gujarat has been giving them hope and helping them get back on their feet
When Usha Parikh left her lucrative job in a top IT company in Ahmedabad to marry a US-based NRI engineer, she had dreams in her eyes. But they soon crashed when she realized that her husband was an unlettered mechanic and an alcoholic at that.
Just three months after Rekha Shah, daughter of a Surat-based diamantaire, tied the knot with a Singapore doctor, the 29-year-old pregnant woman was desperate to return to India. Her life had become hell, as she was constantly beaten by her husband and in-laws for more dowry.
When Anju Patel got married to a London-based marketing executive following an internet romance, her joy knew no bounds. Six months back, she returned to her one-room home in Vadodara, abandoned by her husband.
There are many such distressing stories. In Punjab. And in Gujarat. Stories of girls who live on the wings of hope as they marry NRI husbands, their heads full of fancy dreams and their hearts filled with naïve optimism. Accounts of how their world comes crashing down as they are duped by unscrupulous and immoral husbands.
Gujaratis account for a major population of NRIs. But while Punjab has gained notoriety for cases of fraud by NRI grooms, similar cases are now coming to light in case of NRI grooms from Gujarat too.
Home amid despair
But all is not lost. An Ahmedabad-based Non-Resident Gujarati (NRG) Center, launched in November 2013, has been providing such women legal help.
This is in partnership with the Gujarat government and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). Ever since it began, harried wives and young mothers have been making frantic calls from abroad, while their worried parents in Gujarat have been rushing there for help.
The chairman of the center is Kulin Patel, former Indian high commissioner to Uganda and ambassador to Rwanda and Burundi. According to him, a majority of the cases are related to cheating or the husband deserting the wife, either for dowry or because of an extra-marital affair.
Many NRI women have met Patel and received succor. “Many men get married due to parental pressure and abscond right after the wedding. In other cases, the man may be having an affair with someone else. Some couples come back here after a year and the husband finds some excuse to fly back alone,” he says.
Seeing the plight of these young brides, Patel had formed an expert panel with IPS officer Anil Kumar Pratham, Gujarat High Court advocate Gopinath Amin and travel professional Manish Bhatt. All three have helped the girls in various ways.
Pratham orders investigations into various cases and even takes the help of Interpol. Bhatt, who has travelled the world, not only quickly sorts out visa-related problems, but also asks his advocate friends to give free consultation to these women.
Amin says that the victims rarely conduct a thorough background check of the groom. “The woman’s family feels that the boy’s side will be offended if they ask for his details, but they must know the complete address, contact numbers of at least two friends who live within the area and one contact number of a colleague of his,” warns Amin. Most of the time, the girls are young and ignorant of the laws of a foreign country.
To increase awareness, the NRG Centre has been distributing literature with useful tips about NRI marriages and organizing seminars.
Expanding support
Ramesh Rawani, who gave Rs 25 lakh as dowry for his abandoned daughter, says the process of seeking justice is complicated, as Indian laws do not apply to NRIs. Another parent, Parag Desai, says: “In about 30 percent of cases, the deserted wives live all by themselves and struggle to find a way to come back. Most are unaware of legal procedures. In some cases, US courts even declare a divorce through video conferencing.” However, NRG centres dotted all over Gujarat educate people about seeking legal help.
The central government, too, has taken steps over the years to check fraudulent NRI marriages. The external affairs ministry has set up a cell in each mission abroad to help such victims. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has launched an educational-cum-awareness campaign for the Indian brides and published a guidance pamphlet called Marriages to Overseas Indians. This is available in English, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Punjabi. It has published a booklet with information on safeguards available to women deserted by their NRI spouses, legal remedies available, authorities who can be approached and NGOs.
The ministry also provides financial assistance in developed and developing countries for filing cases in courts or for legal counseling through various NGOs.
Finally, distressed women have a shoulder to lean on.
—By Mahesh Trivedi
Illustration: UdayShankar