#CallForHelp: Three NRI wives call home for help every day
Getting their daughter married to an NRI might be a fantasy for many Indian parents, but things might not be as pleasant as they appear. During January'15-November'17, the MEA received 3,328 complaints from women against their NRI husbands. That's three cases every day, or one call for help every eight hours. Most complaints pertained to dowry, ill-treatment, physical torture or abandonment by husbands.
Most NRI wives come from Andhra, Telangana, Punjab and Gujarat
A large number of Indians, especially from Andhra and Telangana, make their way to the US each year, a preferred destination for women seeking NRI grooms. This region, as well as Punjab and Gujarat, is mostly where these women hail from, say those working with Indian missions abroad. Complaints come from women mostly from Andhra, Telangana, where the dowry system is still strong.
Not just MEA, other agencies too involved in handling cases
The cases are similar, stakeholders say. In one complaint the MEA received, a woman from Bahrain said she was stuck as her husband had destroyed her visa and wasn't allowing her to make calls. But not all complaints reach the MEA. Recently, a woman being harassed by her husband, a Qatar Airlines employee, contacted Chennai-based lawyer Sudha Ramalingam, who helped her get separated.
Indians' obsession with NRI grooms a big factor
Most complaints come from West Asian countries, US and Canada, agencies which handle such cases reveal. Reasons are several. The boys often accept their parents' wishes and get married, "but have no intentions of living with them" after returning, said Aarthi Rao, who worked with the Indian Embassy in Washington for 16 years. Sociologist Samata Deshmane attributed it to Indians' "obsession" with NRI grooms.
Here's what you can do if you need help
In February 2015, the MEA launched a grievance redressal portal called MADAD to handle cases like these. You can visit any Indian Mission and Post abroad or the MEA's Branch Secretariats in Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Kolkata to lodge a complaint. You can also do it online by visiting www.madad.gov.in. You will have to register yourself before filing a grievance.
