Hey is your phone ringing?? March 12, 2007

Being a frequent visitor of moia and ncw sites, recently I came across something interesting that is damn good news for Indian women deserted by NRI men. Point to be noted…more applicable to the notorious class of NRI men on H1 visa who are famously infamous for the huge racket called Fraudulent NRI marriages. NRI fraudulent marriages.

This bit of superb news is something that will hit them so hard that all doors will be closed on them now. They have been cornered already by the red alert notices and more now with the following:

Go on and read here for all the details :

Welfare of Indian Women Married to NRIs/PIOs

38.10: The Committee was told by large sections of the Diaspora about the need to prevent abuse of Indian women married to NRIs/PIOs. We strongly recommend that a special cell should be created in the proposed new organization to handle Diaspora issues with the mandate to assist in the provision of free legal counseling for the families of girls contemplating marriage to NRIs/PIOs. Such families should be advised to check the voter or alien registration card of such NRIs/PIOs, their social security number and tax returns for the preceding three years. The bridegroom should be asked to given them an affidavit stating his current marital status. That document should be attached to the application for marriage registration. This should be mandatory prerequisite to the issuance of a marriage registration certificate. This procedure would considerably bring down cases of misinformation and fraudulent marriages. The Committee has drawn strength from the Supreme Court decision in the case of Smt. Neeraja Saraph vs. Shri Jayant Saraph, where the court had suggested the need to consider legislation safeguarding the interests of women. It has suggested three specific provisions namely,

1) No marriage between an NRI and an Indian Woman, which has taken place in India, may be annulled by a foreign court

2) Provision may be made for adequate alimony to the wife in the property of the husband both in India and abroad

3) The decree granted by Indian courts may be made executable in foreign courts both on the principle of comity and by entering into reciprocal agreements like section 4A of the Civil Procedure Code which makes a foreign decree executable as it would have been a decree passed by the court.

If the above comes through and is implemented, then any scope or fancy desire to remarry subsequent to unceremoniously dumping the Indian wife and that also after gulping a big fat dowry, will now only be a desire that will cease to exist.

Because India is NOT going to accept divorces that are granted in foreign land. With that the NRI man can forget about the alternative to remarry in this lifetime.

If this was not enough, go on and read here — SCHEME FOR THE WELFARE OF WOMEN DESERTED BY THEIR OVERSEAS INDIAN SPOUSES

The objective of the scheme is to provide some financial assistance to needy women in distress who have been deserted by their overseas Indian spouses for obtaining counseling and legal services. The term “Overseas Indian” would include NRIs and foreign citizens of Indian origin.

The NRIs on H1s and their heinous crimes are being uncovered everyday, and more aid is coming for the Indian woman harassed/tortured in foreign land.

The holiday marriage syndrome that came with a fat dowry is nearing its painful death. I can visualize the H1 dowry-seeking culprits now calling their wives and pleading her to return. Ever since the red alert notices have been declared, the pleadings have increased. Needless to say with this scheme, it is going to happen twice as more. As it is no ADCD woman gives the time of her day to even glance at the H1 man who dips his tortilla chips twice in salsa (yikes). And why will any other sane intelligent woman marry a guy who is not legally divorced and ask for trouble!!

With no option of remarriage in India, the only option left for the NRI man and his cult is to call back the wife, seek forgiveness and beg her to come back.

My estranged half is calling me non-stop and trying to strike a deal with me since the past couple of months.

Hey….is your phone ringing?? Check it out

By Kiran

Indian Marriage Stamp–is YOUR passport stamped? February 2, 2007

It is getting better and better for us and tougher and tougher for all the NRI men who have all these years been sadistically enjoying the “holiday syndrome”, its benefits, its perks and the free fat dowry that comes with it. The process of marrying a desi naïve girl, grab the dowry, and dumping her will soon be a thing of the past. It is time to face the law of the land. HOW? The lady that he marries needs to have passport her stamped with the details such as date and place of marriage and most important WHO she has married which will provide her legal sanctity in the foreign country where she can prove (if the need arises) that she is the legally wedded wife and not visiting for tourism purposes.

All those sly NRI men who claim that they want to marry a desi girl to retain the culture…crap crap crap and once they marry, receive the fat dowry—what they actually seek, then in no time desert and dump their wives viciously. Numerous such NRI men who have committed these heinous acts are now absconding, in fact several of them have gone into hiding ever since the red alert notices were issued. Several of them have legal trails waiting for them in India but refuse to come to face them, and ironically still claim to be innocent!!!

Newly wedded brides from India must insist on having their passports stamped and also check the background of the boy, research his family background from his neighborhood. The WCD suggests once the marriage has taken place, the bride and her family members must be adamant on registering the marriage.

The suggestion has been received with some resistance from NRI men. WHY? What is there to be afraid of? Why are they nervous? Are their intentions not clear? Are their thoughts not honest? Do they have surreptitious cunning motives? What are those? Marry and dump? Seek fat dowry? Dump? Marry again? Again seek dowry?

Well well….. time to get the passport stamped where you can boast of being part of sacred pact called – Marriage!!!…..Ahhh…..Indian Marriage

Details are as follows……….

NEW DELHI: Indian women who marry NRIs will now get legal proof of their wedlock if the government has its way.

The ministries of women and child development (WCD) and overseas Indian affairs are pushing for a mandatory certification of marriage on the wife’s passport.

A substantial number of Indian marriages are not registered and therefore do not have legal sanctity.

This makes it easy for NRIs to desert or abandon their wives or withhold alimony on the pretext that the marriage is not legal.

Under the proposal, the WCD ministry wants a stamp on the woman’s passport certifying that she is married and not merely leaving the country for tourism purposes.

The proposal was discussed at a recent meeting between WCD minister Renuka Chowdhury and overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi.

The WCD ministry had suggested last year that registration of marriages be made compulsory but it met stiff resistance from the law ministry.

“We are still demanding that marriage registration be made mandatory for all religions, at least in states where NRI marriages are incre-asing. But till such a legislation comes through, we are also looking for other options,”a source said.

The ministry is also planning amendments in Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code which details mental and physical cruelty against a wife and reasons for desertion. “We want to strengthen the Act,”the source said.

The government will also work on pacts with other countries to get husbands who have abandoned their wives in India deported.

The ministries are keen to harmonise legislation with countries like US and UK – that have a substantial Indian diaspora – so that Indians would be tried under Indian laws.

The impact could be far-reaching – the Indian diaspora includes over 16 lakh people in the US and around 12 lakh in the UK.

Officials said an increasing number of complaints were received from states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala of girls being abandoned or cheated by their NRI husbands.

The complaints from residents of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi deal with abandonment, abuse, unmet dowry demands and lack of awareness while women from south Indian states like Andhra and Kerala are taken to the Gulf on the excuse of marriage only to be pushed into prostitution or forced to work as housemaids in pathetic conditions.

By Vidhya M.S

Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2007 January 10, 2007

The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2007, which was held in Delhi from Jan 7th to Jan 9th has brought some additional respite for the Indian wives who have been ill-treated by their NRI husbands, beaten, tortured and abused in foreign lands.

Women are held enslaved by their NRI husbands in his house, cut off from the world outside or even thrown out in the middle of the cold night with no money or financial aid by their NRI husbands in foreign lands. All of these are some sadistic ways to torture his wife.

The reasons are several… either non-fulfillment of dowry demands, or when the woman questions her husband when she discovers that her husband already had a previous wife, or the husband is a divorcee and hid this fact from her, or he married her only for money and dowry, or the wife realizes the bitter truth that she was lied to that she could work abroad legally. All this creates disputes and the consequences are severe that she is tormented easily because she has no family of hers in the foreign land and is totally at the mercy of her husband.

On Oct 20th 2006, Interpol had issued a record 300 red alert notices to trace NRI husband who were wanted by the Indian government for harassing their wives. This created ripples of fear amongst Indian NRI husbands and sent up a shiver up their spines.

And now the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2007 has already kicked off the New Year with a great victorious commencement for Indian women all thanks to the efforts of Renuka Chaudhury and her infinite supporters. Once again the unity of woman has yielded results. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas aims at bringing the expertise and knowledge of the Indian overseas community to India and integrating it into India’s development process.

On Jan 8th the following session was held at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, Delhi:

Working Session 17 – WOMEN
The Gender Development Index of UNDP places India at 98 with an index of 0.586 (2003). In India, the Gender ratio is 97/100. For 0-6 age group it is 927/1000.

In rural India, on an average, per day, a male casual labourer earns Rs 56.53, and a female Rs 36.15. In urban India, males earn Rs 75.51 per day and women Rs 44.28.

Maternal mortality rate per 100000 live births is 407 in 2001, down from 437 in 1991.
These are figures, which put in sharp relief the need to put quality of life of women as a priority in the development agenda of the country.
This session outlines the priority areas of intervention for improving the plight of women in India, with special emphasis on areas, where the Indian Diaspora can play a part.
Moderator : Anu Aga, Director, Thermax Ltd, and Chairperson, CII’s Women’s Empowerment Committee
Chief Guest: Renuka Choudhury, Minister of State of Women and Child Development
Guest of Honour : Girija Vyas, Chairperson, NCW
Panel :
Sushmita Ghosh, President, Emeritus, Ashoka, USA
Prema Cariappa, Member of Parliament
Brinda Karat, Member of Parliament
Rajani Patil, Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board *
Renuka Chaudhury is in talks with US and UK officials for changing the existing treaties in order to ensure that Indian laws apply to people no matter where they reside. So that if Indian citizens ill-treat their wives or violate the law, they can be recalled to India. This has sent shock waves amongst all the guilty absconding NRI husbands who are wanted in NRI fraudulent marriages scams.

Marry-and-dump NRIs may face Indian law:

NEW DELHI: For NRIs tempted by the ‘holiday wife’ syndrome, this could be a reality check. Indians living abroad who ill-treat or desert their wives may now have to face Indian laws. The government is in parleys with the US and UK to bring about changes in the legal framework to enable speedy prosecution of such grooms in this country.

Speaking at a session on women’s issues at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2007, minister for women and child development Renuka Chowdhury said, “I am in talks with US and UK officials for changing the existing treaties between us to ensure that Indian laws apply to people no matter where they reside. So that if Indian citizens ill-treat their wives or violate the law, they can be recalled to India.”

The impact could be far-reaching — the Indian diaspora includes over 16 lakh people in the US and about 12 lakh in the UK.

Chowdhury said an increasing number of complaints have been received from states like Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala of girls being abandoned or cheated by their NRI husbands. “They (NRIs) can’t just marry and not accept responsibility for their families,” she added.

The overseas Indian affairs ministry has received complaints from about 30,000 women who have either been deserted after marriage or been cheated by the groom’s families.

CPM politburo member Brinda Karat said the number of deserted women in the Doaba region of Punjab alone was about 15,000. She suggested close networking with women’s organisations and community participation as a solution. A formal network would provide background checks on the grooms and a legal framework will help women outside the shores of India. Karat also recommended that officials in Indian missions abroad should be sensitised to these problems.

The year sure has kicked off with an enormous triumphant start already. Hopefully more red alert notices will be issued against these absconding criminals and their sadistic games will come to end soon. They can run and hide like cowards but they will be hunted down. They have to come to India to face music and trial!

The unity of women now will show the world its results.

By Ash

Aid by Indian Govt for NRI wives January 5, 2007

The Indian government is finally comprehending the pathetic plight of NRI wives who have been conned by their conniving husbands in foreign land. The government is taking concrete measures to curb this and bring some justice and legal aid to these women who have been displaced and abused as one of the immediate welfare measures.

The best part is that the assistance will be provided to NRI women as well as foreign citizens of Indian origin. Hence the women of have taken to US citizenship will also benefit with this aid. Which I think is absolutely awesome.

Govt to help women left in lurch abroad

NEW DELHI 30th Dec 2006: In its bid to assist Indian women who have either been deserted or divorced by their husbands overseas within a year of marriage, the government has finalised a scheme to provide them free legal and counselling services.

The ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) proposes to introduce this scheme in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Gulf. The assistance will be provided to NRI women as well as foreign citizens of Indian origin.

The ministry will involve credible women’s organisations and NGOs working in these countries and give them financial assistance to the tune of $1,000 for every woman they assist. The organisations will be expected to provide documentation and initial work for legal proceedings and counselling for the deserted woman.

“The objective of the scheme is to provide free advisory and legal services to women of Indian origin in distress as a welfare measure. Legal services would be provided by a panel of community advocates through credible Indian associations and women’s organisations,” an official said.

The scheme, firmed up at a high-level meeting in the ministry, will cover women deserted in India or overseas within one year of their marriage or divorce proceedings initiated by the husband within one year of marriage. Legal aid will also be provided if there is an ex-parte decree of divorce or annulment of the marriage is obtained by the husband and a case of maintenance or alimony is required to be filed.

Ministry officials said the proposal would be circulated among Indian community associations by the missions concerned for information and publicity and sent to women’s groups and NGOs inviting them to apply for impanelment under the scheme. The applications received from women seeking assistance will be examined by a committee in the ministry. Based on the scrutiny and approval of the ministry, the cases will be recommended to the missions for giving assistance to women in distress.

The government’s decision to put in place the assistance mechanism comes in the wake of increasing number of complaints of Indian women who opt for NRI marriages but are abandoned or ill-treated by their husbands.

This is a wonderful initiative taken by our government who has realized that all is not hunky dory in the foreign land. All that glitters is definitely not gold. I am sure several abused women will benefit from this assistance.

By Purple A

My anecdote November 22, 2006

That fateful month (at that time I thought it was the best time of my life), when an alliance came for me. My parents were then only to keen to marry me and see me settled in life. They did some research on the boys family through common friends and were satisfied with the results. By then I had completed my masters and was open to meeting with this person, to check out if we clicked. Well he came down from USA(ahh…yes the US of A) for 2 weeks. We met, dated a few times and I can plainly say that our thoughts matched. He was educated and so was I and I didn’t have any other expectations or fancies. We got engaged and next year married again within those famous 14 days. My parents arranged everything with no qualms. (today when I look back I wonder why my parents so voluntarily arranged everything. Okay, they were being generous but did not the boys side have any onus to take some responsibility too after all was he not their child just the way I was my parents child? Oh yes…how can I forget, we are girls side !!!

I reached USA and was taken to our apartment. The first few months passed by peacefully and we very much enjoying our honeymooning phase. Shall I call this the silence before the storm? Then came the expectations. He wanted $25000 from my parents that too to be transferred to his account immediately. Initially I did not comprehend why? I was worried that something was wrong, that he was some of serious trouble and therefore he was in dire need of finances. He did not say anything. He wanted the money and asked me to bring it. Obviously my parents did not have $25000 to give away and neither was I going to request my parents. I coaxed him further to get to the bottom of this. It was worrying him no end. Though my husband refused to tell me why he needed the money, I then suggested to him that he use his savings. He had a comfortable 6 digit salary and enough savings from his years of work experience in USA. That was when I received my first slap for this suggestion. And more slaps complete with abuses followed.

My world came to a stand still.

I went into mourning for several weeks. Loathed to get up in the morning because to me sleep was a get away from the reality. Went early to bed to avoid him. He kept demanding it aggressively now and I kept refusing it until I would get a valid explanation from him. He would slap me, punch me and assault me. I had nowhere to go. But one question still haunted me “why did he need $25000?” I had no one to talk to either. Our landline was disconnected and so was my internet connection. Obviously I had no money now and was completely at his mercy. In his absence I use to agonize, think to no end and ask whys. The word ‘dowry’ striked me once and I denied the thought. A guy who has 6 digit salary, what would he do with a mere $25000. It did not make sense to me. But that was the only answer that kept coming back to me.

I took a bus once to go to the Indian market, sold a pair of gold bangles that my parents had gifted me to get some money for myself. The following week I found out I was pregnant and informed him the same. He was absolutely unhappy. I requested him to take me to the doctor and he said he had no money to spend on an unwanted child. He convinced and threatened me that if I don’t have an abortion done he would tell my parents the truth about our marriage. I thought the news of the child would mellow him but it only got worst. He got more violent and cohesive with his demands. With the stress, the tensions, his sadistic behavior, his violence, his threats, his aggressiveness, his abuse I had no choice.

One night when I was asleep, excruciating pain in my left ear awakened me. I put my hand over it to and felt something wet. I saw my husband next to me, staring at me. I hurried to the bathroom to see what was going on with my ear and as I faced the mirror I saw my ear bleeding and blood pouring down my neck. For the first few seconds everything went blank before my eyes. I felt nothing. I was jolted to my senses ruthlessly when my husband was pulling my hair and almost ready to bang into the door. He kept asking for the $25000, threatening me and abusing me. Most part of the night I was thrown from one corner to another corner. I begged him to stop, for the sake of humanity to stop. He asked me point blank for the money. To safe myself, I offered to call my parents so that I could make the request to them. He happily obliged and I made the call. My parents knew something was wrong but I did not care now. Sooner or later they would know and they would be glad to have their daughter back alive (atleast).

After the call, he went of to sleep as if nothing had happened. Once again I felt the excruciating pain on my ear and I realized that it he who had pulled the earrings off my ear while I was asleep—and that lead to the bleeding.

The man that I had married, the promises we exchanged to spend a lifetime, to protect each other, would attack me viciously when I would be asleep!! I mean what kind of a human being thinks of this or does this? Till date I cannot fathom what was he thinking when he attacked me this way or how such a thought can cross any human beings mind.

I waited for the sun to rise. It was the longest wait of my life. He went to work as if nothing had happened. That was the last I saw of my educated civilized husband who worked in an IT company in USA.

I packed some of my basic things, called for a cab( oh yes little did I ever know that my mother would come to my timely rescue—her gifted bangles to me) and once gain back to the Indian market, sold some more jewelry of my parents, enough to buy me a ticket back home. To the airport and waited for the flight.

Once in India, I directly went to my parents’ house and told them all, just the way it was, the whole thing. My father was the strongest. We consulted a lawyer and filed the appropriate cases on him. . His parents were livid with rage when they had to appear in court. They had no remorse or any guilt at their sons doing or actions. To me it felt that they were rather unhappy that they did not get their $25000.

He still has not retuned back to India. It has been years. Initially he called me with his usual threats that he will take me to task for daring to file the case on him. The criminal cases are still in court and will remain there and I will see to it they remain there. Today I have my own life, happy, I work, I earn and I am free. I can travel to any country. Unlike him—that irritates him know no end that his freedom is restricted. I pay my lawyers regularly, thinking that they are my kids on whom I spend my money on(if I had one I would have spent on him/her right?) who by the way reluctantly accept any, and have clearly expressed my intentions to them. He needs to got to jail the minute he lands here. The fear of this will never make him return to his home country–which is fine by me too. If he is innocent then he is welcome to come and fight for it. I want justice. I WILL get justice

*************************************************************

Currently he is a member of a disreputable immoral mens group that exists here and Usa too, who claim to be on a rampage to save the Indian marriage and culture. Their rantings and sadistic intentions are well known to everyone. Obviously this is only a farce, a charade by them and the actual motto of this group is to abolish dowry laws and domestic violence laws that hinders their freedom of speech, plans, action and materialistic demands.

I and many others who have been through this trauma and ordeal we will get justice in this lifetime. Recently the DV act came into existence. Surely it will give many woman solace and some respite. Spread the word, as most rural women do not even know about it.

A survivor – A woman

Suggestions needed!! November 13, 2006

Friends,

On one of the articles, we received a very supportive response where a police sergeant Vanessa Robinson has volunteered and needs our feedback/leads/inputs on how she can help the several NRI brides who are abandoned ruthlessly by their husbands. She is reaching out to us for any specific messages or guidelines we may have to convey to her so that she can address the issue appositely.

Her response:

Hi ladies and gents

This is not your usual posting but I need your feedback.

I am a police sergeant from Leicester in England UK. I have the strategic lead for domestic violence. The city where I work is very culturally diverse and there are many black minority ethnic communities. Recently I have noticed more cases of NRI marriages with brides being abandoned immediately or living with the groom only to find herself abused as the groom asks for more dowry in exchange for her safety. I know this has probably gone on for some time now and reaching out to the victims is a hard task for all the reasons from mistrust of the police, lack of understanding but worse still because of the isolation these women are kept in. I am only just coming to terms with the magnitude of the problem, especially the NRI cheat marriages where the groom disappears with the dowry, this is so cruel! I am giving a talk about NRI marriages on the 20th November in Leicester during the National Domestic Violence Week. The day looks at numerous BME issues with an emphasis on so called honour crime. Even my local paper has shown an interest.

What messages do you want me to send to the audience? I am trying to scope a police response to these various issues and would welcome any (sensible!!) responses.

Hopefully if I find some help here I am happy to discuss some of my other work around HBV.
I am a white British female with children of my own, but I care passionately about women who find themselves in such dire conditions irrespective of their ethnic background.

The message is, that society is gradually waking up to these cruel practices and if I can make just a small difference, it will be a start.

Feel free to leave a response, before Thursday if possible!!

Regards
Vanessa

Hunted down-finally October 24, 2006

After years of relentless exertion and efforts of numerous officials from all walks of life, infinite media exposure & support, treaties that were signed between countries and finally NOW comes the implementation part. The most awaited part of the whole process. The day has finally arrived and it is here, that will bring relief to all those battered wives who were victims of NRI fraudulent marriages, who have waited for years patiently. Their prayers have finally been answered.

The time has come for the absconding NRI husbands to come back to their home country India to face trail. The home coming time is here.

1)The first one to return will be Vegi Raju Venkata Suryanarayana Raju. A case was booked against him in Connecticut in US after his wife Aruna’s father, a resident of Sri Nagar Colony, lodged a complaint.

2) A red corner notice was issued recently against Saheedar Seshagiri, a software engineer in New Jersey, who allegedly harassed his wife for dowry. CID booked a case against him after his wife Dr D. Sirisha’s parents lodged a complaint. US officials impounded his passport on the letter
given by CID.

3) A red corner notice was issued against Eddepalli Prabhakar Reddy, a native of Anantapur residing in US, for bigamy and cruelty against women.

Interpol aids AP husband-hunt

Hyderabad, Oct. 20: Interpol has issued a record 300 red corner notices to help Andhra Pradesh police trace NRI husbands who are wanted for harassing their wives. In fact, majority of the suspects being hunted by the AP police in foreign countries are crooked hubbies. Extradition of about 27 of these suspects is in the final stages and one of them is to be sent back to the State very soon by the United States authorities.

CID deputy-inspector general S. Umapati said that the ministry of external affairs had forwarded extradition papers in several other cases to countries such as the US and the UK. “The US federal government has sent them to States where the NRI husbands are hiding,” he said. The first suspect being send back to India is Vegi Raju Venkata Suryanarayana Raju. A case was booked against him in Connecticut in US after his wife Aruna’s father, a resident of Sri
Nagar Colony, lodged a complaint.

Curiously enough, there are only a handful of suspects wanted in cheating and murder cases hiding abroad. Almost 90 per cent of the red corner notices issue by the Interpol was for cheating husbands. For instance, a red corner notice was issued recently against Saheedar Seshagiri, a software engineer in New Jersey, who allegedly harassed his wife for dowry.

CID booked a case against him after his wife Dr D. Sirisha’s parents lodged a complaint. US officials impounded his passport on the letter given by CID. Last month, a red corner notice was issued against Eddepalli Prabhakar Reddy, a native of Anantapur residing in US, for bigamy and cruelty against women. “Most of these cases involve harassment of brides for dowry,” said N. Radha, a marriage counsellor. “In some cases, the husbands have abandoned their wives.
There have been instances of wives discovering that their husbands had other wives abroad”.

Some wives who went abroad were subjected to physical and mental torture by the husbands. Others found themselves out of wedlock through ex-parte divorce. A top police officer said that extradition of criminals from the US had become easier after the signing of the mutual legal assistance treaty in 2001. “AP police has got much expertise in extradition process,” he said. “The extradition of Krushi scamster Kosaraju Venkateswara Rao from Thailand was a
milestone”.

Mr Umapathi pointed out that though Punjab had the largest number of cases relating to NRI husbands ditching their wives it was for AP that the most number of red corner notices were issued. “The trauma that abandoned wives and their families undergo is terrible,” he said. “In some cases, NRI husbands patch up with their in-laws after notices are issued”. Even if one such NRI husband was brought back to face trial, it would send a strong message, he added.

Thanks to the efforts of CID deputy-inspector general S.Umapati who has made this possible. He is right, that even if one NRI husband were taken to task by the law, justice would eventually be served to that one woman. This will give optimism to several other victims who have gone through the tedious waiting process for decades unwearyingly, that justice will be served to them also someday soon….very very soon.

Hope our Indian media will once again continue to cover these cases with zeal and sincerity so that these culprits realize that they are under sharp public scrutiny also.

By Ash

Some respite for NRI wives October 23, 2006

I keep coming across of NRI fraudulent marriages all the time, more and more such of these incidents are daily reported to various organizations and some even appear in news sections. Women are held enslaved by their NRI husbands in his house, cut off from the world outside or even thrown out in the middle of the cold night with no money or financial aid by their NRI husbands in foreign lands. All of these are some sadistic ways to torture his wife.

The reasons are several… either non-fulfillment of dowry demands, or the woman questions her husband when she discovers that her husband already had a previous wife, or the husband is a divorcee and hid this fact from her, or he married her only for money, or the wives realizes the bitter truth that she was lied to that she could work. All this creates disputes and the consequences are severe that she is tormented easily because she has no family of hers in the foreign land and is totally at the mercy of her husband.

But with the relentless endeavors of Girija Vyas, NCW and many more who are dedicated to bring the culprits to India to face trial. She was recently in UK on a 5-day successful trip and held talks with officials in the Indian high commission in UK. This could also result in setting up of a welfare cell soon that will act as a resource centre for victims. She pressed for a protocol to protect victims of dowry harassment and domestic violence in NRI marriages.

This is what British foreign and commonwealth office (FCO) had to say : “They found that a large number of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were victims of “forced marriages”, but complaints from Indians range from abandonment, dowry harassment to domestic violence.

Officials stress the need for coordination between offices in the two countries”.

Girija Vyas suggested “that NCW, in coordination with the ministry of overseas Indian affairs(MOIA), share data on men and women migrating to the UK after marriage and a similar list be given by the British counterparts to India. This will thus protect victims of dowry harassment and domestic violence in NRI marriages.”

After the powerful seminar held by Anu Peshawar in Delhi and massive awareness by MOIA , all of this has already created a stir and nervousness amongst the perpetrators. And now with this good news and plan by Girija Vyas, it has frustrated and aggravated them no end and they are running to hide. I can clearly see them faltering and little do they realize that the world is round and one day they will have to return to India to face the trail.

For more details and good news read here

Seems like this Diwali has got some respite for all NRI wives.

By Ash

Awareness-NRI marriages October 9, 2006

The rise in NRI fraudulent marriages is seemingly increasing by the day. Young educated girls arrive in USA with big dreams only to realise they are tied to their husbands for each and every thing. They leave their lucrative jobs thinking they will have an alternative career here only to face some acidic truth that some of them are not even eligible have a driver’s license, bank account or even a library membership (in order to get library membership they need prove of mailing address-which they do not even have that because who would mail them anything)

Anu Peshawaria, who is running a legal NGO Seva in California is conducting several seminars to bring about awareness about NRI marriages and break some illusions.

She’s stated some absolutely appalling incidents and one of them being the husband divorced the wife, who was on an H-4 visa. She had to immediately leave the country but did not want to leave behind her child who was only six weeks old.

The seminars shall provide awareness about the immigration laws that can be attended by all NRI girls and her parents.

By Preeti

Fraudulent NRI marriages September 29, 2006

The NRI grooms who come down to India to marry with selfish intentions show big dreams to the young girls only to break them. They come , select a girl, portray a false picture and expect a wedding to be arranged in those famous 14 days.

It is only a beginning., the girl leaves her parents , relatives and entire support system and embarks on a journey to an unknown land without realizing that very soon the big picture will unfold and all hell is going to break loose on her. The rise in the NRI fraudulent marriages is alarming . The problems of women married to and deserted by overseas Indian husbands reveal many causes like dowry and lack of modernization amongst rural brides to respond to the Western way of life. Most NRI men for the greed of dowry call up the girl’s parents and emotionally blackmail them to transfer money to his accounts. The helpless parents have not many options. They do realize that if they fail to meet the demands, the SIL may just file for a divorce in foreign land thus abandon the wife in the middles of no where or worst they may never see their daughter alive again !!!!

For more information and to see the actual picture of NRI marriages read here &; here

But lately there has been some respite to this misfortune, and several resolution offered by MOIA and NCW combined . One of the ways is bring about awareness, so that vulnerable brides to be do not fall prey to such conceiting NRI grooms.

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) organized one day National Consultation on problems concerning marriages to overseas Indians. The purpose of the National Consultation was to take into account the perspectives of various stake holders and make use of their practical experience in finalizing a booklet for the guidance of women planning to get married to overseas Indians. The consultation was organized in five different sessions including inaugural session.Inaugural Session (10.00-10.45)The chants of Saraswati Vandana initiated the proceedings of the inaugural session. Chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW) Dr. Girija Vyas along with Honourable Minister of MOIA Vayalar Ravi and Secretary MOIA S. Krishna Kumar formally inaugurated the Consultation by lighting the auspicious lamp.In his welcome address, Secretary, MOIA S. Krishna Kumar said that the ministry is only two years old and in its short span of functioning, it has taken note of the concern relating to marriages to overseas Indians. He talked about the progress made in this area and discussed about a booklet which is compiled by the ministry to raise awareness among the women and their families. He also highlighted the purpose of this meeting and said that this problem is multicausal and creating awareness about rights, responsibilities and obligations through education, publicity and sensitization is the main emphasis given by the ministry. Sri Kumar introduced about the contents and sessions of the consultation. Sri Kumar welcomed Chairperson, NCW Dr. Girija Vyas and Honourable Minister, MOIA, Sri Vayalar Ravi and all the delegates and media persons who were present in the consultation.

In her inaugural address Chairperson, NCW, Dr Girija Vyas congratulated the ministry for taking this important initiative. She said that the Indian Diaspora is very strong and they have links with India for many reasons, important one of which is marriage. She emphasized that women should not be treated as an object or a thing but as a human being. She said that for creating awareness among the people we should move towards the villages and gave the slogan ‘chalo gaon ki ore’. She congratulated the honourable Supreme Court for the judgment on the ‘compulsory registration of marriages’ and said that this will help in tackling the cases of the fraudulent marriage. She mentioned few of the issues related to marriages to Overseas Indians which are:

1. Cultural shock
2. Generation gap
3. Dowry
4. Harassment after marriage
5. Concealment of earlier marriage(s)
6. Lack of social security on foreign soil etc.

She suggested an extensive awareness programme to counter all these problems. While talking about the booklet published by the ministry, she suggested that some important judgments by various courts relating to the marriages should be included in this booklet which will help in the awareness generation. She also advised the ministry for keeping a database on such marriages and verifying it with different agencies with the help of Ministry of External Affairs. Our missions abroad should also help in these issues. Besides, foreign embassies and consulates in India can also be involved in this process. She emphasized the need of counseling in such cases and said that MOIA should create a counseling center where all the relevant information can be accessed.

To continue…read