‘NRI marriages’, as generally understood, are between an Indian woman from India and an Indian man residing in another country (thus NRI – non-resident Indian), either as Indian citizen (when he would legally be an ‘NRI’) or as citizen of that other country (when he would legally be a PIO – person of Indian origin).
It is a common practice in many parts of India for the parents to get their daughter married to Non-Resident Indians, assuming that such grooms would be economically well off and affluent which will not only enable their daughters to lead a life full of comforts, luxuries arid prosperity but will also provide financial support to their families and new avenues for their siblings in foreign countries.
The problem is especially related to Indian women who get trapped in deceptive matrimony with overseas Indians. They also ignore that in case of things going wrong in an NRI marriage, the woman’s recourse to justice is greatly constrained and complex. The aggravated risk in such marriage is the woman is being ‘isolated’ far away from home in an alien land, facing language constraints, communication problems, lack of proper information about the local criminal justice, police and legal system. The problem is manifold and it incorporates issues like dowry and various other types of harassment of married women in foreign countries, marriages of convenience, concealment of earlier existing marriage by the husband before marrying an Indian woman. Another very important issue which needs attention is lack of social security faced by an Indian woman in a foreign country when the marriage is not working. The situation is worsened by lack of support network of friends and family and monetary constraints which leaves the deserted wife completely helpless and stranded.
Following are what might happen after getting married to an NRI-
- Husband may abandon the woman even before she is taken to the foreign country of his residence with the promise that she could soon follow him, in most cases, the woman also gets pregnant, arid she and her child, both get abandoned, never to be taken back by the husband.
- The woman finds her-self alone in the foreign country and is assaulted and abused both physically and mentally and is malnourished, confined arid ill-treated by the husband or his relatives.
- The woman may be harassed for dowry.
- The woman may land up in the foreign country and discover that no one turns up to receive her and she has nowhere to go to. She has no or limited money and no means to go back and also does not have legal sanction to stay in the foreign country beyond a specified period.
- The woman discovers that husband is already married or is in relationship with another woman or has a family already.
- She discovers that her husband had given false information regarding his immigration status jobs property, marital status and other such material particulars.
- She discovers that the man he married does not work where he told them before marriage. He might just be doing a petty job there.
It is advisable to take precautions before you marry your daughter or near and dear ones before marrying them to NRI.
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