India's initiatives to protect deserted Indian girls

In a bid to shield Indian girls who have either been deserted or divorced by their Non-Resident Indian males within two years of marriage, the government of India is preparing to introduce a scheme to assist the victims of failed or fraudulent marriage by providing financial assistant to obtain legal and counselling services through Indian Missions abroad.

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In this regard, the Centre has also asked the state governments to seek the possibility of establishing fast track court for speedy disposal of failed or fraudulent NRI marriage cases.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) in this regard has proposed to begin this shield scheme with USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, the places from where such cases are being mostly reported.

The Concerned Indian Mission, the consortium for helping NRIs will ask the support from trustworthy Indian Women Organisation and Non-Government Organisation to expand the reach and add more women belongs to different communities and religions.

For assisting the poor victims women who are facing divorce proceeding or fake marriages, the organisations will grant USD 1000 per case as initial support to begin the legal proceedings.

The mission will also provide advisory and legal services through a panel of community advocates comprise from credible Indian associations and women’s organisations. The legal assistance will also be provided in the cases of an ex-parte decree of divorce or invalid marriage where the case of maintenance or alimony is essential for the victim girl.

All the received applications by Missions would be examine and approved by the mission and it will also do the further proceeding in this regard. The circular would be issued and distributed among Indian communities, organisations, women’s groups and NGOs to provide information and making it popular.

The applications for seeking support sent to Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs would be scrutinised by a committee in the Ministry, which after examining and approving the received application, it would be forwarded to Concerned Mission for further proceeding.

The MOIA has also convened a meeting with state governments to take some strict action in this matter. The fast track court would be set up for sorting out these types of cases thought speedy procedure. Besides, states will also have to organise several awareness campaign to educate young girls and their parents about precautions to be exercised while considering marriage proposal from an NRI.

The Indian government has received numerous grievances in fraudulent or illegal marriages from several Indian girls who ware facing various problems in abroad after trapping in the fraud marriage net. This forced the government to take some steps to protect the poor victims.