The trend to migrate abroad in hopes of better lives is highly prevalent in the country’s youth. However, for many, aspirations become nightmares when the realities come knocking.

In a Lok Sabha Q&A on Dec 15, the numbers painted a painful picture for Indian women married to non-resident Indians.

As per the information available with the ministry of external affairs (MEA), 5,339 complaints of Indian women married to overseas Indians were received, including the ministry’s missions abroad, from Jan 2020 to Oct 2023.

In 2023, the ministry received 1,187 complaints of marital issues from Indian women married abroad, from January to October.

Here is the year-by-year breakup:

The question, asked by BJP’s Raksha Khadse, asked the ministry about-

- whether the Government received a large number of complaints pertaining to marital issues from Indian women married to overseas Indians,

- details of such complaints during the last three years,

- whether there are large numbers of cases pending because of gaps in existing law, delaying the legal process and leaving behind struggling lives for women,

- and the steps taken by the government to protect the marriages of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and strengthen the framework in regard to International law and personal law.

V Muraleedharan, the minister of state in the ministry of external affairs, revealed the numbers in response and also clarified the government’s role in the support set-up for Indian women married to Indian nationals abroad.

According to MEA’s statement, “The Government has taken a number of steps to address the issues of abandonment, domestic violence, harassment and other matrimonial disputes faced by Indian women married to overseas Indians.”

Counselling, guidance and information to the aggrieved Indian women about legal procedures and mechanisms in such cases is also available, according to the ministry.

MEA’s response stated that online consular assistance is provided to distressed Indian women through MADAD (MEA in Aid of Diaspora in Distress), CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System), and social media.

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