Foreign dreams of Hardeep Kaur (name changed) turned sour two-and-a-half years ago when the 35-year-old professional married a UK-based corporate honcho she had found through a matrimonial website. She was abused in the UK,and she had to come back to India. It is a double blow. You pack your bags and leave for a new life, she says. Then you have to come back and start from scratch all over again. However,all is not lost for Kaur as she has now pinned her hopes on the NRI Cell under the National Commission of Women,the coordinating agency for dealing with issues relating to NRI marriages by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Launched in August,it was formally inaugurated on Thursday by NCW chairperson Girija Vyas. There are more than 30,000 such cases in Punjab. Gujarat,Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have also seen rise in such cases. Ajay Kumar,a coordinator for the Cell,says aspirations run high in such communities. They feel if the girl goes abroad,the family too can migrate. For NRIs it is like honeymoon tourism, he says. The NRI Cell will help women,provide legal counselling,and network with NGOs. It will also coordinate with four countries US,UK,Canada and Australia so that foreign courts do not issue a divorce decree without the presence of the wife. The NCW is also partnering with United Nations Development Fund for Women that will provide technical support. The cell can be the safety net for women, says Anne Stenhammer,its representative.
