The practice of marriages between non-resident Indian (NRI) grooms and Indian women has been witnessing a steep spike for the last decade.
This sustained increase can be attributed to the aspiration of most Indian citizens to live a luxurious life, which most of the times involves leaving the country behind.
But then, that increase has been witnessed in the rates for NRI divorce in India too.
Let's try to comprehend why.
Statistics have shown that from the 225 women from metros who marry NRIs, 25 of them get abandoned, or just fooled into giving large amount of dowry (the gifting of expensive good to the groom's family).
This startling trend has seen many NGOs and feminist groups in the country demand for the enforcement of strict laws and regulations by the Government of India.
While the judicial system has delivered on this front, the impractical fantasizing by Indian families for a better, brighter future continues to contribute to this trend.
The trend of NRI marriages in India is especially prevalent in the northern state of Punjab.
The National Commission for Women in the country claims that there are over 15 thousand women who have been deserted by grooms, making false promises of make-belief luxury and comfort, in Punjab alone.
The leading causes for the divorce rates of NRI couples to increase in India are as follows: * In many cases, these grooms lie about their family's social and financial well-being in their current country of residence.
Upon doing so, the vulnerable families of the bride-to-be bestow obnoxious amounts in gifts as dowry.
Upon receiving these benefits, the groom (along with his entire family) disappear without a word.
* It has also been found that many of these NRI grooms are already married in either India, or their country of residence.
If married under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1956, any subsequent union is deemed null and void, which allows the dishonest party to escape unscathed.
* While parents are, in their own way, looking to see their daughters happy, they should consider the confusion and chaos that being uprooted from ones comfort zone, culture and family can have.
Suicides and depression are common side effects of this unnecessarily common oversight.
Most of the cases end up as divorces.
The problem of NRI divorces in India cannot be helped as long as Indian families continue to actively seek NRI grooms for their daughters.
It would help all those involved to understand that the cost of doing so can at times be less than perfect, traumatic, and at times fatal, for their child.