The Hindu : National : “Every fourth proclaimed offender in Punjab is a NRI bridegroom”

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Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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“Every fourth proclaimed offender in Punjab is a NRI bridegroom”

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: The magnitude of the social evil can be well gauged from the fact that every fourth person declared “Proclaimed Offender” (PO) by various courts in Punjab is a Non Resident Indian (NRI) bridegroom, who has deserted his spouse and children, exposing them to not only maltreatment from their in-laws’ family, ignominy in the society, but also extreme economic hardships.

Disclosing this while addressing reporters at the Chandigarh Press Club, the President of the Lok Bhalai Party (LBP), Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, said that of the just more than 600 PO’s listed by Punjab government, at least 150 were deserter NRI bridegrooms. Mr. Ramoowalia also launched an organisation, “Defending Dignity of Daughters” (DDD), which would mobilise and organise efforts to create awareness, provide legal, monetary and social help for the victims.

Mr. Ramoowalia distributed Rs 1.20 lakh among some effected women, while the management of the Guru Nanak Girls’ College, Yamunanagar, came forward to make these donations. He appealed to all philanthropist organisations, especially the religious outfits to come to the aid of these hapless women. He said that though his party had received complaints from 2000 such girls, the spread of the problem would be manifold as the figure could touch 15,000.

Acknowledging that the present Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, was quite responsive to the problem, Mr. Ramoowali demanded some reforms in the justice delivery system. He sought setting up of fast track courts, which settle such cases in 180 days as the signal of accepting the challenge from these unscrupulous elements, who boasted of immunity to law. He also demanded that the woman cells in the police stations be made more responsive and made to deal with the cases within a 21 days’ period.

Mr. Ramoowalia also sought that the state government amends the law to make it mandatory for NRIs to mention their PR and Social Security numbers on the certificates of registration of marriage. He announced that his organisation would soon go online with the directory of such cases and publish photographs of deserter NRI grooms, to prevent deception of more people.

Among those who received the “Diwali presents” were Ranjit Kaur of Channuwala village of Moga district, who after being deserted by her husband 10 years ago, makes both ends meet by collecting cowdung from the streets and selling dung cakes in the nearby areas for fuel. As tears streamed down, she said that the campaign against female foeticide was meaningless unless women were guaranteed their rights. She has a teenage daughter and son, who studies in class eight.

Equally heart rendering was the narration of Sukhjit Kaur of Muktsar, who lost her parents and has no siblings. Her husband, Shamsher Singh deserted her more than eight years ago though they were married in 1997. Her only son, Mandeep Singh, who would celebrate his eighth birthday in the first week of November, has never seen his father, while the grandparents ignore him and his mother. She has failed to get justice as her in-laws are quite influential. When posed with the question that why they married NRIs even when Mr Ramoowalia had been campaigning and issuing warning for the last nine years, they countered that their marriages were arranged by close relatives.

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