HOSHIARPUR,JANUARY 23, 2005
PTI
To know the sorrowful plight of young wives of Non-resident
Indians (NRIs) who are living under miserable conditions
with their parents or close relatives after desertion
by their husbands and to find out ways and means for
their rehabilitation, a delegation of Human Right
Department of the Union government along with district
police authorities Hoshiarpur met 20 such ladies who
were allegedly exploited by their NRI husbands.
The delegation included M K Jabbi, Council for Social
Development, New Delhi and Belu Mehshwari from History
Department of Punjab University Chandigarh.
A many as 40 deserted wives of NRIs had been invited
by the women cell of Community Policing Resource Centre
Hoshiarpur on Sunday appearing before the members
of this delegation were of which 20 had turned up.
The members listened to the sorrowful plight of exploitation
by their NRI husbands and their present miserable
living conditions. Majority of them were still hopeful
for their re-union with husbands who had completely
ignored them.
Balwinder Kaur, who has a 5-year-old daughter Rakinder
Kaur narrated her plight in a choked voice and tears
in her eyes. She said she was married with NRI Roop
Lal, serving in Belgium on December 3,1997 through
her aunt.
After staying 14 years with her, Roop Lal left for
Belgium. She was told by her-in-laws that to sent
her to Belgium, her passport was required which would
not mention her married status
They got prepared her passport and on one month visa
she went to Belgium on September 16, 1998 where she
came to know that Roop Lal was already married there
with a Belgium girl.
She alleged that she was mentally and physically tortured
by her husband and his first wife. Later she was shifted
to Italy where she stayed illegally with close relatives
of Roop Lal.
She was blessed with a daughter there in August 1999
before being ultimately deported to India on January
28,2000.
Balwinder Kaur was now living with her parents.
Her father is a petty shopkeeper at village Bulhowal.
Her husband and members of her in-laws family were
insisting her for divorce. They never paid a single
paisa to her and her daughter for their maintenance
even then she was still interested to stay again with
her husband, she said.
Similar is the plights of Kulwinder Kaur, wife of
NRI Jaspal Chaudhry of Lebanon, Rajinder Kaur wife
of NRI Shobha Singh of Kuwait, Jaswinder Kaur wife
of Jora Masih of England and Bharti Singh wife of
NRI Kuldip Singh of Canada.
All of them have been deserted by their husbands
and are living with their parents under miserable
conditions.
Belu Mehshwari while talking to media persons said
that to know the plight of ground reality of desertion
of their wives by the NRIs, the Human Rights Department
had sent this delegation to meet the victims and to
listen to their grievances.
