New Delhi, Dec. 02, 2004
MANGALA RAMAMOORTHY
TNN
A fairytale marriage is what every woman dreams of. But what if you
come to discover that your prince charming is actually a beast in disguise.
Disheartening, isn't it? Unfortunately, that's the case with many brides
who're duped while looking to find marital bliss with an NRI. And just
when there seemed no way out of the web, the Union ministry of overseas
Indian affairs has come up with a plan.
Minister Jagdish Tytler has decided to appoint NRI volunteers who will
make discreet inquiries about bachelors who have set their sights on
the Indian marriage mart. "Though this is coming a little late,
at least the government thought of it at last.
It is really sad because many innocent girls take extreme steps like
committing suicide after being dumped, as they don't want to trouble
their parents. This step will definitely help curb the number of cheating
cases," says Soumya Mishra, DCP (Crime).
But considering the size of the Indian diaspora, which is currently
estimated to be approximately 20 million, how feasible is a plan like
this? "Though not impossible to achieve, the decision requires
a lot of effort, sincerity, research, planning, communication and networking.
Similarly, they also need to ensure that the information is authentic
because if the source isn't trustworthy, they can be tipped for not
revealing the truth. But the question is, who will pay for the expenditure
of the work undertaken?" questions Hyder Siddique, director, NRI
Club International
A fairytale marriage is what every woman dreams of. But what if you
come to discover that your prince charming is actually a beast in disguise.
Disheartening, isn't it? Unfortunately, that's the case with many brides
who're duped while looking to find marital bliss with an NRI. And just
when there seemed no way out of the web, the Union ministry of overseas
Indian affairs has come up with a plan.
Minister Jagdish Tytler has decided to appoint NRI volunteers who will
make discreet inquiries about bachelors who have set their sights on
the Indian marriage mart. "Though this is coming a little late,
at least the government thought of it at last.
It is really sad because many innocent girls take extreme steps like
committing suicide after being dumped, as they don't want to trouble
their parents. This step will definitely help curb the number of cheating
cases," says Soumya Mishra, DCP (Crime).
But considering the size of the Indian diaspora, which is currently
estimated to be approximately 20 million, how feasible is a plan like
this? "Though not impossible to achieve, the decision requires
a lot of effort, sincerity, research, planning, communication and networking.
Similarly, they also need to ensure that the information is authentic
because if the source isn't trustworthy, they can be tipped for not
revealing the truth. But the question is, who will pay for the expenditure
of the work undertaken?" questions Hyder Siddique, director, NRI
Club International
As for the NRIs, the authentic ones are all for such a move. Hear it
from Narayanan Viswanathan, who lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. "Having
lived abroad, I have seen that no one is frank about himself when it
comes to marriage.
They are into all kinds of things here but when they visit India, seeking
a bride, they are at their innocent best." However, he also mentions
certain pros and cons.
"It will be a problem if the groom finds out about this. He may
be a genuine person, but he might take offence to the snooping around
about his credentials. It's better if the person himself is encouraged
to provide such information."
Tulsi Rama Rao, regional manager of a matrimonial website, feels the
plans will not be of any great help. "There is no surety of the
information they give out. Will the government take responsibility in
case the information provided by them turns out to be false?" Adds
24-year-old Abhinaya, an IT consultant, "What can the government
do when girls themselves are hell bent upon getting married to guys
settled abroad, irrespective of their background? Their mentality can't
be changed."