Harassment by NRI hubbies abroad: Every week over 20 helpless wives seek govt’s help

coastaldigest.com web desk
February 5, 2018

On average, in a week over 20 Indian women who live with their NRIs husbands abroad call home seeking help to return after being deserted by her husband or because of reasons like ill-treatment and physical torture.

According to reports in the 1,064 days between January 1, 2015 and November 30, 2017, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) of government of India received 3,328 such complaints — an average of more than three calls a day or one every eight hours or 21 calls a week.

Record proves that NRI husbands from Karnataka are better compared to some other states. Most of the harassed or deserted NRI wives are originally from Punjab and Andhra-Telangana followed by Gujarat, say lawyers, activists and people working in Indian missions abroad. The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, in its study on deserted women some years ago, also confirms this fact.

Aarthi Rao, who worked with the Indian embassy in Washington DC for 16 years, says that most women who faced harassment were from Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana), where the dowry system is still strong. “The boys went to India to please their parents and married someone, but had no intentions of living with them once they returned."

Aarthi, who later served as adviser to the MEA, said she received a lot of complaints from West Asian countries during her Delhi stint.

In one complaint that the MEA received, a woman said she was stuck in Bahrain as her husband had destroyed her visa document and was preventing her from making calls.

The erstwhile Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry, now merged with MEA, had introduced a scheme for such women in 2007. The MEA now addresses the issue through its grievance redressal portal, MADAD. Besides, all missions also receive complaints from women and help them both financially and legally, though a section of harassed women prefer to endure the pain.

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News Network
June 28,2020

Udupi, Jun 28: A student appearing for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exams in Kaup taluk of Udupi district has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

Officials of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Udupi District Health and Family Welfare Department have confirmed the report. 

The 16-year-old girl had appeared for the Kannada and Mathematics exams on June 25 and 27 respectively. 

Her throat swabs were sent for testing on June 27 after her father tested covid-19 positive. Today she too obtained positive report.  

The student is unlikely to appear for the science paper on June 29.

Meanwhile, health officers have ruled out the possibility of subjecting other students to covid-19 test as all necessary precautions such as physical distancing and usage of sanitization were taken in the examination centre.

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News Network
February 22,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 22: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said an ideal trade-off needs to be reached between new media -- which is fast and popular -- and traditional media which has developed skills to authenticate a news report, which is a costly operation.

Addressing the fourth edition of ‘the Huddle’ – the annual thought conclave of the Hindu here, he asserted that the internet and social media had democratised journalism and revitalised democracy, but had also led to many anxieties.

While the new media was fast and popular and people could choose what they wanted to watch, hear or read, traditional media would have to introspect on its role in society and find ways to earn the reader’s full trust again as "the project of democracy was incomplete without informed citizens – which means, without unbiased journalism."

Debate and discussion were internalised in India’s social psyche to arrive at truth since time immemorial, he said.

"There is no doubt that perception of truth is conditioned by circumstances. The conditions that cloud the truth’s positions are effectively dispelled by a contestation of ideas through debate, discussion and scientific temper. Prejudices and violence vitiate the search for truth."

Expressing happiness to attend ‘The Huddle’ organised by The Hindu, he said the Hindu group of publications had been relentlessly aiming to capture the essence of this great country through its responsible and ethical journalism. He commended them for their insistence on sticking to the five basic principles of journalism – truth-telling, freedom and independence, justice, humaneness and contributing to the social good, an official release here said.

Mr Kovind said dogmas and personal prejudices distorted the truth. In the 150th year of Gandhiji’s birth, he asked all to ponder over this question: "will it not be proper to pursue truth itself as the ideology? Gandhiji has shown us the path by walking ceaselessly in search of truth which would ultimately encompass every positive attribute that enriches the universe."

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News Network
May 30,2020

Bengaluru, May 30: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has announced that on May 31 (Sunday) there will not be a total lockdown and all activities will be permitted and continue like the rest of the week.

The decision was taken in view of demands from citizens and “keeping their interests in mind,” said a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

This means that public transport services - buses, autos and cabs - shops, commercial establishments and others will be open on May 31.

Under a Lockdown 4.0, Karnataka had decided to throw open public transport, except metro, shops and commercial establishments, except Metro, on all six days between 7 am and 7 pm. However, May 24 and May 31 - Sundays - were exempted from the relaxation and a curfew was to be imposed throughout the day.

The Lockdown 4.0 ends May 31 and the government's decision to keep Sunday free comes ahead of the Lockdown 5.0 that the Centre is expected to announce soon.

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