My NRI husband abandoned me when I was 2 months pregnant. The shock led to a miscarriage. My in-laws kicked me out. I lost my home and job. He has still not been punished. Because there is no law to hold him accountable. Sign my petition.

I am not alone. There are more than 40,000 other women in India who are staring at an uncertain future after men who married them left the country, sometimes never to return or even make a phone call. For the women, the struggle is not only about dealing with a sense of abandonment, but also the trauma of liaising with local police officers, the ministry of external affairs, embassies and consulates across the world to bring their spouses to book.

My friend, Geeta Gupta*, had also got married in 2017. Her husband’s family took dowry and subjected her to harassment and physical abuse. He returned from Canada in November 2017, she fell pregnant, but had a miscarriage. The man did not join the police investigation even after coming to India.

The National Commission for Women recently said it received 2,846 complaints from women who had been abandoned between 2017 and 2021. The Standing Committee also noted that 5,298 complaints related to Non Resident Indian (NRI) marital grievances were received between January 2016 and October 2019. And between 2015 and 2019, the Indian government said it dealt with more than such 6,000 cases.

I have started a petition to appeal to the government to pass the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019, in the Lok Sabha. I also request that fast track courts be linked up or established to deal such cases separately without any delay. And faster mode of investigation and filing of chargesheet in courts should be time bound.

According to the provisions of the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019, every NRI who marries an Indian or another NRI will have to register the marriage within 30 days. In case the person fails to do so, the passport authority may impound his passport.

Once the bill is passed, it will allow us to claim various rights related to marriage, including those for the children. The Standing Committee on the Empowerment of Women (2007) and the Law Commission of India (2009) have recommended that registration of marriage for Non Resident Indian (NRIs) be made mandatory. And the bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha.

We are one step away from making this a law and I request for your support in getting my voice heard. Please sign and share my petition.

*names have been changed to protect identity.