For them, it is impossible to bridge the ‘Gulf’

While bodies of migrants lie in morgue, families perform last rites here

November 30, 2014 11:59 am | Updated 11:59 am IST - KARIMNAGAR:

Widow of Gulf victim Komuraiah and his children at Katnapally of Choppadandi mandal in the district. Photo: Thakur Ajay Pal Singh

Widow of Gulf victim Komuraiah and his children at Katnapally of Choppadandi mandal in the district. Photo: Thakur Ajay Pal Singh

Going to Gulf countries meant leaving for greener pastures. But for some families of these expatriates, these countries are turning out to be lands from where there is no return - literally.

So pathetic is the plight of spouses of those who die due to natural causes or forcibly end their lives that getting the bodies back to India is prohibitively expensive. For these families, it is agony multiplied as they are forced to perform the last rites without having a last look at their beloved ones as getting the bodies is ruled out as they can not afford it.

And these are not isolated cases. There have been several such instances in this district. In some cases, bodies are still lying in morgues and there with little help coming from any quarter.

The story is disturbingly similar. Conned by ‘fake’’ travel agents, many land in Gulf countries only to realise they have no work permits or proper documents. They settle for menial jobs as they cannot return, and the fear of mounting debts takes a toll on them. While some choose to end their lives, some suffer ill-health and die.

Take the case of Kothagolla Komuraiah of Katnapalli village. His family members performed his last rites ten days ago, without getting his body here. Komuraiah died in Al-Koila region of Saudi Arabia where he went ten years ago to work as a labourer. The family was told over phone that he died while working in a tank. Obviously, the family could not afford to bring the body.

His widow, Ilavva, is yet to come to grips with the reality. She clutches the photograph of her husband and wails. When Kumuraiah managed to send some money, their elder daughter was married off, while two other girls are still studying.

In Machapur village of Medipalli mandal, life of another woman, Padma, turned topsy-turvy after her husband, Mathena Rajesh, 28, ended his life in Dubai last week. Shocked Padma was hospitalised for several days. In this instance too, the last rites were performed without the body. Rajesh leaves behind his young wife and two daughters - Madhulatha (4) and Sandhya (2). Family members say, they can not afford do to get the body back as they already borrowed Rs. 2 lakh to send him to Dubai, ten months ago.

Kunchem Chandraiah, 50, of Korutla died five months ago in Riyadh but the news was not broken to his wife Meenamma and her two sons as relatives are worried as to how they would they respond.

Chandraiah went to Riyadh last year and had to undergo a surgery for appendicitis and he later died. His brother-in-law was informed about the death in June. “We did not inform his wife. We are trying to get the body so that reality dawns on them instead of waiting for weeks together,” he says in a resigned tone.

There are many more instances like these in this district.

This is the first in the series of stories highlighting the plight of Gulf immigrants. Have any thing to say? email your comment to: hyderabaddesk@thehindu.co.in

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