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Punjabi youth stuck in hell hole
on North African coast
WSN Network
JALANDHAR: At
least 63 Indian youth, most of them hailing from
Punjab
and Haryana, have been cheated and dumped by unscrupulous agents in
Sicily’s
Melilla region, and are living in miserable conditions in
Melilla
for nearly seven years now. Melilla, a Mediterranean port before
Spain, is an autonomous Spanish city on the north coast of
North Africa.
Lok Bhalai Party
Balwant Singh president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia said three youth
had also died of starvation and thirst on the way to the Spanish
territory while passing through the Sahara desert.
Accompanied by
the parents and other family members of the victims, he said, “These
youths had left their homes for Spain or Italy around five to seven
years back. Each of them had paid Rs 6 to 7 lakh then and their
parents now allege that the agents keep asking for more money to
ensure the survival of their boys. If refused money, they threaten
to get them (youths) killed.”
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Punjab has come out with
ordinance against bogus travel agents but will it curb such
practices? |
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He said the
deceased had been identified as Sukhwinder Singh Killiwara of
Kapurthala, Buta Singh of Phagwara and Sonu Singh of
Amritsar.
One Hardeep Singh Kakrala of Patiala district had also committed
suicide returning from
Melilla.
Ramoowalia said
he would meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Minister of
Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi regarding the issue.
Gejo (60), of
Nawan Pind Jattan in Nakodar, alleged her son Kulwinder had left for
Europe through a travel agent four years ago, but he was first
caught by the Morocco police, and was now trapped in Melilla, on the
edge of Morocco. "We have to send him money even for food," she
added.
Similarly, with
tears rolling down, Bhupinder Kaur of Bassi Pathana said her son
Jatinderpal Singh had gone to Italy four years ago. "We initially
paid over 7 lakh to the agent, and then another Rs 3 lakh over the
four years," she added.
Bhupinder Singh
(65) said he had sent more than Rs 4 lakh to his son Baldev Singh,
who had gone over four years ago. He has sold 1 acre of his land for
the purpose.
Albina of Ekta
Nagar here paid over Rs 8 lakh to an agent to her son Prem to Italy,
but he is now stuck in Melilla. Jasbir Kaur of Baddi Miani village
of Hoshiarpur said the family had paid 13 lakh for her son, and had
three daughters to marry.
Other affected
families were represented by Balwinder Kaur of Rajewal in Ludhiana,
Parkash Kaur of Begowal, Shamsher Singh of Gunia Majri village and
Surjit Kaur of RaipurAraiyan village.
Demanding an
operation against bogus travel agents in
Punjab,
Ramoowalia said the
Punjab
government should announce a one-year "emergency" against such
unscrupulous people. They could be arrested under the Maintenance of
Internal Security Act (MISA), he added.
23
September 2009
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