For the past one week, 19-year-old Abin has been knocking on all doors for help to bring the body of his father, killed in an accident on June 10 in Saudi Arabia, back home to Thiruvananthapuram.
He reached the venue of the open forum on ‘Immigration: Expectations and Challenges’ organised as part of the third Loka Kerala Sabha without much expectations.
During the interactive session, he appealed to NRI businessman M.A. Yusuff Ali to help him as it had been three-and-a-half years since he last met his father. “I have contacted NoRKA Roots and the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia to get his body back. Embassy officials informed me that post-mortem examination has been performed and the body is in the morgue for the past few days as nobody was there to receive it.”
“There was no one for us to receive the body of my father. Moreover, we have no money to bring his body back home, footing the bills,” said Abin, a second year BA English student at Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Mr. Ali immediately called his regional manager in Saudi Arabia and directed him to take steps to bring the body to the capital in three days. He assured the boy that he will speak to the authorities, if the need arose.
A construction worker, Babu A., 46, of Nedumangad has been working abroad for the past 11 years. He last left for Saudi in 2019. At the time of accident, his ‘Iqama’, work permit and residency card necessary for an employee to work and stay in Saudi Arabia, had expired. This made things complicated as even the company for which he was working was not ready to render any support for the family.
Abin has a younger brother and his mother works as a school bus cleaner. He reached the venue on being told by a local party worker.
