Another sad episode of distress migration has tumbled out from the cupboard of tall claim of the Government that it has done much to create job and rehabilitate the poor in the district here.
The story is like this: a poor widowed mother with three unwed daughters gets worried about arranging money to marry off the girls. She finds few options except sending her lone son to far-off Iraq to work there and send money back home from earning so that the marriages are held. However, her trouble started after her son sets out for the foreign land and goes incommunicado after a few months. Is her son safeIJ This question has started to worry the hapless mother and her daughters.
Srabana Kumar Sahu (23), son of late Baidhar Sahu and Dulei Sahu of Manapada village under Mahulia Gram Panchayat of Rajnagar block, had left his home in January, 2013 to the Middle East to work as a rod binding labourer through a Mumbai-based placement agency. He had paid Rs85,000 to the placement agency before being sent to Iraq. He was assured of a pay package of Rs30,000 per month.
“Though I was earlier refusing my son to go to the alien land, but circumstances forced me to say yes. We are poor and we have to arrange marriages of three grown up girls,” said widow Dulei.
“Everything went as usual till February mid week. My son used to remain in touch with the family members over mobile phone and also send money every month. But surprisingly, since mid February, he stopped communicating with the family.
As a result, we started worrying about his safety. I and my three daughters believed that he might be busy in his work for which he failed to communicate with us. But when he stayed untouched for a month, we grew suspicious. We found his mobile phone to be switched up,” revealed Dulei.
later, Annapurna, a daughter of Dulei, made an attempt to communicate with the Mumbai-based placement agency to know the whereabouts of her brother. But, it did not give any satisfactory reply. later, Annapurna tried to give a call to Ratikanta, a friend of Srabana, who was working with in Iraq.
Ratikanta said that Srabana was working in another site. However, 15 days back, the same Ratikanta had told that Srabana had been jailed with three other youths, though he did not disclose what his crime was. Nor did he tell about the jail address or any number on which Srabana could be contacted.
“We are now very suspicious about the welfare of our brother. Since his friend’s version is not steady, we now apprehend if Srabana is alive or not,” said Annapurna with teary eyes. Meanwhile, the family has met the district Collector, the SP and the
District labour Officer and urged them to take steps to locate Srabana and bring him back home.