Just about 48 hours after the Indian workers, mostly from Punjab, were abducted, the victims have finally been tracked down. Their whereabouts are being kept under wraps for safety concerns.
As of now, more than 50 families have approached the Punjab Government’s 24X7 Punjab Civil Control Room, giving details of their 78 relatives stranded in Iraq.As per the information received by the Punjab Government via control room, majority of them have been reported stuck up in Iraq, while 13 have been reported kidnapped, and nine were reported missing. 11 have been reported safe but want evacuation.
Maximum number of Punjabis, 21, has been reported from Jalandhar, out of which eight each have reportedly been stuck or kidnapped, while five have been reported missing.Besides, 11 persons have been reported from Fatehgarh Sahib, 10 each from Gurdaspur and Kapurthala, six each from Hoshiarpur and Patiala, five from Pathankot, four from Nawanshahr, two each from ludhiana and Ropar, and one from Barnala. However, most of the families coming forward for their kins are from Amritsar.
“The response to the control room was tremendous. The moment control room numbers were flashed on TV channels, two telephone lines of civil control room flooded with calls from anxious relatives,” said a spokesperson. He said that all Deputy Commissioners are simultaneously being informed about information of Punjabis from their respective district struck in Iraq and Deputy Commissioners, through their officers, are approaching all such families assuring them full support of Punjab Government in this difficult hour.
Punjab Government is sharing all details with the Central Government and Union Ministry of External Affairs to ensure safe evacuation of Punjabis from troubled Iraq.Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and NRI Affairs Minister Jathedar Tota Singh were in constant touch with the Ministry for coordinating safe retrieval of Punjabis from Iraq.
Badal also led a delegation of families of the abducted workers, along with Aklai MPs to meet Union Minister in the national capital.Distraught families of victims have been claiming that many of Indians trapped do not have their passports with them. “They had submitted their passports but when the violence escalated, the company officials fled leaving them to fend for themselves. They are helpless there. Only the Indian government can help us now,” said Gurpinder Kaur, whose brother Manjinder Singh, is one of those who have been kidnapped.
The family members claimed that the construction workers in Iraq are safe but are anxious to return home. “We spoke to Shyam Singh after he was abducted. He was crying on the phone when we spoke on Sunday. Kidnappers are giving food to the victims. They are keeping them in a cotton factory,” said cousin of kidnapped Indian Charanjit Singh.
Badal, on his part, called for early action by the central government to secure release of abducted Punjabi workers and assured the state government was ready to bear all expenses for their safe return home.Swaraj, assuring all-out support, said that the government would not leave any stone unturned in securing their early release.Meanwhile, Batala sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) luvjeet Kalsi claimed to have talked to one of the abductor in Iraq, saying that they are safe. “I have spoken to one of the abducted Indians in the morning and they are safe….”They are being given food and water by the militants,” said Kalsi. Two of the total 40 abducted workers are said to be from Batala.
No offer to pay ransom Brushing aside rumours that he offered to pay “ransom” for the release of Punjabis stranded in Iraq, Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal clarified that the state government cannot directly intervene in the matter. “All efforts are being made to safely rescue all our people trapped in Iraq….state government on its own cannot do anything,” he said.
Sushma Swaraj says she is pained New Delhi: Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, while interacting with distressed families of kidnapped Punjabis in Iraq, said that she was deeply aggrieved and pained on this sad and unfortunate episode, which has not only tormented the psyche of the next of the kin of these victims but also shattered the entire nation. “The Union Government is duty bound to ensure the safe return of these sons of the soil,” she said while appealing the family members to exercise restraint in this hour of crisis and pray to Almighty for the safety of their kith and kin in abroad. She said that the Ministry was making all out efforts to secure safe and prompt return of the abducted Punjabis to India from Iraq by using all the diplomatic channels.
She said that the Ministry has issued clear cut directions to the Indian Embassy in Iraq to arrange free air ticket to the victims for their return to India after their release. Besides, directives have been issued to the Indian Embassy in Iraq to issue duplicate passports, in case it was required for their immigration to India.
Bhagwant Mann offers to go to Iraq Chandigarh: Comedian-turned-parliamentarian Bhagwant Mann has offered to go to the trouble-torn Iraq if Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends him as an official envoy.The Aam Admi Party MP from Sangrur, in a Facebook post on his official page, has expressed his desire to go to Iraq “along with Indian Air Force” to hold negotiations “with the Iraqi kidnappers for the safe return of kidnapped Punjabis”.
Mann has also said that if the Centre does not send him, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal should go. He has also asked the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to make earnest efforts to bring back the Punjabis.Rebuking the Badals over Punjabis going to Iraq in search of greener pasture owing to unavailability of jobs here, Mann said: The situation has come to such a pass that Punjabis are going to troubled Iraq for living, leaving behind Punjab….Our government needs to introspect that why our children are going to such risky places to earn living and it showcases that Punjab is becoming worst than Iraq.”