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Rachna Khaira
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 3
Anguished over the “rock-strewn” remark of the Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh, stating that giving compensation is not the same as distributing biscuits, families of the Iraq victims on Tuesday demanded an apology from him.
The families, upset at the sudden announcement of the deaths by the Minister of External affairs Sushma Swaraj, said if the minister was so aware about the illegal agents who had allegedly sent the 39 Indians to Iraq, why had he not ordered a crackdown on them?
“We do not want ‘biscuits’, but MEA should tame the ‘dogs’ (illegal agents). Why had sent our kin into the jaws of death. Despite the kidnapping and reported deaths of our kin in 2014, illegal migration to Iraq and other Middle East countries is going unabated till date,” said an anguished family during the cremation of its kin.
Also, there was a great regret among some families who had even challenged the claim of the Union government over the identity of their kin. A Jalandhar-based family said it had blindly trusted the Union government and accepted the mortal remains as of their kin. MEA, ignoring our concerns, had termed it as a “game of football”.
“This was despite the fact that the belongings claimed by the MEA of our kin actually do not belong to them. Though my brother used to wear shoes of size 9, the shoes sent along with the mortal remains of my brother were of size 6. Also, the uniform size sent along with him was not of his size. Still, we accepted it without any hue and cry,” said the aggrieved brother. Perturbed over the remarks made by General VK Singh, the families are now planning to stage a protest against the MEA by demanding the DNA samples of the mortal remains lying with the martyr’s foundation in Iraq.
Seven victims cremated in Jalandhar
The seven victims of Jalandhar were cremated in the presence of senior officials at their native villages today. Expressing solidarity with the family members of the Iraq tragedy victim, Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar Varinder Kumar Sharma and Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar attended the funeral of late Kulwant Rai in Dhadda village. The officers laid down wreaths on the mortal remains of Rai and consoled the bereaved family members. Displaying a humane approach towards the families, the district administration today allowed them to open the caskets to have a last glimpse of their beloved, whom though they could not recognise. The families, in utter shock, also burnt the personal belongings of their kin sent along by the MEA.
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