Back from Sudan, Faridabad couple recalls 10-day horror

Tribune News Service

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, April 28

“Moving to Sudan ten years ago in the hope of a good life will end in such a manner is perhaps the worst thing one could expect,” says Santosh Jain (45), a local, who was among the first batch of 278 Indians evacuated from the war-torn country recently.

WON’T RETURN

I won’t move to such a country again as life is more precious than a job in an unsafe environment. We have a house here and will look for a job now as there’s no plan to return to Sudan or any African country.

Santosh Jain, evacuee

Jain, his wife and two minor children are thanking their lucky stars to have returned safely after experiencing around 10 days of nightmare.

“I will not move to such a country again as life is more precious than a job in an unsafe environment,” he says, adding that his family was still struggling to come out of the shock. According to him, the hope of life emerged when they reached the port city in Sudan on the night of April 24 and got in the Indian Navy ship, which made them land safely here in about 10 hours.

Employed as a chartered accountant in a company, Jain said the trouble started around 9.30 am on April 15, when he and his office colleagues were told that a fight had broken out between two groups in the city and all must take shelter immediately. He further said while his wife was at home, his minor son and daughter were in school at the time when bombing started and rockets were being fired from all directions. “I united with my family after 24 hours and got lodged in a shelter arranged by the Indian Embassy and local officials,” Jain recalled.

“Several families were also lodged there. The fear of death that haunted them for days receded when we were taken to the port for evacuation and they finally reached India on April 25,” says Jain’s wife Jyoti.

“We have a house in Sector 2 here and will look for a job now as there is no plan to return to Sudan or any African country,” Jain added.

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