Illegal immigration of Indians killed in Iraq hampered rescue: Singh
Hours after bringing back the mortal remains of 38 Indians killed by IS in Iraq, MoS External Affairs VK Singh said they were illegal immigrants. The Indian embassy had no record of them, which delayed trials to locate them, he said. He added the government had done everything possible to save them and rehabilitate their kin, urging their families not to politicize the matter.
It took four years to confirm their deaths
40 Indian workers were kidnapped from Mosul in 2014. The next year, one of them escaped alive and claimed the others were killed in the desert near Badush in June'14 itself. But Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had dismissed his claims, insisting till last year that they had no proof. India confirmed the deaths only last month, after DNA testing confirmed their identities.
During first visit, Singh spent a week gathering information
Talking about the government's efforts, Singh, who landed at Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport yesterday, said he first visited Iraq in July'17, after Mosul had been liberated from IS. He stayed there for a week gathering information, but couldn't search for them as the battle between Iraqi forces and IS was still ongoing, he said.
Indians' bodies finally located in mass graves in Bodush
During his October visit, they contacted the Indians' employers, their cooks and others who knew them. They also took the help of local TV and radio channels. That's when they heard that many dead bodies had been buried in and near Badosh village. When they visited, they found the missing Indians' bodies too. Their long hair and 'kara' (most were Sikhs) helped in recognition.
'All Indians should go abroad legally, safely, with proper training'
Singh added the 2014 rescue of 46 Kerala nurses from the IS was possible only because the country had their records. "I want all Indians to go abroad legally, safely and with proper training," he said. State governments are responsible for checking illegal travel agents, he added. Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, also present at the airport, assured a law would be introduced soon.
Singh has some advice for the kin of the victims
Singh added Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had assured rehabilitation and had "asked (victims' kin) to give details of a family member who can be given a government job." This wasn't "a game of football," nor was it like "distributing biscuits," he said. He advised kin not to get "involved in unnecessary politics." "We have got back your people. Do their last rites," he said.
