The Hindu : Farm labourer's Dubai visit ends in tragedy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Farm labourer's Dubai visit ends in tragedy

By S. Ramu

KOTHAGUDEM (NALGONDA DT.), FEB.21. A 28-year-old agriculture labourer, Sura Veeraiah's family thought that Dubai, where he managed to find a job four months ago, could change their fate. But instead, they got the shocking news that he died there on February 11 for unknown reasons.

His family members have been wailing and waiting for the body since February 13 when they came to know of his demise.

They now hope that efforts launched by Veeraiah's friends in Dubai to pool up money to send the body home will be fruitful. "Nenu vaddanna poindu. Appulu teerchtanduku potunnanannadu. Na koduku asaluke poindu, (He went to Dubai against my wishes.

He told me that he was going there to clear off debts, but died there),'' Sura Narasamma (66) told The Hindu with a chocked voice. As she snivelled, she recalled his son's soothing words before he set off on his journey to Arab lands, there are no tears left in her eyes. "He tried in vain to sink bores in our fields forcing him to borrow money from the villagers. In all, he borrowed Rs.2 lakhs to cultivate four acres of land.

When the money-lenders began pressuring him for repayment, he thought that it would be better to go to Dubai like two others in the village,'' his wife, Vinoda, a mother of two -- Mahesh (6) and Saidulu (3) -- said. He borrowed Rs.1.30 lakhs more to get his passport, visa and ticket, she revealed. A Jagityal-based agent had helped him get all the formalities done.

Veeraiah had convinced his wife and mother that he would clear all the debts and build their own house in the village after his five-year stay in Dubai. A relative of Vinoda also accompanied him on his journey. Veeraiah called up the family three months ago to inform them that he had got a job as a labourer and subsequently made another two calls to his village.

The fourth call from Dubai dropped a bombshell on the family. The caller, one of their relatives, also informed that there was no sufficient amount to bring the body to Kothagudem. "We came to know that persons belonging to Andhra Pradesh were collecting donations for the purpose. We are waiting for the body to come,'' Venkanna, Veeraiah's close friend, said.

A villager said that neither political leaders nor the district administration had bothered to take the initiative to bring the body home.

A police constable called on the family recently and went back after collecting all the details.

Recalling a similar death in Dubai long ago, Venkanna appealed to the police and politicians to come to the rescue of the family in its sad moments.

The body of one S. Bhasker was sent to his native place in Gorantla in Noothankal mandal after three-and-half months of his death in Dubai, according to Venkanna.

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