The Hindu : National : `They were not taken to Iraq against their wishes'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

National

National

`They were not taken to Iraq against their wishes'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, MAY 11. More information on the illegal recruitments to Iraq came to light when one of the recruiting agents held a press conference here today. M.M. Thangal Kunju, said he had no role in sending the four recruits from here. These persons escaped from a United States army camp in Iraq and returned home.

Mr. Thangal said that he only introduced the four to a recruiting agent in Mumbai. He did not know what happened afterwards and he had not taken any money from the four. Since his name appeared in newspapers connecting him to the development, he was being constantly hounded by police. This was spoiling his reputation as "an honest travel agent based at Karunagapally."

However, Mr. Thangal also said that he had recruited 20 persons to work at U.S. army camps in Iraq and that all of them are happy. While some did return as they were scared of working in a camp targeted by resistance forces, none of them had any complaint on the terms and conditions of employment. The others still there were happy. All of them received handsome salaries, good food and comfortable accommodation, he claimed.

Some of those who have returned were with Mr. Thangal at the press conference and concurred with him. They said the allegations from the four from Kollam that they were not given the promised salaries and were subjected to overwork were not true. Overtime was paid for any extra work. Mr. Thangal produced photocopies of documents from a Kuwait-based financial institution to show that all the four had been receiving an average salary of Rs. 14,000 a month for eight months.

They also said that the allegation by the four that they were taken to Iraq from Kuwait against their wishes was a "lie." In Mumbai, all of them were told about the job. It was also emphasised that those who were willing only need go.

Mr. Thangal said that those sent to Iraq were given visiting visas to Kuwait and, on landing in Kuwait, they were received by the managers of a catering company there and taken to Iraq. He said he was not aware of the exact process through which they were taken to Iraq from Kuwait.

However, those present at the press conference said that they were taken to Iraq without undergoing any formalities. That meant that the Indian Government was not formally aware of their presence in Iraq, they admitted. `It was the salary part that attracted us," they said.

However, when asked why he was vouching for the genuineness of the Mumbai-based recruiting agent and the Kuwait-based catering company when he himself had stated that he has no role in sending the four to Iraq, Mr. Thangal said he was only stating the facts. He was not aware of any payments made by the four to the Mumbai agent. They were also given certificates of excellence for their services at the U.S. camp.

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