Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Long march seeking embassy’s intervention

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 120 skilled Indian workers who had to endure ‘slave like conditions’ in a labour camp of a major shipbuilding company in the United States (U.S.) have commenced a walk from Mississippi to Washington on Tuesday seeking intervention of the Indian Embassy.

Braving the inclement weather, the workers, including 40 from Kerala, have started the walk, which will take more than two weeks to reach the destination. Aby K. Raju, one of the workers who had been deceived by a Mumbai-based recruitment firm, rang up his family at Pampadi to say that they were forced to resort to the step as the ‘expected help was not provided from the consulate.’ Aby’s wife, Bincy, said the U.S-based human rights organisation, the New Orleans Worker’s Centre for Racial Justice, was taking care of their needs.“We do not know their plight. The only solace is their telephone calls. He had asked me to contact other families and take up the issue with the government,” she said.

With more information trickling in on the suspected visa fraud, the families of eight workers hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kozhikode called on Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan in the capital on Wednesday and sought his intervention.

Over 600 Indian workers, including 350 Keralites, had paid the recruiters Rs.6 lakh to Rs.10 lakh each for permanent resident status (green card) and jobs in the U.S.

According to Ms. Bincy, her husband left for the U S when he had a valid visa in Bahrain. “He had to pay Rs.8 lakh and was in the last batch that left for the U.S. in December 2006. We had already lost the 22 cents of land and the house that was pledged for taking loan,” Ms. Bincy, a nurse by profession, said.

Many had sold their houses and taken loans from banks and private lending firms to pay the visa fee.

The family members are worried over the health of the workers. All hopes are now on the Chief Minister

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