The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : It took two months to bring back his only son’s body from Malaysia

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Friday, May 30, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

It took two months to bring back his only son’s body from Malaysia

Staff Reporter

Air India bears transportation cost; Vaiko foots bill for preserving the body

PAYING HOMAGE: MDMK general secretary Vaiko paying respects to a Manivannan, who was murdered in Malaysia, at Sirukulam village near Kamudhi.

RAMANATHAPURAM: Seventy-year-old Mangalam, a Dalit of Sirukulam near Kamudhi, had to wait for more than two months to get the body of his only son, who was murdered in Malaysia on March 16.

The plight of this daily wager is representative of the problem of bringing back bodies of those who die in foreign countries.

Ever since he got the news of the murder of Manivannan (the motive is still unclear), he ran from pillar to post to bring back the body. He was in need of around Rs.1 lakh. Mr. Mangalam, who sent his son to Malaysia one-and-half year ago by taking a loan of Rs.1 lakh at an exorbitant rate of interest, didn’t have even Rs.500. His efforts to get the support of the employer and the State and Central Governments fell through. However, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko came forward to help him out. Mr. Vaiko, who represented the case to Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee and Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, managed to get the support of Air India in bearing the cost of transport of the body. But he could not persuade the Ministry concerned to pay Rs.42,200 to the Malaysian authorities towards preserving the body. So, Mr. Vaiko paid the entire money. Subsequently Manivannan’s body was flown back to India and handed over to his parents a few days ago.“This is not an isolated case. Many Indians who go abroad for menial jobs die naturally or unnaturally. They face the same struggle as Mr. Mangalam owing to their poverty. It is high time that the External Affairs Ministry created a special fund to bear the expenses for bringing bodies back,” Mr. Vaiko told The Hindu, after visiting Sirukulam to console the bereaved family.

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