Indian bodies rot in Saudi morgues |
At least 150 bodies of residents of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are piling up at mortuaries in Saudi Arabia for nearly a year with families unable to bring them back to Hyderabad for last rites.The Indian embassy in Riyadh has been of little help. Despite letters from Ministry of External Affairs to the embassy, nothing moved. MEA officials express helplessness, citing frigid Saudi employers who refuse to reply to emails or phone calls. Cause of deaths are usually attributed to illness, accidents, murders and suicides. Thousands of workers from Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, in Telangana, and a few from Andhra districts are employed in the Gulf . Statistics with the Telugu community suggest over 10 lakh people from the two states are employed in Saudi Arabia. The procedure of sending coffins home are plagued by red tape. In murder or accident cases, local authorities release the body only after the investigation into the case is over. In such cases, it may take 60-90 days. . Non-Muslims are worst hit as they have few friends or relatives to help. They also have a problem with the local language. Saudi Arabia should show some accommodation for the non-Muslim deceased. They should allow a crematorium in their country with more than a million Hindus/Buddhists imported workers in that country. Before a body is flown back, Saudi demand a declaration that no monetary assistance would be demanded either from Saudi government or the employer.
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