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How Kerala man stuck in Bahrain returned home after 42 years
Gopalan Chandran went to Bahrain in 1983 with eyes full of dreams of building a better life for his family back home. Little did the 74-year-old man from Kerala know that he would be stuck in the Gulf country as an undocumented migrant for over 40 years. Here's his story read more
Gopalan Chandran was stuck in Bahrain for over 40 years. Facebook/Pravasi Legal Cell
The wait of more than 40 years of an Indian man stuck in West Asia to return home has come to an end. Carrying dreams of a better life, a young Kerala man travelled to Bahrain in 1983.
However, little did he know it was the beginning of his struggles to come home. As he is finally back, let's know his heartrending story.
Kerala man stuck in Bahrain for over 40 years
Gopalan Chandran left his small village near Powdikonam in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram in search of better job opportunities over 40 years back.
He reached Bahrain on August 16, 1983, seeking a well-paid job to provide for his family back home, as per a Hindustan Times (HT) report.
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However, Chandran's plans took a hit after the death of his employer. In another unfortunate incident, Chandran lost his passport, which left him undocumented and stranded in the West Asian country. The Pravasi Legal Cell, an NGO comprising retired judges, lawyers and journalists who fight for Indians facing injustice in India and abroad, shared his tale in a post on Facebook.
A 42-year-long wait
Chandran, who is now 74, remained stuck in Bahrain for 42 years as he was overlooked by the immigration system. He survived quietly in the shadows while living in a legal limbo, reported HT.
His life took a turn after Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC) intervened.
As per the Facebook post, the NGO, led by Sudheer Thirunilath, 'worked tirelessly' to bring Chandran's story to the limelight. It navigated 'legal mazes', provided shelter to the Kerala man and coordinated with authorities.
The NGO also traced Chandran's family, which includes his elderly mother.
Chandran returns home
Thirunilath, the Bahrain Chapter President of PLC, and his team got in touch with the Embassy of India in Bahrain and the Gulf country's Immigration Department to ensure Chandran's return home.
'Gopalan finally return home to see his 95-year-old mother — who never stopped waiting for her son. He boards his flight home today morning with no belongings — only memories, tears, and the dream of reuniting with family (sic),' PLC wrote in its Facebook post on Wednesday (April 23).
'This isn't just a story of a man going home. It's a story of what happens when humanity, justice, and relentless kindness come together. It's a symbol of hope for countless migrants who remain unheard. Welcome home, Gopalan. You were never forgotten,' it added.
Indians in Bahrain
As many as 90 lakh Indian nationals are living in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Of this, 350,000 Indians are in Bahrain. More than 60 per cent of the Indian expatriates are in the construction, contracting and maintenance sectors. Besides blue-collar jobs, Indians also work in professions like doctors, engineers, chartered accountants and bankers.
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Recently, the plight of Indian workers in Gulf countries engaged in low-paying jobs has come to light. They are exploited, underpaid and poorly treated by their employers. Some workers have also passed away, with many deaths attributed to 'natural causes' or 'cardiac arrest'.
As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 24 Indian nationals, including workers, died in accidents in Bahrain, while 285 died due to other reasons in 2023-24.
With inputs from agencies
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