An undocumented expatriate in Bahrain is finally set to reunite with his family in India after being stranded in Bahrain for over 43 years. Indian national Jayaprakash Vamadevan who hails from Thiruvananthapuram will fly home on Thursday thanks to immigration officials.
The 63-year-old was issued an exit pass by the Indian Embassy and had his fines cleared by the Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs (NPRA) for staying illegally in Bahrain. World NRI Council Director for Humanitarian Aid GCC Region Sudheer Thirunilath worked with officials in Bahrain and India to help the Keralite return home.
Jayaprakash arrived in Bahrain (1977) to work for a construction company and earned BD 40 per month.
“If I was unable to work a day, my wages for two days would be cut. Due to the insufferable working conditions for about two years (1979-1980), I fled from the site and did not return to work. I managed to survive this long in this country by working small jobs” said Jayaprakash Vamadevan.
Suffering from high blood pressure owing to stress and anxiety, Jayaprakash was later admitted to the Salmaniya Medical Complex and underwent treatment for 10 days. Having become bedridden later on, CT scans confirmed that the Keralite had suffered from a cerebral stroke.
“As of now, there are no records of him in the system as he had come to Bahrain decades ago and had been unable to renew his validity. He has been very ill and has not been in a position to provide for himself. Upon speaking with his relatives back in India, they are ready to take him in and provide care” said World NRI Council Director for Humanitarian Aid GCC Region Sudheer Thirunilath.
“I had provided him with food and accommodation in Gudaibiya along with a few workers from Tamil Nadu. Over the past four months, Jayaprakash’s health had worsened and we have been working to repatriate him home at the earliest” he added.
The World NRI Council has helped scores of expatriates reunite with their families back home after being stranded in Bahrain owing to various reasons.
Sudheer Thirunilath thanked NPRA officials, Naeef Al Sherooqi, Captian Yousef Jamal, Rana, the Immigration Department for their kind gesture. He thanked Kerala Chief Minister and his officials for their support in arranging the necessary Documents from India
He reiterated his gratitude to the External Affairs of India and Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Indian Embassy officials, second secretary PK Chowdhury, Attache (Consular) Priyanka Tyagi, Priya, Labor Section Murali "and Gulf Madyamam Newspaper for sponsoring the ticket.
SOURCE: ALBILAD