A number of Indian labourers from Rajasthan are stuck in strife-torn Libya amid unrest and violence against Col. Gaddafi while their family members requested authorities to make arrangements for their repatriation. CM Ashok Gehlot sent a letter to external affairs minister S.M. Krishna seeking a relief for the stranded labourers.
Most of the affected are from Shekhawati region of Rajasthan which has been sending labourers to the Gulf countries for four decades. A dozen labourers of Ratangarh under Churu district were struck in Libya.
“I have informed chief minister Gehlot and sought his help. The CM had sent a letter to the government of India. We hope for the best,” says Rajkumar, MLA from Ratangarh. “I lost communication with my husband Bhagirath, who moved last year to Libya. Since then, I have not received a penny,” says his wife Chandarkala of Khari village under Churu district.
According to his family, Bhagirath took out a loan to arrange a trip to Libya to earn money. “It is difficult to feed my four daughters. We have no source of income while my husband is stuck in Libya,” laments Chandarkala.
Premeshwar’s family narrated the same story. “My brother has been stranded in Libya and we are so worried about his safety”, says Jagdeesh of Bhavandesr village of Churu district. Most of the people who are stuck in Libya are semi-literate and were taken to Gulf countries on false promises.