PUDUKKOTTAI: On Tuesday, the mortal remains of R Parthiban reached his home in Karambakudi village in Pudukkottai district two days after he died in an accident in Malaysia. Given he had no relatives in Malaysia, many were surprised at how the body had reached his family so fast. Credit goes to the Malaysia-based Tamil group called Ayalagam Udhavi Kuzhu.
The group was started three years ago by youngsters from Tamil Nadu working in Malaysia. Many of the members are delivery persons, industrial labourers and waiters. With 65 members, the group helps those stuck in Malaysia due to visa issues, health or other problems through crowd-funding.
The group works with a network of 2,000 well-wishers on WhatsApp. So far, the members said they had rescued close to 1,500 Tamilians stuck in hospitals with hefty bills and in jails with expired tourists visas. In a year, they have returned the remains of 10 people from Malaysia to Tamil Nadu.
“With the massive reach of social media, one Facebook post brings the required response in a matter of hours.,” said Jothi Barathi, a member of the group. “We could identify and rescue only a handful of people but hundreds, unaware of the risks, step into this country every week,” said Pari Thamizharasan, a member.