THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: THE NRI grievance cell functioning in the state BJP office has become a source of relief for the Keralites abroad in distress situations. Compared to the government department NORKA, the grievance cell at the BJP office has turned out to be of greater help to the people in the time of distress, according to people who have sought assistance.
Lavin Michael, an employee at Technopark here whose two cousins died in a road mishap in Australia, told Express that intervention of the State Government alone could not have been enough to bring the bodies to the state without delay. “My cousins Asha Mathew and Anju Mathew died in an accident that took place in Australia on May 23 this year. As the caskets arranged to carry the bodies were of large size, the Singapore Airlines with which arrangements had been made to bring the body refused to bring them. It was the timely intervention of the grievance cell that forced the Indian embassy to step in and bring the caskets within seven days,” he said.
Gireesh Kumar P A of Balaramapuram also found the grievance cell of great help. When he had to bring the mortal remains of his cousin Salil Nair, who died at Columbus in the US a few months ago, he approached the grievance cell. “Following the BJP state office’s intervention, the Consul General in the Indian embassy in the United States took all necessary steps to bring the mortal remains here,” Gireesh told Express.
Over the last one-and-a-half years, the grievance cell could step in to bring home the mortal remains of over 140 people. During the same period, over 450 cases were settled and justice was meted out to the victims stranded in Gulf and East Asian countries following the cell’s intervention.
Speaking to Express, BJP NRI grievance cell in-charge Rajesh Chandran said the cell was getting 15 to 20 petitions a day on an average. “We simultaneously bring the matter to the attention of the External Affairs Ministry and Indian embassies in the respective countries. At the same time, we contact the local Indian organisations to help the victims. If there is no positive results within three days, state president Kummanam Rajasekharan will directly call the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, seeking her intervention,” he said.
Rajesh said organisations like ‘Samanwaya’ in Saudi Arabia and people like Manoj Mavelikkara in Kuwait, a team led by Gireesh Panth in Dubai and Durgadas in Abu Dhabi were of great help to the Keralites in distress. He also said that atrocities against Indian labourers were on the rise in Saudi Arabia and Oman. “Unfortunately, the Indian embassy is not that helpful,” he said.