Daijiworld Media Network – Hyderabad (MS)

Hyderabad, Sep 15: Three Kannadigas, who had travelled to Russia seeking lucrative job opportunities, have returned to India after enduring a harrowing eight-month ordeal. They were forcibly conscripted into a private army by fraudsters. While these three have returned safely, 60 more Indians remain trapped amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with no clear timeline for their repatriation.

The three Kannadigas, along with a native of Telangana, arrived at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. They attributed their return to the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The returned individuals from Karnataka are identified as Abdul Naeem and Syed Ilyas Hussaini from Kalaburagi while Mohammed Sufian is from Telangana. The identity of the third Kannadiga has not been disclosed. Sufian expressed, “We have returned to India because of PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.”

In December 2023, 60 Indians were enticed with promises of high-paying jobs and travelled from Chennai via Dubai. The agents assured them of positions as security guards or assistants. However, upon arrival in Russia, their passports were confiscated, and they were coerced into joining a private military force. Deployed in remote forests, they were initially cut off from their families. They managed to contact their loved ones only after significant difficulty and sought help.

Their families contacted the Indian government, prompting intervention by PM Modi, who, during a recent visit to Russia, raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This intervention led to the release of the Indian workers.

The returning individuals described their experiences, saying, “We were treated like slaves and kept in a forest. We had to work 15 hours a day without breaks. If we expressed fatigue, they would fire bullets at us. We were forced to dig pits, handle explosives, and train with Kalashnikovs, grenades, and other weapons. We had no contact with the outside world and were unsure of our survival. We cannot believe we are back in India.”

The plight of the remaining 60 Indians highlights the need for continued diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to ensure their safe return.