Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (EP/SP)
Kasargod, Dec 22: Abdul Basheer (39), who was found loitering in the streets of the town a few years back without any documents in his possession to prove his identity, is in a precarious position now. India does not want to keep him, but Saudi Arabia, of which he is stated to be a national, has disowned him, stressing that it does not have a national with that name.
'Snehalaya', a rehabilitation centre being run by Joseph Crasta at Manjeshwar Pavoor Bachalike in the taluk has now provided shelter to Abdul Basheer.
For a foreign national to stay inside the country, he needs valid permission from the home ministry. Because Basheer does not have any documents to prove his identity or authorizing him to stay inside India, the officials have no clue what to do with him. They can neither keep him here indefinitely, nor are they able to deport him.
After finding Abdul Basheer in the town in September 2012, the police had questioned him. Abdul can converse only in Arabic and Urdu languages. Even then he has failed to provide concrete information. Initially it was believed that he was from Bangladesh but it was said later that he had been granted citizenship of Saudi Arabia. The information provided by Basheer is neither comprehensible not clear enough to establish his identity and nationality.
After a local court awarded jail sentence of two years to him for straying into India without valid visa, Basheer was released from jail on December 9 this year. Kasargod town police provided shelter to him for a week. He was led to foreigner regional registration office at Kochi, but he was sent back as he does not possess any documents. Although a decision to house him in Cheemeni jail was taken, this could not be implemented because of legal hitches.
Thereafter, he was kept in the town police station here, before the police could find him shelter at Snehalaya. Abdul Basheer says in his broken Arabic and Urdu that his mother hails from Myanmar but this information is useless as no additional information or her address is available.
It is gathered that the police have referred this case to the state minority commission with a fervent hope to break this impasse with their guidance.