Indian detainees in Falluja camp appeal for help

Antonio left for Jordan from India in March to work as a chef for a monthly salary of $1,680. A month later, his trauma began.

Antonio found himself along with several Indians cooking for US soldiers in a Falluja camp. Antonio, along with his Indian colleagues, have quit their jobs, but they have not yet been relieved. They are all Falluja detainees now and their kin are knocking at the doors of the Ministry of External Affairs to ‘‘bring them back safely’’.

“We fear for his life,’’ Princy said. ‘‘I faxed a message to the President of India and the PM. But I have received no response,’’ she said.

The repeated pleas of Rupesh Salgaonkar, another Falluja detainee, through e-mail to the Indian Embassies in Kuwait and Baghdad appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Rupesh wrote: ‘‘We, a group of 18 Indians, resigned from our duties three months ago. But we are being held for no reason. Our salaries have been withheld as well. We request your good office to intervene and bring us home. We are concerned about our safety as we fear harassment due to (our action of) reporting to Indian authorities.’’

Accompanied by Mohammed Thambi, brother of A.R. Sulthan, a cook who hails from Nagercoil and who has also been detained in the Falluja camp, Princy handed over a petition to the Tamil Nadu CM’s Cell, appealing for help to ‘‘free’’ the 18 Indians.

Said Vairamani, father of 20-year-old V. Ramesh Kumar, another Falluja detainee who had been hired as an assistant cook: ‘‘We got his salary for the last three months. But there is no word from him for the last 10 days. He has not called me for the last 10 days. I am worried. I hope he is fine.’’