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Journalism of Courage
Like the three Indian truck drivers held hostage in Iraq — Antaryami, Sukhdev and Tilak Raj — Kulwant Singh Minhas, 45, of Madar village in Jalandhar had also gone to Kuwait to work as a driver in February this year. However, two months later, he was dead — shot by militants in Iraq while driving a truck on his way back from Baghdad. His killing went unnoticed and the family received Kulwant’s body 23 days after his death.
‘‘The news of the killing of my husband, who was shot dead on April 23, reached us on April 30 — seven days after his death,’’ says Kulwant’s wife Daljit Kaur, wiping away her tears.
‘‘Even the company, Altunia, for which he used to drive trucks to Iraq didn’t inform us of his death. It was the Indian Embassy, which was informed by the US Army, which informed us of his death,’’ she added. Then began the struggle to bring his body back from Iraq.
‘‘He had told us on the phone, on April 13, that Indian drivers were not safe in Kuwait as they were forced to go to Iraq by Kuwaiti transport companies. If they refused, they were not given any work. He also assured us that he was alright and was sending money home,’’ said his 14-year-old son Harjinder Singh.
Kulwant’s brother Amarjit said that Kulwant’s company, Altunia, was not even ready to admit that he was killed while driving a truck and had refused to send his body back. Some Indian friends and relatives helped bring his body back home, but it took 23 days for that to happen. ‘‘We never knew that he would be sent to Iraq. He had gone to Kuwait from here,’’ Amarjit said.
Kulwant was the sole breadwinner in the family and has left behind his wife and two children. Meanwhile, Altunia has not paid any compensation to the family. However, the Indian Embassy in Kuwait has sent a letter informing them of the appointment of a lawyer to explore the possibilities for claiming compensation.
The family as well as various villagers have pleaded with the Indian government to take up their issue as seriously as that of the three Indian hostages with the Kuwaiti government and to get them justice.
