Injured migrant dies in Malaysia

Hyderabad: Soma Narsaiah, 55, decided to go abroad to clear the debts he had contracted for his daughter's marriage. But he was cheated by an agent who sent him to Malaysia promising him work in a supermarket. But the agent sent him on a visit visa and he was forced to work in a metal company as a porter. Narsaiah suffered a serious injury and slipped into coma. He died on Friday.

After his family got to know about his condition they approached Chand Basha, a social worker, who wrote to the Indian Embassy in Malaysia asking them to provide him treatment. He also appealed to the embassy to inquire into the accident and the cause of his death.

Soma Narsaiah who hails from Jagtial district was working as a tailor. After his younger daughter's marriage two years ago he was burdened with debts. Coming to know about jobs abroad, he decided to go to clear his debts.

He and another person Satyanarayana, also from Jagtial, paid Rs 60,000 to the agents and went to Malaysia to work in a supermarket. But after landing there, they found that they have been cheated and were taken by another agent who grabbed their passports and put them to work in an aluminium factory.

The agent also forcibly took their one month salary as commission and did not allow them to go out except for work. Unable to bear this, Satyanarayana and Narsaiah fled from the agent. Satyanarayana, managed to return home, but Narsaiah who hails from a poor family, could not afford to come. He could not approach the embassy as he had no passport. He started earning his livelihood by doing odd jobs.

On May 23, his wife Rajamani received a call from a hospital saying that he was admitted there and is in coma. With the help of Chand Basha she contacted the Indian Embassy.

Officials visited Narsaiah in the hospital and assured to repatriate him home after he recovers. But to the shock of the family who was expecting his safe return, Narsaiah died on Friday. Rajamani who was supposed to undergo an abdominal surgery postponed it after the news.

Mr Chand Basha said that despite repeated incidents of exploitation by agents there is no action against them. “The police has failed to check them. The government should crack the whip on agents and save the lives of migrants who are trafficked,” he said.