VOI World/ Desk
Khalsa Aid Lebanon rescue efforts helped five men from Punjab return home after years of hardship in conflict-hit Lebanon, where they had allegedly gone unpaid for up to 10 months and had their passports withheld by agents.
The workers, hailing from Patiala, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, had travelled to Lebanon on legal work permits between three and ten years ago. According to their accounts, salaries became irregular over time and conditions worsened amid the recent regional conflict and heightened tensions affecting Lebanon. Several of them claimed repeated attempts to seek help from the Indian Embassy in Beirut had yielded little progress.
Their situation came to the attention of Khalsa Aid founder Ravi Singh through Pritpal Singh, head granthi of Adonis Gurdwara in Beirut. Khalsa Aid then coordinated with former Foreign Secretary and current Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Government of India and the Indian mission in Beirut to facilitate their return. The process was completed within days, according to Khalsa Aid representatives.
Speaking at a press conference in Jalandhar, the returnees said most of them were factory workers who had initially been promised monthly wages of around $400 but had received lower and irregular payments. One worker reportedly lost his mother while still trying to secure permission to return home. Another was dealing with a physical disability.
Khalsa Aid and the workers appealed to Indian authorities to assist other Indians from Punjab and Haryana who remain stranded in Lebanon. The humanitarian organisation said it continues to receive requests for help from the region.
