Jalandhar, April 25
In a virtual repeat of the tragic Malta tragedy about 35-55 Punjabis, who had gone to Lebanon in search of greener pastures are rumoured to have been drowned as their boat capsized on its way from Turkey to Greece on April 16.

Most of the victims, according to sources, had migrated to Lebanon in an illegal manner and were travelling to Greece in a boat, arranged by some Lebanon-based travel agents, who had charged Rs 1.25 lakh each for transporting them to Greece.

Only seven persons could be saved by the Greece authorities, which initiated rescue work immediately after coming to know about the mishap on April 16.

Though initially none of the relatives except one or two — were ready to admit that their near and dear ones had perished near Greece for fear of legal implications, but now they were approaching the Nawanshahr district administration for clarification on whether their relatives had actually died in the boat tragedy after they came to know about it from their relatives settled abroad.

Interestingly, sources said most of the victims had sent their passports back to their homes on the advice of Lebanon-based human traffickers and to avoid any legal action in case they were arrested during their illegal ‘sojourn’ from Lebanon to Greece. It was surprising as to how these youths were continuing to live in Lebanon for a long period without passports.

Surinder Singh of Kaulgarh village in Nawanshahr district, one of those feared dead, had gone to Lebanon in 1996. Kulwinder Kaur and Manjit Singh, wife and brother of Surinder Singh respectively, admitted that they had received telephones from their relatives, who informed them about the accident. As she feared that Surinder Singh might be one of the victims, she murmured.” He had gone to Lebanon with a promise that he would bring back lots of money. But now the news has destroyed us.”

On the other hand Bhag Singh, alias Darshan Singh of Bakarpur village in Nawanshahr district, father of Rachpal Singh, another Punjabi youth who had migrated to Lebanon in December, last year, and who was said to have been travelling on the same boat, refused to admit that his son had perished in the accident even as he said he had received a telephone call from one of his relatives in New Zealand, who had informed him about the accident in which, “a number of people from Punjab had drowned.” I am sure Rachpal is alive and he will come back.”