RS MP Satnam Singh Sandhu writes to MEA, seeks repatriation of Punjabi youths stranded in Russia
RS MP Satnam Singh Sandhu writes to MEA, seeks repatriation of Punjabi youths stranded in Russia
Chandigarh, Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu on Monday said he has sought the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs for the repatriation of several Punjabi youths who were duped by fraudulent job agents and later forced to join the Russian army.
In a letter to the MEA, Sandhu said the youths were allegedly lured to Russia by the agents on the pretext of helping them get lucrative jobs there and upon their arrival in the country, they were coerced into signing contracts to join the Russian army.
They have been deployed near the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone, the letter stated.
"I have raised the issue of rescuing the Punjabi youths trapped in Russia with the Ministry of External Affairs and closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all relevant authorities to ensure their safe return.
"I also urge our youths and their parents to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to fraudulent agents promising lucrative job opportunities abroad," Sandhu said.
There have been several instances where Indian youths, misled by fraudulent travel agents, have fallen prey to false promises of lucrative jobs abroad. Many of them ended up in vulnerable situations, facing severe hardship and even life-threatening circumstances.
One such incident of a Punjabi youth, Buta Singh, a resident of Chak Kanian Kalan village in Moga, Punjab, recently came to light.
Singh, who is currently stuck in Russia, contacted Sandhu and narrated his ordeal. He appealed for his safe return to India.
In a voice message shared with Sandhu, Singh said he was lured by a Delhi-based agent on the pretext of getting him a job in Russia and his family paid the agent ₹3.5 lakh after selling their land.
According to Singh, he reached Russia in October last year with two other Punjabi youths from Ludhiana and Gurdaspur. They were taken to a remote area and forced to sign papers in Russian before being sent to an army camp where their passports were seized.
They were given uniforms and trained for 15 days. They were threatened with dire consequences if they did not fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, Singh said.
He said he was injured in a drone attack during the war and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
