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Third US flight with 112 Indian deportees lands at Amritsar
The majority of the third round of deportees are from Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.
Indian deportees, including women and children, arrive at Amritsar airport on Feb.16. / Courtesy photo.
A third US plane landed at Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar with 112 Indian deportees at about 10.05 pm on Feb.16, confirmed official sources.
Of them, 44 are from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 31 from Punjab, two from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
New India Abroad witnessed the deportees, including children and women, proceeding to the immigration check area at the airport.
Like the last two flights, no VIP movement was seen at Amritsar airport during the arrival of the third flight as no minister from Punjab or the Union government reached the airport to check the arrangements for the deportees.
Punjab police were deputed at the entry of Aviation Club of Amritsar airport. Police teams from states where deportees belong reached Amritsar to receive them. The Punjab government has been taking deportees to their homes in police vehicles.
Haryana government’s Volvo bus at Amritsar airport to receive deportees from the state and Family members of Indian deportees and media persons having community kitchen food offered by SGPC. / Courtesy PhotoAfter criticism from Punjab state ministers that Haryana is sending buses to move prisoners to receive deportees from their state, the government sent a private Volvo bus to transport them.
As it was reported during the arrival of the second flight that some Sikh deportees were seen without turbans and bare heads while moving towards the immigration checkpoint of Amritsar airport, the Sikh body Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Sunday arranged an ample number of turbans in advance to help turban-less Sikh deportees.
The SGPC sources at the airport said the Sikh body handed over about 50 turbans to the airport officers, and nearly 25 Sikh deportees wore them.
SGPC member Gurcharan Singh Grewal said that they would take up this issue with the Indian and US governments through proper channels as it related to the religious beliefs of the Sikh community.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, “Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Ministers are playing to the gallery on the deportation of youth from USA. But shocking and shamelessly, they are silent on bringing Sikh youth without turbans. I strongly condemn this action of US Authorities and urge the Ministry of External Affairs to immediately take up the matter with US Authorities so that such an incident is never repeated.”
Dalip Singh (in black turban), father of Butta Singh, an Indian deportee, waiting for the latter’s arrival outside Amritsar airport. / Courtesy Photo
Meanwhile, Dalip Singh, a resident of Pipli village in the Shahkot area of the Jalandhar district of Punjab, arrived in Amritsar to receive his son, Butta Singh (38), who was deported from the US. Dalip Singh said his son had left home nearly five months ago after a disagreement with the family and went abroad without their knowledge. He said they found out about Butta through news reports that he was arriving on a deportation flight.
“For months, we had no idea where our son had gone. About 15 days ago, when he entered the US border via Mexico, he contacted us, and we learned he had gone abroad. However, after keeping him there for a few days, the US government deported him. We have not spoken to him in the last 15 days. When he crossed the border, he sent us a video of himself informing us that he entered the US border”, said Dalip Singh.
Dalip Singh said his son had very little education and that the family never wanted him to go abroad. “I always discouraged my son from leaving. I told him that our farming was doing well here, that we had a good family life and that he should work here. But he was determined to go abroad, which led to conflicts between us. Eventually, he left secretly. He arranged everything himself—contacting an agent, mortgaging his land and arranging the money needed to travel. He tried to leave about two and a half years ago, but I stopped him. However, he did not give up and kept looking for ways to go abroad”.
SGPC official with turbans at Amritsar airport for Sikh deportees. / Courtesy Photo
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