No information on Indians missing in Iraq

Ever since the Iraqi authorities announced last week that they had retaken the strife-torn city of Mosul from ISIS, the government has further intensified its efforts to trace 39 Indians, mostly from Punjab, who are believed to have been taken hostage by the militant outfit in 2014.

Despite running from pillar to post by activating all possible channels to ascertain the whereabouts of these Indians, the government has, however, achieved very little so far.

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With pressure continuing to mount on the government from the relatives of these Indians to locate them now that Mosul has been liberated, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh rushed to Iraq to personally assess the situation and seek the assistance of the Iraqi authorities in the matter.

There has been no word on the fate of these stranded Indians in the last three years though New Delhi has said from time to time that it has been informed by its sources and some local residents of Mosul that they are alive, a claim even their families are now finding difficult to digest.

The relatives of these Indians have met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on several occasions and returned with the government’s promise to locate them at any cost. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had also telephoned Swaraj earlier this week to seek her intervention following the liberation of Mosul.

According to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, the government was "seriously and sincerely" engaged with the Iraqi authorities to trace the missing Indians.

During his visit to Iraq, Gen (retd) Singh met Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari on Friday and handed over a letter from the External Affairs Minister. Singh also met a number of senior Iraqi officials in Erbil and requested them to trace the missing Indians. The Iraqi authorities have conveyed to India that they have sensitised their forces about the missing Indians.

The Indians were employed by the Baghdad-based Tariq Noor al-Huda construction company. The workers were trying to leave battle-ravaged Mosul when they were intercepted by insurgents soon after they stormed the city in June 2014.

More than 10,000 Indians fled Iraq in 2014 after an upsurge in violence, including dozens of nurses who were held briefly by IS militants in Tikrit and Mosul before they were allowed to return home.