50 workers head home from Angola

The prayers of Nirmala, wife of Ram Parvez - a worker stranded at Sumbe cement plant in Angola were finally answered on Tuesday.

Her husband, along with nearly 50 other Indian workers, is on a plane headed for India. The workers are likely to land in Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, Indian embassy official in Angola met the striking workers at Sumbe cement plant and urged them to rejoin duties. However, the frustrated and fearful workers simply want to return back to India.

DNA has been, for the last five days, highlighting the plight of 1,200 Indian workers stranded at a cement plant in Sumbe, Angola after they went on strike demanding overtime payment in dollars.

Talking to DNA, Nirmala from her village Chakari in Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh said, "He (Ram Parvez) talked to me before boarding the aircraft. He told me that once he lands in India, he will call me. My husband is the sole breadwinner for our family, comprising 5-year-old kid, my brother-in-law, handicapped father-in-law and me."

She added, "Ever since, I heard of the violence and strike there, we were worried for him. We have been praying to the almighty and I believe our prayers have been heard. Once he reaches home, I will offer my gratitude to God for the safe return of my husband from Angola."

Back in Sumbe, out of 59 labourers who were arrested by police from the campsite, 22 were produced before a local court in Angola while others are expected to be released.

Around 22 people have been produced in the court. Remaining workers are waiting at the main gate expecting release. Police have taken our photographs and fingerprints. We have been told that we would be sent back to the cement plant campsite.

"I was on duty, when the violence broke out. I was not part of the mob but still I was pulled out of my water tanker and arrested," said Mritunjay Kumar from Sumbe prison.

Another worker at the campsite Umesh Kumar said, "Today, two officers from the Indian Embassy visited the campsite. They asked us to stay back at the plant and resume duties. They also assured us that such incidents would not be repeated again. However, all workers are clear that they don't want to stay back and want to return to India."

He added that company officials were pressurising workers by saying that if they wanted to return to India, they will have to pay $1,156 for their air tickets. "All workers have agreed to this condition also. Actually, whatever we have faced is nothing short of nightmare and everybody is so scared here that they just want to head home," said Umesh Kumar.