'East, West, Home is best', say Lebanon evacuees

Amritsar July 28 (UNI) Eighty-nine Indians from Punjab, who arrived here today by a special Indian Airlines flight after being rescued from war-torn Lebanon, said the situation there was becoming worse each passing day.

Israeli planes were increasingly pounding Lebanon but it was hardly able to resist, according to the second batch of Punjabis which arrived home from the beleagured country.

A majority of them hailed from Hoshiarpur district and had been engaged in farm work at orchards in the Lebabnon's countryside.

Some others worked as construction workers, heavy vehicle drivers, mechanics or work supervisors.

Most of them were glad to be back and unlike the earlier batch which reached here on July 22, seemed less keen to go back despite the ''big money'' there.

Some of them, like Sarabjit in his early 20s, did not even have a passport and was working illegally for a pittance. A victim of unscrupulous travel agent, Sarabjit said he wanted to go to some European countries like the UK, Germany, France or Italy, but was dumped in Lebanon itself with a promise to be taken to Turkey later.

''The wily travel agents have a presence in Lebanon also. They get us job at half the salary and promise that they will send us to a 'rich' European country later. But we hear that many others were caught in Turkey and then pushed to Iran and then Pakistan where they were thrown behind bars. Thank God I'm back,'' said Sarabjit who also vowed to trace his fraud travel agent and take police action against him.

The Indians also expressed fears that many of their compatriots, specially in the southern parts, were in grave danger.

''Thank god we are safely home. It is a bad scene in Lebanon.

There is literally no government in the place and people are suffering very badly under the Israeli attack. While the northern parts are slightly better off, the Indians in southern areas are in real danger,'' said Ram Kumar Joshi, of Hoshiarpur, who was happy to be back safe along with his brothers Prem Nath and Raj Kumar.

Paramjit Kaur, who was rescued with her truck driver husband Kulwant Singh and son Balwant, too echoed similar sentiments saying even if her husband wanted to go back after peace returned, she would try to dissuade him.

The evacuees who looked tired but relieved, praised the Indian embassy staff for providing them both the succour and support throughout the travail.

UNI JN YA DS1606