Govt must speak the truth on missing 39 Indians in Iraq

The mystery surrounding the 39 missing Indians in Iraq is never-ending. While BJP's national president Amit Shah says that the government is not lying about the issue, the families of the missing Indians have raised serious doubts.

It has been close to three years since the 39 Indians went missing in Iraq's Mosul. The government has repeatedly said that these persons were safe and all efforts were being made to rescue them. Recently Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj said that 39 Indians were at a prison at the Badush prison. However latest reports clearly suggest that the prison has been destroyed in the fighting between the Iraqi forces and the Islamic State.

Harjit Masih who was part of the group managed to flee from captivity. He has maintained that the rest of them shot dead. Sushma Swaraj during her meetings with the family members has maintained that Harjit is lying. The families however ask why would Harjit lie.

If Harjit is lying why has the government not been able to give proof that the 39 persons are alive. The families have been given false assurances in every meeting that they have held with the ministers. In recent times the government has been giving a lot of assurances. While at first it said that the missing men were in a Church at Mosul. Then the government said that they were in the Badush prison. Now there are reports that the prison has been completely destroyed.

The government must realise that this issue has not given the family members any closure. It either needs to come clean on the issue or make a serious effort to at least put the right facts before the family members. if the government wants the families to believe that Harjit is lying then it should put forth proof to counter his statement.

OneIndia News