Returning from Lebanon, man reunites with family 24 years

When Gurtej Singh (then 33) of Mattewara in Ludhiana had taken a donkey route to Lebanon to earn fortunes for his family, little did he know that he would not be able to see his family including his two sons again for as many as 24 years.

Gurtej had lost his passport and could not even contact the embassy there for help as he was an illegal immigrant. He had lost all hope of returning and reuniting with his family till he contacted Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal who aided his return.

Gurtej said, "It has been a very emotional time for me. It is almost like a rebirth. My elder son has already got married. Now I also have grandson with whom I want to live the moments I missed with my own sons. I cannot express the feeling when he touched my feet upon my return back home. It has not been easy to stay back and work silently in a war-strifed country. The guilt of not being able to be with my mother and brother, who passed away in recently, in their last moments shall remain forever".

Gurtej Singh thanked Seechewal as he shared his story, "I used to work in a factory engaged in making woollen clothes in Ludhiana but I was not able to make my two ends meet. I contacted a travel agent who charged me Rs 1 lakh to send me to Lebanon. It was a huge amount for me in those days and we had arranged this money with a lot of difficulty. The agent took me via Jordan-Syria route. I used to work in fields there all day. Since I was living in a hiding, there always remained a threat of getting caught but still life moved on. After five years of my stay in Lebanon, I had lost my passport, which became my biggest worry. My family here contacted Seechewal, who in turn got in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and finally made my return possible."