Indian community organisation to pay for prisoners' air tickets

Abu Dhabi: An Indian community organisation in Abu Dhabi has announced that it will arrange free air tickets for Indian women who have completed their jail terms in Abu Dhabi.

"Recently we repatriated 49 Indian men who had been languishing in an Abu Dhabi jail after they had completed their jail terms. The support received from the community and the UAE authorities in making that possible has persuaded us to undertake a similar initiative for Indian women prisoners", T.P. Gangadharan, vice president of Kerala Art Lovers Association (Kala), told Gulf News on Wednesday.

"These efforts form part of Kala's second anniversary celebrations, which are taking place this month."

"We have been in touch with the UAE authorities to find out how many women prisoners have completed their terms and flight tickets will be arranged with the help of individuals and organisations," he added.

Members of the community were very concerned with the plight of former prisoners and some individuals had already offered to sponsor the tickets, said Gangadharan.

"Business or social organisations are also welcome to support this initiative," he said.

While many community organisations tended to restrict their anniversary celebrations to organising art and cultural events, Kala wanted to do something for less privileged compatriots, said Amar Singh Kumar, general convener of the association.

"Many individuals with limited incomes contributed to the cost of the air tickets when 49 Indian men were repatriated," Kumar said.

This showed that the community was more interested in helping its less privileged members than attending colourful events, he added.

Most of the men who had been repatriated were not criminals but individuals who had remained in the emirate after their visas had expired due to compulsion or ignorance, said Gangadharan.

"We came to understand that many of the Indian women who are in jail do not have anyone else to help them. "