‘The world I left behind has changed’: Kerala man, stranded in Bahrain, returns home after 42 years

Forty-two years after he left the Indian shores in search of a better life, Thiruvananthapuram native Gopalan Chandran, 64, finally returned home, reuniting with his 95-year-old mother, who never gave up hope.

 

Chandran left India at the age of 22 in 1983, as one of those Malayalis seeking job opportunities in the Middle East. Unfortunately, soon after reaching Bahrain, his employer died, leaving him undocumented as he lost his passport and travel documents.

 

Decades later, Chandran came to the attention of the Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC), an NGO that helped him connect with his family in Kerala and obtain the necessary documents for his return. Chandran's return became possible with the support of Sudheer Thirunilath, Dr Rithin Raj, Anil Thankappan Nair and a dedicated team of volunteers. The PLC consists of retired judges who assist Indians facing injustice in India and abroad.

 

The expatriate community in Bahrain came to know about him in 2020 when the police detained him after a fight with another Malayali expatriate.

 

The PLC expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Bahrain's Ministry of Interior, the Immigration Department, and the Indian Embassy, especially Ambassador H.E. Vinod K. Jacob and the embassy officials.

 

"I have to track down my relatives and friends,” Chandran said upon his return. “While I remain a bachelor, two generations have been born in my family. The world I left behind in Kerala has changed. If I go out, I will get lost."

 

He returned empty-handed and grief-stricken, but with a heart filled with renewed hope. His reunion with his 95-year-old mother was particularly emotional. In a Facebook post, the PLC shared, "Today, we share a story that will stay with you long after you read it—a story of loss, perseverance, and the extraordinary power of human compassion", and truly, our hope in humanity gets restored little by little through gestures like this.

India