Second US plane With 116 Deportees In Handcuffs, Leg Chains Lands In India
LAGOS FEBRUARY 17TH (NEWSRANGERS)-A US military aircraft carrying 116 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar International Airport late Saturday night, with one deportee claiming they were handcuffed with their legs chained during the journey.
Among the deportees, 33 were from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, and two each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. One deportee each was from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Five of them were women, officials added.
The C-17 aircraft, which landed at the airport around 11.35 pm on Saturday, was the second batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants after February 5.
Unlike the first flight, sources said, women were not handcuffed or chained this time. The earlier shackling of deportees during the long flight had drawn criticism in India, prompting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to assure that the government was engaging with US officials to ensure dignified treatment.
Several Sikh deportees were allegedly made to take off their turbans before boarding the US military aircraft that arrived at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport. When the deportees stood in line for immigration and documentation procedures, many Sikhs were visibly without their turbans.
According to sources, the flight carried around 24 Sikh passengers. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) representatives, including staff member Sandeep Singh, promptly provided them with ‘patkas’ and ‘parnas’ (small turbans) to cover their heads.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned the act, calling it a disregard for Sikh religious beliefs.
SGPC secretary Partap Singh criticized the US authorities for treating the deportees as criminals. “They were not only handcuffed and shackled but also stripped of their turbans, violating their basic religious rights. This is unacceptable. These individuals were not offenders but victims of circumstances, yet they were humiliated under the pretext of security. We urge External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to address this issue with his US counterpart and ensure Sikh sentiments are respected,” he stated.
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO were present at the airport to welcome the deportees. During their conversation with the ministers, some deportees disclosed that after being forced to remove their turbans, they were restrained with handcuffs. Though their shackles were removed before landing, they were not given any cloth to cover their heads.
Meanwhile, the SGPC, which operates a special assistance counter at the airport for passengers visiting the Golden Temple, extended its support to the deportees. Sandeep Singh stated that arrangements had been made for ‘langar’ and lodging at the Golden Temple’s ‘sarais’ for those needing overnight accommodation. “If necessary, we will also arrange transportation to help them reach their homes,” he said. Another flight carrying deportees is expected to arrive tonight, and preparations have been made to assist them as well.
The deportees were received by immigration officials, Punjab Police personnel, and representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Punjab Government. A large number of anxious relatives had also gathered at the airport. Considering the exhaustive journey, the local administration had made elaborate arrangements for their reception, including medical assistance. Deportees from other states were provided overnight accommodation and would leave for their native places in the morning, an official said. On February 5, another US military aircraft carrying 104 deported Indians had landed in Amritsar. That group included 33 individuals from both Haryana and Gujarat and 30 from Punjab. Officials said yet another flight carrying 157 deportees is expected to arrive on February 16.
(with agency inputs)
The Daily Guardian
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Posted by News Rangers
on Feb 17 2025. Filed under International, National.
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