With a view to having better career opportunities, Ahmedabad's Ghulam Farid Shaikh moved to Libya in 1972. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be forced to come back to India, due to the troubles in that North African country.
With a view to having better career opportunities, Ahmedabad's Ghulam Farid Shaikh moved to Libya in 1972. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be forced to come back to India, due to the troubles in that North African country.
Shaikh and his family returned to India on March 8. "Five of my family members have come back, the remaining four (eldest son and his family) are still there and will arrive in India on Sunday," said Ghulam, the head of the family.
Ghulam along with his wife, his son and son's wife and Ghulam's granddaughter have arrived in India. His eldest son, Irshad Ahmed and his family are still in Libya. Around 18,000 Indians stay there, out of which 17,000 have already been evacuated from Libya by the Indian Embassy.
"The flight in which we traveled to India was only the second plane to our country. Thus I vividly remember how we in a tremendous hurry and simply rushed back here," stated Ghulam.
Recalling the situation in Libya, Ghulam said that the whole situation was very painful. "When the revolution started, the country got divided into two parts —Tripoli and Benghazi. My family and I lived in Tripoli and my eldest son and his family were in Benghazi. Now, Benghazi is called 'Free Libya'. In the span of just two days, more than 2000 people have been killed, which is very shocking for a country whose citizens have always been nice to others," added Ghulam. Ghulam also said that travelling from Benghazi and Tripoli is not allowed.
So then, how will his eldest son and family fly back to India as Tripoli only has an international port? "My son will travel to Egypt which is close to Benghazi and from there, he will fly to India," answered Ghulam.
"I have stayed in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, for 38 years. My children were born and brought up there. It is unbelievable that such a situation has arisen as before this, Libya was one of the safest countries to live in with pleasant weather, low crime rates, security for all and nice people. Coming back to India for such a reason hurts," said Ghulam.
Ghulam had shifted to Libya for an electrical engineering job. When the revolution happened, Ghulam was working as a consulting engineer at a 7-star hotel group owned by Gaddafi's son Hanibal.
Praising the country, Talatnaaz, daughter-in-law of Ghulam said, "After marriage, I was there for just two years, but it was a very friendly country. People were very nice. Many Libyans had Indian friends and had learnt Hindi through them. I really had a nice experience in those two years."
About his future plans, Ghulam and his family say they definitely will return to Libya after this revolution. "We have left behind lakhs worth of property and we have spent the major portion of our life there. So we have developed a unique attachment with that country. But after retirement from work, we will definitely come back to our native place, Ahmedabad."
However, even after witnessing so much terror, Ghulam has all praise for Libya.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}