A daughter sees her NRI father after 16 years, after he dies
Pooja was barely two months old when her father Sabavat Ravi Naik, a native of Ramalayam Tanda of Hanwada Mandal in Mahabubnagar district left for the Arabian deserts seeking greener pastures
Dubai: 16-year-old Sabavat Pooja never saw her father and was waiting to see him and seek his blessings. However, when she finally saw him, her father had passed away.
Pooja was barely two months old when her father Sabavat Ravi Naik, a native of Ramalayam Tanda of Hanwada Mandal in Mahabubnagar district left for the Arabian deserts seeking greener pastures. Like numerous tribals in the district, he also opted for the Gulf in 2009 in the hope of a decent life for his family.
Naik worked as construction labourer in various places in Saudi Arabia, and unfortunately got entangled in some cases that prevented his departure from the Kingdom.
His visa also expired, making him an illegal occupant in the country. His illegal residency status further shrunk his employment prospects, and he developed health issues, according to sources.
He could not travel to India even once in the last 16 years. Naik’s biggest wish was to see his daughter at least when she was in Class 10, as he had not seen her face ever since she was an infant.
Unfortunately, his health deteriorated and he succumbed on January 26 in a hospital in the Riyadh region. The cases and his illegal status delayed the repatriation process of his body for nearly two months.
Finally, noted social worker Siddik Tuvoor with the help of Saudi authorities and the Indian Embassy, repatriated the body recently and Pooja, now a student at a government residential school, got to see her father, but as a lifeless body.
