Rahul Gandhi meets family of Haryana youth injured in US accident
PTC News Desk: On Friday morning, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, visited Ghoghripur village to meet the family of Amit Maan, a local youth recently injured in an accident in the United States. Maan had made his way to the US via the notorious "donkey route," a perilous journey undertaken by many seeking better opportunities abroad.
Gandhi had previously met Maan during his visit to the US and promised to visit his family upon returning to India. True to his word, he arrived at the village around 6 am, dedicating over an hour to expressing his concern for Amit and discussing the family's situation.
During his visit, Gandhi also met with the families of five other youths who had similarly ventured abroad, where they shared stories of their struggles with unemployment. Many families articulated how the dire economic conditions had pushed their sons to take such significant risks in search of a brighter future.
Amit's elder brother, Ajit, shared that the family had invested Rs 42 lakh to send Amit to the US, having sold three acres of their land and taken out loans by mortgaging their home. “He had met with an accident in the US, and Rahul met him there,” Ajit explained.
Amit’s mother, Bheermati, expressed her gratitude, saying, “We were pleasantly surprised that Rahul visited our house. We were not aware of this. We thank him for meeting Amit in the US and now coming to see us. It shows he cares about the people.”
The discussions with other families were equally poignant. Vedpal, a resident of Birchpur village, whose son Ankit Kajal also traveled to the US illegally, emphasized that unemployment was a major driving force behind the youth's decisions to go abroad. The family expressed their appreciation for Gandhi’s visit, presenting him with homemade desi ghee, butter, and lassi as a gesture of gratitude.
Additionally, the family of Hanif, another youth who had traveled to the US, shared their plight, revealing that Hanif had suffered a leg fracture while attempting to jump a wall to enter the country.
Satinder Mann, whose brother Tajinder has been aiding local youth in settling in the US for over a decade, highlighted the desperation that compels young people to take such risks. “Rahul asked us why so many youths are leaving, and we told him it’s unemployment,” he remarked. He noted that his brother assists every youth who reaches the US purely on humanitarian grounds.
The families voiced their concerns about the growing unemployment issue in rural areas and expressed appreciation for Rahul's visit. Later, Gandhi had a brief stay outside the farmhouse of the party's candidate from Gharaunda, Virender Rathore, near the Bastara toll plaza, where he was warmly welcomed by party workers and locals who eagerly snapped selfies with him.
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- With inputs from agencies
