RUPNAGAR, Oct 21 — Eight youths from Punjab have been stranded in Kazakhstan after being allegedly duped by a local travel agent who promised them lucrative driver jobs but instead forced them into hard labour under harsh and inhumane conditions.
A video circulating on social media shows the men working as labourers in snow-covered regions, struggling to survive amid freezing temperatures. The victims reportedly face extreme distress, enduring hunger, cold, and physical abuse while being made to carry heavy loads over long distances in mountainous terrain.
“The youths are being kept in cramped metal containers without proper food or safety,” said BJP district president Ajayvir Singh Lalpura, who first learned about the case through an emotional phone call from one of the victims, Harvinder Singh of Nangal. “It is heartbreaking to see the sons of the sacred land of Anandpur Sahib suffering humiliation and exploitation on foreign soil,” he said.
Those stranded have been identified as Harvinder Singh, Manjit Singh, Amarjit Singh, Hardeep Singh, and Avtar Singh, among others. They allege that the local agent not only deceived them with false job promises but also withheld their travel documents, leaving them trapped in Kazakhstan.
Lalpura said he has approached senior authorities and will take up the matter with the central government. “Our priority is to ensure their safe return. The government must take this up immediately through diplomatic channels,” he noted.
Family members of the victims have also met Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, appealing for urgent government intervention to bring their children back home. “Every hour counts. They are calling us crying for help,” one parent reportedly said.
