- By Nidhi Giri
- Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:44 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A 74-year-old Indian man who had been stranded in the Middle East for over 40 years is finally set to reunite with his family in Kerala, bringing an emotional close to a long and heartbreaking chapter. Gopalan Chandran, an Indian expatriate, had been stuck in Bahrain for more than four decades after moving there in search of better job opportunities. A native of a small village near Powdikonam in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala, Gopalan arrived in Bahrain on August 16, 1983, with hopes of securing a well-paying job to support his family back home.
In a twist of events, after Gopalan reached Bahrain, his employer died untimely and his passport was lost. As a result Gopalan became undocumented and suffered through the immigration system over the years and was left stranded in Bahrain.
Gopalan’s return to India was made possible by the Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC), an NGO which comprised retired judges, lawyers and journalists who fight for Indians facing injustice in India and abroad.
‘Welcome Home, Gopalan. You Were Never Forgotten’
Sudheer Thirunilath, the Bahrain Chapter President of PLC along with his team coordinated with the Embassy of India in Bahrain and the Kingdom's Immigration Department to cut through years of bureaucratic red tape and secure Gopalan's return.
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"Gopalan finally return home to see his 95-year-old mother—who never stopped waiting for her son. He boards his flight home today morning with no belongings—only memories, tears, and the dream of reuniting with family. This isn’t just a story of a man going home. It’s a story of what happens when humanity, justice, and relentless kindness come together. It’s a symbol of hope for countless migrants who remain unheard. Welcome home, Gopalan. You were never forgotten," PLC said in a post on Facebook.