Gulf war haunts DK again

MANGALORE: Any crisis in the Middle-East has its impact on India, but the effect on the people of Dakshina Kannada is more pronounced.
With an estimated 20 per cent of the district’s population in the Gulf, the US war on Iraq is giving jitters to the relatives of the those employed in the Gulf. Not only does the war affects relatives, but also the district’s economy.The 1991 Gulf War had crippled the district’s economy and took a year for revival. Though the war against Iraq has reached the third day, none has so far returned from the Middle-East.
Vikram Balthilaya, who is employed at a computer firm, left for Kuwait on March 13. During his departure, he was worried about the war, but thought the war would not happen. But he was wrong. His parents and wife are here.
Talking to Sunday Times of India, Dr Shankaranarayana Balthilaya said he was worried about the situation in the Middle-East, especially because Iraq president Saddam Hussein always targeted Kuwait as a retaliatory measure. His fears have come true and Saddam has already despatched some Scud missiles over Kuwait.
He said on Friday, Vikram had called and said the situation was not that bad. “He is in the middle of the war zone and he knows best what is happening there. We get only one-sided reports from the media and we are worried,’’ he said. He is expecting his son’s call on Saturday and is banking on his son’s word that he would return, if the situation went bad.
People who suffered during the 1991 war, do not have happy tales to tell. Harry Pinto, who was employed in Saudi Arabia, though survived the war, does not have happy memories.
He could see the Scud missiles reducing neighbouring buildings to rubble and always tried to trace the missile path to see whether it would fall on his apartment. He said they could seen Scuds being fired from Kuwait soil on the television and they would race outside the building to see where it would land. “All in all, it was a nightmare,’’ he said.
And till this war ends, there’ll be scores of families here worried about the safety of their near and dear ones in the Gulf, who are putting their lives in danger for their family’s welfare.