Back from Iran’s war zone, this fisherman still feels the tremor

Thiruvananthapuram: For V R Thaddeus, a fisherman from Vizhinjam, travelling to Iran meant to be a turning point a chance to earn better and rebuild his life. Instead, it turned into a landscape of fear, uncertainty, and a daily fight for survival. Thaddeus travelled to Iran on Feb 19 to work with a fishing company. Within weeks, conflict broke out, leaving him first stranded at sea and later trapped in a harbour under frequent missile attacks."I went there with so much hope. I thought I could earn well and change my family's life. But within days, everything collapsed. We couldn't even sleep. Missiles were hitting day and night, and every sound made us feel the next one would fall upon us," he said.He was part of a 10-member fishing crew that went to sea for fishing, when the situation escalated. While at sea, their communication systems, including GPS, failed, leaving them adrift for four days without contact."For four days, we were stuck in the middle of the sea, not knowing what was happening elsewhere. When we finally neared the shore at night, the sky was lit with bombs and missiles. That was when we realised there was no easy escape," Thaddeus said.After reaching the harbour, Thaddeus and around 50 others from different countries were confined to a hall for nearly one and a half months as attacks continued nearby."We stayed inside one hall the whole time, too afraid to step out. Every night there were explosions. None of us slept properly. We were just waiting, not knowing if we would survive the next day. Those days felt endless," he said.With no clear evacuation plan, they made repeated attempts to contact the Indian embassy. Weeks later, he finally managed to leave the conflict zone. "At that point, I was not thinking about money or work. I only wanted to get out alive," he said. After repeated pleas, the Indian embassy facilitated their evacuation. On April 5, he and other Indians travelled first to Armenia, spending around Rs 60,000, before flying to Chennai and returning home. Now, back in Vizhinjam, Thaddeus faces a heavy financial burden. He had taken a loan of around Rs 1 lakh before leaving India."I went there to support my family, but I have returned empty-handed. Still, I feel lucky because I am alive. There were many moments when I thought I wouldn't make it back," he said. Having returned with only his clothes and essential documents, he now hopes to rebuild his life through fishing. The experience, however, has left deep scars. "I have been fishing since I was young. That is the only thing I know. I will try to start again somehow. After going through all this, I don't have the courage to leave my country again. I will never go abroad," he said.