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Kerala Pilgrims Missing in Vatican
Highlights
Around 100 keralite pilgrims who travelled to Italy to witness the canonization of St Chavara Kuriakose Elias and St Euphrasia at the Vatican are suspected to be missing. It is speculated that these pilgrims have gone underground in order to find jobs for a living in the Italian city.
Kochi: Around 100 keralite pilgrims who travelled to Italy to witness the canonization of St Chavara Kuriakose Elias and St Euphrasia at the Vatican are suspected to be missing. It is speculated that these pilgrims have gone underground in order to find jobs for a living in the Italian city.
Oasis Travels, Seagull Tours and Travels, Riya Travels and Intersight are few among the many travel agencies who transported the pilgrims to the holy city.
According to sources nearly 10,000 malayalees have descended on various Italian cities for this occasion. The travel agents are hoping for the matter to be sorted out, but suspect the number of missing persons to go up to 200 most of them being women.
It has been found that it is easy for those who go missing to resurface after two years and reside there with appropriating papers.
Robi Kannanchira, director, Chavara Cultural Centre, who led a team to the Vatican for the canonization last month, said, all the 248 taken by Oasis Travels as a part of the church team had returned.
Meanwhile, M.K. Biju, manager of Seagull Travels, confirmed that five persons from his 16-member contingent had gone missing.
The Indian embassy along with the Italian police was alerted about the missing contingent. However action can be taken only after the expiry of the visas .The visas were dated from November 21-30.
A much larger number of persons, who had gone for the canonization of St Alphonsa, absconded after reaching.
Mr.Biju said that on Monday, he approached the office of the Commissioner of Police, Kochi to lodge a complaint but could not do so since the Commissioner was not available. He however said that he would lodge the complaint at the earliest while the company’s representative in the Vatican would follow up.
“Such acts mar the credibility of agencies and we will find it hard to secure visas for other people to Italy and other countries in future,” said Biju.
However not all the pilgrims went missing.
” 12 priests and a nun taken by Fortune Travels have returned,” said Robi Kannanchira, adding that he had not received any complaints of people not returning.
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