Aged Kerala parents still wait for son who left for Australia seven years ago

70-year-old Jayaprakash and his 60-year-old wife Valsala from Ettumanoor in Kottayam are still waiting to hear the voice of their younger son, Jithin, after nearly seven years, reports IANS as quoted by online news sites.

Valsala told IANS that Jithin Jayaprakash, after he did his Bachelor’s degree in Management, told them that he wished to go to Australia. After pooling their meager resources, they gave him Rs 5 lakhs.

On May 23, 2016, the then 25-year-old Jithin left for Australia from Kochi via Indonesia.

The then-happy parents bid goodbye to Jithin, but are now sitting in their rented home, both unemployed. People extend some relief to them and their noon meals are from the famed Ettumanoor Temple.

“The last call from him was on June 15, 2017, and we do not know from where he was calling, as we believed he was in Australia. At times he used to send money, but to date after June 15, 2017, we have no clue about where he is,” said Valsala.

After hearing the story of Valsala, kind-hearted Keralites based in Melbourne started to look out for Jithin in Australia.

Thiruvallam Bhasi, a senior journalist based in Melbourne, approached the migration authorities in Australia. After a detailed probe, it was found that no one by the name of Jithin bearing his passport number ever landed in Australia.

“We have now written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Union Minister of State for External Affairs to take up the case of missing Jithin,” said Bhasi.

A distraught Valsala said that a few times, they were unable to face the insinuations of people from whom they borrowed money, and even thought of committing suicide.

“But we have decided that we will fight it out and we just wish to know about our son and what happened to him. Both of us have health issues and the meager income of our elder son helps us to pay our rent,” said Valsala, still hoping that they will hear some news of Jithin.