Biju Kurian said he was not deported by the Israel administration and the Indian embassy there, as demanded by the Kerala government.
Biju Kurian speaking to reporters at Kozhikode airport after returning from Israel. (Screengrab)
Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad heaved a sigh of relief on Monday, 27 February, when farmer Biju Kurian — who went missing in Israel while the remainder of the 28-member state government delegation, of which he was a part, returned to his native Iritty in the Kannur district.
After failing a suspected illegal emigration attempt, Kurian reached the international airport in Kozhikode during the early hours of Monday via Bahrain and then proceeded to his native by car.
On reaching home, Kurian told reporters that he was not deported by the Israel administration and the Indian embassy there, as demanded by the Kerala government.
He claimed he returned voluntarily, and there was no attempted illegal emigration. Asked whether he suspected any disciplinary action from the government for his actions, he replied in the negative.
According to 48-year-old Biju Kurian, he stayed in Israel to visit places of religious importance. He said his brother Benny Kurian, a lawyer, footed his return-flight expenses.
The 28-member farmers’ delegation visited Israel to learn about the latest farming practices, and the trip led by the state’s Agricultural Production Commissioner B Ashok had the blessings of Prasad.
Kurian going missing became a matter of prestige for Prasad as the Opposition termed the case an official attempt at illegal immigration.
The Kerala government was in constant touch with the Israeli government through the Indian embassy, seeking the immediate deportation of Kurian. An unofficial search was also conducted using a network of Keralites living in Israel.
It’s learnt that the pressure from the Kerala community in Israel on some of the close relatives of Kurian in Israel worked. As a result, Kurian agreed to return.
If he remained there, it could have encouraged many others who wanted to migrate to Israel using illegal means.
The five-day state-funded training programme of which Kurian was a part was visualised to enrich Kerala farmers on modern agricultural practices, including precision farming and hydroponics.
On 17 February, Kurian went missing from the hotel where he and the rest of the team stayed in Israel. His disappearance was on the final day of the official visit.
Department sources said Kurian was searching for a job as a caregiver in a village in Israel.
After reaching his native, Kurian issued an unconditional apology to the government and all others concerned for the faults on his part.
Kurian said his visa was valid till 8 May, and that no agency in Israel could have taken action against him. He also reiterated that he had no plans to overstay in that country.
Though Kurian returned, six persons from the state — five of them were women and all of them aged above 65 — who went on a pilgrimage tour to Israel remain missing.
They parted ways with a team comprising 48 people, and did not even take their passports or clothes, said the catholic priest who conducted the tour in the police complaint on return.
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