A GROUP of social organizations has joined hands to help the family of an Indian worker who died in Riyadh recently. Sudheesh Kalathil Parambil Narayanan, 33, arrived in the Kingdom about two years ago. On a meager monthly salary, he was recruited as a construction worker by a company in Barraq, some 40 km from Khamis Mushayat. Sudheesh escaped from his employer after he was allegedly beaten by the company management due to which he received internal injuries. He arrived in Riyadh on July 14 and was immediately hospitalized at the Shumaisy Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries after about 14 days. P. Murleedharan, president of FOKASA, a social organization of eight Indian associations, said that Sudheesh died under mysterious circumstances which required full investigation. He said Sudheesh's corpse was still lying at the hospital morgue. Sudheesh was the only bread-winner of his family. He left behind his old mother, a 26-year-old unmarried sister and a blind brother, all dependent on him. FOKASA formed the Sudheesh Family Benefit Fund Committee and raised Rs150,000 to help the deceased's family members who are living in a miserable condition in Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The fund-raising meeting was organized by members representing different social organizations in Riyadh, with the largest contribution of Rs50,000 coming from Sahayi of Al-Kharj. A check for Rs150,000 was handed over by Fajarudeen Mooppan, convener of the meeting to Rafi Pangodu, convener of the Sudheesh Family Benefit Fund Committee. Among those present at the meeting were Sahayi, Nanma, Thanima, Santhwanam, Mithri, Kochi Mahasabha, Kala, Ranni Malayalee Association, Trissur Koottayma, Mukundapuram Kottayma, Pangodu Kottayma, Vijay Kumar, and Padom, among others. Majma Blood Donors Forum - Riyadh, Kerala Relief Wing, and Riyadh Indian Friends Association, also contributed to the fund. The amount collected will be handed over to the family of Sudheesh by the Chief Minister of Kerala, V.S.Achuthanandan in Thiruvananthapuram. The committee also decided to extend an invitation to Achuthanandan to visit the Kingdom and get first-hand information about the issues faced by expatriates here. Muraleedharan chaired the meeting, Mala Mohyudeen, general secretary, welcomed the audience and Badusha Mannani, treasurer, proposed the vote of thanks.
