Hyderabad: Thousands of kilometres away from home, two Telangana men had travelled to Saudi Arabia with the hope of earning a better livelihood for their families. Instead, they returned to their native villages in coffins, leaving behind grieving families and poignant reminders of the sacrifices made by migrant workers in the Gulf.
The mortal remains of 70-year-old Boddu Chandraiah from Siddipet district and 57-year-old Chinna Rajanna Puli from Nizamabad district reached Telangana on July 8, weeks after they died in separate incidents in Saudi Arabia.
A journey home after four decades
Boddu Chandraiah, a native of Challapuram village in Dubbaka mandal of Siddipet district, had lived in Dammam for nearly 40 years. According to volunteers involved in the repatriation, he had not returned to India for the past 35 years and survived by taking up odd jobs despite lacking valid residency and identity documents.
He died in Saudi Arabia on May 27, 2026, according to the Embassy of India in Riyadh. With no immediate records to establish his identity or locate his family, his body remained in a hospital mortuary until community volunteers traced his relatives in Telangana.
Following weeks of legal and consular procedures, his mortal remains were finally flown home, allowing his family to perform the last rites.
A dream cut short in Tabuk
Chinna Rajanna Puli, from Marampally village in Nandipet mandal of Nizamabad district, died of a heart attack while working in Tabuk.
Rajanna had moved to Saudi Arabia in 2013 to support his family and repay debts. On June 22, he reportedly suffered a heart attack in his accommodation. Although fellow workers rushed him to a nearby hospital, doctors declared him dead.
His family waited for more than two weeks before his mortal remains reached his village on July 8, where relatives and villagers gathered to bid him a final farewell.
Community effort brings them home
The repatriation of both workers was facilitated by the Embassy of India in Riyadh, with support from community organisations including GWAC and SATA Eastern, employers and volunteers.
Mohammed Farooq, Abdul Rafique, Ranjith, Muzammil, Naveen and several others coordinated documentation and liaised with authorities to complete the formalities required to bring the bodies back to India.
The deaths of the two workers once again highlight the challenges faced by Telangana migrants working in Gulf countries and the emotional and bureaucratic hurdles families endure when loved ones die overseas. Volunteers have also urged the Telangana government to provide financial assistance to the bereaved families under its NRI welfare initiatives.
