By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

The widows of two expatriate workers from Kerala  - who were buried alive on a Saudi Arabia farm nearly four years ago and whose remains were recovered last month  - have been running from pillar to post.

They do not know whom to approach for providing DNA samples to identify their loved ones. They are also clueless about the legal formalities pertaining to conducting a funeral in Saudi if the remains of their husbands cannot be repatriated.

“I have no formal education and there are no male members in my family for support. I have been working as a casual labourer to feed my two children and support their education ever since I lost contact with my husband,” Shylaja, 46, widow of Shahjahan, said.

The driver, whose decomposed body was dug up from a farm last month along with four others, had been working in Saudi for 26 years of which he was with the last sponsor for four years.

Shahjahan had only last year been able buy a small house with the help of a bank loan as he had an extended family to support, his wife claimed.

“I was made to believe by one of his colleagues that he was in jail and could make any calls. I sold a small piece of land to pay back the loan and waited for his arrival till the newspaper reports came,” she said, frequently breaking into tears. “My only prayer now is for a decent burial for my husband”.

Shylaja had petitioned the Overseas Indian Affairs Minister, Vayalar Ravi, to speed up the process of identification since nobody related to her husband was in Saudi to provide DNA samples. However, all efforts had come to naught.

The couple have two daughters aged 16 and 19. As Shahjahan had seven sisters to look after he had little left to save for himself and his family, his wife added.

Beena, wife of Saleem Abdul Khader, also had an equally tragic story to narrate. The 36-year old has managed to get a job as a sales girl at a state-run convenience store to provide for their children - aged eight and six - and send them to school since her husband’s disappearance four years ago.

Beena was also under the impression that her husband was in jail until a month before the shocking revelation by one of the gang members that they had buried the Indians alive after subjecting them to severe torture, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, for harassing the sponsor’s wife.

It was an Indian social worker who informed the family that Khader had been missing.

Khader’s brothers are in Saudi to help complete the formalities.

“They have taken the DNA samples a week ago and I was told that the results are awaited,” she said.

Khader married Beena 11 years ago and went abroad five years later. He came on a month-long vacation during July-August 2009 for the last time, Beena recalled.

The couple have no house of their own and Been now lives with her children at her elder sister’s home. “My husband worked in Saudi Arabia for six years. For two years he had been under the present sponsor,” she said.

While Khader was a native of Navaikkulam, some 40km from here, Shahjahan hailed from Kottarakkara.

According to reports, while three of the victims were from Kerala and the others belonged to Tamil Nadu. However, social workers in Saudi Arabia have only been able to trace the families in Kerala so far.