Three UAE children who were living in an orphanage in Bangalore, India, for the past eight years, were reunited with their family in Ajman last week.
Abdul Rahman,17, Farida,14, and Tahira,12, are living with their half-brothers who managed to bring them home after long diplomatic tussle with the Indian authorities.
In their home in Al Ramla area in Ajman, their half-brother, 17-year-old Mansour, told the story of his father, textile dealer Yousuf Abdul Rahman Al Attar, who married an Indian woman as his second wife 19 years ago.
In 1995, Al Attar brought his son Abdul Rahman to the UAE and had a passport and certificate of citizenship issued in his name. Shortly after their return to India, Al Attar died. The mother placed the children in an orphanage in Bangalore.
Abdul Rahman and his sisters, all of whom don't speak Arabic, said that their mother left them at the orphanage some eight years ago and told them that she would come back after sometime, but she never returned.
Mansour said that his brother Mohammed, 40, had often tried to find them, but in vain, until he heard references to his half-brother Abdul Rahman, a top pupil at a Bangalore secondary school.
Mohammed found the orphanage, but the authorities refused to hand over the children.
He then approached UAE Embassy officials in India, whose repeated requests for the children's release were also turned down. The orphanage later relented and Bangalore authorities issued a no-objection certificate.
At Mumbai, they were barred from leaving the country unless a hefty fine for alleged eight-year illegal residence was paid. The story was brought to the attention of Saif Saeed bin Saed, Under Secretary, who facilitated the children's return.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was instrumental in the safe return of his brother and sisters.
Mohammed expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Rashid Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Saif Saeed bin Saed for their efforts that resulted in the safe return of the three children to their homeland.
Gulf News 2003
