The year was 1990. It had been a few months only since I
began to live in Calcutta, as I stepped into my early months in College, pursuing
a Bachelor's Degree. My parents had come down from Kuwait, which had been my
home for a few years. They were scheduled to go back on 3rd August when a
sudden storm hit our lives. In a totally unexpected and shocking turn of events
our lives were turned upside down as just past midnight, Iraq invading Kuwait
on 2nd August 1990.
All of a sudden, it meant a series of uncertainties.
The internet age had not quite set in then and we were left
with routine means like Newspapers, Television and a few odd calls from friends,
and friends of friends who were either stuck in either shore - India or Kuwait
- as the case might be. Overnight my father became almost unemployed and a
worry wart as all his funds was stuck in Kuwait.
At that time, Kuwait was a prosperous oil rich state and the
invasion by Saddam Hussein's young army of recruits, did create a huff around
the world, when, they landed overnight with guns and other lethal warfare and
threatening all citizens alike.
Indeed, I was fortunate that my parents, escaped by the skin
of their teeth, the unpleasant situation of being stranded in Kuwait and not
really knowing which way their fates would take them. We heard stories of our
very close friends being paraded in open desert and looted at gun point. Some
were kicked and slapped around while most prayed for the Indian High commission
in coordination with Indian government to work a miracle and do a rescue
mission.
There were a few worries among the Indian expatriate
population for antagonizing the sentiments of the local Kuwaiti population as
news coverage showed the then External Affairs Minister Shri.I.K.Gujral
embracing Saddam Hussein as old friends. Thankfully, after many days of fear
and tension most of our friends in Kuwait did manage to get Airlifted back to
the safe shores of India albeit the shock and trauma of the sudden invasion.
My fathers’ office was blown to smithereens, oil wells set
on fire, our residential building had bullet holes and our abandoned apartments
were thoroughly looted and left in a messy rubble of rejected items.
Yes, things did look up after eleven months when my father
was called back to duty and he rejoined a new office building but the fire that
had set in the quietness of the small peaceful state never really got back the
earlier air. Some things had changed. Yes my father did get UN compensation,
yes he was lucky to have escaped direct confrontation with the then enemy,
while his state was being occupied and it still left a deep impact in our
lives.
Surupa Chatterjee was born In Digboi, Assam and lived in
Duliajan, an oil township in northeast India. Her fathers’ work took their
family to Bhubaneshwar and then Kuwait. Surupa grew up in Kuwait and schooled
there as well. She is presently based in
Kolkata, where she works during daytime and makes delicious dinners for the
evening meal.
Also read: Events that Lead Up To The Film Airlift
MoEA GoI expresses
strong reservation against Airlift story line HERE
