India must step up efforts to Save Nimisha as execution looms

WITH just days left until Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya faces execution in Yemen on July 16, time is running out for India to act decisively. The 37-year-old, convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi, has exhausted her legal avenues. Her fate now hinges on last-minute diplomatic and humanitarian intervention, particularly through the culturally sanctioned payment of “blood money” to the victim’s family. The Indian government, though hamstrung by a lack of formal diplomatic relations with the Houthi rebels who control Sana’a, is reportedly providing all possible assistance. But with the gallows looming, these efforts appear insufficient. While India’s diplomatic relations remain with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, real control of Priya’s place of incarceration lies with the Houthis. The time for back-channel diplomacy is critically short.

Priya’s story is not just of legal guilt but of complex circumstances involving abuse and coercion. Her allegations of manipulation and mistreatment at the hands of Mahdi, including passport confiscation, drug use and physical abuse, make her a symbol of the vulnerability of Indian migrant workers, particularly women, in conflict-ridden zones. Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earned global praise for humanising diplomacy. Philanthropist businessman SPS Oberoi has personally paid blood money to save over 140 Indians from execution in the Gulf. This legacy offers a roadmap that today’s leaders must urgently follow for swift mobilisation of funds and diplomatic outreach.

Efforts by Priya’s family and civil society to raise Rs 8.5 crore as blood money have not yielded much. Saving Nimisha Priya is not about absolving her of wrongdoing, but about reaffirming India’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad, especially those trapped in desperate circumstances. The cost of inaction now would be far too high.

Editorials