Lost sons: How many coffins before action is taken?

EACH time a young man from Punjab or Haryana dies in Guatemala, Mexico or the dense jungles of the Darién Gap, India’s conscience stirs — only to fall silent again. Soon after, business resumes for the “donkers", the shadowy network of illegal travel agents who peddle US dreams for a price often paid in blood. Despite repeated tragedies, despite sons never returning, these traffickers continue to thrive with impunity. The recent killing of two youths from Punjab and Haryana in Guatemala is not an aberration but part of a sickening pattern. Over the past three years, dozens of Indians have died trying to cross into the US via the illegal “dunki" route, a perilous trail through South and Central America. From drowning in the Darién jungle to being shot by border patrols, their stories expose the nexus of greed, desperation and official neglect.

What makes it worse is the brazenness of the racket. Agents openly advertise “USA via Latin America" packages in small towns, complete with instalment schemes and fake work visas. FIRs are filed, raids conducted, yet the masterminds remain untouched. Local police cite “jurisdictional limits" while the Ministry of External Affairs issues routine “concerns". Meanwhile, desperate families get indebted to pay these predators, risking receiving their sons’ bodies in sealed coffins.

This trade in human misery persists because regulation is weak and punishment rare. Governments promise crackdowns and awareness drives, but conviction rates for trafficking and cheating remain abysmally low. Unless India treats human smuggling as organised crime, the cycle will continue. Beyond policing, hope itself must be rebuilt. Punjab and Haryana need skill programmes, rural jobs and credible overseas employment channels. The foreign dream cannot be built on the wreckage of young lives.

Editorials