Milpitas(California) – Indian diaspora organisation, North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), in a letter sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, demanded urgent intervention from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs to resolve bureaucratic hurdles that are preventing families from repatriating the bodies of deceased loved ones. NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal, in this formal letter addressed to the Union Home Secretary, highlighted a growing issue where the absence of a physical passport is delaying the transport of mortal remains from abroad to India.
Chahal said that the victim families are experiencing unnecessary delay in paperwork, which needs to be completed by volunteers and the concerned Indian Consulate, which issues a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to allow transport. Chahal further stressed that in many cases, the deceased individuals’ passports are either misplaced or not immediately available at the time of death, creating an unnecessary legal and emotional burden for the bereaved families. He pointed out that several families have had to endure weeks-long delays before being able to perform the final rites in India, which has caused immense distress.
NAPA urged the Ministry to adopt a more flexible and compassionate policy, allowing consulates to verify the identity of the deceased through alternative documents such as Aadhaar cards, expired passports, or embassy-issued emergency certificates. Chahal noted that other countries have adopted streamlined procedures in such cases, and India must do the same to avoid prolonging the suffering of grieving families.