'Donkey flights' to Russia

A large number of agents continue to dupe unsuspecting rural youth from Punjab by promising jobs in Russia and some former Soviet countries.

Recently a friend of mine took an Air India flight from New Delhi to Moscow. At the moment, India’s soon-to-be-privatised national carrier has two weekly flights connecting the Indian and Russian capitals. When the crew handed health declaration forms to passengers, a few co-passengers asked my friend to fill their forms for them. This young man is an e…