Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad: The house of Jivanji Gohil in the Gohilvaas locality of Boru village, Gandhinagar, stands eerily silent. Doors shut, neighbours tight-lipped, no one acknowledges his return. Gohil, 36, was one of 33 Gujaratis deported from the United States, arriving at Ahmedabad airport in the early hours of Thursday. But back in his hometown, it was as if he no longer existed.
Even as Gujarat Police made arrangements to escort and transport the deported persons to their respective homes in various districts, the stigma of deportation weighed heavily. Many families have disappeared, leaving their houses locked — most probably to steer clear of social and media glare at being deported back home. In many cases, neighbours displayed resentment and refused to provide information about the deportees.
“I really do not know when Jivanji left for the US or if he has returned home. I do not stay in Gohilvaas,” said Mavji Gohil, a former member of the gram panchayat.
Another villager said, “We know nothing about Jivanji. We do not know where his family stays, whether he has returned, or where he and his family members are.” While village talati Bela Patel confirmed that Jivanji has not returned to the village yet, she asserted, “I do not have any idea when he left for the US”.
Boru village has a population of 5,200; with Kshatriyas, Patels and Thakors being the dominant communities.
A similar scene unfolded in Manund village of Patan, where four members of a Patel family — Ketul, 40, Kiran, 38, and two children aged 17 and 11 — landed in Gujarat on Thursday only to disappear soon after. Their house remained locked all day.
In Ganeshpura village of Sidhpur taluka in Mehsana, Satvantsinh Rajput’s home was similarly abandoned. In Jamla, Gandhinagar, Jignesh Zala’s house was bolted shut, with a family friend shrugging off questions: “They have gone somewhere.”
For those who risked everything chasing the American life, the journey back was filled with silence, rejection and a stark reality — there was no place for failed dreams.