Indian workers sold like cattle in Saudi Arab
JAIPUR: Habib Hussain of Moradabad, who hid in a toilet on an Air India flight from Saudi Arabia to return to his own country, says he did so for his two children, his pregnant wife, and an ailing mother. After his bizarre experience, Habib says he has realised that `aadhi roti' (half a piece of bread) at home is better than one in an alien land. He also said Indian labour is sold like cattle in that country.
He had sold his two `bigha' land for Rs 1.25 lakh and left behind just about Rs 11,000 for his family after paying the agent. He now tearfully says, ``There was no point in staying in Saudi. I just had to return. My wife was two months pregnant when I left and will have a baby any time now. My family was hungry here; I was hungry there. I was better off earning Rs 80 a day and feeding my family rather than living on a promise of Rs 15,000-20,000 and not getting a paisa.
``I know there could have been serious problems during the flight, but I had confidence in my countrymen. Moreover, I was ready to face any consequence in India which would have been better than living in Saudi Arabia,'' he says.
``After grazing goats until noon, I offered namaz. In the evening, after helping a Haji with his bags, I slipped into a toilet in the lower deck of the aircraft. Forty-five minutes after the plane took off, an air hostess saw me. After she heard my story, she gave me a seat and food,'' said Habib.
All that Habib got to eat in the six months that he was away was one roti and a bowl of dal worth Re 1 each day - bought from the money that the Hajis tipped him with. ``I didn't get a penny from my employer and started saving whatever I could to get back to my country. I could manage to save Rs 800 and thought if my passport was returned to me, I could board a flight to India. But whenever we asked for our passports, we were kicked and thrashed and made to work for over 14 to 18 hours a day,'' he said.
``Indian labour is sold in Saudi like cattle and thousands of Indians from UP and Bengal are suffering there. They are helpless without their passports,'' said Habib. ``My agent (Imran) got an assignment to provide 50 labourers from India. We were recruited and sent in groups of five, 10 and 20. After landing, I was made to work in Jeddah for a month. I grazed goats during the day and worked as a cleaner at the airport in the evenings. I worked for 14-18 hours a day. Thereafter, I was sold to a `khafil' or agent in Medina who required 500 people. In Medina, I worked for over 15 hours daily. I wept and wondered how my family was doing back home,'' he said.
``My father passed away two years back and my mother is ill and needs medication. I just want to get back home. I hope my case will be seen with empathy. Who will feed my children if I am put behind bars?'' he asked.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-workers-sold-like-cattle...
i agree with phoenix but even that, maltreatment were also experience by some fil-expat.
here in qatar there are labourer that receive 500-600 salary for 10 hours duty.
so its not just in saudi arabia in fairness...
phoenix2009, u r a LEBANESE as per ur profile and u know a lot abt PHILIPINE's govt..??? Wow, but how come u r so aware of their policies????
Neways,coming to the topic, just a mere discussion between u or me or neone else is not gonna to change ne country's policies regarding any matter...We all can just feel pity about the sad stories of these poors..I wish if i could have done nething to them..As told by one QLer,i too have never showed my disregard to ne teaboy or cleaner..Infact i always tried to help them..By offering some of our old clothes or snacks sometimes..We are all HUMAN afterall..Its just that GOD hasn't given enough means to them so that they can have their better life...
oryx, ok if half then i agree, governments with huge number of migrant workers should improve their diplomatic relations with receiving countries for the benefit of the workers, managing own country is a must do, i don't expect from a country that doesn't respect its residents to seek the benefit of its migrants.
Sag, i pointed at salaries because that was a good step by the philippines, but i was talking about everything that is related to the benefits of migrants.
Yalla!
Phoenix, its not all about salaries but work conditions there. The employers don't abide by the contracts and throw them literally here and there to work on anything that the worker might not be used to. They are often denied their agreed salaries. These frustrations cause these workers to leave illegally. As you said Indian Government too has role to play to streamline the recruitment and use of its workforce abroad.
Its Sad!
My hubby works in Saudi & i get to hear such stories from him...Its all bout how u save ur A**!
Whatever happened to HUMANITY??? hmmm, i guess it died a natural death! :-(
Does that mean that for any reason be it government failure, my personal failure or desire, etc etc which takes me to a foreign land for work allows me to be exploited...I dont think so...
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One life to live, live it to the fullest.
That is half of the solution...
But why are these people in such dire poverty - ?
Too many people and a lack of resources.
The government has to manage this better = increase food production and reduce people
Exploitation of foreign workers in a country...then their own government is partly to blame for mismanagement
sonia, oryx
the solution is not by sending less people to degrade exploitation, it's by setting firm rules with the receiving countries NOT to treat workers like animals(apologies)
this is making me sick. why india allow this to happen to it's citizens?
all indians in GCC often say they have built these countries. so why not taking a strong stand against exploitation?
where is indian government? how strong is india's diplomacy? or how lame is it?
how come philippines enforced some laws regrding salaries of house helpers? why can't india do the same?
Don't blame saudi, bad people are every where, but same bad people will never exploit other nation's people if there will be firm laws preventing this, and firm laws to protect indians MUST be initiated by India
Yalla!
Its not the mistake of workers like Habib....but its our mistake
Its easy for illiterate and even literate people to be hoodwinked with Qr 1,000 or Qr 1,500 salary....and for us to point at their stupidity....but what are we doing ....are we telling them how expensive the life here is and how little that salary is?
Even most of the people like Habib never tell their friends how little they were able to save. Some even say they have a great life here and tell extra stories about their life here.
The moral of the story is that the educated among us have failed to explain to our countrymen about life here.
We have failed to explain how QR 1,500 is only worth Rs 3,000 and not exactly 1,500 x 12.60 = Rs18,900. Even from that 1,000 deduction is made for Food =300& Bed=300 so what they get is QR 400 that too after 2 to 3 months.
Many people even think liquor is available in the middle east without any restriction.
So every such case you see ......remember you and I are equally responsible as are ....the agents ...and the company itself.
I agree with you. The governments of countries need to reach out with female health care so their nationals are less prone to being exploited abroad.
The population growth rate in some countries is just NOT sustainable.
hmmmm..I agree mmyke.
Reading this is just heartmelting...it reminds me of a story from my friend who used to work here. He went to his former company to get some documents as he just resigned but the boss was busy at the time so he decided to hang out at the cleaner's room. He waited there til lunch time and the cleaner is about to eat. My friend was curious about the kind of dish does this nationality (Nepalese) eat at lunch coz he have a lunch box and it was only full of rice. He waited for him coz the cleaner asked to be excused to bring something so my friend thought that he would bring viand or meat or chicken to eat with his rice but when he returned back, he was holding only a bottle of water. Yes guys, he ate only rice with the bottle of water! My friend pitied him so much that he gave him money. From that time on as I hear this story, I have the highest respect to cleaners, tea boys and labourers. We all know they have low salary and you can't imagine how they manage to live in Doha with 800 to 1000QR a month. Now I understand they spend the least they can and save as much so they can send money to their families and they still manage to live here in Doha a decent life and comes Friday, it's so nice to see them laughing, holding hands and smiling together at the souq areas or corniche area.They forget about their hard labours when they see their friends.
I hope this post brings message to everybody to appreciate small workers and if we have more, it is time to give even just a little because it means so much to them.
Have nice Thursday everyone.
should take all measures to stop this exploitation, don;t you think?
Isn't exploitation abuse??
Is abuse allowed??
Sonia, I know a person who is a accountant, has two kids, sold his only shelter to rush to saudi but ended up working in the farm for quite some period to pay the debts..its reality there. he being a person of self respect didn't disclose this to media. There can certainly be more cases...
But in habib's case he is illiterate has no option but to opt for that lucrative contract..
Saudi should take some measures to stop this exploitation..
said anything bad about the Saudies who do this sort of thing...
ok, i know this is not a thread's topic of how to produce and stop the babies..I was bit blunt in using the word FOOL..But can't help myself..I really wish that they shld get some knowledge regarding this..I found it wise to discuss this issue, coz if HABIB wouldn't have two children and third due, he would have never seek job outside..Seeing the responsibility towards his family, he took the decision to go out of INDIA..Just suppose what would have been the case if he would have been having only ONE CHILD (which i can't even think in my dreams that its possible.lolzzzzzzzzz)??? He would have never mortgage his properties or would have paid to the agents..
Thats it..
Soniya...do you believe that these people get the govt. facilities in India which otherwise are announced in their names.
Moreover, this is off the issue of the thread... having more kids doesn't make anyone liable to be exploited ...:)
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One life to live, live it to the fullest.
It's not very nice to "find" or call them fools, it's a pity that they're in a state like that.
The problem is some of them must not be knowing how babies are conceived, they probably think it's in the water or something. Besides, they must be having sex for pleasure... so while the think they're pleasing themselves, their actually making babies... sometimes!
Yah i agree with u COLT45 but if they know how to produce the babies, then they shld know how to stop it as well....lolzzzzzzz...I find them fool instead...
Coz not everyone is literate like you and me and some dunno the meaning of birth control and some don't understand it.
Its nothing new story actually..The only difference is that he managed to flee from the captive hands..India is a country where u will find richest among richs and poorest among poors...Some get the luck and some don't...I have read even the pittest plights of some workers before..But my full sympathy is with HABIB and with his family..I just can't understand one thing that y some people go on for having more child where they know they won't be able to feed them properly?? This is ridiculous...Indian govt.shld adopt the policy of CHINA where only one child in a family will get all govt.facilities..
Still he has two kids and one is due.. many more to come for the starving party!!
hahahahah ..... this kind of exploitation is rare in qatar?? you say!!1 ... i can give you names of people ... graduates who were treated very similarly including me .... i can give you names of the companies even ... you are all just lucky getting jobs in good companies ...
there is always a blind side ... i happen to be in it.
One day the workers/labourers should stop coming to the Arabian peninsular for work and then employers will be forced to improve salaries, working conditions and accommodation to entice them back.
I know their condition is better in Qatar. Atleast such exploitation is rare in Qatar. I heard from my friends who lived in saudi that even educated are thrown into such conditions by saudi employers. Any comments, especially from those who lived in Saudi.
i heard this kind of story also from one the employee of this cleaning company.his only earning 800qr and what shocks me most is his only 19yrs.old.....:(