We came to Kuwait for earning and got duped

Team Udayavani, May 26, 2019, 8:26 AM IST

Mangaluru: Ours is a poor family. A person associated with a company in Mangaluru convince that if a job was secured in Kuwait, one would have handful of salary. Believing that claim I sold assets from home, reached here and currently I am jobless…

This is the pain of Aboobakkar Siddique from Bajal, one among the 35 mangalurean youths currently in trouble in Kuwait. Speaking with “Udayavani” through phone he informs, a meeting was conducted for us on Sep 11 2018 at a hotel in Mangaluru in connection to the provision of a job at an online food supply company known as “Carriage” in Kuwait. On selection, they promised to send us to Kuwait in month. On Jan 7^th 2019, we were sent to Kuwait via plane.

But on reaching Kuwait, we were assured that our jobs were confirmed with an institution called Enesco and made to sign a document. Enesco is a company to which Carriage outsources its work, and after a few days we got our jobs. As the days passed by food and accommodation facilities were stopped and now we have not been provided with salary since a few months. We can’t even afford to come back home, they say weeping bitterly.

Presently we are Mahboula in Kuwait. The Kannadigas here are responding to our problem. No matter which company here is willing to provide us jobs, we do not want to stay here. We are requesting that attempts be made to return us back home, they plead.

Attempt to bring them back to motherland

The Foreign Ministry is conducting work to bring the 35 stranded youth back to the motherland. The youth from Mangaluru had sent a request to MLA Vedavyas Kamath through a video pleading help to escape from their problem in Kuwait. But there was no information regarding the location in Kuwait where the youth are at.

The MLA contacted the Indian Tourist Council chief Raj Bhandary and the youth were contacted within two hours of the video going viral. He has instilled hope in them by talking to them.

The Visa, Passport and offer letter for the youth has been provided by different companies instead of a single company. Now, work is being conducted on collecting the documents. Information regarding the passports of the 35 youth has been received and the cyclostat copies of the same will be submitted to the Union government through Nalin or Sadananda Gowda. Another copy will be sent directly to the central government by the MLA and assistance will be requested.

Assistance from Kannadigas in Kuwait

The youth are being provided assistance by Raj Bhandary and other Kannadigas here. Since the union government has not yet taken oath, it may take a few days to bring back the youth. Until then, accommodation and food facility will be provided.

Ready to provide assistance: Khader

Responding to the situation, minister Khader said, those in the video have requested MLA Kamath’s assistance. I am ready to contact Kamath in this connection and provide assistance, he said. Youths must take care while going abroad for work. The history of the agency must be found out, he advised.

Action after procuring information from Kuwait embassy

Mangaluru: The information regarding those who have gone to Kuwait for employment and ended in a helpless situation will be collected from Kuwait embassy through the Foreign Ministry, informed Sandeep Patil, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner

The video has gone viral on a social media and the truth behind it must be clarified. Attempts have been made to contact Kuwait embassy and collect information. Action against the placement agency which collected Rs 65,000 from the youth and sent them to Kuwait will be taken after consulting eperts in law regarding the legal action, explained the commissioner.

Documents have been submitted

“I have spoken with the youth. All of them are safe. The Indian Foreign Ministry has been contacted and necessary documents have been submitted. They will soon return back to the motherland,” said D Vedavyas Kamath, MLA

“This is a serious problem. The MLA’s and MP’s must speak with the embassy and find a solution to the problem. I have met the youth and given the information to MLA Kamath. It is important that the youth leaving to work abroad must conduct clarifications with the company before itself,” said M Mohandas Kamath, Mangalurean Engineer in Kuwait