Gulf dreams: The bitter journey back home

Jeddah: Bleeding from her arm and doubling up with pain, Parveen Begum, a woman hailing from a poor family in Hyderabad, had no clue what destiny had in store for her when she decided to take off one dark night after being abused at work following her injury.

Weak and malnourished, 52-year-old Parveen had reached a point where she was scared of even her own shadow, as fear gripped her when she realised the consequences she may have to face if something went wrong. She had no relatives or friends in this country alien to her, and she could only keep praying to Allah till she reached a building she was visiting for the first time. She was told by the Burmese taxi driver that its “your building and you may get off here.” She had reached the Indian Consulate in Jeddah. Unable to read the signboard, she heaved a sigh of relief when she spotted the Tricolour and knew that it was the first step in her efforts to return home.

Parveen narrated her ordeal to the officials and pleaded that she be sent back to India. The bleeding woman was shifted to a dispensary by consulate officials where she was given treatment. A mother of three, Parveen came to Saudi Arabia to work as a cleaner in a hospital maintenance firm and earn not for her sustenance, but dowry for her daughter.

She said her salary was 800 Riyals which was not paid regularly for the last three-and-half years. The firm held back salaries, which forced employees to remain in their jobs and not return home.

There are no designated shelters for such destitute Indian woman workers in Jeddah, and it was hard for the consulate to provide shelter for Parveen. The officials, however, managed to arrange a safe place and provided her food for over a month. Parveen was repatriated to Hyderabad on Friday. Her Iqama was issued from Riyadh and she was required to travel 950 km to sort out her complaint, as she was blacklisted by her employer, and then seek a visa cancellation to return to India. In such cases, aggrieved workers are directed to the local authorities in the jurisdiction concerned. In the case of Parveen, however, Consul General Md. Shahid Alam took up her issue with the Saudi officials and insisted that they cancel her visa from Jeddah as a single woman cannot travel in Saudi. After prolonged efforts, the consulate successfully obtained her exit. They also provided her a return ticket.

“From a state of agony, sorrow and pain, I feel rejuvenated whenever I visit my country’s office, and salute the Tricolour,” says Parveen. “I am at a loss of words to say thanks to bade saab (CG) and Madam (Consul Hamna Mariam). I pray for them in every Namaz,” she added. Parveen also hailed Abdul Hameed and other women from Kerala, who helped her during her stay in Jeddah.