"It was hell" - Nelyadi man narrates his three-year ordeal in Saudi jail

[email protected] (CD Network)
August 11, 2011

sulaiman

Mangalore, August 11: Sulaiman, a resident of Nelyadi near Uppinangady has finally reached his home after spending three years in a Saudi Arabia jail after being convicted in an accident case.

The 53-year-old man arrived at the Bajpe airport on Wednesday afternoon from Mumbai and was received by his family members and wellwishers. His two children were also present.

Speaking after the arrival, Sulaiman he expressed happiness that he has finally managed to set foot on the home soil. “I was desperate to get back home after undergoing a nightmarish life over the last three years and four months. I am a happy man now,” he said.

“It was a very difficult life at the jail. It was hell. More than the harassment from the police and the staff of the jail I had to face torture from the inmates. I did not get proper medical attention when I was not well,” he said.

“I had to wait for three months to get my passport. Even though I was released in April I could only get my passport and other documents this month. I could not adjust to the food served at the jail. I had gone to Gulf with dreams of ensuring a better life for my family. But I could hardly spend a penny during the last four years,” he lamented.

About his future plans, Sulaiman said that he would spend about three months with family members and once again try for a job abroad. “Finding a job in the homeland is also an option,” he added.

He expressed displeasure that his ordeal was allowed to continue despite the issue being brought to the notice of the Indian foreign minister S.M. Krishna and the concerned ministers in the Saudi government. I owe my freedom to the workers of India Fraternity Forum,” he said.

There was a joyous atmosphere at the Nelyadi home of the released man. Jameela, his wife, was looking forward to the reunion with bated breath.

“I am extremely happy that my husband is returning home after undergoing a nightmarish experience. Sulaiman is the sole breadwinner of the family consisting of myself and our five children. I have got my piece of mind back,” she exclaimed.

Background

Sulaiman had gone to Gulf in 2008 January after having spent 25 years in India as a driver. He joined a company in Saudi Arabia as a truck driver. On June 26, 2008, he had parked his truck by the side of road near Taif to attend to nature's call. To his utter misfortune, a car carrying six Saudi nationals rammed into his stationary truck leaving all the six dead. He had fainted on seeing the horror, but when he came to his senses, he had been lodged in Al-Kuruma jail.

The whereabouts of Sulaiman was not known for six months. Sulaiman had lost all hopes of a release. In the meantime, he had been transferred to Taif jail. The court had ruled that he should pay six lakh Saudi Riyal as compensation to the kin of the dead. The amount works out to Rs. 75 lakh. But he could hardly afford to pay such a hefty compensation. As he could not pay up, he had to languish in jail for more than three months.

When the plight of Sulaiman was publicized in the media, workers of India Fraternity Forum swung into action and ensured that the inmate was released.

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News Network
May 23,2020

Mangaluru, May 23: In order to ensure that students do not miss out on their studies due to educational institutions being shut owing to the coronavirus lockdown, Dakshina Kannada Pre-university College Principles Association (DKPUCPA) is conducting online classes on YouTube for pre-university students.

The online lessons are shot by lecturers at St Aloysius College and the lectures are then uploaded on YouTube enabling students to watch them online.

"The whole world is currently in a crucial situation because of COVID-19, and because of the lockdown, all are forced to stay indoors. Usually, we used to conduct lectures in a class full of students, but now it is a new experience that we are providing the same information to students in their absence," Rajaram Rao, a lecturer said while speaking to news agency.

He said at present these classes are being conducted for second year pre-university students.

If any student has a doubt on any concept, he said they can contact the teachers. "At present, students also are getting information about the teachers who have uploaded the videos. All the information about the teachers is already being uploaded on the system so that they can contact the teacher," he said.

Dhanya, a student, hailed the DKPUCPA for the setting up of the online classes despite the prevailing situation.

"The teachers who have taught in these classes have taught very well, as if they are teaching right in front of us. It has been very useful for me during this time," she said.

The nationwide lockdown imposed to combat the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic has been extended to May 31.

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Agencies
February 25,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 25: Opteamix LLC (Opteamix), a digital technology firm, announced today that they have been awarded as a 'Dream Company to Work For' by the World HRD Congress.

Opteamix was ranked 11th in this category which had companies from multiple industries across the globe vying for the title.

In addition to the Dream Company ranking, Opteamix was also recognized for its innovative HR practices and Corporate Social Responsibility practices. The event took place at Taj Land's End in Mumbai on February 16.

Opteamix presented their concept 'Happiness at Work - When Culture drives Performance' that elaborated upon the methodology behind the enhancement of employee happiness.

"We have taken a holistic approach to help our people stay happy at work. While we knew that EQ and IQ were critical to the growth of people, we also believed that it is the Spiritual Quotient (SQ) which our in-house NGO - Right To Live caters to, that helps our people experience next-level career growth," said Varsha Dubey, Lead - Happiness and Learning Activator, while explaining the theory behind the happiness at work during the 30-min presentation before delegates from 65 countries.

"We have empowered our people by equipping them with the right set of tools to help them excel in their performance based on OKR (Objectives and Key Results), CFR (Communication, Feedback, and Review) and Competency Mapping. The optimum blend of these performance management tools has resulted in making a significant impact on the careers of our people and therefore, happy people and 100 per cent innovation and efficiency at work," added Shalu Priya - Director, People Experience.

Now in its 28th year, the World HRD Congress presents awards to organizations that promote innovative human resources practices. The award categories include leadership, talent management, employer branding, training and development, employee engagement, and more.

In the recent past, Opteamix had been recognized for its commitment to employee excellence with numerous awards and recognitions including 'Dream Companies to Work for' in 2017 and 2018.

World HRD Congress is billed as South Asia's largest HR event, featuring an eminent panel on international and local speakers from across public and private sectors.

The conference serves as a platform for the HR fraternity to deliberate on the insights, initiatives and implications of people management practices. The theme this year 'Happiness at work', recognized individuals and companies for their exceptional people management practices.

"We strongly believe in creating a culture of happiness at Opteamix. To us, happiness is as important as revenue and profits. The culture of happiness has been the Opteamix way of life since inception, which has led us to achieve our ultimate goals - higher career growth for all members and richer customer experience," said Raghurama Kote - Founder and COO of Opteamix, on being asked what a happy organization meant to him.

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News Network
April 1,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 1: Police have arrested a person on charges of spreading malicious comments against the Karnataka government staff engaged in the prevention of the novel coronavirus in the district.

City Police Commissioner Harsha on Tuesday tweeted, “One Nizam has been arrested and sent to judicial custody on court orders for spreading malicious content on social media through a platform idunammadhwani.. regarding various government functionaries engaged in anti-COVID-19 work and spreading rumours.”

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