The unexpected lockdown to prevent spread of covid–19 has caused a serious damage to the lives of Indian expatriates irrespective of laborers and entrepreneurs in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Different stories of expatriates' ordeals are emerging from the region.
Abdul Razaq, hailing from Udupi in Karnataka has been running small scale business at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, based on oil refinery projects of the government. He was undergoing medical treatment for his cancer which is in fist stage. He explaines his ordeals caused by lockdown and stopping the flight facility.
“I was regularly visiting home country for the treatment of cancer. Now I cannot go as international flight service has been stopped. I expect that government will hear problems of expatriates and will arrange facilities to take us back to home”, he said.
Mubeen from Bengaluru was working on temporary basis for a company in Jubail. He had lost his jobs like some of his colleagues due to the lockdown.
“As everything was alright, I had brought my parents recently to Saudi Arabia on a visit visa. Things changed drastically with covid-19 attack. Continuous lockdown caused burden over the company and they removed temporary employees like me to control possible losses” he said.
“Now owner of the flat has been harassing me for the rent. I do not have money either to pay rent or to cover daily family expenses. I do not know what to do further”, he added.
Iqbal from Mangaluru left for Saudi Arabia to help his family. He got a job in a juce centre in Dammam recently. Corona lockdown made his life difficult. He is eager to return his home country.
“I came to Saudi Arbia because of financial difficulties as I had not found any job with good salary there. I thought I can earn well by going to Saudi Arabia. However, here too the salary was not so good. Now juice center is closed due to lockdown and sponsor is giving very small amount of money as salary through which we cannot afford our expenses and our families back in home,” he said.
“Here It is not easy get help of fellow Indians since most of them have their own ordeals. I would like to return home country; there however we can manage to get help of friends and relatives. I am looking forward the help of Indian government to start air facility for stranded NRIs,” he said.
Mohsin from Mysuru is a taxi driver in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. He was earning on commission basis. Now Saudi government banned movement of taxis in the region, which pushed him and his fellow taxi drivers into trouble.
“We were earning commissions daily on the basis of trips. Now we cannot move outside with taxi since it may cause us to pay the fine of SR.10000. How can I manage my expenses and family members in home?”, he asked.
There are cases of pregnant women who have to return India for delivery. Those who brought family here on visit visa will not have insurance. Delivery charges and any kind of medical facilities without insurance in Saudi Arabia is very expensive. Expatriate Indians with such problems are awaiting government's help.
“I had brought my wife on one year visit visa. Now she is pregnant and I have to send her back to home for delivery. If lockdown continues, it is difficult to send back and we have to spend big amounts for delivery without insurance. It is a big burden to me as I work for small salary in a company”, said Yunus from Hyderabad, who is living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Lockdown is haunting even entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia. Most of expatriates in the industrial hub of Jubail are doing business based on Saudi Government’s oil refinery projects. Saudi Arabia temporarily stopped most of the projects as part of public health safety measures to maintain social distance.
“We are doing business based on oil refinery projects. Now projects are stopped. We brought around 1100 people on work permit visa on temporary basis. And also, we have around 1200 permanent workers. It is a big burden to provide them with food, accommodation and salary. It may cause a big loss for our company”, said owner of expatriates company, Sheikh Mohammed.
Saudi Arabia had reported first corona virus affected case in March 2, 2020. At the end of March, it was 1600 and now it already corssed 6000. Saudi Health ministry has cautioned the number of affected people may rise 10000 to 200,000 and directed for more precautionary measures. In such case, the Indian expatriates may have to face crisis in the region.
Indian expatriate organizations are demanding for immediate intervention of Indian government to ensure better quarantine facility and treatment of NRIs in Saudi Arabia as the cases are increasing rapidly. The condition of laborers in some of the camps are such that seven to eight people should share a single bed room.
“Normally if there is a flat, it will consist three to four bed rooms. In single bedroom companies will provide three four bunk beds and six to eight people should share the room. In such cases, if a person affected with virus it will spread quickly to others. Thus, Indian government should ensure quarantine facility for NRIs”, says Wasim Rabbani, president of Indian Social Forum, Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia.
President of Karnataka Non Residential Indians, A forum for the NRI organizations of Karnataka, Zakaria Muzain says Indian Government should immediately interfere to bring back those stranded NRIs who wish to return home. Government should intervene to pressure Indian embassy to take the issues of troubled expatriates.
“Government should make special flight arrangement for such NRIs in trouble. It should also arrange quarantine facility for those who return to India. Already there are many Non-Governmental charity organization which have come forward to give their facilities for NRIs”, he said.
NRIs from all categories are looking forward for the help of Indian government. It is important to Indian government to take quick action as the problem is increasing in Saudi Arabia.
The proposal prepared by Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shikshan Sansthan, the education wing of the RSS and submitted to the Human and Resource Development Ministry, also points out that co-education will have to be discontinued if working hours of schools are extended.
Comments
Bachelors club want to create rule for families.... First get married then U can follow this rules... and then dont stop modi to reunite his wife... U cheddis have ruined his family life...
It is RSS suggetion.. it means MAD
Learing sanskrit in schools and colleges....i dont think it is an issue at all....we learned kannada, hindi, english...sanskrit is also one of that kind....interesting...
Well, everyone understand the sanskrit, people read & understand the vedas, githas. May they turn real religion
Who are they to decide education strategy. It seems RSS is the supreme authority of governance than indian government. It shows RSS is the decision maker and indian government is simply implementing.
May Allah save our country.
Not all the suggestions are bad.
Support the idea:
- Banning co-education system.
- Relieving parents from Home works system.
- Learning Languages should be optional.
- Indianization of education is Ok, westernization has ruined the family values.
- Extra-curricular activity is good, to know the interest of children.
- Working parents can have option of having their children for long hours at schools where Hindus can study Sanskrit, Muslim can learn Arabic and Christians can have their preference.
Not supporting the idea:
- 12 hrs. is too much, most of the developed countries they limit the working hours of adults to 8 hrs. only.
- Forcing Sanskrit to all is too much.
Indian culture is good, family value is eroding which is bad for society as a whole. But forcing the ideas seems to be dangerous.
12Hrs, we don't want to tell even our enemy's children
Samskri : Nothing should be imposed. It is the people's choice.
We should see where the world is heading.
English : Now the important language is for this worldly life is English.
Arabic : Arabic is also big plus point for job seekers. 22 Countries have mother toungue as Arabic. This is the 2nd highest spoken language
DEAR FRIENDS ,
WHO COMMENTED ABOVE.. YOU PEOPLE FORGOT TO ASK WHO ARE THEY TO TELL TO GOV WHAT TO DO AND ALL..
WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT SANSKRIT.. FIRST OF ALL THEY HAVE TO LEARN TO WEAR PROPER DRESS....NOT CHADIIES ...
RSS RSS RSS, in logo ko koi kaam nahin hain kya, indian citizens doesnt need your recommendations for education, go and teach your chaddis what to do and what not to do, hypocrites.
its a fact that children from India are spending 20~30% more time in Schools when compared to US/UK childrens..
For 8 Hours daily school times:
-> already they carry 5~6 kg school bags, this will raise to 8~9 kgs.
-> Children need to take healthy food, who will feed them during such a long period.
-> does all schools in states are eligible to keep the students for 12 hours with all such activities., if you survey our states may be hardly you can find 2~3% schools are fit with all activities...other 98% schools are hard to spend 8 hours.
-> why teachers must work for 12 hours daily (against labor law).
before, making any regulation gossips..pls just look for facts...
THE BACHELOR CLUB now wants to separate the FAMILIES ...
Wa re WA --- A clear Sign to those who think, the cheddis who are against women (Cheddis will never be successful with whatever they play with thier devilish agenda.)
Majority of their leaders arent married, hence any suggestion from them on how to raise children should be neglected!!!
None of the chaddis may know the sanskrit language before pushing others to learn
RSS is terrorising children, 12 hours schooling is too much for small children....and its inhuman....its okay if they go with discontinuing co-education....well and fine and its islamic way of thinking....However, at the end more expenses for developing country like India, will have to build more schools and colleges separately for both....
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