Tiruchi airport witness to frequent arrival of bodies
On an average, 20 to 30 bodies arrive every month
"Embalmed in a wooden coffin, a body of a migrant labourer arrived at the international airport here a couple of days ago. Hailing from Darapuram in Tirupur district, the labourer in his mid-thirties worked in Saudi Arabia where he was alleged to have committed suicide."
THE HINDU,03/10/2014
I read about a man who moves around the bus station of Cuddalore with a suit case with a message for the public. " அரேபியாவிற்குச் சென்று ஆடு மேய்த்தவன்".
The message is simple. 'I was made to graze cattle and camels. Hence do not go to the Middle East. '
In the 1960's we were struggling to feed our hungry millions. Employment opportunities were very limited and that too from the governments only. But today the situation has changed a lot.
A skilled worker like a mason or a painter earns Rupees 600-1000 on an average. Small vendors or auto drivers or porters do make the same amount a day. Hence Rupees 20,000 is an assured income for any one who is willing to work hard. The government of Tamilnadu supports 14 million ration card holders with 20 kilogram free rice and for around 2.5 million 35 kilogram of free rice.
Almost all who go abroad have got a at least tiny thatched or tiled house. Hence the longing to go abroad is just to amass more money for better lifestyle. In reality what happens.
The migrant laborer has to pay at least 200000 rupees to an agent for arranging the job. None of the desiring migrant is in possession of such a huge amount and mostly it is borrowed at a huge interest rate.
The result is the money they send every month will be for repaying the debt alone. The parents of the spouses have to work to take care of the family.
The normal immigrant from India encounters multiple problems in the new place of work.
- Literally he is foreign in every sense.
- His culture, language, faith, customs, friends, relatives, the familiar environs, the weather and so on.
- The migrants have to share the accommodation with other laborers from other states of India or the neighboring countries including Philipines
- A worker who is not happy with the work environment or feeling home sick can not return to India, as he needs money for his flight and VISA from his employer which are not possible
- As it is expected, the spouse or the parents would demand money which he can't send as the earning is meagre
- Some of the agents cheat the workers and mostly all of them do not get what they are promised in India
- The south Indians who are not used to the high temperatures crossing 45 degrees struggle to cope with
- Normally the people are here are highly emotional and highly attached to their families
- Left with none to help they are deeply stressed
- As every other worker or migrant is facing the same problems none'd be able to assist the other co-patriot
- In case of his shortened return to his home land, he has to land in a big bad debt around his neck
- There are no licensed or well regulated agencies to monitor and assist the millions of workers serving in the Gulf and Middle East nations
- The Indian embassies normally situated in these countries never bother to think about the welfare of their country men and report back or take up the issues with the highest authorities of the lands
- Just the new government has settled down and we have to apprise them the problems faced by the migrants from India.
- My idea is stay put in your nation. "We have got enough to satisfy the needs of all.... but not the greed of even a single person".
என்ன கொண்டு வரச் சென்றாய்
என் அன்பு மகனே!
பவுடரும் செண்டு பாட்டிலும்
பட்டினியிலிருந்து மீட்குமா?
உன் குரலும் பார்வையுமே
இந்த குவலயத்தில்
நான் கேட்பது!
கண்ணாடிப் பேழையில்
நீ வந்திடவா உன்னைத்
தூக்கிச் சுமந்தேன்?
என் கருப்பையில் உதித்து
என் அகப்பையால்
வளர்ந்தவனே,
கலப்பையை சுமந்திட்டாலே
காலமெல்லாம் கடந்திடலாம்
எனும்போது ...
காலனிடம் மண்டியிடவா
விமானம் ஏறினாய்?
கோழி கூவினாலே
குதித்தெழுந்து விடும் நீ
ஊரே கூவும்போது
உறங்குவது ஏன்?
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