Akshatha Rao
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Sep 27: Human trafficking has been a grave challenge being faced by the current-day society. Children from poor families, irrespective of their level of education, get lured by the lucrative salaries offered, and make efforts to go to the Gulf region. Several such cases have come to light. One such case was of Jacintha, who suffered the ignominy of being treated like an animal by a family in Saudi Arabia before somehow coming back home. This is like a rebirth for her.
Many innocent boys and girls illegally reach the nations in the Gulf region. If we carefully take a look around, we come across some cases of people who have left India seeking greener pastures vanishing without a trace thereafter. In many cases, the parents do not get any information about their children till their mortal remains are sent back.
Many people get enticed by the attractive advertisements offering job opportunities abroad. They get trapped, find it impossible to come out of it, and work like bonded labour helplessly.
Dr Ravindranath Shanbhogue with Jacintha Mendonca (right)
The racket of human trafficking is supported by agents who dole out promises of providing jobs, and offices which claim to facilitate young people to bag jobs abroad. In many cases, the people go there on visitors visa for 90 days. Once the aspirants get sucked into the vicious circle of fake job racket, they get stuck in wilderness.
President of Human Rights Protection Foundation, Dr Ravindranath Shanbhogue, somehow found out the place where Jacintha was working and succeeded in getting her released after following legal procedures. This was the 23rd such case he successfully secured release in. In the 16 earlier cases he handled, 16 were very complicated and challenging, he admits.
There is a possibility that those who illegally go to Gulf in search of jobs, can face life term in jail. No accurate information is available about how many people are languishing in inhuman conditions there. This problem is not specific to India. Nationals of various countries are facing the same fate in the Gulf.
In spite of having been blacklisted in the website of the ministry of foreign affairs, 'Trio Track Travel Consultants', which was visited by Jacintha in her quest for improving her fortunes, had continued to function. 11 such employment information centres are functional in Mangaluru.
Recently, through a new law, Saudi Arabia provided an opportunity for people who had illegally entered that country to go back, setting a three-month deadline. Under these provisions, the persons should personally surrender at the police station and pay fine of Rs 2,000 Saudi Rials (Rs 34,000) so that he or she can legally secure release. The deadline expired on September 15, and the same has now been extended to October 15.
Dr Shanbhogue is ready to save innocent youngsters stuck in such racket. After June 2016, 38 innocent people had left for the Gulf after June 2016 seeking jobs. Their whereabouts are not known. Shanbhogue says that in spite where their parents are, his organization will make all out efforts to get them released from the clutches.
Currently, six cases of people who had left Udupi and Mangaluru for jobs in Saudi Arabia never to return, stand filed in the foundation. Out of these six, four are women.
People facing such problems can contact the following cellphone number personally. Alternatively,they can provide provide details over e-mail or message. Suitable documents in possession of family members about the missing persons would be required to be provided. The persons can directly come to the college to register cases. For receiving such complaints, a separate devoted cellphone Number, 9591310730 has been earmarked. All information of those providing them would be kept confidential.
Dr Ravindranath Shanbhogue, president of Human Rights Protection Foundation, said that his organization is ready to launch nation-wide action to bring back Indians who were trafficked to Saudi Arabia andneighbouring countries. "We do not know what would be the end result. But there is no harm in trying," he said,speaking to Daijiworld.
Contact address: Dr Ravindranath Shanbhogue, President,Human Rights Foundation Udupi - 576 102. (cellphone No. 8971033582 / 9591310730.
email: humanrights.udupi@gmail.com