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DEBTS LEADS TO DEATHS IN DUBAI
By M H AHSAN
Several debt-ridden farmers from backward districts of Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts are ending their lives in Dubai due to acute financial and family problems. In the latest case, a 27-year-old agricultural labourer from Dichpally mandal in Nizamabad district committed suicide by hanging from the roof of a building under construction in Global Village, a leisure and entertainment destination located on the outskirts of Dubai.
Prakash Mundavath, who came to Dubai two years ago, was working with Bin Ladin Group, one of the largest construction conglomerates in the Middle East. Indian consulate sources who confirmed the death said he was disturbed because of financial and family problems. Prakash came to Dubai after borrowing nearly Rs 1,00,000 from money-lenders and neighbours. He is yet to repay the debts despite working in the Emirates for two years.
There are numerous such people whose hopes and aspirations are dashed here. Last year on May 7, Raja Reddy, an illegal labourer from Nizamabad committed suicide by hanging in his shanty room in Rolla area of Sharjah. He was suffering from severe stomach ache and was under heavy debts. He had more than Rs 70,000 to clear in his native village. He was worried whether he would clear his debts after he landed a job which fetched him only Rs 7,200 per month. Reddy, 32, was working as a helper in a construction company.
In the same month, Gattu Naresh, an illegal labourer from Chinna Metpally village in Karimnagar district died after consuming acid. He was severely depressed and did not see his family for the past six years because he did not have enough money to pay towards air tickets. Naresh, who was 28-year-old, was working as a cleaner.
Another labourer Krishna from Karimnagar also committed suicide in June last year due to financial problems. Krishna, 35 hanged himself using a cloth in one of the construction sites where he was working. He had not been paid salary since three months and was worried about the condition of his family who are solely dependent on his earnings.
Data furnished by the Indian Consulate reveal that there has been a definite increase in the number of Indians taking their own lives in recent times. Expatriates hailing from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala top the suicide chart with many of them even hanging themselves along the roadside trees.
Consulate figures show that 54 committed suicide in 2002, 64 in 2003, 67 in 2004, 82 in 2005 and 100 in 2006. Figures for the six months of 2007 are not available. Many of them were from Andhra Pradesh. This number could be higher as a few cases may not be getting reported as suicides since unidentified bodies lie in mortuaries for long periods before being disposed off.
BS Mubarak, Indian Consul for Labour and Welfare, said most of those who take their own lives come from the lower income bracket. “Reality seldom meet expectations and some of them take the extreme step to escape from everything. People take huge loans on high interest to find jobs in the Gulf then they realise it is not possible to earn that kind of money. And that’s when the problem begins,” he said.
After surge in suicides, the Indian consulate has started a crisis prevention programme to help those who are depressed and have suicidal tendencies. The counselling centre operating since last year is managed by four professional counsellors. KV Shamsudheen, chairman of Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, said a large number of suicide cases are related to financial problems. “People spend a lot of money to come to the UAE and once they find that they cannot earn enough, they think of ending their lives in desperation. The situation of labourers is more critical as many of them borrow money from money-lenders on a high interest rate and struggle to repay the money on time,” said Shamsudheen. He said that two families from Andhra Pradesh have refused to receive dead bodies of their family members fearing that moneylenders will confiscate their house once they come to know that they are dead. “It’s a serious issue and the state government has to take some measures to stop this,” he added.
K Kumar, convenor of Indian Community Welfare Committee, said manpower agents back in India sell the Gulf dreams to these hapless labourers who are only too eager to do any job for the sake of their families. They fall for their agents’ guile in believing that loans taken for their Gulf travel would be repaid in six months. But when they realise that even after six years there would not be enough to repay that money, workers lose hope, he said.
Telugu associations in the UAE expressed shock over the growing number of Andhra labourers committing suicide. Venkat Reddy, president of Telugu Sravanthi in Sharjah, said the state government should launch a massive awareness campaign to educate people about working conditions in the UAE, salary structure and disadvantages of staying here illegally. “We have submitted a number of memorandums to the visiting ministers highlighting the plight of illegal labourers here. So far nothing has been done in this regard even though number of people committing suicide from Andhra Pradesh is rising day by day,” he said.
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