Nurse Jacintha Mendonca from Karkala forced into Slavery in Saudi

Nurse Jacintha Mendonca from Karkala forced into Slavery in Saudi

Mangaluru: We have heard of stories in the past, that people going to Gulf countries being cheated by travel/job agencies by not providing the actual jobs that they were promised before they left their hometown- instead once they reach the Gulf countries, they end up working as cheap laborers, helpers, slaves etc. Just last month there was a case where two men from DK who were promised of good jobs after they paid a lump sum to the agency, they ended up as Shepards to take care of a sheep farm, instead of auto spray painters jobs that they were assured before they left to Saudi Arabia. They were promised of 1800 rials per month (Rs 28,000) for their jobs in Saudi, and were happy that they could support their families once they start earning in the Gulf- but unfortunately, all their dreams have been shattered when they were offered Shepard jobs with no pay, just food and accommodation. But both these men were rescued from their jobs by a social organization- and they have returned back to their hometown.

Following close on its heels, we have learnt of yet another story of the similar kind- where a Catholic nurse named Jacintha Mendonca aged 46, hailing from Pernal in Karkala Taluk, who was promised a better nursing job in the Gulf by a local sub-agent named James, has now been forced into slavery by her employer in Yanbhu, Saudi Arabia. James had promised Jacintha, a home nurse’s job in Qatar for a salary of Rs 25,000 per month, instead she was later taken to Saudi. Now she has to look after the 10 children of her Saudi employer’s three wives and is required to work for over 16 hours a day. Due to this Jacintha’s health has deteriorated.

Recalling the news that appeared in a National newspaper, that on June 23, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj-MEA tweeted about the Indian nurse from Karnataka who was trafficked and pushed into slavery in Saudi Arabia. The MEA minister had brought it to the notice of the Indian embassy in Riyadh and directed Indian Ambassador Javed Ahmed to rescue her. “Please rescue this lady”, she had tweeted. (Follow Sushma Swaraj ✔@SushmaSwaraj)

Sources reveal that a kafil in Saudi Arabia is currently holding Jacintha Mendonca to ransom and is demanding 24,000 Saudi Riyals (Rs 4.32 lakh) to let her go free; even as the agent in Mangaluru who illegally trafficked her to Saudi is roaming free. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj are aware of her plight, and they are trying their best to rescue Jacintha. She was trafficked to Saudi Arabia via Qatar on June 19, 2016, and it is learnt that the last time she was able to speak to her three children namely Velita, Vinroy and Binitha back home was in December 2016. Jacintha’s dad, Vincent Mendonca passed away due to tuberculosis, and recently her sister also recovered from tuberculosis.

In the meantime, due to the pressure by MEA and other sources, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh was able to establish contact with Jacintha Mendonca and also her employer, who has kept her captivated. However, the adamant kafil who is also said to be torturing Jacintha, has made it clear that until the 24,000 Saudi Riyal (Rs 4.32 lakhs) is paid to him, he would not allow her to go back to India. While police have the authority to order the local agent to ensure her return, James was supposedly let off by the Mangaluru police after questioning, it is learnt.

But there have been other cases of the similar that have been solved by the police- so why can’t the police here do the same. Recently, the Telangana police had been able to rescue some women from Saudi Arabia by applying pressure on the local agents. At least three women who were trafficked to Saudi Arabia were rescued by the Telangana police who dealt severely with the illegal agents. The Karnataka police can possibly look at how the Begumpet police in Hyderabad got a woman rescued from Saudi Arabia. The woman Haseena Begum had been thrown from the third floor of a building in Damam by the kafil. The Begumpet police got the illegal agent to get through to the Mumbai agent to ensure her return. Following stern action against them, Haseena Begum was freed and she returned in May.

In another case, in June the Kadapa police in Andhra Pradesh and Wanragal police in Telangana coordinated and rescued a woman, P Subbalaxmi, who was trapped in Saudi Arabia. She could be brought back because the police acted firmly against the local agent. In another instance, this month, the Shalibanda police in Hyderabad got a woman Saira Banu rescued from Saudi Arabia in a similar manner. In Jacintha Mendonca’s case, though the names and telephone numbers of both the local agent James and Mumbai agent Shabha Khan are disclosed; but not much action has been taken in rescuing her from the hands of this torturing Kafil.

Back here in Udupi, Ravindranath Shanbhag, the president of Human Rights Protection Forum, Udipi is also trying his best to rescue Jacintha from her suffering at the hands of her employer. Shanbagh has also shared with the Deputy Commissioner of Police Mangalore, the telephone number of an Indian driver in Yanbhu, Saudi Arabia, who knows the whereabouts of Jacintha and is also willing to help. As per Shanbagh, the embassy informed him that the Recruiting Agency that sent her to Saudi Arabia had been blacklisted by the MEA. Speaking to media, Shanbagh had said “James and Shabha Khan are responsible for sending Jacintha to Saudi Arabia. They were working for Trio Tracks Travel, New Delhi. As per the website maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs, this Travel Agency has been blacklisted. We do not understand how a blacklisted company could arrange visa for Jacintha,”.

According to the statements given to media by Jacintha’s son, Vinroy “My mother has been sold for Rs five lakh by an agent. She is suffering terribly in Saudi Arabia. She is ill and is being beaten by the kafil. She is helpless. She has to be rescued. She was promised a job as a home nurse in Qatar for Rs 25,000 salary a month, but was trafficked to Saudi Arabia and pushed into slavery. Although we had lodged a complaint against the agent in Karkala police station in January this year, what we know is that the agent was questioned and let off. My mother has not been rescued from slavery yet. Our last conversation was unimaginable. When she was speaking on the phone, someone came from behind and started beating her, and she dropped the phone with a loud cry. She was also coughing (blood) and mentioned that she had a high fever,”.

But for the three children of Jacintha Mendonca back home here in Pernal, who are anxiously looking forward to their mother’s safe arrival is all in the hands of God, and also the interference of minister for external affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj, who has directed the Indian ambassador in Saudi Arabia to bail her out. Is this how a Kafil is observing Holy Ramadan by torturing an innocent mother of three children, who are anxiously waiting for the safe return of their dear mother. Bah humbug!

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