Hyderabad: A 50-year-old woman who was trafficked to Oman promising employment is being harassed by her employer and has become ill.
Fareeda Begum, a resident of Warasiguda, went to work as a domestic help in one house but she was forced to work in three. Unable to bear the torture, she approached the agent to send her back, but he demanded Rs 2 lakh.
With no option left, Fareeda informed her family that she may die due to ill health. Migrant activists communicated her details to the Indian embassy through Madad.
Fareeda Begum's (Passport No: P7475880) husband Sheikh Sarwar, is a daily wage labourer. Their younger daughter Shabnam is married to Mohammed Khadar, a car mechanic, and elder daughter Shaheen is staying with her parents.
Realising that the family was going through a financial crisis an agent approached them and offered a job in Oman.
The agent, Maqdoom, from Mehdipatnam, told them that they don’t have to pay anything for their journey or visa and that she will be paid '18,000 a month for working as a domestic help in a home. She flew to Oman in January.
Things went well for a month and she got herself acquainted with the local work culture. But as days passed, things became worse with her employer forcing her to work for more than 20 hours a day.
“They shifted her to different houses for work. Every day she was forced to shuttle between three to four houses. Unable to bear the torture she fell sick. When she pleaded with them for medical help they refused,” said Fareeda’s son-in-law Khadar Khan. Meanwhile, after knowing about her problems her husband fell sick.
“We do not want money. We just want her home by Ramadan,” her elder daughter Shaheen said.
Fareeda developed chest pain and nasal bleeding. Dr Lissy Joseph of the National Democratic Workers' Movement said that Fareeda had called her and described her torture. “She sounds very weak and needs immediate medical attention. We have registered her grievance in Madad portal,” she said.
