RIYADH: In a move to protect Indian workers in Saudi Arabia, India will shortly propose a grievance redressal mechanism that will ensure the safety of its workers and protect them from exploitation by unscrupulous employers.
“The system of grievance redressal will be better than the umbrella agreement, which has been signed by a few Gulf states which the Kingdom is still reluctant to endorse,” said Talmiz Ahmad, newly-appointed Indian ambassador, here.
Speaking on his country’s Republic Day, Ahmad said that the community welfare, especially the grievances of blue-collar workers, would be at the top of his mission’s agenda. Ahmad also read out the message from President Pratibha Patil. More than 500 guests attended the colorful ceremony. Ahmad and his wife Sunita M. Ahmad also attended a cultural bonanza at the International Indian School, Riyadh.
Spelling out the salient features of the proposed grievance redressal mechanism, Ahmad said: “I am comfortable with the Kingdom’s reluctance on signing the standard labor accord, provided we are able to put in place an arrangement which provides for grievance redressal so that I can convey information with regards to labor problems and solve them with the help of Saudi officials.” Saudi Arabia has more than 1.7 million Indian workers at present.
Asked about the draft extradition treaty, he said, “This agreement provides for the extradition of Indian nationals.”
The diplomat said that it was an enabling document, giving signals to wrongdoers who evade justice and may choose to flee to the Kingdom. The accord, he said, gives a strong warning that the Kingdom is not a sanctuary for such people. He also noted that New Delhi has extradition accords with several Gulf states, including the UAE.
On the bilateral front, Ahmad spelled out his vision and said, “The forthcoming visit of our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will create opportunities and provide a road map on how to further strengthen our relations,” adding that India was also concerned about the conditions and the conflicts in the Middle East. “We are concerned about the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, Iraq, Iran, and the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said. He noted the participation of the Indian Foreign Minister at the London conference on Afghanistan on Jan. 28.
