Indian mission seeks governorate's help to redress assaulted worker

The Indian Consulate in Jeddah had sought the intervention of the Tabarjal governorate to redress the grievances of an Indian shepherd, who has been in the hospital for the past six months following alleged beatings by his sponsor.
Abdul Rahman, 28, from Gopalganj, Bihar, came to work as a shepherd in February 2011 in Tabarjal in Al Jouf region.
It was alleged that his Saudi sponsor refused to pay him any salary since his arrival. Though the promised salary was SR 700, the shepherd claims the sponsor had never given a single halalah. Whenever Abdul Rahman protested, he was severely beaten and intimidated by his master.
“This is the worst experience we have come across on an innocent worker who has been distressed because of a sponsor's mistreatment,” S. Dakshina Moorthty, consul labor welfare, told Arab News yesterday.
Moorthy explained that out of frustration Abdul Rahman had refused to work. “The outraged sponsor attacked him with a huge wooden stick in November 2011 breaking both his legs and burned them,” the official said.
Instead of taking him to hospital, Moorthy said the sponsor had dumped him at the gate of Tabarjal General Hospital. “On seeing the shepherd in a critical condition, the hospital authorities took pity and had given first aid and subsequently, was admitted to the hospital where he is still lying on bed since he is totally immobilized.”
“The sponsor has not given the worker a resident certificate (Iqama) and the worker had to depend on food offered by people in the neighborhood,” the diplomat said, adding that the sponsor was remanded soon after the incident and was released subsequently.
“Abdul Rahman has been in the hospital since Nov. 2011. His condition has deteriorated and he is unable to move his limbs. He is bed-ridden completely. This has come to the notice of Tamil social workers in Al-Jouf region. They reported the matter to the Indian Consulate in Jeddah,” said Moorthy.
“I have spoken with Abdul Rahman and he narrated his pathetic story. He briefed me about the inhuman behavior of his sponsor. He cried for his family and children. He does not have the means to feed his family who are badly in need of his income for their daily sustenance,” the official said.
As a preliminary action, the diplomat said the consulate had taken up the matter with the Tabarjal governor requesting his assistance for due medical treatment to Abdul Rahman.
“We have also requested the governor to bring the concerned sponsor to justice for the heinous act of crippling a poor worker for life. Abdul Rahman has demanded his salary dues, suitable compensation, medical treatment and deserved retribution from his sponsor.
The consulate has also taken up the matter with Saudi authorities in the Kingdom calling for justice and fair play in the case of Abdul Rahman, Moorthy said, adding that the consulate would offer all needed assistance for the welfare of the victimized worker.