Missing India

No, I've never been there .
But as soon as I solve my problems inshallah, I will definitely go .
Just living in a Gulf country, is like living in India .
Indians brought not only work force but above all their culture, that is their funny English accent, the way they move their head while speaking, their ability to sacrifice and bear the pains of life, as well as food and movies .
I learned so much about Indians, their traditions and their problems, from the lady who used to help me in the house, that I learned to love the country as if it was mine .

I remember Naleni came to my door the first day I moved in .
The watchman told her there was a new guest in the flat, so she rang at the door and introduced herself .
She was one of the few, among the so called "low skilled workers" who can speak a very good English .
She immediately understood I was a disaster in the house, so she kinda took the lead .
And it was my fault to give her so much power to take decisions about dresses, food and forniture .
When I regretted later, I had to make a step back and be a little rude to her .
But she understood and gave me my space .

Indians are incredibly soft hearted persons, because they are doomed to suffer, and so they understand other people sufferance .
With all the difficulties they have at home and when they migrate, they always keep a level of dignity I've never seen among Westerners when confronting adversities .
Of course hardships make them a little bit cautious, and often get their revenge in strange ways, or play tricks as well, but when they acknowledge that the person standing in front of them has a pure heart and intends no evil, then they are the most loyal and honest people, one may hope to deal with .

I've seen Indians working under the sun with 50 degrees and sleeping in rooms without AC and together with other ten people, packed up like sardines, and never complaining, just smiling .
I hope one day I can meet Naleni and the others again .
I just miss their humanity .
Europe is so sad .

Distress

It is not easy to be a foreign worker in the Gulf area .
If one has a first class nationality, say American or Canadian, and goes there on a contract for a big company, then will get all things done, since the day of arrival .
But for other nationalities, like for example Asians, life can be a nightmare to say the least .

This of course happens everywhere here in the West .
The difference is that we have a wider set of laws to combat it and many groups, political parties, unions, religious charities, ready to fight for the rights of minorities .
The peculiarity of some Arabs, of course not all but many, is to think of the "expat", like a second class citizen, or not a citizen at all .
Sometimes foreigners are merely a number, people to fill positions which can't be taken by nationals or that must be given in exchange for commercial partnerships with foreign companies .
Another factor is the level of corruption in public offices .
Actually, to get a document or a visa, it is necessary to go through "wasta", connections, in the police or government departments .

Some time ago, during a joint press conference with the Italian prime minister, the Emir of Qatar stated, that what had prevented him from investing in Italy in earlier times, was the corruption .
I must agree with him, that the level of frauds in the land of Colombo is pretty high, but what makes it worse in an Arab country of the Persian Gulf, is the penetration in the social tissue .
Corruption there, is not just a matter of broken legality , it is a state of mind .
It is rare to meet a local who starts a new business or engage in any challenging activity, without resorting to a little help, by paying bribes .
This of course damages the entire country not only for how it comes to be known abroad, but slows down its economy .

Living in such system, for an exploited person, is cause of great distress .
One must run here and there to find the right sponsor (person or company in charge of his sponsorship) .
Must pay small amounts when requested and so on .
It needs to be noted that there is also the other side of the coin, that is for example the foreigner coming from out, who is welcomed by a family , all of a sudden runs away, making huge damages to his employer who must give account to the ministry .
The sponsorship system has proved to be a big failure, but up to now, no government has been able to plan anything more feasible .

India is the nation with the highest number of workers in the Gulf .
Although it will level down with time and nationalization , still they have an important role .
I was happy to read how they helped one of their citizens in Oman .
It is just one story of many . They do a lot of these .
But to be completely honest, the government of India is primarily responsible for this situation .
As there is little or no work at home, they try to send as many people as possible, outside .
And some of those who are already living overseas, take advantage of the it, as they for one, exploit their fellow nationals .
With a tighter control and better will, they might put an end to these trafficks .