Tricked, exploited... he is desperate to return home

DUBAI — The man has got five children, old parents and two sisters back home. When 40-year-old Dharmendra Paswan came to Dubai last year to earn a livelihood, the dreams were high: a big house with a garden, quality education for his children and qualified grooms for the sisters.

By Joy Sengupta

Published: Wed 1 Aug 2007, 8:58 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 1:46 AM

Today, standing in the scorching heat, his body soaked in sweat, Paswan is desperate to go home.

Paswan hails from a remote village in the Indian state of Haryana. “I came here in September last year to work as a mason at a salary of Dh600 per month. I had decided to work hard for at least seven years and to save money for my family. But the dream has not been fulfilled and I am going back. I have been tricked, exploited and fooled,” he said.

According to him, the company in which he worked has still to pay him salary for three months. “I had given Rs.150,000 to the agent in order to come to UAE. I was not given any money for the first two months. The company said that they were cutting the money for the medical and other formalities. Then again my salary was stopped on May.”

“I ran from pillar to post for a month without an answer. After this I stopped going to work. Now when I go to ask them for my passport, they are demanding Dh3000. From where do I pay such a hefty sum? I have just been able to pay up Rs.50,000, the debt which I had taken in order to pay the agent. The agent too talks as if he does not know me. I have such a big family back home. My two sisters are yet to get married. What will I do now? For many days I have been trying to meet the senior consulate officials. I want my passport back. This is not justice,” he lamented.

Paswan said that people, mostly those coming from humble backgrounds should think twice before leaving their homes. “The people from whom I took the debt would make my life miserable when I get back to India. They have started troubling my family. My children and wife, my parents and sisters are in grave danger back there. I have got no choice but to return. People should think twice before dreaming big of earning money in a foreign land. Everyone tends to exploit the poor and the wretched,” he said.