Mangaluru, May 27: The two youths from Mangaluru, who returned home on Saturday after five month ordeal in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wholeheartedly thanked the hands that toiled for their ‘rescue’ from a sheep farm in the Arab country and reunion with their families in India.
Damodar Shettigar (31), a resident of Gandhinagar in Ganjimat, and Puneeth Jayaraj (25), a resident of Mulki (both areas fall under the limits of Mangaluru taluk) landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 8 a.m. The duo flew from Saudi Arabia to Dubai by FlyDubai flight, and then boarded a Mangaluru-bound Jet Airways flight.
Along with the family members, a couple of activists of Indian Social Forum (ISF), an organisation of NIRIs that had helped the youths to secure their passport from their visa sponsor in Saudi Arabia, also were present at the Airport to welcome them.
The duo had both good and bad experiences to share: They had to work in a sheep form in an isolated village of Saudi after being duped by an Indian job agency that had promised them the job of auto spray painters. Their visa sponsor had confiscated their passports too. On the other hand they experienced the helping nature of fellow countrymen in Saudi Arabia.
“We never thought that agency would fool us. We had lots of dreams. Now we have learned a lesson. We will never leave India,” they said recalling the difficulties they had to undergo in the Middle Eastern nation.
They minced no words to thank ISF. “ISF activists not only took us to the Saudi labour officials and helped to get our passports back, but also took care of us like own family members. They took us to their homes and provided us shelter without any expectation,” they said.
The youths had paid Rs 78,000 each to the agent to obtain visas and for other expenses. They landed in Saudi Arabia in December last year to work as auto spray painters. However, after reaching the Arab country, they were forced to look after a sheep farm.
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