Camel slaves return after Arabian nightmare

Following MiD DAY report, two Indians illegally held on camel farm in Saudi Arabia are released and sent back to Mumbai

Camel slaves return after Arabian nightmare

Following MiD DAY report, two Indians illegally held on camel farm in Saudi Arabia are released and sent back to Mumbai

In a story that will shock anyone thinking that slavery was a thing of the past, will also instill a belief that fairytale endings do exist.

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Two brothers enslaved by their employer in Saudi Arabia were set free and reunited with their family after a harrowing experience.

On Tuesday, MiD DAY report 'City boys end up as camel slaves' stated that Mohammed Ali Road residents, Anis and Habib Palekar were enslaved by their employer, after being promised jobs in Qatar as driver and housekeeper respectively, but ended up instead in Saudi Arabia as slaves on a camel farm.

After the story appeared, their Saudi employer was forced to release them due to pressure from various embassies.

The brothers arrived at Mumbai airport yesterday on a Omani Air flight and were reunited with relieved family members.

In an exclusive conversations with MiD DAY, the emotionally charged brothers related the tale of torture
while in the clutches of their employer.

Tale of horror

The brothers arrived in Qatar on June 10, 2010, and were staying at their elder brother Hussain's residence.
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Three days later, their Arab sponsor, Ali Saleh took them to a house in Al Hasa city and introduced them to Mohammed Al Marri, his relative and also a policeman, where they spent two more days.

Al Marri then drove them to an undisclosed location and it was only when their passports were being stamped at the Saudi border, did the boys realise that something was amiss.

Habib Palekar (25), said, "On entering Saudi, instead of taking the highway, Al Marri took an unmarked sandy route leading straight into the desert.

After driving for a few hundred kilometres, we stopped at a camel farm, which had over 400 camels.

Al Marri introduced us to two other Nepali men, Hassan Ali and Akhil Ali, who have been staying there for the last few months, and left after instructing them to teach us the basics."

According to the brothers, they were forced to work in the searing 50-degree heat for 20 hours a day and sleep for 3 hours amidst the camels under an open sky with no electricity or water source.
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They began work at 3 am every day cleaning the 3,500 sq feet farm followed by bottle feeding over 50 newly-born camel calves four times a day.

Their employer and his family (parents, wife and nine children) stayed in an air conditioned trailer.

Anis said, "The experience was very humiliating and we know of many more slaves from Kashmir, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab etc, working on camel and goat farms in the Saudi desert.

All are victims of fraudulent sponsors and placement agents who have lured them with promises of jobs in Qatar, Saudi, Kuwait, Dubai etc, but instead they, like us, have landed up on farms deep in the desert."

On the day of release

Habib and Anis said that their employer assaulted them and was threatening to kill them, when he received a
call from Saudi government officials ordering him to release them immediately.

Though he was reluctant to do as told, he eventually succumbed to the pressure.

The brothers were ordered to pack and were dropped off at an isolated area near the Qatar airport with 7,200
Saudi riyals as salary and their passports.

They paid an agent at the airport 1,600 riyal for flight tickets and the balance amount of 5,500 (approximate Rs 60,000) they carried with them to India.

Anis (28), said, "We thought that we would never return to India alive, life was a living hell. Al Marri cheated us and treated us like dogs. We are grateful to be back in India."

Family Thankful to Mid Day
Iqbal Murudkar (61), uncle of the brothers, following the case for the last six months, was overwhelmed on receiving a phone call from the Qatar Consulate in Mumbai assuring him of total co-operation, after the article was published. "We are grateful to MiD DAY for publishing the story, which helped us get our children back," said Iqbal, controlling his tears.