'We Are Numb': Families Of Indians Killed In Kuwait Fire Still In Disbelief | Kuwait News | G18V

Wednesday morning brought a nightmare for several Indian families when we heard the news of many Indians trapped in a fire incident in Kuwait have died so far in the 48 hours of that incident. Now we get to know that about 45 Indians have died in the incident, more than 30 are getting medical treatment in Kuwait and the entire episode has just gone not well with the Kuwaiti authorities Also they have assured Indian government that all the culprits who probably have been involved in this case will be punished. Indian government has sent Minister of State for in Ministry of External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to oversee the entire operation that Kuwaiti embassy was trying to do in the wake of this fire incident. And he did reach there last night and when he also made the foreign minister of Kuwait, then the interior minister, health minister and during the several hours of meeting that the minister also spent with Kuwaiti authorities, he did talk about the working conditions for Indians and also what the Kuwaiti government is going to do on that. There have been multiple assurances from Kuwaiti ambassador in Delhi and then of course the Kuwaiti government in there also that the working conditions will be improved. The buildings or the Realtors or any company who is not in a way respecting the contract agreements or who are not providing better working conditions or the with poor facilities, they will be punished. In fact, there have been several restaurants, buildings and real estates owners that had been asked to shut their shop because they did not have the proper safety and security measure. They did not have probably the fire safety protocols that a building must have in order to work. And this is the action that the Kuwaiti government has taken right now. But also the entire episode raises the question how the working conditions for Indians who happens to contribute significantly in not only Kuwait but other Gulf countries also remains so poor. About 1,000,000 Indians live in Kuwait and that is roughly about 25% population of that country. Around entire Gulf, there are about 30 million Indians who are expected that they are living and they're working and contributing in the economy of these countries countries. But their working condition, their job, employment, contracts all has always remained a question where Indian government has also tried to negotiate and work around with the several of these government. In the last 10 or 20 years, the working condition have surely improved but they are yet to be improved a lot. While India does send a lot of workforce around the world in if you talk about Western nations or in USA, most of these jobs are white collar jobs. The employer and employee both are very much aware of their responsibilities and they do know what their rights are. But in the Gulf countries, most of these workers are blue collar. They are not well educated, they are not very much aware of their rights and then there are also not in a bargaining position where they can ask their employers to for the better work condition. The greed of the employer and the need of employees is something that has put the entire situation in a very poorly managed state. We have seen such incidences happening in Kuwait. Earlier also there was another incident in the last five to seven years. There was one incident at another oil refinery center and also one at construction site where Indians were killed in an accident. But with the latest incident that has happened, people are asking whether the working conditions will remains the same, whether Indians will continue to die like that or whether they will find some justification. The state government of Kerala has also raised the issue because Kerala happens to be one of the largest sender of workforce to these Gulf countries that Indian government must talk to these countries for a better working conditions for these people. Indian government on its own part had launched Pravasi Bharti Bhima Yojana for the workforce that goes to the Gulf countries where the deceased person is supposed to get about ₹10,00,000. Then also this entire Bhima scheme covers the family members of the person who is abroad and they do take care of it. This time also Prime Minister has announced about ₹2,00,000 of acceleration for the kin of the families, for the people who have died and that is going to be from the Prime Minister Relief Fund. The Kerala government has also announced about ₹5,00,000 of Ex Gracia to the people who have died in this incident. The Kuwaiti government has also assured that there will be some financial assistance that will be provided to the people who have died in that incident. But this ad hoc ISM will probably not be able to successfully address the issue of poor working conditions and the way these people are housed in a very small places. That building, that multi Storey building that caught fire had about four to five floors in which about 160 Indians were housed and probably that building did not have enough safety security protocol that resulted in this massive fire tragedy. Iron is also that the building was being owned partly by an Indian. So you know this is a bizarre case of 1 Indian exploiting another countryman at a foreign location. So India will also have to look into that as aspect as to how Indian businessman who happens to be in foreign locations rather than helping and facilitating their countrymen, they are also becoming part of this entire exploitation network. Well have to see from here onwards what the government actions will happen, what kind of policies changes will be brought in in the in Gulf countries. But for the people who have already died, it is really a sombre moment. The bodies have arrived in Kerala in By evening, many of the bodies will also be coming to Delhi from where they will be sent back to their respective homes.