First of all let me applaud Arab Times, Kuwait for publishing in its daily dated 19th inst. full report of the maltreatment meted out to the Manila “maid” by her Kuwaiti female employer. This is a very good exposure penned down by the writer Michelle Fe Santiago who deserves highest kudos for being courageous in writing this piece. By disclosing this sad story of the Manila maid, Arab Times once again proved how it is hell-bent in exposing the barbaric behaviour of barbaric maid employers in Kuwait.
Mahatmah Gandhi once said “the greatness of a society lies in the treatment it metes out to its weaker section”. To call Kuwaiti society great, what treatment it metes out to its weaker section? Is it magnanimous? Is it benevolent? Is it kind? Almost every now and then thru press reports and thru mouth to mouth propaganda we hear maids are treated very brutally in Kuwait. What is shocking is this that overwhelming majority of the members of this society is keeping silence over the harsh behaviour of the cruel Kuwaitis towards their treatment to their maids. This type of barbaric treatment to maids in Kuwait is become an accepted norm for many. After reading this news in Arab Times, members of Kuwaiti society must put their head down in shame. I cannot understand what ails this society. Inspite of such a loud noise scripted by Arab Times unfortunately there is no echo of this noise heard in Kuwait’s Parliament. Kuwait’s MP’s must raise this issue forcefully in the Parliament to eradicate such dastardly acts committed on innocent maids by the Kuwaiti employers and thereby create a fair image of Kuwait.
Very few expatriates in Kuwait have worked for the good cause of Kuwait and Kuwaitis as I have done along with my Goan brothers and sisters in Goa and in Kuwait as well during and after the invasion and liberation of Kuwait. I feel disappointed when I hear the cruelties committed by Kuwaitis on the weaker expatriates in Kuwait. I feel ashamed in front of Kuwait's enemies when I am already on record to declare openly and publicly that Kuwaitis are good people. In fact Kuwaitis as a whole are good but only the few among them are cruel who treat the expatriates badly and it is they who damage the good reputation of Kuwait and Kuwaitis.
Because of atrocities on maids, the good image of Kuwait and Kuwaitis is getting tarnished beyond reparation. The way the Kuwaiti lady sadistically ill treated her Manila maid it looked to me that she was having Devine Right over her maid to treat her the way she wanted. I don’t know what these hard hearted Kuwaitis think of themselves once they employ maids in their household!! All these disastrous happenings take place in Kuwait for the poor domestics because there is no strong official backing for the maids from the Labour Department. Generally speaking maids in Kuwait are not living a life of human beings but they just exist as tools to use by their employers. On Sundays I see many Kuwaiti security personnel sprinting aggressively this side and that side to arrest maids having no residence permits but with the same speed and with the same aggressiveness the law enforcers are not going about to catch those Kuwaiti employers who maltreat their maids.
I want this story published in Arab Times to spread all around the globe especially in the countries from where the maids are recruited. In India, Goa is one such a place from where very many maids are recruited and many of them due to their docile nature have meekly suffered untold misseries from the hands of their brute Kuwaiti employers. Taking liberty of Arab Times, I have already reproduced this story in “goa-kranti.blogspot.com” for Goans not only from Goa but also to those who are spread all around the globe and to other Indians as well to read the cruel side of Kuwaitis towards their maids. I hope others will also follow my idea to alert their women thinking to come to Kuwait to work as maids. Let the world know that Kuwait is no more a safe place for maids to work. For many it is like a Hell to work in Kuwait under the develish Kuwaiti employers who profess their religion which clearly forbids maltreatment to the weaker section of the society.
For my Goan females intending to come to Kuwait to work as Ayas, I have a piece of advice:
Avoid coming to Kuwait thru Maid recruting Agencies. These Agencies are irresponsible. Their only motto is to make money and maximise their profits. Example: See how the Manila Maid was rejected by the Agency when she asked for help.
Secondly, do not come to Kuwait to work as maids without knowing the background of your Kuwaiti employers. Find out thru your contact the credibility of your sponsor first and then only take your decision. Otherwise you may be a victim of humiliation and slavery.
Thirdly, when you come to Kuwait, see that you keep in contact thru telephone with your nearest and dearest in Kuwait so that during any difficulty you can atleast communicate outside.
Finally, in case you find your employer a barbaric in his treatment, communicate thru your Kuwait contact to NRI Commissioner in Goa or to Indian Embassy, Kuwait. Do not wait long to face the Hell from your employer in your work place. Manila maid unnecessarily waited for 2 long years to escape from the Lucifer in Hell to her Embassy.
While concluding, let me quote Prophet Mohammed (PBUH): When Prophet was asked when there will be justice in this world, came the reply within a split of a second saying "WHEN EVERYONE OF US WILL GATHER COURAGE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE INJUSTICE COMMITTED ON TO OTHERS AS IF THAT INJUSTICE IS COMMITTED ON TO US ONLY, THEN ONLY THERE WILL BE JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD".
Innumerable Maids in Kuwait are suffering injustice. It is not my obligation alone to raise my voice against this inustice. Everyone of us must gather courage to raise our voice as indicated in the quote above.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
