Back from Iraq, rescued Indians face debt worries now!

New Delhi: Families thronged the airports at various places in the country, including those in Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh to welcome their kin, who were rescued from Iraq. The smiles and happy tears on seeing their loved ones soon turned into one of the biggest worries of their lives. Although relieved to be free from the war struck Iraq, Indians who worked there earlier are now looking at ways to restoring the balance in their lives- the biggest challenge being repaying huge debts. Speaking to various media sources upon their arrival, rescued workers in Hyderabad were seen wiping off tears as they seemed clueless about the future. A worker at the Hyderabad airport was quoted as he saying that a couple of more months of work would have helped him pay off half of his debt. There are many others for whom the thought of going back home, as happy as that sounds, also rings bells of facing debtors- a thought which is daunting. Many of them refused to come back as the thought of dying alone sounded better than getting his whole family involved in the debt crisis in India. Working conditions in Iraq have long been a matter of debate. Rescued Indians have come forward to reveal the horrific working conditions they had to survive. Many fought emotions to reveal that they were threatened with guns and bullets if a request for relieving them from work was put forward. Many worked under the tyranny of their employers. Many of the workers said they had to work for free for months at end, only because they had no job to do. A few rescued nurses from Kochi also revealed that there had been times when they were not paid. A worker from Punjab narrated how Indians were becoming mentally sick in Iraq as they are working under captivity and are denied basic amenities like wages and food. He told the media that a colleague from Rajasthan, who was hospitalized after he fainted on knowing about the Iraq crisis, died eventually. Rescued Indians are completely relying on the government to help them find a way out of their debt crisis. “They have done so much to rescue us. I hope they find a way for us to replay our debts slowly, otherwise pesticide is the only option,” cried a rescued worker. According to Indian government officials, by Monday morning 1200 Indians would have returned from various parts of Iraq and at least 1000 applications are being processed. The Kerala government has already started rehabilitation packages for the nurses, who have also been offered jobs from various organizations- both public and private. It is however, still a waiting game for the 1200 other Indians who have been rescued.