Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Fire tragedy

The death of 16 Indians, all from Tamil Nadu, in a fire accident in Bahrain on Sunday has exposed the poor living conditions of most expatriates from India in the region. These labourers from the unorganised sector are lured to the Gulf countries for construction, sanitation, and automobile jobs. Though the salaries offered are higher when compared to those in India, the workers are not given proper accommodation to stay and are put to serious hardship. There are also reports of poor working conditions. Now that a Minister has been allotted by the UPA Government exclusively for the welfare of Indians living abroad, steps should be taken to discuss all such issues with other countries and ensure decent living conditions for the Indians living abroad. The Tamil Nadu Government should also explore the possibilities of giving employment to the family members of the victims.

K. Murlidar,
Chennai

I express my heartfelt condolences to their families of the victims. May the almighty give them strength to bear this irreparable loss. I think it is time for the Indian Government to introduce some sort of an insurance scheme for the welfare of Indians working abroad that will ensure adequate compensation for the victims' families in cases such as this.

Zaree Bawa,
Safat, Kuwait

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cruel, senseless campaign
Accountability in clinical trials
Narmada rehabilitation: OSG report and after
Qana massacre and the Security Council
Beyond the `mole' muddle
Handwriting reveals the inner you
Corrections and clarifications
Horrific strike
Act now
Unfair criticism
Fire tragedy
Unbecoming

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu