The Hindu : National : Adopt Kuwait model: Centre

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Thursday, Sep 13, 2007
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Adopt Kuwait model: Centre

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The government has asked diplomatic missions in countries with a large population of overseas Indian workers, especially female household help, to adopt the “Kuwait model” to help curb their exploitation which has often included rape and molestation.

The government also plans to introduce the concept of an attested contract between the employer and the maid before allowing the worker to leave the country. “We are taking this up with the Union Home Ministry. The Emigration counter at airports would be asked to verify the contracts before allowing maids to board the plane,” Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said here on Tuesday, at the end of a two-day conference of heads of missions from countries with large presence of Indian workers.

Explaining the “Kuwait model”, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait M. Ganapathi told The Hindu that India had signed up with a legal organisation Al-Huqoq to take care of runaway maids and resolve salary-related problems either through consultations with the employer or by legal means.

The organisation also takes up cases of rape and molestation by employers. “Out of 5.62 lakh Indian workers in Kuwait, there are 2.26 lakh household workers who are the most vulnerable. As Kuwait does not allow embassies to run shelters, the organisation performs this service as well,” he said. Every year, it takes up about 1,000 such cases.

Sceptical

Lauding the initiative, Mr. Ravi said a local person is generally more effective in resolving such problems than the embassy staffers.

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