It was a happy and emotional reunion for 45-year-old Akula Laxmamma and her children — son Ramu working as a labourer and daughter Jyothi who was a degree student. After five agonising months, they were elated on seeing her.
Laxmamma returned to the city after being released from the clutches of her employer in Kuwait where she faced harassment while working as a domestic help. “It’s really a happy occasion for our family during this Ganesh festival,” says, a relieved Ramu as festive atmosphere prevailed in their locality at Rajgunj on Tuesday. The two siblings had in fact lost all hopes of meeting their mother in the near future when her employer refused to return her passport for returning to India. The employer’s family had even threatened her with dire consequences if she tried to speak to her family over phone.
Ramu had then approached Sanathnagar MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy, who wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs with a request to help the family. Officials of Indian Embassy contacted Laxmamma’s employer Hamdan Nahardroubi Al Hussaini and persuaded him to return her passport after which she was repatriated to India. Recalling her traumatic experience at her employer’s house, Ms. Laxmamma says she spent Rs.30,000 to go to Kuwait for working as a domestic help. After getting passport and other travel documents from a travel agent, Baba, she went to Kuwait in May last. As per the agreement, Hussaini agreed to pay 60 dirhams per month.
The agreement was that in case of any dispute, he will refer the matter to Embassy of India for an amicable settlement. “But Hussaini’s family had violated the agreement and started harassing me. It was a nightmare for me to stay there without proper food and medicines,” recalls Ms. Laxmamma with tears in her eyes. She also reveals that there were at least 80 Indians at the Indian Embassy who have complained about harassment by their respective employers.
