For the family members of N. Dowlath, the 47-year-old woman from Meenakshipuram, Madurai, it was a long wait at the Arignar Anna International Airport on Wednesday.
The woman returned from Oman after being cheated by a travel agent from Aduthurai. While they were undeniably happy to see Dowlath, there was also an underlying sadness and disappointment for her husband A. Nalla Mohammed and her daughter Kathun Jarina.
Narrating her tales on arrival, she said that she was among 13 others who were cheated by the same agent after taking huge sums as fees for visa and other formalities. “We were told that housemaid jobs were available in Dubai, but after landing there we were shifted to Oman sold off for an undisclosed amount,” she charged.
“Luckily, other than making me work for over 20 hours a day, my employer did not bother me much. My inability to communicate in Arabic added to my woes there. I tried to find my way to the Oman travel agent’s office. But when I reached there, I witnessed the torture our women workers were put through. The travel agents abused them and even beat them even for a slight rebuttal,” Ms. Dowlath told The Hindu. A petition was filed last month by Dowlath’s family with the Madurai District Collector for ensuring the return of the woman from Oman.
“Like others my mother was also taken on a tourist visa. The agent asked her to lie to embassy officials that she was travelling to visit relatives,” said N. Kathun Jarina, Dowlath’s daughter.
Apart from torture, Dowlath had not been paid any salary for the last three months. “Since we were keen on coming back home, the agent forced us to pay another Rs. 30,000,” she alleged.
