Kerala Government Honors Indian Muscat-Based Social Worker 

Muscat-based Indian Social worker, P.M Jabir, a Muscat-based Indian social worker, has been named as a director in the 15-member board to oversee Non-resident Keralites Welfare Fund created by the Kerala Government. "I am glad that my work in Oman for the Indians in distress has been honored by the government of my [Kerala] state," he said, commenting on his appointment.

Jabir, who has been featured in several Gulf newspapers and Malayali publications back home for his selfless social service in Muscat, is the Welfare Secretary with the Indian Social Club and founder member of its Kerala Wing.

"The Kerala Legislative Assembly has enacted a bill, with the Governor's sanction, to create a welfare fund for non-resident Keralites, namely Non-Resident Keralites Welfare Fund Act — 2008," said Jabir. "The Act ensures the welfare of non-resident Keralites."

The social worker, who has been helping poor workers and maids in distress for the last two decades, said the fund would grant relief, pensions and other benefits to nonresident Keralites and at the same time would promote companies, cooperative societies or other institutions of non-resident Keralites for their welfare.

According to 50-yeay-old Jabir, the 15 fund members are nominated to the Board. The constitution of the Board is five directors representing non-resident Keralites abroad, two directors representing non-resident Keralites in India and four officials representing the Government. There is also one director representing Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants Limited, one representative from Norka- Roots and one director nominated by the Government.

Jabir is a very busy man as one can see, receiving more than 40 calls from distressed people seeking help. And now, he says, the number of calls has doubled since the crackdown by the Ministry of Manpower in Oman. He believes the problem of workers employed in jobs other than those specified in their residents' visas is not so easy to wish away. "I think Indians could amount to 100,000 in number, who are currently working in jobs other than they were brought here for." To that end, he has created a network of volunteers to enhance coordination and at the same time help expatriate workers in trouble in remote areas.

Jabir says, it all started with the Kairali Arts Club way back in 1988. "The organization had to be disbanded after new laws regarding organization for expatriates in Oman," he said, but he is happy the network of volunteers from that club are useful today in helping people in distress.

Jabir, who is popular among the expatriate community from southern India, has tons of heart-rending stories to tell. Jabir's help was sought when the Indian embassy was faced with the problem of unclaimed bodies of workers. "In the 80s we had a problem sending bodies home and we took up the issue. Now, Air India takes bodies without any charge."

"We had a case of a well-to-do expatriate from Kerala, who died a day before he was to leave for good but his kin in India refused to accept the body and we cremated him here."

Another major problem, he says, is the abuse of housemaids. "In a day I get at least five to six calls from distressed housemaids." Though he agrees that a good number out of the 50,000 Indian maids employed in Muscat are treated well but there were many who were mistreated and needed help. "Many never get paid the minimum wage of 70 Omani riyals," he says.

"This is where we use our vast network of volunteers, especially in remote fishing areas, to give a fair deal to the maids in trouble," he says adding that he would like to see a permanent shelter for distressed maids in Oman run by the local authorities. He admits that the Indian Embassy in Muscat has some measures to prevent this problem but they are "not enough."

Even though this tireless man has been threatened, especially after he exposed a prostitution racket run by some Indians in Oman, he's not afraid. "I don't fear for my life and I will continue helping people in distress, across nationalities, religious or political affiliations."
[By Lavanya Garikina]