PHAGWARA: Rajya Sabha Member and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal has written a letter to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, urging the Government of India to intervene immediately to ensure the safe return of nearly 70 Indian women who have been stranded in Muscat, the capital of Oman, for the past several years. He has appealed for their early and secure repatriation to India.
Sant Seechewal has also called for strict action against travel agents who lure Indian women to Gulf countries on false promises of employment. He stated that these women, belonging to various states including Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh, were taken to Oman after being promised better job opportunities.
However, upon reaching Oman, the women were subjected to severe mental and physical exploitation. Many of them are suffering from serious illnesses, while several others are living under extreme psychological distress. They had been promised monthly salaries ranging from ₹20, 000 to ₹50, 000, but after arriving in Muscat, they faced inhuman treatment and exploitation.
Rani Shakti Singh, who has returned to India from Oman, had personally met the affected women in Muscat. She later contacted Rajya Sabha MP Sant Seechewal and shared the painful experiences of these women. According to her, all the women are currently staying at a shelter run by the Indian Embassy. However, it is deeply concerning that they are being asked to pay a substantial amount of money for their return to India.
Additionally, he demanded stringent legal action against the travel agents and human trafficking networks responsible for deceiving and exploiting these women, so that no other Indian woman is subjected to such suffering in the future.