Punjab’s daughters are falling into the traps woven by their own relatives in Gulf countries. Their relatives are putting a price on family ties. Girls from poor families in Punjab are lured by relatives through sweet talking and dreams of a bright future, leading them and their parents to build castles in the air. This is where their journey of exploitation begins.
A similar fate befell a girl from Moga who was sold for 1,000 riyals (Rs 2,00,000) in Muscat, Oman. Once her visa expired, she faced inhumane treatment from her own kin. With the efforts of Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and the Ministry of External Affairs, the victim was safely returned to her family in Punjab.
The victim, who had come to Nirmal Kutia, Sultanpur Lodhi from Moga with her family, shared that she came from a poor household and went to Oman to improve her family’s financial situation. However, her travel agent, who was also a relative, sold her to an Arab family for 1,000 riyals. She was sent on a one-month visitor visa, although she was promised a three-month visa.
Upon arriving at Oman Airport on September 7, 2023, the person who came to receive her, forcibly took her phone and passport. She was then confined to an office in a multi-story building, three hours away from the airport.
The victim recounted that a Kenyan girl was with her. She mentioned that as long as her visa was valid, the travel agents took care of her, but as soon as it expired, her ordeal began. The travel agents changed their attitude and started beating her. She fell seriously ill due to an infection during work, and the family she was working for refused to treat her, yet forced her to continue working.
She said she wasn’t even allowed to contact her family. Despite paying millions of rupees for her return, she was not sent back. She explained that new girls arriving from India are kept separate from those already there, and as soon as their visas expire, they are mistreated. The victim’s husband contacted Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal on May 7, and upon learning about the situation, Seechewal took immediate action, resulting in the girl’s return within a few days.
Seechewal appealed to people to avoid sending girls to Gulf countries. He urged Punjab Police officials to listen sympathetically to the cases of girls who have suffered at the hands of travel agents and to make sincere efforts to resolve these issues. He thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy for their support.
The victim expressed her frustration with Punjab police’s behaviour. When she approached Moga police with her complaint, they threatened her. She mentioned that when she complained, the police officials told her that no action would be taken based on her statements, but only on the statements written by the police.
She also alleged that the police officers sided with the travel agent, claiming that the agent had lost money, while questioning her about the money she had given and its source. The victim said she suffered more due to the behaviour of the police while seeking justice in her own country than she did from the abuse abroad.