Indian workers from Mississippi seek UN help

NDTV reports: Frustrated with the uncaring response from the US and Indian governments, about a dozen Indian guest workers on Tuesday knocked the door of the United Nations for justice.

Claiming to represent over a 100 Indian guest workers, who had last month revolted against their US employer for allegedly putting them under slave like conditions, the workers met Craig Mokhabir; Deputy Director, New York Office of High Commission for Human Rights.

Mokhabir, who patiently listened to the woes of the workers for nearly half an hour and appeared to be sympathetic with the plight of these workers, however, failed to give any concrete assurances to these pleading Indian workers, who now face an uncertain future.

We told him about all our issues. He said it is definitely a human rights violation that has occurred here. He said he would do the maximum, he can do in his capacity, said Justin Poulse, one of these workers, who were hired by a US company, Signal International in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina to work at a Mississippi dock.

Having quit the job in protest against what they claim as the slave like treatment to them, these workers have filed a class action law suit against their US employer. With their legal status in doubt, these workers told NDTV.com they would stay in the US to fight for justice and tell the world that workers are still being treated like slave in a country like this.

We hope that the UN would help us get justice, said Rajan P, one of these workers after they met Mokhabir. Speaking in Malayalam, through an interpretator, Poulse and his other colleagues said they were deeply disheartened by the poor response from the Indian Government, in particular Indian Embassy in Washington, and the US Government so far.

We have been unsuccessfully crying aloud for justice so far, said Jashy Mathai. He said that all of the about 100 workers who have been running the campaign have put in all their money they had earned here to fight out for the cause.

Not yet decided, what their next course of action would be, Mathai said: Our decision is that we would continue our satya-graha until we get justice. From now, he said the workers would split themselves to continue with their agitation in New York, Washington and New Orleans.

In all more than 500 Indian guest workers were hired by the Signal International to work in the US. The workers claim that they were promised green card and paid $20,000 for this. On arrival in the US, the workers claimed, that were cheated on this account and further they were mistreated and put under slave like conditions.

The US company has denied any mistreatment, but has decide to temporarily stop recruitment of workers in India and initiate action against the recruitment companies in both India and the US, who hired there workers on their behalf.

Its hard to believe such exploitation takes place even in the USA. These workers need to be given justice. If America can't do it, there's not much hope for countries like China where such atrocities are carried out by the state. NDTV aired insightful story about this issue last night. I'm glad I could watch it on my DirecTV.