Sijo Joseph By

KOZHIKODE: Gone are the days when a beaming marriage broker could clinch a matrimonial alliance by flourishing a client’s photo pulled out of his/her diary and delivering the magic words to the family of a prospective bride — Cherukkan Gulfilanu (the boy is in Gulf). The glamour has faded, almost.

Gone are the days of an expatriate coming home on a vacation and opening ‘the box’ to quench the collective curiosity of a large gathering of relatives and friends, all the while trying to hide his suntanned countenance and weary spirit behind garish costumes and pungent perfumes. These days the boxes come home empty, almost.

The days that have long gone are the years following the Gulf boom of the early 1970s, which saw Keralites making a beeline for the dry climes to make their fortune. The euphoria surrounding a stint in Gulf countries began losing its sheen by the turn of the 20th Century, with jobs declining and pay dwindling.

Latest in a series of bad news from the Gulf is the ominous clouds surrounding the fate of some 3,000-odd Indian workers stranded without money or food in Saudi Arabia due to a slide in oil prices, which sparked a layoff. Though the number of Keralites is told to be around 300, there is no official confirmation. It was in this background that the State cabinet decided to send Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel, along with Department Special Secretary V K Baby, to Saudi Arabia to expedite the return of the stranded workers from Kerala. However, the Minister’s application for a diplomatic passport was denied by the external affairs ministry, triggering a controversy.

It all started when the Gulf countries moved towards strong policies of accommodating more natives in job sector. The Nitaqat Law, implemented by Saudi Arabia around one-and-a-half years ago, dealt a huge blow to the expats.

Attakkoya Pallikkandy, chairman of the Pravasi Coordination Committee, who has been in the forefront of campaigns for the rehabilitation of Gulf returnees, says that the State is staring at a huge economic instability.

“These are just the signs. There is no point in denying the truth. Kerala is going to witness an unprecedented inflow of the jobless. However, the sad fact is that the government and agencies have failed to recognise the signs. Take the present situation in Saudi. The workers have been languishing in labour camps without salaries for seven months.”

Is there room for optimism? Will the situation improve, perhaps seconded by a surge in oil prices in the future? Atttakkoya is not hopeful. “Things are going to worsen. The diminishing oil prices are going to affect the workers in Qatar, Kuwait and Muscat. Even the nurses are not safe. Gulf countries now stress on 50 categories for accommodating more natives. Jewellery and mobile accessory sectors are included in them. Many Keralites are working in these sectors and this will affect all of them,” he says.

Though the government is keen on bringing back the stranded labourers from Saudi Arabia, many are reluctant to return as they are yet to receive the salary of over seven months. Besides, for them, prospects of returning home is not full of nostalgia now. For they know that the first thing that will rush to their welcome, even before the relatives, is an uncertain future and threat of joblessness.