NRI Forum Deputy Chairperson Arathi Krishna holds meeting in Shivamogga

Hundreds of Indians, including many from Karnataka, stuck in Cambodia and Vietnam due to fraudulent job offers.

Hundreds of people from India, including many from Karnataka, are stuck in Cambodia and Vietnam, after becoming victims of fraudulent job offers, said Arathi Krishna, Deputy Chairperson of the Non-Resident Indian Forum of Karnataka.

Speaking to the media after holding a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shivamogga on Friday, July 12, Ms. Arathi Krishna said that so far the forum has rescued three people from the troubled areas. “Many people fall prey to fake agents, who offer fancy salaries for jobs like data entry operators. However, after reaching there, they end up working for hackers. They are forced to work for dating websites. Whoever refuses to cooperate with them is locked up in dark rooms,” she said.

The forum, she said, received two complaints from people, who were natives of Chikkamagaluru, and they had been rescued successfully. There had been hundreds of such people stuck there in difficult situations. “Many people are finding it difficult to reach us as they are kept in dark rooms with no access to the outside world. Whenever we receive such complaints, the forum contacts the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and consulates for the safe release of our people,” she said.

Besides that, the NRI Forum often receives complaints from people who are being harassed by their employers in Gulf countries. “In some cases, the employers keep the passports and do not let the employees leave the country. We receive calls from such victims, and we try to help them with the support of officials. Those who do not have passports need to get a gate pass after following the set procedure. Right now, one person from Bhadravathi is seeking similar help in Saudi Arabia,” she said.

Arathi Krishna said the Congress, in its manifesto, assured setting up a separate Ministry to handle the affairs of Karnataka people, who settled abroad for various reasons. The government had been working towards setting up the Ministry on the lines of one functioning in neighbouring Kerala. “I recently visited Kerala to study the Ministry’s functioning. It gets a separate budget of ₹350 crore annually. A similar thing will happen here too,” she said.

According to an estimate, she said, around 14 lakh Kannadigas settled in different parts of the globe. They faced multiple problems at their place of work as well as in their native place. “Many have been fighting legal issues concerning their properties in their native land. If a separate Ministry is set up, we would be able to help them better”, she said.

Regarding the issues faced by tribal people, particularly the Hakki-Pikki people of Shivamogga, during their foreign visits, Arathi Krishna said the forum had worked to rescue them from foreign lands, whenever they faced difficulties. The forum would expect data on such travellers from the local administration so that it would be easy to trace their records and rescue them in difficult times.