The Central government has expressed its difficulty in rescuing 62 Tamil fishermen alleged to have been harassed by their employers in Saudi Arabia. Since the fishermen have signed a five-year contract with their employer till 2017, it will not be easy to help them come back to India immediately, the Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) appearing for the Centre informed the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday. He further said their employer Yosuf Khaleel was not willing to cancel the contract, before its expiry. The embassy has conducted four meetings with the authorities of the Saudi government, he said, seeking more time for the Centre to deal with the issue.G Thirumurugan, an advocate from Ramanathapuram, had in his habeas corpus petition said his relative K Sethuraja, who has been working under Khaleel in the Gulf for the past six years, and 61 others, all from Tamil Nadu, were being treated as bonded labourers. The employer, he claimed, has held them hostage by keeping their passports in his possession and withholding a major part of their salaries. When the petition was heard on Wednesday, a division bench of Justices S Nagamuthu and M V Muralidharan, after recording the Centre’s contention, directed the State government to file a status report by September 15.
2016, The New Indian Express.