Earlier this month, Bahrain announced that it would be ending the system of sponsorship of foreign workers, meaning that from August workers will no longer be dependent on their employer, but sponsored directly by the government’s Labour Market Regulatory Authority, and will be permitted to change jobs without their employer’s consent. The move is designed to stop the practice of Bahrainis sponsoring large numbers of workers, usually from the Indian subcontinent, and charging them a “visa fee” to work with another employer.
However, for some in Bahrain, which has demographic tensions and a problem with unemployment amongst its citizens, the idea of it becoming easier for foreigners to work in the country is worrying.
Blogger Mohammed Marhoon describes a recent experience:
للوهلة الأولى اÙتكرت أنّه يريد ابتياعي “عبوة مياه”ØŒ إلا أني لم أرى أيّ عبوات بين يديه ÙˆÙ†ÙˆØ¶Ø Ù‡Ù†Ø§ ما نقصده “ماي صØØ©”ØŒ بالهندي “بوني” وأولاد ميري يقولون “water” Øتى لا نتعرض للمسائلة أو ننتمي للمنظمات الإرهابية على أي Øال، ÙتØت الناÙذة، وإذا به يستجدي: “بابا.. Ùقيير أنا Ùلوس ماÙيي، الله يهرم واديك، Ùقييير بابا.. Ùقيير بابا”ØŒ أستغربت Øينها، أكان صدÙØ© أم أن هناك مثله مئات!ØŸ وهنا لن أسلّط الضوء على الÙقر والعوز Ùمثله من جاليات أخرى قاطنون شوارع المنامة بطولها وعرضها وليس بغريب عليكم إلا أنّ هندي يشØØ°ØŒ أول مرّة أشوÙ!
At first I thought he wanted to sell me a bottle of water, but I didn’t see any water bottles in his hands. Here I should clarify that I mean mineral water, in Hindi “pani”, and what Mary’s children [English-speakers] call “water”, so we are not subject to questioning or accused of belonging to any terrorist organisations. At any rate, I opened the window, and found he was asking for help: “Baba, am poor…I no money…God mercy your parents… poooor, baba, am pooor, baba.” I was surprised. Was it by chance, or are there hundreds like him? I won’t focus on poverty and need here, as there are other communities just like him living all over Manama, and it isn’t strange to see them – but this was the first time I’d noticed an Indian begging!
تستقطب منطقة المنامة يوم الجمعة من ساعات Ø§Ù„ØµØ¨Ø§Ø Ø§Ù„Ø£ÙˆÙ„Ù‰ الهنود وهم “ضاربي دهن الراس”ØŒ “وثياب مكوية”ØŒ “وأذواق مختلÙØ©” ÙˆØªÙ„Ø§Ù‚Ø Ø«Ù‚Ø§Ùات وطقوس، Ùتجدهم يتبادلون التØايا ويتØاضنون “Hug’” ويصطÙون لصلاة الظهر، يتدÙقون من كل Øدب وصوب.. لينتهي الØال الجلوس على عتبات باب البØرين عصرا.. وارتياد الكورنيشات.. يوم ØاÙÙ„ لديهم..
The early hours of Friday morning in the Manama souq area attract Indians, with their oiled hair, ironed clothes, and different tastes. It is a meeting of cultures and rituals. You see them exchanging greetings and hugs, then lining up for the midday prayers. They come from all over the place, and in the afternoon end up sitting by Bab Al Bahrain, or visiting the corniche [waterfront promenade]. It is a busy day for them…
إذا ما نظرنا للأعمال المتعددة التي يقوم بها “الهنود” ÙÙŠ خدمة الشعب من أصغرها Øتى أكبرها، Ùمن غسيل السيارات، بيع الياسمين ÙÙŠ الطرقات إلى بناء الشاهقات، المØلات التجارية، رياض الألعاب، وصولا لمدراء Ùˆ”كبارية” أينما “قلبت” وجهتك Ùثمّة “هندي” ولا غرو ÙÙŠ ذلك!
If we look at the numerous jobs Indians perform in serving people, from the youngest to the oldest, these range from washing cars and selling jasmine on the streets, to building skyscrapers, shopping complexes and playgrounds, all the way to being managers and tycoons. Wherever you turn your face there is an Indian, and this is no surprise!
تجدهم مصطÙين بنتظام طابور طويل على آلة السØب الآلي “A.T.M” ذلك لأخذ كش٠الØساب، على أرباب العمل أن يمنØوا الهنود شهادة راتب ليزيØوا بذلك العناء النÙسي والهوس لدى عامليهم “يجي Ùلوس”ØŒ”ما يجي”ØŒ “ناقص موجود”ØŒ”أرباب كنجوز”.. ويخÙوا علينا “شوي”.
الهنود هم أكبر الجاليات المنتشرة ÙÙŠ العالم التي تقدر عدد Ø£Ùرادها Øوالي 25 مليون هندي يعيش Øول العالم! شريØØ© واسعة ÙÙŠ البØرين مع ÙØªØ Ø¨Ø§Ø¨ “Ùري ويزا” Ø±Ø§Ø ÙŠÙƒÙˆÙ† الوضع مرعب! أكرر أول مرّة أشو٠هندي “بابا Ùقيير.. بيزات ماÙيي” يطلب ÙÙŠ ÙˆØ¶Ø Ø§Ù„Ù†Ù‡Ø§Ø± من السيارات المارّة هنا وهناك! اليوم متعقّد من الهنود صراØØ©..!!!
You find them lined up orderly in a long queue for the ATM, in order to get their account balances. Employers have to give the Indians a salary slip to relieve their workers from the stress of thinking, “Is the money coming?”, “It’s not coming”, “Some is missing”, “My boss is greedy”, and “This is too little”.
Indians are the community most widely spread around the world. It is estimated that 25 million Indians live abroad. A large number are in Bahrain and with opening the door to free visa workers, the situation will be scary! As I said, this was the first time I had seen an Indian saying, “Baba, am poor, no money.” In broad daylight he was asking the cars passing here and there. Frankly, I think today I have developed a complex about Indians.
This article was originally published on globalvoicesonline.org