http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/10968
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Manama, Bahrain
Sun, 10 Aug 2008:
The Bahrain authorities are investigating the death of an Indian worker who was found lying near a car park of his office on Saturday.
Mathew K. Varghese had fallen from the fourth floor building in Hoora, sources said. Friends and family are still in a shock after the news of the death broke. The 27-yeaold was employed with an insurance company and had just got married six months back.
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/10968
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Manama, Bahrain
Sun, 10 Aug 2008:
The Bahrain authorities are investigating the death of an Indian worker who was found lying near a car park of his office on Saturday.
Mathew K. Varghese had fallen from the fourth floor building in Hoora, sources said. Friends and family are still in a shock after the news of the death broke. The 27-yeaold was employed with an insurance company and had just got married six months back.
Doctors tried to revive Varghese, but because of critical internal injuries he died after almost two hours at the state run hospital, Salmaniya Medical Complex. His body will be soon repatriated to his family in Kerala after document clearance by the authorities.
“He brought his wife to Bahrain last month. He was an active worker and was a friendly person, “said a close colleague who requested anonymity. He also raised questions on reports that Varghese had committed suicide.
There have been several reported cases here of suicide among foreign workers, of which mostly are Indians. The increasing suicide rate also prompted human rights group to conduct counselling sessions and other preventive measures to stop this phenomenon.
The defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said in its report that financial obligation, bad living conditions, non payment of wages and loneliness had a negative effect on migrant workers. Much recently, the death of Indian, Vinod Kumar in custody prompted the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society to file a complaint at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
This year, the spate of suicides began when an Indian worker hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his apartment in January.
Noted migrant worker activists here, Salma Bala had urged families to refrain from sending mails or informing their loves ones in the Gulf about their poor situation back home. She said this affected the workers who were psychologically pressured by such statements and were compelled to take extreme steps.
According to the law, if an individual survives after the suicide attempt, he/she has to undergo mandatory counselling sessions and will be released after doctors declare that the patient is mentally stable. An undertaking form stating that such actions will not be repeated has to be signed by the victim.
According to Central Informatics Organisation, the main Statistics body here, the population of the Kingdom in 2007 reached to 1,046,000, including (529000) Bahrainis with percentage of 50.57% of total population and (517000) non-Bahraini representing 49.43%. Indians are the largest foreign population with close to 300,000 workers.