Spike in suicides among Telangana workers in West Asia

HYDERABAD: There has been a spike in suicides by Telangana workers in the Gulf in recent times. Poor working conditions and non-payment of salary are said to be the main reasons behind the rise. In the latest incident, a 35-year-old worker from Nizamabad, Dandugula Yellaiah, committed suicide in Muscat, Oman. His family in Velpoor in Ramannapet mandal is shocked.
Cousin Dandugula Sailu said Yellaiah had been in touch with them. “He spoke to us till late in the night and the next day morning we received news of his death. Little did we expect that he would take such a hasty step,” Sailu told TOI. Yellaiah was working as a watchman in a construction firm for the last two years.
Emigrants’ Welfare Forum president M Bheem Reddy wrote to Indian ambassador in Oman Munu Mahawar on the death of Yellaiah and requested that the mortal remains be sent back to India. Bheem Reddy told TOI that he received a response from the ministry of external affairs that the embassy had got in touch with the company that Yellaiah had been working for and once the documents are cleared, the body would be repatriated.
There have been several suicides by Telangana workers in the Gulf in recent months. On May 9, Oithmolla Bhoomesh of Katkapoor in Raikal of Jagtial hanged himself in Fujairah in the UAE. His body was sent to India on May 31. Mudddasani Venkatesh, a relative, said the 44-year-old had gone to work in Fujairah three years ago. He reportedly had not been getting salary for four months after the construction company where he was working ran into problems.
Venkatesh had reportedly taken loans since he was not getting his salary and there were also loans to be repaid back home. “He has some agricultural land in the village and the government should give his family Rs 5 lakh insurance amount under Rythu Bhima,” Venkatesh urged.
A worker from Chinna Metpally of Kortula in Jagtial had committed suicide by hanging in Bahrain on March 21. Kottala Gangareddy had been working in Bahrain for nearly three years. His younger brother Kottala Lakukpathi Reddy said he had decided to go to there as many people from his district had gone there in search of work. “He spoke to his wife the same day. The next day, we came to know he ended his life. There was no indication of what he was going through,” he said. Gangareddy left behind his nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son.
In February, 23-year-old worker, Naini Naveen of Sadashivnagar in Kamareddy, committed suicide in Dubai. Last year, another worker, Thota Naagaraju, who was working in Doha, ended his life as he was not paid the salary promised by his employer. Before committing suicide, Naveen sent a WhatsApp message to his friends saying he was ending his life and that his family must be taken care of.
“Life in the Gulf may not be easy due to several reasons. The number of suicides are increasing as workers may not even be able to tell others what they are going through,” Bheem said.