[Reader-list] Pauline is back !

Natesh Ullal nateshullal at rediffmail.com
Thu Dec 7 01:57:16 IST 2006 

  
Dear All,

Here is the translation of my Kannada article appeared
in Udayavani dated 30-11-2006
Please contact me if you require any more details in
this regard.
Thank you

Shanbhag

A Second Birth for Pauline 
---------------------------
This happened about twenty years ago. Philip Crasta was an attendant in Syndicate Bank. The Philip Crasta – Cicily Crasta couple had six daughters and  Pauline was the eldest among them.  Pauline, being a very intelligent girl,  took up a responsible position in the bitterly impoverished household from a very young age. 

Pauline dreams of a job in the Gulf 
------------------------------------
The paltry income from the father’s job was not enough
to make ends meet. Pauline’s education came to a halt with High School. Mustafa, a brat from the neighbourhood was a great inspiration to her. The vagabond that he was, Mustafa had taken up a job in
the Gulf and in no time had become the pillar of his household. 

“Why don’t I go to the Gulf and do the same thing?” Pauline thought: At about the same time, Donald, one of Pauline’s cousins employed in Kuwait, happened to return home. Pauline met him and asked him if he could fix up some job for her in Kuwait.

“Sitting here in India, it is impossible to search for a job in Gulf countries. You come to Kuwait on a visitors’ visa. It becomes easy to hunt for a job.” Said Donald

Pauline in Kuwait
----------------------
In January 1983, a letter from Pauline said that she arrived safely in Kuwait. In another two months, they got to know that Pauline got a job in a wealthy household in Kuwait. She wrote that she would sent all
the money home when she receives her first salary. Fifteen days later, they received another letter saying that Pauline would be accompanying her employer on a tour to Lebanon. 

Month after month passed. Pauline’s letter never came. Neither did the promised money. The household began to get worried.  But they could not get in touch with her because her letters never mentioned her address. In they end, they wrote to Donald, who had taken her to
Kuwait. They asked him what happened to Pauline and where she was. But Donald never answered.

Even after five years they did not know who to enquire about Pauline’s whereabouts. They did not even know if Pauline was dead or alive. The entire household was in tears.

Meanwhile, on one or two occasions, whenever Donald returned home, Pauline’s mother rushed to see him. Let alone talk,  she was unable even to meet him.  They were unable to guess why Donald behaved this way. They eventually lost all hopes. Pauline’s grief stricken father, Mr Crasta took to bed and eventually succumbed to illness in October 1997

A prisoner in Lebanon
----------------------------
In June 1992, about eight years after Pauline went missing; Pauline’s sister Flora received a letter from Lebanon. Pauline said that she has been confined to the household of one Mr Mohammed Ali Saad in Lebanon.
The letter had the address and telephone numbers. Pauline asked Flora to reply in detail. Flora wrote back saying that three of her sisters were already married and that they were all waiting for her. But they received no reply. However, in another couple of letters from Pauline, she had asked why Flora was not replying!

Letter to the PM
---------------
In 1993 February, Pauline’s mother wrote to the then PM Narasimha Rao and pleaded with him to get Pauline released from Lebanon.  This letter must have reached the Indian Embassy in Beirut. 

On 9th June 93, a letter from the Indian embassy  reached Cicily. The letter said that when Pauline was summoned by the Embassy, she said that she  was happy and was staying in Lebanon on her own accord. 

Cicily did not know where to go or who to complain to. Pauline went on writing about two letters a year. And in each letter she went on pleading for her rescue. Each letter from Pauline immersed the family in deep grief and mournful prayers. This went on for years.

The family on the brink of suicide
-------------------------------------
In a letter to the Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, written in 1998, attaching copies of all previous correspondence from Pauline as well as the Embassy,the family pleaded for Pauline’s immediate release
from the Lebanese household. They hinted that the entire family would end their lives if their request was not heeded. 

For the second time, an urgent  letter from the PM’s office was sent to the Embassy in Beirut. In a reply,  written by the officer of the Embassy, one Mr Sanjiv Kumar  confirmed the findings of the previous letter. They maintained that Pauline was happy and has no intention to return to India. But the last two paragraphs were encouraging. The letter indicated that Pauline would be permitted to visit India in December 1998 during the Christmas season. A hand written note
by Pauline was also attached to  the main letter, which mentioned that she was happy. 

Christmas arrived but not Pauline
-----------------------------------
Everyone waited for December. All Pauline’s sisters decided to celebrate a special Christmas that year. December came, Christmas also arrived.. but Pauline did not. 

In a few days, another letter from Pauline struck Cicily dumb. She said that she was forced to write the previous note. She was no longer allowed to go out or talk to anybody. She had become a complete prisoner. 

Meanwhile, Flora contacted the Consumers’ Forum Basrur through the Friends Circle Padubidri. The forum contacted the Beirut Embassy and asked for all details. The forum also contacted several organizations in the Gulf, run by the South Karnataka people and asked for help. 

Mobilization of Public opinion on an Unprecedented scale.
---------------------------------------------------------
On 21st October 1999, the Udayavani column, Bahujana Hitaya Bahujana Sukhaya featured an article entitled “ A mother waiting for her daughter”  The article appealed to readers to write to the Lebanese Embassy in New Delhi asking  for Pauline’s release. The same article was reproduced in various English Dailes across USA, England and European countries. In an unprecedented show of  solidarity, more than 40,000 people wrote to the Lebanese Embassy seeking Pauline’s release. 

The “Pauline Protection Committee” founded through the Consumers’ Forum Basrur and  the Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi spent more than 36 hours on spreading the message on the Internet and therby
mobilizing public opinion through more than 350 various organizations devoted to Womens’ rights and Human rights.  These organizations appealed to the President of Lebanon unanimously for   Pauline’s
release. 

In the end, the  Consumers’ Forum Basrur and  the Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi were successful in establishing direct telephonic contact with the President of Lebanon. They agreed to arrange for a meeting of the Indian Embassy officials with Pauline. 

But the Embassy washed its hands off by saying that Pauline has herself agreed to stay on in Lebanon and that she was happy there. 

Meanwhile, succumbing to international pressure from human rights agencies, the Lebanese Government was forced to appoint the Prosecutor General of Lebanon for a trial. But this time also Mohammad Ali Saad
succeeded in silencing Pauline through terror. Even though allowed to speak in her mother tongue Konkani to the convener of Consumers’ Forum Basrur, she was unable to express her problems in the open. Letters
that came subsequently revealed her true condition. The Consumers’ Forum Basrur was unable to help her. 

The forum was forced to suspend all operations towards Pauline’s release because she suffered bitterly in the hands of her master at the end of each effort. Realising this, the forum was forced to give up all efforts in this direction till she actually escapes from the household. 

Finally rescued by a Human Rights Group.
----------------------------------------
The war that broke out in Lebanon in June 2006 created an atmosphere of uncertainty. Taking advantage of this atmosphere, Pauline was at last successful in escaping from the tyranny of her captors.  A recent letter from Flora had the mobile number of Mr Francis Sebastian, 
[Flora’s husband] who was working in the Ullal High School. But contacting him required money.

In the end, a lady from Mangalore rescued Pauline and gave her asylum in her place. She also worked for two months in a familiar household. For the first time in her life she was paid salary for her work.  She was able to contact her sister Flora and her husband Fransis over phone. She was unable to go out because her passport was still with Mohammed Ali Saad.

She finally met Ms Dhima, Human rights activist in Lebanon. Listening to her story, Ms Dhima filed a complaint on Mohammed Ali Saad to the police.  Pauline could get back her passport. The Human Rights group
also arranged air tickets for her return  to India. Pauline is now back at home with her mother in Palimar. 

Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi , now in reguar touch with Ms Dhima, will spare no effort in getting compensation for the twenty three years of work in Mohammed Ali Saad’s household. The Foundation
has already handed over all documents related to the case including the report by the Lebanese Court. Ms Dhima has promised all help in filing a case in the Lebanese Labour court.   


Pauline needs complete rest 
------------------------------
In June 2006, when Israeli troops attacked the Hizbolla strongholds in Lebanon, Pauline came to know of a plan to send back all Indians home. However, her hopes of winning freedom did not last long. The embassy officials did not treat her kindly. In the end, ready to face the worst, Pauline escaped from Saad’s household. After two days of wandering, she was given asylum by a lady acquainted to her.

After working for 23 years in his household, the captor Mr Mohammed Ali Saad had not paid a penny to Pauline. “ The money you earned in Kuwait has been taken away by your brother” She said  weeping, as she
quoted the words of  her heartless employer. “I knew that someone in India is trying to rescue me. But after each attempt, my employer tortured me in the most inhuman way. Even when the Embassy officials knew my plight, they went on siding Mohammed Ali Saad. Nobody who forsakes ones own home and looks to feed oneself on alien refuse will ever prosper” She said, heaving a sigh of despair. 

“ In 1983, when I was taken to Kuwait, there were six other girls with me. I still remember Nancy, Lena and Hida. I don’t know where they are or what happened to them” says Pauline.

After spending 23 years in Lebanon, Pauline is fluent in Lebanese. She has forgotten Kannada and Tulu. She has not forgotten Konkani, her mother tongue.

As you listen to Pauline speak, you can see that her utterances eloquently communicate the suffering that lasted more than 23 years. Flora says that she still cries bitterly in her sleep.  Pauline, who is now under medical care, is slowly improving. “ She needs at least six months complete rest” says the doctor who is now treating her, “Don’t remind her of  the suffering she went through.” 

------------------------------
Dr. Ravindranath Shanbhag
President,
Human Rights Protection Foundation,
Comfort Towers,
Opposite Kalpana Theator,
Udupi-576 101.
Phone: - +91 9845935490
humanrights_udupi at yahoo.com


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