The Curse

Could it be THE CURSE?

Seeing this country evolve from sand dunes to high rising towers of luxury, it’s hard to ignore those who put their sweat and blood into making this place what it really is. By that, I literally mean “Sweat” and “Blood”.

As it goes, the unskilled labor force is bought in by the ship loads from every third-world country to erect magnificent buildings that go on to become our homes, offices, cinema’s, restaurants, hotels and what not.

Today, we walk into glass elevators, dine on glass boats, work in boutique offices and retire to a home that offers amenities fit for a king or queen.

And in between all of that, there is that hazy picture at the back of our mind reminding us of all those who were seen carrying bricks and blocks, making up these magnificent structures. Wearing those blue/green/red uniforms with those yellow/white construction helmets we would see them burn away their energy under the scorching midday heat, as we swished by in our fast cars with the custom-fitted sound systems that drowned away the sounds of their drilling and fixing.

The reality, as it was and still is, is that many of those people spent the best part of their life’s to give us what we take for granted today, at not even a quarter of our pay-pack and with almost no security for their life and no guarantee for their daily food. Many lost an arm, a leg, and even a life, in freak accidents caused due to negligence of safety practices on the part of the company. Whether we put the company to question or the UAE labor laws, the fact still stands that much has been lost to a blind eye and a deaf ear.

With almost every local newspaper carrying front page news of deaths, accidents, deplorable living conditions, unsolved disputes, unpaid wages and the likes, for over what has become a decade, these people who conveniently formed the lower strata of society, suffered and lost, without being able to do much. After all, just as long as their families got food and shelter back home, their own well being did not really matter -even if that meant losing their sanity due to constant struggle and having their bodies carried in a casket back to their land of birth, it wall all worth the effort – or so they thought.

But with that very state of mind, came the curse of the underprivileged. I’ve heard it once too many times now, to ignore those haunting moments when the weary old man driving the taxi spoke of the regret and hatred for this city. I’ve heard it from the attendant at the fuel station, from the laborer who knocked our door in the mid-afternoon heat for a glass of water and I’ve heard it from the many that’ve lost someone they love in an accident on one of those construction sites. Of late, those who’ve been burnt alive in the recent string of fire-breakouts too, have added to the list.

Yesterday, on my way back home from work, our office driver narrated the incident of the fire that ravaged through a villa that housed 500 laborers, with as many as 20 people to a room most of who were bachelors from countries including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Situated in a busy area, just behind a police station, the place caught blaze at 5:30 am killing the occupants who lay asleep.

He being an eye-witness saw charred bodies being carried away in those black body bags, some of which were filled with two bodies, instead of one – as to what people in the surrounding areas saw. A 7 foot truck drove away with remains of people who had lost everything they had lived for in a moment of utter chaos. Roofs fell, gas cylinders exploded, people doused in fire tried to escape, some had to run through burning door-ways as that was their only chance of survival. Those who didn’t perished. The next day, newspapers reported yet another crash-down on illegal living spaces used by the laborers so as to prevent such unfortunate incidents. This would have been the 100th time the authorities have mentioned a strict approach towards such living conditions and yet, this ‘illegal’ accommodation was a kilometers distance from a police station!!!

Well, the fight never ends, the effort never ceases and the hope never dies. As the government does “its best” to improve the living conditions of these people, not many can ignore the precious lives that have been lost in so many accidents. And that brings me to the conclusion. Maybe its true, maybe it is the curse that is now revealing itself bit by bit with a new fire break out hitting every corner of the place almost every other month.

Another eerie fact:

The fire in Deira was dated August 26th 2008, Tuesday

The fire at Atlantis in Palm Jumeirah was dated September 2nd 2008, Tuesday

Perhaps all of this does point out to something. Whether you consider it a curse or just another freak incident that happens most of the time, the choice is yours!

* Images taken from flickr and The National Newspaper