US Hindu org accused of violating human trafficking law, exploiting Indian labourers

News Network
November 11, 2021

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New York, Nov 11: A prominent Hindu organisation is facing new allegations in an updated lawsuit that it lured labourers from India and forced hundreds of workers to work for low wages at its temple sites across the United States.

In May this year, a group of Indian workers had filed a lawsuit in US District Court alleging violations of human trafficking and wage law against Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), saying they were confined and forced to work for about USD 1 on constructing the massive Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey.

The New York Times said in a report on Wednesday that in the lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court and amended last month, BAPS has been accused "of luring labourers from India to work on temples near Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, as well as in Robbinsville, New Jersey, paying them just USD 450 a month.”

“The amended lawsuit expanded those claims to include temples around the country where some of the men said they were also sent to work. Hundreds of workers were potentially exploited, the lawsuit claimed,” the NYT report said.

The report had in May said that the complaint had named six men who were among over 200 Indian nationals brought to the US starting from around 2018 on religious visas ‘R-1 visas'. The men were made to work "gruelling hours under often dangerous conditions on the New Jersey site", the NYT report had said.

India Civil Watch International (ICWI) had said in a statement in May to PTI that starting in the early hours on May 11, an FBI-led raid rescued around 200 workers, “most of them Dalits, Bahujans, and Adivasis”, from the premises of the Swaminarayan Temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, reportedly the largest Hindu temple in the US.

The amended complaint accused BAPS officials of “violating state labour laws and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, better known as RICO, which was created to go after organised crime,” the report said.

The complaint lists allegations including “forced labour, trafficking with respect to forced labour, document servitude, conspiracy, and confiscation of immigration documents with the intent to engage in fraud in foreign labour contracting ”as well as failure to pay minimum wage."
    
ICWI had said the workers were being paid USD 1.2 per hour, well below the current US federal minimum wage of USD 7.25 per hour, and below even the minimum wage going as far back as 1963.

The NYT report had said the workers "lived in trailers hidden from view and had been promised jobs helping to build the temple" in Robbinsville with "standard work hours and ample time off.”

However, the workers did manual labour on the site, "working nearly 13 hours a day lifting large stones, operating cranes and other heavy machinery, building roads and storm sewers, digging ditches and shovelling snow, all for the equivalent of about USD 450 per month. They were paid USD 50 in cash, with the rest deposited in accounts in India.”

BAPS officials have denied any wrongdoing.

In May, Lenin Joshi, a spokesman for BAPS, also disputed the accusations, saying the workers did complicated work connecting stones that had been hand-carved in India, the report had said.

 “They have to be fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. In that process, we need specialised artisans. We are naturally shaken by this turn of events and are sure that once the full facts come out, we will be able to provide answers and show that these accusations and allegations are without merit,” Joshi had said in the report. 

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News Network
January 28,2025

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Mangaluru, Jan 28: The cricketing community of Mulki on the outskirts of Mangaluru, is mourning the untimely demise of 41-year-old Mansoor Mulki, a cherished member of the 7-Star cricket team. On January 26, Mansoor tragically suffered a cardiac arrest while driving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, leaving his family, friends, and fans in shock.

Hailing from the Bappa Byari Doddamanai family, Mansoor was not just a skilled cricketer but also an active member of the Manish Youth Club. Known for his warm personality, he had a touching conversation with his mother over the phone just 15 minutes before the fatal incident, a memory that now resonates deeply with his grieving family.

His sudden passing has left a void in the lives of his mother, wife, and three daughters. Plans are in place for the funeral rites to be conducted in Saudi Arabia, where Mansoor had been working for the past 15 years.

Amid the sorrow, his employer, Siraj, a businessman from Hejamady, has taken on the responsibility of ensuring all arrangements for Mansoor’s family. Recently returning to Saudi Arabia from India, Siraj is facilitating travel and formalities for Mansoor’s mother, wife, daughters, and brother-in-law so they can bid their final goodbyes.

This tragedy has not only left a family in grief but also a community that cherished Mansoor as a friend, mentor, and cricketing icon.

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News Network
February 6,2025

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A U.S. military aircraft carrying 104 Indian migrants deported from the United States landed in Amritsar, Punjab, on Wednesday. This marks the first such deportation flight under President Donald Trump's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration. 

Harrowing Journeys in Pursuit of the American Dream

Many of the deported individuals undertook perilous journeys orchestrated by unscrupulous agents who promised legal entry into the U.S. Harvinder Singh, from Tahli village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, recounted his ordeal:

False Promises and Dangerous Routes: After paying an agent ₹4.2 million for a U.S. work visa, Singh was rerouted through multiple countries, including Brazil and Colombia. He endured a treacherous two-day trek through mountainous terrain, often referred to as the "donkey route," and a perilous sea journey toward the Mexico-U.S. border. During this voyage, the boat capsized, resulting in the death of a fellow traveler. 

Survival Amidst Tragedy: Sukhpal Singh from Darapur village described a similar experience, involving a 15-hour sea journey and a 45-kilometer hike through hazardous hills. He witnessed numerous fatalities along the way and was eventually apprehended in Mexico before reaching the U.S. Detained in a dark cell for 14 days, he emphasized the dire conditions faced by many Punjabi migrants. 

Financial Ruin and Broken Dreams

Families of the deported migrants are now grappling with substantial debts incurred to fund these ill-fated journeys.

Crippling Debts: Kuljinder Kaur, wife of Harvinder Singh, lamented, "We sold whatever little we had and borrowed money at high interest to pay the agent, hoping for a better future. But he deceived us. Now, not only has my husband been deported, we are also left with a huge debt." 

Mortgaged Futures: In Kapurthala's Behbal Bahadue, Gurpreet Singh's family mortgaged their home and took loans to send him abroad. Similarly, Jaswinder Singh's family in Fatehgarh Sahib spent ₹5 million, only to face the burden of high-interest loans after his deportation. 

Government Response and Future Implications

This deportation operation precedes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Washington for discussions with President Trump. The Indian government has expressed its willingness to accept deported nationals after proper verification. Between November 2023 and October 2024, the U.S. deported 519 Indian citizens, with estimates suggesting around 725,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants currently reside in the U.S. 

The deported individuals' experiences underscore the perils of illegal migration and the exploitation by fraudulent agents. Authorities urge citizens to pursue legitimate avenues for international travel and employment to avoid such tragedies.

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News Network
February 11,2025

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Dubai: The Consulate General of India in Dubai recently awarded Aim India Forum with an appreciation award in recognition of its significant contributions to the Indian community in the UAE.

In September 2024, the UAE government launched an amnesty initiative aimed at promoting respect for the law, tolerance, compassion, and social cohesion. This initiative allowed individuals who chose to leave the country during the amnesty period to do so without facing overstay fines, exit fees, or entry bans, while retaining the right to re-enter the UAE at any time.

Aim India Forum was invited to collaborate with the Indian Consulate during this amnesty period. Our Founder President, Shirali Shaikh Muzaffer, accepted the invitation and dedicated four months to this important initiative. Alongside other community organizations, including DUBAI KMCC, IPF UAE, FOI UAE, and others, Aim India Forum worked tirelessly to support fellow Indian nationals in need.

His Excellency Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India, acknowledged and congratulated Founder President Shaikh Muzaffer and Board Member Mohammed Niyaz for their unwavering dedication and efforts throughout this project.

The Aim India Forum played a pivotal role in the safe repatriation of distressed and stranded Indian citizens in the UAE. An amnesty help desk was set up at the Indian Consulate to assist those seeking amnesty. This desk offered a range of services at no cost, including Emergency Certificates (one-way travel documents), labor cancellation, case clearance, and the issuance of exit permits/outpasses. Through these efforts, the Consulate General of India in Dubai successfully assisted 15,000 Indian nationals.

In partnership with various Indian diaspora organizations, CGI Dubai facilitated the issuance of 2,117 passports, 3,589 emergency certificates, and supported the acquisition of over 3,700 exit permits. Many individuals also benefitted from our guidance in securing fee and penalty waivers from UAE authorities.

As this operation concludes, we extend our deepest gratitude to the UAE Government for its unwavering support. We also wish to express our sincere thanks to the dedicated volunteers from diaspora organizations who played an instrumental role in the success of this initiative.

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