Debt, despair, destiny.

For many, the Gulf dream does not always work out the way it was intended. This month, KaramāSūtra embarks on what will doubtless be one of many episodes that explore the sacrifices made by South Asia's many migrant workers who spend years away from their families in the hope of a better life and a brighter future.

Suresh Kumar, an Indian in Ajman, has spent 34 years with little to show for his time away from his family. Deep in debt and driven to the depths of despair, Suresh is one of many individuals that K.V. Shamsudeen, a long-term UAE resident and community mentor, has assisted with financial advice. We visit Suresh at his new tailoring shop in Ajman and Shamsudeen shares a few slices of his observations over 50 years of the South Asian migrant in the Gulf.

Credits

With thanks to K.V. Shamsudeen & Suresh Kumar.
Hosted & Produced by Vinita Bharadwaj & Chirag Desai.
With support from Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini.