Dubai: One tweet has turned a jobless Indian man's fortunes around in the UAE.
Until Friday, Rajesh P. did not receive his salary for months on end, and lived off the charity of friends in Dubai.
Rajesh, who worked as a sales associate for a supermarket in Jumeirah, was desperate. Now he has reason to smile: On Saturday, June 29, he received 10 job offers.
Yesterday, it was a rather busy Friday for Rajesh. Following a Gulf News story on how an Indian Minister responded to his desperate plea for help on Twitter to get out of a miserable situation, Rajesh said he has received 10 job offers so far from different companies in the UAE.
"One Good Samaritan is coming to meet me today (Saturday) in my company accommodation," said Rajesh.
Rajesh, 32, is considering taking up the offer. His wife and daughter live in Trichur district of Kerala.
"I have a bank loan outstanding to the tune of 7 lakhs (Indian rupees, about Dh37,300). I have not been able to pay my equated monthly installments (EMI) for the last eight months. So I need to go home and talk to the bank. I need to give a power of attorney to my wife so she can take care of the house there," Rajesh told Gulf News on Saturday.
The story started out of desperation: On June 9, Rajesh replied to a tweet by Vellamvelly Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs, and asked for help.
Sr iam dubai my company close. 6mounts no salary for Mount's no electricity in room. I want to go India please help me 0526292060.
It was not the first time he had asked for help on the microblogging platform. On June 5, he also sent out the same tweet. No reply.
Asked for help via Twitter
But Rajesh's persistence won the day.
On Monday, June 24, the minister, a new member of Indian PM Narendra Modi's Cabinet, sent out a tweet in relation to repatriation of mortal remains of an expatriate from Saudi Arabia.
To which Rajesh, copied and pasted an earlier twitter appeal: "Sr iam dubai my company close. 6mounts no salary for Mount's no electricity in room. I want to go India please help me 0526292060."
The minister noticed Rajesh's message on the thread. The minister, the only member from the Indian state of Kerala in the new Modi Cabinet, tagged his request in a tweet directing the consulate and the embassy to reach out and provide necessary assistance.
