May day is just another day for these labourers

Perched atop the boundary wall of the cemetery in Manama, the labourers are completely oblivious about the significance of the Labour Day or International Workers’ Day that falls today.

For them, who do odd jobs to make the ends meet, a holiday probably means hunger. “We cannot afford to take a holiday, for we have a family back home. They are entirely depended on us,” Mirza Khan (name changed), who came to Bahrain two years back, told DT News.

Majority of the labourers found at that spot hailed from Pakistan, and they landed in the Kingdom in search of greener pastures.

Whether it’s rain or shine, these men just don’t care, for after all, it’s money that matters. “Neither do we wilt in the scorching sun, nor do we shiver in the chill. For us every day is the same. We came here to earn some money and cannot afford to lose any,” Khan said with conviction.

Whenever a vehicle approaches these labourers, who have come to Bahrain on free visas, a tint of hope could be seen in their eyes, as they start running after the car, asking for jobs.

“We are not after easy money. I’m ready to do any work. Inshah Allah! God had given me enough health to do hard work,” said Azim, another Pakistani labourer.

Not all the workers are unaware of May Day. There are a few who had heard about it at some point of their lives.

Meet Qureshi, who landed in the Kingdom six months back considers it suicidal to refrain from work.

“If somebody calls me for work, I’ll definitely go. Since I do not have a fixed work, I cannot predict how much I earn day. There are days when we have lot of work, I mean from morning till evening. On the flip side, there are even days when we could be seen wasting time doing nothing,” he added, swiping the sweat off his eyebrows.