Indian Social Forum Saudi Arabia urges Congress Party to consider Gulf NRIs in Election Manifesto
Dammam, (KSA), April 29: ‘Karnataka Ruling Party Congress’s election manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election is disappointing for many Gulf Kannadiga NRIs in the GCC country as the congress party failed to address issues of an influential community. After several promises made by the ruling party, Gulf NRI community was expecting substantial Gulf NRI welfare programs to be added on party’s Manifesto’ officials from Indian Social Forum Saudi Arabia said in a press release in Dammam.
After thoroughly scrutinizing the Congress election manifesto, Indian Social Forum issued a statement today citing Ruling party Congress must consider wellbeing of Gulf NRI community, there were numerous appeals and recommendations from NRI communities to Chief Minister, other Government representatives and officials in the recent past about Gulf Crisis.
Recent World bank report confirms, India topped the highest recipient of remittance overseas in 2017 and particularly 50% of remittance made from Indian diaspora in GCC countries; however Karnataka is also beneficiary of this remittance.
Notably NRI community from Karnataka coastal belt has been an influential community back home as there are many families, institutions dependent on Gulf NRIs remittance. In light of Gulf Job market crisis, Indian Social Forum Saudi Arabia is requesting the Congress party to revise the manifesto to include realistic welfare programs to protect the Gulf NRIs & their family’s interest. We hope such move would fetch the Congress party to gain positive impact among influential Gulf NRI community and would also be beneficial for the country’s development.
Indian Social Forum appeal The Congress party to include following points on
Election manifesto:
1- NRI Help Desk to open in Coastal Districts, Mysore, Bangalore and Gulbarga
2- Educational Quota for Gulf NRI students
3- NRI Data Bank – Statistical survey of NRI population, remittance and other statistics
4- Create online platform to raise NRI individual concerns and issues
5- Free Medical aid for Gulf Returnee
6- Assurance of Fund allocation for Gulf NRIs welfare
7- Grant Bank Loan for the aspiring Gulf returnee entrepreneurs
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
