Government's unjustifiable apathy towards Non Resident Kannadigas in Saudi Arabia
“Non-resident Indians” (NRIs) in a broad sense are those who give light to others by getting burnt in the process. When unemployment was raging at home, these NRIs sought work in Gulf countries in scorching weather conditions, and provided relief to people and towns they had left behind. The country has always been very appreciative of the contributions of the NRIs. During their visits abroad, all the Prime Ministers of our country have held special meetings with NRIs and thanked them for their contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially, has taken special interest and has held several meetings with NRIs and asked them to play a crucial role in India’s development. NRIs have helped the country’s foreign exchange reserves grow. Coastal Karnataka’s path of development is owed in large measure to the money, sweat, and blood of those toiling in Gulf. NRIs are also responsible for the coastal district’s numero uno performance in the field of education and health.
In 1980s, while one section of Kannadigas migrated to Mumbai in search of jobs, another section moved to the Gulf countries. Today, not only has that Non-Resident Kannadigas community grown and flourished, it has also developed its hometowns. But Corona has now changed everything and has created a storm in the lives of those working in Mumbai and Gulf countries. People who worked for their motherland in the sweltering sun are looking for succor from their motherland. Their problems would be resolved if even a small amount of their contribution is returned. Ironically, their motherland is not responding as expected. Today, Gulf NRIs are not expecting their motherland to help them financially or in terms of other amenities but are pleading for flights to be organized for their return home. They are prepared to pay even an extra cost for it. But the country is responding with great reluctance.
Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia recognize themselves as ‘friendly countries of India’. These countries have indirectly joined hands in India’s development by giving jobs to lakhs of Indians. If Corona has spread extensively in these countries, it is because of foreign visitors. Gulf countries are fighting effectively against the spread of Corona. Workers of various other countries are seen as obstacles in their battle against Corona. At the same time, since economic activities have come to a standstill, these workers have been rendered jobless. As these countries cannot fend for the jobless, they are asking for the repatriation of the jobless migrants by the countries of their origin. Several countries have responded and taken their people back home. But thousands of Indians are stranded. As India has not taken any special interest in getting them home, these Indians find themselves in danger as they are seemingly not wanted by anyone. This stand that India has adopted is diametrically opposite to the stand it has taken towards NRIs till now. India should be aware that the world is watching our neglect of its own people.
Although India under pressure has brought back NRIs from several countries, the interest shown in bringing back middle class NRIs from Gulf countries is not the same as that shown in the case of rich NRIs from European countries. Karnataka has also displayed a sheer irresponsibility in this regard. While Karnataka has brought back a few hundreds of NRIs from Dubai by organizing special flights, it has not responded to the pleas of those living in the Saudi Arabia. It has been alleged that the State and the Centre are deliberately discriminating against NRIs in Saudi Arabia where around three lakh Kannada-speaking NRIs, half of these from coastal districts, live. Around ten thousand people are waiting to return home from Saudi Arabia. Of these, around 4000 are in emergency situations and in dire need of returning home. The fact that the governments have yet not finalized flights to bring these people home has shocked and angered them.
Many of these people who have to return home immediately are the elderly, women on Visit Visas, and those in need of medical treatment. Parents and family members who are visiting their families and those looking for jobs are waiting anxiously to return home. Similarly, pregnant women and children find themselves in an inevitable situation to return home. Many of them have fallen seriously ill and died due to the apathy shown by the governments.
Their situation will only worsen if there is any more delay. This attitude of the government can also endanger those who have not been infected with Corona. Instead of acting decisively, leaders are shirking from their responsibility by engaging in blame game and are pointing fingers at each other. This lack of coordination between leaders is also responsible for the delay in bringing back these people from Saudi who sense some political reasons behind this mess. Governments should adopt the same attitude they shown in bringing back NRIs from other countries. Many organizations have already come forward to foot the air travel cost of people who are facing financial difficulties and have also promised to provide free quarantine facilities and have identified buildings to house them. Why is then the delay on the part of the government? Why is it not possible for the Karnataka government to do this when the Kerala government has done this successfully? The Karnataka government should adopt the Kerala model and discharge its responsibilities failing which, this negligence towards those who built the coastal districts could prove to be a grave disaster that can’t be undone.
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BJD leaders demand action against MP Sasmit Patra for creating confusion over Waqf Bill voting
Bhubaneswar, Apr 5 (PTI): A section of senior BJD leaders on Saturday demanded strong action against Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra for "creating confusion" among lawmakers ahead of the voting on Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the upper house of Parliament.
Patra, also the leader of the BJD in Rajya Sabha, is in the eye of the storm after revealing that he had voted in favour of the contentious Bill.
After the BJD announced it would oppose the Bill, and even party MP Muzibulla Khan spoke against it in Rajya Sabha on April 3, Patra put out a post on X before voting, stating that party MPs could vote "as per their conscience" and that there was no whip issued to them.
This led to confusion among the lawmakers, and many senior leaders have raised questions about whether Patra could change the decision of Naveen Patnaik, who apart from being the BJD president, was also chairman of the parliamentary party.
"I abstained from voting due to confusion... the party had earlier decided to oppose the Bill and at the last moment, we were asked to vote as per our conscience," another Rajya Sabha MP, Debasish Samantray, said.
He, however, chose not to blame Patra.
"Sasmit Patra is not the villain here. He does not take decisions, he merely follows instructions. The real power lies elsewhere, with the 'chief advisor'," Samantray told reporters, indicating a close aide of Patnaik.
He refused to divulge the name of the "chief advisor" and said, "Everybody knows who he is".
The BJD MP also hinted at a "big deal" between the "chief advisor" and the BJP.
"There has been a big deal. The chief advisor has made some kind of arrangement with the BJP. A bureaucrat who has recently taken voluntary retirement may be part of this deal. You all know who has recently taken VRS. I leave it to your understanding," Samantray said.
Senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan, the wife of BJD president Naveen Patnaik's former close aide V K Pandian, recently took voluntary retirement from government service.
Karthikeyan, a 2000-batch Odisha cadre officer, was serving as the special secretary in Odisha's finance department.
At least two senior BJD leaders -- Prafulla Samal and Pratap Jena -- have written letters to Patnaik demanding action against Patra for "going against the party stand by voting in support of Waqf Bill".
Also, Ganeswar Behera, the sitting MLA of Muslim-dominated Kendrapara assembly segment, also criticised Patra, questioning, "Who gave Patra the authority to change the party president's decision?"
"He has committed a mistake for which he is liable to action. Only BJD president has the authority to change the decision of the parliamentary party and nobody else," he told reporters, adding that this amounts to gross indiscipline.
Both Samal and Jena, in their letters to Patnaik, stated that the BJD continues to fight for the socio-economic development of minority communities including Muslims.
"However, instead of winning the trust of the minority communities, such action of Patra has caused damage to the party's image. Therefore, I urge you to take action as deemed fit," Samal said.
Senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena expressed displeasure over Patra's action and termed the move "anti-party" and "shocking".
"Patra's recent social media posts reflect a mindset that contradicts the BJD's ideological position," Jena said.
Jena also raised suspicion over Patra's behaviour and demanded a thorough inquiry into the matter.
"We must investigate who is behind this conspiracy and people responsible for this should be held accountable," he said, demanding disciplinary action against Patra.
BJD MLA and former minister Badri Narayan Patra was more critical: "This situation was a result of a deliberate mischief. How could Sasmit Patra dare to defy the BJD president's decision and announce on his own X platform regarding the change of stand? He has put the entire party in a fix and this needs action."
A senior BJD leader, on condition of anonymity, said party leaders representing Muslim-dominated constituencies are worried following the party's change of stand on the Waqf Bill.
"The Muslims, who constitute over 2.17 per cent of the state's population, have all along supported the BJD. Now, they may change their political affiliation to the Congress. The present situation has given a wrong message to the Muslim community," he said.
Though a section of senior BJD leaders met Patnaik and held discussions on the matter on Friday, the BJD president was yet to give any remark on the prevailing political situation.
Patra could not be contacted as he was on a tour to Tashkent from April 5 to 9 as part of the delegation of the 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Reacting to the developments, Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said, "The recent developments indicate that Patnaik has lost control over his party MPs. He could not impose a whip on them because he does not have command of the party."
On allegations about a "deal" between BJD and BJP over the Waqf Bill, Samal said, "We do not do deals. Nation is first for us. People worried about the rights of poor Muslims have supported the Bill. The seven BJD MPs have been divided into three categories: one who supported the Bill, those who opposed it and one who abstained from voting. There is no unanimity in the BJD."
