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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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
