India urges Gulf nations to facilitate return of Indian workers willing to resume work
New Delhi: India on Tuesday urged the Gulf countries to facilitate the return of Indian workers and professionals who are now eager to resume their work following the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions.
The issue figured at a virtual meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a leading regional organization comprising almost all Arab countries.
In the meeting, Jaishankar assured the Gulf nations on continuing the supply of food, medicines, and essential items from India.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar thanked the GCC countries for taking care of the large Indian diaspora during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The External Affairs Minister mentioned that a large number of Indian workers and professionals are now eager to return to the GCC countries to resume their work.
"He urged the GCC leadership to facilitate their return through sustainable travel bubble arrangements with India," the MEA said.
Thousands of Indians had returned home from the Gulf region in the last few months following the coronavirus pandemic.
The MEA said the leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
While the Indian delegation was led by Jaishankar, the GCC was represented by Secretary-General of GCC Nayef Falah M Al-Hajraf, Foreign Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Foreign Minister of UAE Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash.
Senior representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar also participated in the meeting.
"They agreed that the India-GCC partnership in political, economic, and other domains would be further strengthened. The GCC welcomed India's inclusion in the UNSC as a non-permanent member from January 2021," the MEA said.
"Both sides affirmed their commitment to reform multilateral institutions to reflect the realities of the 21st century and to work together to address contemporary challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, sustainable development, and terrorism," it added.
In a series of tweets, Jaishankar said that continuing the flow of food, medicines and essential items were assured to the Gulf region.
The MEA said Jaishankar also apprised the GCC leaders about the progress made by India in vaccine development as well as in the development and manufacturing of diagnostic and other equipment related to COVID-19.
"Both sides reaffirmed that they will continue to work together to tackle COVID-19 situation," it said.
Jaishankar also apprised the GCC leaders of the improving situation in India, both on the health and the economic side.
He hoped for an early return to trade normalcy between India and the GCC.
India had ensured that the supply chains from India to the Gulf were not disrupted despite the lockdowns during the pandemic.
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Arijit Singh likely to launch new political party: Reports
New Delhi: The music industry is abuzz with fresh speculation days after singer Arijit Singh announced that he would step away from taking new playback singing assignments.
According to a report by NDTV, the popular singer is now being linked to a possible entry into politics. Sources cited by the portal claim that Arijit is seriously considering exploring political work, beginning at the grassroots level. A source from the Bengali film industry told NDTV that while the singer is unlikely to contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, he may be thinking about forming his own political party in the future.
Arijit Singh, who hails from Jiaganj in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, has long been known for maintaining a low profile despite his immense popularity. The report suggests that his alleged interest in politics may be driven by his roots and a desire to contribute beyond music. However, the singer has not made any official statement confirming these reports.
The speculation comes shortly after Arijit announced his decision to stop taking new playback singing assignments. In a post shared on Instagram on Tuesday evening, he thanked listeners for their continued support and said he was calling time on his journey as a playback vocalist.
“Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” he wrote.
Arijit also clarified that he would complete his pending commitments and that some releases may still come out this year. He stressed that he was not quitting music altogether and would continue to learn and create independently.
Over the past decade, Arijit Singh has been one of the most influential voices in Hindi cinema, delivering several chart-topping songs including Tum Hi Ho, Channa Mereya, Agar Tum Saath Ho, Raabta, Kesariya, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Tera Yaar Hoon Main and Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage. He was also expected to feature in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming film O Romeo. His most recent release is Ghar Kab Aaoge from Border 2.
As of now, neither Arijit Singh nor his representatives have responded to the reports linking him to a political foray.
