Nitaqat: Over 1 lakh Indians face arrest in Saudi Arabia

May 25, 2013

Jeddah, May 25: As Saudi Arabia implements its controversial naturalisation law or Nitaqat, which seeks to replace foreigners in companies with its own people, India is in the midst of a gigantic effort to bring back over 75,000 people in the next few months. After having failed to regularise their work status, these people have applied for emergency exit certificates to leave the country by July 3, the deadline set by Saudi Arabia for deportation of illegal workers.

If these people, whose number is growing, can't leave the country by July 3, they are likely to be arrested. On his way to Saudi Arabia, in what is first bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to the country in 5 years, foreign minister Salman Khurshid said he will take up the issue with his counterpart, Prince Saud Al Faisal, Saturday even as he added that Saudi authorities were well within their rights to implement their laws.

"In terms of logistics involved, it obviously is a challenge but we have a grace period and we need to do whatever we can during that period,'' said Khurshid.

Nitaqat makes it mandatory for companies to hire a minimum number of local people before employing foreigners and while the law is not new, Saudi authorities have now started to identify `illegal' workers and send them back. Out of those who have applied for emergency certificates, applications of close to 57,000 have been processed by Indian authorities. However, the Saudi authorities are processing these applications only at the rate of 500 per day making it impossible for India to meet the July 3 deadline. According to the government, Nitaqat mostly impacts blue collar-workers who have stayed back illegally in the country after the expiry of their work visa.

"For all we know, after all this many more Indians would be able to come to Saudi Arabia legitimately,'' said Khurshid in Jeddah. Out of the over 8 million expatriates in Saudi Arabia, Indians account for 2.45 million, the largest.

Unlike what was being thought earlier, these numbers are not limited mostly to Kerala but span the length and breadth of the country. What is actually surprising is that over 21,000 of these are from UP. There are 8695 from Andhra Pradesh, 7913 from West Bengal, Maharashtra over 7,000 and 5430 from Tamil Nadu. Kerala comes only sixth with 3610. It is followed by Bihar with 3035 and Rajasthan 2504. There are significant numbers from J&K, Punjab and Assam too.

Khurshid said massive rehabilitation work will be required also for the rehabilitation of those coming back. "We have already warned the state governments that a little bit of hand holding will be required,'' said the minister.

Khurshid's is the latest in a slew of visits to the country by Indian ministers and bureaucrats since Saudi authorities announced their decision to identify illegal workers. Those who have visited the country for a dialogue over the issue include minister for overseas Indian affairs Vyalar Ravi, junior foreign minister E Ahmed and adviser to PM TKA Nair.

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A Tragic End—Mortal Remains of Entrepreneur Mumtaz Ali Found In River

News Network

October 7,2024

Mangaluru, Oct 7: In a heartbreaking turn of events, the search for Mumtaz Ali, chairman of Misbah Group of Educational Institutions, ended with the discovery of his mortal remains in the Phalguni river near Kulur. The somber discovery came after an exhaustive search, leaving a community in shock and sorrow.

He is the younger brother of former MLA Mohuiddin Bawa and former MLC B M Farookh.

The incident has taken a deeply distressing turn with the filing of an FIR against six individuals, including a woman, who are accused of pushing Ali to a tragic end.

The accused allegedly blackmailed Ali, fabricating a story about his involvement in an illicit relationship with the woman. Reports suggest that they extorted Rs 50 lakh from Ali and were unrelenting, demanding an additional Rs 50 lakh from him, casting a shadow over his final days.

The complaint, lodged by Ali’s grieving brother, accuses these individuals of driving him to despair through relentless blackmail and false accusations, ultimately leading him to take the tragic step.

In the early hours of Sunday, Ali left his home at 3 am, heading towards Suratkal, perhaps seeking some solace. A minor accident occurred when his car collided with a private bus near MCF. Despite the mishap, he offered a heartfelt apology to the bus driver and conductor—a gesture that now echoes with the pain of his unspoken struggles. After the collision, Ali made a U-turn near Panambur circle, driving back towards Kulur bridge, where his journey came to a sorrowful end.

Ali’s last moments hold an even deeper sadness, as he left behind a voice message in Byari, naming an individual who had been tormenting him mentally. Sent to his daughter and a close friend, the message revealed the unbearable burden he was carrying, hinting at his final decision to end his suffering.

This tragic loss has left the community and his loved ones grappling with unanswered questions and a profound sense of grief. As the investigation unfolds, the memory of Mumtaz Ali lingers, a reminder of the silent battles that too often go unseen.

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Brahmin Savarkar was non-veg eater; wasn't against cow slaughter: Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

News Network

October 3,2024

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reminded that V D Savarkar was not against cow slaughter as he himself was non-veg eater, PTI reported on Thursday.

"As a Brahmin he was eating meat, and he was openly propagating eating meat," said the minister at an event in Bengaluru.

Reacting to Gundu Rao's claim, BJP MP Anurag Thakur called Congress a "factory of lies" as he warned that India won't tolerate any disrespect towards Savarkar.

"By disrespecting Veer Savarkar they have shown that they don't respect freedom fighters. During the Congress government, Sardar Bhagat Singh was termed a separatist in textbooks...By making those who want to break the nation join the congress party, Rahul Gandhi is taking forward the ideology of 'tukde tukde' and he is a 'modern Jinnah' who speaks ill of the country abroad...," he said.

Meanwhile, a court in Maharashtra's Nashik district summoned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi earlier this week in a defamation case filed against him for his alleged objectionable remarks against the Hindutva ideologue.

The complainant, who is the director of an NGO, claimed he watched a press conference addressed by Gandhi in Hingoli and also a speech made by the Congress leader in November 2022.

He alleged that Gandhi, on the two occasions, by his words and visual representations knowingly harmed the reputation of Veer Savarkar and also tried to defame the latter's image in the society.

According to the complainant, Gandhi said "Savarkar is BJP and RSS jin" which was defamatory in nature.

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