Community waiting for moment in history

The Indian community eagerly awaiting Sunday's historic arrival of the country’s prime minister Narendra Modi.

ABU DHABI // The Indian community is eagerly awaiting Sunday’s arrival of the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi.

“It is a historic moment for us,” said Dr B R Shetty, chief executive of NMC Healthcare.

“More than 2.6 million Indians live in the UAE and we are all very excited about the visit of our country’s prime minister. The last time a prime minister visited us was 34 years ago. This makes it very historic at the same time. Various associations, cultural and social bodies are preparing to welcome Mr Narendra Modi. There is a new energy all around,” said Mr Shetty.

The executive is an Indian community leader and a member of the reception committee for Mr Modi. The group is organising a public function in Dubai.

“We are all working very hard to ensure that the event will be successful and are hopeful that the arrangement will be good enough to manage the entire show.”

Mr Shetty said that Mr Modi had expressed a desire to visit with labourers in the UAE.

Ravi Ram, 45, an air-conditioning technician in Abu Dhabi, said that it would be a good gesture if Mr Modi visited blue-collar workers.

“We have never heard such a thing before,” said Mr Ram, a native of Mangalore.

He said he had been living and working in UAE for 17 years and had no political affiliation back home.

He said that if he were to meet Mr Modi, he would ask him to eliminate poverty and corruption in India.

Mr Ram’s employer, Edwin D’Souza, 52, also from Mangalore, said he would ask him to address the issues in their home country that most concerned Indian workers abroad. After all, expatriate Indian workers sent a great deal of money home.

“We have lots of issues back home. I hope he would work on them,” Mr D’Souza said.

Mr Punnakan Mohammed Ali, an Indian social worker in Dubai, echoed the sentiment over domestic concerns.

“Big Indian businessmen would surely benefit from this visit, but I will only consider it successful if ordinary Indian workers also benefit,” he said.

He said that blue-collar workers, who make up 80 per cent of the total Indian expatriate population in the UAE, needed more attention back home.

“[Blue-collar workers] are very much taken care of by the UAE government, but we have major issues back home. When we return home, we have no health insurance and no pension scheme.”

Mr Ali, 50, who is from the southern state of Kerala and works in a government department, is planning to attend the community reception tomorrow.

“If I get the chance, I will request the prime minister to provide health insurance and pension to all Indian workers in the UAE, regardless of their work profile. So that when they return home they don’t have to worry about their health and livelihood.”

Mr Ali also planned to raise the issue of airfare between India and UAE, should the opportunity arise.

“It’s unbearable for middle- and lower-middle-class Indian families in the UAE. Mr Modi should do something about this.”

Mr Ali said it would be great if Mr Modi announced voting rights for non-resident Indians during his visit.

Shajahan Madampat, a writer in Abu Dhabi, was sceptical about the trip.

“It is a welcome visit, as it is the first by an Indian premier in 34 years to a country that hosts around 2.6 million Indian workers,” said Mr Madampat.

“It is most likely the result of an afterthought meant to balance his upcoming visit to Israel.

“I will stand corrected if any big-ticket announcements happen during the visit.”