RIYADH, 22 July 2007 — Indian expatriates from all walks of life welcomed the nomination of India’s former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Hamid Ansari, for the vice presidential slot in the Indian government. They also sent him congratulatory messages and called on the members of the electoral college to accept his nomination in view of his rich experience as a diplomat, academic and as chairman of the Minorities Commission.

Ansari has been hailed as the second Dr. Zakir Husain, who served both as India’s vice president and subsequently as president from May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969. Both Dr. Zakir Husain and Hamid Ansari served as vice chancellors, the former as the vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi and the latter as the vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

They also paid tributes to him as a distinguished diplomat during whose tenure Saudi-Indian economic ties received a big boost. He had also fostered good relations with the members of the Indian community and allowed cultural associations to flourish.

“Every Indian should feel proud of his nomination. I have known him for a long time not only during his tenure as India’s ambassador but even earlier when he served as consul-general in Jeddah,” S.A. Jayaseelan, general secretary of India Forum, told Arab News. He added that both Ansari and his wife Salma had played an active role in the launch of schools for the Indian community both during his tenure as consul general in Jeddah and as ambassador in Riyadh.

K.N. Wasif, a photojournalist who covered all of Hamid Ansari’s functions for the Urdu press in Saudi Arabia and India, said Ansari was known to be punctual. “He would always advise students to be punctual and disciplined. He is endowed with rich experience and has the ability to become India’s president,” said Wasif.

K.S. Rajan, a long-time resident who knew Ansari since his first stint as the consul general in Jeddah, said there could have been no better choice than Hamid Ansari. “He is different from others. Even during his first term as the consul general in Jeddah when T.T.P. Abdullah was the ambassador, he and his wife Salma Ansari used to take an active interest in school affairs and in resolving problems. The first election for the then Indian Embassy school’s management committee was also held during his tenure,” Rajan said, adding that Ansari had endeared himself to all members of the community through his secular outlook and by rising above regionalism. Rajan also sent Ansari a congratulatory message on the occasion.

Dr. Mohammed Niaz Ahmed Khan, president of the Osmania University Old Boys NRIs’ Association (OUOBNA), said it was not only good news for Muslims but also for all minorities, whose cause Ansari championed during his tenure as the chairman of the Minorities Commission.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Mohammed Quaiser, president of the Tanzim Hum Hindustani, who thanked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its chairperson Sonia Gandhi for putting up Ansari as their candidate. Both associations sent their greeting expressing their delight over his nomination.

Describing Ansari as a man of sincerity and dedication, Sam Mathew recalled his services during Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in 1990 that led to a mass exodus of Indian expatriates from Kuwait to Riyadh. Sam, along with other members of the Indian community, organized relief work for the Indians who were accommodated in the Indian Embassy School. Ansari had played a pivotal role by temporarily closing the school to shelter these refugees, while Air-India mobilized dozens of emergency flights to India, Sam said, adding: “He was also instrumental in arranging the landmark visit of Dr. Manmohan Singh to Riyadh as finance minister.”

In view of his rich experience, Ansari was also named the head of the Expert Group to bring in transparency in Haj operations and to look into issues of subsidy, logistics and airfare related to the Haj pilgrimage.

Although Ansari was a smooth operator, he could act tough when the need arose. The occasion that called for his plain speaking arose when the present Pope stirred the hornet’s nest with his unprovoked remarks on Islam. Ansari, in his capacity as chairman of the Minorities Commission, said: “The language used by the pope sounds like that of his 12th century counterpart who ordered the Crusades.”