JEDDAH/RIYADH , 27 January — Dr. Najma Heptulla, deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament) and president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, joined Indian expatriates in Jeddah in celebrations marking their country’s Republic Day anniversary yesterday.
At official functions in Riyadh and Jeddah, Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad and Consul General Syed Akbaruddin respectively unfurled the national flag and read President K.R. Narayanan’s televised speech to the nation the previous day.
Heptulla, who arrived in the Kingdom from Geneva, is on a three-day visit as special envoy of India’s Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. She addressed a community gathering at the Consulate General here.
She carries a message for Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, from Vajpayee, and will travel to Riyadh today after performing Umrah in Makkah. "She is expected to call on the crown prince and exchange views with acting President of the Shoura Council Bakri Saleh Shatta. Discussions with the Saudi leadership will focus on the Saudi-Indian relations and the current situation in the region," Zikrur Rahman, first secretary at the Indian Embassy, said.
In her speech Heptulla gave her own experience of last month’s terrorist attack on the Parliament in New Delhi. She said she was just 30 feet away from where the terrorists struck, and said: "As a Muslim, I wish to emphasize that Islam does not allow terrorism or killings."
In Riyadh, Ambassador Ahmad said one of the major challenges facing the country in the past 20 years was terrorism. "The world in general and, the ‘military dictatorship’ in particular, should not mistake India’s desire for peace as a sign of weakness."
Ahmad said India was one of the members of the coalition against terrorism set up in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.
On Indo-Saudi ties he said, "It will be our endeavor to strengthen our ties with the Kingdom and see that they continue to flourish."
He paid tributes to non-resident Indians for making valuable contributions to the Kingdom in all walks of life. He also spoke about their donations for rehabilitating the victims of Gujarat earthquake last year. These actions had been highly appreciated in the Kingdom, he added.
The ambassador’s wife, Sunita Mainee Ahmad, gave away prizes to the winners of an essay competition organized by the embassy last year.
The ambassador also hosted a reception at the Riyadh Palace Hotel as part of the celebrations. Saudi dignitaries, diplomats and prominent members of the Indian community were present.
In Jeddah, the consul general hosted a reception for officials, diplomats and prominent Indians at the Jeddah Trident Hotel. A function was also held at the International Indian School, Jeddah.
