JUBAIL: Members of the Indian community in Jubail have stressed the need for setting up a college of higher education in the Kingdom for the children of non-resident Indians.
“We have been trying to address this issue for quite some time now,” said India Forum Jubail (IFJ) President Anis Bakhsh. “In this connection, we have met a number of people, including our Ambassador M.O.H. Farook and other Indian leaders.”
Speaking at a special IFJ event organized to celebrate Indian independence at the weekend, Bakhsh said most Indian expatriates with college-going children were finding it extremely difficult to send their children abroad for higher education.
“It is especially inconvenient for them to send their daughters to faraway lands for higher education. Bahrain has some of the best Indian institutions and there is every possibility of setting up at least one degree college with proper license from the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education anywhere in the Kingdom,” said Bakhsh. “This requires efforts and we at IFJ are devoting our energies to get this issue resolved through the good offices of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.”
The IFJ has also helped in getting relief to poor Indians who are caught up in various legal wrangles. “We have highlighted the cases of those workers who are stuck up here in the Kingdom because of lack of resources. In many cases, we sought help from IFJ members and the Indian Embassy to provide emergency help to workers in distress,” said Bakhsh.
Michael E. Lindsay, vice president of Nasser S. Al-Hajri Corp., was the chief guest at the event that brought people from all Indian states under one roof. He said he was representing well-known Indian businessman and Nasser S. Al-Hajri Corp. Managing Director and CEO Dr. Ravi Pillai at the function. “One can only feel proud at what the Indians have achieved in the last 60 years,” said Lindsay. “Just as India went through a long and hard struggle for independence, we in America also had to undergo a similar process for freedom and liberty,” he said and appreciated the colorful cultural program presented by Indian schoolchildren. A.A. Siddiqui, a project manager with Nasser S. Al-Hajri Corp., read out Pillai’s message to the Indian community.
According to Waheed Lateef, one of the key members of IFJ, the forum was established in 2005 by like-minded Indians to build a strong and vibrant community. “The idea is to promote educational, cultural, social and business aspirations of Indian nationals residing in Jubail regardless of caste, color, creed, race or religion,” said Lateef. “We have succeeded in doing just that.”
Meraj Ansari, the previous IFJ president, thanked the Indian community in Jubail for coming together for a common cause. “We may have differences but when it comes to doing something constructive for the community, the IFJ has always taken the lead,” he said.
Ramakant Bhala from the Pink City of Jaipur and who works as finance manager at Al-Moajil Sack Factory was the master of ceremony. Venkata Devraj was the entertainment coordinator and Habib Shaikh, one of the managers at Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd., presented a vote of thanks.