The Indian community in the Kingdom has expressed its unhappiness at the exclusion of the Gulf session from the forthcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) program, which is observed globally by non-resident Indians each year in January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community.

They urged the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to reinstate the session, which would address the concerns of returning expatriates affected by the Nitaqat (nationalization) program.

The 12th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held during Jan. 7-9, 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, for which the ministry has announced a tentative schedule.

Mohammed Quaiser, president of Tanzeem hum Hindustani (We are Indians), a voluntary, non-commercial and non-religious organization of overseas Indians in Riyadh, told Arab News that the welfare and rehabilitation of Gulf returnees is the responsibility of the Indian government and a social task which should be discussed in the wider context of the PDB for creating awareness among Indians present at the meeting who have come from around the world.

“Instead of focusing on this, the program released by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs shows that there is no Gulf session this time, which is disheartening,” said Quaiser.

He added that Indians living in Gulf nations comprise the largest number of overseas Indians and contribute to the highest volume of remittances to India.

Quaiser demanded the reinstatement of this session, which would enable the state and central governments to devise strategies for the rehabilitation of Gulf returnees.




He also advocated constituting an award to honor an overseas Indians from the Gulf region each year.

In addition, he proposed that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas be hosted in the Gulf.

“The Gulf session needs to be included, especially now, as the nationalization drive in the GCC countries to streamline the labor market is under way. The introduction of the ‘Nitaqat,’ or Saudization program by the government of Saudi Arabia has triggered the exit of thousands of illegal Indians who have left their jobs and returned home to avoid punitive action,” said Nasim Akhter, vice president of Aligarh Muslim University's alumni association in Riyadh.

R. Muraleedharan, president of the Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (FOKASA), also expressed his dismay to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs at the exclusion of the Gulf session in the forthcoming PBD.

He said, “FOKASA urges the ministry to include the session on the Gulf in the forthcoming edition.”

“We have also written a letter to Vayalar Ravi, minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, for its reinstatement to address the concerns of Nitaqat-affected expatriate workers,” he added.

Moreover, the speech given by the Minister for Overseas Indian affairs indicates that the emphasis of the upcoming PBD will be on “engaging the young diaspora,” he stated.

The PBD first introduced the Gulf session at its 2nd edition (2004) by highlighting its significant contribution to India and the community at large. The session has continued unabated until the 11th edition (2013).

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in Bombay on Jan. 9, 1915.