Let's not forget, 3 million Indian expats happily living in Saudi Arabia!

[email protected] (Coastaldigest.com Web Desk)
August 3, 2016

Jeddah, Aug 3: The Indian community in Saudi Arabia have condemned the one-sided and irresponsible reporting by a section of Indian media on labour issues between an ailing private firm and its Indian employees.

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Pointing out that about three million Indians including people from all faiths are working and living happily in Saudi Arabia, they said sacking of employees by some firms due to crisis is a rare case.

They expressed sincere thanks to the Saudi government for hosting such a huge number of non-resident Indians (NRIs), which not only constitute the largest expatriate group in the Arab Kingdom but also the largest number of Indian passport holders living anywhere in the world. They thanked the Kingdom for ensuring the safety and welfare of the Indian community.

Sadashiva Shetty, an NRI businessman from south Indian city of Udupi in Saudi Arabia, says that he did not face any discrimination in the Kingdom in past 20 years. “Nearly three decades ago, my family was one of the poorest families in my village in India. After coming to Saudi Arabia I have earned money and respect. Now, the people of my village give me royal treatment whenever I visit my home” he claims.

“I do not know why media is portraying as if all Indians in Saudi Arabia are starving to death,” wonders Siddiqui, an NRI businessman, who spent several years in Saudi Arabia. A few construction companies in the Kingdom have gone out of business due to financial constraints and it resulted in layoffs for workers of different nationalities, not only just Indians, he says.

Speaking to an Arab daily he said: “Private firms in India like Kingfisher, Sahara and many others went bankrupt and their workers lost jobs. Has the Indian government given them jobs? Forget about helping the workers, Kingfisher owner Vijay Mallya ran away from the country to evade loans repayment and the government failed to catch him.”

Abdulhaq Bastavi, an Indian IT expert, said there is no point reporting that Indians are starving or stranded here as they can solve the issue with the employer and go home. “In labour disputes, workers have the option of approaching the courts.”

Mojib Siddiqui, an Indian journalist in Saudi Arabia, claims that mainstream Indian media is planting stories on labour issues of Suadi in a deliberate attempt to shift the focus from their government, which is under fire for failing to stop violence against Dalits and Muslims. It's a ploy to appease the principal minority that they are concerned about Indian Muslims working in Saudi Arabia.”

He added: “If the situation had been alarming for Indian workers, how come remittances sent by NRIs from the Kingdom is highest?”

Mohammad Akram, a marketing head at the Saffat Aviation said the Indian media exaggerating the number to blow it out of proportion. “Laying off workers by an ailing firm is nothing new,” he said adding there are dozens of Indian firms firing their staff for financial reasons.

Comments

Irshad
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

There is a not a single Incident people killed because of eating beef or any thing else Great and Number one Saudi Arabia.

A. Mangalore
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

During my vacation , in my own city in India , after 10 pm , my car was stopped by the police and questioned several times, but in my 25 years experience , even 2 to 5 am , I was driving in the city along with my family, never ever any police man or anyone stopped my car and questioned me.
Like me thousands of Indans are earning with highest respect. We are much grateful to this country. Whatever our religious we are called here as \Hindi\" only.
Mrs. Susma Swaraj made one or two companies issue into a big
issue and mentioned that people are starving here. I don't think anyone will sleep here without food. If a person have 2 riyals is enough to buy 6 pcs of bread and youghurt , which can fill anyones stomach. people have made wrong propaganda.
In any cases Saudi nationals are more generous in distributing free food than any other countrymen."

shaji
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

Indian Media (there is exception) is only lying and fooling people to keep away from the failure of BJP Govt and from the goondagiri / terrorist activities by sangh parivar terrorist groups.

Sadashiva Shetty
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

Thanks CD for posting this report. It's timely. Everything has a positive angle too. Normally media ignores such positive angle.

aharkul
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

Best Country in Gulf is Saudi Arabia. We have freedom and no question of facing problem. And every commodities available in a cheapest rate. I am working in this country since 13 years. So far I did not get any problem either from employer or from this country.

I respect all the King who serve this country giving full support to Indian expatriates and security. It is a marvelous. We won't get such facility in any country. More over here we have a holy place to perform Umrah and Hajj. Subhaanallah. Hats off to our great king Salman who is giving good facilities to expatriate in utmost care. May Allah Subhanau Thala give him a good health and long life Aameen.

Tufail
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

but skilled and low level labors arent..... So please highlight those

Mohammed SS
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

Our India is going through such a bad era that they cannot solve their own problem, always peeping others plate, it cannot solve border problems and our eyes on Pakistan all stupid, Jobless goondas gathered in this BJP/RSS ruling they know only tying saffron ropes on hands and shoulders and all kind of nonsense believe, finally they only recognize their Mother as Cow and do not agree and recognize their own father to whom they born an OXE

Syed Mohiudin
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

I am proud to say that I am also one among 3 million those who happily living in Saudi Arabia.

Rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

Saudi Arabia is a peaceful country...where they give first priority on security of expatriates...people love to work and make money over there...there is no restriction on beef eating....you can eat beef as much you can....no gou rakshakas.....super dooper.....

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 21,2020

Mangaluru, June 21: As many as 7 fresh cases of covid-19 were detected in coastal district of Dakshina Kannada today whereas neighbouring Udupi did not report any new case. 

The total confirmed covid cases in Dakshina Kannada today mounted to 425. Among them, 227 people have been already recovered and discharged. Today alone 26 were discharged. Currently there are 190 active cases in the district.

In Udupi there are only 102 cases are currently active among 1,063 detected covid-19 cases. So far 959 people have been discharged from hospital after fully recovering from the diseased. Today six patients were discharged.

Dakshina Kannada has so far witnessed death of 8 covid-19 patients. Among them 2 persons lost their lives due to non-covid reasons. Udupi has witnessed 2 covid related deaths so far.

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News Network
May 30,2020

Istanbul: Mosques in Turkey reopened on Friday for mass prayers after more than two months as the government further eased strict restrictions to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

Turkey has been shifting since May to a "new normal" by easing lockdown measures and opening shopping malls, barbershops and hair salons.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said many other sites -- restaurants and cafes as well as libraries, parks and beaches -- will reopen from Monday.

Hundreds of worshippers wearing protective masks performed mass prayers outside Istanbul's historic Blue Mosque for the first time since mosques were shut down in March.

In the Ottoman-era Fatih mosque, worshippers prayed both inside and outside, with the municipality handing out disinfectants and disposable carpets.

"I have waited a lot for this, I have prayed a lot. I can say it's like a new birth, thanks to God, he has brought us back here," he said.

Another worshipper, Asum Tekif, 50, said: "It has a been a long time... we missed the mosques."

Turkey, a country of 83 million, has so far recorded 4,489 coronavirus-related deaths and 162,120 confirmed cases.

Prayers in Hagia Sophia

Muslim clerics on Friday recited prayers in the Hagia Sophia, the world famous Istanbul landmark which is now a museum after serving as a church and a mosque.

The prayers were held to celebrate the anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, today's Istanbul, by the Ottomans in 1453.

"It is very important to commemorate the 567th anniversary of the conquest ... through prayers in the Hagia Sophia," said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the ceremony via videoconference.

The stunning edifice was first built as a church in the sixth century under the Byzantine Empire as the centrepiece of its capital Constantinople.

After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque before being turned into a museum during the rule of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, in the 1930s.

But there have been hints about reconverting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Last year, Erdogan himself mooted the possibility of turning Hagia Sofia museum into a mosque.

Such calls have sparked anger among Christians and raised tensions with neighbouring Greece.

In 2015, a Muslim cleric recited the Koran in the Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years to mark the opening of an exhibition.

After Friday prayers at the Blue Mosque, a small group of Muslim worshippers shouted: "Let the chains break and let the Hagia Sophia open".

The group was later dispersed by the police who stopped them from protesting near Hagia Sophia that sits immediately opposite the Blue Mosque.

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News Network
May 11,2020

May 11: The Karnataka government appears set to roll out red carpet welcome to foreign companies seeking to move out of China.

The State's Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar said the Government plans to constitute a task force, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, to spearhead the drive to attract such investment. A proposal to this effect has been sent to the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for approval, the Minister told PTI in an interview.

This panel would take feedback and suggestions from a consultative committee to be formed with prominent industrialists from the State and representatives of various countries located here, Shettar said.

In recent days, the Minister held consultations with industrialists such as co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys Ltd, Nandan M Nilekani, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Ltd, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Chairman of early-stage startup accelerator and venture fund Axilor Ventures Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan to fine-tune the States outreach push.

Shettar also held interactions with industry bodies, including Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) and Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA).

Industrialists who took part in the deliberations suggested to the government to focus on ease of doing business and improving the single window clearance system for approvals, as the Minister spelt out government's intent of further improving the investment climate to attract industries to Karnataka.

To boost the industry sentiment in the State, they also stressed the need on easing land acquisition regulations, and leveraging the knowledge base of Bengaluru to promote technology-based manufacturing.

"Given the interest shown by some companies in moving their manufacturing bases out of China, the industry leaders recommended that the State government identify a target list of 100 firms to reach out to for attracting to the State, and work out a strategy to bring them to Karnataka," an Industry department official said.

The industry leaders assured cooperation from the private sector in reaching out to and facilitating interactions with CEOs of these companies.

Shettar said restrictions on acquisition of agriculture land for starting industries have now been relaxed with the passage of an amendment to the land reforms act in the recent Legislature session.

This would facilitate immediate land allotment to industries, he added.

The Minister has also submitted a proposal to the Chief Minister on relaxing labour laws.

Secretary General of industry body ASSOCHAM, Deepak Sood, told news agency recently that there is a broader consensus that the global manufacturing supply chain would be more spread than concentrated in major economies like China.

"If India comes out of the present crisis with minimum of impact, we can be the destination of choice for the global manufacturing giants in different sectors like electronics, computer hardware, pharmaceuticals, including medical devices, automobile, including components and other engineering products," Sood had said.

Gopalakrishnan, also co-founder of Infosys and former CII President, said India has to target companies which have operations in China, reach out to them, understand what their needs are and hold discussions with them.

"We have to make sure that their requirements are addressed, be it with regard to land, office space, faster approvals, and some concessions on local taxes. It depends on the businesses that the companies are in, and if we are able to respond to those requests, I think we will be able to attract them", he told news agency.

"All states will compete for this business (foreign investment)," Gopalakrishnan added.

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