DEAR NRI FRINEDS,
THE CONGRESS LED UPA GOVT. IS TRUMPETING ABOUT THE SERVICES THEY ARE PROVIDING TO THE NRIS. ITS ALL A HUMBUG. THEY ONLY WANT YOUR HARD EARNED FOREIGN EXCHANGE SO THAT THEIR MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS CAN TRAVEL AS VIPS TO THE GULF(MOSTLY) IN SIMPLE WORDS TO CHEAT THE POOR WORKERS AND ENTICE FEW BUSINESSMEN. FOR THAT PURPOSE THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME CUNNING AND SELFISH BUSINESSMEN TO TREAT THEM LIKE VIPS IN THE GULF. IN REALITY YOU ASK YOURSELF OR ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS, IF THE CONGRESS GOVT HAD DONE ANYTHING FOR THE WELFARE OF THE NRIS.
NOW, AS AN EX-NRI I SHALL TELL YOU MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SINCE 1974.
AS AN EX-AIRFORCE FLIGHT ENGINEER WITH 21 YEARS OF AIR FORCE EXPERIENCE PLUS HAVING OBTAINED A LAW DEGREE AND MASTERS POST GRADUATE DEGREE,
I WAS OFFERED A JOB AT SINGAPORE AIRLINES, SO I LEFT MY LAW PRACTICE AND
WENT TO SINGAPORE IN 1974. AT SINGAPORE, MY PRIMARY JOB WAS IN THE ENGINEERING LOGOSTICS DEPT., AND AFTER THE WORKING HOURS I WAS APPOINTED TO TEACH THE ENGINEERING STUDENTS AT THE SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC. WHILE I WAS WORKING WITH SIA, MY NAME WAS SHORT-LISTED BY THE I.C.A.O ( INTL. CIVIL AVIATION ORGN.,) AS AN EXPERT ON AIRLINE LOGISTICS.
DURING THAT PERIOD, IN 1977 THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GULF AIR, CAME TO SINGAPORE WITH THE REQUEST THAT THEY NEED A SPECIALLIST TO GO AND TAKE OVER THE GULF AIR ENGINEERING LOGISTICS DEPT. SO ONE DAY MY DIRECTOR AT SINGAPORE AIRLINES CALLED ME AND ASKED ME IF I AMWILLING TO RELOCATE TO BAHRAIN,TO WHICH MY ANSWER WAS THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER WITH ME SINCE I AM ALREADY AWAY FROM HOME,SO WHAT DIFEERENCE IF IT IS SINGAPORE OR BAHRAIN. IMMEDIATELY, THE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO GULF AIR AND I WAS CALLED TO BAHRAIN FOR A FORMAL VISIT CUM INTERVIEW. SIA GAVE ME THE TICKET AND LEAVE TO GO AND EVALUATE THE SITUATION AND RETURN.
I LEFT SINGAPORE BY QUANTAS AIRLINE AND REACHED BAHRAIN EARLY MORNING, BUT TO MY SURPRISE THE IMMIGRATION AT BAHRAIN AIRPORT DENIED ME ENTRY SINCE MY PASSPORT DID NOT HAVE ENDORCEMENT FOR BAHRAIN. SINCE MY PASSPORT WAS ISSUED PRIOR TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF BAHRAIN ,MY PASSPORT ONLY MENTIONED U.A.E. SO FROM THE AIRPORT I CALLED THE GULF AIR DIRECTOPR AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES HE CAME TO THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE AND GOT ME ENTRY FOR THREE DAYS.
HE TOOK ME TO THE HOTEL AND ASKED ME TO TAKE REST AND BE READY NEXT DAY WHEN HE WILL COME AND PICK ME UP. NEXT DAY HE CAME AND TOOK ME ARROUND THE ENGINEERING FACILITIES AND INTRODUCED ME TO ALL THE OTHER ENGINEERING EXECUTIVES. AFTER THAT WE HAD LUNCH TOGETHER AT THE GULF HOTEL AND NEXT DAY HE BROUGHT THE APPOINTMNET ORDER TO ME AND TOLD ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO LET HIM KNOW MY JOINING DATE. ALSO HE ADVISED ME TO GET THE PASSPORT ENDORSED WITH BAHRAIN.
IT WAS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST 1977 I WENT TO THE INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE AT SINGAPORE TO GET MY PASSPORT ENDORSED. AS USUAL ALL NRIS KNOW HOW THE INDIAN EMBASSY /HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE TREAT US WHEN U GO THERE FOR SOME SERVICE, THOUGH THEY ARE THERE TO LOOK AFTER THE WELFARE OF NRIS. THE CLERK AT THE COUNTER TOLD ME THAT MY PASSPORT CANNOT BE ENDORSED WITH BAHRAIN SINCE THE GOVT OF INDIA'S INSTRUCTION IS TO ALLOW ONLY "MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS " TO TRAVEL TO THE GULF. I SHOWED NY APPOINTMENT LETTER TO HIM ,BUT IT WAS OF NO USE. HE NEVER BOTHERED EVEN TO READ IT. THEN I LOST MY PATIENCE I ASKED HIM WHERE IS THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY. I REPLIED THAT I AM GOING TO SEE HIM. THEN HE WOKE UP SENSING I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE WHO TAKES A"NO" FOR AN ANSWER. HE WENT INSIDE AND CAME BACK AFTER FEW MINUTES AND TOLD ME THAT I CAN SEE THE HIGH COMMISSIONER ONLY ON THE 16TH OF AUGUST. WELL, I SAID I WILLBE HERE ON THE 16TH AND LEFT. NOW YOU ALL KNOW ON THE 15TH AUGHUST 1977 ONE OF OUR GREAT VISIONARY EX-PRIME MINISTER SHREE VAJPAYEE WAS THE FORIGN MINISTER IN THE THEN JANATHA GOVT, AND HE MADE A DECLARATION, AS THE CITIZENS OF SOVEREIGN REPLUBLIC OF INDIA EVERY INDIAN HAS ARIGHT TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD EXCEPT SOUTH AFRICA AND RHODESIA. SO ON THE 16TH MORNING WHEN I WENT TO THE HIGH COMMISSION'S OFFICE THE CLERK WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT MY FACE JUST GAVE ME THE PASSPORT WITH THE ENDORSEMENT "ALL COUNTRIES ". IT WAS THEN THE EXHODUS OF INDIANS STARTED POURING INTO THE GULF COUNTRIS. WHEN THE GULF INDIANS STARTED SENDING HARD MONEY HOME THE GOVT(CONGRESS) WAS QUICK TO MAKE THE HAY WHEN SUN SHINES. ALLSORTS OF SOPS AND THEY GOT A CHANCE TO EMPLOY SOME OF THEIR CROOKED FRIENDS AS MINISTERS AND STARTED TRAVELLING TO THE GULF TO ENQUIRE THE WELFARE OF GULF INDIANS ETC. SINCE THE MAJORITY OF GULF INDIANS ARE MALAYALEES THEY MADE IT A POINT TO APPOINT A MALAYALEE MINISTER ,SO THAT IT IS EASY TO TRRAP THE POOR LABOURERS.
NOW THEY HAVE A PRAVASI MINISTER SO THAT ONE OF THE CONGRESS MAN CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME AT THE COST OF THE POOR WORKERS. I AM SURE ALL OF YOU GULF NRIS MUST HAVE SEEN THE WAY THE IMMIGRATION,CUSTOMS AND EVEN THE SECURITY AT THE AIR[PORTS TREAT THE POOR GULF RETURNEES.
NOW IT IS UPTO YOU THE EDUCATED AND WELL EMPLOYED GULF INDIANS TO GIVE A FITTING WELCOME TO THE SO CALLED PRAVASI MINISTERS WHEN THEY COME THERE. I WILL TEL L YOU MANY MORE OF THE CONGRESS GOVT'S SO CALLED HELPS TO THE NRIS IN MY NEXT.TILL THEN GOOD LUCK.