Overseas Indians Day to be celebrated at Indian embassy in Muscat

Energy Monday 08/January/2018 21:54 PM
By: Times News Service
Overseas Indians Day to be celebrated at Indian embassy in Muscat

Muscat: Overseas Indians Day will be celebrated in Oman on January 9 to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the government and celebrate their achievements and contributions.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, out of a population of 1.3 billion, approximately 30.8 million Indians reside outside India, with Oman being home to 780,000.
The Indian Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, has been holding World NRI Day conventions that provide a platform for overseas Indians to engage with the government. A number of Indian expatriates from Oman are also participating in this convention.
The Indian embassy in Oman is also celebrating World NRI Day, and the Indian diaspora has been invited to present suggestions and feedback on the basis of which policies affecting NRIs in the country will be formulated. More than 300 people have been invited to the celebrations, which will be held today at 6.30pm.
“I have invited all segments of the Indian community to attend the event tomorrow. Recording of the speech by the External Affairs Minister addressing the PIO Parliamentarians Conference will be telecast tomorrow,” said Indian Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey.
He added, “I will be outlining the Indian government’s perspective to the members of the Indian community and their opinions will be heard too.
“These proposals will be forwarded to the Indian government who will take them into account while formulating policies.”
On the occasion, the Times of Oman prepared a list of NRIs who have made significant contributions to society:
Dr P. Mohamed Ali
Founder of the Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company, Dr P. Mohamed Ali, who came to Oman in the early 1970s and initiated the infrastructural development of the nation under the patronage of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said has been honoured with the “Oman Civil Order,” the highest civilian honour in the country, for his exemplary contribution to the Sultanate. The “Pravasi Bharatiya Samman,” the highest honour for a non-resident Indian, has been conferred on him by the Government of India. An Honorary Doctorate of Science by the Caledonian University of Glasgow recognised his pioneering work and support for developing a world-class vocational higher education centre in Oman.
Recently, Indian School Salalah honoured him with its Personality of the Year award.
P.M. Jabir
P.M. Jabir is a respected social worker, who is known for his generous contributions in the field of social services and for helping the needy.
He has lived in Oman for 35 years and has helped thousands of blue-collar workers and other underprivileged Indian expats who are in need. “I have tried to reach out to those in distress irrespective of caste, colour, or creed. I have also helped authorities in their efforts to redress grievances,” he said. His work entails helping those seeking unpaid wages, providing financial aid for medical expenses, and even facilitating the repatriation of the bodies of expats. “I have seen sadness, desperation, weakness. But most of all I have seen hope. I have great hope and I am a believer in humanity,” he stressed. Jabir wishes to live in Oman for as long as the government permits and will continue the work he has been doing for the last three decades.
Dr Satish Nambiar
Chairman of the Indian Social Club (ISC) Dr Satish Nambiar came to Oman 36 years ago and has been part of the ISC for 33 years. The ISC is an active community of the Indian diaspora that is run as a cultural association, providing a platform for the community to meet, celebrate, and showcase its talents. “I am a practicing doctor, chairman of the ISC, and also run an event management company called ‘Eventful,’” he noted. He has been an active part of most cultural events and has successfully brought many top stars from Bollywood to Oman. He has also given the aspiring talents of Oman a stage. “Promoting and encouraging talent is my passion. That is what I get out of it,” he remarked. He is also responsible for setting up the 20 linguistic wings of the ISC. Dr Nambiar, who fell in love with the land the day he arrived, wishes he could live here longer. “It is such a wonderful place to live in for an expatriate. I would call it heaven on earth.”