Dubai: Former prime minister of India and national president of the Janata Dal (Secular), H D Deve Gowda was honoured on behalf of all the Kannadigas residing in the UAE, by the Karnataka NRI Forum UAE, on November 11 at JSS School, Al Safa, Dubai.
JD(S) national secretary general Danish Ali, JD(S) leader and Dubai-based entrepreneur Zafrulla Khan Mandya, Dr Arathi Krishna, former vice president of NRI Forum – Karnataka State Govt, president of KNRI UAE Praveen Shetty and general secretary of KNRI UAE Prabhakar Ambalthere, were guests of honour at the event.
The programme was kicked-off with the lighting of the traditional lamp by the guests. Prabhakar Ambalthere welcomed the guests and attendees with flower bouquets. He then stated the problems faced by NRIs and requested the government to support Karnataka’s NRIs with benefits as in the case of NRIs from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Praveen Shetty, in his introductory speech, explained the problems faced by blue-collar workers from Karnataka in the UAE. He mentioned the Amnesty – a drive of the UAE government for those expatriates with no residential documents to return home. Karnataka has the 2nd highest number of NRIs in the UAE, compared to the rest of the country, but the support received by the NRIs from the state government is not up to the mark. He urged Deve Gowda to convince the state government to extend their support to Karnataka’s NRIs in the UAE.
Danish Ali, Zafrulla Khan Mandya and Dr Arathi Krishna expressed their happiness for Deve Gowda’s first-ever gulf tour and recalled his qualities and administerial decisions.
Deve Gowda was then felicitated with a shawl, flower bouqet, fruit basket and memento by all the members of the KNRI Forum UAE, under the leadership of president Praveen Shetty.
Addressing the gathering, the former prime minister expressed his happiness on receiving the honour and said neither as the Prime Minister or as the Chief Minister, had he ever planned to travel outside India as the problems faced by the people in India were his priority. He recalled his political career and said the spirit of fighting for people, to give them justice and rights has not reduced. He acknowledged the NRIs efforts in developing India and assured that he would fulfil their request for support from the Karnataka government.
More than 50 different Karnataka-based association leaders were present at gathering. Talented local singers performed beautiful Kannada songs and other songs before the event. KNRI member Shashidhar Nagarajappa compered the programme.
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