Indian government comes to distressed Indian’s aid in Saudi Arabia
New Delhi–Indian government will extend all help to an Indian man working in Saudi Arabia without being paid his salary for the last 28 months, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday. The minister’s comments came after she came to know of a video in which Kumar Akash, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, narrates his harrowing plight from somewhere near Makkah in the Gulf nation.
In the video, Akash says he had gone to Saudi Arabia to work as a mechanic after getting his visa from Mumbai through a recruiting agent in Byculla. However, instead of getting a job as a mechanic, he was taken to a brick kiln where he was made to load bricks on to trucks. Adding to that, his employer has not paid him his salary for the last 28 months.
In the video, Akash seeks the help of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj, who is also the minister for overseas Indian affairs. Following this, Sushma Swaraj said all help would be extended to Akash. “Akash, Maine ye video dekh liya hai. Tumari poori madad ki jayegi. Maine Saudi Arab men apni Embassy ko bol diya hai (Akash, I have seen your video. All help will be extended to you. I have informed our embassy in Saudi Arabia about this),” she tweeted.
Indian-origin man starts own political party in Britain
London–An Indian-origin corporate banking worker has set up his own political party and called for Britain to throw open its borders, a media report said. Harjinder Singh, a former UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate for Birmingham’s Perry Barr constituency, has set up the Open Borders Party as he disagrees vehemently with his former Eurosceptic party’s immigration policy, the Birmingham Mail reported on Saturday.
According to him, the policy would bring huge economic benefits, boosting the economy with new labour and saving the taxpayer a fortune spent trying to keep migrants out. He said UKIP did not entirely share his views. “I was a little bit naive with regard to some of their other policies, as they’ve bolted some on, and those don’t represent me.”
Singh plans to contest next elections and hopes to attract some like-minded people to join his party and support him. The 38-year-old made headlines during the British general elections campaign by waving at thousands of cars a day passing through the busy Scott Arms junction in Great Barr. He finished third behind Labour Party MP Khalid Mahmood and Conservative candidate Charlotte Hodivala. His unusual campaigning style secured 5,032 votes, which was an improvement on UKIP’s previous performance in the Perry Barr constituency.
Indian-origin Rambarran fired as T&T central bank’s governor
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago– There is uproar on both sides of the political and ethnic divide over the sacking of
, who is of Indian descent, as governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, the twin-island nation in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago Finance Minister Colm Imbert accused Rambarran of violating several laws, for which he and could face criminal charges.
He was appointed by former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is also of Indian orign, three-and-a-half years ago amid criticism that he was chosen over officials with better qualifications. His tenure was for five years. Rambarran was the second person of East Indian descent to hold the position, the other being Winston Dookeran, since the Central Bank was established in 1964, two years after Independence from British rule in 1962. Even when the People’s National Movement (PNM) was in opposition, it had been criticizing Rambarran, calling him an On-the-Job Training(OJT).
Rambarran’s dismissal came on Wednesday after the cabinet held its last meeting before Christmas. A government source said that Rambarran breached several financial laws since the PNM came in power last September and could face criminal charges which carry fines and a prison term.
