Saudi Arabia Deports Indian NRC Protesters
Dated : 13 Dec 2020 (IST)
A group of NRI protestors from Saudi Arabia were repatriated back to India recently. They had thought that their anti India protest would gain them favour, instead they have been dealt very firmly by the Saudi Authorities.
Probably the Shaheen Bagh protests and the softness of the Indian Government had inspired these NRIs to carry out similar protests In Saudi Arabia but unknown to them they had committed a grave blunder. The group of NRIs, mainly from Bihar had held a protest by holding placards against the NRC of India in downtown of Balad in Jeddah last year itself. The Gulf countries have zero tolerance towards any kind of protest, demonstration, or gatherings. Unaware of this basic rule some youth, used social media for posting undesirable posts and also attended the protest gathering. They all landed in serious trouble.
They were arrested for violating rules that prohibits any kind of assembly and protest. Since then, they were waiting to return home.
Besides them some NRIs, employed in maintenance companies, who were arrested for begging at traffic signals also among hundreds of other NRIs languishing in various deportation centres in Saudi Arabia for the last few months were repatriated back home.
Unlike in the past where most NRIs used to hail from southern parts of the country, now many of them who were apprehended for various violations in general and visa and employment rules in particular are hailing from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal states.
The foreign workers who violated local Saudi laws are sent home through deportation centres. The repatriation of Indians from jails and deportation centres is routine and standard procedure. However, it was stalled following suspension of flights and covid-19 protocol, quarantine cost by states, relevant issues in India, thus resulted in scores of Indians stranded.
The repatriation stranded inmates have gained momentum following efforts of Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Saeed, backed by a battery of enthusiastic diplomatic cops in Jeddah and Riyadh. The Ministry of External Affairs successfully pursued various states back home, besides various government agencies in Saudi Arabia, according to sources. The repatriation of inmates is a continuous process; However, logjam has been cleared to a larger extent, they added. Nearly 3000 NRI workers deported to back home India.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has operated a total of 11 deportee flights so far to India. The cost of airfreight is borne by Saudi Arabian government. The deportee’s flights were different from regular and Mission Vande Bharat flights. During the heights of pandemic in May, Telangana for the first time in the country allowed the landing of four special deportee flights of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
Jail and deportation centre inmates, who landed in various Indian disembarkation points faced tough challenge to reach their native states from the southern part to northern part of the country and vice versa.
BJP MP, D. Arvind and TRS leader, MLC K. Kavita facilitated some Telangana destitute NRIs to reach their homes after disembarkation from different Indian cities. Both political rivals of Nizamabad district are known for aiding scores of stranded NRI to return home.
