Mr.Prime Minister....we need Colleges and varsities!

Mr. Prime Minister….we need Colleges!

On the last day of February of 2010, the Tricolour flutters with pride. So does every Indian who works in Saudi Arabia. The picture in Riyadh today is that of colour splashed all over! The Indian and the Saudi flags dance in harmony and glory. A sign of the great relations that exist between the two nations.
Today’s newspapers in Saudi Arabia are all about the warm and friendly Indo Saudi relations. One leading newspaper has over a dozen advertisements hailing the visit of the Prime Minister ! The first after a gap of 28 years!
And what is more remarkable is the fact that the Prime Minister is accompanied by a high powered delegation of several senior ministers and officials along with a legion of senior journalists who would be carrying back the impressions to our fellow countrymen back home. The role of this throng is vital and will make an impact for the future.
This visit is not merely ornamental but it means business. It is said that nine agreements will be signed during this three day visit including one on memoranda of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation.
I look at the larger picture for tomorrow. There are almost 1.8 million Indians residing across the Kingdom and this is a substantial proportion of the total expatriates living here. And we have come a long way as today India has its own brand equity in the market. We are no longer seen as suppliers of unskilled labour but as one which has provided the intelligentsia. It is a matter of pride that we see Indians not only as senior manager but also as entrepreneurs! And that too in substantial quantity.
The NRI’s in Saudi have always stood up when they were needed. But there are issues which bother us and which are left unaddressed. The most vital and pressing is the need to provide for College and Varsity education. Now, this is a huge hassle and families are faced with very traumatic conditions as the child approaches high school! Sleepless nights , animated discussions, anxiety levels on the rise and what not are the order of the day as one tries to plan the future for the 14-15 year old little kids who have always lived a protected life! Trauma grips the family. The family is going to be split!! The little ones have to fend for themselves whilst the mother braces to live alone chaperoning the child. The Father happens to be the bread earner hence he has to stay back and live the life of a forced bachelor. And one must not forget that the parents are now in the late 40’s and early 50’s. This is the stage when health issue gains priority. What was once a happy united family is now torn apart. This is where the Government of India needs to step in and find a solution. We need to have colleges and varsities here. And this depends on the determination of the Government. And yes, to ensure that no violation of any sorts occurs, these colleges and varsities will be restricted to Indian nationals only. Mr.Man Mohan Singh needs to do what Indira Gandhi did 28 years ago. She was instrumental in establishing Indian schools in Saudi Arabia. Singh will become King if he can get college education for over 50,000 kids who study in Saudi Arabia! Man Mohan Singh will be providing a solution to a burning issue. It would be a great service to the community and the nation.
And yes, we have long been yearning to have voting rights. And it is time that the present government works hard and takes a decision on the issue.