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Finding last resting place for Indians in
Gulf: Vayalar Ravi
Monday November 05, 2012 09:52:05 PM,
N.C. Bipindra,
IANS
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New Delhi:
To ease the legal troubles and logistical hassles of families of
Indians who die in the Gulf countries, India has funded half of
the $1.64-million funeral home project of the Indian community
living in Sharjah following a plea made to Minister of Overseas
Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi.
The Indian government's share in the project comes to about
$820,000 and the funds have been released for the project through
the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF).
"There is going to be a funeral place in Sharjah (third largest
city in the United Arab Emirates) for which I also paid money. It
is a funeral ground for Indians from all religions. It is an
Indian community project there. It is a good thing," Ravi told
IANS in an interview.
"They asked me for some financial help and I paid 50 per cent.
They have started work and we have already paid the money," he
said at his Akbar Bhavan office here.
The ICWF is maintained by Indian embassies and consulates to
assist distressed Indians in their host countries and the
budgetary allocations for the fund are made by the Ministry of
Overseas Indian affairs (MOIA).
In September Ravi had expanded the scope of the ICWF to cover
penalties in case of overstay or detention, apart from financial
support to set up community centres in host countries.
The funeral centre at Sharjah is coming up at a cost of Emirati
Dirham (Dh) six million, of which Dh3 million has been paid from
the ICWF to the Indian Association Sharjah, which is executing the
project. The work on the project has already begun.
The Indian community in the UAE records just over 1,200 deaths
annually. But families of the dead find it difficult to bring the
body back to India due to legal issues involved and the high cost
of air travel.
In view of these hassles, the Indian community has been seeking
help from the government in New Delhi to prevail upon the Gulf
nations to allow them to hold the funeral in the host nations.
The MOIA has also recently given funds for upgrading an existing
funeral centre at Abu Dhabi, the second largest city in the UAE.
India had in April requested the UAE to provide land for a funeral
home for Indians residing in that country when their external
affairs ministers met in New Delhi for bilateral talks.
The Indian government also plans to make a similar plea to other
governments in the Gulf region, where around six million Indian
citizens live and work.
The funeral centre projects may help fulfil the wishes of many
third generation Indians living in the Gulf countries to make
those nations their last resting place.
(N.C. Bipindra can be contacted at nc.bipindra@ians.in)
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