U-turn on NRI policies not a first
Yesterday’s announcement is the second instance in which the Indian government was forced to retreat on policies that affect NonResident Indians (NRIs) due to public outcry. In January, the government shelved a plan to change the colour of the Indian passport based on socioeconomic backgrounds, and drop the last page which serves as address proof.
Indian expats in the UAE played a major role in the government having to rescind its plans at the time.
Gulf News had also published a series of reports highlighting the concerns raised by the Indian community here.
K.V. Shamsudheen, chairman of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust in Sharjah, said the government should learn from these experiences and refrain from making policies without taking into consideration expatriates’ opinions.
“The bureaucrats in India may not understand the practical difficulties we expats face. So, the government should always consider the opinion of the Indian diaspora through its missions, before announcing rules that affect them,” he said. ■