SOURCE : ARAB NEWS

JUBAIL - FEB 03: Indian expatriates in Jubail have vowed to double their efforts to create a college of higher education for their children.

Speaking at the India Forum Jubail (IFJ) program, President Anis Bakhsh said the community was finding it difficult to send their children abroad to pursue higher education.

“Our children have been brought up here in Saudi Arabia and have had access to some of the best Indian and expatriate schools. When they are forced to leave a place in which they are rooted, they encounter all sorts of problems. It is especially worse for female students,” Bakhsh said.

“We have seen cases where some children who have had great grades here in Saudi Arabia fail to make their mark at higher education institutions abroad.”

Bakhsh attributed the problems to difficulties settling in and lack of parental and social support.

A large number of Indian students in the Eastern Province have enrolled in various educational institutions in Bahrain and make daily trips to the island nation.

However, Bakhsh wanted a college closer to home, while acknowledging the bureaucratic hurdles in setting it up.

“But it is and will be our endeavor to explain the difficulties we are facing to Saudi authorities through our embassy in Riyadh,” he said.

Bakhsh, who has connections to politicians from north India, recalled his meetings with many leaders on the issue.

“I have petitioned them on various occasions and have been in constant touch with the Indian ambassador to Riyadh to take the case forward,” he said.

He welcomed the appointment of Talmiz Ahmed as India’s new ambassador and urged him to take an active part in the Indian community’s affairs in the Eastern Province.

IFJ Vice President Mohammed Abdul Sattar, who is a senior public relations specialist at Saudi International Petrochemical Co. (Sipchem) and who anchored the program, said the Indian community in Jubail has distinguished itself by putting up a unified front. "At the forum, we have Indians who represent almost all states. It is a classic example of our unity in diversity," he said.

Speakers at the program highlighted India’s increasing role in world affairs and appreciated the Indian government’s positive gestures toward non-resident Indians (NRIs).

“We welcome the government’s move to allow NRIs to vote during the national elections,” said Habib Shaikh, one of the managers at Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd., while delivering the vote of thanks.

The IFJ was established in 2005 by Indians to promote the educational, cultural, social and business aspirations of Indian nationals residing in Jubail.