BENGALURU: In one of the largest worldwide campaigns of NRIs of post-independence, dozens of NRI’s flocked to the India embassies and consulates worldwide and petitioned them seeking protection for their investments and savings in India.
Their petition at all locations was just the same-- “we as victims have organized ourselves into a group advocating for relief measures. Our preliminary data analysis suggests that one out of every three NRIs has experienced victimization in India. We appeal to the union government for support considering our substantial contribution at the national level. To address the concerns raised we propose enactment of the NRI Protection Bill.’’
The first knock on the doors of embassies and consulates were in the Eastern Asian regions of Hong Kong and in the areas of Australia, then followed petitions in the middle east and gulf nations where again there is a heavy concentration of Indians and then followed Europe, US and Canada.
The team members led by Subhas Balappanavar who is their international convenor took flights to reach all the seven consular offices in USA. Balappanavar who visited the Indian consular office in San Francisco said, “Initially, they asked us to drop the petition with the security. I insisted to meet Consul General. Finally after 30-minutes we met the officials at the consulate.’’
The NRI Grievance group member Mohan Vel Thandapani who visited their Dubai office said, “PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the Middle East next week as a part of the ‘Alhan Modi’ campaign and here some 55,000 have already registered. We will try to meet the PM and request him to take up this important issue of ensuring protection of NRI savings and investments.’’