Pravasi Samman Puraskar Awarded to Shri Kanak Khimji

Prominent Indian Businessman Kanak Khimji who is the only NRI from the entire Middle East to get the first Pravasi Bharathiya Puraskar from the Government of India during the Pravasi day celebrations in New Delhi. The Indian Merchants Community in Oman falicitated the award winner. Seen here is Indian Ambassador in Oman K.M.Meena presenting a memento to the award winner.

According to sources, the Indian Embassy had proposed a list of prominent NRIs to be considered for the much coveted award. It is a typical Indian mentality that when someone gets an award or recognition, others would also like to get the same. According to sources, the award this year was given only to People of Indian origin and not to any Non Resident Indians. That explains why two prominent Malayali businessmen in Gulf did not get the award. " Malayalis are the largest NRI community in the Gulf, why our people are not given award," asked none other than the Kerala chief Minister A.K.Antony. The final selection was done by a special committee under the Vice President.

Now another person frm the same Indian community has come forward with a new reveleation. Read the email below for your comments.

speeches by Ministers, Dignitaries Theme Keynote by Dr. L M Singhvi, MP

More Pravasi Day news

Why cant I get the Car?

While this is happening at the highest echelons of Indian community in the Gulf, take the example of a lower level businessman running a super market .

Atlas Jewellers conducted a raffle draw in Muscat to select the last winner of its Atlas Golden Drive two days back and the winner turned out to be one Mahboob Ali whose coupone Number 122369 gave only a mobile phone number as his contact address. Apparently he may not have got his own telephone number and gave a close or distant friend's mobile number for contact. A few seconds after the draw was held, M.M.Ramachandran, Atlas Managing Director, Atlas Jewellery LLC, called up the number and told the person that "he is the winner of a brand New Mazda car". Now the funny side of the story is that the phone number belonged to one Malayali, a certain Nawaz from Malappuram district, who said he did not know anyone by name Mahboob Ali. "Since my telephone number is given in the coupon, why cant you give me the car," he asked the Atlas M.D.

"Only telephone number is not required brother. You need to produce the counterfoil of the coupon plus an Indian passport showing the name Mahboob Ali," he advised Nawas. However, Nawaz who runs a small supermarket was not keen to inform his friend, Mahboob Ali about the prize and pretended as if he does not know him at all. Even after two three days, he says there is no information about Mahboob Ali.

One of our journalists called him and asked, do you know any person by name Mahboob Ali, to which he replied negatively. "Sir, why cant you arrange to give me the car because my telephone number is given in the coupon. Do something and get me the car. I can produce even a passport showing Mahboob Ali name," he persuaded. "How long you are using this telephone?" we asked, "One and half years", he replied. It means that he knows very well the name and details of the winner. But the typical Indian mentality in him worked and he is trying to find out whether he can grab the car through any means. Even if he knows that the car belongs to his friend, Nawaz would not try to intimate him about it.!!! Atlas Draw click here

Pravasi Day Photos

The NRI of today is the Pravasi Bharatiya of tomorrow. The welfare of NRIs in the Gulf region is of utmost concern to us. A compulsory insurance scheme for Indian workers migrating to this region will be unveiled shortly. Parliament is already considering a bill to establish a welfare fund for the overseas Indian workers. More