PANJIM: Goa
Congress Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Shantaram Naik on Tuesday urged
External Affairs Ministry to protect the interests of the 6.5 lakh Indians in
Qatar, which is facing a crisis after being isolated by other Gulf countries.
Of the
6.5 lakh, some 10,000 are Goans.
In a
letter to Union Minister Sushma Swaraj , Naik has urged her to protect the
interests of 6.5 lakh Indians, including 10,000 Goans, living and doing
business in Qatar.
“In
view of a serious situation developing in Qatar, India has to use diplomatic
channels with Qatar in the interest of the Indian population there,” he said.
Naik
pointed out that the people from India, particularly from Goa, have been of
immense help in boosting the economy of Gulf countries including Qatar. “People
from Goa have been opting for jobs in Gulf countries for several decades, and
it is the duty of the Indian government to monitor the interests of the Indian
population,” Naik wrote.
On
Monday, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, the UAE and the Maldives
severed diplomatic, civil aviation and shipping ties with Qatar, accusing it
supporting terrorism.
