PM Modi meets Indian workers in Abu Dhabi
It was a 20 minute visit that will leave a lasting impression for the 300-odd Indian workers who were selected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Industrial City Abu Dhabi (ICAD) on Sunday evening.
The basketball court was the venue and the PM casually walked from one end of the court to the other where the workers were seated before his arrival. A loud applause announced his arrival as everyone stood to try and shake his hand and get their own Kodak moment.
Musku Ramu from Telangana was one of those. "When Modi ji came to where we were standing, he said, 'Telangana undu'."
He's been staying in this camp for 15 years and draws a salary of 4000 dirhams per month. Sarvan Kumar, though, was not so lucky. Panting and out of breath, he reached the ICAD basketball court a few minutes after the PM had left. "I had no idea he was coming. When I found out, I tried to come but the security guards had blocked off roads," he said.
The Industrial City Abu Dhabi can house 50,000 workers and is the largest residential camps in Abu Dhabi in terms of its size. Currently, approximately 28,000 Indians live here or about 40 per cent. The camp has different categories of accommodation from studio apartments, dormitories and one and two rooms. A six square metre space is the minimum that needs to be allotted per person and the area increases depending on the designation and salary. The manager of ICAD told the media that all buildings are centrally air conditioned.
Stories of workers plight and conditions of living in the residential camps has often been matter of concern in the Gulf but this particular camp, some residents suggested, is dubbed 'VIP camp' since living conditions here are better than other places.