Oman musings

The Government of the Sultanate of Oman last week extended the amnesty deadline extended to expatriates (including Indians) living in the country without legal status to leave the country by May 31, 2010. The earlier date was March 31. These people, blue collar workers and housemaids mostly, are in the situation after having been cheated by unscrupulous agents back home. They land here on visit visas and only once they are here, do they realize that the agents have taken them on an extremely long ride. The workers, who come here with big dreams, are unable to convert the visit visa to a valid work visa. Helpless, they stay on illegally doing odd jobs.

Recently, the benevolent Oman government under the guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said made the amnesty offer and was generous enough to let these overstayers go back without paying fines. However, with more than 22,000 Indians registering for safe exit, the Indian Embassy in Muscat faced a daunting task at hand. To cope with the pressure, the embassy first appointed a few part-timers to handle the inflow of these hapless souls.

With the numbers increasing by the day, the embassy released that part-timers weren’t enough to cope with the demand. Just as they were wondering what to do, a group of goodwill Samaritans stepped in. For the last two months, these selfless volunteers belonging to various Indian communities and organisations have been helping the embassy in processing the papers of the illegal workforce without a hitch.

Unmindful of the scorching heat of Muscat (40 degree Celsius), they operate from the temporary tents put up in front of the embassy. They interact with the people, fill in their official papers, advice them on the course of action to be taken and keep in touch with them. It is not an easy job because each of these overstayers has a unique problem – mind you some of them don’t even have their passport with them.

What is amazing is that these volunteers spend their time sacrificing their comfort and sometimes losing money since they stay away from their full time jobs. There is a tailor who spends time at embassy helping between 8 am to 6 pm and then stays up till 3am to cater to the needs of his clients and livelihood. Homemakers who otherwise sit in the comfort of their homes are chipping in large numbers too. They are happy doing their bit for a noble cause. They are the real unsung heroes in this whole effort. Of course, the Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa too needs to be lauded for his proactive ways in this case. The Indian government must create more awareness so that more victims don’t fall prey to agents.

Magical Oman

Many may not be aware Oman is a tourism goldmine. From alluring beaches (blue, blue and blue) to majestic mountains to historical monuments to breathtaking deserts, the country has a lot to offer the vacationer. The tourism sector is active and the focus is on quality, high-end tourism. According to reports, in the next 6 to 8 years, Oman will see a boom in 5-star hotels and resorts. The Muscat International Airport is on a massive expansion mode. Recently, the cruise terminal was inaugurated at Sultan Qaboos Port. Besides, Muscat has been recognised as the second cleanest city (Singapore first) by a world body.

Salalah, one of the picturesque tourist attractions in Dhofar region, is like the south Indian state of Kerala. Dotted with coconut palms and banana trees, it is the only place in the GCC region which experiences monsoon (July-August). Locally, the season goes by the name Khareef. Cool Salalah is a hot favourite among locals of neighbouring countries like UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar too. To escape Muscat’s scorching summer, Omanis and expats too make a beeline to Salalah during Khareef. The cascading waterfalls, the quiet streams and the mist clad green mountains are quite a sight. For Indians who see a lot of monsoon, there are other exotic places to explore – Fjords of Musandam, Wahiba sands, Masirah islands, turtle beaches. Frankincense, dates and silver – you get the best in Oman. The Sultanate does provide a refreshingly soothing alternative to the dazzle of neighbouring Dubai.

Oman-India bhai-bhai

For centuries, Indians have made Oman their second home. More than 5,50,000 Indians live here in a total population of around 30,00,000. There is a lot of bonhomie between the two nations and its people. It is quite evident. So much so a lot of Omanis are very comfortable conversing in Hindi and it is common to see Hindi being used as a verbal means of communication in offices. In fact, my Hindi improved after landing in Oman. It is a treat to hear few of the Omanis speak a smattering of Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil sometimes. Omanis are very fond of Bollywood movies, songs and actors. For many, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are idols. I know a couple of Omanis who watch SRK movies first-day-first show at Muscat’s theaters.

Recently, when Big B was in town to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Muscat International Film Festival, it was no surprise to see Omanis all excited. Indo-Oman connection doesn’t end here. It is normal to see Omanis dig into masala dosas or thalis at Indian vegetarian eateries like Saravana Bhavan or Rajdhani. The Indian dal tadka and biriyani have been all time favourites with them. A lot of Omani students are pursuing studies in Indian cities like Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Free pass culture

Muscat hosts many Indian-based entertainment events. The recent high profile show was A R Rahman’s ‘Jai Ho’ concert in January this year. Likewise, Muscat has seen many shows. However, Indians hate to buy tickets and go any length to lay hands on a free pass. Some of them are known “pass-mongers”. According to an event manager, some of secretaries of top Indian bosses have an assignment during the entertainment season between November and March and that is to source free passes. If you are into event management, and want to expand your horizon abroad, then Muscat would not be a great place to organise pay-and-watch kind of shows. Pass it on.

IPL and real estate combo

What are the favorite topics of middle-aged Indians when they meet in social gatherings these days? It is invariably IPL cricket and real estate investments. Honestly, I feel out of place in such gatherings. But, I pretend to be a good sport by talking endlessly about Royal Challengers Bangalore and giving my two cents worth gyan on real estate investments in India. My bank statement would be a misnomer for these high-end real estate talks, I know.