High regard for Times of Oman Journalists? Be more Democratic in dealing with Indian Community issues. Covert Campaign by School lobby to oust Indian Diplomat intensifies -Trust in Almighty, 83 year old NRI praise K.M.Meena; Lashes out at Indian Ambassador in Iran.
People Friendly Ambassador Faces Legal Tussle with NRI Tycoon
New Delhi -- November 28, 2002. A protracted tug of war between a "people friendly" diplomat and a coterie of Indian business tycoons has reached a turning point with latest unconfirmed reports indicating that the Delhi High Court has accepted a writ petition filed by an influential Non Resident Indian in Muscat against the Indian Ambassador to Oman, K.M. Meena for his "wrongdoings and illegal actions"! Why did the NRI lobby go all the way to Delhi to file a case about something that is happening in a Gulf country"? According to the website controlled by the NRI business lobby, "A prominent Gulf based NRI filed a Writ Petition in the Delhi High Court against Indian Ambassador Mr. K M Meena for what the website claimed is "his wrongdoings and illegal actions."
Multi-Dimensional Attack
A mixture of a legal and psychological warfare coupled with negative media publicity through a newly launched website (focusing on character assassination) are part of the latest move to contain the diplomat and his fees reduction agenda. Perhaps, this is one of the rare cases where an NRI has gone to the extent of filing a case against an Indian Ambassador who has stood firmly for the common man's cause. The news about the writ petition against the ambassador came along with another good news to parents of Indian School Darsait that the School Management Committee would relieve parents from the burden of paying huge caution deposits. It is due to continued persuation by the Indian Ambassador that schools have been reducing fees and caution deposits. The ISD Management Committee headed by K.S. Visruthan had reduced the tuition fee at higher secondary level and removed the computer fee payable by parents in the KG classes and the library fee for higher secondary classes last year. This year, the committee has decided to remove the compulsory deposit of RO110 payable by a parent at the time of admission of his ward. This withdrawal of deposit will be applicable for admissions related to next academic year (2003-04). This important decision by the ISD Management Committee came due to the personal initiative of the patron. However, major schools have been reluctant to implement the desired changes and were sticking to their guns.
The important news is yet to trickle down to ordinary parents, schoolteachers and the Indian community who have been feeling relieved due to the diplomat's policies. It is learned that one NRI petitioner had earlier sent a "legal notice" to the Ambassador for "removing him from a prominent position in the Indian School Board. Meena who joined the Indian Embassy in Muscat became the "most popular" Indian Ambassador in Oman due to his bold steps and reforms that were praised by many average Indians.
However, some of his steps really antagonized the business community. Meena is the first Indian Ambassador ever to challenge, rather sack a number of prominent NRIs from the school board. Even though he wanted to implement more reforms on the school front, especially further reduction in fees, improved transparency and decent treatment of Indian schoolteachers, these could not be achieved due to a number of reasons.
Against Community Interests?
An NRI lobby with stake in education business has been planning to file court cases against the Ambassador in India. The clever strategy appears to be to keep him engaged in petty issues till his retirement or transfer. It looks like a long-term strategy to prevent further reduction in the school fees in some of the leading schools. The anti-ambassador moves have been strongly supported by a section of senior bureaucrats in the Ministry of External Affairs who are apparently unhappy with the senior diplomat's bold stand against all odds. According to the new website created to sharpen the attack against the diplomat, all his batch mates have been promoted to the rank of Additional Secretary and the diplomat was singled out for his "poor handling of Indian school issues in Oman"."Too much intervention by him in school affairs was totally unwarranted and was totally detrimental to the progress of the Indian schools and the larger interests of the Indian community in Oman," said the portal, which claims to represent ordinary Indian citizens.
It is another matter that many ordinary parents in Oman are said to be feeling relieved from fees reduction plan pushed by the diplomat, which is only partially implemented.The widespread support that the diplomat received from the ordinary Indians and his growing popularity have in fact irritated many influential NRIs who normally wield considerable influence in the functioning of Indian missions abroad. Within a short span of time, the Indian Ambassador has taken a few bold decisions to demand a reduction in school fees even in a leading private school, increased role for parents in school management and an overall people-friendly approach. Compared to most of the former Indian diplomas that were often keeping away from ordinary citizens wining and dining with the big people, Meena has been a people's ambassador.
Indian Schools or Indian Community Schools?
In the last week of October the diplomat made a bold appeal to the parents and an audience representing the cream of Indian community that "all Indian schools are community schools" and that "parents have a right to know how the money is spent". He has also urged the school management committee to reduce fees and economic burden on parents and help the economically poor sections of students and parents. However, when the new website reported it, the Ambassador's message was totally distorted. "All community schools belong to parents and the parents have full rights to know how the schools are being run and how the money is being spent.". Even though KM correspondent was not present in the meeting, we learned from sources close to the ambassador that his actual message was that "all Indian schools belong to parents and they have full rights to know how community schools are run." He stressed the need for transparency in running the "community schools" and "full accountability" of the management committees of these schools; The ambassador also suggested that the schools should give fee concession to needy parents.
Reduced School Fees May Go Up Again?
The court case is really hot news to many ordinary members of the Indian community, who have started feeling whether this is part of the final campaign to eject the diplomat from his hot seat. They also fear whether this campaign would result in further increase school fees, more caution deposits and continued maltreatment of schoolteachers. Recently the diplomat boldly asked for all detailed files about the removal of a lady teacher from an Indian school. According to reports, the lady teacher was sacked without giving adequate reason. In fact the school principal agreed to take back the sacked teacher and "went on a foreign trip". There are many such cases where the ambassador has directly clashed with powerful people.
No Immunity against corruption
It appears that the strong Indian business lobby, which has been working overtime against him, planned to file similar legal cases against the Indian Ambassador for revoking a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the former Ambassador. However, one Keralite businessmen, was advised that being a diplomat, the Indian Ambassador enjoys diplomatic immunity and no legal proceedings could be taken against him in the Gulf country where he is posted. Similarly, the diplomat has not violated any local rules and regulations to warrant such legal action from his own countrymen.
In fact the diplomat landed himself in unwarranted controversy because he has been trying to help the ordinary members of the Indian community by demanding more transparency, reduced school fees and overall economic burden to parents of Indian schools. Such popular measures have been widely appreciated by the Indian community in Oman and other Gulf countries. Such measures, which are beneficial to the large majority of Indian community members, clashed with the private business interest.
Appreciation from Parents, Well Wishers from Iran.
"There in Muscat you have the ambassador of India Shri K.M. Meena who is very sincere in performance and looking after the Indian National interests. All Indians and well -wishers of India would certainly approve of all such faithful servants of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) of India. I as one of the overseas Indian community member feel proud of him for his commendable service to the country and the nation. I bow to him and feel proud of him," says Sree Ram Mohindra, an 83 year old senior Indian Citizen living in Iran. He has sent this message through KM correspondent in Iran.
An Indian School parent in Seeb compared the fee levels of the private Indian school to various airlines operating to the Indian sector, which fleece Indians rich and poor alike with exorbitant fare levels. "I am happy that the Indian Ambassador K.M.Meena and the Indian Embassy have taken keen initiative to make a community school in Seeb. We pray that the school should remain a community school and should not be given to private persons. If it goes to private businessmen, then there wont be any solution to our sufferings," says an ordinary parent.
Private Vs Public Interest
It is learned that the former Indian Ambassador in Muscat decided to give the Seeb School to a private party. The Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi did not approve of the agreement, which was reportedly signed without its knowledge or consent. Even though a big lobby has been working against the Indian Ambassador's move to make it a community school with the tacit approval of senior officials in the MEA, New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs advised the patron to adhere to the local rules and regulations.
The local Ministry of Education has also endorsed his policy and sent a communiqué to the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools through a letter issued in the last week of June 2002: "In recognition of the educational requirements of the children of the Indian community in Al Seeb and adjoining areas, the matter warrants you to expedite the steps to complete the formalities for opening of the Indian Schools branch of Al Hail putting it directly under the supervision of the Board of Directors of the Indian schools without depending upon the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Embassy of India and an Indian national George Mathew, because that agreement contravenes the provision of the Ministerial Decree No. 116/91 regulating the community schools."
The dispute between the patron and a former board member has been adversely affecting the normal functioning of schools. However the Indian community and diplomats all over the world will be curiously watching the turn of events in New Delhi and Muscat. (Keralamonitor.com)
