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Meena's rift with the Indian School Ghubra was the major irritant in his relation with the business tycoons
Meena is gone, Long Live the Ambassador
Mr. Meeena is out .. Welcome to His Excellency Talmiz Ahmed - KM offers a warmwelcome to the new Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. Wish you all success in doing your job as the first citizen of the country without fear or favours.
"By taking 10 per cent depreciation every year, the book value of ISG is zero. The promoter has been charging very high rent. The MoU is not a license to exploit the Indian community. By revoking the MoUs, we are not trying to capture Dr.Mohammed Ali's private property. Let any private agent evaluate the property and the embassy or the community is willing to pay the price for the property," Meena, is believed to have told the new board members. According to him the new school was a net loss to the Indian community schools as the best teachers and some students from the area were forced to go to Ghala.
MUSCAT - August 4, 2003 K M Meena theformer ambassador had a premature departure from here and his successor Talmiz Ahmed has just arrived a week ago. Meena, the controversial diplomat had an unhappy exit from the Sultanate due to a protracted confrontation with the elite Non Resident Indian business leaders whose interests clashed with the interest of the common Indians . Meena is a closed chapter for these leaders, who are now trying to woo the new ambassador with all possible means. While the former ambassador was always addressed as Mr. Meena, the business tycoons started addressing his follower as His Excellency Talzeem Ahmed through their mouth piecees . The social club representatives who were reluctant to give a decent sent off ceremony to Meena have rushed to the India House to "welcome" the new ambassador, as soon as he landed here. They have already presented a set of recommendations to undo what Mr. Meena did - sack all the baord members, keep away from community shcools and revoke Meena's decisions one bye one. The business lobby has started usiung the same methods that they used againstMeena. Even before the new ambassador could present his credentials before the highest authorities here they started advising him, as to what to do and what not to do! The tycoons have already started dictating terms to the new ambassador, as if he does not know what to do and how to do it. They are ready to act with a carrot and stick policy.
Community Schools to become Private Schools
The Mahajan Association which runs the Indian School Wadi Kabir has engaged a legal consultant and advised the Indian Embassy that their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Embassy regarding the ISW is legal and in tact. Dr. P.Mohammed Ali, Managing Director of a leading construction company who had signed another MoU for the Indian School Ghala did not respond to the former Ambassador's decision to revoke it (until he left the Sultanate). The MoUs were revoked by the embassy as well as the board saying that it was not part of the day-to-day running of the school. The latest news is that the "community private schools" are trying to get license from the Ministry of Education to function as full fledged private schools. After single handedly taking on the mighty business barons K M Meena left the Sultanate with full satisfaction of doing whatever he could, within the short span of two years and undo some of the historical mistakes made by a corrupt diplomat in the past.
The School MoUs were signed by Renjith Gupta -a former diplomat- apparently after receiving lot of personal favours from two business tycoons who have made sufficient money from two schools in the last ten years. Meena is portrayed as a villain by some of the cheap Internet sites affiliated to the business lobby. Meena revoked the MoUs to rectify what he perceived as grave mistakes by one of his predecessors. The former school patron believed that he was acting in the interest of the vast majority of Indian community members and parents who remained silent.
"If they want to make money, start a private school with a local sponsor, the same way Dr.Mohammed Ali is running private medical and engineering colleges," said sources. The embassy did not ask Dr. Mohammed Ali about the money he makes from the engineering or medical colleges, which are run legally as per local rules and regulations. The former ambassador had in fact praiseed the NRI for making good contribution to Oman's development. However, Meena was dead against Dr.Mohammed Ali making money in the name of what he said was an illegal MoU without considering the legal aspects - Right Dr.P.Mohammed Ali, high stakes. 
One of the main problems facing the Indian community was the school mismanagement, where the ambassador (also the patron of Indian schools) found that some of the Big Indians were exploiting the vast majority of Indian community. Meena tried to reform the school system and stop such exploitation to the extent it was possible within the limitations.
Justifying the revoking of the two controversial MoUs, sources close to Meena said he was not against Dr. P.Mohammed Ali or Kanaksi Khimji making money through private schools. "If they want to make money, start a private school with a local sponsor, the same way Dr.Mohammed Ali is running private medical and engineering colleges," said sources. The embassy did not ask Dr. Mohammed Ali about the money he makes from the engineering or medical colleges, which are run legally as per local rules and regulations. The former ambassador had in fact praiseed the NRI for making good contribution to Oman's development. However, Meena was dead against Dr.Mohammed Ali making money in the name of what he said was an illegal MoU without considering the legal aspects. "It amounts to cheating and exploitation of common parents and the Indian community," said sources close to Meena, adding that the school was started as a branch of Indian school Muscat and there was no such thing as private school. He also shared a view that there is much hype about the superior quality of education from Indian School Al Ghubra but in terms of examination results and extra curricular activities community schools are equally good.
Seeb School to remain Community School
Regarding the Seeb School, one of the controversial projects, the school management committee is keen that the building is completed within six months from August as per the design given by the board. Currently about 900 students are studying in two shifts due to space problem. George Mathew, the original promoter who planned to make it a private school, has been lobbying to get back the project. However, it is unlikely that the new ambassador will reverse the process and give the school to him in a platter. The board has created a new plaque for the building foundation with inscriptions about the role of K M Meena in making the school a reality. KM hopes that the school foundation will be adored with that plaque to commemorate the former patron's heroic fight against all odds to make it a community school. It has come as a great relief to the Indian community, especially the industrial workers, residing in the area. Those who have been conducting campaign against the former Ambassador termed his initiatives as "interference". The ambassador is supposed to be working for the good of the common man and if the embassy interfered in the matter, no need to grumble because it has done only its job.
School Mismanagement and the Patron
One of the main problems facing the Indian community was the school mismanagement, where the ambassador (also the patron of Indian schools) found that some of the Big Indians were exploiting the vast majority of Indian community. Meena tried to reform the school system and stop such exploitation to the extent it was possible within the limitations. Meena has shaken the system to such an extent that now there are no members in the Board of directors whose auditing company audit school accounts. There are not many board members who have the ulterior motive of making money using community schools. At lest some cases of fees and deposit reduction have happened. Unlike the past when the cost of education was always increasing, at least some of the common parents had a sigh of relief in the form of reduced fee.
The success of Seeb School is the biggest achievement for the common man who can send his child to study at the nearest location economically. "The process should continue and within the last ten years (before Meena came as ambassador), the school system remained static within the clutches of a few people. Parents had no idea as to what was happening in the schools. Now they are better educated about school matters. Parents and the school community would have to demand transparency and accountability from school management committees and board of directors and seek proper utilization of the fees that they pay. Parents should also participate in parent teacher associations. If the ordinary members of the community turn their back on something, other influential people will be free to act according to their whims and fancies. This was the clear message from Meena.
His major problem arose after the old board of directors, which comprised big wigs from various business houses, was removed. The new board formed by the patron including some new faces was literally inactive for the first half of its term. First of all nothing was happening at the board meetings except the regular "meetings" in which they will have tea and biscuits. The whole board activity was in a fix. The problem started when the enthusiastic patron asked the board to take some action. Even though many new members were appointed from the parents and the community, majority of them were very swift in changing their affiliation to the business lobby. When the new board members got into power, they found a common interest with the business lobby in terms of business and goodwill.
The first problem with the new board started with the Indian School Moladha where the patron wanted the board to take stern action. However the new board members advised the patron to remain in a pedestal and just watch them sitting idle. According to the board members, who are influential members of the Indian community, the patron should not interfere in school matters. They wrote letters and complaints suggesting that the ambassadors "interference" in schools will affect the "bilateral relation" between India and Oman!
Kerala Politicians like E Ahmed and PC Thomas have keen interest in school business, read school matters. When the situation was going out of control, Meena withdrew the nomination of three new members. The former chairman of Board showed his loyalty to the community interest by writing a three-page letter to the Ministry of External Affairs, arguing why the Seeb Indian School should come up as a community school and not a private school. However, when he was one of the three- members of a committee, which was supposed to study the Seeb School, he made a total volt face and recommended that School should be a private school owned by George Mathew. Because of high-level connections of board members, the new board could not function normally The new board did not do anything to persuade the Ministry of Education that a single person should not be allowed to prevent the total functioning of Indian school system. The lobby continued to use their influence with the local officials and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prevent the smooth functioning of the school board.
The chairman (Parekh) was sacked due to the feed back given by some of the board members themselves who wanted to become chairman or vice chairman. However, one Dr. Bandodkar who had long experience working in Indian schools was nominated as the new chairman. Due to the pressure tactics exerted by some quarters, he sent his resignation letter without even consulting the patron. The old chairman vowed not to allow new chairman to work smoothly, say reports. The chairmanship of Sandeep Arora was an eventful year in the functioning of school board. With him at the top position, the board called a special meeting of school principals and presidents and their recommendations and suggestions were given due importance.
However, for some unknown reasons, Arora was not able to go along the Board resolution on the cancellation of two MoUs - Indian School Al Ghubra and Indian School Wadi Kabir. Even though he resigned, the resignation was accepted only at a later stage. It was after the resignation of Sandeep Arora that Mrs.Manjula Ramadass came to the scene. Even though some of the board members did not like her appointment as chairperson, she is firmly determined to do away with private schools. The board and the embassy have revoked the MoU of two schools and the final approval of the Ministry of Education is expected for the new board chairman.
Schools are functioning normally with the Seeb School charging the lowest fees. Indian School Darsait has reduced fees and deposits. The ISM the largest Indian community school has huge surplus and there is no reason why the school should continue to take deposit from students. While the Indian School Wadi Kabir is not charging any deposits, it is high time the ISM set a standard for other community schools. The patron wanted the board to reduce the ISM deposit by at least half and some reduction in fees too. Why should the community school keep adding to its surplus fund by squeezing ordinary parents? Even though the patron wanted to do away with the deposit scheme, others were not in favour. The board was also advised to control private tuitions and adopt centralised procurement of uniforms and school stationary from India, introducing proper procedures for taking disciplinary action against staff. He also wanted standardization of the terms of appointment and contracts. The poor state of affairs in schools staff management is evident from the fact that one of the teachers has been working with just a letter from the Indian School Muscat (ISM) president. Efforts to sack Indian School Muscat Principle overnight, the illegal sacking of two teachers of Indian school Moladaha are the latest events showing the poor staff relation in Indian schools. While Manjula Ramdas the new chairman and the Board directed the SMC to reinstate the teachers, they are still adamant.
According to sources close to Meena, the two schools were run as profit making entities. Even though the Indian School Wadi Kabir was charging reasonable fees compared to Indian School Al Ghubra, the MoUs were not license to exploit the Indian community. "By taking 10 per cent depreciation every year, the book value of ISG is zero.
The promoter has been charging very high rent. The MoU is not a license to exploit the Indian community. By revoking the MoUs, we are not trying to capture Dr.Mohammed Ali's private property. Let any private agent evaluate the property and the embassy or the community is willing to pay the price for the property," Meena, is believed to have told the new board members. According to him the new school was a net loss to the Indian community schools as the best teachers and some students from the area were forced to go to Ghala.
Meena and the new board chairman
Departure Images Reform Reversal
The whole school reform process can be reversed in a single day. Everything depends on the perceptions and policies of the new ambassador. The private business lobby here is jubilant about getting Meena transferred prematurely. They claim in private talks that they have already bought over the new ambassador. The covert campaign started with Meena is continuing subtly. While the former ambassador was addressed as Mr. Meena, the new ambassador has already become His Excellency . Their mouthpieces have already made "recommendations" to sack this member and that member, who don't toe their line. The message is clear, if the new ambassador follow their dictates, the same people who addressed the newambassador as His Excellency will repeat what they have done to Meena in two years. Private schools might continue to charge heavy fees, some of the old board members who have more than a decades experience in school boards might come back. Everything will depend on how the new ambassador, Talmiz Ahmad, takes decisions.
Improved Diplomatic Ties
The former ambassador had a cordial and warm relationship with the diplomatic community in Muscat. The embassy makes regular consular visits to meet Indian residing in far away places so that they don't have to come to Muscat for such services. Processing of visa applications is fastened and now a visa to India is available the same day of giving the visa application with relevant documents. Earlier visa was issued only the next day or so.
The visit of Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes was another important development that occurred during Meena's tenure. There was improvement in defence cooperation between the two countries. It is to be noted that an ambassador can achieve nothing concrete within two years.
While the community leaders accused Meena of not mingling with them or accepting their gifts (read bribes) the seasoned Indian diplomat had enjoyed his interaction with the Omani people who are friendly and give due respect to the Indian community. Indians are given maximum freedom in Oman to practice their cultural and religious practices. This is the reason why the community leaders should ensure that their action should not damage the reputation of Indian community in Oman. Those community leaders and Indian Shaikhs who indulge in corruption and white-collar crime are damaging the community image and the country's image in a foreign country. Their misdeeds will reflect on the country's image. Meena's opinion was that when the Omanis are largely good towards Indians, Indians should be equally good to them.
KM learns that when about 12 diplomats have been given extension by the Ministry of External Affairs in various missions and at the Ministry office in New Delhi. However, Meena became the victim of a superior official's vengeance and racial discrimination. Influenced by the business tycoons his superior in the MEA tried to dump him in a relatively insignificant location. However, as he fought his detractors in the Arabian Desert he did not give up without a fight. This time he filed a case with the Central Administrative Tribunal, CAT, where such grievances are handled. It appears that the attempt to transfer him to Vietnam did not succeed as the diplomat has strong personal reasons to remain in New Delhi at the concluding part of his long diplomatic career.
K M Meena on Kerala Monitor.com
The local media were totally hijacked by the business lobby and leading journalists became the mouthpiece of Indian sheikhs. Keralamonitor.com was the only medium through which the Indian community or the ambassador could speak to the public. Meena believed that KM has been writing on various issues boldly without succumbing to pressure tactics including police interrogation. However, he felt that KM exaggerated some of the issues and used not so good language in some of its reports. KM has also sensationalized and dramatized some community issues. However, Meena's opinion about the local media was that it conducted a persistent campaign against him without any justification. Even though he was acting in the larger interest of the Indian community, the newspaper s did great injustice to the community by siding with the powerful business community. According to Meena, the local media was clearly acting under the influence of big business tycoons, who happened to be big advertisers too. Meena had no personal antagonism with any journalists. In fact, he has appreciated the positive role of local media in highlighting the school issue.
Intimidation Tactics and betrayel of cause
The business lobby used their influence with powerful people to intimidate some members of the community who opposed them. Some people had their passports blacklisted in the emigration department and they were saved from the trap with the intervention of Meena. When such type of intimidation do not work well, the lobby will approach the local sponsor or employer and try to get such people sacked from their service. It happened with many people including a former board chairman who lost his job.
In some Indian business groups, there are 4,000 employees and some of them were ready to write letters to the editor, complaints and engage in hate campaigns against the ambassador. "In one construction company alone there is 100 Indian workers who will do whatever their bosses tell them. For them it is a bread and butter issue and no one can survive in these companies, if they raise community issues or support the ambassador. Getting two thousand people sign a memorandum is an easy task for these companies. However, there are several thousand Indians who are outside these groups - silently supporting the ambassador and his initiative. Mostly these workers follow their bosses' dictates, fearing job loss or just to please their superiors.
When new board members or SMC members are appointed, they have two choice -- either work independently in the community interest or join the business lobby, get their wha wha applause and long-term good will. Most members found that getting into the good books of business tycoons by obliging them is better than to side with the ambassador who will be there for only two or three years. New members tried to make new friendship with the business tycoons who have been there for more than 20 years and established long-term relationship. If they take action to reduce school fees by RO 2 per student, no one will praise them. Instead, if they work for the business tycoons personal benefits are many.
Labour Problems
Like all other Indian ambassadors in the past, Meena could not do any miracles to solve several thousand labour issues registered with the embassy. A legacy of the past, the labour issues in the Gulf region have their root cause in the domestic country, which no Indian ambassador can rectify without political will from both the countries. However, during Meena's tenure the working class had direct access to the embassy and the ambassador. Solving workers problem was close to his heart and he tried his level best to find amicable settle to some problems.
The embassy has a labour welfare fund, which was used to help and shelter housemaids facing harassment from local sponsors. The major bottleneck in solving Indian workers problem is that they are not aware of the terms and conditions of work agreement. Even when they don't get their salary regularly, they keep on working for the same sponsor without complaining to the embassy or the labour department. They approach the embassy when the problem becomes complex and the embassy or the labour department cannot do much. In many cases, companies and local sponsors prefer to go bankrupt or liquidation instead of settling labour problems, especially payment problem. Other problem facing Indian workers is the free visa menace caused by dubious agents bringing people from India promising lucrative jobs.
The business tycoons have turned against the ambassador as he did not accept "their gifts, or he mingled with ordinary Indians. According to the allegation, the ambassador allowed even the sweepers to enter India House, the ambassador's villa in the upper class dominated Qurum Heights area. "The ordinary NRIs sent the maximum foreign exchange to India and there is no meaning in keeping them away from community activities," said sources close to Meena. It is a fact that the community organizations and other areas of entertainment are monpolised by a miniscule section of the Indian community.
Pressure Tactics
Each of the business groups, which have interest in private schools, employ three to four thousand people. They use them even to conduct hate campaigns even against the ambassador. As long as the diplomats or embassy staff is acting in their interest, they will praise them to heaven. Otherwise, they will start sending nasty letters to the editor or baseless complaints to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Improved ties with Oman
During the two-year term Meena did his level best to maintain the cordial Indo-Oman relation and the embassy claims that the bilateral trade has gone up by eight to ten per cent. Despite the propaganda that Meena has been not friendly to the business community Indian export to Oman went up by about 10 per cent. Further the work on a multimillion Indo-Oman Fertilzer project, which was delayed for nearly one decade, is fast progressing. The embassy is also going ahead with its own chancery building project which was delayed for more than 15 years due to the influence of some business tycoons and corruption by ministry of external affairs officials. Whatever be the reason for reviving the chancery project, it happened during the tenure of Meena as ambassador.
Earlier Reports from KM
E.Ahmed behind transferring KM.Meena says Malayalam Paper Schools lobby behind my early exit: Ambassador
From Ravindra Nath (Oman correspondent Khaleej Times) 20 May 2003School News
MUSCAT - Outgoing Indian Ambassador Kajor Mal Meena, who is leaving after barely two years in the job, said yesterday he was happy that he had been able to give a big push to economic ties between his country and Oman.K.M. Meena, however, feels that a 'powerful school lobby' here in collusion with some Indian politicians and bureaucrats has played a role in his early departure after he attempted to reform administration of Indian schools in the Sultanate.Indian diplomatic postings are normally for a period of three years. Mr Meena's transfer from Oman was announced in New Delhi last week, and Talmiz Ahmed, currently ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was named his successor. He clearly expressed his bitterness at a 'section of the Indian community here' when, in an interview, he told Khaleej Times he was "very happy that I am going away from here because of what I had to undergo." Full Report
Talmiz Ahmed to Replace K.M.Meena as the New Indian Ambassador
K.M.Meena Talmiz Ahmed New Delhi - Talmiz Ahmed, the current Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been appointed as India's new envoy to Oman succeeding K.M.Meena. According to an official announcement, Kamaluddin Ahmed, a former minister and current member of the Planning Commission will be India's next envoy to Saudi Arabia. Full Report
Controversial Private School MoU Goes Public
Undue favours to Private Promoters to Control Board Monopoly in Schooling - no other schools within 10 Kms
An Agreement was executed at Muscat, on the 26th day of March 1992 between the then Indian Ambassador Ranjith Guptha and the Hindu Mahajan Association, Muscat President Kanaksi G. Khimji. This was regarding the schools run by the Association in Muttrah and Sohar. According to the Board which passed a resolution to revoke the license, the first clause of the agreement itself indicates that the two schools "shall adhere to the rules and regulations as applicable from time to time." KM is giving some of the clauses for the Indian community members to make their own judgments about the whole issue. "The income of the schools from collection of fees and any other source will belong to the Association and to no other party," says the agreement. In the event of income exceeding expenditure, such excess will belong to the Association to be disposed off in any manner it wishes," says clause 4 of the agreement Full Report
An Appeal to Parents, Board Members and Community Leaders
There is no doubt that a prominent Indian like Kanaksi Khimj who was recently selected for the Pravasi Bharathi Award and Dr.P.Mohammed Ali, who has build up a big business empire from a humble beginning have played crucial roles in developing their respective schools . The Hindu Mahajan Association too played crucial role in developing business and educational infrastructure. Through their hard work and entrepreneurship, they have been able to amass sufficient wealth and reputation not only in Oman, but back home in India too Full Report
MoUs of Indian School Al Ghubra,Wadi Kabir Revoked as per Board Meeting Norms.
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 Recent Reports on Indian Schools in Oman -- Covert Campaign by School lobby to oust Indian Diplomat intensifies--Seeb School Controversy School News Sleaze case rocks foreign office Saurabh Shukla - Hindustan Times New Delhi, May 30 School Fees Increased Three Times without Patrons Approval
