Abu Dhabi: Indian expatriates (or Non-Resident Indians, NRIs) in the UAE are flying home in huge numbers to cast votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, dubbed the mother of all elections.
UAE-based Kerala Muslim Culture Centre (KMCC), a political arm of the Muslim League, an ally of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, has chartered an Air India flight on April 7 to carry voters to Kozhikode.
“The Air India flight has been fully booked for voters who wish to travel to Kerala to cast their votes. Eighty people have already confirmed their seats, and we are expecting the numbers to go up,” Ebrahim Elettil, General Secretary of KMCC – UAE wing, told XPRESS.
KMCC chartered special flights for voters in the 2009 elections as well.
Various expat organisations and cultural groups are also in overdrive, encouraging their members to exercise voting rights when India goes to the polls in nine phases from April 9 to May 12.
In one of the biggest election exercises in the world, the 814 million strong Indian electorate will choose 543 MPs (members of parliament), and set the stage for the majority party to form the next government.
Tushar Patni, President of the Gujarati Samaj in Abu Dhabi that has 500 members, said an unprecedented number of expats will cast their votes this election. “People who have never voted are going this time to India to vote. The enthusiasm is unparalleled as people are keen for change,” said Patni who was unapologetic about his support for the opposition party Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been predicted to win the highest number of seats.
“Being Gujaratis, there is no question that we will miss the opportunity to vote for our prime ministerial candidate,” said Patni, referring to right-wing and controversial Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who is slated to become India’s next prime minister if the BJP sweeps the polls.
Another expat organisation, Abu Dhabi Islamic Centre, is conducting seminars to help its members get enrolled on the voters list. Bhava Haji, 72, who has been the President of the Islamic Centre for 20 years, said many expats are disappointed their names are not on the voters lists.
“We are helping people to download the required documents, send the filled forms to Kerala so that they can exercise their voting rights,” said Haji.
Haji is eager to see the ruling UDF, led by the Congress party, to return to power in the South Indian state. And he is definitely rooting for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance to “keep away fascist forces from coming to power at the centre”.
On the campaign Trail
Indian elections are not just about casting votes for many politically active expats. Office-bearers and committee members of many expat organisations are already in India campaigning for their choice of candidates and political parties.
Harish Mishra, core member and UAE coordinator for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said party members are travelling to their constituencies to add impetus to the nationwide campaign rallies.
“We all have full-time jobs here. But members have been asked to keep aside at least two or three days to travel to India and be part of the political change that our party is spearheading in this election,” said Mishra, who works in the insurance sector.
Mishra’s Aam Aadmi Party, though a new entrant is perceived to be a game-changer in this elections, under the leadership of activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal.
Jaffer Thangal, a committee coordinator for KMCC, said dozens of their members are hitting the dirt at various constituencies in Kerala to campaign for UDF and Muslim League candidates.
“Our members are going in batches to campaign. There are various committees for publicity, media, advertisement and everybody pitches in a few days in Kerala,” said Thangal.
The fever and pitch of the general elections are felt across the social spectrum as even those residents who are not part of any expat organisation are also flying to India to ink their fingers.
Many residents told XPRESS they had planned their holidays to coincide with the general elections.
“It is a privilege that I have not missed in the last 15 years. This year is no different. I am travelling to feel the heat of the elections, and also to cast my vote,” said Rakesh Mishra, 48, an architect in Abu Dhabi, without naming who he would vote for.
An HR professional at a multi-national company in Abu Dhabi said they have got several leave requests from Indian workers between April and May.
No voting rights
Clamouring for NRI voting rights – to cast ballots in host countries – has long been an exercise in futility for Indian expats in the UAE. The sheer number of NRI voters and the mammoth logistics involved have always been pointed out as the stumbling blocks to setting up a voting facility for Indians living abroad.
A majority of the nearly two million Indian expats in the UAE do not even have their names on the voters list. But that hardly deters the political savvy expat from getting mired in heated political debates.
Vinay Varma, managing director of the Royal Orchid Group of hotels in the UAE, has never exercised his voting rights since he came to the UAE in 1969. It is unlikely that he will do any differently in this election as well. But Varma claims he is a keen observer of the political dramas unfolding in India, and is very much involved.
“Invariably elections are topics of animated discussions. Everywhere I go, I can see that people are so vocal about what they stand for. Debates often get personal, so I try to play it calm,” said Varma who owns a chain of restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
An ardent supporter of Congress, Varma said he can see the mood is swinging in favour of the BJP. “Some of my friends are hardcore BJP loyalists, and our debates never end.”
XPRESS caught up with a close friend of Varma who is in the opposite political camp. “This is an election against corruption and dynasty politics. We are left far behind because of the scams and corruption under the Congress government,” said Varma’s friend who wanted to remain anonymous.
However, the private sector employee in his 60s minced no words while rooting for the politics for the development mantra touted by Narendra Modi.
Political debates and discussions are not the privilege of the elite in India. So is it among the blue collar workers in the UAE. Labour accommodations across the UAE are also in the grip of election fever as workers tell XPRESS their evenings are spent in front of television news channels.
“Spirited debates in the even-ings are unending these days. Often there are shouting matches between BJP and Congress supporters. We are living all the action away from the action,” said Harpal Singh, a Punjabi carpenter who lives in Mussafah.
Ilayarasu, a worker from Tamil Nadu who requested not to mention his company name, said he and his five friends are having a bet.
“If Narendra Modi does not become the next Prime minister, I am shaving off my head. That is the bet. But I am sure he will,” said Ilayarasu, 25.
But he is not the only one who is passionately supporting a candidate – there are others who are rooting for Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal with equal fervour.
Modi, Rahul camps fight on WhatsApp
Political activism has gained a new status this election as electoral battles are being fought on WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages. Considering the internet penetration among Indian voters, mainstream political parties too have taken to social media platforms to woo voters.
In the UAE, several WhatsApp groups representing different ideologies are abuzz with political propaganda.
An expat organisation in Dubai that requested not to be named said they have appointed a cyber wing to post links and respond to comments on WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages.
“There are often no holds barred debates on our Facebook page. Our cyber wing members are trained to do research and dig out facts to counter negative comments,” said an expat who represents ‘Rahul for India’ Group.
There are also various Whats-App groups actively campaigning for Modi and regional parties as well. Residents who spoke with XPRESS said bitter wars of words often break out on Facebook pages after somebody puts a status update favouring or attacking a political party.
“It is like an addiction. People just cannot stop at one or two comments. We can see that even at wee hours, the comments just get more virulent and vicious,” said Anoop Siddharth, 26, a marketing executive in Abu Dhabi.
Election tourism. any takers?
Heard of election tourism? That is exactly the new Gujarat model of tourism being offered by Ahmedabad-based tour operator Manish Sharma.
His Akshar Travel has roped in nearly 100 tourists from Dubai, London and Atlanta to get a taste of the hullaballoo of Indian elections 2014. Under various tour packages, tourists will get a chance to trail election campaigns and attend political rallies.
“If on a certain day a national political leader is addressing a rally, the tourists would be given an opportunity to interact with them and ask about their campaign styles and poll issues,” said Sharma, adding that efforts would be made to provide front rows to the foreign tourists during the political rallies.
Tour packages range anywhere from $1,200 (Dh4,404) to $1,600, (Dh5,872). In Gujarat, the tour circuits identified are Rajkot, Patan, Porbandar and Somnath. ‘Democratic Triangle’ package covers the Delhi-Jaipur-Agra circuit in five nights and six days. ‘Political Rajasthan Royals’ circuit covers Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and Udaipur in seven nights and eight days.
Candidates with UAE connection
Shashi Tharoor, Indian Minister of State for Human Resources Development and sitting Congress MP from Kerala, is contesting elections from Thiruvanthapuram constituency in Kerala. Tharoor is well-known in Dubai social circles after his marriage to Dubai-based entrepreneur Sunanda Pushkar who was recently found dead in a hotel room in Delhi. The couple met and got married in Dubai, and both reportedly have huge business interests in the UAE.
Kamaal Rasshid Khan aka KRK may not have made it big in Bollywood. But the small-time actor and big-time Twitter activist who lives in Dubai, is contesting against Congress veteran Gurudas Kamath from Mumbai South West. KRK will contest under a Samajwadi party ticket.
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