V Muraleedharan has served as bridge between India, Gulf: Jaishankar

He recalled MoS Muraleedharan's work in ensuring the smooth issuance of passports and being ready to go to conflict regions to evacuate Indians.

Jaishankar unveiled a draft development document for the Attingal constituency on Thursday.

Speaking at an interaction, Jaishankar said, "Please see, how much respect we are getting today. What it was 10 years before and how it is today. All of you have travelled to the Gulf, please see today how much respect we are getting in the Gulf."

"To do that you have to continuously go there, build relations, look at the community problems...and that is something he (V Muraleedharan) has been doing," he said.

The EAM recalled how the Indians were treated nicely in the Gulf countries even during the Covid pandemic and stated that this was because of India's relations with the Gulf. He added that the person who served as a bridge at that time to the region was MoS Muraleedharan

"Secondly, during the Covid time, from many countries in the Gulf, they sent back a large number of people; actually, for India, we were treated very nicely and very few people had to come back. They gave vaccines to our people, in many cases the told employers not to ask the employees to leave," Jaishankar said.

He added, "They went so much out of the way that PM Modi thanked many of these Gulf countries for what they did on Independence Day. They did all of this because all the time somebody was going on behalf of PM Modi to the Gulf regularly. We also did things for them, we kept food supplies and other things going. The person who served as a bridge at that time to the Gulf was again V Muraleedharan."

Further heaping praise on the PM Modi-led government, Jaishankar said that the Centre has made every Indian feel that the country is there for them in crisis situations.

"One of the big achievements of the Modi government is that we tell every Indian, please feel safe about going outside because when you leave India we are there for you. But by saying you cannot convince people, you have to do it. In the last 10 years, we have done it again and again...in Sudan, Nepal, Iraq, Ukraine, Israel," the EAM said.

Recalling the evacuation of Indians from Sudan, Jaishankar said that Muraleedharan went to the conflict-hit region without any hesitation.

"During Sudan crisis, I remember, I called V Muraleedharan and told him 'Tonight you need to leave for Sudan'. So for me to have a partner and colleague who could move...no hesitation, he will go there, spend time, go into details, even the most basic details," he said.

Further elaborating on the responsibilities of MEA, he said that MoS Muraleedharan has worked a lot for the smooth issuing of passports.

"One of the big responsibilities of the Ministry of External Affairs is to ensure that passports are given smoothly. How to run a passport system? He (Muraleedharan) has been dealing with it directly...I think every year, 15 lakh people from Kerala take new passports...I am today a sakshi (witness) to all the work that he has done, all the respect he has commanded, all the impact he has in the Gulf," he said.

Jaishankar urged the people of the state to elect someone like V Muraleedharan to the Lok Sabha.

"The biggest thing you can do to strengthen PM Modi's hands to make sure that all that we want to achieve in Viksit Bharat in the coming time, you can do by sending a person like V Muraleedharan to the Lok Sabha," he added. (ANI)