UAE Indian envoy Seetharam ends tenure a happy man

Satisfied with what he has done ... TP Seetharam

Indian Ambassador to the UAE, TP Seetharam, has enjoyed a successful stint and will leave a happy man on August 31. It was during his term that India-UAE relations saw dramatic improvement. He has also tried to provide better service to the Indian community through better access to the embassy, more transparency and communication. At the end of 36 years as a diplomat, he leaves the UAE and the job, a satisfied man.
Excerpts from an exclusive interview.
What is the reason for the premature end to your term?
I am turning 60 on September 1 and as per Government of India rules that is the retirement age for officials. There are a few ambassadors - political appointments, who get to continue in service. My term ends on August 31.
What are the first changes you initiated after taking charge?
I came to the UAE at the end of December 2013. I began with the process of improving the services towards the community. First, I visited the Abu Dhabi jail in Al Wathba. I was able to understand their issues and tried to assist them. I found that many of them were unable to keep in touch with their relatives in India for lack of money to make phone calls. We started a system by which a certain amount is deposited in their accounts in prison so they can make calls. And we have a system of making weekly visits to jail and we have compiled information regarding every prisoner to help them.
There is a great disconnect between the embassy and the general public. Has the embassy done anything to bridge this gap?
There are many reasons for this. Many of our services are outsourced and the common man's link with the embassy has reduced. For your passport needs, you go to BLS Centre and people believe that is the embassy. Many don't know where the embassy is. We had an open house system, but once a month. I felt that wasn't enough and now we have a walk-in open house every working day between 10 to 12 noon that too without any appointments. This has been very successful and has made access to the embassy smoother.
What other steps have been taken reach out to the public?
We have 2.8 million (approximately) Indians here and we have a vibrant website to keep connected. We have more than 30,500 likes on our Facebook page. We want people to be aware of developments happening here and in India, too, a lot of which is can be seen on our Facebook page.
How does the embassy utilise its funds to help people in distress?
Any Indian who is in serious difficulty and needs a ticket to return home is given help. We have the resources through the Indian Community Welfare Fund. The UAE is the first place to start an Indian Workers Resource Centre for all kind of assistance. The facility in Dubai has got very good response.
How important and strong are the India-UAE bilateral ties now?
Bilateral relations are an important element. For the UAE, India is its largest trading partner. For India, the UAE is its third largest trading partner. The two-way trade of about $59billion is slightly tilted in favour of India, with the country exporting a little more. We are working on various things like the 'Make in India' movement. We had many events with ministers visiting to promote it.
What is you experience about the India-UAE political relation?
When I joined, what I saw was that while people-to-people relations, trade and economic relations are excellent, our government-to-government ties were lacking. Perhaps a lack of trust for whatever historical reasons and regional developments, and this was evident from the fact that no Indian Prime Minister had visited the UAE for 34 years. We were able to correct that in a very impressive way with the visit of prime minister Narendra Modi. The visit in August last year transformed our ties. There is a new dynamism in our relationship.
What is the progress on the Hindu Temple to be built in Abu Dhabi?
It was an offer made by the UAE government. There is progress on it. We know land has been identified. I have attended a meeting in which I have seen evidences of progress.
Indian embassies were perceived as weak. For the common man, embassies weren't of much help. Has this changed now?
It's due to a problem of communication. The creation of the Indian Community Welfare Fund has given more resources to the embassy to reach out to people. We have asked the government to let us use it more generously. Thus, we can provide more assistance in a prompt manner. There is a new dynamism in the way the government functions. The E-migrate portal 'Madad' has happened in the last few months. Now response time for any distress call is very quick.
What is the utility factor of Non Resident Keralites Affairs?
Norka has an important role. They have a big responsibility to help returning people fit back into the society. Not everyone return with millions. So Norka has an important role in all this and we work very closely with them. Since embassy makes arrangement to send dead bodies back to Kerala. Those funds (allocated to Norka) can be used for something else.
There is a transfer of prisoner agreement but still many are in jail. What's the reason for this?
A survey was held among 1,200 prisoners and only 120 wanted to go back home. If you do a survey now, you may find that there are not many prisoners in the jails. Either they have completed their term or they have been pardoned. But under the actual agreement no one has gone back. There was one prisoner who was named for transfer, but he couldn't be transferred as the crime committed by him doesn't deserve the same form of punishment in India. Now, we have a list of five names but we are awaiting details.
How do you rate your stint?
I am satisfied as it was during my time here the relation between the two countries improved. I am told by the UAE leadership that the relationship has never been better. So this is a very satisfactory feeling.
What's next for you?
For me, it is retirement. I am free to do something different. I will leave on August 31.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com