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Gujaratis in UAE set to receive Modi

Dubai - Many Gujaratis are hoping that his visit will bring more changes, both in the UAE and back in India.

Members of the UAE's Gujarati community are optimistic about the upcoming two-day visit of Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi.
For 12 years beginning in 2001, Modi served as Chief Minister of Gujarat, during which time he was widely praised for his development-oriented approach to governance, which led to significant improvements in the state's infrastructure and farm productivity.
Now, many Gujaratis are hoping that his visit will bring more changes, both in the UAE and back in India.
Malay Shah, a 25-year-old Gujarati Dubai resident, said he believed that Modi will learn valuable lessons from the UAE's leadership which he can then implement in India.
"One sure thing about Modi's visit to Dubai is that from the 100 good things and ideas that he'll find in Dubai, he will make sure to implement at least 80 of them in India," said Shah. "Let's hope for the best."
Another Dubai resident, 23-year-old Misha Ashar - who says she is not a supporter of the prime minister - said she hoped the visit would enhance the relationship between India and the UAE, which is home to over two million Indian nationals.
"I'm not a fan of Modi, but he is a great speaker and can attract people, hence the great response," she said. "It definitely is a positive move to build relations with the UAE considering the number of Indians living here. Let's see what comes of it."
Another 23-year-old Gujarati, Heena Mehta, said she believes that the visit is more about economic ties between India and the UAE than about the well-being of Indians living in the country.
"I think this is going to be a purely business visit for Modi. I don't think he's coming to the UAE to better the lives of Indian expats. He'll connect with the community a little bit, but he wants to get deals done with the Emirati government. It's not political, it's business oriented," she said.
"But I do hope I get to see Modi speak," she added. "He's known for his speeches. He'll make a good impression and he's a good orator. I'm excited to see what he has to say here."
Raghunandan Sharma, a 25-year resident of the UAE, said he believes that Modi's visit will instill a new sense of optimism among the Gujarati diaspora in the UAE.
"It's a good visit. Whenever a prime minister visits another country, it acknowledges the existence of the people," he said. "It has given them good will. We send a lot of money back home through deposits and such things, but it's very long time (since an Indian PM has visited)." Additionally, Sharma said he hoped the visit would give Indians living in the UAE access to more consular services, as well as financial services back home.
"He will better understand the conditions in which we're working here, and what they can do to help, such as what diplomatic services they may require, as many facilities are not available to them," he said.
"Maybe they could be part of insurance schemes back home, for example. It will be a great event. People have been feeling let down, as no government has paid them the respect to come visit."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com