Ahlan Modi: Bad weather threatens the Indian PM’s events in the UAE
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: With the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessing heavy rains ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to participate in various programs, including Ahlan Modi (Hello Modi), the inclement weather threatened to mar his two-day visit to the Arab nation that has attracted a lot of global attention because of the largest Hindu temple in the Gulf Region he is scheduled to inaugurate.
The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), in an advisory on Tuesday, directed private firms to look after the health and safety of their workers. Reports suggested that the rains might also adversely affect the Ahlan Modi event on Wednesday.
Ahead of PM Modi’s scheduled visit to UAE, the Arab country has been witnessing massive rains, prompting authorities to call private sector firms to avoid unnecessary movement and work from home as far as possible.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the MoHRE asked firms to look after the health and safety of their workers. “Necessary measures need to be taken by companies to ensure outdoor work, if necessary to resume, complies with the occupational health and safety requirements, Companies must also ensure the health and safety of workers commuting to and from outdoor work locations.”
Besides, the Emirates Schools Establishment also appealed to education institutes to allow online or distance learning.
The media reported that Ahlan Modi, the Indian community event in Abu Dhabi, was scaled down because of inclement weather conditions in the UAE which received heavy rains and flashes of lightning overnight, causing traffic snarls and waterlogging.
Community leader Sajeev Purushothaman said that preparations for one of the biggest Indian Diaspora events of Prime Minister Modi ever, to be held at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, were going fine but the participation was reduced from 80,000 to 35,000 because of the bad weather.
Around 60,000 Indian-origin people had already confirmed participation, via a website set up to register attendees. Now, only about 40,000 persons, including cultural artists, will attend the event. More than 500 buses will operate, with over 1,000 volunteers at the venue.
On September 22, 2019, when PM Modi attended a similar event in Houston, USA, along with then President Donald Trump, nearly 45,000 people attended the public event Howdy, Modi!
The UAE is home to around 3.5 million Indians who are part of the Indian workforce in the Gulf. Safety alerts were issued and speed limits were cut on Monday morning across the Gulf nation as large parts of the UAE became rain-soaked, besides witnessing hail, thunder, and lightning overnight.
Thunder rumbled and lightning streaked across the skies in the capital city and Abu Dhabi. People also shared videos of snowfall in the city of Al Ain. However, there was no official confirmation of the snowfall.
On Tuesday, PM Modi is scheduled to inaugurate a grand BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi. The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) built this massive Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the UAE. It is located in Abu Mureikhah near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.
The temple has come up on around 27 acres of land in Abu Dhabi and the work for the structure has been going on since 2019. The UAE government donated the land for the temple. The UAE has three other Hindu temples located in Dubai.
On Wednesday, PM Modi is scheduled to participate in the Ahlan Modi event and the next day pay a visit to Qatar before returning to New Delhi.
