“The non-resident Indian (NRI) community has a big part to play in becoming an example towards making our country clean, not just by helping to maintain the places they live in, but by also sharing these ideas with their countrymen back home,” asserted Indra Mani Pandey, India’s Ambassador to Oman.
He was speaking at the Swachhta Hi Sewa (Cleanliness is Service) campaign, which was run by the Indian Embassy as part of the Indian government’s ‘Clean India’ initiative aimed to make India a far cleaner nation by October 2, 2019, which will be the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Indra Mani Pandey further said, “India at the moment is changing very rapidly, and it is very important to be a part of this change and contribute to it in a positive way. If more people come to our country and see a cleaner, greener India, then they will be more inspired to stay for business, tourism, or any other interest they have in the country.”
Appreciating the cleanliness in Oman, he said, “I think all Indian residents in Oman, and back home in India should admire and appreciate Oman’s efforts in making it (Oman) such a clean country. His Majesty and the government have made lots of investment into keeping Oman a clean and beautiful nation that all Indians appreciate when they come here.”
“I also have a message for all Indian residents in Oman; the people and government of this country have made great efforts for maintaining the natural beauty of the country, and we also have to help them keep it that way, and respect their initiatives in this field.”
He added, “In terms of cleanliness, I think Oman is an example all the people of India should follow.”
Reflecting on the historical relations between India and Oman, the Ambassador said, “The relationship between Oman and India goes back a long, long way, even before our governments began ties.”
He said, “Indians and Omanis used to visit each others’ lands for trade and business, and that has stayed strong even today. I invite all Omanis here to visit India in the future, and see what a clean country India has become. Our strong connections are very good for both countries.”
The Swachhta Hi Seva campaign is another effort by the Indian Government and its embassy in Oman to ramp up stronger relations with other nations and the Indian diaspora, who live in them.