Dubai: Several Indian expats from the states where assembly elections were held last month spent time glued on to news about the election results that were released as live updates on Sunday.
Elections were held in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Speaking to Gulf News, expats from some of these states expressed their comments about the election results in their states and what they are looking forward to from the new governments.
Here is what they said.
West Bengal
Dr Subhajyoti Ray, Director, IMT Dubai: “Historically, in Bengal it has been “winner takes all”, so the gap between TMC and BJP is not surprising. So it is great news for TMC supporters, but one must equally acknowledge the leaps BJP has taken. The future of Bengal is better with a stronger opposition.
Virologist recollects studying first COVID-19 case in UAE, handling helpline gulfnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gulfnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Women’s Day: Virologist recounts challenges in caring for first UAE Covid-19 patient dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com Filed on March 8, 2021
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Dr Nishi and several other women speak about the challenges they faced amid Covid-19.
An Indian virologist said she was in the midst of teaching a course at a Dubai institution when she was alerted to the first Covid-19 case in the UAE.
Dr Nishi Singh who was part of the team that worked on the care of the first Covid-19 patient in the UAE, was recounting her experience of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in the UAE at a panel discussion by the Consulate General of India in Dubai on International Women’s Day.
Dubai: No kite-flying, no song and dance over bonfire and no mega picnic plans. Traditional rituals associated with Indian harvest festivals marking the end of winter were given a miss as Indian expats observed muted celebrations for Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Bihu and Pongal amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, expats from Tamil Nadu organised a Pongal event at the Indian Consulate in Dubai and honoured the members of the consulate staff for their service to the community during the peak of the pandemic. “Usually, we have a grand Pongal celebration at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium [in The Indian High School] with the participation of thousands of people. But, due to the pandemic we cancelled the mega event and organised a small event in the consulate,” said Dr Jayanthimala Suresh, president of the Dubai Tamil Sangam.