Bangalore: - On February 15, 2015, Deputy Chief of Mission M. Ashraf Haidari was invited as Guest of Honor in a seminar on status of Muslims in SAARC countries, organized by an association of Muslim professionals (WMTTA) in Karnataka. Other featured guests included Karnataka Minister for Minority Affairs Dr. Qamarul Islam, Former Union Minister for Civil Aviation C. M. Ibrahim, and Karnataka Member of Legislative Assembly N. A. Haris, while WMTTA President Syed Khader Mohiyuddin chaired the seminar. The opening remarks of guest speakers focused on exploring ways for the betterment of the socio-economic development of Muslim communities in SAARC countries. Minister for Minority Affairs Dr. Islam emphasized the importance of education and healthcare in lifting up any society, while enabling them to plan ahead for their sustainable development.
Mr. Haidari, who had addressed the students of St. Joseph’s College a day earlier, also highlighted the significance of education as one of the key ways to reduce abject poverty in South Asia. However, he noted that education alone was not enough unless the countries of the region set aside their differences and economically cooperated to create employment opportunities for the region’s youthful populations. “Afghanistan has long been a victim of imposed conflicts from outside, and can hardly afford to take sides with anyone, realizing that, as a landlocked country, our security and prosperity rely on the stability and prosperity of the countries that surround us,” Mr. Haidari noted.
Mr. Haidari welcomed efforts by the Indian government to cooperate with other SAARC countries to reduce poverty throughout the region. “President Ghani, in the last SAARC Summit, drew the attention of SAARC leaders to the fact that unless our countries adopt ‘cooperation’ over ‘confrontation,’ our region, in spite of our rich natural and human resources, could hardly take off,” he added. Mr. Haidari noted with gratitude the development assistance, including scholarships for Afghan students, the Government and people of India had provided to Afghanistan, in spite of India’s own domestic needs.
“Yesterday, I discussed our relations with the students of St. Joseph’s College, and was heartened to see a large number of Afghans getting educated in a Jesuit school, which sums the beauty of India that is tolerance and coexistence, as Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and students of other faiths study and learn side by side, who I’m confident would return home and lead their countries towards greater international understanding and cooperation,” Mr. Haidari pointed out. He concluded his remarks with gratitude to the Government of Karnataka for hosting large numbers of Afghan students, as well as facilitating interaction opportunities between the Embassy and Karnataka’s business community.
Visa Section:
General: