Nitaqat – A Positive Sign Too

Nitaqat is an Arabic term which is widely heard in Kerala at the moment. The localization drive on which Saudi Arabia has set forth has sent shock waves across the state. In a bid to ensure the presence of at least 28% Saudis in every institution having more than 10 employees, the Nitaqat program is likely to gain more momentum in the coming months. Even though nobody seems to have a actual figure for the number of Indians working in the Kingdom, estimates vary between 1.5 to 2.5 million, comprising of 7% of the kingdom’s population. An issue affecting this much people is a cause for concern for Kerala as its economy is grounded on the remittances of these expatriates. It is due to this easy money that our state manages a semblance of affluence though the onset of monsoon is usually enough to jolt us awake to the water borne diseases and to the reality that it is indeed a third world country.

Saudi Arabia is forced to take measures or at least look taking some measures in providing for its own citizens. The slew of jasmine revolutions that blew across the Middle East had largely spared kingdoms, bringing down only citizen-turned-dictators. But that is no consolation for the kings, since they know what flimsy support they enjoy from the populace over which they rule. That's why the need for job reservations for the local people.

On further thinking, Nitaqat is not without some beneficial effects too. The slap on the face it gives to the concept of pan-Islamic brotherhood is immense. Even though most of the Muslims in Kerala are as patriotic as you and me, there is a sizable minority which harbours aspirations of a trans-national Islamic state to which they should belong to. Besides, one would naturally love the country in which one works for his livelihood. These two factors, combine to create a sense of belonging to Saudi Arabia which also houses the holiest

shrines of Islam. The line which separates this affiliation from fundamentalism is so fine that it is the root cause of all extremist violence in Kerala. With Nitaqat, they are awake to the painful reality that Saudi Arabia is just another nation state which transcends religious values and that country cherishes its own citizens much more than they do foreigners, even if they are of the same religion. In that sense, it should be welcomed. It is heard that Kuwait is set to follow Saudi's steps in this direction.