Prisoners of all nationalities in jails in Sharjah who have completed three years of incarceration and who do not have any criminal case registered against them were would be set free under a general amnesty. They include 149 Indians, including Keralites, the ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, said here on Tuesday.
He was delivering the acceptance speech at a special convocation ceremony of the University of Calicut convened to confer on him the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt). The convocation was held at Raj Bhavan.
The free prisoners would be rehabilitated in Sharjah itself and need not return to their homes, he said. Earlier during his meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the latter requested the Sultan to set free Keralites in Sharjah jails who have completed three years and help them come back home. The Sultan reportedly told Mr. Vijayan that the released persons would be given good jobs in the UAE itself and that they would not have to return home.
In his speech, the Sultan pointed out that the people of Sharjah and Kerala have been interacting with each other for many centuries. “Our interactions have steadily intensified over the last six decades and the resulting mutually beneficial contribution of entrepreneurs, the professionals and tradesmen from Kerala is evident in Sharjah and Kerala,” he said.
“Like you, we firmly believe that providing the young men and women of our communities with quality education is, by far, the best long-term investment. The creative and innovative ideas of our talented graduates are essential ingredients for achieving the economic, social and cultural development goals of our communities”, he added.
In his convocation address, the Governor and Chancellor of universities, P. Sathasivam, said education and universities played a significant role in creating a friendly partnership across societies. It is well-known that the cooperation with the Gulf region has helped Kerala to emerge as a marvel in the eyes of the analysts of development all over the world. The economic and social impact of the Gulf phenomenon on Kerala is clearly visible at the family, community, State and national levels. At the same time the industrial and educational climate in the UAE has also benefited from the presence and involvement of people from India, especially Kerala.
In his address Mr.Vijayan said that for Kerala the Sultan was much more than a towering intellectual and a far-sighted ruler. “For us he has been the symbol of boundless hospitality and unwavering friendship. According to estimates Indians constitute 42% of the UAE’s population. Of this nearly 50% are Keralites.”
The University of Calicut has every reason to be proud of by honouring this learned man from the Emirates who has ceaselessly worked for the educational uplift of the poor living in many Asian and African countries. The Sultan is a learned scholar who began his career as a teacher and one who still devotes time for teaching.
“What surprised me about Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi was the sheer range of his scholarship and the variety of fields in which he has proven his expertise. To obtain a master’s degree in agriculture engineering and PhDs in fields as distinct as history and geopolitics is not an ordinary achievement. I would say that this was the kind of unique individual the great philosopher Plato had in mind when he talked of Philosopher Kings,” he added.
Education Minister C. Ravindranath and Vice Chancellor K. Mohammed Basheer also spoke.