Celebrations to mark Eid Al Fitr at Asian Town yesterday. Pic: Kammutty VP / The Peninsula
Thousands of workers gathered at an open area in front of the Cricket Stadium at Asian Town to watch cultural programmes presented by Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepali expatriate communities on the second day of Eid Al Fitr.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in collaboration with Asian Town Management Committee and expatriate communities.
The Director of the Security Media Department of MoI's Public Relations, Captain Hadi Mohammed Al Hajri, said the celebration is a partnership between the ministry and the foreign communities in Qatar and is a part of a number of events and activities organised by the ministry's Public Relations department. The ministry is also organising another celebration for the foreign communities in Al Khor industrial area. Al Hajri confirmed the ministry's keenness to organise such events to entertain the Asian communities especially labour workers who making great efforts in construction projects around the country.
Events organised by or with MoI for different occasions are held to entertain and raise awareness to benefit foreign communities residing in Qatar, where they are informed about the services provided by different government entities as well as about laws, customs and traditions of Qatar. It also provided them with information on safety and security, Al Hajri added.
Several groups of expatriate communities performed singing and dancing in Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepali languages. The crowd enjoyed the show and expressed their excitement by rounds of clapping and applause while watching their performers singing in their own languages and performing traditional dances of their countries.
“I never miss such opportunity to watch the cultural show that held on different occasions like Eids and Qatar’s national day at Asian Town, Mohamad Mujib, a Nepali worker told The Peninsula.
“Today, I reached with my friends before the time by 4:30pm to the venue to watch the show. Almost everyone from our labour camp came to enjoy the show," said Mujib.
“Apart from the cultural show, we got a lot of valuable information from MOI awareness programme in our language held between the show,” said Naimullah, an Indian national.
“First time I came to know that holding passport by companies is a punishable act at a MoI presentation at Asian Town. We got a lot of other information including sponsorship change, exit permit, end of service and wage protection system (WPS) and among many others issues related to expatriates in Qatar directly from the mouths of officials concerned through translators today and at various similar occasions,” he added. MoI officials presented various general awareness programme for the safety and security of the workers.
Talking on road safety, an official said “before crossing the road, please look to the direction from which side the vehicles come, then look to the opposite side and again look to the first side and cross the road if it is safe to cross. When you cross the road, look continuously to the direction from which the vehicles come.”
“Be cautions while crossing dark or poor lighted streets and wear reflecting jackets or caps while walking this area in order to help the motorists to see you clearly, said the official. “Avoid crossing the road while talking on the phone as it may divert your attention, he added. Another MOI officer warned the audience about severe punishment on trafficking drugs. “There are heavy fines and death penalty for the drug traffickers in Qatar, said the official. “Be cautious of bringing of medicines to Qatar for a long term without the prescription of the doctor in an official letter head of the hospital.”
The workers were also cautioned about begging. “The Qatari law and regulation prohibit begging in the markets, commercial complexes and residential places. Do not forget that there is harsh punishment for begging in Qatar, said an official in his presentation” “If anybody is in need of financial support so he can approach to the charity organizations operating in country to support the needy people,” he added.
