Bengaluru: No-one epitomizes the large-hearted Indian expatriate in the Gulf who puts his home state in front, better than Dr. B.R Shetty. This Abu Dhabi-based billionaire and philanthropist, has adroitly side-stepped the entire controversy on whether India should or should not accept aid from the UAE, by dipping into his not inconsiderable wealth and donating Rs 4 crore towards rehabilitation of the flood -affected in Kerala and Rs 1 crore for the floods in Kodagu, in his home state, Karnataka. Dr Shetty has also contributed Rs 9.5 crores to the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, which has been facilitating relief support from the UAE to India.
He has also pulled in some 500 employees of the UAE Exchange, that he heads and deployed them as volunteers on the ground in Kerala, Dr Shetty told Deccan Chronicle on Monday. "The idea is to encourage people to give back," he says, speaking to DC from the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. "UAE is home to so many of us Indians, the majority of whom are Malayalis. This is our chance to give something back also, to show our solidarity for the state."
Dr Shetty, a business magnate in the UAE, is the founder and chairman of the Abu Dhabi-based NMC Healthcare and also the chairman of the UAE Exchange. Born in Udupi, Karnataka, Dr Shetty has strong ties to his home state, having served as the Vice-Chairman of the Municipal Council in Udupi. The donation of Rs 1 crore to the Karnataka Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, in aid of the floods in Kodagu was almost a given. "I met Mr Pinarayi Vijayan last week to express my condolences and show solidarity with the people of Kerala," says Dr Shetty. It was also a mark of sympathy for the hundreds of UAE Exchange and Unimoni employees living in Kerala. "Around 500 of our employees have volunteered to work on the ground," says Dr Shetty. "Other than that, I donated Rs 4 crore to the Kerala CM Disaster Relief Fund."
Apart from his direct donation to the CM's fund, Dr Shetty has put in place a number of measures that will facilitate contributions across the diaspora. As Chairman of the UAE Exchange, he has waived the fee for people making contributions to Kerala. "If they're donating to the CMDRF, they can do so for free," he says. Unimoni, another of his ventures, operates the mobile wallet XPay. A direct link to the CMDRF has been established through the wallet as well, to ease the donation process.
The New Medical Centre (NMC) primary healthcare centre is currently under construction in Kannur, Kerala, says Dr Shetty. "It's a human approach, it's important to be humane always. What value does money have if we don't feel the pain of others? We need to thank God for our blessings and find joy in the uplifment of other people." Deeply disturbed by the extent of the damage in Kerala, Dr Shetty has promised to help in whatever way necessary. "We didn't make any plans," he says, referring to his meeting with Mr Pinarayi Vijayan. "The situation is a nightmare, human beings and animals are all drowning. The latest trouble is that flooded homes are now infested with poisonous snakes. These are natural calamities, acts of God. It's very sad but it's our chance to help each other out, too."
