New Delhi, February 13
Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and former Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Overseas Indian Affairs minister Vyalar Ravi to address the issue of a huge number of Indian doctors being pushed out of Britain following the new law enacted there last November.

“I would request the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of England, who had expressed outrage at the racial comments against actress Shilpa Shetty, to offer their comments to the changes brought about to the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) in November last year.

To me this is a clear change of policy, which has perhaps racial overtones,” Dr Gill told The Tribune.

Disturbed with the news report about the new HSMP law changing the ground rules, which will push out highly skilled Indian doctors upholding the British health system, Dr Gill said, “These Doctors were encouraged to come to the UK to fulfill a serious gap in the health service.

Now the law has been changed, which is going to push them out and replace, if possible, with EU Doctors from Romania etc,” he observed.

Dr Gill stressed this was unjust as these professionals in the 30-40 age group, having their livelihood in London, will find it difficult to settle back in India at this stage in their life.

“Countries in the West should not entice us when they need people and be heartless and indifferent later,” Dr Gill added.