GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN

January 2006

 

NOTE: GOPIO News is a monthly newsletter of GOPIO International, based in the USA. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in future, please go to the bottom and click the unsubscribe URL. If you feel the information contained here is useful, please forward this e-mail to your friends and relatives. One could also subscribe this newsletter FREE by visiting www.gopio.net and type in the e-mail address and other details.

 

Note from the Editor:

 

Since many of us would be traveling to India to attend GOPIO Conference (Jan. 5th and 6th) and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Jan. 7-9), we are sending the January issue a few days earlier. You still have time to plan your trip to Hyderabad (India) to attend both these functions. Visit www.gopio.net and www.PBD2006.org for more details. GOPIO wishes all our readers a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

 

CONTENTS

GOPIO ANNOUNCES PRAVASI BHARATIYA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS

 

GOPIO CONFERENCE IN HYDERABAD FINALIZED PROGRAM DETAILS

 

NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE

THREE INDO-CANADIANS AMONG 100 PHYSICIANS OF THE CENTURY IN ALBERTA

LAKSHMI MITTAL IS THE RICHEST MAN IN SOUTH AFRICA

INDIAN AMERICAN ANEESH CHOPRA IS APPOINTED VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF TECH

INDIAN AMERICAN FILM MAKER HONORED IN NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

 

NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs AND PIOs AROUND THE WORLD

MALAYSIA ALLOWS INDIANS TO APPLY ONLINE VISA

SIKH DRIVERS IN FRANCE WIN TURBAN WAR

INDIAN MIGRATION TO THE U.S. HITS A RECORD

NON-RESIDENT ACCOUNTS FOR FIIs

WITH RATE HIKE, NRE DEPOSITS BECOME ATTRACTIVE

INDIAN IT WORKERS FLOODING U.K. ON A TEMPORARY PERMITS

AMERICAN DESI FUSION BAND TO SET DANCE FLOORS IN INDIA

US CONGRESS AUTHORIZES FUNDS FOR SAUNDS PICTURE

 

GOPIO LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER FORMATION

 

EDITORIAL BOARD

 

GOPIO ANNOUNCES PRAVASI BHARATIYA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS

 

 

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has scheduled its Conference 2006 in Hyderabad on January 5th and 6th, in conjunction with Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2006. The theme of the conference is Global Indian Diaspora: Today and Tomorrow The conference will be formally inaugurated on January 5th at 7.00pm at the Manohar Radisson Hotel, followed by a reception and dinner. Prior to the conference inauguration, a scheduled GOPIO session will hear reports on NRI/PIO issues from different countries with large PIO population followed by a session on Mobilization of Indian Diaspora Resources for Common Goal.

 

The first session will be devoted to the mobilization of the global NRI/PIO communities and resources for political, social and economic goals including developmental, philanthropic and educational activities of the NRI/PIO communities as well as India. Speakers include former NRI Commissioner and former External Affairs Secretary J.C. Sharma (New Delhi), Prof. Rajendra Prasad of New Zealand, University of Guyana Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Prem Misir, Prof. Mohan Gautam of The Netherlands, Fiji Member of Parliament Dr. Ganesh Chand and Dr. Arjun Daluvoy of Los Angeles, USA. The session will be chaired by GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham and Co-Chaired by Prof. Chandrashekahr Bhat, Director of Indian Diaspora Institute at the University of Hyderabad.

 

The second day of conference will start with in opening session with two speakers Prof. Parmatma Saran of New York and Prof. Madhav Nalapat of India speaking on the theme of the conference. This session will be chaired by GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran. It will be followed by another session titled, Indian Diaspora: Opportunities in Business, Technology and Investments. The speakers are: Dr. B.R. Shetty, CEO and Managing Director of New Medical Center Hospital, Abu Dhabi; Ms. Koosum Kalyan, Business Development Manager/Africa Exploration and Production, Shell International Petroleum Company Ltd.; Yesu Persaud, Executive Vice President of GOPIO International and Chairman of  Demerara Distillers, Guyana; Dr. Sudhir Parekh, President, Federation of Indian Associations, New York, USA; Prof. Krishna R. Dronamraju, Houston, Texas and V. Narayanan, Chairman Allfone Systems (Pvt.) Ltd. & President, ICM Computer Consultants, Chennai, India. This session will be chaired by GOPIO-Belgium Presidetn Sunil Prasad and Co-chaired by marketing professor Prof. Gan Bhukta of GIFT, Visakhapatnam.

 

We at GOPIO believe that the NRIs/PIOs have contributed significantly to the countries of their adoption as well as to India, and have added a special glitter to the resurgence of India, said Inder Singh, President of GOPIO. GOPIO believes that the destiny of the Indian Diaspora, in many ways, is intertwined inextricably with India. The NRIs/PIOs certainly, individually and collectively, have made numerous achievements in their adopted lands but they are bound to India by the umbilical cord of history, culture, heritage, and tradition.

 

Since its inception in 1989, GOPIO has been organizing conferences and conventions in different parts of the world to mobilize the global NRI/PIO community. In 2004-5 alone, GOPIO organized five international conferences, in January 2004 in New Delhi, in March 2004 on Human Rights in New York, in October 2004 in Brussels, in January 2005 in Mumbai and in November 2005 in Brussels again. Besides providing a globally recognized platform for dialogue and discussion to the worldwide Indian Diaspora, GOPIO conferences and conventions continue to help bring the Indian Diaspora closer to mother India and strengthen the inherent bonds between mother India and the scattered Diaspora. The conference in Hyderabad on January 5th and 6th, 2005, is another of its continuing efforts to mobilize the global Indian community and facilitate their networking.

 

The conference will conclude with the Awards Luncheon scheduled to be held at 1 p.m. on Jan 6, 2005 at Manohar Radisson Hotel. GOPIOs PRAVASI BHARATIYA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS have been established to honor those NRIs and PIOs who have provided significant community and public service to the Indian Diaspora around the globe and/or to India. The awardees list for this year includes Baron Dr. Diljit S. Rana of Ireland; DR. B.R. Shetty, Chairman of New Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi; Ms. Sudha Acharya, Executive Director of the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS), and Dr. Ganesh Chand, M.P. who was former Planning Minister of Fiji. Special recognition award will be presented to Pavan Kumar Darisi. The awards will be presented by Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde.

 

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham said, By honoring those who have worked selflessly for Indian Diaspora causes and India, we are providing exposure of such role models to the next generation. This will motivate more NRIs and PIOs to volunteer their time for community causes and India, Dr. Abraham added.

 

GOPIO 2006 PRAVASI BHARATIYA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDEE PROFILES

 

Sudha Acharya (USA)

Sudha Acharya has a track record of 32 years of community service. Ms. Acharya started her community service work as the chairperson of the Joint Committee of Indian Associations in New York in 1973. After the Joint Committee became the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), Ms. Acharya was its president 1983-84, later Vice-president and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIA), the largest umbrella Indian organization in the US. In 1989, Acharya served as the Co-convener and Secretary of the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin when GOPIO) was born.

 

Ms. Acharya represents the All India Womens Conference (AIWC) at the UN, worked on the Planning Committee for the NGO Forum for the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing in 1995, and later chaired the NGO Committee on the Status of Women for two terms 1995-1999. She was a Vice-president of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN (CONGO) and served as CONGOs Focal Point for the Review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action or Beijing plus Five in 2000.

 

In 2000 Ms. Acharya was elected as the first president and currently as the Executive Director of the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS), a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to plan, provide, support and advocate for a continuum of programs addressing the social service needs of underserved South Asian and other immigrant communities in New York City. SACSS worked closely with the families of direct victims of 9-11. SACSS provides English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, parenting workshops, job preparedness, training and placement that are much needed services amongst the new immigrant South Asian community. A former project manager with Verizon in New York City, Ms. Acharya has been recognized with several awards including Gandhi Community Award and Union Square Award.

 

Dr. Ganesh Chand (Fiji)

Dr. Ganesh Chand, an Indo Fijian, holds a PhD from USA and has taught at the University of the South Pacific for 18 years and currently serves as a member of the Council of the University.

 

Dr. Chand became a leading campaigner for democracy in Fiji, after the 1987 military coup and led numerous pro-democracy protests. In 1999, he was elected to the Parliament and became the Minister for National Planning, Local Government, Housing and Environment. He was re-elected to Fijian Parliament in 2001. In 2005, Dr. Chand established University of Fiji to cater to the needs of underprivileged students.

 

Dr. Chand is an accomplished author. He is the publisher and editor of Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji. He is also the founder of http://www.fijigirmit.org, a website dedicated to Indian indentured workers in Fiji.

 

Lord Diljit S. Rana, M.B.E. (Northern Ireland, UK)

Diljit Rana, a resident of Belfast since 1966 and managing director of Andras House, is a leading figure in the Indian community in Northern Ireland. He is India's honorary consul in Belfast. He has also been elected a member of the House of Lords.

 

Dr. Rana has been involved with the overseas Indian community for a long time. He promotes business links between India and Northern Ireland and has been elected president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. He led a trade mission of 13 companies to India to explore business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies. Dr. Rana has been awarded MBE for his contribution to the economic regeneration of the city of Belfast through the development of hotels, restaurants, fashion shops and modern office accommodation.

 

Diljit Rana has set up a charitable trust of Rs.50 million for a school and a college named Taxila, in his native village Sanghol, near Chandigarh . The new college is to provide world-class education and offer degree courses in collaborative linkage with the Ulster University in Northern Ireland. The university conferred an honorary doctorate on Mr. Rana who led a delegation of academics from the university to India to explore educational partnerships and help develop university links between India and Northern Ireland.

 

Dr. Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty (U.A.E.)

Dr. Shetty has been providing community services as Chairman of Abu Dhabi Indian School; President of Abu Dhabi Cricket Council and Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Cricket Control Board; founder and president of numerous Indian business and cultural organizations; Founder Patron of Toastmasters International in the United Arab Emirates; Founder and Vice President of the Swiss Business Council and Member of the Executive Panel of Dubais Pharmaceutical and Health Equipment Trading Business Group under the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

Dr. Shetty is the founder and Chairman of New Medical Centre since 1973. With six facilities in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, the hospital chain treats one million patients a year. Dr. Shetty is also a successful businessman involved in currency exchange and financial services, manufacturing, trading and hospitality.

 

Dr. Shetty is a recipient of many national and international awards, and distinctions for significant contribution to Pharma Industry. Recently Dr. Shetty has been conferred the highest honour of Government of Abu Dhabi Order of Abu Dhabi Award. He is the only Indian recipient of this prestigious award which is given for demonstrating his determination to help others despite all odds, regularly donating time, thoughts and talents for the betterment of people, leaving an indelible mark on the community. Dr. Shetty has said, Till my last breath, I shall continue to serve mankind with zeal and fervour.

 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION - Pavan Kumar Darisi (USA)

 

Pavan Kumar Darisi is the Founder & CEO of AMERICARx, a very successful online Pharmacy in the US. He is the first Indian to start Online Pharmaceutical Business.

 

Darisi established the Darisi Seva Samastha, a charitable trust for the underprivileged and in 2003, he was elected President for the World Arya Vysya Mahasabha. It is through these two organizations, that Darisi has provided many years of dedicated public service. His compassion to help people and his philanthropic acts to support various community projects has made Darisi a role model for thousands in Andhra Padesh, India.

 

Darisi has spent over 6 crores of rupees on community development works like building link roads and bridges, bus shelters, marriage & community halls, donations for ambulance vans, boring wells and for pumps for 30 Harijan colonies, and free medical camps in a number of less privileged areas in Andhra Pradesh. There are several road junctions named after him. Darisi has also donated money for construction and renovation of temple buildings in many places. For his humanitarian works, Darisi has been recognized and honored by many organizations and agencies.

 

GOPIO CONFERENCE IN HYDERABAD FINALIZED PROGRAM DETAILS

 

Global organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)

 

Cordially invites you to

 

GOPIO CONFERENCE - 2006

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2006

 

THEME

GLOBAL INDIAN DIASPORA: TODAY AND TOMORROW

 

Place: Hotel Manohar Radisson, Airport Exit road, Begumpet, Hyderabad, India

(Tel: +91 40 2790 3333, Fax: +91 40 2790 2222)

Date and Time: Thursday, January 5th and Friday, January 6th, 2006.

 

Program

 

Thursday, January 5th, 2006

9.30 to 12.30 p.m. GOPIO Executive Committee and Executive Council Meetings (Not open to general public)

 

12.30 to 1.30 p.m. (lunch)

 

1.30 to 3.00 p.m. GOPIO Council Reports and NRI/PIO Communities Area Reports -- Open to general public

Chair: Inder Singh, President, GOPIO International, Trzana, California, USA

Academic Council -- Dr. Jagat Motwani, Dix Hills, CA,USA

Business Council -- Dwarkesh Shah, Stuttgart, Germany

Cultural Council -- Dharmatma Saran, Queens, NY, USA

GOPIO.Connect -- Prashant Gupta, Chicago, IL, USA

Human Rights Commission -- Ramesh Maharaj, Trinidad & Tobago and

Dr. Parveen Chopra, Baldwin, NY, USA

Philanthropic Council -- Prabodh Gupta, India

 

Country/Area Reports

North America Dr. Piyush Agrawal, Coordinator, GOPIO USA, Miami, Florida

South America & Caribbean Yesu Persau, Exec VP, GOPIO Intl, Guyana

Europe Sunil Prtasad, President, GOPIO-Belgium

Raj Lakha, President, GOPIO SE London, Kent and Essex, UK

Dr. Rajendra Tiwari, President, GOPIO-Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Middle East Sunny Kulathakal, GOPIO Intl. VP for Middle East, Bahrain

Africa-Kenya Dr. Markandey Rai, Nairobi, Kenya

Fiji Dr. Ganesh Chand, MP

Mauritius Deven Maulloo, GOPIO Mauritius

3.00 p.m. 3.20 p.m. Coffee Break

3.20 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.      Session 1: Indian Diaspora - Mobilization of Indian Diaspora Resources for Common Goal

 

Chair: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman, GOPIO International, Stamford, CT, USA

Co-Chair Dr. Chandrashekar Bhat, Prof. of Sociology and Director, Indian Diaspora Institute, Univ. of Hyderabad

Speakers:

J.C. Sharma, Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India

Prof. Rajendra Prasad, Author, New Zealand

Dr. Prem Misir, Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Guyana

Prof. Mohan Gautam, The Netherlands

Dr. Ganesh Chand, M.P. and Former Planning Minister, Fiji

Dr. Arjun Daluvoy, Chairman, GOPIO Health Services Council, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Sundell Prasad, GOPIO Co-Chair, Cultural Council, New York

 

7.0 0 p.m. to 8.00 Formal Inauguration of GOPIO Conference 2006

Chief Guest: Hon. M.V.Rajasekharan, Minister of State for Planning, New Delhi

 

Release of Conference Souvenir

 

Release of Tears in Paradise {A book on Indo-Fijian history revealing details of horrendous violence that the pioneer generation suffered and restrained rise of the community unshackled from the indenture system.}

 

8.00 p.m. to10.30 p.m. Reception and Networking Dinner

 

Friday, January 6th, 2006

9.00 a.m. to 9.30 a.m.    Registration

 

9.30 a.m. to 10.15 a.m.   Opening General Session GLOBAL INDIAN DIASPORA: TODAY AND TOMORROW

 

Chair: Ashook Ramsaran, Secretary General, GOPIO International

Speakers:

Prof. Parmatma Saran, Professor of Sociology, Bernard Baruch College, City University, NY, USA

Prof. Madhav Nalapat, Professor of Geopolitics, Manipal Academy of

Higher Education, India

 

11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.    Session 2: Indian Diaspora - Opportunities in Business, Technology and Investments

 

Chair: Sunil Prasad, President, GOPIO-Belgium and Secretary General, Europe India Chamber of Commerce (EICC), Brussels, Belgium

Co-Chair: Prof. Gan Bhukta, The Merica Group Inc., Iselin, New Jersey, USA and Visiting Professor, Gitam Institute of Foreign Trade (GIFT), Visakhapatnam, India

 

Speakers:

Dr. B.R. Shetty, CEO and Managing Director of New Medical Center Hospital, Abu Dhabi

Ms. Koosum Kalyan, Business Development Manager/Africa Exploration and Production, Shell International Petroleum Company Ltd., UK

Yesu Persaud, Executive Vice President of GOPIO International and Chairman of  Demerara Distillers, Guyana

Dr. Sudhir Parekh, President, Federation of Indian Associations, New York, USA

Prof. Krishna R. Dronamraju, Houston, Texas

V. Narayanan, Chairman Allfone Systems (Pvt.) Ltd. & President, ICM Computer Consultants, Chennai, India

 

1.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. Awards Luncheon - Presentation of Pravasi Bhartiya Community Service Awards

 

Chief Guest: His Excellency Sushil Kumar Shinde, Governor of Andhra Pradesh

Honored Guest: Baron Dr. Daljit S. Rana, M.B.E, Northern Ireland, UK

3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Wrap-up and Adoption of Resolutions

 

Chair: Dr. Piyush Agrawal, GOPIO USA Coordinator, Miami, Florida, USA

Co-Chair: Raj Lakha, President, GOPIO SE London, Kent and Essex, UK

(Open to Everyone. Venue will be announced on Jan.5th and 6th)

 

Sunday, January 8th, 2006

 

3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. NRI/PIO COMMUNITIES/COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES MEETING - OPEN DISCUSSION

(Open to Everyone. Venue will be announced on Jan. 6th)

 

Conference Registration

Conference Registration Fee: Rs. 1,000. Total registration will be limited to 200 delegates. So, contact early to avoid disappointment. Pre-registration recommended.

 

Those from outside India, please contact GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran in the US at 718-353-1900 E-mail: ramsaran@aol.com.  The convention in Hyderabad will be coordinated by GOPIO Hyderabad Conference Chair Prof. Gan Bhukta at 91-9848-194718 (Mobile)or by email at: profganbhuktagift@yahoo.com.

 

Sponsor opportunities are available for Indian businesses interested to reach out to NRI/PIOs worldwide.

Limited number of Tabletop Booths will also be available at the venue on both days, January 5th and 6th. Contact Prof. Bukta

 

Procedure for Hotel Bookings - Please reserve your hotel booking though the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas website, i.e. http://www.PBD2006.org. They have rooms at different rates. There are limited number of rooms available at a special rate of $139 under GOPIO name at Hotel Manohar. Contact: Vikram Falodiya, Tel: +91 40 2790 3333, E-mail: falodiya@hotelmanohar.com

 

For more information, please contact GOPIO President Inder Singh in USA at 818-708-3885, E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net or Prof. Gan Bhukta, GOPIO Hyderabad Conference Chair at 91-9848-194718 or E-mail: profganbhuktagift@yahoo.com.

 

NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE

 

THREE INDO-CANADIANS AMONG 100 PHYSICIANS OF THE CENTURY IN ALBERTA

 

Three Indian doctors in Alberta were recently selected as part of "100 Physicians of the Century" in celebration of Centenary of Alberta, Canada.  Dr. Brijendra Sood, Dr. Kabir Jivraj and Dr. Zaheerali Lakhani were prsented with palues at Gala Dinners held in Calgary and Edmonton . 

 

Two Gala Dinners were held, one in Calgary, Alberta on The October 20 held at Palliser Fairmont Hotel in Calgary honored 32 doctors from Southern Alberta presenting them with plaques.  Dr. Sood and Dr Jivraj were part of this group.  On October 25 a similar event took place in Edmonton where the other 68 recipients received their plaques.  Dr. Lakhani was one of the awardees at this event.

 

LAKSHMI MITTAL IS THE RICHEST MAN IN SOUTH AFRICA

 

According to Sunday Times, London based NRI, Lakshmi N Mittal has become the richest man in South Africa, ousting the traditional leaders - the Oppenheimer and Rupert families, says a national weekly. This follows London-based Mittal's takeover of former state-owned steel producer Iscor.

 

Mittal's 50 per cent stake in Mittal Steel SA won him this new status. The new company was born

out of Iscor, which he turned around with a huge cash injection and cost-cutting technologies after first taking an interest four years ago when Iscor was ailing. The value of Mittal's interest in Mittal Steel is 10.22 billion rands, putting him ahead of Nicky Oppenheimer of Anglo American plc, whose four per cent stake in the company is worth 9.28 billion rands. The Rembrandt Trust, belonging to the Rupert family, has investments worth 6.1 billion rands, giving it third place. After that, investment values start dropping rapidly, with only two South African Indians making the top 150 - filmmaker Anant Singh, whose stake in Kagiso Media is worth 107.5 million rands; and AK Peer of the clothing retailer LA Group, worth 85.6 million rands.

 

Although Mittal's interest in South Africa is worth over 10 billion rands, this is reportedly only about five per cent of his total wealth, according to the Forbes list. Mittal moved up 59 places to become the third richest man in the world in the Forbes list after his many acquisitions worldwide of steel companies that has made Mittal Steel the largest steel company in the world.

 

INDIAN AMERICAN ANEESH CHOPRA IS APPOINTED VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF TECH

 

Indian-American community activist, Aneesh Chopra, has been appointed as the Secretary of Technology of US state of Virginia by its Governor-elect. In an announcement, Governor-Elect Tim Jaine said, I am proud to appoint Aneesh Chopra as Secretary of Technology. The opportunity to make an appointment with the historic distinction this one holds is truly an honor."

 

Chopra is currently a managing director of the advisory board that provides research and analysis in business strategy and general management to the healthcare industry. He will have the distinction of being the first Indian-American to serve in a cabinet-level post in the Commonwealth of Virginia as also the only Indian-American to hold a state-level position.

 

A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University where he had a Master's Degree in Public Policy, Chopra also had the distinction of being on Virginia's Board of Medical Regents.

 

INDIAN AMERICAN FILM MAKER HONORED IN NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

 

Indian American filmmaker Neeraj Kumar's debut documentary Child Marriage has received the Best Documentary International award at the New York International Film and Video Festival (NYIFVF), 2005. The 82-minute long documentary, according to Neeraj, was shot in guerrilla style as the marriages were held at secret locations since the practice is banned by law. Still, Neeraj was able to film the marriage of 70 children in 40 days.

 

The documentary reveals horrifying details about a little bride getting engaged before she was even born. The film also touches on other significant issues like women's rights, animal rights and discrimination against untouchables. The film, according to Neeraj, has never-before-seen visuals, artistic folk music and dances from the remote western parts of India.

 

Neeraj is now working on two projects related to India, it's environs and society.

 

NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs/PIOs AROUND THE WORLD

 

MALAYSIA ALLOWS INDIANS TO APPLY ONLINE VISA

 

Malaysia has allowed Indian nationals to apply for visas and temporary employment visas online from March 1 next year. Indian and Chinese nationals will now be able to apply for visas and temporary employment visas for Malaysia online from March 1, 2006.

 

Currently, Indian nationals can apply for tourist visas when they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here. Visa approvals will also be given online. More than 115,000 Indian tourists visited Malaysia from January to June this year.

 

In another move to shore up tourist arrivals, foreign students in Malaysia would be allowed to work as tour guides. Students who spoke Arabic, Spanish, Korean, French, Russian and other languages were welcome to apply for temporary work permits.

 

SIKH DRIVERS IN FRANCE WIN TURBAN WAR

 

Sikhs living in France can wear their turbans in drivers license photos. The verdict has been given by Frances highest administrative body, which overturned on Dec. 5 an order not to deliver a license to a Sikh who refused to take off his turban for the photo. The ruling does not apply to identity or residence cards. The Council of State, hearing a case brought by Shingara Mann Singh, said, officials of his region, the Val doise, could not, as they did, cite a 1999 order by the Interior Ministry to refuse the license. The ruling could open the way for others, including Muslims wearing headscarves, to get drivers licens-e photos that show them with their heads covered. Last year, conspicuous apparel, such as Muslim headscarves or Sikh turbans, was banned in France.

 

INDIAN MIGRATION TO THE U.S. HITS A RECORD

 

In spite of the 9/11 terror strikes and the subsequent stringent curbs and border scrutiny, immigration into the United States was the highest in the last five years. According to the figures released by the US Centre for Immigration Studies in a report, 7.9 million immigrants have entered the US between 2000 and 2005, more than any other five-year period. The largest flow of immigrants, both legal and illegal, is from Mexico, the USs southern neighbor. Some 11 million immigrants in the US are thought to be illegal. The report coincides with intense moves on Capitol Hill to take up some tough immigration proposals. A measure slated for a debate in the House of Representatives seeks to impose stiff penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and make illegal presence in the US a felony.

 

NON-RESIDENT ACCOUNTS FOR FIIs

 

All foreign institutional investors may need to channel their funds through a special non-resident (NR) account as per a proposal made by the Reserve Bank of India. This will give the monetary regulator a stronger means to closely monitor the flow of FII investments to trace if undesirable funds are coming into India through any of them. The account could be a sort of Current Account, unlike the two types of savings deposit accounts currently available to non-resident Indians. The latter two are: the Non-Resident (External) Rupee Account, available in Indian rupees and the Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) account, available in the prominent international currencies. As of now, there are no restrictions on the type of accounts that an FII can open in the country. Transactions in such accounts would be more open to a regulatory glare, according to the proposal. This would also make it possible to keep a track on the movement of funds through sub accounts and the participatory notes issued by FIIs without disturbing the quantum of such flows, which has been rising sharply. Meanwhile, the Indian stock markets continue to lure foreign institutional investors (FIIs) in a big way. In the first eight months of the current fiscal, a total of 136 new FIIS registered themselves with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. In November alone, 17 new FIIs registered with SEBI, taking the total number of FIIs in the Indian market to 820.

 

WITH RATE HIKE, NRE DEPOSITS BECOME ATTRACTIVE

 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is trying to lure NRIs with higher interest rate on deposits with Indian Banks. The maturity period of repatriable NRE deposits would continue to be one to three years. The changes in interest rates will also apply to repatriable NRE deposits renewed after their present maturity period. The move is accelerating inflow of NRI funds in the banking sector. The RBI has recently increased interest rates on NRE term deposit accounts. From now onwards, banks can offer a return of 75 basis points over the London inter-bank offered rate (Libor) for dollars, ich is currently 4.58% for six months.

 

INDIAN IT WORKERS FLOODING U.K. ON A TEMPORARY PERMITS

 

Migration of Indian techies to London is climbing. A London-based IT association has claimed that Indian IT workers are flooding the UK on temporary permits, undercutting local wages and raising prospects of a homegrown skills shortage.

 

"Wages are being undercut by companies bringing over Indian workers, who are put up in hostels and paid poorly," Ann Swain, Chief Executive of the Association for Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo) told the Daily Telegraph . According to her, salaries for certain IT workers have fallen in recent months, thanks to the deluge of low-cost Indian tech pros.


Home Office immigration figures show that 21,448 foreign IT workers have been issued work permits this year, an increase of 15 per cent on 2004 and almost double the level five years ago. Of those, 85 per cent now come from India.


Deloitte Consultancy has predicted that 2 million jobs currently based in Western economies will migrate to India by 2008. According to industry sources, most consulting companies offer some form of "onshore offshoring."


IBM, LogicaCMG, Accenture and CapGemini all transfer Indian workers to the UK for projects, as do Indian consulting firms Tata Consulting Services and Infosys. One of the real reasons why companies are turning to people from the Indian subcontinent is that UK graduates cannot compete with the quality of India's technology graduates. "The level of intelligence and attention to detail is lacking in UK staff coming through the education system," an IT expert said.

 

AMERICAN DESI FUSION BAND TO SET DANCE FLOORS IN INDIA

 

Accoding to an IANS story, Dhamaal Soundsystem, one of America's most vibrant South Asian club performers and music bands, is currently touring India, and plans to set dance floors on fire in Mumbai, Goa and New Delhi. The San Francisco-based group, which is a rage among alternative and South Asian music lovers in the US, consists of 20-odd members, including technicians, who trace their roots to different parts of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka.


According to its founder Maneesh Kenia, Dhamal will showcase South Asian or sub-continental music, including sufi, Hindustani and Carnatic classical with a Western perspective. The band attracts not just South Asians but local artistes of San Francisco, even though according to Maneesh fusion is still only a far second to Bollywood music among South Asians in the US.

 

US CONGRESS AUTHORIZES FUNDS FOR SAUNDS PICTURE

 

The US House of Representatives has authorized monies for commissioning a portrait of late lawmaker Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian American ever elected to that body. Congressman Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, had introduced a resolution in January this year to put up a portrait of Saund in the US Capitol Building in recognition of the California legislator's legacy as the first Asian American ever to be elected to the national legislature back in 1956.

 

The portrait will be completed in approximately one year, followed by an unveiling ceremony on Capitol Hill.

 

The late Saund was elected three times to the House from California, beginning in 1957. Born in 1899, in Chhajulwadi, Punjab, Saund immigrated to the US, got a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1924, and was president of the Hindustan Association of America as a student there.

 

He was a successful farmer for nearly 30 years in Imperial Valley, California, and from 1946, played an important role in ending restrictions that prohibited Indian immigrants from becoming naturalized citizens. In 1952, Saund was elected justice of the peace in Westmorland, California. A Post Office in California state has already been named after him.

 

GOPIO, LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER FORMATION

 

GOPIO is a non-partisan, non-sectarian global organization with chapters in several countries, actively promoting the interests of people of Indian origin worldwide by monitoring and addressing current critical issues of concern, and by enhancing cooperation and communication between groups of Indians living in various countries.

 

GOPIO Individual Life membership is open to all who believe in the mission of GOPIO. The one time fee is $5,000 for Platinum Life, $2,500 for Gold Life Membership and $1,500 Silver Life Membership and half the amount for each category for those from developing countries and India.

 

GOPIO is looking forward to opening chapters in all major cities of the world so as to network people of Indian origin all over the world. If you do not have chapter in your city, please visit GOPIO website (www.gopio.net) and get details of chapter initiation (visit http://www.gopio.net/chapter_initiative.htm). Process involves sending a letter of intent to start a chapter by a committee of five people or more. For more information, contact:

 

GOPIO President Inder Singh, Tarzana, California, USA, Tel: 818-708-3885, E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net

 

GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran, Fresh Meadows, New York City, Tel: 718/939-8194, E-mail: ramsaran@aol.com

 

To become a Life member of GOPIO, visit http://www.gopio.net/membership_form.htm, print and fill up the form and send it with a check to: GOPIO, P.O. Box 1413, Stamford, CT 06904, USA.

 

 

EDITORIAL BOARD

 

Chief Editor: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman, GOPIO (Stamford, CT, USA)

Webmaster: Prashant Gupta (Chicago, IL, USA)

Contributor: Inder Singh (USA)

 

GOPIO NEWS welcomes NRI/PIO related stories from all over the world. Be a volunteer correspondent or reporter. Contact Dr. Thomas Abraham, Tel: 203-329-8010, E-mail: gopio@optonline.net

V isit GOPIOs Official site at www.gopio.net or www.gopio.com