GOPIO DELEGATION MEETS GUYANA GOVT. OFFICIALS 

A delegation of GOPIO International comprising GOPIO President Inder Singh, Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran, and GOPIO Guyana Chairman Yesu Persaud, held a series of substantive and productive meetings with officials of the Government of Guyana on June 6, 2007. These meetings include discussions with Priya Manickchand, Minister of Human Services and Social Services; Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports; Clement Rohee, Minister of Home Affairs; Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister; and Bharrat Jagdeo, President. The delegation also met with India's Ambassador to Guyana Avinash Gupta.

Among the topics discussed with President Jagdeo is the hosting of a regional Caribbean 2008 conference in Guyana to coincide with Guyana's commemoration of its 170th celebration of Arrival Day on May 5, 2008, the preservation of arrival records of various groups of people who came to Guyana, and other issues pertaining to GOPIO's global efforts to address issues of interest and concern to the global Indian Diaspora.

Ramsaran said the preservation of the documents is important so that "someone four generations later can trace their ancestors back to the time of arrival." He said GOPIO's primary goal is "to nurture connectivity and networking of people of Indian origin living across the world, bringing them together to discuss common issues affecting them". Important too, Ramsaran said, is the continuing need for groups to co-exist peacefully while contributing to the national development of their respective countries. GOPIO President Inder Singh emphasized that GOPIO is not a religious or political group, while Yesu Persaud noted that Guyana is a perfect example of how people of Indian origin co-exist with people of other ethnic groups.

The meeting with GOPIO Guyana Chapter was well attended and focused on community activities that include awareness and education on the high levels of diabetes among persons of Indian origin, increasing the number of scholarships from India and the selection process, as well participation at the mini-PBD to be held in New York on September 23, 2007.

GOPIO AMSTERDAM HOSTS LECTURE SERIES

On may 6^th of this year GOPIO Chapter Amsterdam organised a discussion on a very sensitive topic called "Negotiating (In)equalities: Politics and the State in Indiam," as part of the India lecture series organised at the University of Amsterdam in March 2007. The discussion was initiated by a lecture given by a Mrs. Dr. Jos Mooij, a lecturer at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.

That India is the largest democracy in the world is almost a cliché, but this cliché refers to an important and interesting fact. Political scientists who have tried to understand and explain the democratic transition in Europe often refer to the emergence of a bourgeoisie.
When India became independent on August 15^th, 1947 and laid down its principles of democracy in the Constitution, there was, however, no substantive bourgeoisie. There were a small elite and a very large mass of poor people. This meant that the democratic system that emerged in India was characterised by a huge contradiction: formally, there was political equality, but at the same time there was rather extreme social and economic inequality. How could this situation persist? This meeting focused on this contradiction. In the course of the 60 years since India's independence, the contradictions and dilemmas for the Indian state have obviously changed somewhat. Which changes have taken place? How is the Indian state the product of the social and economic inequalities, and what kind of policies have been developed to address these? The topic is most interesting if we consider the fact that India will celebrate its 60^th year of independence this year.

The meeting proved to be very successful because it opened the eyes for many who attended the discussion since they could have a very non-emotional discussion on a very sensitive topic.

For more info on GOPIO in The Netherlands: gopioamsterdam@gmail.com or R. Tewari President of GOPIO Amsterdam (r.tewari@india.com).

GOPIO INTERNATIONAL INVITES COMMUNITY ACTIVIST TO JOIN ITS ONLINE FORUM ON NRI/PIO ISSUES

GOPIO International has launched an online public forum for NRIs & PIOs to discuss and deliberate on issues of concern. If you have an issue of concern to NRIs and PIOs, you are welcome to post it in this online yahoogroups forum. Please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GOPIO_Intl and register to become a participant or post a note of concern.

NO CHANGE IN UK's HIGHLY SKILLED MIGRANT PROGRAM

According to British Immigration minister Liam Byrne, there are no plans to make any change to re-orient the controversially-amended Highly Skilled Migrant Program and address the demands of an estimated 30,000 Indians who claim they were suddenly disenfranchised by the UK's new immigration rules.

Byrne's categorical refusal to pay heed to representations by the disenfranchised Indians comes nearly nine weeks after he promised to "reflect" on Indian HSMP visa-holders' tales of woe. On March 26, the minister promised he would review Britain's "retrospective" application of tough new HSMP visa rules.

The Indian-led organization representing HSMP visa-holders, the HSMP Forum Ltd, said Byrne had reneged on his promise to review and reflect and had also failed to communicate his decision to them directly. They said: "The Minister has disappointed many HSMP holders who have been waiting to hear from him and so were many MPs, High Commissions and other dignitaries who were present during the meeting.

Byrne told a magazine that he would not backtrack on controversial amendments to the programme. He said they were a "dry run" for the forthcoming Australian-style points-based immigration regime Britain will introduce next year. Byrne said: "I make no apology for tightening the rules. What I said to the (HSMP) Forum was quite clear - we will review the way the changes were introduced so we can learn the lessons for when we bring in the new points-based system."

The HSMP Forum says that 30,000 Indian migrants, who left the mother country on the strength of Britain's promise they could work and eventually settle here, will now be forced out of the country because they have to reapply for their visas after one year. They claim the new HSMP rules are unfair because they allegedly disenfranchise non-European economic migrants.

Byrne said: "I do not believe you can be a highly skilled migrant if you have been in the UK for a year without a job. This was a dry run for the points-based system, and we wanted to test some of the changes. We will reflect on the lessons learned so we can get the points system right in the New Year." In February, the Indian HSMP visa-holders took the UK government to court, seeking a judicial review of the new rules.

The UK allowed the Indians into the country under the four-year-old scheme on the understanding that they would work and probably settle here. But on December 5, its strict amended rules came into force, allegedly disenfranchising Indians and other non-Europeans because they no longer fit the highly-skilled migrant category. The new rules disenfranchise potential non-European migrants over 28 years old and earning UK salaries less than £ 35,000.

The HSMP Forum is still keeping its hopes of the pending judicial review in the London High Court and this is the only hope of retrospective justice for the thousands of engineers, doctors, teachers, techies and other Indians who now face deportation from Britain.

UNIV. OF AMSTERDAM TO INSTITUTE INDIAN DIASPORA CHAIR

The Indian Surinamese community accomplished a rewarding achievement last month by an initiative launched by the Foundation for Diaspora Chair Lalla Rookh. The University of Amsterdam will have a chair on Hindustani migrations within its Social Studies faculty.

The objective of this chair is to research the migration of contract laborers from India to Suriname and gather more information on the Indian migrants from Suriname. The first boat that left India for Suriname was called the Lalla Rookh.  Until 1916 around 34,000 Indians helped to maintain the plantation economy of Suriname.

Rajendre Khargi, secretary of the Foundation called the Indian migration a so-called "white stain" in Dutch History. He appealed for an increase of research into million Indians who left India as contract laborers. The chair will be financed by the Foundation for five years and depending on its success the foundation intends to finance the chair for another 5 years. There is a search for a lecturer preferably from the Diasporic community. For more information:  rajendre.khargi@world-psi.org, Tel: +33 623632929.

US NRI ENTREPRENEURS LAUNCH AP INVESTMENT FUND

Two US-based NRI entrepreneurs Venkatesh Tadinanda and Pradeep Shenoy have joined hands with Hyderabad-based entrepreneur Indira Porwal to launch an $7 million AP Investment Fund. The sole objective of the fund is "investing in companies that are based in the state and are focused on sectors such as information technology, biotechnology and other knowledge-based services which are aligned to the state's vision to transform itself into a knowledge society."

According to Venkatesh, CEO, Andhra Pradesh Investment Fund, the Fund is being financed by philanthropic NRI investors who want to give back to their state and the country "which invested in them and contributed to the success levels they have attained." He said the fund would be created in two phases. While $ 2 million would be raised by the end of current year, another $ 5 million would be raised next year in the second phase. He said the funds would be raised through 'investment club' where investors can invest amounts ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, which would go into the creation of the proposed corpus.

"The Fund is a means to help Indians' talent get a chance to demonstrate their potential and achievements on a world stage and derive the utmost financial advantage out of them. Besides funding, we will hand-hold the budding entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization," Venkatesh added. The Fund has set up its office in Hyderabad to receive the proposals, which will be cleared by investment review committee in the United States. Already, the Fund has raised $350,000 and received four proposals for funding.

AP Minister for Information Technology and Communications Ramreddy Damodar Reddy, who launched the Fund, said it would go a long way in helping small and medium enterprises and contribute to the state government's plans to create large- scale employment opportunities.

INDIAN AMERICAN NGO RAISES FUNDS FOR CHILD-TRAFFICKING VICTIMS

An Indian American charitable organization, Charity Network Inc. (CNI) has raised over $120,000 for a shelter 'Heaven of Freedom' which helps victims of child trafficking. At the fundraiser in Washington, DC, several paintings were auctioned off including Bill Mack's piece of Hollywood history, a portrait of Rita Hayworth on the original Hollywood sign went for a whopping $ 67,000. Another American painter Howard Behrens' painting fetched $ 40,000. Subhash Awchat's figurative live painting was auctioned for $15,000.

"It was indeed heartening to see the turnout and the commitment of people to make a difference in the lives of the victims of child trafficking," noted Lavika Bhagat Singh, Chief Operating Officer of CNI.

Earlier, Grammy award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt held the audience captive with his music, while Subhash Awchat painted on canvas depicting the plight of trafficked children.

CNI has worked closely with the Department of Justice and other organizations to drive home the urgency of building a shelter as new victims are taken straight to detention centers, due to the lack of specific shelters for trafficked victims. The shelter will be completed by 2008.

SBI HIKES INTEREST ON FCNR AND NRE DEPOSITS

State Bank of India has hiked the interest rates offered on non-resident Indian deposits with effect from June 1^st. The interest rate on foreign currency non resident accounts in dollars with maturity of one year to less than two years has been hiked to 4.64 per cent, two years to less than three years to 4.57 per cent, three years to less than four years to 4.55 per cent, four years to less than five years to 4.55 per cent and for five years only to 4.57 per cent, a bank statement said. Similar upward revisions have been made in accounts in denomination of euro, pound, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars and yen.

ILLEGAL INDIAN WORKERS IN UAE SET TO GET LEGAL STATUS OR EXIT

Indian workers employed illegally in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are preparing to secure legal status from the government or face expulsion. This follows an announcement by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government on Sunday.

The Indian embassy in Dubai says it will set up centers where illegal Indian workers can come with their documents. The UAE government has given a three-month deadline to such workers to get regularized or quit. The Indian mission is in close touch with local authorities as well as Indian associations. In a bid to curb the blatant violation of labor norms, the government has also threatened employers with severe action if they employ illegal workers in their farms or homes.

UK LAW ON SHAM MARRIAGES HELD ILLEGAL

The British Home Office is in chaos as the Court of Appeal declared that immigration rules aimed at stopping sham marriages were unlawful. The judges said the law breached the fundamental rights of immigrants subjected to the vetting.

The Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by Home Secretary John Reid to revive the campaign against sham marriages and upheld a High Court judgment last year that the rules breached to the right to marry and the right not to be discriminated against. The appeal court judges were particularly concerned that the rules, designed to block marriages of convenience by those trying to get around the immigration laws, did not apply to Church of England marriages.

UK Immigration Minister Lian Byrne said "The Certificate of approval" scheme has been instrumental in checking the issue of sham marriages. Since the introduction of those checks, in February 2005, the number of suspicious marriage reports received from registrars has gone down from 3,740 in 2004 to less than 300 by the end of May, 2005, and between January and August 2006, there were only 149 such reports."

The Home Office had introduced rules making people born outside the EU and with permission to be in Britain for six months or less had to get a certificate of approval to marry from the home secretary at a cost of pound 135.