Resolutions
Passed During the 2006 Conference
Resolution 1
RAJYA SABHA SEATS FOR NON-RESIDENT INDIANS
WHEREAS, the 8.8 million Non-Resident Indians living outside
India constitute an important force and represent a tremendous resource in
intellectual, technical, scientific, professional, economic, trade, and
entrepreneurial excellence with high potential and interest to contribute to
the well-being and prosperity of their motherland; WHEREAS, the NRI community
has emerged as an important factor in promoting India's interest, in shaping
relations between "host" and the "home" countries and in
steering a dynamic shift in India's economic and political advantage in the
world affairs; THEEFORE, GOPIO Urges the Government of India to nominate a few
prominent NRIs as members of the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Parliament) so
as to reinforce and further integrate the bonds between India and the overseas
NRI/PIO community.
Resolution 2
VOTING RIGHTS FOR INDIAN CITIZENS LIVING OUTSIDE
WHEREAS, more than 40% of the Indians living outside India are
still citizens of India; WHERAS, most of the countries provide opportunities
for their citizens living outside their countries to participate in the
election process of their countries, WHEREAS, India is yet to establish a
mechanism to provide such an opportunity for it's citizens numbering about 8.8
million of the 22 million Indian Diaspora, WHEREAS, the NRIs are building
country's image and enthusiastically contributing to the economic development
of India, they should be allowed to exercise their rights of franchise as
enshrined in the Constitution of India and should be able to vote in elections
held for state & federal offices.
THEREFORE, GOPIO Urges the Government of India to allow availing
the NRIs right to cast the absentee vote and urges the Government of India to
initiate the process of providing voting rights, through a constitutional
amendment if necessary, to Indian citizens living outside India.
Resolution 3
POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF NRIs/PIOs
WHEREAS in some countries with large NRI/PIO population, there
are instances of extraordinary level of infringement of human and political
rights including racial discrimination and unconstitutional means to suppress
rights of the persons of Indian origin,
THEREFORE, GOPIO urges Govt. of India to formulate an effective
and comprehensive policy and take proactive stand in accordance with the UN
Charter on Human Rights, where ever and whenever such violations occur.
Resolution 4
RESTORE "NOT ORDINARILY A RESIDENT (NOR)" STATUS FROM
TWO YEARS TO NINE ON GLOBAL TAX OF RETURNING NRIs/PIOs
WHEREAS the NRIs/PIOs have remarkably contributed to the
economic progress & growth by way of remittances and investment in bank
deposits upon their return although the industrial and stock market investments
are ruled by MNCs & financial institutions;
WHEREAS the interest rate on deposit is being reduced and the
Indian Rupee getting weaker against all major international currencies
resulting in wiping out the investment benefit;
WHEREAS GOPIO continues to feel Government is justified taxing
any and all incomes generated within
global income should be reverted
back to the 2002 period and earlier. This would encourage greater cooperation
of 22 million NRIs/PIOs, who form a
considerable
national resource of global network for
THEREFORE, GOPIO urges that the NOR global tax (under
section-6-6) exemption of two years be restored back to the original nine
years, as was the case before the change brought out in the Finance Bill 2003.
Even former Finance Minister had withdrawn a very similar change in 1998
Resolution 5
PROTECTION OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
WHEREAS, PIOs & NRIs are committed to contribute financially
and otherwise to the growth & progress of
WHEREAS, they have substantially invested in the Commercial Real
Estate, and WHEREAS, the practices and the laws in
provide enough
relief to the investors when the tenants refuse to honor their agreements to
pay the rents or vacate the premises, and
WHEREAS, the PIOs/NRIs investors find themselves helpless in
protecting their investments,
THEREFORE, GOPIO urges the Government of India to enact
legislation to protect the investors and set a mechanism where the violations
can be brought to the attention of appropriate state and central authorities
for relief.
Resolution 6
MARRIAGE ABUSES
WHEREAS, several incidents have been brought to the attention of
GOPIO and Indian missions abroad about the spousal abuses where unsuspecting
young ladies
WHEREAS, GOPIO would assist the efforts of Government of India
to protect its citizens from being abused,
THEREFORE, GOPIO urges the Government of India to create a
mechanism to help these abused and deserted brides.
RESOLUTION 7
PRICE DIFFERENTIATION FOR PIOs FOR HOTELS & ARCHEOLOGICAL
SITES
WHEREAS, it may be understandable that those who can afford
should pay more, it is a poor policy to differentiate between the citizens of
NRIs/PIOs by asking them to pay more for the same Hotel
accommodation and for the same entrance ticket to the archeological sites such
as Taj Mahal, and
WHEREAS, the intent and actions of PIOs to support
WHEREAS, there is a grave concern about the feelings of Indians
abroad who are against this "double standard"
THEEFORE, GOPIO urges the Government of India to stop this
discriminatory practice.
RESOLUTION 8
REPEAL THE NEW VCA CLEARANCE RULES FOR ADOPTION OF ORPHANED
CHILDREN FROM
WHEREAS
WHEREAS GOPIO understands and respects the intent behind the VCA
clearance for inter-country adoption requirements which is to ensure that
Indians residing in
WHEREAS the implementation of the new rule may not significantly
increase the pool of local Indian potential adoptive parents and will have a
significant
and potentially negative
impact on the health and long-term development of the children, and
WHEREAS enforcement of this rule could greatly increase the
amount of time children will spend in orphanages instead of being available for
adoption by
waiting NRI
families, and
WHEREAS the NRI community is committed in its efforts to adopt
orphan children from
THEREFORE, GOPIO urges the concerned Ministry of the Government
of India & CARA to reconsider and revoke the new mandatory VCA clearance rules
which came into effect in November 2003 because they not only make adoption
from India significantly harder for NRIs but they also are counter-productive
to the interests of the orphan children in India.
RESOLUTION 9
REHABILITATION OF POOR INDIAN WORKERS FROM
WHEREAS, so many Indian workers in the Gulf States have been
cheated through "mistaken belief" of good jobs in the Gulf States, and
WHEREAS, the employers in the
some of them have landed in
Jails, and
WHEREAS, they neither get any legal help nor they have own
resources (in fact, some of them even mortgaged their houses in
THEREFORE, GOPIO urges the Government of India to take measures
to help in the rehabilitation of these poor workers through financial and legal
assistance.
RESOLUTION 10
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS & PROBLEMS AT
WHEREAS the Bharatiya Pravasi
Divas (PBD) is celebrated around January 9, the date of return of Mahatma
Gandhi to
WHEREAS this time of the year is much more convenient for the
NRIs/PIOs to travel to
break for students at schools and
colleges and in their employment schedule, thus creating a heavier
traffic, and
WHEREAS
the travel plans
unpredictable, inconvenient and quite often frustrating, and
WHEREAS technology exists to help minimise
flight landing/take-off disruptions to a minimum.
THEREFORE GOPIO urges the
Government of India to address this issue of fog at