GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN

October, 2003

CONTENTS

v    GOPIO Submits Memorandum to Prime Minster Vajpayee

v    GOPIO-Belgium for Involvement of NRIs/PIOs in the PBD

v    European MP Calls for Permanent Seat for Indian in the UN Security Council

v    Ten PIOs Mentioned in MIT Technology Review 100

v    PM Vajpayee Meets Indo-Caribbean Community in New York

v    UAE Decides to Fire Expats Over 60 Years of Age

v    PIO Human Rights  Perspectives and Experiences

v    GOPIO CHAPTER NEWS

-         MEP Moraes will Raise NRI/PIO Pension and Social Security Issue in the European Parliament

-         GOPIO-Belgium Schedules Seminar

v     GOPIO.Connect  India Development Initiative

 

GOPIO SUBMITS MEMORANDUM TO PRIME MINISTER VAJPAYEE

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minster Vajpayee during his trip to the US. While GOPIO has complimented the Prime Minister for taking the initiative in organizing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, early this year with the second one scheduled for January 2004, GOPIO has recommended that the PBD should aim at strengthening the emerging policy framework for a more cooperative and productive engagement between India and the Indian Diaspora. The memorandum further stated that global Indians are being noticed and recognized in every corner of the world for their success in their chosen fields, there exists a gap between the Global Indian Society and India. The memorandum highlighted the issues that are increasingly being seen as vital to reconnect India with the Indian Diaspora.

 

In the memorandum, GOPIO requested the Government of India to accelerate the legislation process and set up the administrative regulations and procedure for granting the dual nationality to qualified NRIs/PIOs. GOPIO also urged the Government of India to establish a Ministry of Overseas Indians similar to the Ministry of Overseas Chinese in China, so as to facilitate all NRI/PIO related issues and activities through this ministry.

GOPIO urged the Indian cabinet to appoint a few prominent NRIs (who are Indian citizens) as Rajya Sabha members so as to reinforce the bonds between India and the overseas NRI/PIO community. Other items included Rajya Sabha seats for NRIs, more economic initiatives to attract NRI/PIO investments, voting rights for Indian citizens living outside India and a proactive stand on human rights violations of NRIs/PIOs in accordance with the UN Charter on Human Rights.

 

GOPIO also emphasized the government to set up a mechanism to help PIOs to search their roots. In this regard, GOPIO requested the Government of India to host a website exclusively for the PIOs with details and particulars concerning the emigrants, their port of embarkation, destination, original village, etc from information stored in archives in India. The website should include the assistance (document/search, local transport, guides/district administration, etc.) which the Government is ready to provide to PIO's traveling to India in search of their roots. The State governments should ask its district administrations to assist and co-operate with PIOs seeking information about their ancestral roots providing with administrative assistance. This will go a long way to help PIOs from other countries to explore their roots and eventually meaningful inquiry for reunification to establish links with the Motherland.

 

GOPIO Memorandum to Indian Prime Minister is provided at http://www.gopio.net/gopio_pm2003.htm

 GOPIO-BELGIUM FOR INVOLVEMENT OF NRI/PIO GROUPS IN PBD

In a letter addressed to the Indian Foreign Minister the President of GOPIO Belgium Sunil Prasad has urged the Indian government to associate the GOPIO International in the planning of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and other such activities as a matter of policy and principle in order to create better understanding, sensitivity and coordination amongst the NRIs/PIOs worldwide. He said that the PBD celebration 2003 was a historic occasion which marked the beginning of a new chapter between India and the Indian Diaspora. In future, the PBD should aim at strengthening the emerging policy framework for a constructive and productive engagement between India and the Indian Diaspora.

The letter said that out of 2000 NRIs/PIOs who participated in the PBD, a majority of them were either members of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) or were connected with organizations who closely work with GOPIO. The GOPIO has been engaged in addressing the concerns of the NRI/PIO in their countries of settlement and to utilize the expertise of Indian expatriates for the benefit of the people in India and the countries where the PIO are settled. Emphasizing the important role the GOPIO International has played, the GOPIO President says that GOPIO has proved beyond doubt that it is the only world-wide organization which is exclusively serving the interest of NRIs/PIOs. He added that it was GOPIO which for years campaigned for recognizing the importance of NRIs/PIOs and for constituting a Commission on Indian Diaspora and it has had the proud privilege of making major contribution to the recommendations of the Commission. Criticizing the government policy, the President said that the GOPIOs role was undermined by not involving it in the initial planning and designing of the Celebration. The whole objective of connecting with the Diaspora seemed misplaced without the active participation of the organizations representing the NRIs/PIOs.

 

EUROPEAN MP CALLS FOR PERMANENT SEAT FOR INDIA IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL

At a felicitation and dinner organized by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) in New York, European member of parliament Nirj Deva said that India as the largest democracy and an emerging economic power should be elevated to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the next UN Secretary General should be from Asia. Deva was in New York representing the European Parliament at the UN General Assembly session.

Speaking on the subject South Asian Communities, World Trade and Global Stability," Neva said the South Asian communities are making an impact in the Western countries such as UK, USA, Netherlands and Canada. However, the community has to be more politically involved. Deva cited the success of the Jewish community in political process in UK where the community at one time had 80 members of parliament for a population of 250,000 people. We need political representation commensurate with our economic success. If we do not have appropriate representation, our communities could end up with situations similar to what happened in Uganda in early 1970s, said Deva.

Born in Sri Lanka, Deva has been an aeronautical engineer, scientist and a company chairman and director. Elected to U.K. parliament representing Brentford & Isleworth in 1992, Deva served as parliamentary private secretary to Minister of State, Scottish Office. Currently, Deva is a Conservative Member of European Parliament representing South East of England since 1999 (8 million voters).

On global trade and stability, Deva said that 80% of world GDP is controlled by richest 20% and 15% is controlled by poorest 20%. The top 200 transnational companies (TNCs) combined have turnovers twice the size of combined GNPs of 80% of worlds population and larger than the combined GNP of 182 countries, therefore, the TNCs have to play a role in worlds development, Deva added.

Further on the United Nations, Deva said that there should be an Economic Security Council and a Petitions Committee to hear citizens rights. During the question/answer session, on a question on the justification of Iraq war, Deva said, we could be more comfortable now since no more atrocities are done to Iraqi people and that they would have a chance to elect their own representative government.

The program ended with GOPIO inducting Deva as an honorary member

TEN PIOs MENTIONED IN MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW 100


The latest issue of MITs Technology Review, has named ten young innovators of Indian origin, among the category of 35 or younger, described as "lab dwellers, visionaries, and dealmakers whose work will utterly transform our world in the years to come".

TR100 covers four fields -- computing, biotech and medicine, Internet and nanotech.

The maximum number of innovators of Indian origin figure in the list for biotech and medicine -- Sangeeta Bhatia, Nimmi Ramanujam, Shuvo Roy and Ram Samudrala.

Three others are listed under nanotech -- Krishna Kumar, Balaji Narasimhan and Ravikanth Pappu.

While two are listed under Internet -- Sanjay Parekh and Reuben Singh --- the category of computing has one, Vipul Ved Prakash.

This is the third time Technology Review has identified 100 young innovators to celebrate.


Here are the fields of the 10 innovators:

v      Vipul Ved Prakash: Developed free and commercial software filters that fight spam.

v      Sangeeta Bhatia: Uses microchip-manufacturing tools to build artificial livers.

v      Nimmi Ramanujam: Uses light to help make diagnosing breast and cervical cancer faster, more accurate, and less invasive.

v      Shuvo Roy: Builds tiny machines that can warn of impending heart attack and monitor healing after surgery.

v      Ram Samudrala: Wrote algorithms that can predict the functions of proteins from the sequence of a genome.

v      Sanjay Parekh: Develops software that lets companies tailor services to their customers' locations.

v      ReubenSingh: Provides support services and start up money for entrepreneurs.

v      Krishna Kumar: Improves the stability and effectiveness of protein-based drugs.

v      Balaji Narasimhan: Devises time-release polymers to replace multiple vaccine injections

v      Ravikanth Pappu: Fights credit card forgery with glass-bead "keys".

 

INDO-CARIBBEANS MEET PRIME MINISTER VAJPAYEE

A group of 20 Indo-Caribbeans met Prime Minister Vajpayee on September 23rd during his stay in New York. The delegation included GOPIOs Caribbean Coordinator Ramesh Kalicharran (Organizer/Moderator), Bhanu Dwarika, Roopnarain Persaud, Ashook Ramsaran (GOPIO Secretary General), Tarachand Singh, Dhanpaul Singh, Prakash Satish, Vishnu Bisram, Deo Gosine, Roy Singh, Mohamed Zakir, Janet Maragh, Prakash Singh, Govind Dhaya, and Vishnu Bisram. PM Vajpayee praised the Indo-Caribbean community in New York for holding on to their culture and Indian way of life and promised to provide scholarships for them as well as to increase scholarships granted to Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica and Surinam for students wanting to study in India.

 

UAE DECIDES TO FIRE EXPATS OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE

DUBAI: 22 September 2003 The United Arab Emirates has began enforcing a new rule on age bar in the private sector under which employees above 60 years of age face the sack. This move could hit hundreds of Indian expatriate workers hard. According to Khaleej Times, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has started suspending private companies for failure to cancel visa and labour cards of their employees over 60 years of age. A labour rule and a Ministerial Order issued a few years ago stipulates that no visa be issued to an expatriate worker above the age of 60 except in special cases and categories where the country needs the services of highly skilled people. Many expatriates have already lost their jobs as the government has started implementing the rule. The ministry also suspended 899 companies since the beginning of this year until the end of August for violation of the law, the report said. Other reasons that invite suspension are non-payment of salary, non-observance of safety rules and negligence of hygiene at labour camps. It is not clear how many expatriates of the nearly one million Indian workforce in the UAE will be hit by the enforcement of the age bar rule.

In the UAE Asian workers constitute 85 per cent, with Indians accounting for 42.05 per cent. About 77 per cent of the expatriates enjoy regular long-term employment with monthly wages. There are more than one million Indian expatriates in the UAE, of which about 50 per cent are from Kerala state in India alone. Most of the workers are employed in the construction industry and retail business.

The GOPIO had hailed the Indian Prime Ministers announcement during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas of the urgent steps being taken by the government for the welfare of Indians in the Gulf countries. However, despite several welfare measures taken in the past by the government for the 3 million Indian workers in the Gulf countries, their plight remains the same. Generally, Indian workers in the Gulf face problems relating to non-payment of agreed wages, delays in payments, inadequate accommodation and with regard to domestic workers, harassment or ill-treatment by the sponsors. Situation for migrant workers in the Gulf have become worse in the past five years. Violation of their human rights and their exploitation by their employers concerns GOPIO and the Government of India should become more sensitive to the welfare of these workers and utilize every occasion to convey Indias concern to the respective governments.

 

PIO  HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVES & EXPERIENCES

GOPIO CONFERENCE POSTPONED TO MARCH 20, 2004

 

Diwali 2003 will be observed on the same day as the planned Conference on Human Rights Experiences. Due to the calendar conflict with such an important annual celebration, and with due consideration of other religious observances, a busy November in United States, the holidays in December and January, St John's University's schedules, and the overwhelming feedback from potential participants globally, the conference date has been postponed to:

 

Saturday, March 20, 2004.

 

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT A PAPER EXTENED TO FEBRUARY 20, 2004

Human Rights Perspectives and Experience: People of Indian Origin in the Caribbean, Americas, Asia,  Africa, Europe

In-Depth Reports, Discussions and Analyses.   Experiences of People of Indian Origin Living Outside  of India in Countries with Significant PIO Population. Reports on Fiji, the Caribbean, USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Africa, Guyana, Trinidad, Surname, and others.

Sponsored  By  
St. Johns Universitys
Center on Latin American & Caribbean Studies

on Saturday, March 20, 2004 @ 9:00am
at
St. Johns University
Bent Hall Auditorium
Jamaica     New York

Co-Sponsored By
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Inc.

Supported By  
The Guyanese East Indian Civic Association (GEICA)
And Several Other Institutions & Organizations

Contact:

GOPIO - Ashook Ramsaran, Tel: 718-969-8206, E-mail: ramsaran@aol.com
GOPIO - Prof. Surendra Kaushik, Tel: 914-762-6168, E-mail: skaushik@pace.edu
GEICA - Prakash Singh, Tel: 718-939-8194, E-mail: geica@aol.com 

St. Johns. Univ. Dr. Camacho-Gingerich, Tel: 718-990-1932, E-mail: clacs@sju.edu


SESSIONS
Region   I                The Caribbean, Guyana, Malaysia, Trinidad,
                                         Suriname, Fiji, Bangladesh
Region  II                 Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe,
                                         Other Africa, Mauritius
Region III                Australia, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, United States,
                                         Other Americas

SPEAK AT THE CONFERENCE ON YOUR EXPERIENCE OR PRESENT A SCHOLARLY PAPER

Please send an abstract to Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran at ramsaran@aol.com or call 718-969-8206.

GOPIO CHAPTER NEWS

MEP Moraes will Raise NRI/PIO Pension and Social Security Issue in the European Parliament

Brussels: 10 September: The GOPIO Belgium was assured by the Member of the European Parliament Mr. Claude Moraes that he would raise the issue of the denial of Pension to the Non Resident Indians and the People of Indian Origin of the countries with whom the government of Belgium has no bi-lateral reciprocal agreement. He shared his views with the GOPIO delegation about the difficulties the Indian Community is facing and said that the Belgian Pension Law is just not right. He further said that he would rather take incremental step and bring the issues that GOPIO Belgium has been raising, by co-coordinating a joint action plan with all other three PIO MEPs. This strategy, according to him, would be his first step in addressing the problem of the Indian community about the European common pension and social security policy. The MEP Moraes spoke of the incredible success of Indian community in US and UK in particular and also how they have excelled over other communities in all fields. He gave compliments to Indias software revolution and hoped that the wealth generated by industrial and technological leap will be shared by poor and underprivileged.

The delegation informed the MEP briefly about the history of the GOPIO International and its Belgium National Chapter. The delegation also presented him a dossier detailing GOPIOs activities and some useful info concerning the issues for which the delegation was seeking his assistance.

The GOPIO delegation was composed of GOPIO Executives Dev Hassamal, M.S. Chandramouli and President Sunil Prasad. The GOPIO Belgium embarked upon a contact-cum-campaign programme with all the MEPs of the Persons of Indian Origin with meeting Mr. Bashir Khanbhai on the 12th. June 2003. With this meeting with Mr. Moraes GOPIO has represented to all the four PIO MEPs the problems facing the Indian Community in Belgium. Earlier, the GOPIO had called on MEPs Mr. Nirj Deva and Ms. Neena Gill.

The GOPIO Belgium President Sunil Prasad also addressed a letter to the Indian External Affairs Minsiter Minister Mr. Yashwant Sinha on 22nd. September. 2003. The Letter/Memorandum covered several issues of NRIs/PIOs. More details are available at http://www.gopio.net/gopio_chapters/gopio_belgium/memorandum.doc

 

GOPIO-BELGIUM SCHEDULES SEMINAR

 Topic - "Investment In India: Opportunities Unlimited which emphasises the sectors of high growth in India's economy and will facilitate interactions between selected potential interested investors and Indian corporate sector representatives. The Conference will be held in Brussels on 4 December 2003 at:

 

ITUH Auditorium

5, Boulevard du Roi Albert II

B 1210 Bruxelles

Belgium

Tel : 0032-2-224 0254, Fax : 0032-2-224 0299

 Contact GOPIO-Belgium president Sunil Prasad at: sunil.prasad@icftu.org or visit http://www.gopio.net/gopio_chapters/gopio_belgium/seminar.doc

 

GOPIO.CONNECT- INDIA DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

As part of creating a network that can facilitate knowledge contributions for developmental activities, GOPIO.Connect is doing following:

v      Formation of a team of facilitators to manage each of key EIGHT development themes. Provide Regular Development Updates through GOPIO Newsletter.

v      Active Discussions on a proposal to organize a NRI/PIO Development Conference in Chicago in September-October 2004.

v      Alliance Setup with well-established India Development Organizations/Individuals.

v      Launch of "Knowledge-Exchange" Information System for GOPIO.Connect by June, 2004.

v      Publicize the India-development work through internet media channels.

For information on GOPIO.Connect, please visit: www.gopio.net/india_development

If you would like to be part of list of organizations on GOPIO.Connect or would like to become Contributor on one of these development themes, please email Prashant Gupta at p-gupta3@kellogg.northwestern.edu or Call: 847-310-9232.

 

Business and Professional Services Bulletin Board

NRIs/PIOs and businessmen from India are encouraged to publicize businesses and services though GOPIO Business Council Bulletin Board free of charge. Please visit www.gopio.net/wboard/bulletin.htm

Editorial Board

v     Dr. Thomas Abraham (Stamford, CT, USA)

v     Prashant Gupta (Chicago, IL, USA)

v      Sunil Prasad (Brussles, Belgium)

Visit GOPIOs Official site at www.gopio.net