GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN
December 2006
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CONTENTS
GOPIO CONVENTION 2007 IN NEW DELHI JANUARY 5TH AND 6TH PROGRAM UPDATE
INDIA TO RECOGNIZE NRI PERFORMERS AND WORKERS
OVERSEAS INDIAN INVESTMENT CENTER TO BE LAUNCHED
INDIAN AMERICANS MAKE A MARK IN THE AMERICAN ELECTION
BOBBY JINDAL TO RUN FOR LOUISIANA GOVERNOR
STATUS REPORT OF US-INDIA NUCLEAR AGREEMENT
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS - JANUARY 7-9, 2007 IN NEW DELHI
MINISTER KAMAL NATH ASKS EU TO OPEN ITS SERVIE SECTOR FOR COMPETITION
MINISTER RAVI ADDRESSES NFIA CONVENTION WHICH HONORED FIVE INDIAN AMERICANS
VICE PRESIDENT SHEKHAWAT VISITS GUYANA AND TRINIDAD
GOPIO INTL. AND CHAPTER NEWS
GOPIO-BERLIN FORMALLY INAUGURATED
GOPIO-CT SCHEDULES LUNCHEON MEETING FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
TRIPS FOR GOPIO & PBD DELEGATES TO VISIT HELENA KAUSHIK COLLEGE FOR WOMEN
NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE
MIRA KAUSHIK HONORED WITH OBE IN LONDON
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NUTRITION HONORS RAJ CHOPRA
INDIAN AMERICAN SENIORS GROUP HONORS THREE AT ANNUAL MEETING
SUNITA WILLIAMS TO GO INTO SPACE IN DECEMBER
ASIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO MONI VARMA AND RAMI RANGER
INDIAN AMERICAN DR. NAVIN MEHTA HONORED BY A NEW YORK HOSPITAL
INDO-CANADIAN APPOINTED AS CITIZENSHIP JUDGE
INDIAN AMERICAN SCIENTISTS FIND POTENTIAL CURE FOR COLON CANCER
DR. SHARMILA BOSE TO HEAD OXFORD S MEDIA INSTITUTE
NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs AND PIOs AROUND THE WORLD
US REMAINS HOTTEST DESTINATION FOR INDIAN STUDENTS
GLOBAL MEET FOR BIHAR SCHEDULED FOR JAN. 19-21, 2007
THE FOURTH PRAVASI PUNJABI DIVAS SCHEDULED FOR JAN. 11, 2007
FOUR NRI FIRMS AMONG BRITAIN S TOP COMPANIES
NRIs OWN 42% OF THE US HOTEL BUSINESS
TWO INDIAN AMERICANS MOVE UP IN FORBES RICHEST AMERICANS LIST
TAX-FREE ON SALARY INCOME IN INDIA FOR NRIs
MORE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS MOVE TO AUSTRALIA
GOPIO DEPLORES ATTACKS ON INDIANS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
MORE NRIs SUFFER FROM DIABETES THAN INDIAN CITIZENS
GOPIO LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER FORMATION
EDITORIAL BOARD
GOPIO CONVENTION 2007 IN NEW DELHI , JANUARY 5TH AND 6TH - PROGRAM UPDATE
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International)
announces
GOPIO CONVENTION 2007
January 5th & 6th, 2007 New Delhi, India
In Conjunction With
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2007
Venue: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Conference Room, Federation House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi
(Tel: 91-11 2373876070)
THEME
OVERSEAS INDIANS: Identity Preservation & Adoption of New Values in Pluralistic Societies
Friday, January 5th, 2007
FICCI Conference Room, New Delhi
9:30 am to 11:00 Noon GOPIO Executive Committee Meeting (Not open to public)
11:00 am to 5:30pm Registration
11:00 am to 1:00 pm GOPIO General Council Meeting (Not open to public)
1:00 pm. Lunch
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm GOPIO COUNCIL REPORTS (Open to Public)
GOPIO CHAPTER NRI/PIO AREA REPORTS (Open to Public)
North America Dr. Piyush Agrawal, GOPIO Coordinator, USA
South America and Caribbean Yesu Persaud, Executive VP GOPIO Intl.,
Krishna Nandoe, President of GOPIO Suriname
Europe Sunil Prasad, President, GOPIO-Belgium Conference Report
Raj Lakha, President GOPIO UK Chapter Reports
Middle East Sunny Kulathakal ( Bahrain ), GOPIO Intl. VP for Middle East
Pacific/Ocenia Noel Lal, GOPIO Australia Coordinator, Sydney , Australia
Far East K. Sital, GOPIO South East Asia Coordinator, Hong Kong
Africa Sagie Naidu, GOPIO South Africa Coordinator
3:30 pm to 6:00 pm Media Conclave
Participation by all major Indian Media and NRI/PIO Media
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Formal Inauguration of GOPIO Conference 2007
Chief Guest: To be announced soon
Program:
Welcome: K.N. Gupta, Conference Chair and President GOPIO New Delhi
Welcome: Inder Singh, President, GOPIO International
Greetings: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman, GOPIO International
Inauguration Ceremony: Lighting of the Lamp
Chief Guests Speech
Release of the Conference Souvenir
Release of the book by Anand Mulloo
Recognition of Sponsors
Note of Thanks: Ashook Ramsaran, Secretary General, GOPIO International
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Reception
Saturday, January 6th, 2007
FICCI Conference Room, New Delhi
Conference Theme:
OVERSEAS INDIANS: Identity Preservation & Adoption of New Values in Pluralistic Societies
9:30 am Registration Coffee/Tea
10:00 am to 11:15 am - Session I - EMERGING DIASPORA ISSUES
Chair: Dr. Jagat Motwani,
Chairman, GOPIO Academic Council
11.15 am to 11.30 am Coffee/Tea Break
11.30 am to 12.45 pm Session II - INDIAN DIASPORA - Pluralism vs Assimilation
Chair: Ambassador Krishna Nandoe, President of GOPIO Suriname
Co-Chair: Dr. Shekhar Tiwary, Co-Chair GOPIO Roots Committee
Speakers:
Prof. Parmatma Saran, City University , New York , North American Experience
Other speakers to be announced.
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm Lunch
2:00 pm to 3:15 pm Session III - The NRI-PIO DIVIDE HOW TO BRIDGE THE GAP?
Chair: Ashook Ramsaran,
Secretary General, GOPIO International, New
York , NY
Speakers: Prof Mohan Gautam , Netherlands
Prof Ganesh Chand , Fiji
Two more speakers to be announced
3.15 pm to 3.30 am Coffee/Tea Break
3:30 pm to 4:45 pm Session IV - NRIs/PIOs AND INDIA DEVELOPING PEOPLE TO PEOPLE RELATIONS
Chair: Prof. Jai Rup Singh Ph.D, Vice Chancellor, GNU, Amritsar , Punjab , India
Speakers: To be announced.
4:50 pm to 5:30 pm Wrap-up and Adoption of Resolutions
Chair: Dr. Piyush Agrawal, USA Coordinator, GOPIO International
7:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Reception and Grand Awards Banquet with the Presentation of GOPIOs Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Awards
Honored Guests: To be announced soon
Conference Registration
Conference Registration Fee: Rs. 1,000. Waived for those who register prior to December 15, 2006. Prior registration is mandatory. Total registration will be limited to 200 delegates. Limited number of Jan. 6th banquets only registration available at Rs. 600 per person. Those from outside India , please contact GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran in the US at 718-353-1900 E-mail: ramsaran@aol.com.
The conference in Delhi will be coordinated by GOPIO-India president Mr. K.N. Gupta, Tel: (91) 11-4164-2066/9899910803, e-mail: knguptas@hotmail.com
Sponsor opportunities are available for Indian businesses interested to reach out PIOs/NRIs. Limited number of Tabletop Booths will also be available at the venue on January 6th. Contact Mr. K.N. Gupta.
TITLE SPONSORS OF GOPIO CONVENTION 2007
PLATINUM SPONSOR KINGFISHER AIRLINES owned by Dr. Vijay Mallaya
GOLD SPONSOR PIO TV (www.piotv.com)
GOPIO COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
GOPIO is seeking nominations from the Indian communities all over the world to submit nominations of those who stand out in providing services to the NRI/PIO community. Send the nominations with background information by December 10, 2006 by e-mail to Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran at: ramsaran@aol.com
The awardees will be honored on January 6th at the Awards banquet.
Hotel and Internal Travel Arrangements
The Travel Corporation of India (TCI) Pvt. Ltd. has identified different types of hotels for GOPO delegates (visit: http://www.tciconferences.com/gopio/). Those wanting to go for site seeing trips in India , pre- and/or post-convention, TCI could make internal travel arrangements and accommodation. Contact Narendra Saraswat, Manager - Business Development & E-Holidays, Travel Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd., 504 - 505, 5th Floor, New Delhi House, 27 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi - 110 001, Tel. +91-11-23317773, 23315834, Fax: +91-11-23316705, 23327468, Email - narandras@tci.co.in
For more information on GOPIO Convention 2007, please contact: GOPIO President Inder Singh in USA at 818-708-3885, E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net or Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran at: 718-353-1900 or by email at ramsaran@aol.com
INDIA TO RECOGNIZE NRI PERFORMERS AND WORKERS
Government of India is instituting a new category of award titled Pravasi Bharatiya Shramik Samman to recognize outstanding contributions made by Indian workers abroad. It will carry a citation and a cash of Rs.100,000. These awards, instituted by the ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA), will be separate from the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards that are presented to members of the Indian Diaspora, both NRIs and persons of Indian origin. According to MOIA, a maximum of 10 such awards will be presented in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the annual conclave of the Indian Diaspora organized by the ministry.
The awards will recognize overseas Indian workers or NRI workers employed by an
overseas 'employer' in any country or place outside India for distinguished
record of performance, devotion to duty of a high order, contribution towards
fostering better understanding of his fellow Indian workers and for improving
the image of the country through their performance. The awards will also
recognize those who have made the supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives
in their conscientious discharge of their duties.
The award recipient and spouse will be provided with return economy fare from
the country they are based in and four days' hospitality by the Indian
government in the course of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas where the awards will be presented.
Nominations for these awards will be received from heads of Indian diplomatic
missions abroad and prominent overseas Indians personalities and employers as
decided by MOIA. All nominations should reach MOIA latest by Dec 15 every year.
According to the eligibility criteria, the nominated worker should be involved
in 'work' as defined in the Emigration Act, 1983, and recruited through process
of recruitment as defined in the same Act. The worker should have worked
continuously at least for the past two years in the nominating establishment.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Shramik Samman awards will be
announced on the eve of every Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and will be presented at the valedictory
session of the event to be chaired by the Indian president, before the
distribution of the Pravasi Bharatiya
Samman awards.
The first of this new series of awards will be presented during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be
held in New Delhi
from January 7 to 9 next year.
OVERSEAS INDIAN INVESTMENT CENTER TO BE LAUNCHED
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has announced plans to create a special centre to attract investments from overseas Indians and facilitate the creation of a global Indian consortium. The consortium would be expected to work with apex trade bodies, states of India and various associations of overseas Indians, Ravi said, while inaugurating India Calling 2006, an India-U.K business summit. He said the plans were likely to be finalized before the next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, scheduled to be held on January 7-9, 2007 in New Delhi .
The Overseas Investment Centre is envisaged as a single point contact at the National and State level and will provide investment advisory service on taxation, legal requirements, information on capital market investment and opportunities to invest in the real estate, according to G. Gurcharan, joint secretary in the ministry.
Contact: G. Gurucharan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Tel: 91-11- 24676210, E-mail: jsfs@moia.nic.in
INDIAN AMERICANS MAKE A MARK IN THE AMERICAN ELECTION
The year 2006 will remembered as a year of political activism for the Indian American community with the passage of US-India Civic Nuclear Agreement sailing comfortable through the US House of Representatives and Senate. All community organizations devoted their full efforts in passage of the bills through the US Congress.
Another historic political achievement was the election of over a dozen Indian Americans to the national, state and local offices. There were over two dozen Indian Americans who ran for different positions in the US election held on November 7th. Incumbent Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal won his race from the 1st District in Luisiana with a huge majorioty of 87.9% votes with his three opponents together garnering less than 11,000 votes. Other incumbent winners are legislators Kumar Barve in Maryland , Satveer Chaudhary in Minnesota and Swati Dandekar in Iowa . In South Carolina , incumbent Republican Nikki Randhawa ran unopposed from District 52 for a seat in the State House.
New winners to the state houses are: Jay Goyal, 26
(Democrat), who was elected from the 73rd District in Ohio ,
Raj Goyle, 31 (Democrat) elected from 87th
district in Kansas ,
state House.
In local election, Rajan Zed, who
ran unopposed for the General Improvement District Trustee of Verdi TV District
in Nevada.
BOBBY JINDAL TO CONTEST FOR LOUISIANA GOVERNOR
A week after being re-elected to the Congress, Indian American Republican Bobby Jindal announced through email that he would run for Louisiana governor against Democrat Kathleen Blanco. Jindal announced his intention though an E-mail, which also sought donations for his gubernatorial campaign suggesting amounts ranging from $25 to $5,000.
Jindal was born June 10, 1971 in Baton Rouge , Louisiana . He was elected to the US House of Representatives on Nov 2, 2004, from Louisiana . A graduate from Brown University , Jindal was appointed Louisiana secretary of department of health and hospitals. From 1998 to 1999, he was executive director of the national bipartisan commission on the future of Medicare.
He was also the youngest ever president of the University of Louisiana system between 1999 and 2001. President George W Bush appointed him assistant secretary for planning and evaluation in the US Department of Health and Human Services. He married Supriya Jolly in 1997. The couple has three children.
STATUS REPORT OF US-INDIA NUCLEAR AGREEMENT
GOPIO thanks the Indian American Community for responding positively to its request of supporting the Senate Bill S 3709 by calling their Senators and expressing to them that how important this bill was to them and for further strengthening the relationship between India and the US .
GOPIO is pleased to report that the Senate passed the bill by a 86 - 12 vote. Now the two bills passed by each House of the Congress will go to the Conference Committee where the differences in the language of the two bills would be resolved and the agreed upon bill would be presented to the President for his assent.
The Congress is on a Thanksgiving break right now. It is expected that reconciliation process would begin when the Congress reconvenes in December.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS-2007 JANUARY 7-9, 2007 IN NEW DELHI
The ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) is organizing PBD 2007 in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Delhi state government. The theme of PBD 2007 has been decided to be 'Rooting for the roots', and will focus on education, healthcare, women, youth and investment. Over three dozen conference sessions are planned at the PBD 2007. GOPIO has been helping to put together two sessions as follows:
WORKING SESSION ON CARIBBEAN
PBD-2007 includes a working session titled: Issues of Interest and Concern Facing PIOs in the Caribbean, and is scheduled to be held on Sunday, 7th January 2007, from 1630 hrs 1800 hrs at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Working Session will comprise of speakers from the Caribbean Region and will deliberate on issues and concerns relevant to the Caribbean Region.
Among the confirmed speakers are Ambassador Krishna Nandoe (Moderator) of Suriname ; Prof. Parsram Thakur of Berbice Campus, University of Guyana ; Jean S. Sahai of University of Guadeloupe . The Working Session is expected to discuss issues of interest and concerns ranging from cultural, economic, political, legal and academic aspects that are specific to people of Indian origin living in the Caribbean Region.
GOPIO SESSION ON ENGAGING PIOs FOR INDIA S DEVELOPMENT
A Joint GOPIO Working Session is planned at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2007. The theme is: ENGAGING PIOs FOR INDIA S DEVELOPMENT. The session is scheduled to be held on Sunday, January 7, 2007 from 1430 to 1600 hours at Vigyan Bhavan. The Chief Guest is Hon. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, and the Guest of Honor is Minister Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Labor & Employment.
For PBD registration, contact: Ms. Rekha Sethi, Senior Director & Head-Special Events, Confederation of Indian Industry, Tel: 91 124 4014086; 4014060-67, Fax: 91 124 4014080, Email: rekha.sethi@ciionline.org, pbd2007@ciionline.org or Mr. Nitin Kumar, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Akbar Bhawan, New Delhi 110 021, Tel: 011 24674141, Mobile : 09868035028, Email: usfs@moia.nic.in OR VISIT www.pbd2007.org
MINISTER KAMAL NATH ASKS EU TO OPEN ITS SERVICE SECTOR FOR COMPETITION
Addressing the EICC-GOPIO high level the Conference on Europe meets India: Economic and Political Dimension of the EU-India Strategic Partnership Challenges and Opportunities on 8-9 November 2006 in Brussels, Indias Trade Minister Mr. Kamal Nath asked the EU countries to open their service sector market for greater competition through cross boarder trade including allowing movement of professionals from non-EU countries such as India. He also said that it was far from the truth that India was relatively closed to European products. Most imports from Europe into India are at tariff rates much below the usual. Mr. Nath also said that both EU and India should also effectively work to build a meaningful partnership that will eventually help them to enter into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as trade relations between EU and India have grown over the years from Euro 4.4 billion in 1980 to Euro 40 billion on 2005. Painting a rosy picture of Indian economy, Mr. Nath said that India s engagement with the world during 2006-07 would exceed $450 billion if export and import of goods and services are combined.
This was the second thematic Conference organized by the EICC and GOPIO in one year and was organized to provide a forum to discuss the Global Energy Security and EU-India Energy Co-operation within the context of growing EU-India relations including economic and business climate, financing operations in India, steps India should take to attract foreign investment and corporate experiences of doing business in India, etc.
Mr. Sam Pitroda, the Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission of India said that technology is changing all societies across the globe in terms of work, education, thought process and overall works life style. It brings transparency, responsibility, accountability and better social justice. The nature of innovation is changing all over the world and we are becoming more and more multi disciplinary engineers, doctors and social scientists are working together in innovations. The key driver for the Indian economy will be how knowledge initiatives are going to be restructured. Information Technology has been in the process of bringing about openness, networking, democratic functioning and social transformation.
The EU Commissioner for Energy Mr. Andris Piebalgs who delivered the inaugural address said that the EU-India energy cooperation in the context of global energy security is one of the most challenging issues before them and EU and India need to initiate an institutional process of ensuring global energy security and lay the foundation of realizing a comprehensive vision of a secured, sustainable, equitable, efficient and transparent energy policy.
Addressing the participants during the Business Session in the European Parliament, Dr. Karan Singh said that the EU is India s largest trading partner and a major contributor to development aid; and also is the home to a large and influential Indian Diaspora. Recalling the role of GOPIO; of which he had the proud privilege of inaugurating in 1989 when he was the ambassador to the USA ; in the service of Indian Diaspora and said that EICC and GOPIO should work together to strengthen the EU-India relations.
The Conference was attended by 282 industrialists, business and community leaders from Europe, India , USA , representative of multinational corporations, European Parliamentarians, officials of the European Commission, representatives of various diplomatic Missions and also representatives of various Chambers of Commerce of India and Europe .
One of the important conclusions of the Conference was that EICC must become a platform for profitable interaction between the European and Indian business communities to enhance trade and commerce in their respective countries. In addition to establishing itself as a lobby group in the European Parliament, European Commission and various governments in the European Union, the EICC should also established better working relationship with various industrial associations in Europe including Chambers of Commerce in India such as CII, FICCI, IMC and ASSOCHAM. The support from the government of India , both monetary and strategic, would be necessary to help serve the interest of India and further the objectives of the EICC as demonstrated by its activities and programmes.
The inaugural session was also addressed by GOPIO President Mr. Inder Singh, EICC Chairman Mr. Nirj Deva and GOPIO Belgium President and EICC Secretary General Mr. Sunil Prasad. One of the most important aspects of the event was that Mr. Mahendra Utchanah, President of the GOPIO based in Mauritius also addressed the event during the business session and also held discussions with Mr. Inder Singh about the possible merger/unification of GOPIO. Mr. Utchanahs participation marks the beginning of new dynamics for the ongoing unification discussion.
The Chair of the Conference and Secretary General of the EICC Sunil Prasad who also serves as GOPIO-Belgium President, can be contacted on Tel. & fax: 0032 2 469 2677 GSM: 0472-207 338, E-mail: info@eicc.be or sunil.prasad@coditel.net.
MINISTER RAVI ADDRESSES NFIA CONVENTION WHICH HONORS FIVE INDIAN AMERICANS
With more than 200 delegates coming from all over the United States and 600 other guests, the 14th biennial convention of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) November 17-19, 2006, featured a dinner on Friday, Nov. 17th, four conference sessions on Saturday followed by a gala banquet and honored five individuals for their outstanding accomplishments in their chosen field. The guests at this gathering included Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indians Affairs, Congressman Gary Miller, Consul General B.S. Prakash and Mayor of Long Beach Bob Foster.
The recipients of the NFIA Awards were Dr. Mani Bhaumik, Dr. C.R. Viswanathan, Giriraj Rao, Viji Prakash and Hillol Ray.
Bhaumik achieved international recognition as the co-inventor of the laser technology that made the use of LASIK in vision correction. Viswanathan, a professor of electrical engineering at UCLA was responsible for taking the department to the fifth rank among the top electrical engineering departments in the nation in 1993. The recipient of the Community Service Award was Giriraj Rao who headed the Gandhi Task Force, which led to the installation of the first Gandhi statue at a Federal property: Martin Luther King National Historic Site in Atlanta in 1998. Prakash, who distinguished herself as an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and teacher of Bharat Natyam, operates her school to teach the dance to young girls. Some of her students have gone on to become much admired performers. Though an environmental engineer and manager of the Drinking Water Supply Enforcement Program with EPA, Ray was heralded when the lyrics from his poem Diversity were included in the song album, Star Route U.S.A. , released by the Hollywood based Amerecord.
The awards were handed out by the chief guest Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, who specially came to attend the NFIA convention.
Speaking at the banquet, Dr. Rajen Anand, the president of NFIA said, I am very delighted to report today that the NFIA is healthy, strong and vibrant organization. It has fully recovered from the calamity that created division within the group. Today we are ONE strong organization, united and committed to serve you. We have more than doubled the association membership, raised more money, and had a record number of people filing for nomination.
Chandu Patel, the convener of the NFIA convention, remarked, Getting Indians to speak with one voice has been our mission and will continue to be our mission.
Radha Krishnan who will take over the presidency on January 1, 2007 vowed to set up several task forces, including one to promote the creation of India Centers in American Universities, another to coordinate with like-minded organizations within the community on selected issues critical to Us-India relations and a third to work to promoting dialogue among civilizations.
After describing Long Beach as California s most diverse city, Mayor Bob Foster noted that Indian American community in particular has been able to maintain its traditions and culture and yet be an essential part of the fabric of the United States of America . It is fabulous. It is a lesson for everyone, added the Mayor.
Indian Counsel General B.S. Prakash confided that it was a great time to be a diplomat these days because we are witnessing a happy state in which the United States and India have shared values and shared interests and much of it has been made possible by the contributions of the Indo-American community.
The chief guest, Ravi noted that the investment of Indian Americans in India was lot less than the Indians living and working in Gulf States . The Indians in the Gulf are sending more money than the Indians here. He quoted from the message from Prime Minister of India to the NFIA delegates, which said, India appreciates the efforts of our Indian brothers and sisters in the United States for being good citizens of their new homeland while keeping alive the links with India . He said he was thankful to the Indian community for being good ambassador of India and for contributing to wards cordial relations between the two countries.
The highlight of 14th biennial convention of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) held in Long Beach , November17-19, 2006 was the four seminars at which well known experts spoke.
In fiercely contested elections last Sunday at the 14th biennial convention of the National Federation of Indian American Associations NFIA) held in Long Beach, Chandu K. Patel, a hotelier from Southern California was elected President elect for 2006-2008. Beside Patel, Pramod Kamdar of Texas was elected as the Executive Vice President. Lal Motwani of New York , Dr. Madhavan Anirudhan of Illinois , and Anil Yadav of Northern California were declared Vice Presidents defeating three other candidates. The position of Secretary went to Ajoy Dube of Southern California and of Joint Secretary to Anna Prasad who has recently moved to New York . Kirit Kumar Patel, also from Southern California won the position of the Treasurer. The 7 members-at-large on the NFIA Board of Directors were Amitabh Sharma (GA), Babu K. Patel (CA), Harish Shah (MD), Jeevan Zutshi (CA), Mahesh Parekh (CA) Sachin Amin (CA) and Shabda Roy (CA). Elected as Regional Vice Presidents was Ann Pillai (Capital Region), Ashok Madan (Pacific South), Babu Patel of Chicago (Central), Dhiru Shah (Southeast), Shabnam Modgil (Southwest), Navin Mehta (Mid-Atlantic) and Darshan Singh Bagga ( New York ). Five positions of Regional Vice Presidents will be filled by the NFIA Board. The regions without elected Vice Presidents are New England, Southern, Great Lakes , Mountain, and Pacific North.
Radha Krishnan currently serving as Presidentelect will become the President on January 1, 2007 and his term will serve until December 31, 2008. The current president, Rajen Anand who was elected in 2004 at the 13th biennial convention held in Cleveland OH will take over the portfolio of the Chairman of the NFIA Foundation for the next two years.
Readers may get further information regarding the NFIA by calling Rajen Anand at (571) 230-7288, E-mail: ranand2@cox.net or Radha Krishnan at 248-682-2106, E-mail: RK4155@aol.com
VICE PRESIDENT SHEKHAWAT VISITS GUYANA AND TRINIDAD
Indian Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat arrived in Guyana on November 6 for a 2-day visit to participate in the dedication ceremony for the Providence Stadium on the East Bank of Demerara which is being built through a US$6M grant and a US$19M soft loan from the Indian Government. The Indian Vice-President called on President Bharrat Jagdeo and held talks with senior government officials as well as Opposition Leader Robert Corbin. Vice-President Shekhawats visit is intended to enhance the strong bilateral relations existing between the two countries.
Guyana and India formally established diplomatic relations on May 26, 1966, when Guyana became an independent country. India provides scholarships for Guyanese students under the Indian Commonwealth Scholarship Program and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program. India has agreed to waive the balance of Rs.28.78 million owed by Guyana to India against the first Credit Line of Rs. 100 million extended by India in 1989. India has also offered to help Guyana to combat the high crime rate problem. The Vice President signed three bilateral agreements - cultural exchange program 2007 & 2009, gainful occupation of diplomats hosted by Guyana and the establishment of the Rabindranath Tagore Resource Center at the University of Guyana that will be equipped with computers, literature and digital video discs containing information about India .
Shekhawat received the key to the city from Georgetown s Mayor Hamilton Green. He visited several notable sites including the Mahatma Gandhi Monument located at the Promenade Gardens , the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre and the National Museum . Along with the Vice Presidents entourage were journalists from 18 media houses covering the official visit.
Shekahwat also visit Trinidad and Tobago before returning back to New Delhi .
GOPIO INTL. AND CHAPTER NEWS
GOPIO-BERLIN FORMALLY INAUGURATED
GOPIO-Berlin chapter was formally inaugurated by GOPIO International President Inder Singh on November 6, 2006 in the presence of 50 Members of Indian Diaspora lving in Berlin . Many Germans involved with India were also present, prominent among them included Johannes Pflug M.P., chairman South Asian Parliamentary group, Holger Ortel M.P., member Indian-Germany Parliamentary group, Klause Riegert M.P., chairman Sports & Honor Committee, Volker Rhe, former Defense Minister of Germany and Mr. Wieck, former Ambassador of Germany to India .
The Berlin chapter has been functioning under the leadership of Barjinder Sodhi, since January 2006. In May 2006, Sodhi welcomed Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the presence of German Prime Minister Mrs Angela Merkel. In June 2006, GOPIO-Berlin hosted a reception for Governor M.M. Jacob of Meghalya. He organized a reception for Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji on his 50th birthday and presented him plaque on behalf of GOPIO-Berlin for his services to humanity.
GOPIO-CONNECTICUT SCHEDULES LUNCHEON MEETING FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
GOPIO-Connecticut has scheduled a luncheon meeting with PIO youth and young professionals on December 24th at Meera Restaurant in Stamford , CT. The theme is Networking and Sharing Experiences. Open to the age group 17 plus, admission is FREE.
Contact GOPIO-CT President Sangeeta Ahuja at 203-329-9744, E-mail: sangeetaahuja@aol.com or GOPIO-CT Secretary Bhaskar Majee at 203-391-0654, E-mail: bmajee@gmail.com.
TRIPS PLANNED FOR GOPIO & PBD DELEGATES TO VISIT HELENA KAUSHIK P.G. COLLEGE FOR WOMEN
As it has been done in the past years, Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's P.G. College , located in Malsisar, Rajasthan, extends its welcome to visitors who are attending GOPIO and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas events in New Delhi January 59, 2007. Most preferred dates to visit are from January 2 to 4 before PBD and January 10 to 17 following PBD. The college is located 270 km from Delhi and 200 from Jaipur. Visit the college facilities, give talks/lectures on one's expertise and interest, small group and one-on-one meetings with faculty and students, cultural programs by students, visit local villages and hamlets, visit local Panchayat Raj institutions, and schools. The college has been started by a GOPIO volunteer Dr. Surendra Kaushik, a professor at Pace University School of Business.
Contact Information: Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's College, Malsisar, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, India-331028. Telephone Numbers: (01595) 27.65.93; Mobile 94.14.54.09.47; Fax: (01595) 27.65.93. (Dr. Surendra Kaushik: Mobile: 98 18 53 11 93 and 94 16 58 91 05 Email: helenakaushikpgcollege@yahoo.com, surendra.kaushik@gmail.com,
NRIs/PIOs ARCHIEVE
MIRA KAUSHIK HONORED WITH OBE IN LONDON
Mira Kaushik, Director of Akademi has been honored with the award of the prestigious "Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)" by the British Government for her service to dance. Kaushik has been at the helm of Akademi (formerly known as Academy of Indian Dance ) for the past eighteen years. During this time the organisation has grown into a strategic Asian organisation of global importance serving an audience of millions through its active dance and education programmes.
Mira Kaushiks key achievements include the production of site-specific shows such as Coming of Age (2000) & Escapade (2003) at the South Bank Centre, Waterscapes (2004) at Somerset House, Sapnay / Dreams (at The Trafalgar Square Festival (2005). The organisation hosted Negotiating Natyam: a one-day Symposium exploring the practice, performance and perception of Bharata Natyam at the Royal Opera House last year.
This summer saw the world premiere of Awaz / Voice, as part of the Trafalgar Square Festival (2006). In addition, Akademi performed on the Classical Stage at the London Mela (2006) with a line-up of folk, classical and contemporary dance, and continued its groundbreaking new artist support programme, Daredevas at the South Bank Centre (2006).
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NUTRITION HONORS RAJ CHOPRA
Indian American Raj. K. Chopra, an expert in chewable multivitamin formulations was honored by the American College of Nutrition (ACN) as the 2006 Industry recipient of the prestigious Bieber Award. Chopra was awarded during the 47th Annual ACN Presidents Dinner and Awards Presentation in Reno , Nevada , in recognition of his outstanding academic accomplishments and distinguished contributions in the nutrition industry.
INDIAN AMERICAN SENIORS GROUP HONORS THREE AT ANNUAL MEETING
The National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC) held its 12th Conference on Seniors on October 28, 2006 at the Indian American Kerala Center in Elmont , New York . The conference subject was: Financial Planning and Management for Seniors, and it was undertaken in collaboration with the Indian American Kerala Center and India Association of Long Island (IALI). The speaker for this interactive conference was Mr. Dervinder Singh Esq., an Attorney and Financial Planner. The luncheon Keynote speaker was Dr. Sharon Mullon, Commissioner, Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs who spoke on: Services for Older Adults and How the Nonprofit and Public Sectors Can Work Cooperatively Together.
The luncheon Keynote address was followed by the Awards Ceremony wherein three honorees were recognized. NIAASC Executive Director Rajeshwar Prasad explained the categories of awards NIAASC has been following for the last three years. In the category of someone directly involved in conducting senior program for India Americans, the award was given to Mr. Ardaman Singh Madan. Mr. Madan, a Registered Professional Engineer, founded the Guru Gobind Singh Senior Sikh Center at the Plainview Gurudwara that meets every Thursday from 11:00 to 3:00 P.M.; he also coordinates a Senior Program sponsored by IALI at the Senior Citizen Center in Huntington that meets every fourth Saturday from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Mr. Madan also initiated at the Huntington Senior Center a multicultural discussion group that meets every Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. where seniors of other nationalities such as China, Israel join together for exchange of their cultural values.
In the category of an ongoing Indian American senior program, NIAASC selected the Senior Citizen Program at the Jain Center of America New York (JCA) in Elmhurst , Queens . The JCA a 25-year old organization with the mission of promoting Jainism undertakes many educational and religious activities, but the focus has always been the goodness of humanity. The senior program at JCA has been informally going on for 5-6 years but was formalized only about two years back when the Jain Temple was completed in Elmhurst . In accepting the award on behalf of the JCA, Mr. Chandrakant Shah, Program Coordinator, underscored the collaborative efforts with NIAASAC. In the category of a well-known community leader with commitment, though not necessarily involved directly, to concerns and aspirations of seniors, NIAASC selected an internationally known community leader Dr. Thomas Abraham with almost 4-decade community service for NRI/PIOs. Dr. Abraham is the founder president of Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of New York , the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) and the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). Dr. Abraham also initiated efforts to create NIAASC in 1998.
SUNITA WILLIAMS TO GO INTO SPACE IN DECEMBER
Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams, is all set to follow Kalpana Chawla into space three years after the latter along with six other crewmembers perished in the ill-fated Columbia space mission. Mission specialist Williams and six other crewmembers of the space shuttle Discovery arrived Nov 13 at National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to begin a final round of pre-launch training.
Williams, 41, who is going to stay in space for about
six months, will be taking the place of German astronaut Thomas Reiter at the
International Space Station as a flight engineer.
Daughter of an Indian immigrant, Williams was raised in
Needham , Massachusetts ,
where parents Deepak and Bonnie Pandya are settled. Her husband, Michael J.
Williams, is a Federal Police Officer in Oregon .
The two have been married for over 16 years, and both flew helicopters in the
early days of their career. At the International Space Station, Williams will
join Expedition 14 commander Michael Lopez-Alegria
and flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin - who arrived at
the station in September - and then stay on as part of the Expedition 15
mission.
ASIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO MONI VARMA AND RAMI RANGER
NRI entrepreneurs Moni Varma, Founder of the Veetee brand basmati rice and Rami Ranger, Founder-chairman of Sun Oil Ltd have won the Asian of the Year and Asian Leadership in Europe Awards for 2006 respectively. Cherie Blair, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, received the Asian Charity of the Year Award on behalf of the Loomba Trust, of which she is the President at a glittering ceremony held at London s Grosvenor House Hotel at Park Lane
Tarique Ghaffur, CEE, Assistant Commissioner, the highest-ranking NRI police officer in the Metropolitan Police Service bagged the Asian Leadership in Diversity Award.
The 19th Edition of Asian Who's Who International brought out by its Managing Editor J S Sachar, who is also the European Regional Vice President of GOPIO, was also released at the function. Dignitaries attending the function included Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius, Rama Sithanen, President of the Hinduja Group, G P Hinduja, Keith Vaz MP, and Lord Navnit Dholakia, Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.
INDIAN AMERICAN DR. NAVIN MEHTA HONORED BY A NEW YORK HOSPITAL
Indian American surgeon and community leader Dr. Navin Mehta has been honored as the Physician of the Year Award by the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Mehta is surgeon director in Otolaryngology at the hospital was presented the 2006 JohnKearney Rodgers Physician of the Year award.
INDO-CANADIAN APPOINTED AS CITIZENSHIP JUDGE
Raminder Singh Gill, a politician and former member of Ontario s Provincial Parliament has been appointed as a Citizenship Judge by the Canadian Government. Gill is among the four Citizenship Judges appointed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Mone Solberg. Gill is an active member of the University of Toronto Chemical Engineering facility advisory board and works as an international consultant.
INDIAN AMERICAN SCIENTISTS FIND POTENTIAL CURE FOR COLON CANCER
Five NRIs from Texas ,
US have succeeded in stopping colon cancer growth in mice by halting the activity
of a single enzyme called aldose reductase.
Blocking this enzyme shuts down the toxic network of biochemical signals that
promotes inflammation and colon cancer cell growth, the scientists reported in
the latest issue of journal Cancer Research. The discovery by senior author Satish Srivastava and his colleagues - Ravinder Tammali, Kota
V Ramana, Sharad S Singhal
and Sanjay Awasth may lead to a cure for
colon cancer.
DR. SHARMILA BOSE TO HEAD OXFORD S MEDIA INSTITUTE
NRI academic and journalist, Dr Sharmila Bose,
becomes the first Director of the new Reuters Institute for the Study of
Journalism at the Department of Politics and International Relations at
Oxford University .
Bose, who was schooled in Kolkata, received her A B
from Bryn Mawr College
and her MPA and PhD in Political Economy and Government from
Harvard University .
Dr Bose's great uncle, the noted writer Nirad C Chaudhuri, lived in Oxford
till his death a few years ago and was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by
Oxford University .
NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs/PIOs AROUND THE WORLD
US REMAINS HOTTEST DESTINATION FOR INDIAN STUDENTS
Indian students may be discovering new foreign campus destinations. However, US still remains all time favorite with 24,622 student visas issued to Indian students during financial year 2006, as compared with 18,653 last year. In other non-immigrant categories, there has been an increase in visas issued. For temporary workers and dependents [H1 and H4], the US Embassy in New Delhi issued 76,506 visas in 2006. The over 30% increase in student visas for the US can be attributed to a growing interest in undergraduate courses among Indian students in Delhi and other metros.
GLOBAL MEET FOR BIHAR SCHEDULED FOR JAN. 19-21, 2007
The Institute for Human Development, New Delhi and The Bihar Times, Patna in collaboration with the Government of Bihar are organising Global Meet for a Resurgent Bihar from 19 to 21 January 2007 at Patna. The overall objective of the Meet is to bring together on one platform, leaders of industry and trade, policy makers, scholars, development practitioners, and social activists to explore opportunities and partnerships for playing effective roles towards the development of Bihar . The Meet shall enable individuals and organisations, concerned with development, to appreciate the situation and forge partnerships for undertaking various initiatives for the development of the state.
More than 500 persons from various parts of the world are expected to participate in the Meet. Mr Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar is the Chief Patron and Mr Sushil Kr Modi, Deputy Chief Minister, is the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Meet. Details of the Meet and information about online registration can be obtained from the website www.globalbiharmeet.com .
Those interested top attend may email confirmation of participation at global.bihar@gmail.com to Mr Prem Chandra, Administrative and Programme Manager, Institute for Human Development, 3rd Floor, NIDM Building, IIPA Campus, I.P. Estate, New Delhi 110 002 (Phone: +91-11-23358166 / 23321610; mobile: +91-9810705500 ) with a copy to Ms Sujata, The Bihar Times at globalmeet@bihartimes.com (phone: +91-612-2278048).
THE FOURTH PRAVASI PUNJABI DIVAS SCHEDULED FOR JAN. 11, 2007
The 4th Parvasi Punjabi Divas is scheduled for January 11, 2007 in Chandigarh after the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Delhi on Jan 7-9, 2007. This year, the focus is on service industry investments, feasibilities and projects for Northern India . For more details, visit www.icsi.nic.in and www.ipcsi.org or call 91-172-5016703.
FOUR NRI FIRMS AMONG BRITAIN S TOP COMPANIES
A private company owned by a husband-wife team and three other British Indian
firms are among Britain 's
250 top middle-market companies, a survey said in
London . The West Midlands firm 2 Sisters Food
group, owned by the husband-and-wife team of Ranjit and Baljinder
Boparan, has poultry-processing units in
Britain and the
Netherlands employing 2,771 staff
with a total sales turnover of 327 million pounds, The Sunday Times "Top
Track 250" noted.
While 2 Sisters Food Group has climbed to 16th rank in 2006 from 23 in 2005,
another NRI outfit, Dhamecha Foods has slid from 36
to 53 during that period. Wembley-based Dhamecha Foods founded in 1976 and now run by cousins
Pradip and Manesh Dhamecha,
supplies a range of convenience stores, off-licenses, pubs and pharmacies
across Greater London.
NRIs OWN 42% OF THE US HOTEL BUSINESS
Gujaratis, mainly Patels,
now own 21,000 of the 53,000 hotels and motels in the
US . It makes for a staggering 42%
of the US
hospitality market, with a combined worth of $40 billion.
Many are rags-to-riches stories like the case of Hasmukh Rama
who came from Vadodara in 1969 to start out as a
waiter. Now this CEO of JHM Hotels owns 70 hotels. Dalpatbhai
Patel an engineer bought his first motel in 1970. That led to a chain as motels
- nicknamed Potels in the American lexicon -
mushroomed.
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association, which has 9,000 members, 90% of
whom are Gujaratis, says Indian American hoteliers
pay $700 million in taxes every year and create a million jobs.
TWO INDIAN AMERICANS MOVE UP IN FORBES RICHEST AMERICANS LIST
Google Inc founder-director Kavitark Ram Shriram and Bose Corporation Chairman Amar Gopal Bose have both moved up the rankings in the list of Forbes 400 Richest Americans. Acoustics pioneer Bose and tech wizard Shriram have tied tech wizard Shriram have tied at the 242nd position in the list, ahead of Margaret C Whitman, the president and CDEO of global online auction giant eBay Inc, Howard S Shultz, Chairman of coffee retail giant Starbucks and Hilton Chairman William Barron Hilton. Bose and Shriram, who are now US citizens and worth $1.5 billion each, have also beaten Rober William Galvin of telecom giant Motorola.
TAX-FREE ON SALARY INCOME IN INDIA FOR NRIs
In a path-breaking order, the Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) decided that salary received in India by a person who resided 182 days or more outside India is not taxable, since he will be considered a non resident during the relevant year. This will come as a great relief to executives who stay outside India for 182 days or more in a year. AAR , a quasi- judicial body on tax matters, gave this verdict on a petition filed by British Gas. AAR was clarifying doubts over the issue whether a person can be considered non-resident Indian if he travels outside India for more than 182 days in a year while his travel is linked to his employment in India . A person who travels outside India to take up a job is a non-resident and hence not available in India .
MORE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS MOVE TO AUSTRALIA
The number of migrants from India for the 12 months ending June this year shot up to 11,286, a jump of 20 per cent over the previous financial year, according to Australia s Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. In fact, India overtook China to become the third largest source of immigrants to Australia in all, after Britain and New Zealand .
Doctors and other health-care professionals are also making the move to Australia as India s reputation for producing a talented workforce continues to grow. Australia s biggest sources of migrants, because of their historical colonial ties, remained Great Britain and New Zealand . Overall, 131,593 migrants arrived on Australian shores last year up seven per cent over the previous year. While the number of migrants from India grew, those from China fell from 11,095 to 10,581.
GOPIO DEPLORES ATTACKS ON INDIANS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The Indian community in Adelaide , South Australia , is living under the shadow of terror these days, with increasing incidents of apparently racially-motivated bashings at night by roaming gangs of youths. GOPIO deplores such attacks on Indians in Adelaide .
In the last six months, there have been 10 such attacks, with eight of the victims being of Indian origin, including students. Police admit they have little information about the gang(s) of teenagers attacking Indians in Adelaide 's inner northern suburbs. In most cases, the attackers, generally young men, demanded money from their victims before assaulting them.
MORE NRIs SUFFER FROM DIABETES THAN INDIAN CITIZENS
Urban Indians are far more overweight and abdominally obese than non-resident Indians. But surprisingly, more NRIs suffer from diabetes than Indian citizens. This is the finding of a four-year-long $1,50,000 research, funded by the US Congress to study patterns of obesity and diabetes among NRIs and Indian citizens.
Commissioned by Texas University, the study was conducted jointly by Indian and
American physicians in seven sites in the US (Houston, Phoenix, Washington DC,
Boston, Edison, Parsippany and San Diego) and one site each in urban (Delhi)
and rural (Dindigul, Tamil Nadu)
India.
According to the study, 17.4% NRIs were diabetic
compared to 13.6% in Delhi and 9% in rural
India . Nearly
one-fifth of them did not know they had the disease. The higher prevalence of
diabetes among NRIs is being put down to their mechanised lifestyle, a trend fast catching up in urban
India .
The 2,146 subjects (1,038 NRIs, 599 rural Indians and
508 urban Indians) were above 18 years of age. Over 60% of those from US, 50%
from Delhi and 32% from rural
India were male.
NRIs also had higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome
(MS). Nearly 33.5% of them suffered from it while the number stood at 30.8% for
urban Indians and 8.6% in rural India .
MS is characterised by a group of risk factors that
include abdominal obesity, low HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol,
elevated blood pressure and insulin resistance. People with three of the five
MS are at increased risk of coronary heart disease.
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 Membership, $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 )
Webmasters: Prashant Gupta (Gurgaon, Haryana , India ) and Abu Thomas ( New Rochelle , NY , USA )
Contributors of this issue: Inder Singh (USA), Sunil Prasad ( Belgium ), Ashook Ramsaran (USA), Dr. Piyush Agrawal (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
Visit GOPIOs Official site at www.gopio.net or www.gopio.com