NRIs In Sydney To Hold A Discussion On Significance To Support PM Modi March 30, 2019 14:23
The Indian origins in Sydney are organizing a programme on Sunday where the participants will discuss why it is important to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he leads the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into general elections in April. The venue is iconic Sydney Opera House, located in the bay of Sydney Harbour. As the first phase of polling on April 11 draws near, programs to reinforce the ruling party’s efforts to retain power will be organized in several locations outside India. “The difference between 2014 and now is that earlier these programs were conducted extempore, and now it is more systematic since we have strengthened our support system in over 30 countries. The PM’s interactions with the diaspora itself has given the exercise a fresh impetus,” said Vijay Chauthaiwale, in charge of the BJP’s foreign affairs department. The party is counting on supporters in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Malaysia and across the Gulf region. Jay Shah, an information technology (IT) professional who is part of the Overseas Friends of BJP in Australia, said at least three programs will be organized in Australia over the weekend to muster support for Modi and his policies. He said issues of “national security, the development record of the Modi government and the foreign policy initiatives” have had a clear resonance on the ground. The BJP’s campaign is also being shored up by the vast network of volunteers associated with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, the overseas arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). BJP is not the only party relying on Indian diaspora to create a favorable atmosphere for it. Parties like Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and Aam Admi Party also bank on the Non-Resident Indian pool for raising money and manpower to strengthen campaigns. While there is no data either with the parties or the Election Commission on how many NRIs turn up to vote, 71,735 Indians abroad are registered as voters with the Election Commission, of which 66,866 are men, 4,849 women and 20 belong to the third gender. By Sowmya Sangam
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Indian American Teen Brothers Kicked off Flight Due to Peanut Allergy Concerns, Korean Airlines Apologize March 30, 2019 10:50
Korean Airlines issued an apology to the family of Indian American teens after they were kicked off a flight on their way to visit family in the Philippines. Prajakta and Rakesh Patel, parents of teen sons of age 15 and 16, said their two unaccompanied sons, were removed from the flight because one of them has a severe peanut allergy. Prajakta and Rakesh Patel told "Good Morning America" that their sons were flying alone from Atlanta to the Philippines to see their ill grandfather. They say Delta was notified of their son's allergy and took the necessary precautions for the first leg of their flight, which went from Atlanta to Seoul. After making it onto their second flight with partner Korean Air, the boys were told that peanuts would be served on board. The family says the airline told the boys that they weren't going to deprive other passengers of peanuts so the brothers had two options: to deal with it or get off the plane. "I was very shocked and almost in tears," mom Prajakta Patel said in an interview with "GMA." "It was the most, most stressed out I've ever been." According to the Patels, the teens pleaded with the airline's agents and offered to sit in the back of the flight with the eldest son, who has the allergy, covering himself with a mask. The teens said the Korean Air agents refused. The boys eventually flew back to Atlanta. The family is now filing a complaint with Korean Airlines. Korean Air released the following statement to ABC News, saying, "Korean Air sincerely apologizes to Mr. and Mrs. Patel and their sons. We are reviewing this incident and will strive to create a better customer experience."More than 5 million children under the age of 18 live through food allergies, with peanuts, shellfish, and milk among the most common, according to the nonprofit Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).By Sowmya Sangam
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Qatar Opens Center in Delhi for Smooth Facilitation of Visas for Indian Job Seekers March 28, 2019 13:14
Qatar which houses over 650,000 Indian, 25 percent of the country’s population, has opened a smooth visa facilitation center for Indians seeking employment visa in the hydrocarbon rich Gulf state further strengthening Delhi-Doha partnership. Qatar…
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Indian Origin Shopkeeper Ravi Katharkamar Stabbed to Death in London March 27, 2019 10:34
The 54-year-old Indian origin man who is running newsagent’s shop in the United Kingdom has been stabbed to death during a burglary at his store on Sunday. Ravi Katharkamar, who was thought to have two children, was attacked as he opened his shop in Pinner, north west London, shortly before 6 a.m. The victim was living in Pinner for many years after moving from Sri Lanka. A passerby had found him collapsed inside the shop before police and paramedics were called to the incident but he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later. It was the second robbery at the shop within a period of six months.Formal identification took place by his relative following a post-mortem examination on Monday. The cause of death was confirmed as a stab wound to the chest.Detective Chief Inspector Simon Stancombe from the Homicide and Major Crime Command unit said: "This was a vicious and unwarranted attack on a completely innocent man."Ravi's attacker got away with a few pounds worth of coins, but he leaves behind a family utterly devastated and a close-knit community asking who could do such a thing."Help me catch the man who did this. The attacker fled with a shop till - have you found this discarded or seen someone in possession of a shop till who wouldn't normally have one? Do you know someone trying to use lots of loose change since yesterday morning?"Local residents told the Evening Standard that Katharkamar was a “pillar of the community”.“He was an extremely friendly, polite and hard-working man. I have seen him delivering papers at the crack of dawn for over 20 years and he will be missed by the community.”The local shop owner, Siva Lingam, said: “We are all so sad. He was a very nice, quiet man. I can’t believe anyone would hurt him.“This robbery must have been planned. They knew he was coming in early to do the Sunday papers.”The assailant used a black Vauxhall Astra to run away from the scene.By Sowmya Sangam
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Jet Airways to Compensate an NRI for Misplacing Bag with Items Worth Rs 2.5 Lakh March 25, 2019 13:18
Airlines have in many cases held responsible for mishandling passengers’ luggage. While many air passengers received their luggage in a shabby condition, some others didn’t receive them at all. Recently, Haryana’s Panchkula district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed Jet Airways to pay Rs 58,000 to a Non-Resident Indian whose bag went missing once he landed in India from Canada.On October 2016, Jasbir Singh Purba a resident of Ontario, Canada, and his wife were carrying a total of four bags. Once they landed at the New Delhi airport, they received only three of them. The fourth bag not only contained luxury clothes worth Rs 1.30 lakh but also medication of heart ailment and high blood pressure for his wife’s diabetes.Jasbir then contacted the employees of the airline who asked him to fill an application form and assured that his baggage will be delivered the next day, according to a report in Times of India. Jasbir said that he along with his wife had to endure a lot of trauma, stress, agony, and harassment upon losing such expensive luggage. On November 05, 2016 the airline delivered the baggage at Jasbir’s address but allegedly in destroyed and broken beyond usage condition.After forum sent a notice to Jet Airways and the representatives appeared before the forum, they laid the blame on Jasbir of raising fake claims so that the company could be blamed of deficiency in service.Jet Airways representatives said that the complainant had not disclosed the value of his baggage at the time of check-in.According to the forum, Jasbir had to purchase new clothes in an emergency, which he already had in his bag. On the basis of observation of case, the clothes purchased by him, amounting to Rs 1.30 lakh, would be used in the future, hence, they deemed it just, fair and reasonable to recompense the complainant to the extent of 1/3rd of the expenses subject by him on account of purchase of cloth items.The forum directed Jet Airways to pay Rs 43,333 which is one-third of Rs 1.30 lakh on account of damages suffered by Jasbir as well as Rs 10,000 on account of harassment, mental agony, and Rs 5,500 as litigation charges.By Sowmya Sangam
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Grim Response from Telugu NRIs for Lok Sabha Elections March 22, 2019 10:27
Despite potent dissemination regarding the NRI voting is put into effect, the Telangana State Election Commission is receiving a lukewarm response from natives of Telangana putting down roots in foreign parts.The Telangana election office received just 585 applications from non-resident Indians hailing from Telangana. The received applications additionally required to be scrutinized prior to deciding on how many of them are entitled to be given voter ID cards and the final eligible number would be proclaimed on March 25. In the voters' list published by the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Rajat Kumar on February 22, the total number of voters stood at 2.95 crores in Telangana, out of which the Overseas/ NRI voters are at a very low of 1,122. Of the total 1.31 crore population of NRIs across the world, a good number of them belong to both Telugu states. However, the very less NRI voters' number is an indication of how reluctant is the Indian diaspora to cast their franchise in elections. According to Prakash Kapila, a Telugu NRI from New Jersey, the timing of 2019 elections (in mid-April) proved to be a big dampener. "Majority of NRI families from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia don't prefer to come in hot summer here because it will be quite difficult for families to adjust to the high temperatures. The distance is so long from India that we have to travel with the whole family and the travel expenses itself cost Rs 3 to Rs 4 lakh (for to and fro tickets from the U.S.)," he said. Prakash said: “If NRIs are allowed to vote in Indian embassies in various countries instead of physically present condition, a big change could be seen. Almost all eligible NRI voters would prefer to cast their vote in elections without fail, he stressed.” Prakash added that some of his friends went all the way from the U.S. to Telangana in last winter as the assembly elections were held on December 7, which was very convenient for families to get acclimatized to the weather at that time. As of now, overseas Indians have to register as voters, come to India, go to their constituency with the original passport issued to them when they had gone abroad and cast their vote.By Sowmya Sangam
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Kerala Family Outraged as Wrong Dead Body Arrives from Saudi Arabia March 21, 2019 17:08
The relatives of 28-year-old Rafeeq, who died of a heart attack in Saudi Arabia last month, got a shock when they opened the casket as it had the body of a woman instead of Rafeeq’s.…
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‘We Are Indian Citizens, No Matter Where We Live’: NRIs Fly Down to India Ahead of Elections March 21, 2019 16:36
It seems like election ardor of India has spread across the world as even Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) flying down to their native places in India to exercise their franchise in Lok Sabha elections happening next month. Ajith Kubatoor, who moved to Australia three years back, said he has a track record of not missing a single election be it state or national since he turned 18. “I flew down for the assembly elections in Karnataka last year. The perception that NRIs do not care about their country’s development has changed of late. I even informed my office in advance that I would need to take leave some time in April or May to vote in India,” said Kubatoor.Another Indian nation from Arizona, keen to make it to India in time to vote, Jayanth Kumar and his wife booked tickets even before the election dates were announced. “We assumed it would be held in May, like last time, but as soon as the EC announced the date, we changed our tickets. We moved abroad 12 years back but lived in Bengaluru’s north constituency earlier. I make it a point to vote during the LS elections - we are Indian citizens, no matter where we live,” Jayanth said, adding, “Getting leave from work was not easy, so I will be working from home when in India.”“Each and every vote counts, so we have to be there, no matter where we are settled. Even if government schemes and policies no longer directly impact us, our families and friends back home are affected, which is why it is important for us to vote,” said Pallavi Mysore revealing that election fever has hit Indian communities in the U.S., with everyone talking about it on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms.Pallavi who lived in Bengaluru before moving to the United States 10 years back, was unable to travel during the last Lok Sabha elections, as she had just delivered a baby. But she is not missing it this time.“While my husband could not get a leave from work, I will be flying to Bengaluru to vote. Indian parents in the U.S., whose children are young and do not have exams in April, are making it a point to travel and vote this time,” she added. Talking, criticizing and complaining about the government on social media is not enough, said Venkatanath Doreswamy and Nagaraj Koranthota. “We discuss issues on a daily basis on social media, but that does not change anything. Elections are the one opportunity we get to make a difference.”“I will be working from home for two weeks and taking another two weeks off when I come to vote in Bengaluru. My wife and I booked open flight tickets in advance, we only entered our travel dates after the EC announcement,” said Doreswamy, who lives in Australia. Koranthota, who is settled in the U.S., has been coordinating with his colleagues in Bengaluru to get their voter ID issues sorted out. “Several of my colleagues in Bengaluru did not vote in the state elections last time, as they had issues with changing their address and constituencies. I helped them with the process, while also conducting online campaigns,” he added.By Sowmya Sangam
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Rich Indians Buying Green Card in Rise in over Past Two Years March 21, 2019 12:54
An increase in the investment required to obtain a conditional green card under the EB-5 visa programme seems inevitable as the number of Indians getting investment linked EB-5 visas, also known as “cash for green…
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U.S. to Begin Accepting New H-1B Visa Petitions from April 1 March 19, 2019 17:55
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would start accepting new H-1B visa petitions for the fiscal year 2020 starting April 1, while the employment start date for these visas would be October 1,…
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Hyderabad Woman Trafficked to Kuwait, MEA Appeals to Police to Crack Down on Illegal Travel Agent March 18, 2019 17:30
The Ministry of External Affairs has written the Telangana Director General of Police to crack down on an illegal travel agent Mohd Aleem in Hyderabad for allegedly trafficking Mehraj Begum to Kuwait. In February, the…
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Candidates Offering Free Air Ticket to NRIs for Casting Vote Will Face Disqualification: Election Commission March 18, 2019 15:52
Ahead of Lok Sabha elections in India, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is issuing stringent mandates to steer clear of anything below the belt. Similarly, any candidate canvassing for votes overseas found luring Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters with a free air ticket to cast vote may lose his/her candidature or end up in jail, election commission warned.In exhaustive guidelines laid out by the EC on the conduct of candidates and voters in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, the top poll conducting authority has said the candidate was free to go overseas for canvassing."All expenditure incurred by those candidates, their party agents or party leaders on their travel, boarding, lodging etc. who travel to overseas countries for the purpose of canvassing in their favour to seek votes of overseas electors residing there, would be deemed to be the expenditure incurred or authorized by the candidates in connection with their election and will have to be included in their account of election expenses," the EC said."Moreover, any inducement to overseas electors by way of air tickets or any other allurements to them, in cash or kind, to come to India for the purpose of voting at the election would amount to the electoral offence of ‘bribery’ within the meaning of section 171B of the IPC as also the corrupt practice of ‘Bribery’ within the meaning of section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act.” There are 71,735 overseas electors enrolled in the current electoral rolls in India. The EC has made it clear that there is no provision of online voting or proxy voting yet for NRIs. All the NRI voters will have to travel in person to India carrying Indian passport as identity proof to cast their vote, go to the booth where the person’s details are registered and vote.By Sowmya Sangam
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