The relationship between China and the United States, which has gone through a bumpy ride, has to get back on track as soon as possible, a top Obama Administration official has said.
"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here, and I think there's an interest both within the United States and China to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said.
The acknowledgment comes in the wake of the differences between the two countries and even exchange of words on key issues like human rights, arms sale to Taiwan, the Dalai Lama meeting President Obama and Iran.
US Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg is visiting Beijing this week to discuss with Chinese officials on a wide range of issues.
"We have a very broad, deep, complex relationship with China. There are many areas where we have achieved a consensus view. North Korea would be a great example of that. There are some areas where we do not yet have a convergent view. Iran might be an example of that," Crowley said.
"We have different perceptions of our national interest, you know, when you talk about dialogue with the Dalai Lama, for example, or you talk about regional security issues, perhaps involving Taiwan," Crowley said, adding that he expects that the US Deputy Secretary will talk about the full range of these issues.
"We have a common interest in stability in the region; we have a common interest in working together on issues like climate and the environment. We have a common interest in working on issues such as piracy in and around the Horn of Africa," he said.
The US-China relationship, which has recently seen some issues crop up, could be refocused with both the countries having the opportunity to understand each others perspective and views, Crowley added.
Showing posts with label desishades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desishades. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Another Indian-American chosen by Obama administration
WASHINGTON: In yet another appointment of Indian-Americans in the Obama administration, an eminent attorney from the community has been chosen for the US President's Advisory Committee on the Arts. Obama has appointed eminent Indian-American attorney, Amy K Singh, as President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for the prestigious John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the White House has said. Based in Obama's home town Chicago, Singh practises in areas of entertainment, advertising and marketing, and provides counsel to clients on event production and promotion, television production, talent and other matters.
Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as general counsel/senior vice president of DDB Chicago Inc, and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin LLP. Singh was a member of the junior board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the board of the Mikva Challenge. She works to support the arts and youth which develops civic leadership in Chicago's high school youth, the White House added.
Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as general counsel/senior vice president of DDB Chicago Inc, and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin LLP. Singh was a member of the junior board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the board of the Mikva Challenge. She works to support the arts and youth which develops civic leadership in Chicago's high school youth, the White House added.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
First India-Pakistan Talks Since Mumbai Attacks
India and Pakistan's top diplomats met today for the nuclear neighbor's first formal talks since the Mumbai terror attack more than a year ago, a preliminary summit that resumed a basic dialogue but did not accomplish anything substantive.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, left, shakes hand with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir before the start of a delegation level meeting, in New Delhi, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. India and Pakistan held high-level peace talks Thursday for the first time since the 2008 Mumbai attacks in an effort to rebuild confidence and reduce tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.
(Manish Swarup/AP Photo)As expected the two countries brought two different agendas to the New Delhi meeting, with India focusing almost exclusively on terrorism and Pakistan looking for a wider dialogue that includes the disputed territory of Kashmir.
U.S. officials have encouraged India -- the somewhat less willing partner in this new dialogue -- to come to the table, hoping a thaw on Pakistan's eastern border would allow Pakistan's overstretched army to focus on Taliban safe havens near the Afghan border. The U.S. says it needs Pakistan to crack down on Taliban groups that use Pakistan as a safe haven if the U.S. surge in Afghanistan is going to be successful.
But the terrorism that India is most worried about involves a jihadi group called Lashkar-e-Taiba, which even Pakistan admits was responsible for the Mumbai attacks. The United States recently declared that Lashkar-e-Taiba was expanding its operations to include targets in Europe.
Indian officials accused Pakistan of failing to crack down on the group, pointing out that immediately after these talks were first discussed, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the supposed charity arm behind Lashkar-e-Taiba, reemerged in public.
The group sent out its first press releases in almost a year and held multiple rallies to mark a Pakistani holiday that celebrates solidarity with Muslim Kashmiris. Indian officials accuse Pakistan of unleashing the group into the public as a way to send a message to India that cross-border attacks -- which India says are state-sponsored -- were still possible.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, left, shakes hand with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir before the start of a delegation level meeting, in New Delhi, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. India and Pakistan held high-level peace talks Thursday for the first time since the 2008 Mumbai attacks in an effort to rebuild confidence and reduce tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.
(Manish Swarup/AP Photo)As expected the two countries brought two different agendas to the New Delhi meeting, with India focusing almost exclusively on terrorism and Pakistan looking for a wider dialogue that includes the disputed territory of Kashmir.
U.S. officials have encouraged India -- the somewhat less willing partner in this new dialogue -- to come to the table, hoping a thaw on Pakistan's eastern border would allow Pakistan's overstretched army to focus on Taliban safe havens near the Afghan border. The U.S. says it needs Pakistan to crack down on Taliban groups that use Pakistan as a safe haven if the U.S. surge in Afghanistan is going to be successful.
But the terrorism that India is most worried about involves a jihadi group called Lashkar-e-Taiba, which even Pakistan admits was responsible for the Mumbai attacks. The United States recently declared that Lashkar-e-Taiba was expanding its operations to include targets in Europe.
Indian officials accused Pakistan of failing to crack down on the group, pointing out that immediately after these talks were first discussed, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the supposed charity arm behind Lashkar-e-Taiba, reemerged in public.
The group sent out its first press releases in almost a year and held multiple rallies to mark a Pakistani holiday that celebrates solidarity with Muslim Kashmiris. Indian officials accuse Pakistan of unleashing the group into the public as a way to send a message to India that cross-border attacks -- which India says are state-sponsored -- were still possible.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
My Name Is Khan : Review - Five Stars
Story: Rizwan Khan, afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome, sets out on a historic journey to meet the US President, when his world takes a somersault after 9/11. His wife, Mandira, meanwhile tries to cope with her grief and come to terms with the new racially-divided reality.
Movie Review: Ok, let's get this straight from the very beginning. It's Khan, from the epiglotis (read deep, inner recesses), not `kaan' from the any-which-way, upper surface. In other words, it's the K-factor -- Karan (Johar) and Khan (Shah Rukh) -- like you've never seen, sampled and savoured before. My Name is Khan is indubitably one of the most meaningful and moving films to be rolled out from the Bollywood mills in recent times. It completely reinvents both the actor and the film maker and creates a new bench mark for the duo who has given India some of the crunchiest popcorn flicks. This time round, it's a whole new mantra for the two moguls and the Indian movie industry per se which might henceforth go something like: My name is Bollywood and I'm not just an entertainer. I have a whole lot to say and I'll say it in style....
The high point of the film are its performances. Shah Rukh Khan's Rizwan Khan and Kajol's Mandira cannot easily be forgotten and you end up carrying them out of the audi with you. As is Zarina Wahab's Ammi who articulates an almost perfect prototype of the perfect Indian as Shah Rukh Khan's mom: completely rooted in her culture and yet, completely secular. Add to this the film maker's eye for detail which not only sweeps across contemporary history, but also creates startling vignettes with scenes that question, challenge, debate and debunk established myths, and you have a cinema that inspires, moves, motivates and forces you to think. All this, even as it entertains. For, nowhere does the film get heavy or pedantic, despite taking on the arduous task of telling you, in plain terms, that tolerance is the indispensable virtue for the 21st century which can have no place for fundoos, regionalists, communalists, casteists, gender, class and cultural chauvinists. Let them all rest in peace while the rest of the world moves forward.
But more than everything, it is the searing simplicity of Karan Johar's narration that scintillates. Choosing a protagonist who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome seems to be a deliberate move on the part of the film maker and it works like a master stroke. One of the most seminal scenes in the film entails a young Shah Rukh (Tanay Chheda) turning back from his balcony, spewing the hate-filled abuses he's just heard in the streets below which are getting violent and bloodied with an ongoing communal riot. His mother takes him in, draws a match stick figure with a stick and another with a lollypop and asks the young Rizwan to pick out who's the Hindu and who's the Muslim from the picture. Can't tell...both are the same...the stick man is bad, the lollypop man is good...mutters Rizzu. And that remains the most important lesson of his life which a mumbling, fumbling, awkward, socially inept hero carries like a golden talisman through his monumental life. One which simply says: the world is divided into good men and bad men. Period. No other differences matter. Isn't that a lesson we'd like everyone to learn. And if it means getting back to the basics, to mum's bedside tutorials, so be it.
My Name is Khan unfolds essentially as a love story. Rizwan, the boy-with-a-difference, grows up with his mother and younger brother in the back alleys of Mumbai. He is forced to join his brother (Jimmy Shergill, rightfully jealous with all the attention his elder sibling gets) in the US and sell his beauty products as part of the family business. On one such business meet, he meets up with the spirited hair dresser, Mandira who happens to be a single mom too.
Needless to say, he wants to move in with Mandira and her 13-year-old son, Sam, urging her to marry him and convincing her he won't take too much place because he's thin and undemanding. Cute! The entire love story proceeds like a dream: full of beans and beauty and before you know, it's tragedy time. The world discovers a new dateline -- 9/11 -- and hurtles towards divide and doom. Rizwan and his family are forced to bear the brunt of racial prejudice in an intensely personal way that brings down their citadel. Time for the handyman who "can repair anything" to move out on an impossible journey that hopes to end with setting the world right. All this, while wife Mandira devilishly battles her own demons and society fights its own ills.
The film takes on an expansive canvas: 9/11, post 9/11, racial abuse, draconian homeland security laws, a hysterical US jurisprudence, hurricane Katrina....Yet, it rarely loses focus -- just here and there, post-interval -- and remains primarily the story of a good man who wants to live in a good world with good people around him. The film is brimming over with scenes that relentlessly move you to tears, not because they are sad, but because they are uplifting, inspirational and just sometimes heart-rending. Performance-wise, this undoubtedly towers as Shah Rukh's best act. He never once loses grip on his character, despite the mannerisms, the awkward body language and the distinct speech style. Definitely, this one's a few miles ahead of even Tom Hank's Forrest Gump. Kajol's Mandira is a complete winner, with the actor pitching in such a restrained act in one of the most difficult scenes of the film, she simply blows you away. Zarina Wahab is unforgettable in a cameo and the kids are super. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music score is apt, while Ravi Chandran's camera captures San Francisco like never before. But eventually it's Rizwan Khan who walks out with you, branding all the fundamentalists as `Liars' and telling all those who doubt his integrity: My Name is Khan and I am not a terrorist, a non-Mumbaikar, or an unpatriotic Indian.
A word about
Performances: Shah Rukh is stupendous, Kajol mesmerising, Zarina Wahab moving and the kids -- Tanay and Yuvaan -- are brilliant. Not once does Shah Rukh lose his grip on the distinct character who has a distinct body language and a completely unchartered emotional graph.
Direction: Karan Johar comes of age. He tells a complex story with sparkling simplicity, without forgetting that cinema is primarily meant to entertain.
Story: Karan Johar and Shibani Batijha's script is expansive, covering several events that have made headlines in the recent past. Yet, it essentially remains a moving love story that moves you no end.
Dialogue: Niranjan Iyengar and Shibani Bathija have demystfied contemporary strife with polish, restraint and research.
Music: Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's audio track is brimming over with soulful, uplifting tracks like Noor-e-Khuda.
Cinematography: Ravi K Chandran creates a dreamy San Fransisco on canvas even as his Mumbai remains so real, so downtown, so back-alleyed.
Styling: Manish Malhotra and Shiraz Siddiqui go cosmo and chic with Kajol and nerdish with SRK. Perfectly apt.
Movie Review: Ok, let's get this straight from the very beginning. It's Khan, from the epiglotis (read deep, inner recesses), not `kaan' from the any-which-way, upper surface. In other words, it's the K-factor -- Karan (Johar) and Khan (Shah Rukh) -- like you've never seen, sampled and savoured before. My Name is Khan is indubitably one of the most meaningful and moving films to be rolled out from the Bollywood mills in recent times. It completely reinvents both the actor and the film maker and creates a new bench mark for the duo who has given India some of the crunchiest popcorn flicks. This time round, it's a whole new mantra for the two moguls and the Indian movie industry per se which might henceforth go something like: My name is Bollywood and I'm not just an entertainer. I have a whole lot to say and I'll say it in style....
The high point of the film are its performances. Shah Rukh Khan's Rizwan Khan and Kajol's Mandira cannot easily be forgotten and you end up carrying them out of the audi with you. As is Zarina Wahab's Ammi who articulates an almost perfect prototype of the perfect Indian as Shah Rukh Khan's mom: completely rooted in her culture and yet, completely secular. Add to this the film maker's eye for detail which not only sweeps across contemporary history, but also creates startling vignettes with scenes that question, challenge, debate and debunk established myths, and you have a cinema that inspires, moves, motivates and forces you to think. All this, even as it entertains. For, nowhere does the film get heavy or pedantic, despite taking on the arduous task of telling you, in plain terms, that tolerance is the indispensable virtue for the 21st century which can have no place for fundoos, regionalists, communalists, casteists, gender, class and cultural chauvinists. Let them all rest in peace while the rest of the world moves forward.
But more than everything, it is the searing simplicity of Karan Johar's narration that scintillates. Choosing a protagonist who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome seems to be a deliberate move on the part of the film maker and it works like a master stroke. One of the most seminal scenes in the film entails a young Shah Rukh (Tanay Chheda) turning back from his balcony, spewing the hate-filled abuses he's just heard in the streets below which are getting violent and bloodied with an ongoing communal riot. His mother takes him in, draws a match stick figure with a stick and another with a lollypop and asks the young Rizwan to pick out who's the Hindu and who's the Muslim from the picture. Can't tell...both are the same...the stick man is bad, the lollypop man is good...mutters Rizzu. And that remains the most important lesson of his life which a mumbling, fumbling, awkward, socially inept hero carries like a golden talisman through his monumental life. One which simply says: the world is divided into good men and bad men. Period. No other differences matter. Isn't that a lesson we'd like everyone to learn. And if it means getting back to the basics, to mum's bedside tutorials, so be it.
My Name is Khan unfolds essentially as a love story. Rizwan, the boy-with-a-difference, grows up with his mother and younger brother in the back alleys of Mumbai. He is forced to join his brother (Jimmy Shergill, rightfully jealous with all the attention his elder sibling gets) in the US and sell his beauty products as part of the family business. On one such business meet, he meets up with the spirited hair dresser, Mandira who happens to be a single mom too.
Needless to say, he wants to move in with Mandira and her 13-year-old son, Sam, urging her to marry him and convincing her he won't take too much place because he's thin and undemanding. Cute! The entire love story proceeds like a dream: full of beans and beauty and before you know, it's tragedy time. The world discovers a new dateline -- 9/11 -- and hurtles towards divide and doom. Rizwan and his family are forced to bear the brunt of racial prejudice in an intensely personal way that brings down their citadel. Time for the handyman who "can repair anything" to move out on an impossible journey that hopes to end with setting the world right. All this, while wife Mandira devilishly battles her own demons and society fights its own ills.
The film takes on an expansive canvas: 9/11, post 9/11, racial abuse, draconian homeland security laws, a hysterical US jurisprudence, hurricane Katrina....Yet, it rarely loses focus -- just here and there, post-interval -- and remains primarily the story of a good man who wants to live in a good world with good people around him. The film is brimming over with scenes that relentlessly move you to tears, not because they are sad, but because they are uplifting, inspirational and just sometimes heart-rending. Performance-wise, this undoubtedly towers as Shah Rukh's best act. He never once loses grip on his character, despite the mannerisms, the awkward body language and the distinct speech style. Definitely, this one's a few miles ahead of even Tom Hank's Forrest Gump. Kajol's Mandira is a complete winner, with the actor pitching in such a restrained act in one of the most difficult scenes of the film, she simply blows you away. Zarina Wahab is unforgettable in a cameo and the kids are super. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music score is apt, while Ravi Chandran's camera captures San Francisco like never before. But eventually it's Rizwan Khan who walks out with you, branding all the fundamentalists as `Liars' and telling all those who doubt his integrity: My Name is Khan and I am not a terrorist, a non-Mumbaikar, or an unpatriotic Indian.
A word about
Performances: Shah Rukh is stupendous, Kajol mesmerising, Zarina Wahab moving and the kids -- Tanay and Yuvaan -- are brilliant. Not once does Shah Rukh lose his grip on the distinct character who has a distinct body language and a completely unchartered emotional graph.
Direction: Karan Johar comes of age. He tells a complex story with sparkling simplicity, without forgetting that cinema is primarily meant to entertain.
Story: Karan Johar and Shibani Batijha's script is expansive, covering several events that have made headlines in the recent past. Yet, it essentially remains a moving love story that moves you no end.
Dialogue: Niranjan Iyengar and Shibani Bathija have demystfied contemporary strife with polish, restraint and research.
Music: Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's audio track is brimming over with soulful, uplifting tracks like Noor-e-Khuda.
Cinematography: Ravi K Chandran creates a dreamy San Fransisco on canvas even as his Mumbai remains so real, so downtown, so back-alleyed.
Styling: Manish Malhotra and Shiraz Siddiqui go cosmo and chic with Kajol and nerdish with SRK. Perfectly apt.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Indian students in trouble as UK halts visa operations
CHANDIGARH: Some have paid their tuition fees, others have their acceptance letters in their hands. But now hundreds of Indian students may not be able to study in the UK thanks to a sudden decision to temporarily stop accepting student visa applications at its three centres in north India.
As there is no guarantee of getting their tuition fees back, which students have already paid in some cases, the fear of losing lakhs of rupees is looming over their head.
"The admissions process is an arrangement only between the student and the college and we cannot intervene. However we hope that genuine colleges will understand this situation but we cannot play any role in it," Nigel Casey, British deputy high commissioner, said.
This indefinite suspension, put in force from Monday, was the direct result of a 10-time increase in student visa applications during the period October to December 2009, at three visa application centres of Chandigarh, Jalandhar and New Delhi.
Last year, 13,500 applications were received during this period whereas only 1,800 and 1,200 were received in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
"We will again review the situation by the end of this month. Then depending on our evaluation, we will decide when to resume accepting applications again," said Casey.
Casey said that this suspension was necessary to scrutinize the situation and to save genuine applicants as there were some cases where people were abusing the student visa norms.
"Some unscrupulous agents mislead youth by telling them that they can easily attain PR (permanent residency) through student visas, which is totally wrong," he pointed out.
As per official records, Britain's visa operation in India is its largest in the world.
As there is no guarantee of getting their tuition fees back, which students have already paid in some cases, the fear of losing lakhs of rupees is looming over their head.
"The admissions process is an arrangement only between the student and the college and we cannot intervene. However we hope that genuine colleges will understand this situation but we cannot play any role in it," Nigel Casey, British deputy high commissioner, said.
This indefinite suspension, put in force from Monday, was the direct result of a 10-time increase in student visa applications during the period October to December 2009, at three visa application centres of Chandigarh, Jalandhar and New Delhi.
Last year, 13,500 applications were received during this period whereas only 1,800 and 1,200 were received in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
"We will again review the situation by the end of this month. Then depending on our evaluation, we will decide when to resume accepting applications again," said Casey.
Casey said that this suspension was necessary to scrutinize the situation and to save genuine applicants as there were some cases where people were abusing the student visa norms.
"Some unscrupulous agents mislead youth by telling them that they can easily attain PR (permanent residency) through student visas, which is totally wrong," he pointed out.
As per official records, Britain's visa operation in India is its largest in the world.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A R Rahman strikes Grammys gold
LOS ANGELES: Indian composer A R Rahman scored a double triumph at the Grammy Awards here, scooping two early honours for his music from Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire".
Rahman won the first Grammy of the pre-show at the Staples Center in the best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture category before his "Jai Ho" won in the best motion picture song category moments later.
"This is insane, god is great again," Rahman said as he accepted his second award before a VIP audience.
Rahman's rivals in the soundtrack category included Steve Jordan for "Cadillac Records," Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds", and the producers of "Twilight" and "True Blood."
In the best song category Rahman's beaten rivals included Bruce Springsteen for his song "The Wrestler", from the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name.
The Grammy success comes after Rahman earned two Oscars for his music in "Slumdog Millionaire" at last year's Academy Awards.
The talented music maestro picked up the best original score statuette before scooping the best song Oscar.
Rahman won the first Grammy of the pre-show at the Staples Center in the best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture category before his "Jai Ho" won in the best motion picture song category moments later.
"This is insane, god is great again," Rahman said as he accepted his second award before a VIP audience.
Rahman's rivals in the soundtrack category included Steve Jordan for "Cadillac Records," Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds", and the producers of "Twilight" and "True Blood."
In the best song category Rahman's beaten rivals included Bruce Springsteen for his song "The Wrestler", from the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name.
The Grammy success comes after Rahman earned two Oscars for his music in "Slumdog Millionaire" at last year's Academy Awards.
The talented music maestro picked up the best original score statuette before scooping the best song Oscar.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
India can become 3rd largest economy by 2012: PwC
NEW DELHI: The US financial crisis may have expedited a shift in global economic power. According to a report by global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), India could become the world’s third largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP), overtaking Japan in 2012.
This would be almost 20 years ahead of Goldman Sachs' projection of 2032 in its BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) report.
India is also expected to grow faster than China after 2020. China, which was projected to become the world’s largest economy by 2041, now looks set to achieve the distinction sometime around 2020, the PwC report said.
"While the exact date is open to doubt, it seems highly likely that, by 2030, China will clearly be the largest economy in the world on PPP," writes PwC head of macroeconomics John Hawksworth in the report.
This would be almost 20 years ahead of Goldman Sachs' projection of 2032 in its BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) report.
India is also expected to grow faster than China after 2020. China, which was projected to become the world’s largest economy by 2041, now looks set to achieve the distinction sometime around 2020, the PwC report said.
"While the exact date is open to doubt, it seems highly likely that, by 2030, China will clearly be the largest economy in the world on PPP," writes PwC head of macroeconomics John Hawksworth in the report.
Friday, January 15, 2010
US mission alerts citizens about new Indian visa rules
Mumbai: The US Mission in India wishes to inform US citizens that the Government of India is implementing new regulations that affect visa holders, periods of authorized stay, and registration in India. The US Embassy and Consulates in India have received reports from individuals about inconsistent implementation of the new rules, which have not been widely publicized and are subject to change.
The revised regulations primarily affect travelers, who wish to enter India within two months of their last departure from India. To date, these changes have mostly affected tourist (T) visa holders, but the US Mission has also received reports pertaining to other visa types. Initial information from the Government of India indicated that revised visa regulations would primarily affect travelers with tourist visas, who had been in India for more than 90 days before travel abroad or more than 180 days in the past year. However, the US Mission has received confirmation that foreign passports are now stamped on exit to indicate that the bearer cannot re-enter India within two months of exit unless special permission is obtained from an Indian Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission abroad, regardless of the validity of visa or length of stay in India. Travelers have reported being denied re-entry after exiting India for business or family emergencies, or for tourist travel to nearby countries, even if their initial visit to India was for only a few days. Prior guidance and procedures that allowed re-entry to India after stays of up to 180 days are no longer in effect.
Some Americans entering or re-entering India on tourist visas have been instructed at the port of entry to register with the local Foreigners Registration Office (FRO). The procedures and requirements for registration can be complex. Travelers are advised to follow directions as stipulated on their visas regarding registration procedures, irrespective of their visa category.
Here are some examples of problems Americans have had trying to navigate the recent visa changes:
One American family, visiting India on ten-year, multiple entry tourist visas for several weeks, had to return briefly to the US to attend a funeral. They were not permitted to re-enter India. Another American family, taking a side trip to Sri Lanka from India, was told that they needed to apply for permission to re-enter India at the Indian High Commission in Colombo. An American on a business visa had plans for his children, who are attending a university in the US to visit him in India during their school holiday. His children entered on tourist visas, stayed three days in India, and were informed upon their departure for a side trip to Thailand that they would not be allowed to re-enter to continue the rest of their planned vacation with their family. One American in India on a business visa was informed that she would not be allowed to depart India until she had registered with the Foreign Registration Office (FRO), even though she had only been in India for seven days and her passport was stamped "Registration not required if stay is less than 14 days."
These new visa and registration regulations are being implemented inconsistently and are not finalized. American citizens traveling to, or departing from India are urged to review travel plans in light of these changing procedures and to contact the nearest Indian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate overseas (http://goidirectory. nic.in/missions.htm) or the nearest Foreigners Registra-tion Office in India (http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/) to determine proper procedures to follow.
US citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration Web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state .gov.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet Web site at http://travel. state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except US federal holidays). Americans are also encouraged to read the Country Specific Information for India, available on the Embassy’s Web site at
http://newdelhi.usembassy .gov, and also at http://travel .state.gov.
US citizens may contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Embassy or the Consulates General for further information:
— The US Embassy in New Delhi is located at Shanti Path, Chanakya Puri 110021; telephone +91-11-2419-8000; fax +91-11-2419-8407. The Embassy’s Internet home page address is http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov.
— The US Consulate General in Mumbai (Bombay) is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026, telephone +91-22-2363-3611; fax +91-22-2363-0350. The Internet home page address is http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov.
— The US Consulate General in Chennai (Madras) is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600006, telephone +91-44-2857-4000; fax +91-44-2811-2027. The Internet home page address is http://chennai.usconsulate .gov.
— The US Consulate General in Kolkata (Calcutta) is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071; telephone +91-33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335. The Internet home page address is http://kolkata .usconsulate.gov.
— The US Consulate General in Hyderabad is at Paigah Palace, 1-8-323, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad 500 003; telephone: +91 (40) 4033-8300. The Internet home page address is http://hyderabad .usconsulate.gov.
The revised regulations primarily affect travelers, who wish to enter India within two months of their last departure from India. To date, these changes have mostly affected tourist (T) visa holders, but the US Mission has also received reports pertaining to other visa types. Initial information from the Government of India indicated that revised visa regulations would primarily affect travelers with tourist visas, who had been in India for more than 90 days before travel abroad or more than 180 days in the past year. However, the US Mission has received confirmation that foreign passports are now stamped on exit to indicate that the bearer cannot re-enter India within two months of exit unless special permission is obtained from an Indian Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission abroad, regardless of the validity of visa or length of stay in India. Travelers have reported being denied re-entry after exiting India for business or family emergencies, or for tourist travel to nearby countries, even if their initial visit to India was for only a few days. Prior guidance and procedures that allowed re-entry to India after stays of up to 180 days are no longer in effect.
Some Americans entering or re-entering India on tourist visas have been instructed at the port of entry to register with the local Foreigners Registration Office (FRO). The procedures and requirements for registration can be complex. Travelers are advised to follow directions as stipulated on their visas regarding registration procedures, irrespective of their visa category.
Here are some examples of problems Americans have had trying to navigate the recent visa changes:
One American family, visiting India on ten-year, multiple entry tourist visas for several weeks, had to return briefly to the US to attend a funeral. They were not permitted to re-enter India. Another American family, taking a side trip to Sri Lanka from India, was told that they needed to apply for permission to re-enter India at the Indian High Commission in Colombo. An American on a business visa had plans for his children, who are attending a university in the US to visit him in India during their school holiday. His children entered on tourist visas, stayed three days in India, and were informed upon their departure for a side trip to Thailand that they would not be allowed to re-enter to continue the rest of their planned vacation with their family. One American in India on a business visa was informed that she would not be allowed to depart India until she had registered with the Foreign Registration Office (FRO), even though she had only been in India for seven days and her passport was stamped "Registration not required if stay is less than 14 days."
These new visa and registration regulations are being implemented inconsistently and are not finalized. American citizens traveling to, or departing from India are urged to review travel plans in light of these changing procedures and to contact the nearest Indian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate overseas (http://goidirectory. nic.in/missions.htm) or the nearest Foreigners Registra-tion Office in India (http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/) to determine proper procedures to follow.
US citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration Web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state .gov.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet Web site at http://travel. state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except US federal holidays). Americans are also encouraged to read the Country Specific Information for India, available on the Embassy’s Web site at
http://newdelhi.usembassy .gov, and also at http://travel .state.gov.
US citizens may contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Embassy or the Consulates General for further information:
— The US Embassy in New Delhi is located at Shanti Path, Chanakya Puri 110021; telephone +91-11-2419-8000; fax +91-11-2419-8407. The Embassy’s Internet home page address is http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov.
— The US Consulate General in Mumbai (Bombay) is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026, telephone +91-22-2363-3611; fax +91-22-2363-0350. The Internet home page address is http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov.
— The US Consulate General in Chennai (Madras) is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600006, telephone +91-44-2857-4000; fax +91-44-2811-2027. The Internet home page address is http://chennai.usconsulate .gov.
— The US Consulate General in Kolkata (Calcutta) is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071; telephone +91-33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335. The Internet home page address is http://kolkata .usconsulate.gov.
— The US Consulate General in Hyderabad is at Paigah Palace, 1-8-323, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad 500 003; telephone: +91 (40) 4033-8300. The Internet home page address is http://hyderabad .usconsulate.gov.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
5000 disenfranchised Indians can return to UK
LONDON: At least 5,000 Indians, disenfranchised by the UK's recent diktats on immigration policy that forced them to return to the mother country, are to be allowed to re-enter Britain, in the latest twist in the two-year-old wrangle over holders of Highly-Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP ) visas.
The British government published its new guidelines on the rights available to non-European immigrant workers on Wednesday. The guidelines offer full protection to non-European holders of HSMP visas, of whom at least 30,000 are estimated to be Indian.
Amit Kapadia, director of the non-profit campaigning organization HSMP Forum Ltd, told TOI the British government "had finally played fair with non-European workers, but then they had no choice".
Kapadia and the HSMP Forum Ltd, who led a long and tortuous 14-month-long campaign for equal rights, worsted the British government in early April when the High Court in London decisively ruled the immigration changes "unlawful" and a rank "abuse of (administrative) power".
The High Court judgement dismissed the UK government's argument that it was in the "public interest...the national interest" retrospectively to apply changes to HSMP visas.
The April ruling, by Judge Sir George Newman, meant that Britain would be forced to grant entry, residence and/or settlement to non-European Union nationals who entered the UK under the 2002 HSMP rules.
Accordingly, the British government has now decreed a fresh look at categories of non-European migrants, including Indian and other non-European HSMP visa-holders forced to leave the UK after the new, restrictive guidelines were put in place in November 2006.
Kapadia said the government's "new Policy Guidance covers migrants who were admitted under the HSMP scheme before 5th December 2006. Various categories of migrants are covered under the policy including those who were refused extension under the unlawful rules, those migrants who did not apply for extension and migrants who have either switched immigration categories to more restrictive visa regimes or those who left the UK".
In November 2006, the British government introduced a new, retrospectively-imposed Points-Based System, which effectively disenfranchised large swathes of the 49,000 non-Europeans who successfully entered the UK under the scheme between January 2002 and late 2006.
The HSMP Forum said it was "delighted to have achieved our objective in fighting the manifest injustice of retrospectively applied legislation".
Commentators said the extent of British government unbending could be gauged from the fact the new guidelines decreed that non-European "migrants whose extensions were refused after the November 2006 unlawful changes will not have to pay application fee again for a review of the decision under the old criteria".
Additionally, Indian HSMP visa-holders forced to leave the UK earlier this year, after the new rules were stringently implemented, will be allowed back without fuss. They can also offset the length of their India sojourn against the HSMP visa requirements leading to full and permanent settlement in the UK.
Kapadia said the British government had admittedly done everything it could to facilitate the return of non-European HSMP visa-holders. But he added, "they had no choice. We had told them we would take them to court otherwise".
The British government published its new guidelines on the rights available to non-European immigrant workers on Wednesday. The guidelines offer full protection to non-European holders of HSMP visas, of whom at least 30,000 are estimated to be Indian.
Amit Kapadia, director of the non-profit campaigning organization HSMP Forum Ltd, told TOI the British government "had finally played fair with non-European workers, but then they had no choice".
Kapadia and the HSMP Forum Ltd, who led a long and tortuous 14-month-long campaign for equal rights, worsted the British government in early April when the High Court in London decisively ruled the immigration changes "unlawful" and a rank "abuse of (administrative) power".
The High Court judgement dismissed the UK government's argument that it was in the "public interest...the national interest" retrospectively to apply changes to HSMP visas.
The April ruling, by Judge Sir George Newman, meant that Britain would be forced to grant entry, residence and/or settlement to non-European Union nationals who entered the UK under the 2002 HSMP rules.
Accordingly, the British government has now decreed a fresh look at categories of non-European migrants, including Indian and other non-European HSMP visa-holders forced to leave the UK after the new, restrictive guidelines were put in place in November 2006.
Kapadia said the government's "new Policy Guidance covers migrants who were admitted under the HSMP scheme before 5th December 2006. Various categories of migrants are covered under the policy including those who were refused extension under the unlawful rules, those migrants who did not apply for extension and migrants who have either switched immigration categories to more restrictive visa regimes or those who left the UK".
In November 2006, the British government introduced a new, retrospectively-imposed Points-Based System, which effectively disenfranchised large swathes of the 49,000 non-Europeans who successfully entered the UK under the scheme between January 2002 and late 2006.
The HSMP Forum said it was "delighted to have achieved our objective in fighting the manifest injustice of retrospectively applied legislation".
Commentators said the extent of British government unbending could be gauged from the fact the new guidelines decreed that non-European "migrants whose extensions were refused after the November 2006 unlawful changes will not have to pay application fee again for a review of the decision under the old criteria".
Additionally, Indian HSMP visa-holders forced to leave the UK earlier this year, after the new rules were stringently implemented, will be allowed back without fuss. They can also offset the length of their India sojourn against the HSMP visa requirements leading to full and permanent settlement in the UK.
Kapadia said the British government had admittedly done everything it could to facilitate the return of non-European HSMP visa-holders. But he added, "they had no choice. We had told them we would take them to court otherwise".
New UK visa restrictions on Indian professionals soon
LONDON: Amidst rising unemployment, Britain is putting in place new immigration restrictions on professionals from India and other non-EU countries so that existing jobs are first offered to local workers.
From April, the basic requirements to enter Britain under the Tier 1 category of the points-based immigration system will be raised. Over 25,000 people, including many from India, entered Britain under Tier 1 last year.
The qualification and minimum salary levels for Indian and non-EU professionals will be raised to masters degree and 20,000 pounds from the current requirement of undergraduate degree and 17,000 pounds.
Home secretary Jacqui Smith is expected to announce the new measures soon as part of a 10-point plan which aims to cut overall levels of immigration by next year.
She told The Sunday Telegraph: "We have put immigration controls in place that allow us to raise or lower the bar on the migrants who can come to the UK. We have always said it is important to be selective about who comes here to work."
"We have already put a stop to low-skilled labour entering the UK from outside Europe. Now in response to the global recession and the downturn that has hit British workers, we are setting out how we will now be even more selective," Smith said.
From April, the basic requirements to enter Britain under the Tier 1 category of the points-based immigration system will be raised. Over 25,000 people, including many from India, entered Britain under Tier 1 last year.
The qualification and minimum salary levels for Indian and non-EU professionals will be raised to masters degree and 20,000 pounds from the current requirement of undergraduate degree and 17,000 pounds.
Home secretary Jacqui Smith is expected to announce the new measures soon as part of a 10-point plan which aims to cut overall levels of immigration by next year.
She told The Sunday Telegraph: "We have put immigration controls in place that allow us to raise or lower the bar on the migrants who can come to the UK. We have always said it is important to be selective about who comes here to work."
"We have already put a stop to low-skilled labour entering the UK from outside Europe. Now in response to the global recession and the downturn that has hit British workers, we are setting out how we will now be even more selective," Smith said.
UK gets tough on marriage-for-visa scam
LONDON: Following widespread bogus marriages with the aim of gaining residence, the British government is considering bringing biometric checks on foreign nationals. Many Indians are involved in this 'unofficial' immigration process.
"Just because someone is married does not mean at all that their immigration status is granted," immigration minister Phil Woolas told the BBC.
With a general election due in spring and indigenous Britons agitated by an unending flood of migrants amid unemployment of 2.4 million, the incumbent Labour administration is compelled to act on the issue.
In 2005, the Home office decided that foreigners needed permission to get married in the UK. In fact, if a person did not enjoy right of residence, they were generally denied approval. Within months of this stipulation, the number of reported cases of abuse fell from more than 3,500 in 2004 to less than 500 in 2005.
In 2008, the House of Lords struck down the scheme, saying it breached human rights. Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the government regretted the Lords’ ruling and was looking at the law once again.
Meanwhile, suspected bogus marriages have risen again. In 2008, 344 cases were reported by marriage registrars. In the 11 months up to November 2009, the figure had increased to 529.
Pressure on the British government mounted on Thursday night when the BBC aired an undercover investigation on violation of the system on prime time.
Hiring a bona fide Indian student, Jaspal, who pretended to be an illegal immigrant, BBC filmed secretly at various locations, including the registrar’s office in the London borough of Brent. There, a Pakistani man was applying to marry a Lithuanian woman. Neither spoke much English, let alone each other’s language. The former disappeared the moment the superintendent registrar confronted the couple.
Jaspal's probe also took him to Nirmal in the west London suburb of Hayes. Nirmal directed him to a gang in Birmingham with a significant number of people of sub-continental origin.
"Just because someone is married does not mean at all that their immigration status is granted," immigration minister Phil Woolas told the BBC.
With a general election due in spring and indigenous Britons agitated by an unending flood of migrants amid unemployment of 2.4 million, the incumbent Labour administration is compelled to act on the issue.
In 2005, the Home office decided that foreigners needed permission to get married in the UK. In fact, if a person did not enjoy right of residence, they were generally denied approval. Within months of this stipulation, the number of reported cases of abuse fell from more than 3,500 in 2004 to less than 500 in 2005.
In 2008, the House of Lords struck down the scheme, saying it breached human rights. Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the government regretted the Lords’ ruling and was looking at the law once again.
Meanwhile, suspected bogus marriages have risen again. In 2008, 344 cases were reported by marriage registrars. In the 11 months up to November 2009, the figure had increased to 529.
Pressure on the British government mounted on Thursday night when the BBC aired an undercover investigation on violation of the system on prime time.
Hiring a bona fide Indian student, Jaspal, who pretended to be an illegal immigrant, BBC filmed secretly at various locations, including the registrar’s office in the London borough of Brent. There, a Pakistani man was applying to marry a Lithuanian woman. Neither spoke much English, let alone each other’s language. The former disappeared the moment the superintendent registrar confronted the couple.
Jaspal's probe also took him to Nirmal in the west London suburb of Hayes. Nirmal directed him to a gang in Birmingham with a significant number of people of sub-continental origin.
Indian chefs wanted, but no IT workers : UK Panel
LONDON: Indian chefs will be allowed to work in Britain's multi-million pound Indian restaurant industry but Indian IT workers are no longer required here, a key government committee on immigration here said on Tuesday.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Home Office revised its list of occupations and skills that are in short supply in UK, which enables employers to recruit skilled workers from India and other countries outside the European Union.
The revised list includes skilled chefs, secondary school teachers of Maths and Sciences, consultants and senior specialist nurses, some engineering occupations, including civil and chemical engineers. The recommendations made by the committee are usually accepted by the government.
People from the Indian restaurant industry recently took to the streets in London and Glasgow to protest against new immigration measures that prevented them from recruiting chefs from the Indian sub-continent.
Several representations were also made to the government by MPs and association of restaurant owners. The MAC report published on Tuesday includes "skilled chefs" as one of the shortage occupations, meeting the main demand of the industry.
However, it will not be easy for Indian IT workers to find job in Britain due to the surplus in the employment market in the country and the EU. Non-EU workers will only be allowed to work in the shortage occupations listed by the MAC.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Home Office revised its list of occupations and skills that are in short supply in UK, which enables employers to recruit skilled workers from India and other countries outside the European Union.
The revised list includes skilled chefs, secondary school teachers of Maths and Sciences, consultants and senior specialist nurses, some engineering occupations, including civil and chemical engineers. The recommendations made by the committee are usually accepted by the government.
People from the Indian restaurant industry recently took to the streets in London and Glasgow to protest against new immigration measures that prevented them from recruiting chefs from the Indian sub-continent.
Several representations were also made to the government by MPs and association of restaurant owners. The MAC report published on Tuesday includes "skilled chefs" as one of the shortage occupations, meeting the main demand of the industry.
However, it will not be easy for Indian IT workers to find job in Britain due to the surplus in the employment market in the country and the EU. Non-EU workers will only be allowed to work in the shortage occupations listed by the MAC.
Next Bill Gates could be from India!
Washington : A sizeable number of Americans believe that the next Bill Gates would come from India or China as the two Asian giants are fast marching ahead on the global platform, a new US survey has revealed. "When asked where the 'next Bill Gates will come from,' 40 per cent of Americans predicted either India or China," said a national survey released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) on the sidelines of the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow at Las Vegas.
The vast majority of them, about 96 per cent, believe that innovation was critical to the future success of the US as a world economic leader but they were concerned that the rising federal deficit would jeopardize prosperity of future generations, the survey said.
The economic survey, conducted by Zogby International, found that 68 per cent of Americans think innovation was key to the future success of their place of employment, with 50 per cent maintaining that innovation was important for their job remaining in the US.
After the World Economic Forum reported that the US has lost its global competitiveness ranking while India, China and Brazil have gained, 74 per cent of Americans said it was unlikely the US would regain its status next year.
The vast majority of them, about 96 per cent, believe that innovation was critical to the future success of the US as a world economic leader but they were concerned that the rising federal deficit would jeopardize prosperity of future generations, the survey said.
The economic survey, conducted by Zogby International, found that 68 per cent of Americans think innovation was key to the future success of their place of employment, with 50 per cent maintaining that innovation was important for their job remaining in the US.
After the World Economic Forum reported that the US has lost its global competitiveness ranking while India, China and Brazil have gained, 74 per cent of Americans said it was unlikely the US would regain its status next year.
Indian-origin man set on fire in Melbourne
Melbourne : A 29-year-old Indian-origin man was set ablaze by a group of four attackers in Melbourne on Saturday, a week after a student from the country was stabbed to death amid a slew of assaults on the community in Australia.
The man, who suffered 15 per cent burns including on his arms, chest and face, was admitted to 'The Alfred' hospital after he was attacked shortly before 2 am local time (0730 HRS IST) in Melbourne's Essendon area.
The man, who was not identified, and his wife left a dinner party in Essendon, in the city's northwest, between 1.30 am and 2 am and drove to their nearby home in Grice Crescent. He dropped his wife at home and had gone to park his car when he was attacked, local media reported.
Police said that as he was getting out of the car, four men attacked him, pushing him back against the vehicle and pouring an unknown fluid on him. One of the men then ignited the fluid with a lighter before all the attackers fled.
The victim, who is now in a stable condition in the hospital, ran from the car while peeling off his clothes, 'The Age' reported.
The attack comes a week after the stabbing death of 21-year-old Indian graduate Nitin Garg in a Yarraville park while he was on his way to his part-time job in a restaurant.
The body of another Indian youth, 25-year-old Ranjodh Singh, was found beside Wilga Road in Willbriggie in the neighbouring state of New South Wales on December 29. The incident was reported earlier this week.
A police spokeswoman said investigators do not yet know any motive or circumstances surrounding today's Essendon attack.
"They don't believe it was racially motivated at this stage," she said.
The ABC reported that the man is of Indian origin but said police do not know whether he is an Australian citizen.
The incident is being investigated by the arson and explosives squad.
Police appealed for public assistance to locate the victim's clothes, which he shed as he fled the scene.
The man, who suffered 15 per cent burns including on his arms, chest and face, was admitted to 'The Alfred' hospital after he was attacked shortly before 2 am local time (0730 HRS IST) in Melbourne's Essendon area.
The man, who was not identified, and his wife left a dinner party in Essendon, in the city's northwest, between 1.30 am and 2 am and drove to their nearby home in Grice Crescent. He dropped his wife at home and had gone to park his car when he was attacked, local media reported.
Police said that as he was getting out of the car, four men attacked him, pushing him back against the vehicle and pouring an unknown fluid on him. One of the men then ignited the fluid with a lighter before all the attackers fled.
The victim, who is now in a stable condition in the hospital, ran from the car while peeling off his clothes, 'The Age' reported.
The attack comes a week after the stabbing death of 21-year-old Indian graduate Nitin Garg in a Yarraville park while he was on his way to his part-time job in a restaurant.
The body of another Indian youth, 25-year-old Ranjodh Singh, was found beside Wilga Road in Willbriggie in the neighbouring state of New South Wales on December 29. The incident was reported earlier this week.
A police spokeswoman said investigators do not yet know any motive or circumstances surrounding today's Essendon attack.
"They don't believe it was racially motivated at this stage," she said.
The ABC reported that the man is of Indian origin but said police do not know whether he is an Australian citizen.
The incident is being investigated by the arson and explosives squad.
Police appealed for public assistance to locate the victim's clothes, which he shed as he fled the scene.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Define NRI cinema, say filmmakers
NEW DELHI - The Pravasi Film Festival 2010 ended here Wednesday with the screening of “Chehere” by Rohit Kaushik and a panel discussion on “NRI Films - The Road Ahead”. Panelists asked organisers to stipulate guidelines on what should be categorised as NRI cinema.
The session was attended by filmmaker Mira Nair, director Basu Chatterjee, Dhananjoy, the contributing editor of Pravasi Today, and film critic Aruna Vasudev.
Addressing the session, Chatterjee said the festival must “specify guidelines on the kind of films that would qualify as NRI cinema so that movies are not disqualified from the panel at the last moment”.
“I would like to know whether a movie which has been conceived in India and made abroad qualifies as an NRI film. Three movies have been removed from the panel because they could not fulfill the criteria of NRI cinema,” Chatterjee said.
He urged an action plan “to recommend to the organisers on what should constitute non-resident Indian cinema”.
Echoing Chatterjee’s plea, Vasudev said: “If a director is Palestinian, lives in France and gets funds for his movies from US and other countries of Europe, how would you describe the movie?” She was referring to filmmaker Rashid Masharawi.
Mira Nair, who operates in three continents - Africa (Uganda), India and North America - said she has an Indian passport and will never give it up.
“I used to be pretty sensitive about being called an NRI for a long time. But I think the feel of the movie should have the feel of the journey to the destination and there should be some kind of definition to clarify ideas vis-a-vis movies made by people living abroad,” Nair said.
Pravasi (non-resident Indian) films should have some homeland routes, “but the definition of what constitutes an NRI movie is still very fuzzy”, said the Washington-based contributing editor to Pravasi Today, Dhananjoy.
“Not many pravasi movies are made in India but for many overseas Indians, films are a passion and they make more crossover movies. In the area around Washington where I stay, nearly 100 movies are made every year of which 10-12 make it to the local television.
“What about the rest? They can look forward to be screened in India and gross revenues if the organisers of the festival and the Indian government lay down some points on NRI movies and provide a support system,” Dhananjoy said.
The festival screened 43 movies, both feature films and documentaries. There were six panel discussions on various aspects of NRI cinema.
The session was attended by filmmaker Mira Nair, director Basu Chatterjee, Dhananjoy, the contributing editor of Pravasi Today, and film critic Aruna Vasudev.
Addressing the session, Chatterjee said the festival must “specify guidelines on the kind of films that would qualify as NRI cinema so that movies are not disqualified from the panel at the last moment”.
“I would like to know whether a movie which has been conceived in India and made abroad qualifies as an NRI film. Three movies have been removed from the panel because they could not fulfill the criteria of NRI cinema,” Chatterjee said.
He urged an action plan “to recommend to the organisers on what should constitute non-resident Indian cinema”.
Echoing Chatterjee’s plea, Vasudev said: “If a director is Palestinian, lives in France and gets funds for his movies from US and other countries of Europe, how would you describe the movie?” She was referring to filmmaker Rashid Masharawi.
Mira Nair, who operates in three continents - Africa (Uganda), India and North America - said she has an Indian passport and will never give it up.
“I used to be pretty sensitive about being called an NRI for a long time. But I think the feel of the movie should have the feel of the journey to the destination and there should be some kind of definition to clarify ideas vis-a-vis movies made by people living abroad,” Nair said.
Pravasi (non-resident Indian) films should have some homeland routes, “but the definition of what constitutes an NRI movie is still very fuzzy”, said the Washington-based contributing editor to Pravasi Today, Dhananjoy.
“Not many pravasi movies are made in India but for many overseas Indians, films are a passion and they make more crossover movies. In the area around Washington where I stay, nearly 100 movies are made every year of which 10-12 make it to the local television.
“What about the rest? They can look forward to be screened in India and gross revenues if the organisers of the festival and the Indian government lay down some points on NRI movies and provide a support system,” Dhananjoy said.
The festival screened 43 movies, both feature films and documentaries. There were six panel discussions on various aspects of NRI cinema.
Pravasi meet begins, property-related issues dominate Day 1
A plethora of issues ranging from cheating by builders to complexities involved in succession and inheritance of properties dominated the first day of the annual Pravasi Bhartiya Divas attended by nearly 1,500 delegates from over 40 countries.
Issues like red tape in approval of investment proposals and bottlenecks in acquiring land for various projects were also raised strongly by the delegates who called for simplifying procedures to facilitate their involvement in India's development.
A group of NRIs from the US, the UK, Australia and some Gulf countries strongly raised the issue of non-delivery of flats sold to them by Maytas Properties, the real estate firm promoted by kin of disgraced Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju.
"More than one year has passed but not a single brick moved into Maytas Hill County in Hyderabad. Over 300 NRIs are trapped into this tragedy and the government has done nothing," claimed Srinivas Reddy, an NRI from Britain.
Assuring the diaspora of all possible help, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for External Affairs Praneet Kaur said the government would address all the grievances of NRIs and PIOs.
They were speaking at a conference on property- related disputes of the diaspora community.
Issues like red tape in approval of investment proposals and bottlenecks in acquiring land for various projects were also raised strongly by the delegates who called for simplifying procedures to facilitate their involvement in India's development.
A group of NRIs from the US, the UK, Australia and some Gulf countries strongly raised the issue of non-delivery of flats sold to them by Maytas Properties, the real estate firm promoted by kin of disgraced Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju.
"More than one year has passed but not a single brick moved into Maytas Hill County in Hyderabad. Over 300 NRIs are trapped into this tragedy and the government has done nothing," claimed Srinivas Reddy, an NRI from Britain.
Assuring the diaspora of all possible help, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for External Affairs Praneet Kaur said the government would address all the grievances of NRIs and PIOs.
They were speaking at a conference on property- related disputes of the diaspora community.
Indians Top Foreign Student Group
For the eighth consecutive year, India sent the largest number of foreign students to the United States, topping 100,000 for the first time for any country, according to the 2009 annual report of the Institute of International Education Open Doors.
Texas (11,987) has the largest Indian student population, followed by California (11,462) and New York (10,716). However, the proportion of Indians in the foreign student body is highest in Connecticut (30%), followed by New Jersey (24%) and Alabama (23%). Indians are the leading foreign student group in 17 states and the second largest group in 14 others. Indeed, they are among the top 5 foreign student groups in all but four states (West Virginia, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska).
The institute does not report country breakdowns for individual universities, but the University of Southern California had the largest number of foreign students (7,482), followed by New York University and Columbia University.
There is little reciprocal interest in Indian education in the United States. India ranks as the 17th most popular choice among U.S. students studying abroad. Even though India experienced the greatest growth in U.S. student enrollment (20 percent) between 2007 to 2008, just 1.2 percent of the U.S. students in study abroad programs headed to India, a quarter those selecting China. The United Kingdom, Italy and Spain are the most popular destinations for U.S. students, according to Open Doors.
Texas (11,987) has the largest Indian student population, followed by California (11,462) and New York (10,716). However, the proportion of Indians in the foreign student body is highest in Connecticut (30%), followed by New Jersey (24%) and Alabama (23%). Indians are the leading foreign student group in 17 states and the second largest group in 14 others. Indeed, they are among the top 5 foreign student groups in all but four states (West Virginia, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska).
The institute does not report country breakdowns for individual universities, but the University of Southern California had the largest number of foreign students (7,482), followed by New York University and Columbia University.
There is little reciprocal interest in Indian education in the United States. India ranks as the 17th most popular choice among U.S. students studying abroad. Even though India experienced the greatest growth in U.S. student enrollment (20 percent) between 2007 to 2008, just 1.2 percent of the U.S. students in study abroad programs headed to India, a quarter those selecting China. The United Kingdom, Italy and Spain are the most popular destinations for U.S. students, according to Open Doors.
Prasad Thotakura honored with Bharat Gaurav Award
India International Friendship Society (IIFS), New Delhi has announced globally reputed 'Bharat Gaurav Awards' for the year 2010. Prasad Thotakura, a well known NRI community leader from Dallas is one of the recipients of this prestigious award for his community service achievements.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Mudra Dance Studio in news
12/30/2009
Today's Colorado Public Radio has a featured show "Hope and Gratitude", that emphasized the cultural on Mudra Dance Studio. Joe and Rachel Moran have adopted a girl Charlotte from India in 2003. They want to feel the Indian culture, and wanted to make their child connected with the Indian roots. The family fell in love with the Bollywood movies, and started celebrating Indian holidays. Eventually they met with Namita Khanna of Mudra Dance Stuido in Aurora, their passion grew to a new level. Rachel described on CPR about how the Bollywood dance made a difference in their lives, ".. when we adopted Charlotte, she was 2 yrs old, but was very week and unable to standup. We needed to find a way to strength her body and thighs. We wanted to give her the cultural experience. I went to this dance school, and very much attracted towards it. It took me about an year and half to tell about learning dance myself. I never danced before in my life, but Namita encouraged me. We were so much embraced by the Indian community, the sense of family, celebrate holidays together, attend baby showers, birthdays etc. Once Charlotte fell off the stage, and everyone was so caring for her, trying to make her comfortable.. it was so amazing.. We did a mother daughter dance about two springs ago. I was so happy, that everything come together for me.. We are Indian Irish American family.. India belongs to me as much as it belongs to my daughter..something I am deeply grateful for..". For the complete article, visit CPR Website.
Today's Colorado Public Radio has a featured show "Hope and Gratitude", that emphasized the cultural on Mudra Dance Studio. Joe and Rachel Moran have adopted a girl Charlotte from India in 2003. They want to feel the Indian culture, and wanted to make their child connected with the Indian roots. The family fell in love with the Bollywood movies, and started celebrating Indian holidays. Eventually they met with Namita Khanna of Mudra Dance Stuido in Aurora, their passion grew to a new level. Rachel described on CPR about how the Bollywood dance made a difference in their lives, ".. when we adopted Charlotte, she was 2 yrs old, but was very week and unable to standup. We needed to find a way to strength her body and thighs. We wanted to give her the cultural experience. I went to this dance school, and very much attracted towards it. It took me about an year and half to tell about learning dance myself. I never danced before in my life, but Namita encouraged me. We were so much embraced by the Indian community, the sense of family, celebrate holidays together, attend baby showers, birthdays etc. Once Charlotte fell off the stage, and everyone was so caring for her, trying to make her comfortable.. it was so amazing.. We did a mother daughter dance about two springs ago. I was so happy, that everything come together for me.. We are Indian Irish American family.. India belongs to me as much as it belongs to my daughter..something I am deeply grateful for..". For the complete article, visit CPR Website.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Popular Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan passes away
Popular Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan died of cardiac arrest in Mysore in the wee hours on Wednesday. He was 59. Vishnuvardhan, whom his fans had fondly awarded the title "sahasa simha" (a valour lion), developed breathing problems at about 0230 hours and he was immediately taken to a private hospital where he breathed his last, sources said. According to hospital sources, he died at around 0300 hrs.
His actress wife Bharathi and son-in-law Anirudh were by his side when the Kannada star died. Sources said the body of the actor, who has acted in 197 films, has been brought here.
Vishnuvardhan, a versatile actor, made his debut into the ’Sandalwood’ through "Vamsharukha", an art film directed by Janapeetha awardee Girish Karnad. He was launched into fame for his role ‘Ramachargi’, a wayward and rebellious student in "Nagarahaavu", a film directed by acclaimed director Puttanna Kanagal. Vishnuvardhan did not look back since then and went on to win seven state honours and five film fare awards.
The last film in which Vishnuvardhan acted is ‘Aaptha Rakshaka’ which is yet be released and his latest film to hit the screen is "Bellary Naaga". The death of Vishnuvardhan has come as a shock to Kannada film industry as it came a day after a well known composer and singer C Ashwath passed away.
Expressing grief over the actor’s death, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the star would be cremated with full state honours. He also visited the actor’s residence and placed a wreath on the body. The Chief Minister, who is a film buff, described Vishnuvardhan as a towering personality of the Kannada film industry. "Vishnuvardhan, is a abhinava bhargava (born actor), Karnataka has become poor in his death", he said, urging the actor’s fans to maintain calm and peace.
Thousands of fans thronged the actor’s residence to have a glimpse of the body. Ministers Katta Subramanya Naidu, R Ashok and Suresh Kumar and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, also a film producer, paid tributes to the actor. As a mark of respect to the actor, the state government declared a holiday in schools and colleges today.
His actress wife Bharathi and son-in-law Anirudh were by his side when the Kannada star died. Sources said the body of the actor, who has acted in 197 films, has been brought here.
Vishnuvardhan, a versatile actor, made his debut into the ’Sandalwood’ through "Vamsharukha", an art film directed by Janapeetha awardee Girish Karnad. He was launched into fame for his role ‘Ramachargi’, a wayward and rebellious student in "Nagarahaavu", a film directed by acclaimed director Puttanna Kanagal. Vishnuvardhan did not look back since then and went on to win seven state honours and five film fare awards.
The last film in which Vishnuvardhan acted is ‘Aaptha Rakshaka’ which is yet be released and his latest film to hit the screen is "Bellary Naaga". The death of Vishnuvardhan has come as a shock to Kannada film industry as it came a day after a well known composer and singer C Ashwath passed away.
Expressing grief over the actor’s death, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the star would be cremated with full state honours. He also visited the actor’s residence and placed a wreath on the body. The Chief Minister, who is a film buff, described Vishnuvardhan as a towering personality of the Kannada film industry. "Vishnuvardhan, is a abhinava bhargava (born actor), Karnataka has become poor in his death", he said, urging the actor’s fans to maintain calm and peace.
Thousands of fans thronged the actor’s residence to have a glimpse of the body. Ministers Katta Subramanya Naidu, R Ashok and Suresh Kumar and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, also a film producer, paid tributes to the actor. As a mark of respect to the actor, the state government declared a holiday in schools and colleges today.
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