By Ashok Kumar

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at the 10th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas in Jaipur, asked the Non-resident Indians now to vote in the coming elections.
He told a gathering of 1,900 Diaspora from 0ver 60 countries that the notification for registration of overseas voters had been issued by the Government under the Representation of the Peoples Act and amended in 2010.
According to media reports, only one NRI registered for voting in the last round of Assembly elections.
Who is an NRI? When the Parliament issued notification in November 2010, there was a lot of confusion among the NRIs and Indians who have relinquished their Indian citizenship and became citizens of another country. The Indian Sub-continent Times, in a news report on November 25, 2010 had clarified on this issue.
According the Election Commission website that clarifies on the matter in an answer to a question:
Q2. Can a non-resident Indian citizen become a voter?
Ans. Yes, according to the provisions of the Representation of the People
(Amendment) Act, 2010, a person who is a citizen of India and who has
not acquired the citizenship of any other country and is otherwise eligible
to be registered as a voter and who is absenting from his place of ordinary
residence in India owing to his employment, education or otherwise is
eligible to be registered as a voter in the constituency in which his place
of residence in India as mentioned in his passport is located.
The Indian Sub-continent Times had in its report on November 25, 2010 had quoted a report from Parliament session:
“Parliament had in the monsoon session passed the
Representation of People (Amendment) Bill, 2010 to allow NRIs
to vote in Indian elections and now government has issued a
gazette notification in this regard.
Gazette notification has been issued giving voting
rights to Non-Resident Indians,” the then Overseas Indian Affairs
Minister Vayalar Ravi told Lok Sabha, replying to a question.
An estimated 20 million NRIs are living in various
countries across the world.
However, the person will be able to exercise the
franchise only if he or she is present in the constituency on
the polling day.
Ravi had said NRIs, “who have not acquired citizenship of
any other country and are living abroad owing to employment,
education or otherwise, are now eligible to register their
names in the electoral rolls” in their places as mentioned in
their passport.

Australian Immigration and Citizenship Minister Mr. Chris Bowen addressed this evening the Australia India Business Council on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee. Congratulations to the AIBC on 25 years of work to promote closer economic and business ties between Australia and India, he said.
International chambers of commerce and business councils play a vital role in Australia’s trade performance and building key person-to-person links across international boundaries to the benefit of both nations. This Business Council is a particularly important one because business links between India and Australia are particularly important, said a Ministry media release today.
India, of course, has always been one of the world’s great civilisations. In 1947 India took its rightful place as one of the world’s great nations. And now, to complete the trifecta, India is taking its place as one of the world’s great economies.
And as India undergoes this transformation, your business council plays a key role in fostering and furthering our already deep people-to-people links.
The governments of both India and Australia are committed to deepening our relationship. Since 2008, there have been 21 visits by Australian ministers to India.
However, it is not just governments that will forge the close ties that are essential for the wellbeing of both nations, but people. I believe what unites us most is not our joint membership at the Commonwealth of Nations or our common lore of cricket, but the close links forged by the greatest cross-cultural and economic development program of all: immigration.
I’m proud of the fact that India is the third largest source of permanent migrants to Australia. Every single permanent migrant from India to Australia is an ambassador for both nations. Every one of the 350,000 Australians of Indian heritage is a driver of our close relations.
Equally important is temporary migration, particularly students.
Indians studying in Australia are important for our educational institutions and our economy. But perhaps more importantly, having thousands of young Indians furthering their education in Australia means that – if we get it right – they will go through life as firm friends of Australia with fond memories of their Australian education and all the positive implications for our long term bilateral relations that implies. I’ll talk more about Indian students in Australia in a few moments.
In 2010, Australia invested over $407 billion in India in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, telecommunications, hotels, minerals and food processing, oil and gas, and in the automotive sector.
While merchandise trade accounts for the major part of this figure, our role in providing services is growing. In 2010, Australia exported $3.1 billion worth of services to India, with 84 per cent of those exports in the education sector. New prospects continue to emerge, in areas like ICT, biotechnology, tourism, health, film, and insurance.
As you would expect with such a significant economic relationship for Australia, India features prominently in our skilled migration program.
Tonight I want to talk about the thinking behind the reforms to our skilled migration program undertaken by the Government over the past few years and the direction of the program as it becomes more responsive to Australia’s economic needs.
I would first like to discuss recent initiatives in the student visa space that Senator Chris Evans and I announced following Michael Knight’s review of the student visa regime.
Education sector links
As I have said, education presents one of the most valuable opportunities for both countries to lay the foundation for an enduring partnership at an economic, social and political level. It presents enormous opportunities to deepen collaboration between institutions across the education and training sectors, business and industry, and our governments.
There’s no doubt that India is a key partner for Australia in its international education engagement activities. Indeed, Australia has a long history of engagement with India in international education dating back to the Colombo plan of the 1950s.
In April 2010, Australia and India entered into a Joint Ministerial Statement to deepen the cooperative education relationship between the two nations. This Statement confirms our joint commitment to expand the current Education Exchange Program to achieve greater cooperation between the two countries’ education and training sectors.
The Joint Statement has been operationalised by both governments through the establishment of the Australia-India Education Council, the Bureau of Vocational Education and Training Cooperation, the new Australia-India Higher Education Exchange and the Shadowing Faculty Exchange pilot program.
Building on this, both countries’ Education Ministers agreed to a Memorandum of Cooperation on Student Mobility and Welfare, which puts special emphasis on measures to enhance the safety and welfare of students in both countries and strengthen the monitoring of education agent activities.
Given the strong cultural and economic value of our education links, it was with great concern that the Government observed problems emerging in Australia’s international education space a few years ago. In the rush to grow, some providers lost their focus on quality.
Courses geared towards migration outcomes emerged and it became clear that quality assurance mechanisms were struggling to cope. Individual student experiences suffered as a result. This had the effect of risking the benefits of quality education in our bi-lateral relationships and tarnishing the reputation of a great number of quality education providers.
Clearly action was required and the Government has moved address these issues. We adjusted our visa settings to respond to these concerns. We took action to introduce new national regulators and a tougher re-registration process to ensure quality in the education sector. We also introduced new legislation to safeguard students in the event of a provider default and good providers are also taking their role in ensuring the welfare of students more seriously.
In this context, Senator Evans and I asked Michael Knight to take a hard look at the way the Student visa program works; identify any impediments to quality, integrity and competition; and recommend measures to put the international education sector back on a sustainable growth path.
We want to grow the numbers of international students in Australia, but we want to do so within the framework of ensuring a quality experience and ensuring people coming to Australia come to undertake genuine study.
Michael Knight conducted a very comprehensive review of our student visa system and consulted very heavily throughout the education sector, including during a visit to India, as well as to China and Malaysia. The Government has decided to act on all of Mr Knight’s recommendations, with some modifications and additions.
Fundamentally, our reforms have two objectives: to enhance the integrity of Australia’s Student visa program and to strengthen the competitiveness of our international education sector.
The introduction of a new, more flexible genuine temporary entrant criterion will boost the integrity of the program by giving my department more discretion to look at a wider range of risk factors when deciding visa applications. This – together with the establishment of new national education regulation and quality assurance bodies – has provided the opportunity to start the move to what is essentially a provider-based risk management model.
That is, a model where we measure immigration risk based on an education provider’s past performance, rather than only focusing on student risk. A model where education providers have a clear incentive to take greater responsibility for their recruitment practices; a model that will support the competitiveness of quality providers and allow them to be more agile in their education offerings.
The first step in moving towards such a provider risk based framework is streamlined visa processing for students enrolled with universities. But let me be clear – this is not a free ride. In return, the universities must accept greater responsibility for selecting genuine students.
We also recognise that there are high-quality, low immigration risk providers across all education sectors. That’s why we are looking at ways to apply this principle more broadly through the fundamental review of the Student visa risk management framework – the Assessment Level review – which is due to report by mid-2012.
The Government is also introducing reforms specifically targeted at post-graduate students, including streamlined processing and enhanced work rights. These measures recognise that high quality human capital is essential to Australia’s ability to innovate and that the brightest students and researchers are highly prized in many countries.
We want to encourage the cream of talent emerging from our universities to stay on and contribute.
Skilled migration
While international education provides a foundation for long-term people-to-people links, it’s our skilled migration program that provides a more immediate gateway to building closer ties between India and Australia. There is no question that India is a major part of our skilled migration program. India is now consistently one of the top three source countries for skilled permanent migration and temporary skilled workers. Over the last two decades, 223,000 Indian nationals have arrived as permanent migrants to Australia, with over three-quarters of those in the skilled stream of the program.
It is a very positive indicator of our growing economic relationship that India has become such a substantial part of our skilled migration program.
Indian migrants are both welcome and successful in Australia, but their significant role in our skilled migration program, now and in the future, is not because they are Indian. Rather it is because they are skilled individuals who best suit Australia’s economic needs and consequently will have the best chance of success here in Australia. The fact is that our skilled migration program is designed not to favour any one country, other than Australia.
Latest reforms
This Government has undertaken some serious reform to our skilled migration program over the past few years, with some further key developments announced for implementation in the year ahead. Some of the key reforms include:
· rebuilding public confidence in the temporary skilled worker visa, known as the 457 visa;
· introducing flexible State Migration Plans to address the unique skills needs of different regions; and
· overhauling the independent skilled route, by focusing on key occupations and implementing a new points test last July.

The guiding principle to these reforms is to better enable our skilled migration program to meet Australia’s ongoing – and often changing – skills needs. That is, to have a skilled migration program that is responsive to our economic needs and complementing efforts to develop our domestic skills base. Put simply, Australia’s permanent skilled migration program must be shaped by Australia’s needs rather than by the desire of prospective migrants to come to Australia.
In this year’s Budget, I announced a measured increase in the skilled migration program for 2011-12, up to 125,850 places, in response to the economic outlook for unemployment and growth over the year ahead. Setting a migration program is always a matter of balance between labour demands and the need to maintain opportunities for Australians.
Addressing short term skills shortages
Of course, the temporary skilled migration program, the 457 visa, continues to play a vital role in supporting business and meeting immediate skills gaps. Indian citizens now make up the second largest group to use the program, behind the United Kingdom.
These skilled workers are employed across a great variety of industries and work in many different occupations. The program has become international best practice in facilitating access to skilled labour.
Average processing times for 457 visa applications are also 30 per cent lower than they were in 2006-07 – down from 31 to 22 days. We aim to cut processing times even further. The new $10 million 457 visa centre in Brisbane will make substantial progress in improving 457 visa processing times. Our aim is to see 457 visas processed within 10 days.
It is important not to lose sight of the intent of our reforms to the 457 program. Overseas workers must be protected and employers using the program do carry obligations in this respect. The program also has to complement opportunities for Australians and not adversely impact on Australian wages and conditions.
Today I can announce the introduction of a new accreditation scheme for 457 visa sponsors from next Monday, 7 November that recognises businesses with an excellent track record of compliance with workplace and migration laws. This new scheme will give accredited sponsors access to priority processing for all future nomination and visa applications – resulting in the fastest possible processing times for those businesses. Accredited businesses will also qualify for double the regular sponsorship approval period, from three to six years.
Businesses will need to meet benchmarks to qualify for accredited status, including ensuring at least three-quarters of their domestic workforce is Australian; and being an active 457 visa sponsor for the past three years, with at least 30 overseas workers on 457 visas over the past 12 months.
This will continue to ensure that the 457 program is responsive to the economic cycle and provides a flexible avenue for employers to fill immediate and short-term skill vacancies, while maintaining opportunities and conditions for Australian workers.
Employer sponsored visas: the flagship program
To make the permanent skills migration program more responsive to labour market demand, the permanent employer sponsored options have assumed greater significance in the skilled program. These categories take up between 35 and 40 per cent of the program over the last three years, compared to around 15 per cent previously. Our research shows that employer sponsored migrants have excellent labour market outcomes, with employment rates of 99 per cent, more than 90 per cent of which is skilled employment.
I recently asked my department to review the employer sponsored category with a view to making it more streamlined, in particular looking at the transition from a temporary to a permanent visa. I expect to be in a position to say more about the outcomes of the review in coming months, with implementation by July next year.
SkillSelect
The introduction of SkillSelect is the final and most significant step in the Government’s skilled migration reforms.
SkillSelect will start from 1 July 2012 and apply to independent and state sponsored visas. That’s almost 60 per cent of the Skills program – or around 72,000 visas. It will be a major change in the way this program is managed.
There are two parts to SkillSelect – an internal process to select migrants and an external database that employers can also use.
The first part of the program is a two-stage process for the Government to select migrants.
Prospective migrants will initially submit their claims for migration through an Expression of Interest.
The Government will then invite people to apply for a visa if the points test identifies that they have the best combination of skills and attributes for Australia. This will ensure that the limited Skilled Migration Program places are allocated to the best possible candidates.
Through SkillSelect we won’t just accept the first applicant through the door – but the applicant who has the most to offer Australia.
Of particular interest to business is the SkillSelect external database that will contain information from the Expressions of Interest lodged with the department. This free, searchable database will allow employers to connect with, and if suitable, to sponsor through our employer sponsored programs skilled people interested in migrating to Australia. This is particularly useful for small businesses as it provides easy access to a database of skilled workers making the search easy and recruitment costs low.
Conclusion
In conclusion, can I thank you again for the work you do in forging business and trade links between Australia and India.
My eyes were first opened to the beauty of India, the beauty of the Indian people, and the massive potential of the Indian economy when I backpacked through India back in 1998. It was the beginning of my long standing interest in all things India.
Better links between Australia and India are something that will always find my support. It is important that our two great Commonwealth democracies never lose touch, and more particularly build even closer ties. With our strong migration program from India, with the strong joint commitment of both governments, and with the work you do, I’m confident that’s exactly what we’re doing.

——————————————————————–

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, today announced businesses using the subclass 457 visa program can now gain access to priority processing and approval for six years under a new accreditation scheme.

“This new scheme recognises that many Australian businesses have a long history of dealing with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and an excellent record of compliance with workplace and migration laws,” Mr Bowen said.

“From 7 November, these businesses will be able to seek accreditation that qualifies them for sponsorship approval of six years rather than the current three, as well as ensuring faster processing times for all future subclass 457 nominations and visa applications.”

Businesses will need to meet certain additional benchmarks to qualify for accredited status, including being an active 457 visa sponsor for the past three years and a commitment to ensuring at least 75 per cent of their domestic workforce is Australian.

“While employers should first look to Australians to fill skill vacancies, the subclass 457 visa provides a fast and flexible process for the entry of overseas workers where they are needed to fill skill vacancies,” Mr Bowen said.

“The new accreditation scheme was developed in consultation with the Skilled Migration Consultative Panel, which includes representatives from major employer groups, unions and state governments.”

The 2011 KPMG Skilled Migration Survey of employers found that the subclass 457 visa program provided a flexible avenue to alleviate skill shortages in growth sectors such as the mining industry.

Use of the subclass 457 visa program is increasing, with 54,360 subclass 457 primary visas granted in 2010-11, an increase of 38.2 per cent compared to the same period the year before. The UK was the most popular source country, with 11,820 primary applicants granted visas.

The median processing time for a subclass 457 visa remains at a historically low level of 22 days

The government has reviewed the security of Indian diplomatic corps posted in Pakistan and has provided bullet-proof cars to all senior officials.

All officials posted in the Indian high commission in Islamabad have been asked to curtail unnecessary travel and venture out only with proper security guards.

“Senior diplomats posted in Pakistan have been given bullet-proof vehicles,” an official said, referring to various instances of terror attacks in Pakistan.

Though there is no specific intelligence input about any threat to the Indian diplomats posted in Pakistan, additional steps have been taken for their protection.

Security of the Islamabad high commission complex has also been tightened, officials said.

Four motorcycle-borne Taliban militants yesterday shot dead a diplomat of Saudi Arabia, a staunch US ally, claiming that it was to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden and continued drone attacks in Pakistan’s volatile north-west. (PTI)

General outrage in India over Lakshmi image on swimsuit

Apologies from the designer and commitment to not to produce the objectionable swimwear suit with image of Goddess Lakshmi as part of its collection notwithstanding, the row has  escalated to diplomatic levels.

The Indian government has complained to the Australian high commission a week after Byron Bay designer Lisa Burke sent a model down an Australian Fashion Week catwalk wearing a cutaway swimsuit under her label, Lisa Blue, depicting the goddess Lakshmi across her chest and bottom.

“The Ministry of External Affairs has conveyed its deep concern to the Australian high commission in New Delhi, asking that all concerned be apprised of the Indian religious sensitivities in the matter,” the ministry said in a statement published overnight.

The swim wears or tongs bearing Australian flag is a common sight in insensitive Australia, but playing with the sentiments of a religious community is deplorable and shows lack of understanding of the world around.

The fashion designing courses should be teaching ethics, especially religious sentiments.

“The issue was, similarly, taken up by our consulate general in Sydney with the fashion designer.” The Hindu Council of Australia and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were up in arms against the depiction of the image on the swim wear and sent out emails condemning the act and action.

Image of Goddess on swim suit

The Department of Foreign of Affairs and Trade could not immediately confirm the complaint with high commission staff, due to the time difference. But a spokesperson said DFAT was aware of the furore.

Photographs of the model in the Lisa Blue swimwear show sparked outrage in India over the weekend.

Demonstrators burnt Australian flags, religious figures demanded apologies and the label’s Facebook page became the site of furious debate.

Ms Burke issued numerous statements apologising for any offence the print had caused and said Lisa Blue would not produce the swimsuit as part of its collection.  The Hindu Council of Australia circulated another e mail giving details of the apology by Lisa Blue.

By Ashok Kumar

Osama Bin Laden is history. With this the world equation has changed. The US had heavily relied on its partner in fight against terror and its mastermind, Pakistan but carried out an operation without the knowledge of the latter. This goes on to show that Pakistan was playing a double game, of an ally with the US and the terrorists at the same time.

A US official commented on a question why Pakistan was kept out of the operation that if Pakistan had been informed then bin Laden would have been moved to another destination and the hard work of so many days would have gone waste. Such was the level of (mis)trust the US had in its ally.

The mistrust stems from the fact that Osama was living under the nose of military and the government in a fortified palace and ‘no one noticed’. No one ever tried to find out what’s happening behind the high walls. This hard to believe when every third house reportedly belongs to retired police or army officers.

No wonder, the US had to go it alone risking the violation of air space charter or intervention by Pakistan forces.

Former President Parvez Musharraff used to say if people are saying Osama is in Pakistan then we ask them to come and show us where he is? And, they have shown to the likes of Musharraff that here he (Osama) is and we are taking him away from under your nose. What a slap on the face of Pakistan!

Meanwhile, the US is giving hard knocks to Pakistan over harbouring the most wanted terrorist. India had on several occasions alerted the US on the double game Pakistan is playing. ‘Officially, it is an ally in war against terrorism on the hand harbouring terrorist outfits like LeT and Tehrik-e-Taliban. With this, visions of getting Dawood Ibrahim and other terrorists who have found a safe haven in Pakistan have also been raised while that country would keep on denying their presence.

Flabbergasted by the US strike, the Pakistan government is looking for alibi and that came in the shape of ‘illegal’ attack on its soil by the Americans. Two things that Pakistan is good at are right public relations and politics of denial. The accused Pakistan will turn the things around make itself look like a victim.

In another development, the US administration has changed the original version of the killing theory. It now says that Osama was unarmed but resisted capture and hence was shot dead. The change has triggered severe criticism by the media and international community thereby the Administration losing the trust of its own community. In fact, they should have waited for the Defence Administration to come out with details of the attack.

By Ashok Kumar

Osama Bin Laden is history. With this the world equation has changed. The US had heavily relied on its partner in fight against terror and its mastermind, Pakistan but carried out an operation without the knowledge of the latter. This goes on to show that Pakistan was playing a double game, of an ally with the US and the terrorists at the same time.

A US official commented on a question why Pakistan was kept out of the operation that if Pakistan had been informed then bin Laden would have been moved to another destination and the hard work of so many days would have gone waste. Such was the level of (mis)trust the US had in its ally.

The mistrust stems from the fact that Osama was living under the nose of military and the government in a fortified palace and ‘no one noticed’. No one ever tried to find out what’s happening behind the high walls. This hard to believe when every third house reportedly belongs to retired police or army officers.

No wonder, the US had to go it alone risking the violation of air space charter or intervention by Pakistan forces.

Former President Parvez Musharraff used to say if people are saying Osama is in Pakistan then we ask them to come and show us where he is? And, they have shown to the likes of Musharraff that here he (Osama) is and we are taking him away from under your nose. What a slap on the face of Pakistan!

Meanwhile, the US is giving hard knocks to Pakistan over harbouring the most wanted terrorist. India had on several occasions alerted the US on the double game Pakistan is playing. ‘Officially, it is an ally in war against terrorism on the hand harbouring terrorist outfits like LeT and Tehrik-e-Taliban. With this, visions of getting Dawood Ibrahim and other terrorists who have found a safe haven in Pakistan have also been raised while that country would keep on denying their presence.

Flabbergasted by the US strike, the Pakistan government is looking for alibi and that came in the shape of ‘illegal’ attack on its soil by the Americans. Two things that Pakistan is good at are right public relations and politics of denial. The accused Pakistan will turn the things around make itself look like a victim.

In another development, the US administration has changed the original version of the killing theory. It now says that Osama was unarmed but resisted capture and hence was shot dead. The change has triggered severe criticism by the media and international community thereby the Administration losing the trust of its own community. In fact, they should have waited for the Defence Administration to come out with details of the attack.

By Ashok Kumar

Osama Bin Laden is history. With this the world equation has changed. The US had heavily relied on its partner in fight against terror and its mastermind, Pakistan but carried out an operation without the knowledge of the latter. This goes on to show that Pakistan was playing a double game, of an ally with the US and the terrorists at the same time.

A US official commented on a question why Pakistan was kept out of the operation that if Pakistan had been informed then bin Laden would have been moved to another destination and the hard work of so many days would have gone waste. Such was the level of (mis)trust the US had in its ally.

The mistrust stems from the fact that Osama was living under the nose of military and the government in a fortified palace and ‘no one noticed’. No one ever tried to find out what’s happening behind the high walls. This hard to believe when every third house reportedly belongs to retired police or army officers.

No wonder, the US had to go it alone risking the violation of air space charter or intervention by Pakistan forces.

Former President Parvez Musharraf used to say if people are saying Osama is in Pakistan then we ask them to come and show us where he is? And, they have shown to the likes of Musharraf that here he (Osama) is and we are taking him away from under your nose. What a slap on the face of Pakistan!

Meanwhile, the US is giving hard knocks to Pakistan over harbouring the most wanted terrorist. India had on several occasions alerted the US on the double game Pakistan is playing. ‘Officially, it is an ally in war against terrorism on the hand harbouring terrorist outfits like LeT and Tehrik-e-Taliban. With this, visions of getting Dawood Ibrahim and other terrorists who have found a safe haven in Pakistan have also been raised while that country would keep on denying their presence.

Flabbergasted by the US strike, the Pakistan government is looking for alibi and that came in the shape of ‘illegal’ attack on its soil by the Americans. Two things that Pakistan is good at are right public relations and politics of denial. The accused Pakistan will turn the things around make itself look like a victim.

In another development, the US administration has changed the original version of the killing theory. It now says that Osama was unarmed but resisted capture and hence was shot dead. The change has triggered severe criticism by the media and international community thereby the Administration losing the trust of its own community. In fact, they should have waited for the Defence Administration to come out with details of the attack.

By Ashok Kumar

Frantically trying to recover the lost ground as the state elections are on the door step, the NSW Labour Party and Government have launched a strategy to avail fringe benefits from the growing migrant communities.

And, in what better way they can achieve this than by honouring its prominent people.   

On 16^th February, Premier Keneally launched Labour Party’s campaign in the Indian community in Parramatta where there is a very high concentration of the community. Notable among the guests were Mr. Nathan Rees, Labour candidate from Toongabbie.

Close on its heels on Friday, 18^th February, Premier Kristina Keneally paid glowing tribute to the contribution of the Indian Subcontinent community in NSW at the inaugural Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Awards.

The Keneally Government created the awards to recognise volunteer work and philanthropy in the Indian Subcontinent community. It has been learnt, such awards have also been created for Vietnamese, Filipino and Lebanese communities that will be given out sometimes next week.

“NSW is blessed to be home to more than 100 000 people of Indian Subcontinent heritage and the community is an integral part of what NSW is today,” Ms Keneally said. (It is not very clear how many of them are actually the voters)

“The Indian Subcontinent community includes people from a wide range of professions, from education, trades and business to the arts and public service.

“The Indian Subcontinent community is truly one of the backbones of our society.”

The 2011 award winners are:

• Trade and Industry Award – Mr Chandru Tolani;

• Arts and Culture Award -Ms Kumud Merani;

• Community Harmony Award- Mr Pawan Luthra;

• Community Service Award Mr Mohit Tolani; and

• Lifetime Achievement Award (two winners) – Dr Siddalingeshwara Orekondy and Dr

• Gurcharn Singh Sidhu.

 “I congratulate our four winners who have distinguished themselves with outstanding service to the Indian Subcontinent community,” Ms Keneally said.

“I’d particularly like to pay tribute to our Lifetime Achievement winners, Dr Orekondy and Dr Sidhu, who have devoted more than 37 and 45 years of service respectively to the community in various fields.

“The challenges of balancing work life with family, as well as trying to find time for recreation, makes the contributions all of our winners even more significant.

“On behalf of the NSW Government I congratulate and acknowledge your tireless service to the people of the Indian Subcontinent community.”

Co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of India, Member for Macquarie Fields, Dr Andrew McDonald said: “The Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Awards are an important way to recognise and pay tribute to the enormous role the Indian Subcontinent community plays in our State.”

“I congratulate the winners of the inaugural Indian Subcontinent Awards for their dedicated service to the people of NSW.”

Meanwhile, after the award ceremony, some of the community members showed open resentment at the selection, the judge’s panel and absence of the names of other nominees.  The awards were meant for the entire Indian Subcontinent community and it was no surprise that the Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lankan communities were flabbergasted. They could be heard questioning whether these were Indian awards or Indian Subcontinent awards?

Even in the Indian community, resentment on the faces of the people could be clearly seen. The most categories that came under severe criticism were Arts and Culture and Communal Harmony. Some felt the real contenders were omitted and the winners have been close to someone while others saw it as a beginning “if the Labour could retain power.”

Fireworks lit the skies of Cairo and protesters shed tears of joy in Egypt as they celebrated the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s 30 years of power, reports BBC.

Mr Mubarak stepped down as leader on Friday, after 18 days of widespread anti-government demonstrations.

The country is now is the hands of the high command of the armed forces, headed by the defence minister.

US President Barack Obama called Egypt an inspiration, but said it must now move to civilian and democratic rule.

Demonstrators in central Cairo continued to celebrate the departure of Mr Mubarak into the night, dancing, chanting slogans and singing songs.

In Cairo’s Tahrir Square – the heart of the demonstrations – the news was greeted with jubilation by a crowd of tens of thousands.

A huge poster hanging in the square read, “Breaking news: The people have brought down the regime.”

Free drinks

The BBC’s Jon Leyne in Cairo said the announcement caught everyone by surprise: all over the city, drivers honked their horns and people fired guns into the air.

“Egypt is free,” Mahmoud Elhetta, a protester, shouted.

“We are a great people and we did something great. This is the expected end for every dictator.”

The celebrations continued in other cities, with hundreds of protesters in Alexandria waving flags, whistling and dancing.

In the southern city of Assiut, people fired guns in the air and roamed the streets on motorcycles or pick-up trucks, while coffee houses handed out free drinks.

Eygpt’s state television, a bastion of support for Mr Mubarak’s government, started reporting the celebrations across the country.

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei described it as “the greatest day of my life.”

Announcing Mr Mubarak’s resignation on Friday, Vice-President Omar Suleiman said the president had handed power to the army.

Mr Suleiman said on state TV that the high command of the armed forces had taken over, a body composed of high-ranking generals and headed by Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.

“During these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country,” he said.

“May God help everybody.”

After Mubarak’s resignation, a military spokesman appeared on state TV and promised the army would not act as a substitute to a “legitimate government acceptable to the people.”

He said the military was preparing the next steps needed to achieve the ambitions of “our great nation” and would announce them soon.

US diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks described Field Marshal Tantawi as “aged and change-resistant”, but committed to avoiding another war with Israel.

China warning

There was jubilation throughout the Middle East and North Africa, including in Tunisia, where people overthrew their own president last month.

President Obama described the Egyptian people as an inspiration to the world for carrying out a non-violent revolution, adding: “Egypt will never be the same again.”

The BBC’s Mark Mardell in Washington says that Egypt is a vital ally of America in the region and some are nervous about what change will mean.

But the message from the White House is that demonstrators represented a broad range of people not dominated by a single ideology, and that there is nothing to fear from democracy, our correspondent says.

A senior Israeli official expressed the hope that Mr Mubarak’s departure would “bring no change to its peaceful relations with Cairo”.

An official Chinese newspaper however has warned in an editorial that the situation could become “nightmarish” if stability is not restored.

“Social stability should be of overriding importance. Any political changes will be meaningless if the country falls prey to chaos in the end,” the China Daily newspaper said.

Mr Mubarak has already left Cairo and is in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where he has a residence, officials say.

The anti-government protests that began on 25 January were triggered by widespread unrest in Egypt over unemployment, poverty and corruption.

THE government has quietly issued a formal apology to the wrongly detained Mohammed Haneef, saying it hopes he can now move on with his life.

Dr Haneef this week received a substantial compensation payout from the federal government following his  detention on terrorism-related charges in 2007.

Part of the settlement was that the government would formally apologise, which it has done today by releasing a statement on the website of the Attorney-General’s Department.

“The AFP (Australian Federal Police) acknowledges that it was mistaken and that Dr Haneef was innocent of the offence of which he was suspected,” the apology reads.

“The commonwealth apologises and hopes that the compensation to be paid to Dr Haneef will mark the end of an unfortunate chapter and allow Dr Haneef to move forward with his life and career.”

Earlier, yesterday a report said that Mohamed Haneef has reportedly been awarded about $1 million in compensation.

Kevin Andrews, the immigration minister at the time, said last night he had been advised defamation action against him had been dropped.

He added that he had made no apology, nor had any compensation been paid in relation to the action.

Dr Haneef’s lawyer Rod Hodgson said the apology reaffirmed his client’s innocence and follows the resolution of the doctor’s compensation claim earlier this week.

“We congratulate the government for recognising an injustice done on the watch of the previous government and for this public apology and declaration of innocence,” he said. “The apology means a lot to our client.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Hodgson’s firm Maurice Blackburn said the apology was posted last night and a full letter of apology had been sent to Dr Haneef.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said after the settlement this week that it covered two matters, including Dr Haneef’s civil claim against the commonwealth and defamation action against Howard government immigration minister Kevin Andrews.

The amount of compensation was subject to a confidentiality agreement along with the rest of the terms of the settlement.

“It’s been a very difficult time for Dr Haneef and his family and I hope today’s settlement goes some way to providing closure to this period of their lives,” he said

 — AAP

So, the National Executive of the Labour Party has settled for Nathan Rees for the Toongabbie seat without going into the recommended rank-and-file pre-selection.

  The former premier had been under threat of a rank-and-file pre-selection but the national executive has decided he will be the candidate.

 Of the 20 Executive Members having voting rights only 11 were present. Five Office-bearers and one observer have no voting rights.

  It was likely Mr. Rees would have lost a rank-and-file pre-selection against Susai Benjamin, who has been in the party for 20 years and has wide support in the local branches.  Rees had been installed in Toongabbie by former premier Morris Iemma in 2007.

  Branch members had voted to have a rank-and-file pre-selection for the March election, with the support of Federal Labor MP Laurie Ferguson.  But Rees’s section of the Left faction, organised by Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, won out, much to the chagrin of Benjamin.

  Benjamin had also planned to stand for pre-selection before the last election, only to be thwarted by Rees’s “installation’‘. Rees told media the party felt he was the best candidate to retain the seat he holds by 14.5 per cent. “Some people had indicated they wanted a rank-and-file pre-selection but no one has rung me to complain.”

Mr. Benjamin told this correspondent “Increasing centralised selection of candidates will not help our Party in the long run.. For the Party to become effective it should become a movement of true believers.. this means that local membership should be electing the local candidates and ALP should do this as a matter of principle and not simply based on narrow short-term political gain.” It is a democratic process and they have done the selection in undemocratic way. This is the best example of local issues being settled by Centralised remote control.

 However Mr. Benjamin said he did not consider the matter settled, holding out hope the national executive had not officially said there would be no pre-selection in Toongabbie.

  “It has simply been referred to the executive for them to decide if there is a pre-selection,’’ Benjamin.

 Mr. Benjamin told another media outlet that he would “consider his options, including running as an independent.”

Mr. Benjamin can be seen tirelessly working for the community specially locals. Among the campaigns he had successfully launched include, the installation of a lift on Seven Hills railway platforms and getting a traffic signal at the site of Westmead Temple visited daily by hundreds of people.

Susai could be seen promoting the Labour Party through several fund raising dinners and some other activities. He always makes use of the time on the railway platforms to talk to people and engage them in conversations to know more about them and their problems.

But the Labour Party has not valued these services and even after orchestrating the much hyped multicultural policy. Everyone should be getting an opportunity without any bias of colour or creed. Susai has been a member of the Labour Party three years after his arrival in Australia in 1987. Mr. Rees was appointed the candidate by former Premier Morris Iemma in 2007, along with David Borger in Granville and Tanya Gadiel in Parramatta. Tanya has resigned a few week ago and the Parramatta seat is also facing the same situation as there are two claimants for the seat.

Mr. Rees has the backing federal Labor heavyweights from the Left, Anthony Albanese and John Faulkner while Federal MP Laurie Ferguson, who has consistently opposed “head office” appointments over rank and file pre-selections, is backing Mr. Benjamin, a solicitor who works as a NSW Treasury senior review officer.

Interestingly, a Sub-continent Friends of Labour (SFL) was set up recently ostensibly to push for the politicians of Indian heritage into the mainstream politics. Even they failed to support the candidature of Mr. Benjamin. Its President Mr. Harish Velji commented that he (SFL) is not involved in race politics whereas the Sub-continent word is denotes people from a differrent race. This is contradictory to the views of SFL president. The other Indian organisations failed to respond to the email seeking their views on the issue.

Mr. Benjamin told the local media that Labour should follow the democratic process while selecting the candidate — him or Mr. Rees.

“Although I believe every candidate should be selected through rank-and-file pre-selection locally, I plan to lodge my nomination for the Toongabbie seat, even though it will not be a rank and file pre-selection” Mr Susai Benjamin a local member of the ALP said. Mr Benjamin is keen to contest the seat for ALP.

“I think rank-and-file pre-selections can play an important part in restoring transparency and credibility to the ALP in the local community” Mr Benjamin said.

“Rank and file pre-selection also empowers and endorses the value of local members of the Party and their role within the Party structure” Mr Benjamin said.

“In this context” Mr Benjamin said, “I was surprised that the Party officers of the NSW State Branch chose to refer the task of selecting the candidate for Toongabbie to the Party’s National Executive”.

The outcome of this is that once again, there will have been no rank-and-file pre-selection in Toongabbie seat.

“Why should ALP members in the neighbouring seats of Blacktown and Riverstone get the right to vote and preselect their ALP representatives when those in Toongabbie do not?” Mr Benjamin asked.

“How it is fair that sitting Ministers are subject to a rank and file pre-selection yet local members do not get the chance for a rank and file pre-selection in Toongabbie?” Mr Benjamin asked.

He said that, local members pay their membership fee each year, attend Party meetings, contribute to policy development, letter-box Party’s campaign material, manage booths during elections, and attend fundraising events: yet once again in 2010, just as in 2006 (for the 2007 elections), the local members have not been allowed to exercise the right to select their local candidate”.

“Not holding a rank and file pre-selection in choosing candidates is against the democratic principles which ALP strives to protect” Mr Benjamin said 

Mr. Benjamin has also dispelled the perception that he is involved in stacking party branches to secure support.

“There are strict rules in the party against branch-stacking. When I speak to people new to this country, I encourage them to become involved, to join political parties – whether Labor, Liberal or Greens,” he told media. Mr. Benjamin fears people will leave political parties if they cannot choose their local candidates.