The Indian Sub-continent Times » News

Voting Rights: Who is an NRI?

ashok — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:33:36 +0000

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.

Simran named National Youth Ambassador for Health Research

ashok — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:37:28 +0000

Year 9 Penrith High School student, Simran Dhaliwal, has been named Research Australia’s 2011 National Youth Ambassador for Health Research. Simran has been chosen to represent Australia’s youth voice for health and medical research, says a Research Australia media release.
Simran’s winning essay in the national schools competition highlighted the growing need for communities to get informed and educated on healthy eating options. “There is a lack of knowledge in the general public (regarding scientific interventions, advancements and innovations) and education is the key to achieving an overall better quality of life,” said Simran.
The Research Australia National Youth Ambassador for Health Research competition challenged year 9 and 10 students from around Australia to submit essays or YouTube videos focusing on scientific interventions in food.
Simran, along with state and territory winners from all over Australia, recently took part in a special teleconference to develop a consensus statement as the voice of Australian youth on nutrition and health research. This communiqué was sent to members of parliament, state health ministers and Research Australia stakeholders.
The Chief Executive Officer of Research Australia, Elizabeth Foley, congratulated Simran for her outstanding contributions.
“The Research Australia Youth Ambassador Program provides an ideal avenue to draw out the observations of some of our finest young students and introduce them to the wide array of career
opportunities in health and medical research – ranging from the traditional lab roles to new areas
such as health economics, science engineering and biomathematics,” Ms Foley said.
Simran will be presented with her award at the 2011 Research Australia Awards, which will be held
at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne on 16 November 2011.
______________________________________________________________________________

Is Journalism a service or a business?

ashok — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:01:54 +0000

By Ashok Kumar:

JUSTICE Markandey Katju has stirred the hornet’s nest and it’s a virtual war between old and new members of the media fraternity if the recent protests against his interview is any indication.
Last weekend, an article appeared in DNA newspaper in Mumbai by Sunetra Choudhury (DNA Nov 5, 2011) wherein she advised Justice Katju to understand the hardships a media person has to face to meet the deadlines. Well, on Saturday itself 74 per cent readers voted for Justice Katju’s viewpoint.
Let’s see if Justice Katju had really said something objectionable. He had said the newspapers in the past had played a role in building nations and changed the social systems around the world while today’s newspapers and TV channels in India are focussed on Bollywood, cricket, film stars and astrology etc. Whereas there are hard issues like casteism, honour killings, lack of medical facilities and lack of civic sense are just reported and delved into as a tool of education. What’s wrong in this? Let’s ask ourselves a simple question: are we playing any role in nation building or how many thought provoking articles do we write on social matters? The reply in most cases would be hardly any.
Recently, there was a report on traffic jams in Mumbai on Diwali eve. The report cited most affected areas and some comments from the readers. That’s all in the two page news report. And, this must have been an yearly report. It was a total waste of space. There is no study on the matter or how to handle the festival rush or no attempt was made to educate the people on the traffic matters.
In the first lesson in journalism, we were taught “pen is mightier than sword.” Justice Katju is right when he says journalists in the 16 -19th century used their pen to bring about social change or revolutions in several European countries. Even at home, he cited the writings of Social Reformist Raja Ram Mohun Roy and Munshi Prem Chand. But today we are mostly focussed on irrelevant matters. Where are such writers today?
Recently, a veteran and accomplished writer lamented that journalism used to be a service but now it has become a business. The reporters come to the press conference after making sure the ‘envelope’ is there, he alleged. The media is now controlled by corporates who are more worried about their popularity. How can we get the good, independent writers who can really serve the people.
Ms. Choudhury emphasises “we have no time to read the 500 page academic papers of JNU professors as we have deadlines to meet and we will miss the story. Why can’t the professors explain in a few lines.” While Justice Katju says today’s journalists have no knowledge of economics or politics, Ms Choudhury highlighted her academic profile.” Ms. Choudhury, you are right to say that it is not possible to master all subjects in one life time as Justice Katju expects a journalist to be but what happens when you are asked to switch from political reporting to financial writings. So, a basic understanding of most, if not all subjects, is required so you don’t struggle in front of a reader or audience. Of course, there is a difference between news reporting and educational or feature writings. Justice Katju, it is felt, is emphasising on feature writings and wants to them to be preferred to wasteful subjects mentioned above, Sunetra is confusing it with daily reporting .
Ms. Choudhury takes shelter under a belief that “we have to give to people what they want.” But it’s other way round — they will want what we give.
The closing line of her analysis proves what Justice Katju is lamenting about. If we give them Bollywood then the people would want more of it and if we give them some thought provoking stories that can change some of their perceptions or are educational, they (readers or listeners) would not want to waste time on Bollywood. Today, the priorities are misplaced and the focus has shifted now to how to get a better TRP.
Overseas, we see so many documentaries, over here, I haven’t seen even one on Indian channels during my over one month stay here so far. There are so many NGOs (the real ones) doing excellent work but they have no support from the media. There are awards for news channels but not for documentaries that are educative. TRP counts!!!
Even on this issue, the major news channels should see the overseas news channels. Our news channels look pedestrian in front of them. A large number of people have stopped watching news channels. As writers or as the new generation of media persons we have failed here too.

SBS radio in your language on i-phone anywhere

ashok — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:06:05 +0000

SBS is launching the SBS Your Language mobile application which enables users to listen to their favourite SBS radio programs anytime or anywhere, on an iPhone®, iPad® or iPod touch®.
The application utilises innovative multilingual technology, says an SBS media release today.
“The Your Language app extends the reach of the more than 60 SBS Radio language programs with listeners now able to access their favourite programs on analogue and digital radio, online and now on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch at a time that suits the listener,” SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said.
“Coupled with our pilot Chinese language Virtual Community Centre and SBS Television’s Mandarin News Australia and the recently launched Pop Asia TV, these services are demonstrating the potential SBS has to revolutionise in-language services for Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities.”
Features of the SBS Your Language app include:
Live program streaming Audio on demand: a mix of podcasts and audio highlights The ability to listen to previous programs The language program of choice will set as your default Schedule information Program reminder notifications One click button to email, text message or call the program! High quality digital audio
“SBS offers so much more than a traditional radio service” said SBS Audio and Language Content Director Dirk Anthony. “We provide high quality content in over 60 languages on multiple platforms – on air, online, on TV with Mandarin News Australia and via digital TV, and now, on mobile.”
The SBS Your Language app is available for free download from the App StoreSM from 9am on Thursday, 3 November.

Trade: Pak grants India MFN status

ashok — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:22:30 +0000

Pakistan’s cabinet has unanimously approved the award of “most favoured nation” trading status to India.
Pakistan had previously linked trade liberalisation with India to a resolution of the dispute over Kashmir, over which the nations have fought two wars.
Correspondents say the move is a significant step towards boosting the peace process between the neighbours.
India has already extended most favoured nation status to Pakistan.
The status typically reduces tariffs and increases import quotas.
Bilateral trade is currently put at about $3bn (£1.87bn) and the two sides agreed at a recent meeting in Delhi to double that within three years.
Although India granted Pakistan most favoured nation status in 1996, Pakistan says it has suffered from strict Indian customs rules and quality standards.
‘National interest’
Pakistan Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told a news conference in Islamabad: “Today after an extensive briefing by the commerce secretary, the cabinet unanimously decided to grant India most favoured nation status.”
He added: “This will bring economic benefits to us and this decision has been taken in the national interest.”
Mr Awan said some ministers had raised objections on the Kashmir issue, but added: “The prime minister reviewed all the objections and took the cabinet into confidence that it will not hurt our national security.”
The BBC’s M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that although India acknowledges the Kashmir dispute, it has insisted the two sides improve interaction in other fields while they search for a mutually acceptable solution.
Analysts say the Pakistani decision has come at a time when the country desperately needs trade concessions from international markets to prevent its economy from sinking further.
India and Pakistan resumed formal peace talks this year after they were broken off in the wake of the militant attacks in Mumbai (Bombay) in 2008.

Bowen lauds AIBC’s vital role in Oz,India business ties

ashok — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:28:12 +0000

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.

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Priority processing now for 457 Visa, says Chris Bowen

ashok — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

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

Peshawar Hindus celebrate Diwali in temple after 20 years

ashok — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:57:46 +0000

Hindus in the mainly Muslim Pakistani city of Peshawar have celebrated Diwali, the annual festival of lights, in a 160-year-old temple for the first time in at least two decades, reports BBC.
For years, members of the Hindu community and local authorities have disagreed over who owns the Baba Guru Gorakh Nath Temple, which is on an important archaeological site.
Recently Peshawar High Court ordered that Hindus be allowed to pray there, although the ownership question remains unresolved.
The temple was reopened by the oldest member of Hindu community in Peshawar Zubaida, a resident of the area commented that people are very happy and the Government should preserve all temples, mosques and churches so the people could celebrate their festivals. Nadia, another resident said she had never been able to enter the temple ever since she was born.
There was a sizable Hindu Population before the partition and reportedly that included the famous Kapoors of the Indian film industry. Now only 400 families live in Peshawar.
Meanwhile, another BBC report says that a 150-year-old Hindu temple in Peshawar has become the focus of a property dispute involving the army.
The Balmiki temple is located in the Kalibari area of the city where a small Hindu community is concentrated.
But the Kalibari area is part of the city’s military cantonment and is run by the army.
The army is saying that the people who run the temple, as well as the owners of some 70 houses in the neighbourhood, must leave.
They have been served with eviction notices.
The army wants to pull down the existing buildings and replace them with a high-rise shopping complex.
The army says that Kalibari is the property of the local cantonment board, and it has the right to vacate it.
Stiff resistance
It has been trying to clear the area for the past 15 years, and has met stiff resistance from the Hindu residents.
The presence of the Balmiki temple, which is the hub of the Hindu community in this crowded neighbourhood, has become a sensitive issue.
The head priest, Ramlal, who has looked after the temple for the last 35 years, says the property in Kalibari belongs to the minorities.
“In 1861, four Hindu merchants were the owners of half of the cantonment area. They built the houses in the Kalibari area to house their employees. They have been living here since then,” Ramlal told BBC News Online.
He said the army would have confiscated the land and property a “long time ago” if they owned it.
Local people do not want to move out of the area.
“We have spent our entire lives in our house or the temple. They are a part of our lives now,” said Ms Devi Das.
Ramlal, who is also the local Hindu leader, said that residents of Kalibari are not prepared to live in any other neighbourhood in Peshawar.
But he said that the people would vacate their homes if they were promised accommodation in the high-rise complex

Organisers fail to make amends to Ganesh play, Hindus protest again

ashok — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:24:40 +0000

Edited by Ashok Kumar:

The Back to Back Theatre that staged the infamous play ‘Ganesh versus the Third Reich’ last month and earned the wrath of the Hindus the world over failed to make amends to the play after committing to do so when they re-staged the play on Oct 6 to 9.
The representatives of the Hindu bodies were aghast to find that their objections had been ignored when the play was re-staged last week. They strongly protested this time too at the Malthouse Theatre, Southbank, Melbourne
Many Hindus gathered outside the Malthouse theatre in Melbourne to protest against the play that still trivialises and denigrates Sree Ganesh, a deity who is revered by millions of Hindus and non-Hindus worldwide. Other Hindu deities like Sree Shiva and Sree Vishnu were also incorrectly portrayed in this play.
On Wednesday, 28th of September at 3.00 PM, representatives of the Hindu Community Council of Victoria, Vishwa Hindu Parishad youth leaders, members of the Hindu society of Victoria, on the invitation of the Victorian Multicultural Commission met with the organisers of the play ‘ Ganesh versus the Third Reich’ to express the various objections of the Hindu community. Based on the request of the organisers, representatives of the Hindu community went to watch the play on the 29th of September. The representative made notes throughout the play and watched out for any denigration and trivialisation of Lord Ganesh. We noticed the following denigrations – Lord Ganesh was shown captured by the Nazis, the character in the play asks for opinion of Lord Ganesh’s trunk in a jocular fashion, Lord Ganesh was trivialised by being shown as a mortal and being dressed in a suit, Lord Shiva was portrayed plucking a human being into two, a man with board shorts, no shirt and a garland plays Lord Vishnu, etc. Like these, there were many denigrations in the play.
None of the above aligns with the teachings of Hindu religion, and portraying Hindu Deities like this carries incorrect impressions about Hindu religion. All those who do not know much about Hindu religion could think of this kind of messages as teachings of Hinduism. It can lead to more denigration in future, upsetting the Hindu community in multicultural Australia. Forum for Hindu Awakening strongly believes that the very theme of this play was flawed, as it denigrates Hindu Deities by humanising them. The play uses descriptions of Hindu Deities that are contrary to those in Hindu Scriptures.
Hindus were upset that in spite of conveying their objections about the play to the organisers, the play production company, their requests to stop the play was completely ignored and whatever promises they had given in prior meetings to remove the objectionable marketing hand outs before the play were not adhered to. The organizers removed most of the offensive pictures and content after the play began; but still continued to show the video of the play on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtwI3il-0UE which contains denigrating picture of Lord Ganesh.
“Representatives were invited to the play to see for themselves whether Back to Back had followed through on what they promised” said Nikhil Rughani, Central Secretary for Youth and Students with the World Hindu Council of Australia. “We were shocked to find that they went back on their commitments, this is not a good day for communities of any religious faith, and it does nothing to show respect or tolerance for multiculturalism in Australia.” said Mr Rughani.
Volunteers of Forum for Hindu Awakening along with volunteers from other organizations like the Brahmakumaris continued to raise awareness amongst the community and staged protests outside the Malthouse theatre on all the days when the play was performed. Many local Australians from varied backgrounds who had come to watch the play were curious to know about the denigration in the play and upon understanding the nature of denigration, they appreciated the cause.
The vice- president of the Hindu Community Council of Victoria Shri Vamsi Gollamudi was interviewed by Savita Soni, reporter of SBS Radio and a freelancing photographer gave coverage to the protests and supported the efforts. The radio interview can be heard on – http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/hindi/highlight/page/id/187947/t/Ganesh-versus-the-Third-Reich/

Centenarian NRI from UK runs full marathon

ashok — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:24:36 +0000

A 100-year-old runner became the oldest person to complete a full-distance marathon when he finished the race in Toronto on Sunday. Indian-born Fauja Singh, a UK national earned a spot in the Guiness World Book of Records for his accomplishment. It took Singh more than eight hours to cross the finish line more than six hours after Kenya’s Kenneth Mungara won the event for the fourth straight year and he was the last competitor to complete the course.20641

But his time wasn’t nearly as remarkable as the accomplishment.
Event workers dismantled the barricades along the finish line and took down sponsor banners even as Singh made his way up the final few hundred yards of the race.
Family, friends and supporters greeted Singh when he finished the race