NRIs Corner

A bipartisan group of senators plans to announce a deal within a week on the fate of over 11 million illegal immigrants, including some 260,000 Indians, living in the shadows, according to a media report.

But a committee markup on the legislation being prepared by the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” – four Democrats and four Republicans — is not expected until at least the week of May 6, providing a long period for debate and changes, Politico reported Tuesday citing Senate aides.

London, Apr 9 (ANI): The widower of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died in hospital in Ireland after suffering a miscarriage, has said a consultant told the couple an abortion was not allowed because “this is a Catholic country.”

Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when admitted to University Hospital Galway on October 21 last year and died a week later from suspected septicaemia, days after she lost her baby.

Washington, Apr. 9 (ANI): Indian-origin Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has announced he is scrapping his controversial plan to eliminate the state’s income tax.

In a speech to open the state legislative session, Jindal told Louisiana lawmakers that he’s listening to the criticism of his plan and acting accordingly.

According to Politico, Jindal’s plan called for an increase in the state sales tax to make up for revenue lost by eliminating the income tax.

New Delhi, April 9 (ANI): Five Indian peacekeepers escorting a United Nations convoy in South Sudan have been killed in an ambush by rebels, the Indian foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.

“Five peacekeepers from India with UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) killed in ambush in Jonglei,” foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

He confirmed that the soldiers had been killed while “escorting a UN convoy”.

A 27-year-old Indian man allegedly committed suicide by here jumping off the 10th floor of his apartment building after a fight with his wife, police said.

The man, who had been married for a year, had a fight with his wife after which she left the apartment in Jumierah Lake area. He then jumped from the balcony and died on the spot, local media reported quoting a senior police official.

“This is a suicide and not homicide,” Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, director of the Dubai police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), was quoted as saying by media.

The Saudi Arabian government two days ago announced a three-month grace period for enforcing its new work policy of “Nitaqat” (naturalisation) law, which would affect thousands of Indian workers there.

Mr Khurshid said Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, both of who are from Kerala, would be meeting the Saudi Arabian labour minister, who is out of the country and is expected to return only on April 13.

The husband of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died after being denied an abortion in Ireland, broke down in tears as he recounted the incidents leading up to his wife’s death during an inquest which opened today. Praveen Halappanavar explained how his wife asked twice for a termination as she lay in hospital in excruciating pain and broke down in the dock 45 minutes into his statement, which had to be halted by coroner Ciarán McLoughlin to give him time to recover. “Savita asked for a termination two times. Savita was in tears. She said she could not take it.

Prospects of comprehensive immigration reforms to resolve the issue of over 11 million undocumented immigrants, including an estimated 260,000 Indians, appear fairly bright as US lawmakers return after spring break Monday.

Two bipartisan groups of legislators in both the Senate and the House of Representatives are working on separate plans to offer an eventual path to citizenship to those living in the shadows while doing jobs that no American wants.

London, Apr. 7 (ANI): A group of Sikhs in UK protested outside the Houses of Parliament as part of a campaign to end the death penalty in India. The protest organized by campaign group Kesri Lehar condemned the death sentences imposed on four Sikhs in India, including one convicted for killing an Indian politician. According to the BBC, the protests on Saturday aimed to draw attention to the fate of Bulwant Singh Rajoana, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for his role in the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh, the chief minister of Punjab state, in India.

Manama, Apr. 7 (ANI): Saudi Arabia”s king has called for giving foreigners staying illegally in the country a three-month grace period to regularize their situation. Authorities in Saudi Arabia have launched a massive campaign to deport thousands of foreigners who overstayed their residence permits or worked illegally or did not have the legal documents to work or stay in the country, reports Gulf News.

An Indian social club in Abu Dhabi has celebrated its 46th anniversary on Thursday, with the shining gem in its anniversary celebrations being the 35 million-dirham five-storey building, which is considered as the biggest Indian recreational club in the Middle East.

Beirut, April 7 (IANS) Human Rights Watch has urged the UAE not to deport 19 Tamil refugees to Sri Lanka because they would be at serious risk of torture and persecution upon return.

The refugee agency UNHCR has recognized all 19 as refugees, but the United Arab Emirates authorities have told the group they must leave the country by April 11.

A 66-year-old woman and a four-year-old girl are among the 19. Three members of the group allege that Sri Lankan authorities had tortured them in 2011.

US astronaut Sunita Williams here Thursday said she was looking forward to India’s participation in various space programmes in a big way.

“I am really looking forward to India’s participation in space programmes in a big way. A space programme requires a lot of creativity and imagination. Follow your dreams to realise your creative potential,” she said while addressing about 300 students from various Mumbai schools.

Washington, April 3 (IANS) A federal grand jury in Seattle has indicted a man in Washington state on a federal hate crime charge relating to a racially motivated assault of a 50-year-old Sikh man.

Jamie W. Larson appeared Tuesday before a US magistrate judge after his arrest by the FBI, where he pleaded not guilty, the Seattle Times reported.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died in Ireland last year after being denied abortion, may have been saved had the hospital staff not paid “overemphasis” on the welfare of the unviable foetus and “underemphasis” on her deteriorating health, according to an inquiry report.

The report by the Health Service Executive on 31-year-old Savita’s death at Galway University Hospital found that her “vital signs were inadequately monitored; she was seriously ill, but that this was not acted on… she had further deteriorated, and still this was not acted on adequately”.

Three brothers from India have received the prestigious Vital Voices Global Leadership Award from Vice President Joe Biden for their humanitarian working to end violence against women.

The three, Ravi, Rishi and Nishi Kant, who started the nongovernmental organization Shakti Vahini to fight injustice against women in 2001, received a “Solidarity Award” for their work at the annual Kennedy Centre event Tuesday.

Government today said it is constantly monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia following the Kingdom’s proposed implementation of the “Nitaqat” (naturalisation) law in its employment sector and help Indian workers there who could be affected by it. The Nitaqat law makes it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers. There has been widespread perception that the new policy will lead to denial of job opportunities for a large number of expatriates from India.

Washington, April 1 (IANS) Calling a new Medical Council of India (MCI) entrance test adopted by some state governments as discriminatory to NRI students, several Indian community organisations in the US have sought its gradual implementation over two years.

The new test requirement will hamper NRI students applying for medical and dental college admission in India as there are no test centres in the US, Europe and other countries with a large NRI population, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin said in a media release.

Four US lawmakers, who are among a group of visitors specially chaperoned to meet Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, have stepped right on it. By it, I mean political turd. The smell on their shoes may not last long but while it does, it would be fairly foul.

Thanks to professional colleagues Hemant Bhrambhatt and Ashok Easwaran, publisher and editor respectively of Hi India, a Chicago-based South Asian weekly newspaper, an ongoing India visit of the four Republican lawmakers and businesspeople has been somewhat upended.

Claiming that H-1B visas lead to outsourcing of US jobs, an American professional body of engineers has opposed the move of expanding the most popular working visa among IT professionals.

“The H-1B programme shouldn’t be used to facilitate the transfer of high-paying jobs to other countries. If Congress wants a full US economic recovery, it shouldn’t even think about expanding it,” IEEE-USA President Marc Apter said.

Beginning Monday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services will start accepting
applications for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2014 starting October.

A new surveillance video obtained by American law enforcement agencies could provide some vital clue about Indian-American Sunil Tripathi, who went missing on March 16.

An image from the surveillance video, captured near Brown University on March 16, just 19 minutes after Sunil’s last recorded computer activity, displays a man walking south on Brook Street who matches Sunil’s physical description: six feet tall, skinny, and last seen wearing a black cap, dark jacket and jeans.

An undergraduate student from the Brown University, Sunil went missing on March 16.

A US-based Indian engineer has designed and patented three waste disposal units that “match architecture and road systems” of India.

“We have got narrow streets and alleys. Our disposal system should match the architecture and road systems. It is only partly happening,” Ganga Narayan Ghosh told IANS on the sidelines of a media conference here Thursday.

“I have studied the system for over 30 years and have designed and patented three containers that can be used effectively and at a low cost in India,” he added.

Washington, March 29 (IANS) Members of the Sikh Community joined President Barack Obama as he sought to spur lawmakers into action against gun violence in the wake of tragedies like the Newtown massacre in December that killed 20 first-graders.

“We need everybody to remember how we felt 100 days ago and make sure that what we said at that time wasn’t just a bunch of platitudes, that we meant it,” Obama said at a White House event Thursday on a National Day of Action by supporters of tougher gun laws.

Sydney, Mar 29 (ANI): Rookie fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu has made history by becoming the first Indian-origin player ever to win the prestigious Steve Waugh medal on Wednesday.

In what was a whirlwind six weeks to end the summer, Sandhu took 14 wickets in four Ryobi Cup games and 14 wickets in just two Sheffield Shield matches to clinch NSW”s top gong, News.com.au reports.

It was a remarkable effort by the giant right-arm quick, who only made his first-class debut at the start of this month, the paper said.

A new Saudi labour policy reserving 10 percent of jobs for locals is a major issue for India as it could lead to reduced employment there for Indians, a senior minister said Thursday.

“It’s a serious issue that will affect not only India but also other countries. Yesterday I spoke to the Indian ambassador in Saudi Arabia and has asked him to keep me informed on all the developments,” Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told TV channels in Kerala.