GLOBAL ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE OF
INDIAN ORIGIN (GOPIO)
P.O. Box 1413
Stamford, CT 06904, USA
Tel: 203-329-8010, Fax:
203-322-2233
GOPIO HOLDS CONVENTION,
ELECTS OFFICERS
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)
organized its Convention-2004 in New Delhi on January 7th and 8th
in conjunction with Pravasi Bharatiys Divas. The program was held at the
Federation House in New Delhi. Attended by over 300 delegates from 28
countries, the convention theme was "India and NRIs/PIOs - Role, Relationship
and Responsibility."
The program started with the Executive Council Meeting on
Jan. 7th. The outgoing president Dr. Thomas Abraham presented the
state of the GOPIO and reported that the GOPIO has now reached to 22 countries
with over 30 chapters. At the meeting chaired by GOPIO Chairman Ram Lakhina,
GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran provided a list of activities for the
past three years, which included the Third Global Indian Entrepreneurs
Conference held in New York in 2002, regional convention in Europe,
participation in UN Conference Against Racism in South Africa n 2001, opening
up several new chapters and taking up issues of the community including dual
nationality and human rights violations. President-Elect Inder Singh took over
as the president with a new GOPIO team elected as follows: Chairman - Dr.
Thomas Abraham (USA), Exec. Vice President - Yesu Persaud (Guyana), European
Regional VP - Jasbir Sachar (UK), Business Council Chairman - Dwarkesh Shah
(German), Cultural Council chairman - Dharmatma Saran (USA).
The convention was officially inaugurated on Jan. 7th
evening with the following dignitaries as speakers: N.D. Tiwari (former union
minister and Chief Minister of Uttranchal), Dr. Karan Singh MP; Basdeo Panday
MP (Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Trinidad and Tobago).
The cultural evening and GOPIO Cultural Council was
inaugurated by Panday and Ambassador Bhishma Agnihotri respectively. GOPIO has
set up a Cultural Council to promote artists of Indian origin. Toward this
goal, GOPIO Cultural Council will host details of artists in a website who
would like to perform in countries with large NRI/PIO population. NRIs/PIOs
artists as well as artists from India are encouraged to publicize their trips
abroad through GOPIO Cultural Council Bulletin Board. One could send in details
to gopio@gopio.net.
Details of artists will be compiled at GOPIO website so that NRI/PIO groups in
different countries can get access to their information including planned trips
for the future.
The conference session on Jan. 8th started with
an opening session addressed by the High Level Indian Diaspora Committee
Chairman Dr. L.M. Singhvi as keynote speaker. It was followed by three sessions
as follows:
(1) NRIs/PIOs Role in Business, Technology and Investments
(2) Indian Identity, Cultural Link, Rights Violations of
NRIs/PIOs Outside India
(3) NRI/PIO Role in Building India's Image Outside and
Involvement of NRIs/PIOs in Philanthropic, Developmental and Educational
Activities in India
Each session had a keynote address followed a panel
discussion. The keynote addresses were delivered by Minister of State for
External Affairs Digvijay Singh, Indian Ambassador-at-large Bhishma Agnihotri
and Development Alternatives president Dr. Ashok Khosla. The convention
concluded with an Awards Banquet held at the Claridges Hotel where GOPIO
honored seven persons of Indian origin for their outstanding services to the
Indian community. The awardees were Dr. P. Jayaraman (Executive director,
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New York, USA), V. Ram (social activist and
educationist, Indonesia), Raj Loomba (community activist and educationist,
London), Sunny Kulathakal (community activist and publisher of Who's Who in the
Gulf, Bahrain, Middle East), Pritha Singh (Indo-Guyanese, founder of Rajkumari
Cultural Center), Narend Singh (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and
Recreation in the provincial government of Natal, South Africa) and K. Sital
(community activist, social worker and publisher). GOPIO also presented an
award to ICICI Bank for their continued services to NRIs/PIOs with the award
being accepted by Mr. P. Gopakumar, Head of ICICI Bank NRI Services. US
Congressman Gregory Meeks of Queens was also honored as a friend of India and
NRIs/PIOs. Other dignitaries present at the Awards Banquet included former
Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, Lord Navnit Dholakia (Chairman, Liberal Democrat
Party in London) and Tarlochan Singh (Chairman, National Commission on
Minorities). Former Trinidad PM Basdeo Panday was admitted in the GOPIO fold as
an Honorary Patron of GOPIO.
GOPIO passed several resolutions at its concluding conference session as follows:
1. DUAL
NATIONALITY
GOPIO
international is delighted that Govt. of India has accepted the long felt
demand of NRI's for Granting of Dual Nationality. GOPIO Intl., wishes to convey
its appreciation and thanks to Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpai and his
Govt. for taking this very important decision that will go a long way in
strengthening further bonds between India and her Diaspora.
2. A NEW MINISTRY FOR OVERSEAS INDIANS
WHEREAS,
people of Indian origin have been making tremendous contribution to India's
development by bringing new technologies and businesses, by investing in core
sectors of the economy, by contributing to India's foreign exchange reserve, by
helping in areas of education, health and charitable activities. WHEREAS, the
NRIs/PIOs have been instrumental in building a good image of India outside; WHEREAS,
thousands of NRI/PIO individuals and organizations have been participating in
the charitable and developmental activities of India; GOPIO URGES the
Government of India to establish a Ministry of Overseas Indians similar to the
Ministry of Overseas Chinese in China, so as to facilitate all NRI/PIO related
issues and activities through this ministry.
3. RAJYA SABHA SEATS FOR NRIs
WHEREAS,
people of Indian origin living outside India represent a tremendous resource in
intellectual, technical, scientific, professional, economic, trade, and
entrepreneurial skills with high potential and interest to contribute to the
well-being and prosperity of their motherland, GOPIO URGES and Indian cabinet
to appoint a few prominent NRIs (who are India citizens) as Rajya Sabha members
so as to reinforce the bonds between India and the overseas NRI/PIO community.
4.
VOTING RIGHTS FOR INDIAN CITIZENS LIVING OUTSIDE INDIA
WHEREAS,
about 30% of the Indians living outside India are still citizens of India;
WHERAS,
most of the countries provide opportunities for their citizens living outside
their countries to participate in the election process of their countries
WHEREAS
India is yet to establish a mechanism to provide such an opportunity for it's
citizens numbering about 6 million.
GOPIO
urges Government of India to initiate the process of providing voting rights,
through a constitutional amendment, to Indian citizens living outside India.
5.
POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF NRIs/PIOs
WHEREAS
in some countries with large NRI/PIO population, there are instances of
extraordinary levels of violations of political and human rights, GOPIO urges
Govt. of India to take proactive stand in accordance with the UN Charter on
Human Rights, where ever and whenever such violations occur.
6. RESTORE "NOT ORDINARILY A RESIDENT (NOR)" STATUS FROM TWO
YEARS TO NINE ON GLOBAL TAX OF RETURNING NRIs/PIOS
WHEREAS
GOPIO urges that the NOR global tax (under section-6-6) exemption of two years
be restored back to the original nine years, that was there before the change
brought on by the Finance Bill 2003. Even earlier Finance Minister had
withdrawn a very similar change in 1998. Whereas GOPIO continues to feel
Government is justified taxing any and all incomes generated within India by
returning NRIs/PIOs, the tax exemption on global income should be reverted back
to the nine-year period. This would encourage greater cooperation of 22 million
NRIs/PIOs, who form a considerable national resource of global network for
India's growth and development.
7. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF FIJIAN INDIANS BY THE QUARASE GOVERNMENT
WHEREAS
GOPIO stands for full restoration of citizenship rights of our PIO brothers and
sisters in Fiji.
WHEREAS
GOPIO urges the government of India to hold off granting Fiji government
permission to start a High Commission in New Delhi in February 2004 until the
finalization of the multiparty cabinet case and the clearing up of the
constitutionality of the Quarase government. Any hasty decision will amount to
Human Rights violation of 44% of the Fijian population that is of Indian
origin.
8. GOPIO RESULTION ON THE FUNCTIONING OF INIDIAN DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS
WHEREAS
it be resolved that the Indian diplomatic missions and its officials shall
promote the harmony among PIOs and PIO-business community in their adopted
country and shall not indulge in any activity that creates division and
destructive atmosphere among PIOs/NRIs.
**
Photos attached:
Photo 1 - Former Trinidad PM Basdeo
Panday speaking at the GOPIO Convention 2004
Photo 4 - Minister of State for External
Affairs Digvijay Singh speaks at the conference.
Photo 6 - GOPIO officers and convention
organizers with former Indian president Dr. K.R. Narayanan
Photo 7 - Former Trinidad Prime Minister
Basdeo Panday and Dr. L.M. Singhvi at GOPIO Convention 2004.
