GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN
May
2005
NOTE: This is a monthly newsletter of
GOPIO International, based in the
CONTENTS
Ø
GRAND 25TH ANNIVERSARY PLANNED FOR USA-BASED NFIA MAY 27-29,
2005
Ø
GLOBAL INDIAN BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM IN
Ø
GOPIO
Ø
Ø
EUROPE-INDIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDED IN
Ø
NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE
Ø
PIO TO CHAIR CANADIAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Ø
NRI BANKER TO HEAD RADIAN GROUP
Ø
THREE NRIs HONORED IN THE
Ø
INDIAN AMERICAN APPOINTED JUDGE IN LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT
Ø
FIVE INDIAN AMERICANS GET GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIPS
Ø
SANSKAAR BHAARATHI INTERNATIONAL
Ø
GOPIO CHAPTER NEWS
§
GOPIO
§
GOPIO
§
GOPIO
Ø
NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs AND PIOs AROUND THE WORLD
Ø US ANNOUNCES 20,000 MORE H1-B VISAS
Ø IIT GRADUATES TO HOLD GLOBAL
CONFERENCE IN
Ø NRIs LOSING INTEREST IN BANK
DEPOSITS
Ø NRI HANDBOOK RELEASED IN
Ø IMMIGRATION WAS A MAJOR ISSUE IN UK
ELECTION
Ø NEW
Ø ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INDIANS OVERSEAS
Ø GOPIO LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER
FORMATION
Ø EDITORIAL BOARD
GRAND 25TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION PLANNED BY USA-BASED NFIA
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDIAN AMERICAN
ASSOCIATIONS (NFIA)
invites you to its
25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
BE PART OF HISTORY
THEME
BUILDING ON THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE
PROGRAM
Friday, May
27
Venue: Crowne Plaza
Hotel at La Guardia
Airport, New York city
6.30 p.m. Onwards - WELCOME RECEPTION AND
INAUGURATION
6.30 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. - Welcome Reception
8.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. - Inauguration
Dignitaries include Indian Ambassador His Excellency Ronen Sen, Indian Consul
General Hon. Pramathesh Rath, Guyana Minister of Finance Hon. Hon. Sasenarine
Kowlessar Congressman Hon. Gregory Meeks, and other American political leaders.
Saturday, May 28
Venue: Crowne Plaza
Hotel at La Guardia
Airport, New York city
8.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
9.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. Session I Community
Leadership: Experiences and Expectations
Moderator Dr. Parmatma
Saran, Professor of Sociology, Baruch College and Graduate Center of City
University, New York, NY
Speakers:
(1) Dr. Joy Cherian, Former Commissioner EEOC and Founding President Indian
American Forum for Political Education,
(2) Dr. Thomas Abraham,
Chairman of GOPIO, and Founding President, NFIA, Stamford, CT
(3) Dr. Piyush C. Agrawal, Past President, Association of Indians in America
(AIA National), Miami, FL
(4) Niraj Baxi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, NFIA, San Jose, CA
(5) Nilesh Mehta,
President, Indian American Forum for Political Education,
11.00 a.m. to 11.20 a.m.
Networking Coffee/Tea Break
11.20 a.m. to 12.50 p.m. Session II US-India Relations: Progress Made and Challenges
Ahead
Moderator Dr. Maya Chadda, Professor of Political Science, William Paterson
University, New Jersey
Keynote address Dr. Dennis Kux, Senior Policy Scholar,
Panelists:
Questions to be raised with
the panelists:
1. Strategic Partnership
2. Nuclear Issues and
Membership for
3. Trade, Economic and
Cultural Relations
4. Role of the Diasporic
Community
5. Shared democratic values
and international role
11.20 a.m. to 12.50 p.m. Session III Indian Writers in
Initiator Dr. Susham Bedi, Professor of
Hindi,
Moderator
Dr. Rohini B. Ramanathan, Columnist/Essayist.
Speakers:
(1) Dr. Susham Bedi,
"Quest for Identity: Grappling With the Literary Self in the Indian
Diaspora"
(3)
Vijay Seshadri, Author of two books of poems,
(4)
Raju Thomas, Secretary of Sargavedi, a New York-based Malayalam Writers' Forum,
2.00 p.m. to 3.20 p.m. Session IV Political
Empowerment: Past Successes and Future Prospects
Moderator: Prof. Sree Sreenivasan,
Speakers:
(1)
(2)
Hon. Upendra Chivukula, Assemblyman,
(3)
Hon. Joseph Melookaran, Member, White House Commission on Asian/Pacific
Affairs,
2.00
p.m. to 3.20 p.m. Session V Delivery of Services to
the Community An Evaluation and what we need to do for
the future.
Moderator Sudha Acharya, Executive Director, South Asian Council for Social
Services,
Speakers:
(1)
Theresa Thanjan, Director of Youth Solutions, Citizens for
(2)
Dr. Sambhu Banik, Prof. of Psychology,
(3)
Ashwani Chowdary, Board Member, Sakhi for South Asian Women,
(4)
Rajeshwar Prasad, Executive Director, National Indian American Association for
Senior Citizens
3.20 p.m. to 3.40 p.m. Networking Coffee/Tea Break
3.40 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. Session VI Current Issues
Facing Indian American Businesses
Moderator
Dr. Sushila Gidwani-Buschi, VP for
Speakers:
(1)
Dr. Sid Gautam, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship,
(2) Victor Khubani, President, Khubani Enterprises, New
York/New
(3)
Subash Roy, President, Kodiak Venture Partners,
(4) V.M. Gandhi,
(5)
Krishnan Chittur, Attorney-at-Law,
Session VII Youth Forum
Moderator: Karthik S.
Ramanathan, Research Assistant, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP,
Speakers:
(1) Krupalee Shah,
2003-2004 Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar to
(2) Paayal Mahajan,
Membership Outreach Consultant, Girls Scout of
(3) Sahil Khurana,
Coordinator, GOPIO Youth Forum, Upper Brookville, Long Island, NY, "GOPIO
Program for Indian Youth to Network Globally."
(4) Dr. Rohini B.
Ramanathan, Founder-Director, India Heritage Institute of Long Island;
President, The 7 D's Associates,
(5) Phil Mock, " For
Indian Youth - Seeing and Helping A Changing
(6) Anand Shah, Co-Founder
and Executive Director, IndiCorps, "Leveraging India's importance to
Indian-American identity: a blueprint for engaging diaspora youth with
7.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. Grand Finale 25th Anniversary Banquet
Venue: Terrace on the
Park,
7.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. -
Cocktail Reception
8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. -
Dignitaries Speeches, Recognition
9.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.
Dinner and Entertainment
**
25TH
CELEBRATION COMMITTEE
Chairman - Lal Motwani
Co-Chairmen Dr. Thomas
Abraham, Dr. Arvind Shah and Sanjay Naik
Conference Hotel: A
block of rooms is reserved at the Crowne Plaze Hotel at
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Contact: Lal Motwani at
718-470-1026 or E-mail: lmotwani@nyc.rr.com or any of the following members of
the Registration committee, Ritesh Veera at 646-623-8238, Kiran hari
917-450-6052, Leela Maret 718-595-6513 or Jaswant Mody 732-968-0892. Note:
Please send your registration package on or before May 10th, 2005 so
as to avail of the early registration discount. Conference registration for
Saturday, May 28th is only $10 without lunch and $40 with lunch.
Banquet tickets are $110/single and $210 for a couple. See more details below.
Please make all checks
payable to: NFIA, Attn: Lal Motwani,
NFIA President Dr. Rajen
S. Anand can be contacted at (562) 537-1077, E-mail: ranand2@csulb.edu. NFIA encourages Indian Americans
to join in this celebration and call on the youngsters to participate in the
youth forum.
GLOBAL INDIAN BUSINESS
SYMPOSIUM IN
Organised by the Indo-European Foundation
e.V. in co-operation with the Business Council of GOPIO International,
Networking among global Indian
businesses and with businesses of
Participation fee: If
payment received till June 10, 05: 120 - after June 10, 05: 150,-
Expected participants: PIO*/ NRI* businesses worldwide, PIO political
leaders such as ministers/ opposition leaders including members of the House of
Lords (GB), apex-bodies and EU/ German/ Indian businessmen and authorities,
business organisations, research institutions, etc. Indian business forums and
chambers of commerce from the host countries of PIO like Mauritius, Guyana,
Surinam, United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, etc. and India.
(PIO* = People of Indian
Origin/ NRI* = Non-Resident Indians)
Day 1: Saturday, July 9,
05 for PIO & Indian businesses:
Table top exhibition 9 -18 h
9:00 h: Arrival of participants and
registration
- Interaction of global Indian business
people
14:00 h: Opening session
Focussing strength and investements of
PIO/ NRI businesses worldwide
16:00 h: Inauguration of the Global
Indian Business Symposium
- Speech by Mr Niranjan Deva, MEP
- Opportunities and challenges of PIO/
NRI in the host countries and with
18:30 h: Reception by Mayor of City of
Day 2: Sunday, July 10,
05 - German & EU participants can join:
10:00 h: Technology opportunities offered
by PIO/ NRI business in selected fields
13:00 h: Presentation by Indian state
governments
13:30 h: Lunch break
14:30 h: Presentation by different Indian
states
16:15 h: Presentation by various
government authorities - ministries and Reserve Bank of
18:30 h: Reception by Mayor of the City
of
Day 3: Monday July 11,
05 - for all:
8:30 h: Registration of non-PIO
participants
9:15 h: Inauguration of Global Indian
Business Symposium: - welcome and plenary session speeches by keynote speaker,
ministers from India, Germany (Min. Pfister, Economics & Works) and Europe;
further speeches by
- President of BGA, Mr Börner
- Presentation by Invest in
- Mr von Pieren, Chairman APA
- Presentation by Baden-Württemberg
International (BWI) - investment possibilities in various projects in
Baden-Württemberg Infrastructure and other projects in
12:30 h: Lunch break
14:00 h: Product session
- environment
technology
- engineering
services
16:00 h: Machine building & plant
- automation
- Information
Technology embedded Services (ITeS)
- chemicals
19:00 h: Reception by Minister of
Economics & Works of Baden-Württemberg, Mr Pfister
Day 4: Tuesday, July 12,
05:
9:00 h: Plenary session
- speeches by
various ministers
- speeches by
Reserve Bank of
Bank and finances "financing
projects in
11:00 h: "How to establish a company
in
12:30 h: Lunch break
14:00 h: Product session
- renewable
energy
- traffic and
transport
- construction
- "Business
Transfer in Baden-Württemberg - new entrepreneurs wanted"/ "Start on
Campus - support of university-based start-ups and their demands for
expansion"
16:00 h: Valedictory session
18:30: End of the Symposium
Patrons
& Supporters
Following organisations
have agreed to be either patrons or supporters for the Global Indian Business
Symposium, which will take place in
1. BGA, Federation of
German Wholesale & Foreign Trades (German apex body),
2. Ministry of Economics
& Works (state of Baden-Württemberg/
(visit: www.wm.baden-wuerttemberg.de), special
supporter of this event
3. IMC, Indian Merchants
Chamber, Mumbai (visit: www.imcnet.org)
4. APA, Asia Pacific
Forum of German Businesses (of BDI),
5. Invest in Germany,
(visit: www.invest-in-germany.de)
6. BWI,
Baden-Württemberg International (state business promotion authority),
(visit: www.bw-i.de)
7. City of
8. Chamber of Commerce
& Industry,
9. NFIA, National
Federation of Indian Associations (visit: www.nfia.net)
10.
11. SICCI,
12. Several industry
specific German associations are also joining and supporting this symposium
13. Several chambers of
commerce and industry of overseas Indians have agreed to cooperate on this
symposium. We are in contact with few chambers of commerce and associations in
Indo-European
Foundation & GOPIO (brief info)
Indo-European Foundation:
This is an independent society - registered in
The Global Organisation
of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) was established in
Contact: Dwarkesh Shah,
Indo-European Foundation, and GOPIO Business Council, Julius-Hölder-Str. 46,
70597 Stuttgart/ Germany, Tel.: +49 (0) 711 722 2071, Fax: +49 (0) 711 722
2939; www.gopiobiz.com E-Mail: secretary@imexma.com or info@gopiobiz.com.
GOPIO
GOPIO
This conference has the
full support of the government of Suriname, with several of the highest levels
of government officials participating in the events, together with invited
officials of the Government of India and many prominent regional and
international political, business, academic and entertainment notables. Local
and international performers will host delegates with evenings of dinner with
full cultural presentations. Arrangements have been made for visits and trips
by delegates during their stay in
The detailed program and information on participants,
registration, accommodation and travel will follow in the next GOPIO
newsletters. Contact:
HAROLD R.RAMDHANI
Secretary, GOPIO
30 NEUMANPAD
FAX +597 472411
E-mail: Harold.r.ramdhani@ramsholding.sr
On May 5, 1838
the
This year on
May 5
The Global
Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) pays honored tribute and
expresses grateful thanks to those who made those first journeys from
"We are always reminded of
their pioneering spirit, determination, persistence and endurance under
extremely harsh conditions. While survival must have been the primary concern,
they managed to maintain their sense of origin, traditions, culture and
religion", said Ashook Ramsaran, Secretary General of GOPIO. Ramsaran, who
was born in Guyana as a third generation Indian, continues, "Their
children, grandchildren and following generations will always take pride in
this unique accomplishment, recognizing and appreciating the sacrifices and
achievements made on their behalf."
"We
continue to encourage and support active promotion of the rich and enduring
Indian traditions that served their forefathers so well", said Inder
Singh, President of GOPIO. He continues, "We also wish to remind all the
descendents of those early pioneers to recognize and reach out to others of
Indian origin whose forebears also embarked on similar journeys".
GOPIO extends
congratulations and continued best wishes on these anniversaries to all their
descendents for peaceful and prosperous co-existence in
EUROPE
The Europe
NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE
PIO TO CHAIR
CANADIAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Navdeep Singh Bains, a
second generation Indian in
NRI BANKER TO
HEAD RADIAN GROUP
S. A. Ibrahim, will take
over as Chief Executive Officer of the Radian Group Inc, a leading provider of
global credit enhancement products and services in the
THREE NRIs
HONORED IN THE
Three Non-Resident
Indians; Ms. Payal Tak, Mr. Mukesh Majmudar and Mr. Paresh Patel are among 53
winners of the award presented at the two-day National Small Business Week
celebrations in Washington from April 26-28. They were honored with Small
Business Persons of the Year Award in the
INDIAN
AMERICAN APPOINTED JUDGE IN LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT
An Indian American T.
Sanjay Kumar has been appointed a judge of the
FIVE INDIAN
AMERICANS GET GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP
Five Indian Americans have been selected to receive the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Fo