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From the Editor's Desk

August 2006

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Best Regards

Sayantan Chakravarty
Editor

There is a new bonding between India and the rest of the world. One of the reasons that the diaspora makes this bonding possible is because many of its members worldwide are projecting India in a spectacular light all the time. There is also a new vigour with which the Indian Government is functioning, strengthening and deepening its links with the Indian diaspora. The thinking is very positive, India is not just looking at the diaspora to remit dollars and pounds into the country, it is giving reason to the diaspora to feel that it is wanted. May be all this has something to do with the Pravasi Bharatiya movement started four years ago.

The Prime Minister has mooted the setting up of a University where 50 per cent of the seats for all courses, including those in engineering, medicine, social sciences and information technology will be reserved for children of NRIs and PIOs. A top level group of ministers will finalize action plan on this. The Ministry of External Affairs is seriously looking at making life difficult for runaway NRI grooms who have duped thousands of gullible women and their parents in India. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has proposed an NRI centre in the United States that can facilitate economic development in India by identifying and helping out in areas that look fertile for investment.
In Belgium even as diamond king Dilip Mehta of Rosy Blue has been chosen for the prestigious title of Baron, the Governments of India and Belgium concluded an agreement on social security for the benefit of Indians working in Belgium, the first of its kind that India has signed with any country. To those Indians who come and work in Belgium for five years, the country will provide exemption from contributing to the Belgian social security system. Our ambassadors and high commissioners are working over-time in different countries to improve trade and bilateral relations, eventually the diaspora stands to benefit much out of such vigorous exercise.

In this issue we have profiled Shundell Prasad, a young film-maker from New York who leafed through voluminous records in Guyana and Kolkata to trace the origin of her ancestors who were shipped as indentured labour to the Caribbean in the 19th century. Shundell made a moving film that was screened at London's Nehru Centre in July. We also carry an interview she conducted with Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in New Delhi has appointed INDIA EMPIRE to be a project co-ordinator for a special souvenir to be released on the nation's 44th independence day on August 31. Trinidad has a majority population (40 per cent0 comprising persons of Indian origin. The honour is small proof that we are making strides in the world of the Indian diaspora.

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Editor
Sayantan Chakravarty

Consulting Editors
Sanjay Sharma
Rakesh K. Simha
Rajeev Sharma
Anu Biswas

Contributing Editors
Vatsala Kaul, Dinesh Raheja (all India), Srikanth Beldona, Sagoree Chatterjee, Dharminder Diwan, Arnelle Hartenstein (all US), Rajesh Kumar (New Zealand), Ramesh Mathew (Qatar), Shuchi Sinha (Switzerland), Indrani Talukdar

Media Research: Ummul Saba

ART & DESIGN
Debashish Dutta (Creative Director)
Jaydev Bisht (Senior Graphic Designer)

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