People listen when Indian PM speaks: Obama

US President Barack Obama rated Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as an extraordinary world leader. He praised his knowledge of economic activities which could be service to the G-20 Summit. Obama’s statement assumes significance since the G-20 Summit was focused on finding a way out of the economic crisis.

President Obama and Dr Manmohan Singh held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

“I want to express my pleasure having the opportunity to meet once again with my good friend, Prime Minister Singh. I said before and I continue to believe that the extraordinary leadership that Prime Minister Singh has provided not just to India, but to the world, has helped us navigate through some very difficult times” said the US President in his speech to mark the G-20 Summit.

“And I can tell you that here at the G-20, when the Prime Minister speaks, people listen, particularly because of his deep knowledge of economic issues, as well as the fact that he understands that as India rises as a world power, not just a regional power, that it also has enormous responsibilities to work with the rest of the world community around issues of peace and prosperity,” he added.

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With thanks : source : Tribune

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India reviewing blacklist of Sikhs abroad

India is reviewing the lists of Sikhs abroad who were blacklisted for their anti-Indian activities, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Sunday.

Interacting with the media after the G-20 summit here, she said: 'The matter is under consideration of the government. We are aware of the issues raised by some people.'

'The ministry of external affairs has taken up the issue with the ministry of home affairs and the whole case is under review.'

Rao added that the government has also begun a series of meetings 'to look at the whole issue in depth'.

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with thanks : source : SIFY

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Manmohan Singh says 1984 should never have happened

PTI

Toronto: The 1984 anti-Sikh riots should never have happened, a concerned prime minister Manmohan Singh said today but at the same time appealed to the Sikh community to "move on" to let the wounds of the tragedy heal.

Speaking to the community members here after paying homage to the victims of the 1985 Kanishka bombing at the Air India Memorial here, Singh reminded them that he had apologised to the nation for the carnage that ensued the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

"The 1984 anti-Skih riots should never have happened. I have apologised to the nation... all possible steps will be taken to provide succour and comfort," he said.

Singh, the first Sikh to ascend to the post of the prime minister of India, said "by constantly reminding of the 1984 riots, sometimes you unwittingly vitiate the creative thinking of the Sikh community".

"We need to move on," he said.

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with thanks : source : DNA INDIA

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Canada toughens immigration laws

Amritsar, Punjab: Within hours of the G-20 Summit in Huntsville in Ontario, Canada virtually slammed its doors on prospective immigrants from India limiting their annual intake to 20,000 besides reducing the number of trades in the demand list.

Incidentally, announcement of the new immigration rules has coincided with the visit of Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to Canada.

Some of the new occupations included by Canada in its demand list are primary production managers (except agriculture), adjusters and claims examiners, biologists and related scientists, architects, dentists, pharmacists, social workers. Many of the existing trades have been omitted. The new rules that have become effective immediately require all federal skilled worker applicants to have experience in one of 29 in demand occupations or have a job offer to be eligible to apply for permanent residency (PR).

Moreover, Canada will now accept only 20,000 applications with a maximum of 1,000 applications per occupation for processing for those applying under the occupation list. The cap of 1,000 applications in each occupation has been introduced to manage the intake. For these applications, once the cap is reached, will be sent back and their processing fees will be refunded. But the applications with a job offer are not restricted to this 20,000 cap.

In addition, all Federal skilled worker and Canadian experience class applicants will now be required to send a complete and comprehensive file, including IELTS result to the Central Intake Unit (CIU) at the time of filing the application to promptly get into the processing queue.

After introduction of the new rules that limit annual global intake to 80,000, they push India from its second top immigrant source to seventh slot.

BS Sandhu, Chairman and Managing Director, WorldWide Immigration Consultancy Services Ltd. (WWICS), told The Tribune that “all cases filed on or before June 25 will not be affected by the changes. Pendency of cases filed in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 will now be cleared on top priority. Once the backlog is cleared, I anticipate the Canadian immigration intake will increase again making 1 per cent of the Canadian population. But clearing of this backlog of 3,80,000 applications may take another two-three years. People keen to immigrate to Canada will have some other options as well.”

“The federal investor immigrant programme has been suspended awaiting new changes in the eligibility criteria. Until the changes in network and investment are finalised, the Government will stop accepting new investor applications,” said BS Sandhu.

“In the past, 30,000 families used to immigrate to Canada under Skilled Worker Programme from India and India has been the second highest immigrant source country. But with the changed scenario, Australia will soon become the number one destination for Indians seeking immigration abroad,” he added.

With thanks : source : SIKHSANGAT

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Punjab teeters on edge of crisis as 70% fall into drug addiction

Excerpts :

The threat of drugs, he adds, is worse than two decades of Sikh terrorism that ravaged the province until the early 1990s, during which more than 60,000 people died, as it is far more insidious and cannot be rectified by policing. The ANTF says all of Punjab’s 20 districts, particularly border regions, are infested with drug peddlers selling opium and heroin smuggled from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Money from drug smuggling had, for decades, financed the civil war in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s adjoining tribal regions.

ANTF officials say a large proportion of the 500kg of heroin seized in the state last year was for local consumption, and the rest was destined for western markets. They stress that the seizures represent just a small proportion of the drugs making it through and being sold profitably.

“In rural Punjab, families often try to pass off a drug overdose death either as suicide or an overdose of prescriptive medicines for chronic ailments,” Meena says. The entire state seems to be in denial over its drug addiction and is unwilling to accept its severity, he declares.

Punjab’s grievous drug problem was revealed recently in a report by Guru Nanak University in Punjab’s largest city, Amritsar, which declared that some 73.5 per cent of the state’s youth between 16 and 35 years were confirmed drug addicts.

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With thanks : source : irishtimes

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Perks of a Sikh

Sikhs have been known for their jovial, “ulta – pulta” (topsy-turvy) approach to life. They joke and can be joked. You can trust a Sikh behind a wheel. For good food, what better than a “Sardar Da Dhaba”. On a serious note, most medals of bravery are pinned to the Sikh. They are making their mark in literature, sports, politics, science, finance and most other walks of life. The Sikh begs to be different and gets noticed.

These are the major perks of a lovable minority. The prime minister of a billion is giving a new dimension to the Sikh. The world’s largest democracy hinges on the perks of a Sikh. The turbaned Sikhs are a distinguished face in the crowd. Those friends, who chose to chop their hair in 1984, are now raising their hands to get counted. I am afraid; they have lost their perks, long ago.

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with thanks : source : AllVoices : PIC At the Burj Khalifa 124rth floor Observatory

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BJP's Punjab unit seeks relief for Indians driven out of Pakistan

The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken up the issue of Hindu and Sikh families which have been forced to settle in the State after being driven out of Pakistan.

According to a party release, the State unit set up a three-member committee under the chairmanship of Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna to look into all aspects of the issue, including relief for such families who have taken shelter in the Punjab.

It would seek adequate security for the life and property of Hindus and Sikhs settled abroad.

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with thanks : source : The Hindu

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