Obituary of Dr A.P.J. Kalam, Former President of India
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- Category: News
- Published on 01 August 2015
Foundation for Critical Choices for India
Obituary of Dr A.P.J. Kalam, Former President of India
It is with profound shock that the Foundation for Critical Choices for India, The Netherlands, has learnt about the sudden demise of Dr A.P.J. KALAM, former President of India and one of the most loved and popular Presidents . He was not only a thinker, scientist, humanitarian and a patriot of the first order but also a very simple, humble and highly motivating individual, inspiring particularly young children and the youth of India. Till his last breath he was motivating the young students of IIM, Shillong, Assam.
Foundation for Critical Choices for India which is a Think Tank of Indian Diaspora, was very much impressed by his book “India 2020 : Vision for the New Millenneum”, published in 1998, which provided a blue print of major strategies for catapulting India to the club of developed countries by the year 2020. With a view to identifying what role Indian Diaspora spread all over the world, could play in contributing to this process, the Foundation organized a major international Seminar at the Hague on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee (2005), to which he was invited as the Chief Guest. Due to his prior commitments, he could not come but deputed his Co-Author of “Vision” Dr Y.S. Rajan, who delivered the key note address and also participated in the highly motivated discussion which followed presentations. The Conference was well attended by interested members of Indian, Dutch and Surinami/Hindustani communities.
Late Dr. A.P.J. Kalam kept his promise to meet us and attended our event on 5th of December 2007, organized at The Hague, in which he not only delivered a candid and inspiring speech, but also highlighted his vision for a developed India during extensive interaction with the audience that came in huge numbers to listen to him and get inspired. Appreciating the work of the Foundation he suggested to us that we should in future pay more attention to social problems in India. The Foundation has followed that effectively and arranged various meetings and seminars on the compelling issues like Security of Women, Civic Awareness, Urban Development, Water and Waste Management in India, etc. We again got the opportunity to meet him during his visit to The Netherlands in 2013.
In the tradition of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and Dr Zakir Hussain, Late Dr A.P.J. was a philosopher, thinker and a scientist of the world fame. After Late Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru he emerged as a source of inspiration to the youngsters of India. India and Indians everywhere will miss this great son of the nation very much. May his great soul rest in peace.
Jasbir Singh,
President, Foundation for Critical Choices for India on behalf of all Trustees.
Voting rights for NRIs soon
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- Category: News
- Published on 04 December 2012
New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The Indian government is likely to introduce an amendment to the Representation of People Act (RPA) in the next session of parliament to allow voting rights for non-resident Indians (NRIs).
The parliamentary standing committee has submitted its report which says these amendments should be introduced,' Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said at a news conference.
Earlier this month, Ravi had said that the standing committee's report was positive and the bill would be passed without any major changes.
During the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2006, the annual conclave of the Indian diapsora, held in Hyderabad in January this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised voting rights to NRIs.
The prime minister had said the demand for such rights had a 'convincing political basis' and had assured the delegates that his government would take appropriate measures in this regard.
FOUNDATION’S DUAL NATIONALITY PROPOSAL IS CALLED “A HIT” BY INDIAN MEDIA
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- Category: News
- Published on 04 December 2012
Foundation for Critical Choices for India, a Think Tank of Indian Diaspora in the Netherlands, presented to Government of India and to the Special High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora appointed by it in 1980s and 1990s, a proposal for grant of dual nationality. Foundation argued that this will strengthen the already existing bond between India and its diaspora as well as accelerate financial and other diaspora contributions to socio-economic development of India. The proposal was based on a detailed study of the use of dual nationality worldwide, particularly by many developing countries having a sizable diaspora.
Based on our proposal and requests by Indian diaspora from other countries, BJP Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Bajpayee announced grant of dual nationality to Indian diaspora in 7 countries, including the Netherlands on reciprocal basis. However, Indian diaspora from other countries which were left out also demanded to be included. Later the Congress Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh developed the new concept of “Overseas Citizenship of India” (OCI) which gave all the rights to the holder except the right of voting and standing for election. OCI is a lifelong visa for India using which members of Indian diaspora can visit the motherland any number of times and easily buy and sale property, set up enterprises, undertake charitable activities, etc.
Foundation is glad that though late the Foundation’s proposal presented many decades ago, has been accepted in a modified form and today more than 20,000 diaspora members are recipients of OCI. Foundation has recently published an account of its existence and work for more than 25 years (Foundation for Critical Choices for India : A Quarter Century of Service to India), available as a complimentary copy from the Foundation. In this year the Foundation has already conducted two Seminars on current critical issues of “Small versus Big States” and “Judicial Reforms in India : Relevance of European experience” which were addressed by prominent experts from India and the Netherlands as well as the Trustees of the Foundation. The forthcoming seminars will be on the topics of “Governance Reforms and Corruption”. Details of these will be announced in due course.
DUTCH NATIONALITY AND OVERSEAS INDIAN CITIZENSHIP
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- Category: News
- Published on 04 December 2012
In January 2006, during the last Pravasi Bharatiya Divas the government of India finally introduced the Overseas Indian Citizenship. In July 2005 a letter was sent by a prominent Dutch PIO to the Dutch Ministry of Justice requesting them to clarify the policy of the Dutch government regarding the impact of OCI on the People of Indian Origin with a Dutch nationality. It was then difficult for the Dutch government to decide on the exact legal status of the OCI, as the GOI itself had stated that it is neither dual nationality nor dual citizenship granting political rights. In essence it is only a lifelong visa.
After pursuing the matter continuously, the Dutch government engaged in a long process of internal consultation/discussion and finally on 23rd August 2006 the Dutch Ministry of Justice informed that they have taken a decision regarding the Overseas Indian Citizenship in relation to the Dutch nationality. The Dutch policy can be summarized as follows:
Under the present circumstances, acquiring the Overseas Citizenship of India is not considered as a nationality issue. As such application or voluntary acquisition of OCI does not fall under the legislative provision which implies a voluntary acquisition of another nationality leading to loss of the Dutch nationality. If and when some additional rights and/or obligations are granted by the Indian government then the present policy will be reviewed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is going to inform the Indian Embassy in The Hague about this policy. The Embassy of India in The Hague has introduced the necessary procedures to process the applications for OCI.
