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PM seeks greater role of NRIs
in nation-building
India to explore ‘all possible ways’
LoC no solution to Kashmir issue: Pak
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PM seeks greater role of NRIs in nation-building
The Hague, November 8 “In building our dream I see an increasing role for the world community, particularly overseas Indian community,” the Prime Minister said in an address to representatives of the 220,000-strong Indian community in the Netherlands at a reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Shyamala Cowsik last night. “India is open to overseas Indians. Nothing is dearer to us than the overseas Indian community. Take a hard look at India and you will find a lot of opportunities,“ he added. Dr Manmohan Singh is here to attend the India-European Union summit. The Indian community in the Netherlands account for 1.35 per cent of the country’s 16.5 million population. A majority of them (200,000) are those who migrated from India to Surinam as indentured labourers in the late 19th century and later moved to this country. The remaining roughly 20,000 are mostly professionals who migrated in the last 40 to 50 years. They are now Dutch citizens and are fully integrated into the Dutch society. They are active in all sectors of the economy, particularly in retail trading and middle-level jobs in major cities. A prominent member of the community, Nirmala Rambocus, is a member of Parliament and some others are members of municipal councils. The
Surinamese Indians here are deeply religious, tradition-bound and proud of their Indian heritage. A vast majority of them speak Sarnami Hindi, a mixture of Bhojpuri and Awadhi with a smattering of Dutch and English. Like with the Indian diaspora elsewhere, Hindi films are popular here too. Surinamese Hindustani TV (Ohm TV) and radio channels, weeklies, newsletters and music bands keep the cultural and linguistic links with the country of their ancestors. The Surinamese Hindustani organisation actively propagates teaching of Hindi. Dr Manmohan Singh lauded the Surinamese Indians for their enterprise and said their story was one of “unique courage”, having migrated from Indian under “hard conditions.” “They turned that adversity into opportunity, he said and added, like them, India, too, was on the move and is today one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
— IANS
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India to explore ‘all possible ways’ on
Kashmir
London, November 8 Dr Singh also described as a “very important lesson” the European Union integration model for strengthening economic relations between India and Pakistan. In an interview to the Financial Times published today, he made it clear that third party mediation on Jammu and Kashmir was not acceptable to India. “It is our honest belief that in the relationship between India and Pakistan if a durable solution is to be found, it cannot be imposed from outside.” “It has to be a solution in which both countries genuinely believe that bilateral negotiations are the best means to resolving the outstanding problems,” he said. “Our position is that so long as Pakistan remains committed to the January 6 statement... we are willing to look at all possible ways of resolving all outstanding issues and that includes Jammu and Kashmir,” Dr Singh said. Observing that the two countries were dealing with “complicated issues”, he said, “there is such a thing as history behind us and there are also realities on the ground.” Asked about the proposal for a gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan, Dr Singh recalled that in his joint statement with Musharraf, the two leaders had expressed their joint interest in the development of the pipeline and “it could be an important factor” in delinking this from progress on other issues”. On home front, the Prime Minister asserted that UPA government would adopt “carrot and stick” policy to carry forward economic reforms through a broad consensus and said he was convinced that Left allies had “reasonable appreciation of what is possible and what is not”.
— PTI |
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LoC no solution to Kashmir issue: Pak
Islamabad, November 8 “Any solution based on the LoC is unacceptable to Pakistan,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Masood Khan told reporters here. He commented on Pakistan’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussein’s recent statement proposing to convert the LoC into a temporary border. Mr Khan made it clear that solution to the problem must be found in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiri people and said there was no pre-conceived formula in this regard. President Gen Pervez Musharraf had last month proposed gradual demilitarisation of all regions or a region of Jammu and Kashmir followed by change of their status as one of the options to resolving the dispute. However, India had reacted critically to the proposal saying such things should not come through media. “People of Kashmir need to be assured that their wishes will be respected,” Mr Khan said, adding that one-sided approach could not produce good results. He denied Indian Defence Ministry’s report about an increase in cross-border terrorism, saying the claim was incorrect. “It is advisable for the Indian Defence Ministry and others to desist from making such contradictory statements,” he said, adding that Indians had to make up their minds as “one week they say infiltration has gone down and the next week they say it has gone up”. On the proposed Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, he said the two countries were scheduled to resume expert level talks next month on all aspects, including documentation and other matters.
— UNI |
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Pak PM to visit India on Nov 23
Islamabad, November 8 "Mr Shaukat Aziz will reach New Delhi on November 23, after visiting Sri Lanka and the Maldives, for talks with Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi," an official of Associated Press of Pakistan said. Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon met his Pakistani counterpart Aziz Ahmad Khan in New Delhi and discussed the schedule of Prime Minister Aziz's visit to India, the APP said quoting senior officials.
— UNI |
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50,000 Sikhs take part in
parade
Yuba City (USA), November 8 The parade organised yesterday marked the conclusion of the weekend-long celebration of readings, devotional singing and conferences commemorating the occasion when Gobind Singh gave the Sikhs the sacred scripture in 1708. The four-mile parade featured floats and a procession. As the parade left the gurdwara grounds, a helicopter dropped rose petals on the participants. “During the celebrations, the Sikh community prepared and served more than 1 lakh meals,” Didar Singh Bains, parade chairman said.
— PTI |
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Plot to bury Arafat alive, alleges
wife
Paris, November 8 Prime Minister Ahmed
Qurie, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath and Palestine Liberation Organisation Secretary General Mahmoud Abbas planned to leave the West Bank for Jordan today and then go to Paris, a senior Palestinian official told Reuters. “I appeal to you to be aware of the scope of the conspiracy,’’ shouted Suha Arafat, speaking on Arabic Al Jazeera satellite television and sparking a war of words with loyalists of the three officials. “They are trying to bury Abu Ammar (Arafat) alive,’’ she said in comments that flew in the face of efforts by Arafat’s lieutenants to project an image of unity and business as usual at a time when many Palestinians fear chaos if he dies.
— Reuters |
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