NRI Corner 3

[Guest]

It was South Carolina. In place of blocking it, they should have promoted Hindu Number plate.

[Guest]

Oops, Sorry. Yeah it is South Carolina. That is my point too to have promoted a plate with Hindu theme rather than blocking. HAF needs to be careful in getting associated with the right set of causes.

[Guest]

Others tried it with "In Allah we Trust" and you see the response from the xtian fundoos. So Hindus don't have to go on the chopping block when there are fools making a beeline to jump over the cliff. Yes, we can agree to disagree on the different minutiae of how what etc, but given the fact this is one of the very few orgs (if not the only org) that's doing what needs to be done, they deserve our support. Readers might recall that HAF also were on right side of history in Alabama over the display of 10 commandments and they prevailed.

[Guest]

<b>Six Indians found shot dead in California</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Six Indians were reportedly killed in a suspected case of murder-suicide in Santa Clara, California on Sunday night. Though the police refused to confirm their identities, news reported claimed that the victims were natives of Wayanad district in Kerala [Images].

The deceased were identified as Ayyankoli native Devarajan and his family members Suchitra, Asokan, Akhil, Neha and Ahna.

The Santa Clara police remained unavailable for comment.

<b>Devarajan was an engineer at Yahoo and had worked with Microsoft before that</b>, reports said. It triggered fears if the incident was a result of the economic meltdown.

One survivor, an adult female, sustained life-threatening injuries and is being treated at a Bay Area hospital, according to reports. Police indicated that it is Devarajan's wife. The survivor managed to run outside and collapsed on the sidewalk, according to Mercury News.

The dead include two children of Devarajan, aged 11 and 4. His brother-in-law, wife and their toddler were the others who were killed. The toddler was rushed to the hospital, but could not be saved.

KTVU News quoted Santa Clara Police Lt. Phil Cooke as saying that 'the evidence at the scene points to it being a murder - suicide. It's still early on in the investigation, but early indications are that is what we have.' He said the officers arrived at the scene in a upscale neighborhood after a 911 call at about 8:30 pm Sunday
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>'Family on family' rampage in Silicon Valley; 3 children slain</b>

<b>Six members of NRI family killed, father rushes to US</b>

[Guest]

<b>SC relief for NRI family in dowry case</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The verdict came on an appeal filed by Sundar Babu and his family against his former wife Sukanya.

<b>Babu said he went to the US in July 1999 and within seven months Sukanya filed cases against him and his family, including parents and maternal grandmother. She obtained a divorce in July 2001 and remarried a year later, but the case continued.</b>

<b>Babu’s family moved the HC for quashing of the FIR but did not get any relief. </b>

“Authority of the court exists for advancement of justice... It would be an abuse of the process of the court to allow any action, which would result in injustice and prevent promotion of justice,” the court said.

Citing an earlier ruling, it said a criminal case can be quashed, if it is manifestly attended with malafide or “where the proceedings are instituted with an ulterior motives for wreaking vengeance on the accused and with a view to spite him due to private and personal grudge”. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo--> Those of u who understand Hindi and have teenager siblings or kids may like to watch
PANCHAM
a serial in Hindi on Zee TV.
It's Gita and MahaBharat conveyed thru this.
Worth the money and time.

[Guest]

When you take care of little things, big ones take of itself. Some more good work by HAF
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Namaste HAF Supporters,

On Wednesday, I logged into my Facebook account to check in with the HAF Facebook group.  Imagine my utter disgust when I log in and notice that there is a Facebook group called "f*(k Hinduism"!  According to this self-proclaimed secular group:

"We are interested in the truth. We are here to help Hindus leave their abusive false religion, not hinder them or oppose them. They are humans, with all the frailties and inclinations we all suffer through. This is not a group against Hindus, do not be dissuaded by the title. There is a difference between men and their religions, between women and their myths. This group focuses on the truth of Hinduism, not on its many bad effects. That being said, religion does cause great harm to humanity and it simply stands in the way of getting at the truth at its best."

HAF has now started a concerted campaign requesting Facebook to remove this insulting group from the site.  HAF believes this inflammatory language to be hate speech and has reported the group to Facebook through the site's reporting mechanism.  Additionally, I have asked all members of the HAF Facebook group to report this group and request its removal. The HAF team has individually been reaching out to our personal networks, requesting friends and family to report this site.  Thanks to all those who have helped us to date. 

If you are a Facebook member:
1. Join the HAF Facebook Group (if you haven't already)
2. Report the "f*(k Hinduism" group by scrolling to the bottom of the group's page and clicking on "Report Group" at the bottom left corner. 

The more people reporting the group, the higher the chances it will be taken down immediately!  HAF will continue to monitor the existence of this group and will take further action if and when necessary.

Dhaanyavad,
Sheetal S
Director of Development
Hindu American Foundation<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Jailed <b>Indian doctor on radar for Memphis bombing</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dr. Randeep Mann is among a number of people who remain ``on the radar'' for the unsolved bombing that nearly killed Dr. Trent Pierce outside his West Memphis home, said Grover Crossland, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Little Rock office.

Crossland told The Associated Press that other doctors disciplined by the state Medical Board also remain under examination in the ATF's investigation.

``We are looking at everybody, whether they were a doctor, family member, an employee, a neighbor, you know, whomever,'' Crossland said.

Much of the ATF's attention has focused on the state Medical Board, which regulates more than 8,000 doctors, 3,000 therapists and nearly 400 osteopaths. Pierce would cast a deciding vote only when the board's 12 other members couldn't resolve cases _ a rare occurrence.

The board once suspended and later revoked Mann's prescription privileges over complaints about patient deaths and allegations over pain-pill prescriptions. <b>Mann recently sued the board, claiming that the panel is biased against him because he is a native of India and a Hindu</b>.

Mann was arrested in March after workers in London, about 65 miles (100 kilometers) north of Little Rock, stumbled across a plastic-wrapped canister containing grenades in a wooded area near the doctor's home. The rounds are designed to be fired from launchers attached to rifles.

<b>Federal agents immediately suspected the grenades belonged to Mann, who had shown them a launcher a month earlier when they questioned him about the Pierce attack. Agents say they found practice grenade rounds and launchers, as well as $1 million worth of machine guns, while serving a search warrant at Mann's home</b>.

Mann, 50, was charged with illegally possessing the grenades and has pleaded not guilty. He remains held without bond pending trial. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>Canadians view Hinduism positively, not Islam and Sikhism</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->According to the survey by Maclean's weekly, almost half of Canadians believe that <b>Islam promotes violence</b>. <b>More than a quarter of them also view Sikhism as encouraging violence</b>.

On the other hand, <b>Hinduism is the most positively viewed religion after Christianity in Canada</b>, according to the survey.

When the respondents were asked whether they thought that "the mainstream beliefs" of the major religions "encourage violence or are mostly peaceful," only 10% said Christianity taught violence.

On the other hand,<b> 45% said Islam stood for violence and hatred. Nearly 26% viewed Sikhism as promoting violence. </b>

While <b>70% said they hold a positive view of Christianity, 41% said they viewed Hinduism positively.</b>

Showing how deep anti-Semitism is still in this liberal country, <b>44% respondents said they would not want their children to marry a person of Jewish faith</b>.

<b>Even fewer said they would be comfortable with their children marrying a Sikh or a Muslim. </b>

Worse still, 62% Canadians said opposed changes to laws to accommodate new ethnic immigrant groups and minorities.

<b>In the French-dominant province of Quebec, this figure rose to 74%. </b>

As part of the survey, 1,002 Canadians from all walks of life were selected randomly to elicit their views on various religions.

The magazine said Canadians like to think of their country as a model of multi-ethnic and multicultural harmony, but when it comes to the major faiths other than Christianity they harbour shocking biases.

Requesting anonymity, a Toronto-based Sikh leader said, <b>"The survey shows that the Air India bombing of 1985 and the on-going violence among the Indo-Canadian Punjabi youth in British Columbia have created stereotypes about the Sikhs." </b>

Among the more than a million South Asians in Canada, Sikhs and Hindus are the two biggest groups. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&:ind--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/india.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='india.gif' /><!--endemo--> Those of you who have thoughtful children between ages of 18-24, your children can contribute their thoughts to alleviate the poverty of India by writing an essay and the best can be rewarded by trip to UK(Uttarkhand), India. For details, visit:
www.newyorklife-india.com

[Guest]

Yawn...ho hum...for every one of these alleged "Hinduism is good onlee" articles, they trot out dozens of ones that talk about how backward 'hindoos' are and how they repress the 'daleets' by forcing them to be 'slumdogs' while forcing 'hindoo' women to commit 'suttee'.

Interesting anecdote at my friend's work. During the craze about slumdog millionaire, my friend's co-worker proudly stated that he grew up in those very slums as shown in the movie. Now, they call him slumdog to his face. It's all in *jest* ofcourse

[dhu]

<!--QuoteBegin-thayilv+Apr 30 2009, 05:19 AM-->QUOTE(thayilv @ Apr 30 2009, 05:19 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->It's all in *jest* ofcourse
[right][snapback]96780[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Or it's "realistic", do you have a problem with realism. Or we "love" you and we "care" about you, and we want to "save" you. This Orientalist genre has all the same characteristics as Gospels. When the objections come as to the causes of the degradation (ie Colonialism), they will point out "it is just a movie" and then re-engage within their theological dilemmas about how the movie explicates "Free will", all of which are secularized christian notions.

[Guest]

Note of Thanks

Dear Colleagues/Supporters:

This is just to express our gratitude for participating in the Rally Against Radical Islam organized by 35 organizations representing Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Moslem, Sikh and secular groups, under the banner of Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam in the heart of New York City at Times Square.

It is really a matter of great satisfaction that in spite of incessant torrential rains, hundreds of people gathered at Times Square to express their concern about the growing menace of radical Islamism all over the world.

We heartily appreciate your resolute determination, and congratulate you for the mission accomplished successfully.

It will also give you pleasure to know that the news about our Rally was broadcast by Fox News at 5:50 p.m. today.

Narain Kataria

President
Indian American Intellectuals Forum

[Guest]

<b>Up to 11 wounded in fight in Vienna temple</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->VIENNA – <b>Groups of rival worshippers at a Sikh temple in the Austrian capital pulled knives and at least one handgun in a mass fight Sunday, police and ambulance staff said. At least 11 people were wounded.</b>

Witnesses said the fight erupted after a<b> dispute over the sermon, given by a man identified by the Austria Press Agency as Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha</b>. Police said at least six men, one wielding a gun and the others knives, attacked the preacher. Others rushed to his aid, resulting in the melee.

Police spokesman Michael Takacs told APA that one of the attackers is in critical condition, while the wounds of the others were less serious. More people may have been slightly hurt and have run outside the temple before police arrived, he said.
Four ambulances and three medical helicopters transported the victims to the hospital.

The temple is situated in Vienna-Rudolfsheim, the capital's 15th district. Police cordoned off the area.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Not surprised, this is so-common. Every Bay Area Sikh Temple are happy fighters inside temple on small disputes.
Anyway, his followers joined hand with FOSA and Chatterjees against Hindu in CA text book issue. Genius told State Board during hearing that Brahmin make them eat dead animals.

[Guest]

<b>Police: Victim in Sikh temple shooting dies</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->VIENNA – Sikhs wielding knives and a handgun attacked two preachers at a rival temple in Vienna in a brawl that left one of the victims dead Monday and at least 15 others wounded, police said. A related clash later broke out in northern India.

,...............
Mohnder Ram, a worshipper who said he had lived in Vienna for decades and attended services at the temple every Sunday, said it is run by followers of Shri Guru Ravidas, a 14th-century founder of a Sikh sect called Dera Sach Khand.

In India, fighting between mainstream Sikhs and <b>followers of the guru broke out in the northern city of Jalandhar several hours after the Vienna clash, in what locals there described as an apparent reaction to the melee in the Austrian capital. Sanjiv Kalra, a senior police official at Jalandhar, said that protesters had set fire to a number of vehicles and erected several roadblocks across the city. He gave no other details.</b>

Witnesses in Vienna spoke of chaos.

"Everybody was praying and then it started with knives and a pistol," said Nermal Singh, barefooted, his shirt bloodied and his head bandaged from what he said was a knife wound.

Ram, 72, said, "I heard four to five shots" in the temple. "People started screaming, children were crying as they ran out
..........


<b>Witnesses said the perpetrators were fundamentalist Sikhs from a higher caste, who accused one or both of the preachers of being disrespectful of the Holy Book</b>. Indian news reports said the attackers were incensed that one of the preachers was given a ceremonial shawl considered a high Sikh honor.
...

The<b> Dera Sach Khand sect comprises mostly Sikhs belonging to the lower Dalit caste.</b>

There are several such Deras across the northern state of Punjab. While there are disagreements between the Deras and Sikh religious authorities, violent clashes are rare.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>Australian Govt vows action as another Indian student attacked</b>

[Guest]

INDIAN AMERICAN INTELLECTUALS FORUM
41-67 Judge Street (suite 5P)
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 478-5735/(718) 271-0453
Katarian@aol.com

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

May 27, 2009

AN APPEAL TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA;
PLEASE DO NOT JEOPARDIZE INDO-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP

Hon. President Obama:

We are a group of people organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York. Our aim is to strengthen and solidify Indo-American relationship.

It has been reported in media that United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (“USCIRF”) would be visiting India on June 15, 2009 to closely scrutinize the religious freedom in India, particularly in Gujarat and Orissa.

It is axiomatic that China and Iran are the worst violators of religious freedom. Religious freedom is nonexistent in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other Islamic nations. Sudan is indulging in egregious violation of religious freedom. Nigeria is one of the world’s worst abuser of religious freedom.

It is unfathomable and incomprehensive to figure out as to why USCIRF is going to India, the largest democratic country in the world having independent judicial systems and statutorily constituted Human Rights Commission to take care of human rights abuses of its citizens.

Improvement of our relationship with all the countries is the cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy under your administration. On one hand we have been trying to repair our relationship with all the nations of the world, particularly Moslem word ruled by religious bigots as kings and dictators, and on the other hand we are jeopardizing our relationship with the largest democracy in the world by sending a quasi-government body to investigate violation of religious freedom in Gujarat and Orissa. We believe that your decision to send USCIRF to India is not only unfair and unjustified but also illogical, inconsistent and injudicious. We also feel that it impinges on India’s sovereignty and could be construed as an undue interference in India’s internal affairs.

As you are well aware that staff members of this Commission are government employees. We are afraid that Indian people as a whole will feel deeply offended when they would come to know that a foreign government agency funded by U.S. administration has been sent to India with a pre-conceived agenda to malign them, degrade them and tarnish India’s image in the world.

While all over the word, particularly in the arc extending from Cairo to Jakarta, Islamists are chanting “Death to America”, India, besides Israel, is the only credible bastion of democracy and a reliable ally, where America is held in high esteem by more than 70% Indians. By sending a Government funded body to India to investigate religious rights violation, we would be sending a wrong message to Indian people. By casting aspersions on the integrity and governing system we could undermine Indo-American relationship beyond repair.

We should also note India is a very ancient country. Indian people are proud of their more than 5000 years of civilization, culture and philosophy. A country of the size of India cannot be expected to be subservient to any other country. It would be in our interest to treat India on par with Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China and not like Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Cuba or Venezuela.

Therefore, we request you to kindly ponder over your decision and stop sending USCIRF to India.


Respectfully yours,

Narain Kataria

President


Sent by E-mail, fax and certified mail.
Cc: U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Indian passengers complain of discrimination at Paris airport</b>
pioneer.com
PTI | Mumbai
A fortnight after over 50 Indian passengers alleged they were victims of racial profiling while flying Air France, ten Indians, travelling by the same airline, met a similar fate when they were stranded for an entire night in a Paris airport lounge.

<b>The Indians, flying to Mumbai from Washington via Paris, complained that they were confined to the lounge on Monday with just some water and a sandwich after their plane reached Paris late from Washington and they could not board the connecting flight to Mumbai.

The passengers of the flight AF025 alleged that while they had to remain at the airport, people with American passports were given transit visas, provided accomodation and taken care of.</b>

Complaining of discrimination and insensitivity towards them, a passenger Gwyneth Alphonso said, <b>"We were not put on the immediate connecting flight on the same day. We were told that we have to just adjust within the environment. (Those) who held American passports were given visas and accomodation and were taken care of. But we who had Indian passports were the only ones to be denied any kind of help at that place".</b>

The passengers said the airline extended an apology to the passengers through an SMS.

Over 50 Indian passengers had on May 12 accused Air France of 'racial' profiling at Paris airport where they were stuck while in transit after their aircraft developed a technical problem, a charge denied by the airline. The passengers said their plane had left Washington three hours behind schedule due to a technical problem and that they had barely 20 minutes in hand after arrival in Paris to take their connecting flight to Mumbai. They said they just could not make it to the contecting flight.

Another passenger Jagdish Patankar, who had to spent the night in the 'sanitised' area at the airport, said, "It shows total insensitivity towards the incidence. For six hours, we were in that area. We were provided with water, were not provided with juice or food or anything. We were all there just stranded."

The passengers said they were finally put on a flight to Mumbai after they protested.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It was not racial profiling but country profiling. They can get away because Indian Authorites never help its own citizens abroad. No body give damn.
Indian Embassies should rap these people but this can happen when they had time from family stuff.

[Guest]

<b>Indian passengers refuse Air France compensation, may move court</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The airline, while denying the charges, had regretted "any and all inconvenience caused to the passengers due to this incident" and <b>offered a non-refundable voucher of Rs 23,500 or Euro 350 per passenger as full and final settlement of the matter</b>.

"We have refused the offer and have written to the airline to duly compensate us, failing which we will be left with no option but to take to legal action," Gupta.

<b>According to him, the airline is liable to pay, by law, a cash compensation of Euro 650 to all passengers who were subjected to "ill-treatment and denied certain rights by Air France authorities</b>."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They are French . <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Guest]

To US NRI-

Summer reading for your 11+ yr kids.
-<b>A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity:</b> Bill O'Reilly
37 weeks on NY bestseller list.

Even good for parents, I enjoyed it very much. Bill is successful person from humble background. Full of good pointers to adjust in liberal society, deal with peer pressure, your own religion, lesson in US History and staying away from cool-culture (drugs, Alcohol, sex), dealing with bullies and biased teacher. No harm being Fresh mouth.

You can get book from local library.