NRI family booked in dowry case 
Abohar, October 17
The police have booked an NRI and his parents in a dowry case on the complaint of his wife Hunardeep Kaur Sidhu of Kothi Faiz in Abohar.

British Columbia Premier offers jobs to Punjabis
Chandigarh,October 12
British Columbia (Canada) Premier Christy Clark today offered to provide thousands of jobs to Punjabis in her state, provided they acquired the required skills to handle the task.

Centre notifies lifetime visa for PIO cardholders
New Delhi, October 2
Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) are now eligible for lifelong visa to visit India. The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the scheme that was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Madison Square Garden rally in the US a few days ago.

5 Punjabis in US jail ‘forced’ to call off stir
Chandigarh, October 2
Four of nine Punjabi youths lodged in Salt Lake city jail of the US, who are on an indefinite strike against “harassment” by the jail staff, have been shifted to solitary barracks. The remaining five were allegedly forced to call off strike by the jail authorities.

Modi ‘disappoints’ US Sikhs
Chandigarh, October 2
The seven million-strong Punjabi diaspora is elated over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative on life-long visa to Indian Americans. But Sikhs in North America are upset over his silence on hate crimes. They say the Sikhs have been living under the shadow of fear after the 9/11 attack.

20 Punjabi youths held in US shifted to Miami prison
Chandigarh, September 29
There seems to be no end to the problems of the 29 Punjabi youths detained in Utah jail in the US for the past seven months. At least 20 of these youths have now been shifted to Miami jail as an alleged result of their complaints against the jail officials. They had tried to sneak into the US through the Arizona border, but were captured by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement wing. They were later shifted from Arizona to Utah.

Sikh-Americans urge PM to resolve visa issues 
New York, September 28
A delegation of Sikh-Americans has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the hurdles faced by them while applying for visas or renewal of passports, particularly by those who had applied for political asylum in 1980s.

Modi meets eminent bizmen in New York 
New York, September 28 
A stable business environment and investment in human resources are some of the issues highlighted by a group of Indian-American corporate leaders during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who invited them to come to India and teach business and entrepreneurship.

‘Indians in Oz helped Amritsar brothers in laundering drugs money’ 
New Delhi, September 28 
The Amritsar-based brothers, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday for their alleged involvement in an international drug money laundering syndicate, purportedly asked young students, mostly from Punjab, to collect money in Australia.

Drug raids in Punjab, Australia; five held 
New Delhi, September 26
Cracking down on activities of money laundering linked with narcotics trade, authorities in India and Australia have moved in tandem to effect five arrests, three in India and two in Australia and seized cash and electronic material suspected to be related to the alleged crime.

663 NRIs on list of ‘wanted’, mostly for sham marriages 
Jalandhar, September 1 
The Punjab Police have declared 663 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) proclaimed offenders (PO) in matrimonial disputes and other criminal cases. Of the 27 police districts in Punjab, Doaba region, the hub of NRIs, accounts for more than half of the proclaimed offenders. Most of them have been declared wanted for solemnising sham marriages and ditching their spouses in Punjab.

Sikh hotelier Chatwal wants sentencing adjourned
New York, June 3
Lawyer for Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, who has pleaded guilty to illegally donating thousands of dollars to American political campaigns, has requested a US court to adjourn the sentencing date to October from July to prepare necessary legal brief.

Sikh gets over £18,000 for racial abuse
London, June 3
A British Sikh has been awarded over £18,000 as compensation by a Scottish tribunal for being degraded and racially abused by his Muslim boss and colleagues at work. Paramjit Singh, a forecourt cleaner at a garage in Greenock, Scotland, was called a "lazy low-caste Sikh" and forced to repeatedly carry out demeaning tasks. He was also abused for having a white British wife, with one co-worker saying: "I don't know how you can stay with a white woman. They're not clean and they don't know how to live," the Scottish Herald reported. — PTI

Garamendi, Meehan to head US-Sikh Caucus
Washington, May 23
The bipartisan American Sikh Congressional Caucus has announced the appointment of John Garamendi and Patrick Meehan as its new co-chairs. While Garamendi is from the Democratic party, Patrick Meehan represents the Republican party.

May 23, 2014

Cabbie to be deported for Australian’s rape
Sydney, May 22
An Australian court has ordered the deportation of a Punjabi-origin taxi driver after convicting him for indecently assaulting a woman passenger four years ago, a media report said.

Family files suit against police
Sacramento (California), April 6
The family of Parminder Shergill, an Army veteran, who was shot dead by police officers on January 26, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city and the police.

Parminder Shergill

Punjabi politician in UK under fire over rifle pic
London, April 1
An Indian-origin magistrate and local politician in the UK is under pressure to step down from his posts after he was pictured holding an assault rifle.

'84 riots case: US court wants to see Sonia’s passport
New York, March 21
A US court has ordered Congress president Sonia Gandhi to provide a copy of her passport as documentary evidence by April 7 to determine if she was in America last September when a Sikh rights group claims to have served summons on her in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

India lauds US backing for Sikhs in military
Washington, March 19
India has welcomed the move by more than 100 US lawmakers, asking Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel to allow Sikhs to serve in the American armed forces with their articles of faith such as turbans and beard.

March 15, 2014

Sikh 'hakeem' shot dead in Pakistan
Peshawar, March 14
A prominent Sikh "hakeem" (medical practitioner) and his assistant were gunned down in a busy market in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Four gunmen stormed in Paramjeet Singh's clinic in Shabqadar Bazaar in Charsadda district yesterday and killed him and his assistant Zahid Khan. Eye witnesses said the killers went away on foot after the incident. No terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Man jailed for hitting wife in Singapore
Singapore, March 14
An Indian-origin man in Singapore has been jailed for 12 weeks for hitting his wife with a motorcycle exhaust pipe, breaking her collarbone and left finger after he suspected she had an affair with someone.

Man cleared of kirpan attack charges in UK
London, March 13
A British court has cleared a 60-year-old Sikh man of charges of allegedly attacking a drinker with a kirpan or ceremonial sword. Snaresbrook Crown Court Tuesday found Bagicha Singh not guilty of assaulting Pritpal Singh, 30, with the kirpan, the Ilford Recorder reported Thursday. Both the defendant and the victim are from Ilford in the Greater London region.

Man in NZ held guilty of rape
Wellington, March 13
A Sikh man in New Zealand has been found guilty of domestic violence and rape by a court. The man, from Hastings in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island, was held guilty by a jury at the Napier district court Wednesday on multiple counts of rape, assault and threatening to kill his wife in 2012, the Hawke's Bay Today reported Thursday. He cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim.

Cong seeks dismissal of lawsuit filed in US
New York, March 7
The Congress has approached a US court here seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a Sikh rights group over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying American courts do not have subject matter jurisdiction over the case.

March 7, 2014

Punjabi shot dead in the Philippines
Manila, March 6
An Indian businessman has been shot dead in the Philippines by two unidentified gunmen, the third such incident in less than three months involving Indian nationals.

Man stabs compatriot  in Britain
London, March 6
An elderly Sikh man stabbed a compatriot in Britain with his kirpan or ceremonial sword, a court has heard.

March 5, 2014

Indo-Canadian is Miss Canada 
Canada, March 4
An Indo-Canadian girl, who is a first-year nursing student at the University of Windsor, has won the prestigious crown of Miss Canada 2014.

Sikh bus driver wins turban suit
London, February 26
A Sikh bus driver in Finland has been granted the right to wear turban at work. Gill Sukhdarshan Singh was in a dispute with his employer, Veolia Transport, in the city of Vantaa for more than a year over the issue, Yle, a Finnish public broadcasting company, reported on Tuesday. Gill’s dispute with Veolia Transport was resolved after an agreement between the transport workers’ union and the employers' organisation. Now, Sikhs would be able to wear either their own turbans or those provided by their employer, the report said. "I can wear my turban at work now and that's the important thing," Gill said. — IANS

Panel takes notice of attack on student in Oz
Hoshiarpur, February 21
The State Human Rights Commission has taken suo-motu cognisance of the attack on Indian student Manrajwinder Singh in Melbourne, Australia. A human rights body, Centre for Human Rights Training and Research Association, had complained to the panel.

Punjabi convicted of poll fraud in NZ
Melbourne, February 20
A Sikh leader has been sentenced by a New Zealand court to community detention and community work for forging poll documents in a bid to win a local body election three years ago.

Couple seeks help to avoid deportation
Wellington, February 20
An Indian couple in New Zealand facing deportation has approached a local Member of Parliament (MP) for help.

Another concession to Sikhs in the US
Washington, February 19
A Sikh American has won a legal victory in the US state of Minnesota, allowing Sikhs to wear their turbans in driving licence identification photographs. The major legal victory for Sikh Americans came yesterday when Jatinder Singh of Blaine, Minnesota and SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) succeeded in challenging Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services' (DVS) driver's licence policy.

UK Sikh hits Rs 2.5 cr jackpot
London, February 13
A British Sikh man has become a "crorepati" overnight after he won the £2,50,000 jackpot on a television game show here.

February 12, 2014

Satguru’s attacker claims he was sexually abused  
London, February 11 
A Sikh man on trial for the attempted murder of Namdhari sect leader Satguru Uday Singh in Britain has claimed that it was a revenge attack over being sexually abused by the guru 20 years ago. Harjit Singh Toor (27), a non-Namdhari Sikh, appeared before the Birmingham Crown Court this week as jurors were shown video footage of the moment he pulled out a 3-foot axe from his shawl during morning prayers at a gurdwara in Leicester last August. The Namdhari leader suffered a broken arm and a cut nose when he tried to shield himself from the blows in front of horrified worshippers.

Sikh charity leads flood rescue efforts 
London, February 11 
A British Sikh charity set up to help victims in foreign disaster zones has become one of the first NGOs to despatch humanitarian aid to people affected by floods in southwestern England.

February 10, 2014

US war veteran cremated with military honours
Sacramento/California, February 9
The funeral of Gulf War veteran Parminder Singh Shergill, whom the police shot dead near his house on January 26, was held with full military honours today. Hundreds of members of the Sikh community gathered to mourn his death.

Court orders compensation for Hindus attacked in B’desh
Dhaka, February 9
A Bangladeshi court today ordered the government to pay over Taka 4.34 million as compensation to Hindu families who were attacked for an alleged blasphemous post on a popular social networking site.

February 7, 2014

2 Punjabi-origin men jailed in UK for attack on 80-year-old
London, February 6
Two Indian-origin robbers have been sentenced to nearly four years in prison each in Britain for brutally attacking a frail 80-year-old man.

Indian-origin lawyer eyes US Congress seat
New York, February 6
An Indian-American patent lawyer, vying for a congressional seat in the Silicon Valley, has been endorsed by top executives from technology giants such as Google, as he seeks to oust a seven-term Democrat endorsed by President Barack Obama.

Malaysia urged to stop Indian’s execution
Kuala Lumpur, February 6
A Malaysian-Indian NGO today made a last-minute appeal to the government to stop the execution of an ethnic Indian man who has been convicted of murder, saying the death sentence was incompatible with human rights and dignity.

February 6, 2014

Special to the tribune
Op Bluestar: Sikhs outraged over UK Govt’s disclosure
Nearly half a million British Sikhs are poised for political retaliation against UK Conservatives following confirmation that London offered military advice to India before the Operation Bluestar.

US court rejects Sikh body’s plea
New York, February 5
A US court here has rejected a request by a Sikh rights group seeking more time to respond to a motion filed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi to dismiss a human rights violation case against her in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots brought by the group.

Punjabi couple in Italy held for killing woman
Rome, February 4
An Indian couple in Italy has been arrested for allegedly killing their flat-mate, an Iranian national, and dumping her naked body, stuffed in a suitcase, in a Venetian canal. Rajeshwar Singh, 29, and Gagandeep Kaur, 30, shared an apartment in Milan with the victim, 29-year-old Mahfab Ahadsavoji, whose body was found off the island of Lido last week and identified through fingerprints.

Punjabi moneylenders in Manila lead a dangerous life
Jalandhar, February 3
Several Punjabis have been murdered in the Philippines in recent years. Most of them were moneylenders. Kulwinder Singh of Dangian village near Jagraon, Ludhiana, was killed in Manila some days ago. Kulwant Singh of Maheshwari Sandhuan village in Moga district was murdered on January 6. “We have taken up the issue with the Centre,” said DS Bains, Principal Secretary, Home, Punjab.

Indian-origin man held for murder
Toronto, February 3
An Indian-origin man in Canada has been arrested and charged with stabbing to death a gangster.

Countries have benefited from diaspora: MP 
Patiala, February 3
The contribution of the Punjabi diaspora in terms of adding value to foreign countries was appreciated on the opening day of a three-day conference on “Interface between the Diaspora abroad and at Home, at Punjabi University here today.

Indian-origin workers win in UK unfair dismissal case 
London, February 1
Three Indian-origin men, who were sacked by their employer in the UK over claims they took bribes for jobs, have won their case of unfair dismissal.

Candlelight vigil for slain army veteran in New York
New York, February 1
The family and friends of an Indian-origin man in California, who was killed in a police firing, gathered at a candlelight vigil in his memory.

Woman walks free in UK fraud case
London, February 1
An Indian-origin woman in the UK accused of conspiring with a former police officer to steal and sell accident victims' details has walked free after a jury failed to reach a verdict.

January 31, 2014

Sikhs be given fair chance to serve in US military: Major Kalsi
Washington, January 30
One of the three Sikhs serving in the US military has appealed to authorities to amend policies so that the community members get a fair chance to serve in the armed forces without compromising their religion.

Sikh Eco Day on March 14
Chandigarh, January 30 EcoSikh, a US-based International Ecology organisation, will celebrate March 14 as the 'Sikh Environment Day'. The aim is create awareness about the traditional teachings on nature preservation in Sikhism.

US Sikh rights group to subpoena Rahul
New York, January 30
A Sikh rights group that has filed human rights violation cases against the Congress party and its leader Sonia Gandhi said it would subpoena the party's vice president Rahul Gandhi before a US court in the 1984 anti-Sikh rights lawsuit. This demand has been strongly rejected by the political party's attorney here. Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) said it decided to subpoena Gandhi after he said in a televised interview that "some Congress men were probably involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and that they had been punished for it".

January 30, 2014

US court to hear Cong’s plea in rights violation suit
New York, January 29
A US court will hear on March 19 a motion filed by the Congress seeking dismissal of a human rights violation lawsuit against it in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Phoolka deserves SAD ticket: NRIs
Vancouver, January 29
A section of the Punjabi diaspora has urged the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal to allot a Lok Sabha ticket to senior human rights lawyer HS Phoolka in the larger interest of the community. The demand has come after there were reports that he was being fielded as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Punjab in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Murder accused appears in UK court
London, January 29
An Indian-origin woman charged with the murder of her three-year-old son has made a second private appearance in a Scottish court. Rosdeep Kular (33) appeared in a private hearing yesterday at the Edinburgh Sheriff's Court. She is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice in connection with the death of Mikaeel Kular.

sexual assault case
Ex-Jathedar's son deported from Canada
Amritsar, January 28
Ajai Singh, son of former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Puran Singh, has been deported from Canada after serving a sentence of 90 days for sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl there last year.

Canadians to benefit from India’s fast-track visa regime
Toronto, January 27
The Indian consulate here has taken various steps to make its visa regime more transparent and prompt to accelerate air travel, tourism, social, cultural and economic ties between the two countries, Consul General Akhilesh Mishra has said.

Lightning strikes London gurdwara; devotees unhurt
London, January 27
Worshippers had a miraculous escape as a lightning strike destroyed the roof of a gurdwara in the British city of Leicester only 30 minutes after the building had been full of people.

Sonia won’t depose in US court: Attorney
New York, January 27
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will not depose here in a human rights violation lawsuit filed against her by a Sikh rights group, her attorney has said. Responding to a demand made by the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gandhi's attorney Ravi Batra said she would not depose in the case.

Punjabi singer bags lifetime award in UK
London, January 27
Punjabi singer and actor Sukshinder Shinda has been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Punjabi Circle International during a cultural event here.

Britain to scrap turban ban at high-risk workplaces
London, January 25
Britain is set to scrap a ban on turbans at high-risk workplaces next week, a move that some Sikh groups see as a “sweetener” to deal with the fallout of the Margaret Thatcher government's alleged role in Operation Bluestar in 1984.

Two youths to stand trial for rape in Oz
Melbourne, January 24
Two men accused of blackmailing, abducting and raping an Australian woman will stand trial at a court in Canberra.

Faith factor: US military eases regulations on turbans, beards
Sacramento, January 23
The US military has eased its uniform rules giving troops greater freedom to wear turbans, head scarves, yarmulkes and other religious clothing.

immigration fraud
19 suspects held in UK
London, January 22
Nineteen people were arrested on Tuesday in a series of raids with regard to a suspected immigration scam. It is being suspected that Indians are brought to the UK as Sikh religious preachers, who later disappear.

NRIs can apply for LPG connection
Chandigarh, January 22
Following a complaint filed by two Non-resident Indians, the Punjab State Commission for NRIs today said the complainants could avail LPG gas connection as the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas had informed it that foreign nationals, Persons of Indian Origins (PIOs) and NRIs were eligible for the same.

January 22, 2014

Youth found dead in Philadelphia
New York, January 21
An Indian-American youth, who found his parents shot dead in their home seven years ago, was found dead in Philadelphia.

Woman charged with son's murder on suicide watch
London, January 21
An Indian-origin woman charged with the murder of her three-year-old son is on suicide watch in a prison in Scotland.

NRIs seek visas for political refugees
New Delhi, January 21
Members of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) based in United States today met Union Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi and raised the matter of issuance of Indian visas and passports to those who had sought political asylum in the US.

 

January 20, 2014

Sikh mother in UK charged with 3-year-old son’s death
London, January 19
In a case that has shaken up the UK, an Indian-origin mother has been charged with the death of her three-year-old son, who mysteriously disappeared from his home in Scotland last week.

Sikh leader killed in Kabul held high posts
Islamabad, January 18
A British politician of Indian origin was among 21 people killed in a Taliban suicide attack on a popular restaurant in the Afghan capital.

special to the sunday tribune
Indian-origin UK leader dead in attack
The Labour Party has confirmed that a UK-born NRI, Dalvinder Singh, is among those killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul on Friday night. Dalvinder, popularly known as Del and who had worked for development projects in Asia and Africa, was also a Labour Party candidate for the next European parliament elections.

Another Punjabi youth shot dead in Philippines
Jagraon, January 16
A Punjabi youth was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Manila, capital of the Philippines, yesterday. This is the second such incident this month.

special to the tribune
Cameron rejects conspiracy theory on Operation Bluestar
British Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected any “conspiracy theory” that the prospects of a lucrative commercial deal may have influenced the British government’s decision in 1984 to supply specialist military help for the storming of the Golden Temple.


David Cameron, British pm

UK’s MI-5 officers visited Golden Temple: RAW officer’s book
New Delhi, January 15
Former Additional Director of the Research & Analysis Wing B Raman notes in his memoirs that at the request of the then RAW Chief RN Kao, two officers of the British Security Service (MI-5) had visited the Golden Temple as tourists and advised then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to be patient and avoid action or use of police force.

Alberta Premier keen on economic ties with state govt
Amritsar, January 15
Canada’s Alberta Province Premier Alison Redford has said that her state is keen on strengthening economic ties with India, particularly Punjab, through industry-to-industry linkages, knowledge sharing and increased trade and investment.

special to The Tribune
Cameron orders probe into Thatcher link
Sikh diaspora expresses outrage, presses for full disclosures
British Prime Minister David Cameron has asked his Cabinet Secretary to urgently look into the government's role in the events which led to the military operation at the Golden Temple in 1984 and establish the facts, said a foreign office spokesman. The documents — suggesting that the Margaret Thatcher government helped India plan Operation Bluestar — have proven deeply embarrassing for the British Government.

Student assaulted in Oz undergoes successful surgery 
Hoshiarpur, January 13
An Indian commerce student, who was brutally assaulted in Melbourne, Australia, on December 29 last year, underwent a successful jaw surgery today.

Oberoi meets families of youths in Abu Dhabi jail
Hoshiarpur, January 13
Dubai-based businessman SPS Oberoi, who is known for paying blood money for release of Indians sentenced to death in Dubai, today met the families of 16 Indian youths lodged in the Abu Dhabi jail for over a month after being detained for interrogation on November 30.

US Sikh commerce chamber opens centre in Chandigarh 
Chandigarh, January 12
The American-Punjabi community opened the India centre of Sikh American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) in the city today.

Punjab Diaspora Special: nri sammelan
CM seeks greater partnership
Anandpur Sahib, January 10
 With only negligible foreign investment coming to Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, addressing the NRI Sammelan here today, said the entire exercise would be worth the effort even if one major project came to Punjab every year. As many as 450 delegates from 15 countries participated.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the NRI Sammelan at Anandpur Sahib on Friday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Soon, platform for US Sikhs keen to invest in state
Chandigarh, January 10
The Punjabi diaspora from North America plans to set up a platform for American Sikhs looking to invest in Punjab. This group of American Sikh businessmen, under the aegis of Sikh American Chamber of Commerce (SACC), will aid Indian youth looking at establishing a foothold in the US.

Deserted wives feel let down
Jalandhar, January 10
Deserted, let down and cash-starved, over 3,500 NRI wives in the state have flayed the NRI Privilege Card Scheme of the state government. Resentful of the elaborate arrangements made to woo NRIs at the NRI Sammelan, they have accused the state government of ignoring them and extending benefits to offenders of the state. They also demanded that the registration for the NRI Special Privilege Card be stopped immediately.

NRI engineer reinvents sewage disposal at his native village
Sanghe Khalsa (Jalandhar), January 10
A qualified civil engineer from the UK, Nirmal Singh, has become a popular figure not just in his native Sanghe Khalsa village but also in nearly 73 villages of Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

nri meet
Modi takes a dig at PM
Says good days are just 4-6 months away
New Delhi, January 9
Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was clearly the toast of the Indian diaspora on the concluding day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) today as he mocked at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the latter’s remark yesterday that the country could look forward to better times.

Hooda wants diaspora to invest in Haryana
New Delhi, January 9
Haryana today showcased its investment potential to Non Resident Indians attending the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here today. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda called upon the Indian diaspora to become “partners” in the growth model of Haryana. Inviting the Indians living abroad to Haryana to see the development of the state, Hooda said the state was according special facilitation to them.

Meet ends; Prez hails NRIs’ contribution
New Delhi, January 9
The 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas concluded today with President Pranab Mukherjee hailing the contribution of Non-Resident Indians in the growth and development of the country. “The government will continue to actively engage with the overseas Indian community and explore all possible avenues to make them valued partners in building a strong and prosperous India,” Mukherjee said at the concluding ceremony of the three-day meet.

Punjab Diaspora Special
sammelan today
NRIs sceptical of state govt efforts
Chandigarh, January 9
Though most Non Resident Indians (NRIs) from the state appreciate the efforts of the state government to resolve their various problems, they feel much more needs to be done to encourage them to invest here.

philippines murders
Despite direction, govt fails to form probe panel
Jalandhar, January 9
The state government has failed to form a three-member committee to probe the murder of Punjabi NRIs in Philippines even though the state NRI Commission Chairman Justice (retd) Arvind Kumar had recommended it to do so. The NRI Commission had directed the government to form the committee after taking suo motu cognisance of reports of 500 Punjabi NRIs being killed in Philippines in August last year.

Will set up football league at my village: Canadian MP
Jalandhar, January 9
Canadian MP Jasbir Sandhu, who is here to attend the forthcoming NRI Sammelan in Jalandhar, wants to contribute in developing his native village, Rurka Kalan. He has been providing financial support to popular Youth Football Club at the village, where he spent the first 12 years of his life.

Invest in health sector: Chowdhary
Hoshiarpur: At the NRI Sammelan, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Santosh Chowdhary, today urged NRIs to invest in healthcare services in the country. She said the 80 billion dollar healthcare industry in the country, was expected to be worth 160 billion dollars by 2017.

Better times ahead, PM assures diaspora
Opens NRI jamboree, says India’s growth rate healthy
New Delhi, January 8
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today formally launched the 12th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, asking the Indian diaspora not to be unduly concerned about the future of Indian economy and social challenges.

NRI court on anvil: Govt 
New Delhi, January 8
The state government today announced that it was all set to establish an exclusive court for NRIs. It also asked the Centre to launch a global sensitisation drive to educate the world about the identity of Sikhs to save them from hate crimes.

Khaira asks NRIs to boycott meet
Jalandhar, January 8
Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Congress spokesperson, has urged the NRIs to boycott the NRI Sammelan at Anandpur and Jalandhar as a mark of protest against NRI Minister Bikram Singh Majithia who is facing accusations of drug trafficking.

Toothless NRI police wing has a long way to go
Jalandhar/Mohali, January 8
Though the NRI police wing set up by the state government has brought some relief to NRIs, it still has a long way to go. The much publicised project functions on an ad-hoc basis and is yet to be fully institutionalised. In the absence of any international alliance, the wing is not able to work in the extra-territorial jurisdiction, hence failing to bring the NRIs declared as Public Offenders (POs) into its net. 

Police personnel at the NRI police station in Mohali on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

List of POs residing abroad has been pruned, says IGP Deo
Chandigarh, January 8
Updating the list of Proclaimed Offenders (POs) residing in foreign countries, the NRI police wing has deleted at least 184 of the 844 names.

investment initiatives
Red-tape, lack of transparency biggest hurdles for NRIs
Jalandhar, January 8
Even as the state government has all of a sudden started wooing NRIs by promoting its matching grant schemes through the web portal, the NRIs, who have been investing here, rue prevalence of red-tape in government departments, lack of transparency on the part of the administration and the absence of a system to monitor the status of works initiated by them and utilisation of funds through the web.

indians in nigeria jail
Human rights body asks NRI panel to intervene
Hoshiarpur, January 8
The Centre for Human Rights Initiative, Training and Research Association (CHITRA), an NGO dedicated to human rights, has urged the state NRI Commission to intervene in the matter related to the alleged harassment of Indians in a Nigeria jail.

Corruption, atrocities against women, worry NRIs
New Delhi, January 7
The three-day ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ (PBD) began here today with some Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) expressing concern over continuing corruption in India and atrocities against women.

Punjabis in search of their Punjab
NRIs in Punjab face peculiar problems and fear of exploitation keeps expatriate Punjabis from investing in industry in Punjab
Harjap Singh Aujla
Most NRIs are very genuinely reluctant to visit Punjab. According to their perception and actual experiences, the crime as reported abroad in the newspapers and Punjabi television channels, is simply too much in the state and that scares them from visiting their villages.

tribune special
NRI fast-track courts stuck in slow lane
Jalandhar, January 7
Speedy disposal of their legal matters in exclusive courts has been a long-pending demand of the NRIs belonging to Punjab.

Month on, Hayre fails to join as NRI panel member
Jalandhar, January 7
More than a month after his appointment to the Punjab State Commission for NRIs as a member on December 4, former NRI Sabha chairman Kamaljit Hayre is yet to assume charge.

NRI projects under RTS Act soon 
Chandigarh, January 7
To expedite clearance to proposals from NRIs for developmental projects in their native villages, the Punjab Government has decided to cover all such cases under the Right to Service (RTS) Act.

Canadian minister visits Pingalwara
Amritsar, January 7
Canadian Minister Tim Uppal along with his family visited the main branch of the Pingalwara Charitable Society here today. He said it was his second visit and that he was impressed with the services being provided by the society to vulnerable persons.

 

January 7, 2014

tribune special
NRI fraud marriages still a knotty affair 
Chandigarh, January 6
Getting runaway NRI grooms back to Punjab for any settlement with victim brides continues to be the biggest unfinished agenda for the Punjab State Commission for NRIs more than two years after it started functioning in November 2011.

Humiliation at IGI: Months on, doc in US awaits justice 
Jalandhar, January 6
Memories of his detention and humiliation by Immigration and police officials continues to haunt California-based Dr Harmandeep Rai (38). He is scared of revisiting India for fear of being implicated in a false case.

Prominent invitees at Sammelan
Chandigarh, January 6
At least three Union Ministers from Canada, including Tim Uppal, Bal Gosal and Manmeet Gosal, will be participating in the NRI Sammelan, an official press release said here today.

Portal for NRIs launched
Chandigarh, January 6
On the pattern of NRI police stations working independently of normal policing in districts, the Punjab Government has initiated the process of instituting separate courts for handling civil cases of NRIs.

tribune special
Amend rent Act, demands NRI body
Says only then can the community members expect speedy resolution of their property disputes
On the eve of the two-day NRI Sammelan being organised by the Punjab Government on January 10 and 11, The Tribune takes a look at some of the issues concerning the NRIs from the region. The Tribune reporters find out if the promises made by the government last year have been fulfilled. Here is the first report of the series. 
Jalandhar, January 5
A few days ahead of the two-day NRI Sammelan, the Punjab NRI Sabha has demanded further amendments in the existing laws to ensure speedy resolution of property disputes of the community members.

Indian on Interpol list for wife's murder
Singapore, January 4
An Indian, the husband of a beautician whose decapitated body was found in a canal in Singapore, is now on Interpol's wanted list.

Attack on student: Oz teen gets bail
Melbourne, January 3
A 16-year-old boy, who was charged with attacking a Sikh youth in Australia, was granted bail after he briefly appeared in a court on Friday. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was granted bail a day after a 17-year-old was remanded in custody in connection with the attack on Manriajwinder Singh in Melbourne on December 29.

Sikh family injured in accident in NZ
Melbourne, January 3
Eight persons of a Sikh family, including a six-month-old boy, were injured when their van plunged 15 metres down a cliff in New Zealand yesterday morning, turning their “celebration” trip into a tragedy. The family was going to Hawke's Bay from the Auckland Airport when the accident took place.

Indians lodged in Nigerian jail being ‘harassed’ 
Hoshiarpur, January 2 
Indians lodged in a Nigerian jail are on the verge of dying. They hardly get meal once a day and there is no medication in case anyone falls ill. The abject misery that befell on 10 Indians, including two Punjabis, have been laid threadbare in a letter by Capt Shailesh Kumar Singh, captain of the Indian crew, to the Indian Government. He has sent the letter to the family of Gagan Kumar of Hoshiarpur, one of the two Punjabi lodged in the Nigerian jail. The other youth is from Gurdaspur.

Smartphones enhance attention: US Sikh scientist 
New York, January 2 
Smartphones, often billed as distractors, can actually help enhance attention and mindfulness, claims an Indian-American researcher. Jasprit Singh, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at University of Michigan, has suggested that smartphones can enhance mindfulness, help users stay attentive and achieve particular goals while at work or home.

Grief, shock at killed NRI’s village 
Phagwara, January 2 
The native village of NRI Jaspal Singh (45), who was shot dead in Bakersfield by the California police officer on Sunday, was in mourning on Thursday. Relatives and family friends of the NRI were in a state of shock at Bharo Majra village.

Former Babbar Khalsa leader hauled before Canadian refugee board
Toronto, January 1
A former leader of the banned Babbar Khalsa terrorist group has been ordered to appear at an immigration hearing to decide whether he should be admissible into Canada. Gurmej Singh Gill arrived in Vancouver to visit relatives in late November and was to return to his home in the British city of Birmingham December 22.