FUND FOR CITIZENS IN DISTRESS

India’s Union Cabinet approved setting up Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in Indian missions in 17 countries to meet contingency expenses for welfare of overseas Indian citizens who are in distress. The proposed fund is aimed at providing boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indian workers in domestic sector and unskilled laborers, extending emergency medical care to those in need, providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians in need, providing initial legal assistance to the overseas Indians in deserving cases and expenditure on airlifting the mortal remains to India or local cremation/burial of deceased overseas Indians in such cases where a sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost. Overseas Indian workers duped by unscrupulous intermediaries in the host countries, runaway house maids, those who become victims of accidents, deserted spouses of overseas Indians or undocumented overseas Indian workers in need of emergency assistance or any other overseas Indian citizens who are in distress would be the main beneficiaries of the fund. I think this is an excellent measure on the part of the government of India. Hope of better life abroad lures thousands of Indians living in substandard conditions in India to venture out but not all get lucky and are compelled to deal with some harsh realities of settling elsewhere. At least a measure like this will empower them to head back to their country of origin, back to their near and dear ones.
–J D Khatod, Oregon

‘AUSTERITY DRIVE’ A BIG SHAM

The recent austerity drive undertaken by the Congress has more to do with publicity than cutting costs and being more accountable with public money. This is just a political stunt for the Gandhis. Why did they have to announce his itinerary to gain cheap publicity? Mrs Gandhi and her colleagues know quite well that there are plenty of avenues, which attract wasteful expenditure by the state & central government, politicians and bureaucrats. Tharoor and S M Krishna should have been long asked to vacate rooms in 5-star hotels. After all it was India’s taxpayer’s money they were spending. Why are these politicians paid so much when all they do is pass "cattle remarks". India is facing heavy inflation and it is the government’s responsibility to curtail it before people bear the brunt of wrong policies.
- Anand Desai, New Jersey

INDIA’S NO TO NPT

India has refused to abide by the UN Security Council resolution asking all non- NPT nations to sign the pact, saying it cannot accept the "externally prescribed norms or standards" on issues that are contrary to its national interests or infringe on its sovereignty. India maintained that it cannot join the NPT as a non-weapon country even as it reiterated its commitment to no testing and no-first-use besides non-discriminatory universal non-proliferation. PM Manmohan Singh said, "There is no question of India joining the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state. Nuclear weapons are an integral part of India’s national security and will remain so, pending non-discriminatory and global nuclear disarmament." He said India "cannot accept externally prescribed norms or standards on matters within the jurisdiction of its Parliament or which are not consistent with India’s constitutional provisions and procedures, or are contrary to India’s national interests or infringe on its sovereignty." It was indeed commendable on India’s part to refuse to sign a treaty which limits its defenses against power trying to break it. It’s mandatory for India to develop sophisticated nuclear weapons given the cross border threats. And every country has a right to protect itself especially when it is positioned in such a vulnerable part of the world, surrounded by countries which have waged several wars with it and funds and supports terrorism activities on its soil against India.
- S.Murlidharan, California