India-US Strategic News and Discussion

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 13 Jun 2011 02:38

Cosmo_R wrote:

Second, the TIE view will be that if the BI Centers serve to improve, institutionalize and deepen US-India interaction at the strategic community level, that it's a good thing. If you mean they might knowingly 'front' to further the US agenda at the expense of India, IMVH, you'd be wrong.

It does not work this way. All of these centers will become the tools of US depts and they will use it.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 13 Jun 2011 03:30

Acharya wrote:
Cosmo_R wrote:

Second, the TIE view will be that if the BI Centers serve to improve, institutionalize and deepen US-India interaction at the strategic community level, that it's a good thing. If you mean they might knowingly 'front' to further the US agenda at the expense of India, IMVH, you'd be wrong.
It does not work this way. All of these centers will become the tools of US depts and they will use it.

I guess the PRC then is first on the chopping block. When the tools are used against them we can learn no?

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 13 Jun 2011 03:52

I have done very basic study on the PRC approach. They have US institutional support from the days of Deng and even ads from PRC and their news are reported in the MSM. Academic connection and support program are actively supported by US universities which are also extension of the agencies.

Indian academic connections in US are from the colonial paradigm and these are garbage. Indology and sociology are the vestiges of the British studies on India and are totally against the nationhood of independent India. India is seen from the oriental scholarship of the colonial era. Social engineering is the main objective of the India studies programs.

BTW I met recently one of the distant nephew of Deng Xi Peng and he told lot of stories of the family during the Japanese war and split of the Chang Kai Shek to Taiwan. His few Uncles also followed him to Taiwan.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 13 Jun 2011 05:16

USA survey on Indian Muslim mindset

Mystery surrounds an American agency carrying out a survey in different parts of India to know the Muslim mind on some sensitive issues like placing Sharia over the Indian laws, what role Islam should play in the political life of India and whether Islam is under any serious threats.

The agency quietly conducted the survey in 54 cities and towns, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad and it would have gone unnoticed but for some in a Muslim locality of Thiruvananthapuram becoming suspicious in March.

They nabbed and handed over to police five surveyors going around with a 93-page questionnaire and paying Rs 30 to the respondent agree to reply.

The Kerala High Court has now ordered an investigation to nail the people behind the mischievous survey after the Intelligence Bureau (IB) played clueless about the exercise going on in the country for the past six months.

The survey was being conducted by TNS (Taylor Nelson Sofres) India, a research company claiming a global network in over 75 countries. It has claimed that the survey was undertaken at the instance of Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRA), a US research firm specialising in socio-politico research.

It sought to wriggle out stating that only around 590 out of 6000 persons interviewed across the country, that is less than 12 per cent, were Muslims. It insisted that there is no communal angle to the survey, basically meant to learn and understand attitudes, opinions and values of people around the world. The survey is being conducted in more than 20 countries, it said.

Kerala Police Cheif Jacob Punnose says the survey had communal overtones and hence a case has been filed against TNS India for asking communally sensitive questions. "We have decided to file a case of 153(a) under Indian Penal Code (IPC) which relates to the charge of promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion and race.

Of course, there are some questions that are US-centric like whether American ways of doing business are good, whether American efforts to spread democracy around the world are bad and to what extent agree or disagree that United States is anti-Muslim.

If one says in affirmative that US is anti-Muslim, the questionnaire asks why such a view. Is it because US kills Muslims or carries out war on terror and war in Iraq and Afghanistan, or because it is trying to control and dominate the Muslim world, or it works against Muslim interests, disrespects Islam and supports Israel.

There are also questions like which country offers the best model for governing a Muslim country and listed among them are Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey or any other, in that order. The survey goes on to ask which countries offer the next best model for governing a Muslim country, running the same list of the countries.

Yet another question seeks opinion on some of the top Islamic leaders including Osama bin Laden, Pakistan President Zardari, Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina, Saudi King Abdullah and Iran President Ahmadi

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 13 Jun 2011 06:05

Acharya wrote:I have done very basic study on the PRC approach. They have US institutional support from the days of Deng and even ads from PRC and their news are reported in the MSM. Academic connection and support program are actively supported by US universities which are also extension of the agencies.

Indian academic connections in US are from the colonial paradigm and these are garbage. Indology and sociology are the vestiges of the British studies on India and are totally against the nationhood of independent India. India is seen from the oriental scholarship of the colonial era. Social engineering is the main objective of the India studies programs.

BTW I met recently one of the distant nephew of Deng Xi Peng and he told lot of stories of the family during the Japanese war and split of the Chang Kai Shek to Taiwan. His few Uncles also followed him to Taiwan.

And...?

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 13 Jun 2011 07:37

ramana wrote:Henry Kissinger was interviewed on BookTV After Words segment by Monica Crowley of Fox news. After the whole interview, she asked what is the biggest challenge in the future? He said some stuff but what he last caught my ear. He said it was important for the world system to appear just or countries wont opt in and will pull it down.

Something the US should think about while protecting the TSP terror apparatus.

interesting. previously, US simply ridiculed and cornered/isolated whoever didn't join in the Anglo-Saxon world order. but nowadays, we have one of the most highly regarded men of US Establishment saying that the system must "look" and "feel" just or countries won't opt in. there is a subtle shift. now they have to actually put some effort to bring in countries, that is what I believe he is saying.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 13 Jun 2011 11:43

Cosmo_R wrote:
And...?

PRC model has nothing for India.

abhischekcc · Post by **abhischekcc** » 13 Jun 2011 15:55

devesh, there is nothing new in that approach. It has been standard western practice since the Greek/Roman times. Look at how lofty their philosophies were and then look at how 90% of the population in those 'countries' was made of slaves. These two things - philosophy that expounds freedom and an eco-political system that profits from destroying freedom - have co-existed in the western system for as long as the west has existed.

They have learnt that guilt free exploitation requires the mastery of the art of cover up. This is the role of the so called standards such as 'democracy', 'human rights', etc. The west has always practiced subterfuge and genocide as the two arms of their culture.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 13 Jun 2011 16:02

Constitution Party Calls Hindu God "Demon," Protests Art Display

The leader of the Kootenai County Constitution Party says people should be outraged by a statue of a Hindu god that's now on display on Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene.
At 5:30 p.m. Friday Christians were encouraged to protest the dedication of the new art on loan program ArtCurrents. On the Kootenai County Constitution Party's website, they called the sculpture of the Hindu god a demon.
A handful of people showed up, with signs with messages like idol veneration is demon worshiping.They have an issue with the Lord Ganesha statue on Sherman avenue. An organizer wants that statue taken down but wouldn't comment any further.
The city was looking at ArtCurrents as way to "get art in the downtown area of Coeur d'Alene at little expense to the city," according to Steve Anthony with the city of Coeur d'Alene.
Lord Ganesha, is a Hindu god representing good luck and education.
On the local Constitution Party's website they wrote: "Christians of Kootenai County should be dismayed at the appearance of a Hindu demon, Ganesh statue."
On the web post it calls those that manage the art in the city "A godless group of individuals," urging Christians to protest at the art current's dedication Friday. Even though the posts are on the Kootenai County Constitution Party website, we're told the protest is not on behalf of the party.
"We're not looking at it as a religious symbol, we're just looking at it as a piece of art," Steve Anthony said.
The protest was met with protest, some people were holding up signs in support of freedom of religion.
15 sculptures have been placed around the city, including two of them with Christian references and another with a Native American reference.
Some people are a little surprised by this reaction from the Constitution Party.
"To me that's what American values are, tolerance of other people," Rick Silverman said.
Others, on the other hand, realize religion is a touchy subject.
"If there was a statue of a Virgin Mary I'm sure someone would be out here protesting it. Am I crazy about getting on board? No. It doesn't bother me," Noel Piercy said.
"Art is a kind of freedom of expression and one of our rights and everybody's taste are different. I guess that's what makes art controversial," Anthony said.
The national field director for the Constitution Party was contacted and he said he didn't know about this protest until contacted by the media.
He says it wasn't sanctioned or promoted by the national Constitution Party.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 13 Jun 2011 17:00

Acharya wrote:
Cosmo_R wrote:
And...?
PRC model has nothing for India.

Ah!

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 13 Jun 2011 19:27

^^^
the assorted Constitution Parties, etc which are more conservative have a dark side: namely, a significant portion of their supporters are very conservative and intolerant. let's see where this "protest" goes. it should be very interesting to see how many come out for the rally. what the reaction will be, etc.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 13 Jun 2011 19:37

Read the comments section on the article on the Ganesh Statue, interesting.

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 13 Jun 2011 20:28

^^^
there are a huge number of comments with subtle to overt support for the "protest." it might be that the bigots are more interested in commenting. but definitely shows there are a lot of people in the supposed land of freedom who have a fundamental hatred for Hindus.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 13 Jun 2011 20:32

pagans and demons still haunting a technologically advanced next generation amrikkka!!

ha ha ha!

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 13 Jun 2011 20:47

There are also a large number of comments, I think the majority who are critical of the bigoted view. That should be appreciated, and underlines some of the fundamental strengths of the US.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 13 Jun 2011 22:25

JE Menon wrote:There are also a large number of comments, I think the majority who are critical of the bigoted view. That should be appreciated, and underlines some of the fundamental strengths of the US.

Lot of these controversies are created to revive their faith and get the folks together. They see the level of support to the faith and will plan on future activities

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 13 Jun 2011 23:20

JE Menon wrote:There are also a large number of comments, I think the majority who are critical of the bigoted view. That should be appreciated, and underlines some of the fundamental strengths of the US.

Yeah, so at the end of the day, Hindus are also human beings, just leave them alone in some dungeon to worship their demons. That will be the standard denounement whenver Christian bigots strike, and this from a country that never tires of issung "human rights" and "religious freedom" reports about other counties ad nauseum. Why don't they confront the bigots at home and why is it they don't see the positive side of religious pluralism in India? One of their main political parties is a white Christian nationalist republican party, have you ever seen this label used like the dole to describe BJP?

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 13 Jun 2011 23:21

Wonder whats the piskology behind this report on India

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/world ... india.html

Slow news day?

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 14 Jun 2011 00:16

CRS read the aam joe 6 pack comments: Samples here:

Debs2000
Maine
June 13th, 2011
2:23 pm
This story was not negative or bizarre, it tells us about a place where poverty does not erase human conscience. The purveyors of death in America are too numerous to name and they are not just the executioners. Our military/industrial corporations profiting on war machines and weapons and all who work for them, spreading misery at home and abroad. Spending 30% of our budget on the military and blaming our economic troubles on the poor, we are truly pathetic.

So again, I find myself admiring India's attitude over the that of my own country: capital punishment IS necessary sometimes, but indeed, should be very rare, only for the truly horrendous cases.

India: the USA has much to learn from your superior attitude towards death.

DipB
San Francisco
June 13th, 2011
3:21 pm
This just goes to show what a true progressive judiciary and thousands of years of civilizations can achieve. A country deep in poverty, conventional wisdom suggests will be a cesspool of heinous crimes and hand outs of indiscriminate capital punishment. Turns out it is exactly the opposite - rarest of rare cases (the last one being some five years back) and people unwilling to execute. As much as I am a India basher, I have to well done to the people of India. (Oh yeah, and stay out of Miami)

19.
Ralph
San Francisco
June 13th, 2011
2:03 pm
Isn't that interesting that amongst a population of 1.2 billion people, they can't find one executioner. Here in our country, it would be no problem at all. I have always wondered why people were so desperate from money that they would become legal murderers. Actually, I don't understand why anybody would become a parking meter maid/agent/whatever. There is nothing noble about either job.

18.
JRR
Silver Spring, MD
June 13th, 2011
2:03 pm
Let India reverse the outsourcing trend...outsource all hangings to the US, where many states have well-established procedures.

alethea
Seattle, WA
June 13th, 2011
1:33 pm
Why is it front page news? I have noticed a trend in the reporting on India by the team of Lydia Pohlgren, Jim Yardley, Hari Kumar and Vikas Bajaj over several years now which consistently accentuates the negative or the bizarre about the country by deliberate selection of topics. In the fine print there would be a line or a paragraph saying ".., of course, the country is experiencing phenomenal growth, but ..." and then on with the negative.

JL
NYC
June 13th, 2011
1:31 pm
This is a sign of the moral compass of a nation. If it were America you'd have a line of people a mile long who wanted to have a legal opportunity to kill. Yet another aspect of American culture that should not be exported.

Don't take it negatively. India is displaying signs of a civilized society to the aam Joe in contrast to our Northern and Western neighbours, the contrast is getting starker and starker.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 14 Jun 2011 01:16

About Ganesha^^: Keep in mind these protesters are of the same ilk as the Westboro Church

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36449471/ns ... rs-church/

He sued the 'church' and lost in the SC recently. It is protected speech. Don't lose sleep over this lot. I know about a half dozen born in the USA types who avidly collect Ganesha statues. And, that's just me. Apparently the 'cool thing' right now. Who knew?

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 14 Jun 2011 03:05

CRamS,

>>Yeah, so at the end of the day, Hindus are also human beings, just leave them alone in some dungeon to worship their demons. That will be the standard denounement whenver Christian bigots strike, and this from a country that never tires of issung "human rights" and "religious freedom" reports about other counties ad nauseum.

I'm not sure I get your point, or what it has to do with my post. I was just pointing out that a large number of posts in there are favourable to the idea of the statue being there, and generally not anti-India. Let us, still, assume that the majority view is as you mentioned above. So what? Do we want to convince them that Hinduism is a "good" religion? Why? As far as I'm concerned, they are free to have their views. I'm not really that concerned. We can benefit either way.

>>Why don't they confront the bigots at home and why is it they don't see the positive side of religious pluralism in India?

Why should we care? If the above is true, and it is not, really, why do you want to reverse a trend that cannot but harm them (if that is the way we want to look at things, i.e. as strategic adversaries - which, again, we are not). I have never felt the need to convince anyone about the virtues of our civilisation or our faith, unless asked. If they want to discover it for themselves, fine. If not, that's fine too.

>>One of their main political parties is a white Christian nationalist republican party, have you ever seen this label used like the dole to describe BJP?

No. But again, so what? What do we care? BJP has been elected by the people of India, and I'm sure will be again. That's all that matters to me. How the Americans, or anyone else for that matter, perceive or describe them is of little consequence once they are elected. They will have to deal with them, and they have done - very productively in fact, in the past.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 14 Jun 2011 05:03

CRamS wrote:Wonder whats the piskology behind this report on India

Watch for news on crimes, human rights, police etc on India. Internal situation will be reported to create an image of chaos and growing chaos.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 14 Jun 2011 06:30

ramana wrote:Henry Kissinger was interviewed on BookTV After Words segment by Monica Crowley of Fox news. After the whole interview, she asked what is the biggest challenge in the future? He said some stuff but what he last caught my ear. He said it was important for the world system to appear just or countries wont opt in and will pull it down.

Something the US should think about while protecting the TSP terror apparatus.

This notion of a just world system was the backbone of the fight against the soviet union and created the allianc for liberty. But the war after 911 and af-pak and Iraq which has created the notion that the world system is not just. This may force some of the countries to withdraw. Iran, NK are examples. Pakistan may fall into this situation and could be dangerous to the region. US handling of the global affair has created this dangerous notion.

US is trying to use India as country to make it right by agreeing with Pak and creating sense of justice. India may also be shown as a fall guy and a country not helping the muslim countries.

Ravi Karumanchiri · Post by **Ravi Karumanchiri** » 14 Jun 2011 06:58

^^^ They're protesting Ganesha statues?

Quick, somebody send them a Kali statue!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Jun 2011 09:15

How about Lilith?

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 15 Jun 2011 04:38

Bilateral talks more useful, says Antony

ndia is comfortable with bilateral discussions with the US when it comes to military matters as it finds them more effective that a joint dialogue involving more ministries. Defence Minister AK Antony has said that the ‘two plus two’ format of talks involving joint meetings between the Foreign and Defence ministers is not followed by India.

“We are comfortable with bilateral discussions. Two plus two is not a system we follow in the Defence Ministry. That is the problem. (We have) nothing against anybody,” Antony said at the sidelines of an Army function here. He added that India does not follow the joint dialogue format of talks with any country.

“We are following certain procedure and systems. As far as Defence Ministry is concerned we have not had any kind of two plus two dialogue with any country at the ministerial level. They are more effective, more useful ,” he said.

amit · Post by **amit** » 15 Jun 2011 15:11

Krittika episode: Internal emails reveal US insensitive; India soft-pedalled case

Headlines Today has accessed a string of emails exchanged between the Indian Embassy in Washington, the US State Department and the Ministry of External Affairs on the case that reveal that even though the US knew that Krittika was an Indian diplomat's daughter from the moment the arrest was made, no information was given to the Indian mission of her arrest.

Even the basic courtesy of informing the Indian mission of her arrest was not followed.

Sample this: On Feb 9, an email sent by the Indian Embassy in Washington sent to the Head of the Americas desk in the MEA said: While Krittika was arrested the previous night, the mission was not given access to meet her.

The email further said that the India's desk official in the US State Department, Atul Keshap, confirmed to the Indian Embassy in Washington that diplomatic security had informed the office of foreign missions of the US State Department.

Then why was the Indian mission not informed and why was the girl arrested even without any arrest warrant from a court?

The MEA claimed that it took up the matter strongly, but the question is how. Another email sent by Head of Chancery in the Indian Embassy in Washington P. Kumaran to Javed Ashraf, Joint Secretary, Americas in the MEA repeated that the 'Indian mission was not allowed access to the girl last night and she will be produced before a judge this morning'. He also said the charge is 'Aggravated harassment'. Clearly, the Indian official was articulating the outrage at the arrest and the manner in which the US handled the case.

But officially, the MEA soft-pedalled the case. Sample another email sent by the Indian Embassy in Washington to the MEA. India wrote a note verbale WAS/POL/551/1/11 dated Feb 9, but the US responded to it after good twenty days of India's diplomatic note: "Family members of the consular officers and employees are not entitled to personal inviolability or immunity from civil and criminal jurisdiction."

The question is what substantive action was taken by the MEA after US bluntly told them that the diplomatic immunity was not applicable. It was worried that the media will raise questions, another email reveals that on the same day. The Joint Secretary, Americas wrote to senior officials in the Indian Embassy in Washington that Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao called to inquire on the case and has instructed that 'we should keep it away from the media'. Although she understands that NYPD or court might release the information. Clearly, the effort was more about ensuring that the case is kept away from the media than to take real action. In the same email, the Joint Secretary, Americas also mentioned that when he raised the issue with the Deputy Chief of the US mission in New Delhi Donald Lu, he curtly told him that India also had the same policy on immunity.

Clearly, now while the lawyer of the girl Ravi Batra has written to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seeking her intervention, he has also said that he is under pressure to withdraw the case.

Headlines Today is asking the government to explain what action have they taken to withdraw the diplomatic immunity for the US consulate family members stationed in India. In diplomacy, these principles are based on reciprocity. Is India being too soft on the US or is it worried that this will have fallout on the Indo-US relations. Why haven't they asked for any apology from the US government given their own email talks about the aggravated harassment of Krittika Biswas? These are the answers the UPA government needs to give.

I think we need to keep an eye on this case. If the Headlines Today article is accurate, then after a read I'm really wondering whether this was typically a case of police highhandedness or was the US sending out a signal and the unfortunate girl got caught in the cross-fire?

Another point to note IMO, is that the foreign service cadre must be incensed as otherwise all this information wouldn't have reached the media.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 15 Jun 2011 16:20

Burleigh new US ambassador to India

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 15 Jun 2011 17:00

Oooh! Precious Peter is going to be the new rep. for Uncle Sam.He'll love India and so will we love him (a much nicer person than Dubya Bush!),especially those in the creative fields,fashion designers and their ilk.He is an old Lankan hand.A popular figure there.Went there first with the Peace Corps (CIA?),was posted as 3rd. Sec.,then later on as Ambassador.He will be a far nicer man to deal with-more human and understanding than many of his bumptious,arrogant predecessors.Peter will be a very popular figure with the chatteratti,gliterrati,IIC crowd,et al,but perhaps will come a cropper when dealing with some of the paan-chewing louts who pass off as our leaders.

However,given the expectations of certain sections in the US establishment,who expected India to kneel and kiss Uncle Sam's ring finger in return for the N-deal,opening the doors for all manner of US mendicants of military-grade snake-oil to rush in,Peter will have a hard time in meeting such high expectations especially when Paki-orchestrated terrorism against India is a constant fact of life.If the recent reports about a secret US-Afghanistan deal on a continued US military presence there is true,along with side deals with the pro-Paki Taliban,then irritants will become issues.I also suspect that Peter's appointment is also meant to keep a watch on events in Lanka-old hand that he is,especially with the growing PRC/PLAN influence and operations in the IOR.There is an opportunity however for the Indian establishment and MEA to stroke a more sympathetic envoy lnto understanding Indian interests better and to influence his establishment in Washington.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 16 Jun 2011 00:48

Phlip Looks like he was eternal acting Amabassador to India.

Vir Singhvi in his food blog:

http://virsanghvi.com/vir-world-Article ... spx?ID=305

....
Two weeks ago, Vijay Karan phoned to say that Peter Burleigh, the acting American ambassador, was coming for dinner. Would I like to come too?

.....
Burleigh, a former diplomat who served in Calcutta in the Seventies and is in charge of the Delhi embassy till the Senate approves President Obama’s choice for the job, told me that he had been using Pratibha Karan’s book (Hyderabadi Cuisine) in America. When he got to Delhi he sought her out and the Karans invited him for dinner.
....

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 16 Jun 2011 02:59

abhishek_sharma wrote:Burleigh new US ambassador to India

First US ambassador who is fluent in Hindi. (Speaks Bengali too)

bhavin · Post by **bhavin** » 16 Jun 2011 05:09

amit wrote:Krittika episode: Internal emails reveal US insensitive; India soft-pedalled case

I think we need to keep an eye on this case. If the Headlines Today article is accurate, then after a read I'm really wondering whether this was typically a case of police highhandedness or was the US sending out a signal and the unfortunate girl got caught in the cross-fire?

Another point to note IMO, is that the foreign service cadre must be incensed as otherwise all this information wouldn't have reached the media.

Apart from this case, I have also heard of several first hand account of people in India facing lot of issues getting H-1B/H-4 visas. One of my friend's wife in stuck in India for the past 3 months because the embassy is not clearing her H-4 visa. I also know few others working for fortune 500 companies who are stuck in India because the embassy is asking for more information. Once the US consulate takes this step, the process has no set time table and no way of inquiring what the issue is? I have heard that they have recently stopped receiving H-1B applications at Mumbai consulate and everybody is required to go to Delhi for the same. I don't know if this is wide spread but it does point to a change attitude and treatment.

saip · Post by **saip** » 16 Jun 2011 05:31

CRamS wrote:Wonder whats the piskology behind this report on India

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/world ... india.html

Slow news day?

Why not outsource it to Texas (they hang them left and right)? That is the least we can do for Dubya, after all he gave us the nuke deal!

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 16 Jun 2011 08:15

U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen interview (video)

New wind blowing: American decline becomes the new conventional wisdom

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 16 Jun 2011 12:39

Tx Ramanna.Burleigh will make instant friends if he convinces the US establishment to treat ordinary Indians better when they enter the country and in situs such as the one involving the daughter of an Indian diplomat.If we are treated like second-class global citizens,then no amount of goodwill will erase Uncle Sam's many indignities that Indians suffer in the US.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 16 Jun 2011 13:17

bhavin wrote:
amit wrote:Krittika episode: Internal emails reveal US insensitive; India soft-pedalled case

I think we need to keep an eye on this case. If the Headlines Today article is accurate, then after a read I'm really wondering whether this was typically a case of police highhandedness or was the US sending out a signal and the unfortunate girl got caught in the cross-fire?

Another point to note IMO, is that the foreign service cadre must be incensed as otherwise all this information wouldn't have reached the media.
Apart from this case, I have also heard of several first hand account of people in India facing lot of issues getting H-1B/H-4 visas. One of my friend's wife in stuck in India for the past 3 months because the embassy is not clearing her H-4 visa. I also know few others working for fortune 500 companies who are stuck in India because the embassy is asking for more information. Once the US consulate takes this step, the process has no set time table and no way of inquiring what the issue is? I have heard that they have recently stopped receiving H-1B applications at Mumbai consulate and everybody is required to go to Delhi for the same. I don't know if this is wide spread but it does point to a change attitude and treatment.

Definitely a message being sent.

ranjbe · Post by **ranjbe** » 16 Jun 2011 15:39

saip wrote:
CRamS wrote:Wonder whats the piskology behind this report on India

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/world ... india.html

Slow news day?
Why not outsource it to Texas (they hang them left and right)? That is the least we can do for Dubya, after all he gave us the nuke deal!

Texas has lethal injection as the only method of implementing the death penalty. This is the preferred method in majority of all states which have the death penalty. A minority have electrocution as the method. As of now, only two states (Washington, New Hampshire) allow hanging if the inmate chooses that method. There have been no hangings in the USA for five years.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/methods-execution

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 16 Jun 2011 17:46

US Christian evangelistic network gets FIPB nod to launch channel in India

MUMBAI: US-based Christian evangelistic group, Word of God Fellowship Inc, has got the approval from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to launch a non-news channel in India.

The group owns the Daystar Television Network, a global TV empire spreading Christianity.

It has got approval to set up a WOS to undertake the business of broadcasting -downlinking and distributing to cable operators a non-news and non-current affairs channel.

The government has approved a foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 16 million.

Word of God Fellowship is led by Christian evangelist Marcus Lamb and his wife Joni Lamb

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 16 Jun 2011 20:41

Oh good. Now the heathens can stop their idolatory.

Juggi G · Post by **Juggi G** » 17 Jun 2011 08:03

Antony says No to Two plus Two Talks with US
The Indian Express