Bharat Rakshak

Kobe-ji,
You need to grant me the acces to the spreadsheet.

"We're sorry, XXXXX@googlemail.com does not have permission to access this spreadsheet."

Please check your gmail and grant me access

checking...... will fix it soon

Hey Ive been a lurker for sometime and when i read of this initiative i felt i had to do my bit.

I live in New Zealand and i think Paypal is a good idea. A few of my friends would like to contribute as well.

Cheers

Transfer of funds, especially from abroad to a personal account can attract certain stringent income tax problems for the recipient.

Are there any members who are familiar with the rules regarding these matters?

Let us by all means contribute, but let us not do it in a rush, and nothing precipitate. Or else, we will be left with a half cooked daal, which will do noone any good.

Let us form committees:

1. Tax and fund transfer committee: To assess what is the best method for fund transfer, what are the relevant rules, and how we can do it with minimum adverse impact of taxation, etc. And to make sure we break no rules.

2. Liaison Committee: Deals with army brass, and MoD

3. Purchase committee: Arranges buying and shipping of item.I will be on this.

4. Publicity Committee: Assesses what PR is required, and arranges the correct PR.

Please put your names down for each committee as per your ability and inclination.

This is a better way of doing things!

Myself best suited (considering my location in Asia Pacific) for tax and fund transfer committee. Will need some help from fellow Tax and Fund transfer committee members to find the best solution for managing funds.

i think, people can send money to India through http://www.xoom.com.Money can be picked in cash at any PNB branch or deposited in any bank account or dd/cheque can be delivered.Paypal has certain limitations.
I have no idea of the urgency , but if it's urgent , i think the kits be bought from Delhi itself.All we need is a BRF personal or BRFite in Delhi willing to collect the funds and do the buying and delivering it to the appropriate authorities.
If it's decided to buy the kits in US@26$/kit , i am willing to contribute for 10 kits or if its gonna be bought in Delhi@INR 3600, i am willing to contribute for four kits.
Waiting for the jirga to make a quick decision.

Durgesh while we could use XOOM or any other transferring utility we need to find out if there would be any tax implications for our delhi based brfite. I dont think there would be any but we still need to be sure of that.

Kobe ji sent you an email.

Xoom.com seems to be a good option for US but for (people like me) in europe could perhaps send money through paypal.

I can transfer some funds.

As for Liason committee perhaps some one with Army back ground would be ideally placed. RayC/Mandeep-ji can perhaps help there.

For PR committee if some one with media contacts can step forward.....

If we are willing to contribute, then why don't we just pool all the money and negotiate a bulk discount price?

Guys, there is not only tax implications, which will be there, but also donations from abroad will attract FCRA provisions

Pardon me ticky jee what does Fair Credit Reporting Act(FCRA) got to do with remittances to home country.

I would like to contribute and I am in FL, USA.
I am sending a mail to Kobe at places223 at y'hoo and will coordinate with him.
Raghu.

Thats actually a great idea

I am willing to contribute too.

Not intented to go OT but can we do this via a NGO or start BR NGO?, we can take more of such activities in future else we will have same trouble every time. Moreover we can get tax rebats on the amount, so peopel will be encouraged to pay more. We can have registered offices in India, US and Europe.
Anyone familiar or working for one can help us. They must have sorted all the details

JMT

I am OK for liaison.

No no, not Fair Credit Reporting. Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976.

If this initiative being discussed rite now, remains limited to a one-off thingy, we can prolly get away with it as long as the amount involved is small enough to be under the radar.

But to make such initiatives a regular affair, its better to have a proper framework/front institutionalized like Rampy is suggesting. But then managing and administering that will need people to shoulder more, if not full time responsibility, to ensure compliance of statutes.

For the current project, the easiest way to do it, i guess, would be to use an existing welfare org. associated with the armed forces, directly or indirectly, like the Army Wives Welfare Association. Coordinate and liaise with them thru the Brig., they will create a prog. or fund specifically for that and administer it. BRF and non-BRF alike can fund it.

There are quite a few good suggestions on various aspects of this issue.
I think they all need to be put in proper perspective. Different setups are needed
depending upon if it is a one time thing or an on going activity supported by BR. Number of kits to be bought is another factor in this.

If it is a one time thing and most members are giving money for 1 or 2 kits then the best way is to contact the supplier, negotiate a good price and let him recieve checks or wires directly . The person sending the money will notify via e-mail the remittance amount to a designated BR member or group and they will co-ordinate pick up and delivery to the proper institution at regular intervals or by a certain deadline decided on this forum. This way no one BR memebr is individually responsible for collecting money in his/her account and all the rules etc. which go with that,mentioned by some members.

If it is to be a bit larger effort then it is best to open an account in a local
bank which has branch banking under any given name and a group of BR members
control the account. As money keeps coming in kits can be bought. Some one local has to find about tax consequences of this, even if charity. After a certain deadline the account is closed.

On much larger scale as some one indicated using an NGO or starting a BR NGO
for this purpose and many other such activities. A very different scale and better discussed by the Powers.

So the powers ( Sheetal etc.) please decide.

Regarding collection effort. Please give for atleast 1 to 2 kits and ask atleast 5 good friends for atleast 1 kit and with a request to each one to ask atleast 5 different friends.

Regarding the Kits, the price in India is very expensive. The manufacturer in USA
has international sales offices. They can be contacted for a discount. The manufacturer is trying to push the product to US Army also, as a standard item
even though some reports indicate it did not work very well in Iraq.

I am in USA. I can help negotiate a price if needed.
These are just my thoughts.

Jai Bharat

One thing that I see missing is the scope of this initiative. We dont want to make a mess out of this and going nowhere.

Firstly decide how many kits to be given? Before it was suggested 100 or so would be fine. IMO 100 kits at this moment is fine looking at number of casualities. So if we go with this number then all we need is $2600 to buy kits from US. I am not in favour of buying this kit in desh as everyone will need to trasfer money to India and attract tax and other complications. Only thing needs to be take care of here is about shipment reaches withoug hassles.

If we gather funds more then $2600 then we can keep it for future use. Why give more then 100 kits if its really not required? We can always gather more fund for noble cause. No offence meant.

surati bhai,

before we have too many, lets get a few first
again, i have a gmail document to collect pledges
for contributors in USA, those outside of USA are
welcome as well, the gmail doc is for transparency
and for accountability so please edit the doc carefully

again, my yee mail address is: places223 at gmail
or places223 at y'hoo

thank you

Kobe ji pls check your gmail. Pls send me invitation.

Kobe-ji
please check your email.

ksm

I am in California, Bay Area. kobe, please check your e-mail.

Fundraising committee is OK with me.

Mgav, can you pls contact me via email. I am in kangaroo land.

gaurav underscore surati2004 at yahoo dot co dot in. Thansk

Mail sent.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Kobe ji mail sent.

replies to those who have responded has been sent
thanks

Kobe ji I have done the needful .
Godspeed bhai log

As I look at this issue and if we are serious about it, this will be a great example for the rest of the population.

Many organisations donate items to the Armed Forces. But this will be the first time, where people who don’t know each other personally and from all over the globe are getting together and organising a urgently needed welfare scheme that the govt has failed to provide, notwithstanding it pious aims.

The Committees can be organised as suggested.

I recommend a Coordinator who is Delhi based who will supervise all the Committees so that everything is in place. Local coordinators in each country could be selected so as to have a chain of command and for easier coordination by the Central Coordinator.

I recommend that side by side, the influential military magazine, which has article of the Chiefs and others called the “Salute to the Indian Soldier” be contacted. The website is:
http://salute.co.in/13122008/index.asp

They are capable of giving a leg up to the whole project, both in print and moving the powers that be.

RayC-ji,

It would be great if we have a bank account in which to transfer the funds. Can the coordinator provide one?

Humble suggestion:

Never under estimate the power of a babu to let no good deed unpunished, purely out of spite. I would suggest we hold off for the additional publicity until at least the first lot of Quikclot kits are sent. That way, they will be faced with a fait accompli and cant do anything about it.

Also, we should have a hard target for the first round: 100 kits or whatever. That way, we have a goal, and an assured supply of kits so that RayC can use his contacts for delivery without fear of embarassment.

I vote for 100 kits as a stop, if more funds are generated we can do a second round.

Kobe

Sent a mail.

tanaji,

please check your email

I tried to speak to someone who can help, but he is on leave and has gone to meet his Mother down South.

I spoke to his wife and told her to inform him of this project and what is the way one could ensure that the kits reach the boys. He will ring me this week and I shall let you all know.

I am writing to someone high up also on this issue today and let us see the response.

Tanaji, I agree with you, let's hold publicity for the time being.

Kobe Ji, email sent to your gmail account.

Tax issues are likely for the person at receiving end. IS BR set up as non-profit organizationg?

Sunil

Sunil,

Reply sent,

thanks

Gentlemen It is very heartening to see the number of people who have come forward to support this initiative monetarily. I often wondered if the talk of people pawning their jewelery to help our army during the 1962 war was true, and today after seeing the way people have responded I think that is very much true after all, it is the same blood.

Jai Hind,am sure god will help us in getting the kits to our men

1) Errr what exactly are you kids trying to send to India?

The QuickClot which has an NSN#: 6510-01-499-9285 and requires proof of Mil Purchase

Or

The QuickClot ACS+ which is meant for civilian consumers?

2) If you are trying to send the civilian grade then what is the clinical difference between the two and more importantly WHICH is the "QuickClot" that RR currents uses/wants more off ?

3) If you are planning to FedEx/USPS this stuff to India then:
i) When can they expect to receive it ? And is that acceptable to the end user?

ii) what is the declared value of the product and are you planning to pre-pay any customs duty? (if you are, then you need to factor that into the unit cost of the product-shipped).

I am sure it will be very fashionable for BR jingos to gnash their teeth if this consignment gets stuck in customs....after all they "Paypalled" their patriotism but it really does no good to the guys eagerly waiting for it if you don't do your due diligence.

To avoid the issues mentioned by you, is the very reason why liaison is being done with the ''powers that be'' and seek their advice.

RayC sir,

We will not purchase any product until we coordinate with you / ASPuar / etc as to exactly what product is required.

At present, I am collecting "pledges" from BR members mostly in US, and when most of above Q are answered, the purchase / shipment to the contact person will be made. I will leave the media awareness campaign etc for others, my goal is to coordinate pledges, volnteer to purchase the recommended item, and ship to the nominated entity. Locally, I will handle the tax issues, for customs clearance etc, I will await more instructions, advice. But my goal is to make first shipment ASAP for obvious reasons. (Save lives of our Jawans).

Video Demo

Apparently, QuiKClot is a product line, and there are many products
various distributors

There is
QuikClot Combat Gauze
QuikClot ACS
QuikClot ACS+ (<--- it seems this is what the US military uses)
QuikClot Sport
QuikClot 1st Response
etc

so the exact product name is essential.

QuikClot 1st Response is for civilian use (comes in various sizes)
QuikClot Sport

Warning Graphic Video

Err George Ji, we are trying to collect the funds and send that to India so that Quikclot ACS or ACS+ can be bought in India from the Indian distributor.

Sending Quikclot from USA will involve not only custom clearance, but also clearance by Indian FDA.

Kobe,

I am already at it.

I will see what can be done to ensure a hassle free sending (customs and other rules) of the stuff from the US since that will eliminate the distributor's profit, which should be hefty since he is importing a prized product which will be a 'killing'. That way, it will be more Bangs for the Buck!

And I have written to a senior officer in the Field who is involved in all these operations. Hope that he has the time to respond since the terrorists have infiltrated and the elections are on!

I am awaiting the officer who is on leave and hopped off to meet his mother to return and will check what liaison he can do at the AHQ where he works.