PERIODICAL INDEX Letters to the Editor......................................A2 People................................................................A3 Immigration .................................................A25 Business .......................................................A20 Community....................................................A27 Magazine .......................................................M1 Sports.............................................................A26 www.rediff.com (Nasdaq: REDF) Pages: 36+20=56 Friday, July 5, 2013 Vol. XLIII No.44 $1 International Weekly Newspaper Chicago/Dallas Los Angeles NY/NJ/CT New York India Abroad Person of the Year Awards, honoring the community's best for 10 years This LAND is Yo u r LAND PARESH GANDHI PARESH SPONSORED BY HOSPITALITY EXCLUSIVE SPONSORS MEDIA SPONSOR To subscribe 1-877-INDIA-ABROAD (1-877-463-4222) www.indiaabroad.com/subscribe ADVERTISEMENT The International Weekly Newspaper founded in 1970. Member, Audit Bureau of Circulation India Abroad July 5, 2013 A240 LETTERS INDIA ABROAD (ISSN 0046 8932) is published every Friday by India Abroad Publications, Inc. 42 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10004. Annual subscription in United States: $32. India $32 INTERNATIONAL: By Regular Mail: South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Australia & Middle East: $90. By Airmail: South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Australia & Middle East: $210 Periodical postage paid, New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: INDIA ABROAD, 42 Broadway 18th floor, New York, NY 10004 Copyright (c) 2006, India Abroad Publications, Inc. We are against Ajit Balakrishnan Chairman and Publisher Nikhil Lakshman Editor-in-Chief Rajeev Bhambri Chief Operating Officer-US Media OCI renewal THE EDITORIAL TEAM NEW YORK George Joseph spoke to our new New Abroad do not indicate that OCI card indicate that Diaspora Indians do not Aziz Haniffa, Editor Arthur J Pais, Editor, Features York Consul General Dnyaneshwar holders are not against renewal. want OCI renewal. Indian organiza- Suman Guha Mozumder, Associate Managing Editor Mulay on several subjects of impor- Articles and questions at meetings with tions in the United States are banding George Joseph, P Rajendran, Deputy Managing Editors Paresh Gandhi, Chief Photographer tance to the community (India Abroad, Indian authorities published so far also together to pursue consulates, the Ritu Jha, Special Correspondent June 21). Thanks for the effort. embassy and the Indian home min- Parimal Mehta, System Manager Production: Dharmesh Chotalia, Production Supervisor. However, I take issue with one istry to change the rules so that the Harish Kathrani question he asked. OCI card will be an independent David Richter, Production Controller, Editorial Regarding the renewal of the document and that there will not be CONTACT EDITORIAL Call: 212-929-1727 Overseas Citizenship of India card, any need to have that U stamp on Fax: 212-727-9730 he asked about the need to again the US passport, thus relieving the E-mail: [email protected] produce all the documents given at holders having to renew the OCI. MUMBAI the time of issuance along with Additionally, statements made by Vaihayasi Pande Daniel, Editorial Director, Features Dominic Xavier, Creative Head additional documents. Joseph said, Indian authorities indicate that the Uttam Ghosh, Joint Creative Head ‘Nobody is against renewal but we stamping on the US passport is Sumit Bhattacharya, Associate Managing Editor Monali Sarkar, News Editor are upset at about making the something to ensure security. But Sanjay Sawant, Satish Bodas, Creative Directors process complicated.’ they do not explain what that securi- Rukmani Sah-Mehta, Assistant Editor Shailaja Nand Mishra, Senior Production Coordinator I wonder how Joseph came to the ty issue is when the US already has conclusion that we Diaspora Indians standalone Green Card. THE BUSINESS TEAM DISPLAY ADVERTISING are not against renewal. Letters to Hari N Agrawal CONTACT THE DISPLAY ADVERTISING TEAM the editor published so far in India PARESH GANDHI By e-mail Toll free: 1-866-702-1950 Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay Fax: 212-627-9503 E-mail:[email protected] Geeta Singh Sales Executive with Perkins to set up Voice and Vision, state there has its language, its food Jitender Sharma Associate Sales Manager A fine role model a training program in India for teach- and even clothing. An item in India Abroad prompted ers of visually and hearing impaired America has a higher literacy rate, CLASSIFIEDS WANT TO INSERT A CLASSIFIED/MATRIMONIAL AD? me to write this letter. The piece, head- children. To date, Voice and Vision has and the people live with discipline and Call: 1-800-822-3532 lined ‘True Focus’ (Magazine, June 21), trained over 500 teachers all over clean, advanced technology, relying on Fax: 212-691-0873 E-mail: [email protected] profiles Kartik Sawhney, a visually India. hard work and honesty more than Shahnaz Sheikh Classified Manager impaired Delhi student, heading for My point is that children with India does. Sujatha Jilla Classified Assistant Manager Jim Gallentine Classified Representative Stanford University on a full scholar- impairments have only one hope for a American parents do not differentiate ship to pursue a five-year engineering better future: Education. Millions of between their sons and daughters. CIRCULATION CONTACT THE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT program after having been rejected by disabled children without access to They give equal freedom and rights to Call: 212-645-2369 the Indian Institute of Technology. education live in neglect and poverty. both of them. Indian parents tend to be Fax: 212-627-9503 E-mail: [email protected] In the interview, Kartik talks about Only education can restore their self- biased more towards their sons than Subscription toll free number: 1-877-INDIA-ABROAD (1-877-463-4222) Anjali S Maniam Associate Vice President, Marketing & Special Events the challenges and hurdles he had to esteem and ability to fight social stig- their daughters — whether they live in Balagopal Rajagopal, Database Administrator face along the way. Undoubtedly, visu- mas and discrimination attached with India or abroad. Suresh Babu ally impaired children — just like chil- disability. However, the efforts of IAEF Americans do not spend much money THE INDIA BUSINESS TEAM dren with other types of impairments and other charitable organizations ded- on weddings and other social cere- Nikita Pai, Deputy Chief Manager. Call: 91-22-24449144, extension 320 — face tremendous odds so their suc- icated to remedy the situation remain monies — not even the rich. Indians REDIFF.COM EDITORIAL TEAM cess rate is exceptionally low. Public contingent upon the public support for spend exorbitant sums on weddings, Saisuresh Sivaswamy, Senior Editorial Director. Sheela Bhatt, Senior Editorial Director, News schools often do not have properly this cause. with the poor even borrowing money to Ivan Crasto, Editorial Director, Sports trained teachers as well as tools — Thank you, India Abroad, for high- fulfill their social obligations. Shobha Warrier, Associate Editorial Director Prithviraj Hegde, Editor, News, Nandita Malik, Editor, Business Braille printers, audio books, Job lighting a role model for children with Americans save their money so that Savera R Someshwar, Archana Masih, Syed Firdaus Ashraf, Managing Editors Access With Speech and similar soft- disabilities who need inspiration from they can see the world. Indian save Rajesh Karkera, Joint Creative Head A Ganesh Nadar, Indrani Roy Mitra, Seema Pant, Ronjita Kulkarni, Swarupa Dutt, ware — to meet the special needs of success stories like Kartik’s. money to show the world that they Associate Managing Editors visually impaired children. Charitable Prem Kumar have big houses, spend a lot on wed- Prasanna D Zore, Vikash Nanjappa, Deputy Managing Editors Rupali S Nimkar, Senior Assistant Managing Editor schools trying to provide basic educa- Executive Director, Indian American dings and other luxuries. Onkar Singh, Sanaya Dalal, Assistant Managing Editors N V Reuben, Senior Art Director tion to these children face even greater Education Foundation Given all these handicaps its people Uday Kuckian, Art Director challenges for want of resources. PO Box 4305, Seattle, WA 98194 have to deal with, is it a wonder that Puja Banta, Chief Features Editor Vipin Vijayan, Sanchari Bhattacharya, Chief News Editors With this in mind, in 2001, a grass- India cannot do as well as America? Harish Kotian, Deputy Sports Editor roots nonprofit organization, Indian Tejinder Dhillon Patcy Nair, Bikash Mohapatra, Chief Features Editors Unfair to blame Abhishek Mande, Senior Associate Editor American Education Foundation, By e-mail Rajorshi Sanyal, Deputy News Editor decided to commit its resources exclu- India Gauri Ghadi, Senior Assistant Editor Sonil Dedhia, Principal Correspondent sively to support charitable schools and Is it fair to criticize India on the vari- Mahipal Soni, Director, Operations (Editorial) organizations — including the National ety of issues it is blamed for? Scam alert: In New Aslam Hunani, Joint Director, Operations (Editorial) Ashish Narsale, Associate Director, Operations (Editorial) Association of the Blind — in India for There is big difference between York too Rajesh Alva, Manager, Operations (Editorial) children with disabilities. America and India. The two main dif- Regarding Anil Sarkar’s letter about