MINI AND HP PRESENT MODERN POP ART
AT DUBAI’S ARTSPACE GALLERY
Renowned Greek artist Christopher Papadopoulos – a specialist in Modern Pop Art - will showcase his masterpieces from 29th September to 20th October at the Fairmont Dubai’s ArtSpace Gallery. Sponsored by MINI, Hp, Buzz magazine, Olympic Airways and the Fairmont Hotel, the show will feature an array of digital art on canvas. Papadopoulos’ show will exhibit the best of his collections and his latest works-of-art, all characterized by beauty, humour, glamour, capitalism, and the MINImalistic future of now.
Obsessed with commercial visual art, Papadopoulos is skilful in manipulating contrasting and vivid colour schemes to create a strong visual impact.“I believe art and advertising are special and unique tools of communication. You see them everywhere and every day. I enjoy the freedom and variety in presenting my ideas through art and I am always keen to explore new mediums and elements of expression,” said Papadopoulos.
“The beauty of this form of art is that I can use oil paints, acrylic or any form I choose to use. It needs a lot of patience and attention to detail but I enjoy the challenge.”Papadopoulos, born in 1974, is one of the most popular Greek contemporary artists. He received formal visual art training from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His outstanding talent is widely recognized and his clients include a list of renowned international brands such as Martini, Marc Jacobs, Volvo and Coca-Cola.
ArtSpace Gallery is located on the 9th floor of The Fairmont Hotel and is open Saturday to Thursday from 10am to 8:30pm.
DESERT CHALLENGE TAKES WORLD CUP TRAIL TO NEW SAFETY LEVELS IN EMPTY QUARTER
Sulayem invests in security with new tracking system providing protection for huge international line-up of drivers and riders
Dubai, UAE, 26 September 2004: A major investment in technology will see next month’s UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge setting new standards in competitor safety in world championship cross country rallying
An innovative tracking system will create an unprecedented level of security for more than 130 prototype cars, modified four-wheel drive vehicles, bikes and trucks as they take on some of the most dramatic and remote desert terrain in the Middle East.
While similar devices have been used on selected vehicles in previous events, it will be the first time that an advanced tracking system, allowing rally officials to trace every move of the entire field and launch an immediate response to all emergencies, has provided total cover in a World Championship cross country rally.
This latest breakthrough for the Desert Challenge was announced at an official press conference today by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, chairman of the organising committee for the event, which doubles up as the penultimate round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship.
Taking place from October 11-15, the event is held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence of the UAE.
Sulayem was joined at the press conference by senior representatives of Philip Morris, who have provided Marlboro-brand sponsorship of the event since it was launched in 1991, and the current co-sponsors.
The co-sponsors are Nissan, official vehicle supplier to the organisers, Nakheel, the Government of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Emarat, ADNOC, Messina Line, Oasis Water, Inmarsat, providers of satellite communications, Konica copiers, website designers ANLONITS, Benq, Samsung, What’s On, 7 Days, as well as Dubai International Marine Club and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, the co-hosts for the event and the official Rally HQ.
“We have had consistent support from our major sponsors ever since the Desert Challenge began, and the partnership we have formed has been vital to the growth of the event,” said Sulayem.
“We’re grateful for the additional backing we receive from all our co-sponsors as we look to continue with the development of the rally, and the introduction of a new advanced tracking system bringing extra security for competitors is a vital part of that.”
Iritrack, the latest innovation to be introduced for the Desert Challenge, is a complete onboard system for tracking and safety by satellite with world coverage, and will be fitted on every car, bike and truck taking part. Linked to a satellite communications network operated by France Telecom, it works in the most remote areas on earth.
In cross country rallying, competitors plot their course across deserts and some of the most desolate terrain using GPS equipment which guides them between set positions along the route. Until now, World Championship cross country rally organisers have fitted vehicles with “beacon” devices which have to be set off by drivers or riders if they lose direction, or get injured. Rescue teams homing in on the signal then fly or drive to their aid. But the system breaks down in the event of an injured competitor being unable to turn on the device, and search teams can spend hours locating them.
“The Iritrack system means we can follow the progress of every competitor every inch of the way, and our rally control team can see if someone is getting lost or running into any trouble, and use a direct voice link to talk to them,” said Sulayem.
“There are also built-in systems which automatically alerts us if someone gets into trouble and needs assistance, allowing us to dispatch a rescue team immediately, and not wait for a beacon to be set off. The saving in time and rescue resource is very significant and can be crucial to the positive outcome of an emergency situation.”
The huge international entry of drivers and riders from 42 countries makes the Desert Challenge the most international sporting event in the Middle East
Among the leading contenders for victory on four wheels are two former world rally champions, flying Finn Juha Kankkunen, and Britain’s Colin McRae in a Nissan Pick-up, dashing Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, who previously dominated the bikes event but is now chasing his third successive cars win, Japanese star Hiroshi Masuoka, and Germany’s, Jutta Kleinschmidt, the only lady to win the gruelling Dakar Rally.
The rider to beat is France’s reigning world champion Cyril Despres, who has set his sights on a remarkable fourth successive bikes victory. He will be under pressure though from all his main rivals, including Norway’s Pal-Anders Ullevalseter, Polish riders Marek Dabrowski and Jacek Czachor, Italian Oscar Polli, Britain’s Sean Linton and Zimbabwe’s Joe De Bruyn, as well as talented UAE-based British rider Dave McBride.
The event starts officially from the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi at 9.30am on Monday, October 11, before heading for the Rub Al Khali, or Empty Quarter, the remote desert region where most of the main action will take place over five days. On the previous afternoon, however, spectators can take a ringside seat at Jebel Ali Racecourse in Dubai, and lap up some exciting World Championship action during the Prologue stage.
Spectators can also check out the powerful assembly of cars, bikes and trucks during the day-long scrutineering of vehicles at the event’s official HQ, Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi, on Saturday October 9. The public are also invited to welcome the survivors to the finish at DIMC at 4.30pm on Friday, October 15. The more adventurous can visit the bivouac, the rally’s base for four nights beside the famous Moreeb Hill, 20 kms south from the heart of the Liwa Oasis.
Dubai, 26 September 2004
A delegation from the Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs of Malaysia led by its Deputy Secretary General Dato Hj Khairuddin Hj. Mohd. Sari visited Dubai Central Laboratory recently. Abdullah AbdulRahman Al Shaibani, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Technical Services welcomed the delegation. He said Dubai Municipality would like to enhance its ongoing co-operation with Malaysia in the future also.
Eng. Salah Amiri, Director of Dubai Central Laboratory Department gave a presentation to the visiting delegation on the structure, activities and achievements of the department. He also answered the queries from the members of the delegation. Eng. Ali Ahmed Elian, specialist in the department gave another presentation on Dubai Municipality's contribution in quality assurance of jewellery, detailing the services available at Dubai Central Laboratory for jewellery sector.
The delegation had a long discussion with Dubai Municipality officials on the methods practiced by Dubai in the field of hallmarking of jewellery and gem stones and other activities of the department.Sari said Malaysian government is thinking of introducing new laws and regulations to monitor and control jewellery trade. He said Malaysia is keen to study the model implemented by Dubai in this field.
The Malaysian delegation also included Zainal Abidin Bin Md. Noordin, Deputy Director General (Operation) in the Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs, Ishak Bin Sahari, Legal Advisor to the Ministry, Zakaria Bin Ahamad, Principal Assistant Director, Domestic Trade Division and Salsuriya Bin Selamat, Assistant Director, Domestic Trade Division.
Remee Yaakub, Vice Consul/Deputy Trade Commissioner in the Consulate General of Malaysia in Dubai also accompanied the delegation during their visit to the Central Laboratory.The delegation also took a round of the laboratories in the Central Lab, including the labs that test the gem stones and gold to see the advanced facilities available there.
Sari said that since tourism is an important sector in Malaysia, the government is keen to protect the interests of the consumers by hallmarking the jewellery at sale in the Malaysian market. He said that the Malaysian government, which has a law on precious metals as back as 1974, likes to introduce new regulations in the area.
"We are studying the laws in Europe, India and UAE and will formulate a law more suitable for Malaysia. We want to have quality assurance for precious metals in order to increase the confidence of the consumers," said Sari. He added that Malaysia would like to share the experience of Dubai in this area.
Jordanian official delegation visits Dubai eGovernment to study Dubai experience
The UNDP-initiated visit helps the visiting officials get insights into the region's most successful e-government initiativeSeptember 26, 2004
A four-member delegation from the Government of Jordan, led by Lutfi Abu Hazeem, National Project Coordinator of the Property Tax project, Ministry of Finance in Jordan, visited Dubai eGovernment to study the Dubai experience in delivering public services through electronic channels. The Property Tax Project is a joint programme developed between the Ministry of Finance in Jordan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Other members of the delegation were Fathi Mahfouz, Programmer and System Analyst, Jihad Attar, Programmer and System Analyst and Omar Bitar, Head of Operations and Networks Section, Ministry of Finance, Jordan. The Jordanian officials were introduced to the state-of-the-art back-end systems that drive Dubai eGovernment and briefed on the goals and achievements so far. Mahmood Al Bastaki, Business Process Re-engineering Consultant, Dubai eGovernment, took the delegation through the various stages Dubai eGovernment has gone
through and explained the vision, mission and new targets of Dubai eGovernment Rehab Lootah, E Services Provisioning Manager, Dubai eGovernment, explained initiatives like ePay, e4all, eEmployee, eLearning, mDubai and AskDubai, that have contributed to making Dubai eGovernment such a resounding success.
Marwan Al Naqi, Community Outreach Officer at Dubai eGovernment highlighted the marketing initiatives of Dubai eGovernment and the focused community outreach programs. The focus of the visit was on the use of municipality services from anywhere in the world. The four focus areas were the Payment Gateway, Training for Ministry of Finance teams, Awareness of online service and motivating people to migrate to online channels."Dubai eGovernment has always been willing to share its expertise and experiences with other countries, especially fellow Arab states, to enable them to aspire for higher levels of governance. We are therefore delighted to welcome
the delegation from Jordan and would like to extend all cooperation now and in the future. We are pleased that Jordan is among the Arab countries that have shown dramatic achievements in IT"."Driven by the vision of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, Dubai eGovernment has been able to make dramatic progress within a short period, outpacing some developed countries," said Al Bastaki. "Over 20 government departments now offer integrated online services through the portal www.dubai.ae . More than 1,400 services are available online today, and the number will increase further as we near the goal of offering 90 per cent of our services through electronic channels within the next three years."
The delegation hailed the strides made by Dubai eGovernment and sought information on the infrastructure that have made Dubai ready for advanced online services. The visiting officials thanked Dubai eGovernment for the opportunity and assistance in learning about the systems and services.The delegation also visited the e-Gate project of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and the Department of Justice.
Traffic to ease at Interchange 3 on Sheikh Zayed Road from next monthDubai Municipality, from the beginning of next month, will revert traffic from temporary diversions on Sheikh Zayed Road to new roads that are being built as part of the re-construction of Interchange No.3 (Al Manara Interchange) on this arterial road of the emirate. This was stated by Eng. Maitha Mohammed bin Adi, Head of Traffic Engineering and Technologies Section, who noted that a fifth lane, that is being added to the road at the place of the interchange, would be open for traffic from November 2004 paving way for a smoother traffic flow. Currently, only three lanes are being used by motorists. She noted that the phased opening of the project is intended to facilitate completion of the remaining works on the interchange site, prior to its final opening which is expected in January next year.
The Municipality began works of the project in October last year, which involves building a new full cloverleaf junction, with all its loops integrating one travel lane, and one loop accommodating two travel lanes. A two-lane directional ramp is constructed to the south of the Interchange to enable direct access to the Al Qouz Industrial Area, while a fifth lane in both directions of the Road is also being constructed. In addition to the improvements to the Al Manara-Al Wasl intersection, signalised junctions are also being built on the Al Quoz side on Road 8, while the setting-up of all related roadway signage, street lighting, relocation or protection of utilities, construction of utility crossing as well as the construction of storm-water drainage and irrigation systems, for the new roadway improvement, will be undertaken as part of the project.
The project follows similar improvement projects completed during the past few years at Interchange Two, and Interchange Four on the Sheikh Zayed Road. The improvement projects are the result of a comprehensive survey carried out by the municipality earlier to look for solutions for tackling the problem of increasing traffic on the road, and are considered essential to cope with the projected growth of the area, he added. The Roads department at the Municipality plans to replace all the interchanges on Shaikh Zayed Road with multi-connectivity interchanges over the next few years. Maitha urged motorists to use alternative roads like the Back Road (Al Khail Road) due to intensive works at the project site at present and until the temporary diversions are removed.
Insurance policies of Dubai Municipality projects to be standardizedDubai Municipality is in the process of standardising its insurance policies with a view to simplify procedures for engineering consultants and contracting companies that undertake various projects of the civic body. A meeting has been held recently with representatives of consultancy offices and contracting companies who were briefed on the new procedures. Addressing the meeting, Essa Al Maidour, Director of the Contracts and Purchasing Department at the Municipality, said the idea is to prepare a unified insurance policy for all Dubai Municipality projects whose costs are below one million Dirhams. If the cost of a single project is more than one million Dirhams, there will be a separate insurance policy for that sort of projects, he said. The prevailing system is to have separate insurance policies for each project despite the varying costs of the projects.
"This will standardize the insurance cover all civic projects. Moreover, it will ensure adequate underwriter security and ensure that the insurance coverage is in place as and when required," said Mr. Al Maidour. He noted that the municipality has at present seven types of insurance policies that cover properties, vehicles, workmen's compensation, fidelity guarantee, hull insurance, public liability, professional indemnity and projects which include roads, drainage, maintenance and general projects. At the end of the meeting, Dubai Municipality officials and representatives of Aon Middle East which acts as insurance consultant for Dubai Municipality responded to the clients' enquiries on the topic.
26 September 2004
Hooligans Attack Women Charities in Gods Own Country
By R.S.Priya
Olavana near Calicut witnessed a brutal attack on several members of the Missionaries of Charity. Sisters M.C. Cerlina and Rose Merlin were attacked when they were visiting a Harijan colony at Olavana in Mambuzhakkadu, Kozhikkode to give tokens for rice to the poor people there. They were attacked and wounded with metal bars by a group of around 5 people. They also attacked driver Saji who tried to protect the nuns. The attackers plucked their rosaries also. One of the sisters, Rose Merlin and driver Saji were hospitalized in a serious condition. The sisters had to take refuge in the nearby police station at Nallalam. This incident indicates that the attack on Christian missionaries which started with the gruesom killing of an Australian missionary in Rajastan is resumed again.
Following this a group of brothers and sisters from Sneha Bhavan came to Mambazhakkadu. A group of around 30 people or more attacked them and in the attack, Brother Varghese, driver Anto, Superior Varghese, Mother Superior Kusumam, Sister Charlotte and Brother Bernard, a Kenyan were injured and admitted to a private hospital. The ambulance in which they were traveling was also attacked. According to colony members the attackers were not members of the same colony. The people of the colony belonging to various religions have been living in unity as yet. They also said that those who attacked were people from outside colony. According to those admitted in the hospital with injuries, the people who attacked them called out pro BJP slogans. None of attackers have been arrested.
The sisters had been doing charitable service to the colony for the past two years. They were attacked with the accusation that they were trying to convert the colony people. In these two years, they had never been attacked. It is not the first time that there have been attacks on sisters of charitable institutions. Such incidents are quite a shame to our state which is known as 'Gods own country'. After many cases including the Sister Abhaya murder case, it is still seen that this kind of atrocities in the name of religion have been continuing. The worst part about both such incidents is that women become victims to such attacks. The educated society in Kerala has yet to learn how to treat women better. It is yet to be seen as to whether the attack is political or communal.
Kerala boasts of highest literacy rate and cultural development. But people still behave like barbarians. It is quite sad that people who go around with the intention of giving aid to the poor and needy are being attacked. When such charitable institutions come forward with the intention of helping the poor, the society and the people need to welcome them and help them in carrying out their services. It is also important to raise oneself above the level of petty communalism and political struggles. (keralamonitor.com)
The Pearl-Qatar, the US $2.5 billion man-made island being built offshore the Qatari capital of Doha in the Arabian Gulf, is to have its international exhibition debut in Russia.
The Pearl-Qatar will be showcased at the DOMEXPO international real estate exhibition being held in Moscow from October 21-24, 2004.“This is the start of what will be a hectic schedule of international promotions aimed at attracting global investment into this world-class, Riviera-style project,” said Nick Bashkiroff, Development Director, The Pearl-Qatar. “Russians are now among the world’s most influential real estate investors and are specifically targeting luxury developments. This particularly fits The Pearl-Qatar’s lavish profile with its planned deluxe, palace-style villas with their own private beachfronts, imaginative, high-end town houses and fashionable penthouse apartments with sweeping sea views.
“Qatar is now also highly accessible to the Russian market since the launch last year of Qatar Airways’ four non-stop weekly flights to Moscow’s new state-of-the-art Domodedovo airport.“The appeal of The Pearl-Qatar will be international as it will be an aspirational address in the Arab world’s richest country, with a secure, upscale, yet family-oriented living environment and facilities unsurpassed within the Middle East. It will be a true island retreat. “Of particular appeal will be the fact that this is Qatar’s first international real estate venture, its largest real estate project and the first in Qatar to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors.”
The rediscovered island, which is being built on a reclaimed pearl diving reef, will provide for an exclusive community of 30,000 residents in 10 distinctly themed districts, three deluxe hotels, four marinas, leisure facilities and 60,000 square metres of luxury retail and restaurant space.“The cultural aspect of The Pearl-Qatar, rediscovering as it does the country’s traditional pearl-diving roots, will resonate with Russians who have strong liking for history wrapped up in all the modernity of 21st century lifestyles,” added Bashkiroff.
DOMEXPO, which annually attracts in excess of 8,000 visitors, is among a number of international exhibitions and conferences where The Pearl-Qatar is due to be featured. Others include the UK’s Homes Overseas Show to be held in London in October and Dubai’s Cityscape conference in November. “Plans are also afoot to take the project on a road show throughout the GCC and to selected European destinations,” said Bashkiroff. “The Pearl-Qatar will be an iconic destination and our promotional efforts will also enhance the international profile of the country as an emerging destination for discerning, upscale tourists.”
Covering some 988 acres, The Pearl-Qatar will be two-thirds the size of the Western Mediterranean island of Gibraltar. It will be linked to Qatar’s mainland via a 355 metre-long, palm-tree lined, eight-lane super highway. It is being constructed just 20 kilometres from Doha International Airport.
The project, which will create some 63 kilometres of new coastline, is being developed and promoted by United Development Company (UDC), Qatar’s largest private sector shareholding company which is listed on the Doha Securities Market.
Dredging work for The Pearl-Qatar is currently under way. The first investors are due to take up residency in late 2006 with the entire project due for completion in 2009.
This US $2.5 billion offshore, Riviera-style man-made island, covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land, is Qatar’s first international real estate venture, the largest real estate development in the country and the first to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors. It will create some 63 kilometres of new coastline. The Pearl-Qatar’s name and location, on a former pearl diving site, leverages the country’s traditions, and strong historical and cultural ties to the sea – it is an island rediscovered.
The Pearl-Qatar will eventually house 30,000 residents in an up-scale, multi-cultural residential community which will be a secure and exclusive island retreat bringing the ambience and lifestyle of the Mediterranean to the heart of Arabia. The four-phase development comprises 10 distinct districts to be developed over five years, with the first investors expected to take up residency in 2006. The Riviera Arabia themed districts will house three luxury hotels, four marinas, with combined mooring for over 700 boats, and 60,000 square metres of luxury retail and restaurant space.
The Pearl-Qatar is being built 350 metres offshore the West Bay Lagoon area of the country’s capital, Doha. Whilst offering an exclusive retreat, the island will also be closely integrated with, and have easy access to, the capital’s thriving community.Dredging work for The Pearl-Qatar is currently underway; the project is due for total completion in 2009.
The Pearl-Qatar is being developed and promoted by United Development Company (UDC), Qatar’s largest private sector shareholding company.
The Pearl-Qatar’s developer, UDC, is the country’s largest private sector shareholding company with a mission to identify and invest in long-term projects that contribute to Qatar’s growth and provide good shareholder value. The company was established in 1999, with an authorized share capital of QR 500 million (US $140 million), and listed on the Doha Securities Market in June 2003.
UDC’s target areas of interest include: infrastructure, energy-intensive industries, hydrocarbons downstream, real estate, construction and environment-related businesses. UDC established the Qatar Dredging Company – a joint venture with the State of Qatar and Belgium’s Dredging International – and formed Qatar Cool, a district cooling company, in association with Tabreed of the United Arab Emirates. UDC is also a partner in Al-Seif Company Ltd – a joint venture with Qatar Petroleum to develop a plant to produce linear alkyl benzene (LAB), which is the main feedstock for detergent manufacture. The plant will have a production capacity of 100,000 tons a year. UDC has also invested in the Al Khaleej Formaldehyde Company.
UDC’s founders, who at launch held 45% of the shares, are among Qatar’s most successful investors and developers. A large number of Qatari and GCC investors are shareholders in UDC.
Centrally located in the Arabian Gulf, the peninsula state of Qatar, with 17.9 trillion cubic metres, has five per cent of the world’s proven natural gas reserves. Qatar is the richest Arab nation with a per capita income of US $30,000 per annum.Eighty per cent of the Qatari population, which is now approaching one million, is based in and around the capital, Doha.
Qatar has strong historical and cultural ties to the sea. Pearl fishing was the traditional mainstay of the economy until oil and gas took over around 50 years ago. Although pearling is no longer a key economic driver, it has left a legacy of skills, stories, music, art and poetry that is a source of identity and pride for Qataris today.
Qatar has growing inbound tourism ambitions with The Qatar Tourism Authority targeting tourism arrivals of 1.25 million in 2005 and Doha International Airport is undergoing huge expansion and new build to cope with anticipated increased passenger traffic. When completed in 2015, the new airport will be able to handle around 50 million passengers a year.
Central to the international promotion of Qatar is the country’s flag carrier Qatar Airways – now one of the world’s fastest-growing international airlines. Currently serving a growing route network throughout Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Sub-Continent and Asia, the airline plans to serve more than 60 destinations by 2005 and have a fleet of 52 Airbus aircraft by 2008.
Qatar, already host to annual ATP tennis tournaments and PGA golfing events, is fast making a name for itself on the international sporting arena and, in 2006, will host the Asian Games.
The Qatari government has a pro-business stance on foreign investment and is encouraging the growth of the country’s private sector, stimulating progress with an active privatization programme.
PM’S Address to Indian Overseas Congress and other Indian organisations
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Indian Overseas Congress and other Indian organisations in New York yesterday. Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address:
"I am delighted to be here this evening with you and thank you for your warm and hearty welcome. You represent not only a wide cross-section of the Indian and Indian American community in the United States but also the true face of "India" – united in your diversity, committed to the principles of democratic pluralism and the freedom of association and enterprise that both India and the United States of America so cherish.
India and the Untied States are often described as the world’s largest and biggest democracies bound together by our commitment to the values and principles of pluralism and liberalism. These phrases may sound hackneyed and worn out but today they have acquired a new resonance. Both President Bush and I agreed when we met earlier this week that our mutual commitment to democracy remains an important bridge linking our two countries.
This shared experience of growing up in a democracy is an important aspect of our collective psyche. We have learnt from our childhood to respect the rule of law and the right to hold and express one’s opinion. We have learnt to value the freedom of association and enterprise. We have learnt to cherish the pluralism inherent to our multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic nations.
You, Indian Americans and Overseas Indians, have set an example to many other communities and ethnic groups by the manner in which you have integrated here. You live in peace with your neighbours, you contribute to the prosperity of your communities, the productivity of your workplaces and the creativity of your academic, cultural and knowledge based organizations.
I am particularly delighted to be here this evening with you because in many ways you and the organizations that are assembled here represent the true character of our diverse and plural society. If there is one thing that is truly common between India and the United States of America it is this multi-faceted character of our national personality. Some call America a "melting pot" and others describe it as a "salad bowl". But then, this is exactly the way in which we have come to define our nation. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru talked of "Unity in Diversity". Our Constitution is based on this principle. Our national identity is based on this value. For centuries we have been an open society, a "melting pot" and a "salad bowl". There is no nation in the world that is home to as many languages, as many religions, as many cuisines, as many traditions of song and dance, as many colours of skin and shapes of the eye, as India.
You, my friends in the Indian Overseas Congress and other organizations here bring to this diverse nation the values and ideals of another diverse nation. It is this pluralism, and the liberalism that informs it, that my young friend Sunil Khilnani, now teaching at Johns Hopkins University, celebrated as the "Idea of India". The "Idea of India" is no different from the "Idea of America". Both capture in their essence the dominant "Idea of Our Era, Of Our Epoch". The idea of Unity In Diversity.
It is this idea that must define the way we approach the twin challenges of our times, namely, globalisation and terrorism. Both India and America are trying to deal with these global challenges in their own way. Our approach is based on our unswerving commitment to democracy and to pluralism. The economic processes of globalisation must respect the diversities that characterize our societies. The political response to terrorism also be based on our long cherished values of democracy and pluralism.
Speaking to another gathering of Indian Americans earlier this week here in New York, I had said that I empathise very much with the psyche of the immigrant because I was myself a migrant when my family moved from our ancestral village in what is now Pakistan. As migrants in search of a home and a living my family and families like mine had to work that much harder and have faith in the future, for the past was bleak and our present was trying. This was true of many migrant communities in the United States also.
However, you, Ladies and Gentlemen, have succeeded here thanks to the foundation in education and skills your home country gave you, and the opportunities for further development your host country has given you. It is, for this reason, that I have always been impressed by the optimism that characterizes the psyche of the Indian American. You have echoed the "Can Do" spirit of the American people. It is also for this reason that you continue to look back at your home country, at India, with love, affection and longing; albeit with an understandable degree of impatience!
It is that "can do" spirit that takes so many Indian American kids to the top in "spelling bee" tests and Maths Olympiads. It’s the same spirit that took Kalpana Chawla into space, and that recently helped the Fijian Indian Vijay Singh dethrone Tiger Woods here in Boston! A pantheon of global Indians is in the making in areas ranging from art and cinema to computer science and biotechnology and one feels so reassured to know that so many of them have flowered here on the American soil. It is a tribute to this country, to these Indian families and to the spirit of India that lives in us all, wherever it is that we make our home and hearth.
Emigrants have come to the shores of American for over half a millennia. Some have come in search of adventure, some in search of treasure, some escaped persecution and some others escaped hardship and deprivation. The Indian American community is again unique in this regard for most of you have come here in search of knowledge, skills, training and professional opportunity. You arrived here not just with hope, but with purpose and this has shaped the nature of your contribution to this great land of enterprise and opportunity.
In American history, no group of immigrants have achieved as much success and respect within the span of one generation, that too the very first, as have Indian Americans. You play a role in US society and economy far beyond what may have been expected given the size of the community and its relatively recent arrival here. Your skills help to make America competitive, your minds are at the cutting edge of research, your services in a wide variety of professions enhance the quality of life in this country. Increasingly, your entrepreneurship has assumed a sharper profile in the American corporate world. I am delighted to learn that Indian Americans are now also active in creative fields ranging from media to cinema. My daughters are always thrilled to watch the movies of Mr. Shyamalan and Ms. Nair.
The Indian American community is but one example of globalization and what it can mean to our relationship. As barriers come down, our human resources could help shape the direction of global development. With right policies and decisions, India could emerge as a knowledge economy superpower. Outsourcing, call centres, Business Processing Outsourcing - these are just signs of what events portend. Each day, India is proving itself a credible partner for American enterprises. Time and distance, handicaps of the past, have become advantage of our times.
You have all earned for yourself an enviable reputation for diligence, for creativity, for enterprise, for commitment to the core values of democracy and pluralism that bind our nations together. This has enabled you to shape favourably the larger American perception of India, among your colleagues at work, your neighbours in your communities and your elected representatives. I must express my sincere gratitude to you all on behalf of the people of India.
I am aware of the issues that engage you in your relations with India. Some of these, like the PIO card, have been addressed already and some, like duel citizenship, are being examined. Our government took the initiative to create a new Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs to enable us to pay closer attention to the issues that bother you. As is always the case the creation of an entire new ministry has taken some time but I am sure once the ministry gets moving, it will get going.
I am aware that in reaching out to Indian Americans and Overseas Indians our governments in the past have more often than not focused too narrowly on inward investment into India. There is no doubt that this is an important way in which you can contribute to India's development. However, I would like to widen the scope of our appeal to you. I am aware that many of you are professionals and not businessmen and entrepreneurs and inward investment is not the only way in which one can contribute to a nation's progress. I would like to invite you to contribute to a nation's progress. I would like to invite you to contribute more directly to the quality of teaching and research, of infrastructure and our services sector.
I invite ideas on how you can directly contribute to making Indian education, health care, financial services, tourism and other services and sector world class. We are not talking here of just dollars, but of ideas, of individual initiative, of community action. On my part let me assure you that our government will approach this with an open mind and be receptive to any creative thinking. The Ministry of Overseas Indians will be the nodal point for all such interaction.
It is only chance that has made New York my first port of call as Prime Minister on my first visit to the United States. New York epitomized "Unity in Diversity" in its response to the tragedy of September 11th, I pay my homage to the victims of mindless terror. We in India shared not just the pain of many Indians who were killed but of the American people and the people of the world who were touched one way or another by that tragedy. India and the United States are on the same side of history in this battle against terrorism. It is in the nature of our democracies that we expose ourselves to such threats. But when faced, we are determined not to let the threat weaken our resolve to remain open, free and democratic societies. We will take every measure that is necessary and lawful to wipe out terrorism, but we will remain equally committed to the fundamental principles of democracy. That, ultimately, is what defines the personality of both our nations.
I thank you again for this opportunity to speak to you. Jai Hind!"
DAYANIDHI MARAN MEETS FRENCH MINISTER OF INDUSTRY & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ALCATEL CHAIRMAN
17:36 IST
The Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology Shri Dayanidhi Maran, visited Paris during September 23 and 24, 2004. During his visit, he had a meeting with Mr. Patrick Devedjian, French Minister for Industry, IT and Posts on Indo-French Cooperation in this sector. He also met the Chairman of ALCATEL to promote further investments in India by the leading French company in the telecom sector.During discussions with the French Minister, the two sides exchanged views on developments in telecommunications like mobile technology, broadband and Triple Play and Indo-French cooperation in the telecommunications sector. The two sides also reviewed the existing work on Spectrum management, IPv6, Networking of institutions (between RENATER - French National Research and Education Network & ERNET), WSIS and Smart Cards.
Mr.Maran also took up the issue of visa and work permit difficulties being faced by Indian IT professionals coming to France for fulfilling project related obligations. The French Minister responded that he would do his best to resolve this problem. Shri Maran invited Mr. Devedjian to visit India.
Shri Dayanidhi Maran also met yesterday, Mr. Serge Tchuruk, the Chairman and CEO of ALCATEL, and other senior executives of the company. He emphasized the need for ALCATEL to increase the visibility as well as the volume and content of this presence in India. The ALCATEL Chairman confirmed his keen interest in increasing the ALCATEL presence in the Indian Telecom market. Shri Maran also suggested that, since ALCATEL already had a platform of cooperation with Indian Telephone Industry (ITI), it should try and expand this platform and work through it in future projects including R & D. It was agreed that ALCATEL would set up a working group within the company to examine additional projects in India with a view to take these forward during the visit of the ALCATEL Chairman to India in 2005.
KISAN CALL CENTRES – NEW IT AID FOR FARMERS
Sandipon Dasgupta*
Agriculture no doubt plays a dominant role in the country’s economy. It generates about 26 per cent of the GDP and 15 per cent of exports in the country. Still the challenges before it are immense. The agriculture scenario is on the threshold of a second revolution. It is now clear that the information and technology with the other traditional inputs and interventions. Creation of Kissan Call Centers(KCC) would help achieve the target through out the country has special significance in this context. The real challenge before the policy makers is to overcome the information asymmetry between farmer and farmer, village and village, region and region and the country as a whole versus other countries. At KCC, the agriculture graduates are responding to the queries made by the farmers in their regional dialects. This unique system has now spread its wings to every nook and corner of the country to answer the farmers in distress at any point of time.
Acoording to the Mission Statement "these centers have been created to harness the state-of-art knowledge in the field of agriculture and related areas for dissemination, to solve everyday problems at the grassroot level and that too in farmer’s own language". They are primarily I.T. enabled dynamic encyclopedias for use by farmers, agriculture extension workers, agri-input dealers and other stakeholders in agriculture. A sound database, which compiles and collates the actual needs of farmers in an intelligent format, should be created for use by policy makers, researchers, trade and industry. This system would give an opportunity to the scholars and agriculture scientists to play a dynamic role in the transformation of Indian agriculture. With a wide network of relationship among the scientists, policy makers, extension workers, farming community and other stake holders, it would enrich the body of knowledge in agriculture related fields.
Altogether 12 Kisan Call Centres have been set up in the country and all these centres cater to one or more than one State. The centres are located at Mumbai (covering Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Daman and Diu), Kanpur (covering Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal), Kochi (coverning Kerala and Lakshadweep), Bangalore (for Karnataka), Chennai (for Tamil Nadu, and Andaman/Nicobar), Hyderabad (for Andhra Pradesh), Chandigarh (covering Chandigarh, J & K, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab), Jaipur (for Rajashtan), Indore (for Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh), Kolkata (covering West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and N.E. States) and Delhi (for Delhi and Haryana).
The revolutionary development in the telecom sector has inspired the policy makers to think of such interactive system where the farmers will have their solution on demand. The idea was converted into reality with the setting up of call centers through out the country. The entire operation started from January 21 this year. The entire country is now covered by the KCC network and that too in all principal languages. These KCCs enable the farmers to get expert advice through a toll free number 1551. The farmer reaches an agriculture graduate by dialing the number to get solution of his problem. If the respondent fails to satisfy the farmer the call is immediately transferred to an expert sitting in a specific institution and a master in a specific subject for giving advice. In case the farmer is not fully satisfied his problems are recorded for further advice through post or by visit of extension workers. For West Bengal five such institutions for expert advice have been identified. These are West Bengal Directorate of Agriculture, University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibre, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya and Uttarbanga Krishi Viswabidyalaya. The service is available for 24 hours a day. During the office hours there would be immediate response, beyond office hours call would be recorded and the queries would be answered through post.
It is expected that the farmers would avail themselves of this unique benefit to solve their day-to-day problems in agriculture. It is hoped to go a long way in transforming the agriculture economy of the country.
