Saturday, January 29, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
બ્રિટિશ દૂધવાળો ‘ગુજરાતી’ બોલે છે!
૬૯ વર્ષીય બ્રિટિશ દૂધવાળાએ કમસેકમ બે ભારતીય ભાષાઓ, ગુજરાતી અને બંગાળી પર પ્રભુત્વ મેળવ્યું છે, કારણ કે તેના ઘણા ગ્રાહકો અંગ્રેજી બોલી શકતા નથી. જોન ‘જિમી’ માથેરે ૧૯૬૦માં પહેલી વખત દૂધ વેચવાનું શરૂ કર્યું હતું અને ટૂંક સમયમાં તેણે ભારત અને બાંગ્લાદેશથી આવેલા લોકો સાથે મિત્રતા કરી હતી.
વધુ ને વધુ એશિયન પરિવારો અહીં સ્થાયી થવા લાગ્યા હતા, પરંતુ તેઓ થોડું અંગ્રેજી જાણતા હતા અથવા બિલકુલ જાણતા ન હતા. આથી આ બ્રિટિશ દૂધવાળાએ તેઓની ભાષા શીખવાનું શરૂ કર્યું હતું અને ગુજરાતી તથા બંગાળી બોલવા પર પ્રભુત્વ મેળવ્યું હતું. જોને ‘ડેઇલી એક્સપ્રેસ’ને જણાવ્યું હતું, ‘મેં જ્યારે ૧૯૬૦માં શરૂઆત કરી ત્યારે આ પ્રદેશમાં ગણતરીના એશિયન પરિવારો હતા. પહેલાં જે કેટલાક લોકોને હું દૂધ આપવા જતો હતો તેઓને હું આજે પણ યાદ કરી શકું છું. તેઓ સારા, ભદ્ર લોકો હતા, પરંતુ તેઓનું અંગ્રેજી સારું ન હતું. આથી મેં જાતે જ તેઓની ભાષા શીખવા માંડી અને એનાથી પરિસ્થિતિ ઘણી સરળ બની.’
ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિઓની નિષ્ણાત પ્રોફેસર રાચેલ ડવીયર કહે છે, ‘ઘણા ઓછા બિનભારતીયો ગુજરાતી શીખે છે. મેં ઓમાનમાં કેટલાક આરબ વેપારીઓને ગુજરાતીમાં વાત કરતા સાંભળ્યા હતા અને ગુજરાતી જાણનાર ઓછા વિદ્વાનો છે.’
સ્થાનિક લોકોએ પણ સમર્થન આપ્યું છે કે ગુજરાતી અને બંગાળી ભાષા પરના જોનના પ્રભુત્વને લીધે તેનો ભારતીય સમાજ સાથે અતૂટ સંબંધ બંધાયો છે. જોનને ૧૯૭૪થી ઓળખતા મોહંમદ સૂફી કહે છે, ‘મને યાદ છે કે તે કોઈના ઘરે ગયો હતો અને ઘરની સ્ત્રીને શું જોઈએ છે તે તેણે પૂછ્યું હતું. તેને આટલું સરસ ગુજરાતી બોલતો જોઈને મને આંચકો લાગ્યો હતો.’
માઇગ્રેશન વોચ, યુકેના પ્રવકતા એલ્પ મેહમેતે ઉમેર્યું હતું, ‘પશ્ચિમી દેશની વ્યક્તિ માટે ગુજરાતી શીખવામાં સરળ ભાષા નથી અને આ તો બ્રિટિશ દૂધવાળાની શ્રેષ્ઠ પરંપરા છે, જે તેના ગ્રાહકની સેવા કરતા શ્રેષ્ઠ રસ્તા શોધે છે.’
Source: Agency, London | Last Updated 11:09 AM [IST](14/07/2010)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Govt promises PIOs life-long visa-free entry
New Delhi: Reaching out to the Indian diaspora, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday announced a special facility to enable them life-long visa-free entry into the country and participation in business and other activities here.
Singh said the government had decided to merge the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards into a single facility.
Addressing a gathering of Indian diaspora here, he pointed out that the government had introduced the OCI and PIO cards to facilitate visa-free travel of NRIs and Indian origin people to India as well as to provide them rights of residency and participation in business and educational activities.
“We have reviewed the functioning of these schemes, and have decided to merge the OCI and PIO cards into a single facility. We hope to iron out some of the problems that have arisen in the implementation of these schemes,” he said.
Later, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said government will only issue Overseas Citizen of India card which will be a kind of lifelong visa.
“We have to finalise the nitty gritty. But it has been decided that it will be OCI card and holder of the card will have lifelong visa free entry into the country,” he said.
PIO cards are given to Indians who have migrated permanently to other countries over centuries in a bid to encourage them to visit and invest in the country of origin.
A PIO card holder does not require a visa to visit India and the card is valid for 15 years. A PIO card holder enjoys several economic and educational benefits.
On the other hand, the OCI card is a kind of lifelong visa and any India origin person can apply for it if his host country allows dual citizenship. Talking about the Indians who emigrate for work, Singh said their welfare is “a matter of special concern for us”.
To improve the conditions for migration, India has signed Social Security Agreements with 12 countries and finalised Labour Mobility Partnerships with two others, he said, adding a generic arrangement is also being negotiated with the European Union also.
“As a further measure, we have now extended the facility of the Indian Community Welfare Fund to all Indian Missions,” he said.
At present, such funds are available in 42 missions.
Singh said the government has decided to establish new Indian cultural centres in the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, France and Australia.
“I urge the Indian communities in these countries to support and patronise these centres so that they become effective instruments for projecting the diversity and splendour of Indian culture,” the Prime Minister said.
FM allays NRIs’ fear over DTC
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday allayed apprehensions of non-resident Indians (NRIs) that the proposed Direct Taxes Code (DTC) will be hard on them in terms of their tax liability. Clarifying that no decision has been taken in terms of DTC as the bill is currently being scrutinised by a standing committee of Parliament, Mukherjee said it is a wrong perception that NRIs become Indian resident for the purpose of taxation if he stays in India for 60 days in a financial year. Ministry of Overseas Affairs has approached the finance ministry over this clause, which the finance minister termed as misconception.
source: Times of India 9th January, 2011
Singh said the government had decided to merge the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards into a single facility.
Addressing a gathering of Indian diaspora here, he pointed out that the government had introduced the OCI and PIO cards to facilitate visa-free travel of NRIs and Indian origin people to India as well as to provide them rights of residency and participation in business and educational activities.
“We have reviewed the functioning of these schemes, and have decided to merge the OCI and PIO cards into a single facility. We hope to iron out some of the problems that have arisen in the implementation of these schemes,” he said.
Later, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said government will only issue Overseas Citizen of India card which will be a kind of lifelong visa.
“We have to finalise the nitty gritty. But it has been decided that it will be OCI card and holder of the card will have lifelong visa free entry into the country,” he said.
PIO cards are given to Indians who have migrated permanently to other countries over centuries in a bid to encourage them to visit and invest in the country of origin.
A PIO card holder does not require a visa to visit India and the card is valid for 15 years. A PIO card holder enjoys several economic and educational benefits.
On the other hand, the OCI card is a kind of lifelong visa and any India origin person can apply for it if his host country allows dual citizenship. Talking about the Indians who emigrate for work, Singh said their welfare is “a matter of special concern for us”.
To improve the conditions for migration, India has signed Social Security Agreements with 12 countries and finalised Labour Mobility Partnerships with two others, he said, adding a generic arrangement is also being negotiated with the European Union also.
“As a further measure, we have now extended the facility of the Indian Community Welfare Fund to all Indian Missions,” he said.
At present, such funds are available in 42 missions.
Singh said the government has decided to establish new Indian cultural centres in the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, France and Australia.
“I urge the Indian communities in these countries to support and patronise these centres so that they become effective instruments for projecting the diversity and splendour of Indian culture,” the Prime Minister said.
FM allays NRIs’ fear over DTC
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday allayed apprehensions of non-resident Indians (NRIs) that the proposed Direct Taxes Code (DTC) will be hard on them in terms of their tax liability. Clarifying that no decision has been taken in terms of DTC as the bill is currently being scrutinised by a standing committee of Parliament, Mukherjee said it is a wrong perception that NRIs become Indian resident for the purpose of taxation if he stays in India for 60 days in a financial year. Ministry of Overseas Affairs has approached the finance ministry over this clause, which the finance minister termed as misconception.
source: Times of India 9th January, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
GLAM ‘GAM’: ‘Gamadiyo Gam’ recreated in Anand’s Shahpur village will host the seven-day wedding
NRI wedding, rural setting
Village Set Erected On 15-Acre Plot For US Couple’s Nuptials
Prashant Rupera | TNN
Vadodara/Anand: And you thought the big, fat NRI wedding could not get any bigger! How about an entire new village being erected on a 15-acre plot? Shahpur village in Anand district is all decked up to host an NRI wedding, a seven-day ceremony. A special village called ‘Gamadiyo Gam’ has been erected on a sprawling plot. It will have temporary huts and dry grass stacks, decorated with earthen pots and traditional lanterns. An estimated 25,000 guests will be served traditional cuisine here.
The NRI couple — bride Jasmin Patel and groom Ankit Patel — will get married on December 29, but the ceremony will conclude only on January 1, after 10 more weddings of couples from the village are solemnised in a ‘samooh lagna’ at the same venue. This is an initiative of New Jersey-based Vinod Patel who, apart from fulfilling his daughter’s dream, will also bear the expenses of the mass weddings.
“The 10 couples will take their wedding vows at the same venue where my daughter is getting married. They will get blessings from religious leaders of BAPS, Yogi Divine Society and other sects,” says Patel, who has taken care that only ‘gamthi bhojan’ is served on Sunday night during ‘mehendi’ and sangeet ceremony and only folk songs are rendered during ‘garba and raas’ programme on Monday night. While Tuesday is devoted to traditional rituals, the entire village has been invited for the wedding ceremony on Wednesday.
“The wedding will happen in complete vedic style. Those arriving from the US will be given an English translation of the ‘shlokas’ and ‘mantras’,” says Patel. The marriage procession will comprise of palkis, horse buggies, bullock-driven chariots, camel carts and elephants, and the performers will only dance in ‘rajwadi’ style. None of the 14 meals served during the wedding ceremony will contain any refrigerated item, said Patel who is happy that his daughter has chosen the wedding to be performed in a traditional way. At NRI wedding, books become couple’s life-long companion Yagnesh Mehta | TNN
Surat: Chirag Patel, an NRI from the United States married Dimple near here on Sunday. However, the unusual thing was the families of the bride and groom gifting each other books rather than jewellery and clothes, starting a new trend in marriages.
Even the 150 NRI guests at the wedding held in Bardoli were given sets of books as gifts. The guests were requested to gift only books to the newly-married couple. Once the 150 guests return to the US, they will exchange the books gifted to them to a create a group of readers.
Mike, a hotelier from Texas and father of the groom, had put up a stall at the wedding venue to sell books in Gujarati, Hindi and English to around 1,500 guests, who had come to attend the function. He took the idea of ‘Vanche Gujarat’ campaign to give a social message on the occasion of the wedding.
“A friend had suggested to me to give a good social message on my son’s wedding, and what better idea of significance than ‘Vanche Gujarat’,” said Mike. “The family has set up a great example. The message is if marriage is a union of hearts, then books too are no less than a companion for life,” said Harshad Shah, state co vice-president of Vanche Gujarat campaign.
Village Set Erected On 15-Acre Plot For US Couple’s Nuptials
Prashant Rupera | TNN
Vadodara/Anand: And you thought the big, fat NRI wedding could not get any bigger! How about an entire new village being erected on a 15-acre plot? Shahpur village in Anand district is all decked up to host an NRI wedding, a seven-day ceremony. A special village called ‘Gamadiyo Gam’ has been erected on a sprawling plot. It will have temporary huts and dry grass stacks, decorated with earthen pots and traditional lanterns. An estimated 25,000 guests will be served traditional cuisine here.
The NRI couple — bride Jasmin Patel and groom Ankit Patel — will get married on December 29, but the ceremony will conclude only on January 1, after 10 more weddings of couples from the village are solemnised in a ‘samooh lagna’ at the same venue. This is an initiative of New Jersey-based Vinod Patel who, apart from fulfilling his daughter’s dream, will also bear the expenses of the mass weddings.
“The 10 couples will take their wedding vows at the same venue where my daughter is getting married. They will get blessings from religious leaders of BAPS, Yogi Divine Society and other sects,” says Patel, who has taken care that only ‘gamthi bhojan’ is served on Sunday night during ‘mehendi’ and sangeet ceremony and only folk songs are rendered during ‘garba and raas’ programme on Monday night. While Tuesday is devoted to traditional rituals, the entire village has been invited for the wedding ceremony on Wednesday.
“The wedding will happen in complete vedic style. Those arriving from the US will be given an English translation of the ‘shlokas’ and ‘mantras’,” says Patel. The marriage procession will comprise of palkis, horse buggies, bullock-driven chariots, camel carts and elephants, and the performers will only dance in ‘rajwadi’ style. None of the 14 meals served during the wedding ceremony will contain any refrigerated item, said Patel who is happy that his daughter has chosen the wedding to be performed in a traditional way. At NRI wedding, books become couple’s life-long companion Yagnesh Mehta | TNN
Surat: Chirag Patel, an NRI from the United States married Dimple near here on Sunday. However, the unusual thing was the families of the bride and groom gifting each other books rather than jewellery and clothes, starting a new trend in marriages.
Even the 150 NRI guests at the wedding held in Bardoli were given sets of books as gifts. The guests were requested to gift only books to the newly-married couple. Once the 150 guests return to the US, they will exchange the books gifted to them to a create a group of readers.
Mike, a hotelier from Texas and father of the groom, had put up a stall at the wedding venue to sell books in Gujarati, Hindi and English to around 1,500 guests, who had come to attend the function. He took the idea of ‘Vanche Gujarat’ campaign to give a social message on the occasion of the wedding.
“A friend had suggested to me to give a good social message on my son’s wedding, and what better idea of significance than ‘Vanche Gujarat’,” said Mike. “The family has set up a great example. The message is if marriage is a union of hearts, then books too are no less than a companion for life,” said Harshad Shah, state co vice-president of Vanche Gujarat campaign.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Year
Now
At 00
Hours
I would
like to put
up a tree in my
heart, and instead
of hanging presents,
I would like to put the
names of all my friends.
Close friends and not so close
friends. The old friends the new
friends. Those that I see every day
and the ones that I rarely see. The ones
that I always remember and the ones that
I sometimes forget. The ones that are always
there and the ones that seldom are. The friends of
difficult times and the ones of happy times. Friends
who, without meaning to, I have hurt, or, without meaning
to have hurt me. Those that I know well and those I only know
by name. Those that owe me little and those that I owe so much.
My humble friends and my important friends. The names of all those
that have passed through my life no matter how fleetingly. A tree with
very deep roots and very long
and strong branches so that
their names may never be
plucked from my heart. So
that new names from all
over may join the existing ones. A tree with a very
pleasant shade so that our friendship may take a
moment of rest from the battles of life. “May the
happy moments of TODAY brighten every day of
“YOUR LIFE”. This is my sincere wishes !
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tax rates for NRIs are no different from those for residents
Tax rates for NRIs are no different from those for residents
Sandeep Shanbhag
I have been informed that recently, there has been a change regarding the procedure and documents required to be submitted by an NRI for effecting a remittance out of India. What is the exact nature of this change? — Saurabh Gupta
Yes, the remittance procedure has been modified from July 1, 2009. Earlier, for effecting the remittance, the NRI needed to submit a certificate from a chartered accountant (CA) and an undertaking detailing the transaction and the bank account to which the remittance is to be credited. Now too, the same details are required albeit in a modified format.
The CA certificate is to be provided in prescribed Form 15CB. Also, now the undertaking needs to be submitted in Form 15CA. The information to be furnished in Form 15CA is to be filled using the information contained in Form 15CB (certificate). Form 15CA has to be then uploaded on www.tin-nsdl.com. The remitter will then take a print out of this filled up Form 15CA (which will bear an acknowledgement number generated by the system) and sign it.
The duly signed Form 15CA (undertaking) and Form 15CB (certificate), has to be submitted to the bank who will in turn forward a copy the certificate and undertaking to the assessing officer concerned. Once this is done, the funds may be remitted abroad.
Please note that though the procedure seems complicated at first glance, it basically amounts to filling out of two forms, one of which will be done by the chartered accountant concerned. The other one has to be filled online and then printed out with the system generated acknowledgement number. Submission of both these documents is all that is needed to effect the remittance.
I have a small apartment on the outskirts of Mumbai which I have let out for a rent of `11,000 per month. I have no other income in India. Would I have to pay any tax on this income in India? Would the tax be payable if I were to gift the rental income to my retired parents who live in India? Would they have to pay tax on this gifted amount? — Nalanda
The tax rates for NRIs are not different from those applicable to resident Indians.
Income up to `1.6 lakh is not taxable. Since your income from rent would amount to `1.32 lakh only, there would be no tax payable on rent in India. Any monetary or non-monetary gifts made to parents are not taxable. There is no limit on the amount that can be gifted as well as the number of times it can be gifted.
The writer is director, Wonderland Consultants a tax and financial planning firm. He may be contacted at sandeep.shanbhag@gmail.com
Source:http://epaper.dnaindia.com/dnaahmedabad/epapermain.aspx?queryed=5&username=&useremailid=&parenteditioncode=5&eddate=12%2f10%2f2010
Sandeep Shanbhag
I have been informed that recently, there has been a change regarding the procedure and documents required to be submitted by an NRI for effecting a remittance out of India. What is the exact nature of this change? — Saurabh Gupta
Yes, the remittance procedure has been modified from July 1, 2009. Earlier, for effecting the remittance, the NRI needed to submit a certificate from a chartered accountant (CA) and an undertaking detailing the transaction and the bank account to which the remittance is to be credited. Now too, the same details are required albeit in a modified format.
The CA certificate is to be provided in prescribed Form 15CB. Also, now the undertaking needs to be submitted in Form 15CA. The information to be furnished in Form 15CA is to be filled using the information contained in Form 15CB (certificate). Form 15CA has to be then uploaded on www.tin-nsdl.com. The remitter will then take a print out of this filled up Form 15CA (which will bear an acknowledgement number generated by the system) and sign it.
The duly signed Form 15CA (undertaking) and Form 15CB (certificate), has to be submitted to the bank who will in turn forward a copy the certificate and undertaking to the assessing officer concerned. Once this is done, the funds may be remitted abroad.
Please note that though the procedure seems complicated at first glance, it basically amounts to filling out of two forms, one of which will be done by the chartered accountant concerned. The other one has to be filled online and then printed out with the system generated acknowledgement number. Submission of both these documents is all that is needed to effect the remittance.
I have a small apartment on the outskirts of Mumbai which I have let out for a rent of `11,000 per month. I have no other income in India. Would I have to pay any tax on this income in India? Would the tax be payable if I were to gift the rental income to my retired parents who live in India? Would they have to pay tax on this gifted amount? — Nalanda
The tax rates for NRIs are not different from those applicable to resident Indians.
Income up to `1.6 lakh is not taxable. Since your income from rent would amount to `1.32 lakh only, there would be no tax payable on rent in India. Any monetary or non-monetary gifts made to parents are not taxable. There is no limit on the amount that can be gifted as well as the number of times it can be gifted.
The writer is director, Wonderland Consultants a tax and financial planning firm. He may be contacted at sandeep.shanbhag@gmail.com
Source:http://epaper.dnaindia.com/dnaahmedabad/epapermain.aspx?queryed=5&username=&useremailid=&parenteditioncode=5&eddate=12%2f10%2f2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)