Modi must raise H-1B visa issue with Trump: Indians in US

Agencies

June 25, 2017

Washington, Jun 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi must raise the contentious H-1B visa issue besides defence cooperation and terrorism during his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, members of the Indian community said here today.

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Modi, who arrived in the US capital today, was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by a group of people from the Indian community that was waiting outside the Willard InterContinental Hotel to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.

Among those waiting to catch a glimpse of Modi was Mridula, originally from Hyderabad, and working in New York on an H1B visa. She and her friends, visibly excited to see Modi, said they hoped the Indian Prime Minister would raise with Trump concerns over the H1B visas, widely uses by Indian technology companies to send IT professionals to the US.

"We hope that the outcome on the issue is positive for Indians and at the same time does not anger Americans as well. It is scary when we hear reports of attacks against Indians in the US," she told PTI. Modi "is a very powerful leader and I am sure something very positive on the H1B visa is going to come out of his meeting with Trump," she said.

Avinash Bilugu, another H1B visa holder working in Albany, echoed the concerns over the work visas. "This is a major issue for us. I hope Modi brings it up in his meeting with Trump. Defence and security are other important issues that the two leaders should discuss,” he said.

Aatma Singh, chair of the fundraiser committee of Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), listed terrorism and cyber crime as key issues for the bilateral talks. On H1B visas, he said, the IT industry in the US will be incomplete without the contribution and hard work of the Indian workers.

"India and the US share historic ties and the meeting between Modi and Trump will lay the groundwork for further strengthening bilateral relations in the years and decades to come," he said.

Trump will host Modi at the White House tomorrow and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

Ahead of his visit, Modi had said that he looked forward to the opportunity of having an in-depth exchange of views.

The Trump administration has said that if the Indian side raises the contentious H-1B visa issue during President Trump's meeting with Modi, the Americans were ready to respond.

Trump signed an executive order in April for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop "visa abuses".

Trump said his administration is going to enforce 'Hire American' rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the US.

The executive order also called upon the Departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security, and the state to take action against fraud and abuse of the US' visa programmes.

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Man attacked with hammer by saffron extremists while transporting meat, cops watch

coastaldigest.com web desk

August 1,2020

New Delhi, July 1: In a terrific incident with chilling echoes of the 2015 Dadri mob lynching, a Muslim man, who was carrying meat, was savagely attacked by a mob belonging to a saffron outfit in the presence of in BJP ruled Haryana on the eve of Eid al-Adha.

The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. on Friday, July 31 at Badshahpur village in Haryana’s Gurgaon, when Lukman was transporting meat in a pic-kup truck.

The attack was captured on mobile phones by onlookers and the video clips of the incident are now spreading on social media.

A group of saffronite cow vigilantes chased the truck for about 8 km managed waylay it. Lukman, who was driving the truck was pulled out and brutally assaulted on the suspicion that he was transporting cow meat.

Just like Dadri, the police were faster at sending the meat to a lab for testing than catching any one of the suspects. One of the assailants - Pradeep Yadav- has been arrested.

After being beating to an inch of his life, Lukman was bundled into the pick-up truck and taken back to Gurgaon's Badshahpur village where the goons started thrashing him again.

This is when the police stepped in and stopped them - only to find the assailants fearless enough to even take on them.

Lukman was taken to a hospital and the police filed a case against "unidentified individuals" even though the video of the incident recorded by witnesses shows the faces of the assailants.

The owner of the vehicles said that the meat was buffalo and he has been in the business for 50 years.

The police have so far refused to give a statement on record on the incident and explain their inaction as seen on video.

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Indian pharma industry capable of producing covid vaccines for entire world: Bill Gates

News Network

July 16,2020

New Delhi, Jul 16: India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce Covid-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Speaking in a documentary -- Covid-19: India's War Against The Virus -- to be premiered on Discovery Plus this (Thursday) evening, Gates said India also faces a huge challenge due to the health crisis because of its gigantic size and urban centres with a lot of population density.

Commenting on the strength of India's pharma industry, he said, "India has a lot of capacity there -- with the drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to the entire world. You know, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere-- starting with Serum Institute, that's the largest."

He further said, "But (there are) also Bio E, Bharat (Biotech), many others. They are doing work to help make the coronavirus vaccine, building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases."

Stating that India joined Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is a group working on a global basis to build vaccines platforms, Gates said, "I am excited that the pharmaceutical industry there will be able to produce not just for India but also for the entire world. (This is) What we need to reduce the deaths and make sure we are immune, which is how we end the epidemic."

Gates said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a "partner with the government, particularly with the department of biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the office of the principal scientific advisor provide advice and help about getting these tools going".

Commenting on the deadly virus breaching India's borders in the documentary which was shot extensively during the period of lockdown, he said, "India is still at the beginning of this, but there's a lot of very important things have been done.

“It's a huge challenge with India because you've got a gigantic country. You've got your urban centers with a lot of density-- and so that-- drives the spread. You have people moving around."

He, however, added: "Yet people are stepping up... Looking at how we reduce the spread while trying not to reduce food availability, equipment that people need."

Highlighting Gates foundation's role, he said it has "worked for the Indian government on health issues like introducing new vaccines over the last decade; and so when Covid-19 came along, we stepped in and said you know where are the gaps, we have been funding work on detection and isolation.

“We have been particularly active in UP and Bihar where we have done health delivery in the past."

The foundation is also working with the department of personnel and training to take their online training platforms and "are now using that guidance to help their frontline health workers", Gates said.

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Walking from Delhi to MP, man dies in Agra amid lockdown

Agencies

March 29,2020

Agra, Mar 29: A 39-year-old man, who had walked almost 200 kilometers from Delhi to reach his home in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, collapsed and died in Agra on Saturday.

The man, identified as Ranveer Singh, worked as home delivery boy for a private restaurant in the national capital.

According to police, the victim collapsed near Kailash turning of the national highway-2, after which a local hardware store owner Sanjay Gupta rushed to the victim.

Sikandra station house officer (SHO) Arvind Kumar, said, 'Gupta made the victim lie on a carpet and offered tea and biscuit. The victim complained about chest pain and also called his brother-in-law Arvind Singh over phone to share his health condition. At around 6.30 P.m, the victim passed away and local police was informed. "

Ranveer had left for his native village on Friday morning on foot. It is likely that exhaustion of 200-km walk might have caused chest pain.

The SHO said,"On the entire NH-2 stretch, UP policemen are present with food packets and water for such persons but Ranveer's death is unfortunate. "

After the death, policemen took the victim's body for post-mortem. The autopsy report is yet to be re eased.

According to information available, Ranveer was working in Delhi's Tughlakabad for the past three- years. He is survived by three children including two daughters. He belongs to a family of farmers and was the main bread winner for his family.

His family has been brought to Agra to take the body back to their village for the last rites.

Comments

very sad news....this is the condition of hindu people after they adopt hindutva idology.

Politician enjoying playing ludo and watching ramayan, after complete lockdown, not even bothered by government about their transport,

modi spend crore on statue, but no hospital

this is the hindu rastra you want right...enjoy marons