The workers complained that they underwent ''slave-like treatment'' at a 
Signal, a Northrop Grumman subcontractor that held them as bonded labourers and is already the subject of a criminal human trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice, a statement issued on behalf of them by the organisers said.
I prefer NDTV 24x7 over any news channel because it is the best news channel for NRIs as it provides the latest stories related to
It is now getting even uglier, as some girls have alleged that they were sexually exploited in foreign land.
On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Dandi march and almost 80 years later, in the United States, with Gandhi’s name on their lips, the former employees of Signal International company begin their march for justice.
I saw the coverage on NDTV 24×7, the best source of India-centric news in the US.
The Indian workers who quit their jobs and filed a lawsuit against the company they were working for in the United States have launched a Satyagraha movement.
They have started a march for justice - from New Orleans to Washington DC where they want to meet the Indian Ambassador to the US.
Indian workers say they paid lakhs of rupees to a recruitment firm on promises of work-based permanent residency in the US. But on arrival, all they got was 10-month H2B guest worker visas, low wages and cramped quarters.
Their march has yet again exposed the vulnerability of guest workers to exploitation in their search for a better future in foreign lands.
I thought that Satyagraha had died its natural death. But the teachings of a great man have far out-lived any philosophies.
Its good that DirecTV is providing Indian channels in the US. The satellite TV service provider makes my home away from home. Here is the link for DirecTV:
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042
An influential Democrat on Capitol Hill and a firm advocate of stronger ties with India, Pelosi will also meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and discuss with him a range of bilateral and global issues, including the situation in Tibet.
If all that mall hopping is telling on your health, then you can go to a unique mall, a health mall. A venture in which doctors will have a stake and businessmen can invest in health care. Gurtej Singh, CEO of IVY Hospital says, ''this model has been very-very successful in giving lot of satisfaction to the doctors, who kind of de facto own up the place for 10 to 30 years. It will bring down gestation period to seven days from three to five years. This is because from day one, they will be able to generate profits. The infrastructure is ready and they are already in business.''
More than half a dozen major companies have tied up with the new IVY hospital in Mohali. Some of them are from the
Avinash Srivastava of RG Stones in
This is a very nice venture and will benefit many people. I hope to visit them when they are completed when I visit
Jann Gabriel wants to stay on in
But there has been an 11 per cent hike in the number of placements in Asia Pacific region for IIM Ahmedabad graduates this year. And Jann says she's taken the right decision. ''Business environment here is very different than what I have seen in
At the placement this year there were 100 companies, who opted for a total of 225 students. The highest pay offered by an international company was Rs 1.5 crores. Indian companies have offered up to Rs 70 lakhs. But surprisingly 19 per cent graduates opted for jobs in the financial institutions. IIM officials say that the global economic slowdown has had no impact on the placements. ''There is an increased acceptance of students in Asia pacific region compared to Europe and US indicating balance of economic power shifting from West to the East,'' said Samir Barua, Director, IIM, Ahmedabad That's good news for IIM students and Jann is happy to have got the offer.
It is a matter of pride that there are such distinguished educational institutions in
Thousands of employees of the Airport Authority of India are on an indefinite strike. The employees are demanding that the existing
Despite the presences of some Air Force personnel, who have been brought in to help, the situation is set to be pretty bad. So far the strike doesn't seem to have had any major effect on flights out of the four major metros. Reports from
Brewing trouble
Despite the protests by the airport employees in
I was happy to hear that the strike did not affect the passengers. I know how difficult it is when flights are delayed and I thought that this strike is going to affect all the passengers, the metros went untouched. I received this news from NDTV 24x7 through my DirecTV connection.
The UPA-Left committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal will meet in
The showdown between the two sides came to a head last week when CPI general Secretary A B Bardhan made it clear that the Left parties would withdraw support to the government if it goes ahead with the deal. The Left, which provides crucial outside support for the government, has put it under renewed pressure by setting a March 15 deadline to explain whether it intended to proceed with the controversial nuclear deal or drop it.
CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, last week, shot off a letter to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the government's key interlocutor with the allies on the deal, asking that the meeting be convened by March 15. His party had also sent an ominous warning that the future of the government depends on the decision it will take on
The UPA-Left committee had earlier allowed the government to hold negotiations with the IAEA on the condition that it should come back to the committee once the negotiations are over to appraise it of the progress. The safeguards agreement, along with the NSG waiver, is a prerequisite to operationalize the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. I hope that some progress is done in the Indo-US nuclear deal. It has been a long time since we were first given the deal to take our decision on. I am glad that I had installed DirecTV through which I have access to NDTV 24x7 and can be updated on the current events happening in
About 100 Indian victims of human trafficking in the
The workers were recruited by Dewan Consultants of Mumbai, and brought by Signal, a marine construction company, to the
Ravi has written to the Indian ambassador in the
''We also want Ravi to direct Dewan and his associates to refrain from contacting the workers' families in
The workers Friday met officials of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They also plan to report themselves to the Department of Justice as trafficking victims. Their future course of action will depend on whether they are allowed to stay on and work, as victims of human trafficking generally are. Besides those who quit, 200 other Indians are still working under similar conditions at the
''They perhaps don't want to risk leaving at this stage, but will be welcome to join the action that other workers are planning,'' Boykewich said. The workers, mainly welders and pipe-fitters, belong to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and
Signal brought almost 600 workers from
One of the workers, Rajan Pazhambalakode, added, ''I've been a guest worker all my life. I've never seen these kinds of conditions. We stayed 24 people to a room, for which the company deducted $1,050 a month from our pay cheques.'' The nature of their visas prevented them from working for any other company, leaving the constant threat of deportation hanging over their heads.
Signal has denied the charges in a statement claiming it spent over $7 million to house the workers. ''Unfortunately, a few of the workers whom Signal had sponsored for H2B visas and recruited have made baseless and unfounded allegations against Signal concerning their employment and living conditions,'' it said in the statement.
Driven by the news that Signal is now recruiting fresh Indian workers through the Mumbai recruiter S. Mansur & Company, Vijayan and his colleagues are demanding that the Indian and U.S governments put a halt to this international trafficking ring. I hope that an end is put to human trafficking. Even though it helps the livelihood of poor people it is not as simple as it looks. The workers are treated like animals as reported by NDTV 24x7. I receive NDTV 24x7 through my DirecTV connection.
Describing Atal Bihari Vajpayee as ''Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics'', Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday appealed to the former Prime Minister to rise above ''narrow'' party politics and support the Indo-US nuclear deal. ''Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics Atal Bihari Vajpayee should listen to his conscience and let national interest prevail upon narrow politics,'' Singh said in the Rajya Sabha seeking support of his predecessor on the nuclear deal.
In his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, Prime Minister assured the Parliament that the government would not compromise on requirements of national security in inking the nuclear deal with the
While the Prime Minister mounted a strident attack on the previous NDA Government Singh had words of praise for Vajpayee for his ''courageous'' steps to foster peace with
The Prime Minister said his government has continued the process with President Pervez Musharraf. Singh noted that the then Prime Ministers late Benazir Bhutto and late Rajiv Gandhi started the dialogue process. Singh was also happy with former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra ''coming out openly in defence of the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.'' I wonder what Vajpayee will do, will he support the nuclear deal or will he remain adamant. I will keep myself updated on this by watching NDTV 24x7 through my DirecTV connection.
