Indo-US Nuclear Sexy Tango

Indo-US Nuclear Sexy Tango

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - Fifty ONE

Palash Biswas


While the US INDO Nuclear Tango is the highlight of the day, US President George W Bush has unveiled a long-term strategy on climate change, with plans to gather the countries that emit the most greenhouse gases and set a global emissions goal. On the other hand,Differences continued to nag the talks between India and the US on Thursday on an agreement to operationalise the civil nuclear deal, with Washington saying the two sides were working “very hard” to conclude the pact.

Mind you, Indian polity is headed by the World Bank IMF team and post modern Manusmriti is the Mantra of the zionist hindu imperialism. The left cries against US imperialism and opposes the nuclear deal but it does not hesitate to help the US based MNCs to make Rural dalit enslaved underprevileged India a hunting ground! Indian politicians are best known to serve US interests worldwide, so left pushes Pranab Mukherjee to Raiseena! Chemical Hub is being created to repeat Bhopal tragedy and import of Hiroshima and nagasaki seem to be next destination.

Leftist hue and crue seems to me nothing but a FARCE to dupe the particular VOTE Bank in left Ruled states where MUslim support sustains the Ruling Front without doing any governance at all. Left is doing nothing to stall the deal. So, same is the RSS stance which advocates a Hindu Rashtra, Super Power.

India and the US on Thursday began crucial talks on ironing out differences on a path-breaking civilian nuclear deal ahead of a meeting between their top political leadership in Germany next month.India and the United States have considerable ‘hard work’ to do, to resolve their differences over July 18, 2005 the civilian nuclear deal between the two countries, US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said on Thursday.Burns holding negotiations with Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon and other officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi, over the nuke deal regarded as a major test of friendship between both countries. INTENSE negotiations over the detail of the crucial Indo-US nuclear deal were under way in New Delhi last night amid signs of fierce new opposition from Indian political parties and scientists.


Meanwhile, M R Srinivasan and P K Iyengar, two of India’s eminent scientists and nuclear experts have shared their apprehensions regarding the deal.

“The U.S. administration has to find a way to accommodate fully agreement reached with India in July 2005 and March 2006. If the only was to do so is to amend the Hyde Act, then the U.S. should plan to do so rather than press India for more compromises”, said Srinivasan.

Iyengar who has been critical of the deal wrote in an editorial: “Once we sign the deal we will be at the mercy of the U.S. and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).”

With leaders of the influential Communist Party of India (Marxist) aligning with the main parliamentary opposition, the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to oppose the deal, such approval is at best uncertain.

After months of protracted negotiation over the “123 Agreement” that is supposed to provide the detail of the basic civilian nuclear deal concluded between India and the US in 2005, negotiators hope a final accord can be reached over the next 72 hours while Mr Burns is in New Delhi.

The intention is to conclude this before US President George W.Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meet at the G8 summit in Berlin.

This appears doubtful, with technical teams from both countries scrabbling for a formula that will break the deadlock.

US ambassador to New Delhi David Mulford was quoted last night as declaring that “the big stuff has been done, but the devil is in the details”.

The difficulty is India’s unwillingness to sign away its right to conduct strategic nuclear weapons tests in the future, even though it has pledged it has no intention of doing so. There is also a dispute over the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

Domestic Indian political pressure is such that, in the view of most commentators, it would be political suicide for Dr Singh’s ruling United Progress Alliance coalition to sign away testing rights. Equally, Washington insists it is bound by law to ensure the deal will be terminated the moment the country carries out another strategic nuclear weapons test.

India’s ruling coalition relies heavily on leftist support for its political survival. In parliament last night, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat insisted “the Government must not proceed without bringing the 123 Agreement before parliament”.

As well, Hindu nationalists coalesced around the BJP are outraged by the sovereignty issue over nuclear testing and determined to bring down any deal that compromises this.

Also overhanging the summit is a likely clash between the US and Russia over Washington’s proposal to base parts of a missile shield in Eastern Europe.

The two countries have struggled to overcome the differences over the fine print of the deal, after the U.S. Congress, concerned about preventing nuclear proliferation, introduced amendments to a law it approved in December backinghe deal.As a result, the two sides have been unable to finalise a deal governing nuclear trade. India says it cannot accept changed goalposts in the deal, which it views as an infringement of its sovereignty.The deal aims to overturn three decades of U.S. sanctions on the sale of nuclear reactors and fuel to India to help it meet its soaring energy needs, even though New Delhi has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has test-fired nuclear weapons.

“Some hard work has to be done. As this agreement is very much in the interest of both the governments. I think it represents the most ambitious proposal, we have put forward in the last 30 years”, Burns told reporters in New delhi.

“It allows us to correct major problems in relations with India. So, there are lots of reasons to feel optimistic about this agreement. We hope to make some progress over the next day or two in this regard,” Burns added.

India says it cannot accept new terms included in the deal (the Hyde Act), such as the U.S. decision to end nuclear trade with India, if New Delhi conducts another nuclear test, and not permitting India to reprocess spent fuel.

Although both sides say there is a strong political backing to push the deal through, Washington is apparently getting impatient with the delay in concluding it.

Some Indian officials’ attribute this frustration to what they say is a feeling in Washington that the time is running out as President George W. Bush nears the end of his term.But they say it would be difficult for India to compromise in the face of fierce political opposition from within and allegations of a possible sell-out to the US.

Before going in for talks, Burns told media persons that the two countries had come a long way in the talks on the agreement since the negotiations began two years ago.Burns said the two sides are almost there and little more work was needed to conclude the pact.He expressed confidence that the agreement would be clinched.

Washington has said that both countries are ‘well on the way’ to conclude the pact and that it did not believe any of the remaining differences were ‘insurmountable.’

The two sides will seek to wind up the year-long negotiations ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush in Germany next week on the sidelines of the G-8 Summit.

• Coverage: Indo-US Nuclear Tango

http://www.rediff.com/news/nukedeal05.html?zcc=rl
See also:
http://ipcs.org/IPCS-IssueBrief-No42.pdf
http://www.fff.org/webAv/index.asp
http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/aug252006/408.pdf
http://www.countercurrents.org/ind-subbarao090306.htm
http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=1a7f273a-3bff-4897-a5b4-83d313c22b21&&Headline=Indo-US%2Bcivil%2Bnuclear%2Bdeal%2Bis%2Bback%2Bon%2Btrack
What�s the real deal?
Nilotpal Basu
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 21:48 IST


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Excitement is running high in South Block over the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State, Nicolas Burns�s visit to New Delhi on May 31. This is being widely speculated as the �final push� by the Americans to clinch the final conclusion for the ongoing discussions on the 123 agreement to officially seal the Indo-US Nuclear Accord. The parleys between Burns and foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will constitute an important phase in the run-up to the summit engagement between Manmohan Singh and George Bush on the margins of the G-8 Summit.

It is now clear that major differences do exist over the proposed Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. But Burns has tried to run roughshod over the protestations of Indian negotiators. In the aftermath of the negotiations between the two technical teams, Burns was emphatically dismissive of the persisting concerns. Without spelling out the details of what will be the nature of give and take, he had observed � �it is going to be hard work on the part of both the United States and India� and added �both sides need to compromise in order to reach a final agreement. Both of us are responsible for this agreement.�
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1099920

The truth behind the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal

by Siddharth Varadarajan


In opening the door to nuclear commerce with India, Washington has confirmed how much an alliance with New Delhi is worth to it. But is anybody on the Indian side doing the math?

IN THE fullness of time, last week’s nuclear agreement between India and the United States will be seen as one of those decisive moments in international politics when two powers who have been courting each other for some time decide finally to cross the point of no return. The U.S. and India have `come out’, so to speak, and the world will never be the same again.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=VAR20050729&articleId=756
Bumpy Ride for Indo-US Nuclear Deal

by Praful Bidwai
NEW DELHI - The “nuclear cooperation” agreement signed by United States President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, six months ago in Washington, has run into trouble over separation of India’s civilian installations from the military.

As a result of this major hurdle, the “one of a kind” deal is unlikely to be fleshed out and approved by the two sides before Bush’s first-ever visit to India, expected to begin on March 1.

The July 18 deal is meant to legitimize and “normalize” India’s nuclear weapons and facilitate resumption of civilian nuclear commerce with this country, which has been under technology embargoes since it first exploded a nuclear device in 1974.

The unsuccessful outcome of the third round of talks on the agreement on Jan. 19-20 in the Indian capital is likely to dampen the high tone that was originally set for the Bush visit, which takes place amid Washington’s offer to “help India become a Great Power in the 21st century.”

Until India’s nuclear facilities are separated under civilian and military categories, the former cannot be placed under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

India has over 80 nuclear facilities and installations, including 15 power reactors and an unspecified number of military-related installations.

India and the U.S. have been doing some hard bargaining over which facilities should be included in the civilian and military lists. The U.S. is pressing India to expand the list of facilities to be brought under IAEA safeguards.

But India says safeguards should be “voluntary,” as applicable to the nuclear weapons-states (NWSs) recognized under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).

Disagreements between the two governments are now spilling over into the Indian media in the form of polemical attacks, in which India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) figures prominently.

Supporters of the U.S. position say there is a sharp divergence in approach between the DAE and the prime minister’s office (PMO). The DAE is accused of being insular, inflexible, and resistant to international cooperation.

Supporters of the Indian government’s stance say the DAE’s proposal was approved by the PMO before being put on the table and is meant to maximize India’s future options and not limit the size of its nuclear arsenal.

“This reflects only one side of the debate on the nuclear deal,” says M.V. Ramana, a physicist and researcher at Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development, located in the southern city of Bangalore.

“This is the nationalist or pseudo-nationalist side, which assumes that nuclear weapons are necessary for India’s independence and sovereignty. But the real debate is between the pro-bomb and peace viewpoints. The peace movement holds India doesn’t need nuclear weapons for its security. Nor does the U.S.,” Ramana told IPS in an interview.

http://www.antiwar.com/bidwai/?articleid=8446

War Is a Government Program
by Sheldon Richman, May 30, 2007

June 1 is the 227th anniversary of the birth of Carl von Clausewitz, the influential Prussian military theorist and historian. Clausewitz is best known for writing in his book, On War, �War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means.�

These words come to mind whenever I hear conservative enthusiasts for the Iraq occupation complain about political interference with military operations. They don�t understand the most basic fact of war: it is a government program. So why aren�t people who claim to be suspicious of other government programs suspicious of war? I can see only two reasons, neither of them flattering: power lust or nationalistic zeal.

Many of us grow up believing that government reflects the will of the people. But skeptics know better. Government has assumed more and more control over private life not because the people demanded it, but because power-seekers and privilege-seekers sought outlets for their ambitions. They then propagandized the public until a sufficient number of people came to believe government control was good for them. (�Public� education has been remarkably effective in this regard.)

http://www.fff.org/comment/com0705l.asp

Thursday, May 31, 2007 (Berlin)
India and the European Union have reviewed the entire gamut of the strategic partnership between them and prepared for their summit-level interaction later this year.

The review was made during the meeting visiting External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had with the EU Troika involving the past, present and future presidencies of the European Union.

The meeting was hosted by German Foreign Minister Franz-Walter Steinmeier in his capacity as the current president of the European Council of Ministers.

It gave an opportunity for the two sides also to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest such as the fight against terrorism, Afghanistan, Iran, energy and climate change issues.

On the European side, the meeting held at the German Foreign Ministry was also attended by representatives of the European Commission and the Council Secretariat of the EU and Portuguese Foreign Minister M Luis Amado, whose country takes over the six-month rotating EU presidency from Germany in July.

Addressing a joint press conference with Steinmeier and Amado, Mukherjee said their meeting was a good opportunity to take stock of the progress made since the seventh India-EU summit held in Helsinki in October, 2006.
Nuke appetiser, served on US telly
- Atomic chief in tough talk
OUR CHIEF DIPLOMATIC EDITOR

Nicholas Burns: Positive
Washington, May 30: On the eve of President George W. Bush�s nuclear negotiator�s trip to India, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Anil Kakodkar, has appeared on prime time American television and warned that �what India should have and should not have is for India to decide�.

Kakodkar had the ominous last word when he said, �I will leave it at that�, in a long programme on Delhi�s nuclear ambitions that was aired here last night on News Hour with Jim Lehrer, a highly regarded news programme watched by decision-makers across the US.

The Atomic Energy Commission chairman used his appearance on American television as the Indo-US nuclear talks are entering one of its most delicate phases to bluntly convey the long-held view of the Indian nuclear establishment on the so-called 123 agreement to facilitate nuclear cooperation with the US.

�India is a sovereign country. India has to take care of its own security requirements. And India has a right to do this, maintaining its own international commitments. So I think it is straightforward.�

The news programme, which was put together with the active cooperation of the Atomic Energy Commission and the state-owned Uranium Corporation of India, was a clear indication that the country�s nuclear establishment was now looking beyond the nuclear deal with the US and towards active involvement in global nuclear commerce pending normal ties between New Delhi and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group.

News Hour with Jim Lehrer acknowledged that this was the first time American television cameras had been allowed into an Indian uranium mine, this one in Jaduguda in Jharkhand.

Uranium supplies are central to realising the objectives of the Indo-US nuclear deal, which will be further negotiated when the American under-secretary of state for political affairs, Nicholas Burns, arrives in India tomorrow on a three-day visit.

Jaduguda is central to the uranium needs of India�s pressurised heavy water reactors. The Uranium Corporation of India�s chief, Ramendra Gupta, said on last night�s programme: �It is good if we have access to uranium resources outside India, but suppose it is not coming.� We are going ahead with our programme.�

The external affairs ministry and the US embassy in Delhi today simultaneously issued statements, clearing several days of confusion about the arrival of Burns in India.

Yesterday, the US state department�s deputy spokesman, Tom Casey, was asked if Burns was on vacation in India. He said Burns was in Berlin �as far as I know� and added that �there is no confirmed travel plans (to India) at this point�.

�The visit will also be the occasion for further discussions on the proposed bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement,� South Block said.

US ambassador to India David Mulford underlined difficulties in the way of concluding the 123 agreement.

�There is considerable work to be done on what is a very technical and detailed agreement. We want to finish as soon as we can.�
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070531/asp/nation/story_7855593.asp



India, S Korea to hold joint naval exercise
New Delhi, May 31 (PTI): Seeking to upgrade their ties to strategic partnership, India and South Korea have resolved to enhance defence cooperation by holding joint naval exercises on annual basis and to work together for speedy resolution of the … More

Indian, Chinese defence leaders meet in Singapore
New Delhi, May 31 (PTI): Top Indian and Chinese Defence leaders will chalk out the progress of their bilateral dialogue and their approach to building international stability at the Sixth Asian Security Council meeting being held in Singapore on … More

Plea against Pandher: CBI court reserves order
Ghaziabad, May 31 (PTI): A special CBI court today reserved its order till tomorrow on a petition challenging the clean chit given by the CBI to Mininder Singh Pandher, an accused in Nithari killings cases, in the murder of 14-year-old … More

China to open nuclear power industry to private, foreign firms
Beijing, May 31 (PTI): Energy-hungry China is considering open up its nuclear power industry to domestic and foreign firms, who will be allowed to invest in atomic power generating projects but cannot hold a controlling stake.

“China is considering opening the nuclear fuel sector to foreign investors as the nation is keen to boost its nuclear power sector,” Wang Yiren, head of the No.2 system engineering department of the State Commission of Science and Technology for National Defence Industry said.

The country’s draft nuclear energy law is being revised, he added.

According to China’s longer-term development plan for the nuclear power industry, nuclear power capacity will increase to 40 million kw in 2020, with construction work beginning on at least three nuclear power generating units in each of the coming 10 years.

Currently, there are 10 commercial nuclear power generating units operational in China, including the No 1 unit at Tianwan nuclear power station in east China’s Jiangsu Province, which came onstream on May 17. Their combined installed capacity stands at eight million kw.

The other nine units included Qinshan, Dayawan, and No 2 and 3 phases of Qinshan and Ling’ao. Four units are being built as the second phase of the Ling’ao project in south China’s Guangdong Province and the second phase of the Qinshan project in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province.

According to Wang, China’s nuclear industry generated 54.8 billion kw/h of electricity last year, less than two per cent of the nation’s total.

The government wants the nuclear industry to contribute four per cent of the nation’s energy needs by 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

Wang said the Chinese government has strict controls on uranium ore prospecting and mining but allows foreign experts to assist Chinese geological authorities in their exploration efforts.

Wang noted uranium was mainly distributed in two huge inter-continental metallogenic zones, which both traverse the Chinese mainland. This is encouraging for China’s chances of finding uranium.

China now has 300-plus research institutions and production firms devoted to nuclear technology, employing approximately 50,000 people.

US has won over Indians with nuclear deal EnlargeUS has won over Indians with nuclear deal
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Burns visiting India to try and seal the 123 pact
The next three days could see the differences on the deal being sorted out and closure reached, reports Nilova Roy Chaudhury. Read on…
‘Differences over nuclear deal not insurmountable’
Fission for trouble | More…

Opinion | Fission for trouble

Right to reprocess spent fuel major snag

Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Hindustan Times
Email Author
New York/Washington, May 30, 2007
First Published: 01:55 IST(30/5/2007)
Last Updated: 06:00 IST(30/5/2007)


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The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement is the primary driver behind a 10 year-high in Indian public approval for the US, indicates a recent opinion poll.

A record 86 per cent of urban Indians had �very or fairly good� opinions of the US. Over a quarter cited the nuclear deal as the primary reason bilateral relations had improved � more than any other reason.

The survey, taken in March in India�s four largest cities, was done by a polling agency for internal US State Department use. The results broadly reflect several different opinion polls over the past few years showing Indians to be increasingly favourably inclined towards the US.

For example, a poll taken in July last year by WorldPublicOpinion.org showed 58 per cent of Indians said relations with the US were improving, the highest such figure in 10 nations.

There is little collaborative evidence about public views regarding the nuclear deal. But nation-wide surveys last year by magazines like India Today showed 70 per cent of the respondents supporting the deal.

Experts say the nuclear deal is starting to influence public views about the US even though, as South Asia expert Teresita Schaffer of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies says, the deal is �mind-numbing in its detail�.

Walter Andersen of Johns Hopkins University agrees. He says the deal will have �a ripple effect� even among those who are not following the negotiations closely.

The survey tends to support this. Even in urban India, 46 per cent of the respondents said they had heard or read nearly nothing about the deal. Of the four major metropolises, Delhiites were the least informed. A plurality (28 per cent) felt the deal�s main benefit would be in the military sphere � an issue that has been secondary in the debate within India�s strategic community.

Craig Charney, whose agency Charney Associates has done polls measuring anti-Americanism in various countries, explains, �By our research, the prime determinants of attitudes to America is how people see the overall relationship between their country and America � which in India�s case is overwhelmingly positive.� He said a new Pakistan poll will show the exact opposite sentiment, because Pakistanis feel �neglected and threatened� by Washington.

The survey also says anti-Americanism has fallen to a mere 4 per cent, more or less running counter to a global trend. Says Sumit Ganguly of Indiana University-Bloomington, �In large part, apart from the likes of [communist leader] Prakash Karat and his ilk, no one in India has the time or patience to beat the anti-American drum.� It helps, says Andersen, that �We are not seen as backing Pakistan in a knee-jerk way as we did in the past.�

Charney says the improved Indian view about the US was driven by both �positives and negatives�. The positives included growing economic ties, increased migration and shared democratic systems. The negatives was a �common confrontation with Muslim extremism.�

In the final analysis, says Schaffer, �India sees itself on the rise and the US as making that rise easier � and this eclipses things like Iraq.�
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=e49ca090-30ad-4433-a322-64069118ccb1&ParentID=99f4907a-dc7d-4448-9b09-0e13fb223917&&Headline=US+has+won+over+Indians+with+nuclear+deal



Wal-Mart says its entry will benefit India

Suman Guha Mozumder in New York


Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, says that its goal in India is to establish a relationship with the small business community by partnering with them and helping them lower costs and increase profits resulting in benefits for multiple aspects of the country’s economy.

“As per current guidelines, Wal-Mart will enter into a joint venture with Bharti for our wholesale cash-and-carry business in India that will sell goods to retailers, including small store owners — or kirana stores — at very low prices,” Kevin Gardner, senior manager, international corporate affairs, Wal-Mart, told rediff.com.

Gardner’s comments came in reaction to a protest organised by ACORN India and its affiliates during last weekend’s Bollywood awards ceremony in Nassau County in Long Island. The protestors were urging awards chair Kamal Dandona to drop Wal-Mart’s sponsorship of the event for the company’s alleged human rights abuses.
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/may/31wal.htm




India’s GDP grew by 9.4% in 2006-07


Indian economy grew by 9.4 per cent in 2006-07 against 9 per cent in the previous year as robust growth in manufacturing and services sector more than made up for a slowdown in agriculture and construction sector.

However, gross domestic product growth slowed down to 9.1 per cent in the fourth quarter (Jan-March) of 2006-07 against 10 per cent in the same quarter of the previous fiscal, pulled down by slow agriculture, construction, financial and social services growth.

GDP growth during the fourth quarter was, however, higher sequentially as it was 8.7 per cent in the previous quarter of 2006-07.

Manufacturing grew by 12.3 per cent in 2006-07 against 9.1 per cent in the previous year, while trade, hotels, transport and communication grew by 13 per cent against 10.4 per cent.

Agriculture and allied sector’s growth, however, slowed down to 2.7 per cent against six per cent and construction to 10.7 per cent against 14.2 per cent.

Mumbai, 7th most expensive city in the world



As India witnesses a spurt in property prices, its financial capital Mumbai has been ranked as one of the world’s top 10 most expensive locations, in terms of accommodation cost.
Mumbai, which is ranked seventh, is followed by Shanghai, on whose lines the government is planning to develop the Indian financial hub.

The list comprises Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, Moscow, Seoul, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Caracas (Venezuela) and Paris (in order of their position), according to a study by International Human Resource organisation, ECA International.

“High rentals in Tokyo, New York, Seoul, Moscow, London and Paris largely reflect high living costs in these locations, while Mumbai, Shanghai and Beijing suffer from a shortage of modern and well equipped properties, pushing prices up for those properties that do,” ECA International Hong Kong General Manager Lee Quane said.

However, Caracas, capital of Venezuela, makes to the list of top 10 expensive cities for renting an apartment as people have to spend huge amounts on security, Quane said.

In April, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the government will shortly set up a committee to lay a roadmap to make the city the heart of international financial activities.

Mumbai is the prime choice for many multinational firms for establishing their base as they expand operations, which is on the way to be transformed into international financial hub, Quane said.

Though five of the top 10 most expensive locations are in Asia, the list of world’s cheapest locations to rent a three-bedroom apartment does not include any Asian city.



H-1B visas: Which company got how much

BusinessWeek
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/may/18bweek.htm

H-1B issue: Nasscom seeks more visas
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/may/31visa.htm

May 31, 2007 15:48 IST

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), the premier trade body of the IT software and services industry in India, has sent a letter on behalf of the nine Indian companies to US Senators Durbin and Grassley, addressing the issues raised by them in their letter of May 14, 2007 (addressed to nine Indian IT companies) about reported fraud and abuse of the H-1B visa programme, and its impact on American workers.

The Nasscom response represents the viewpoint of these nine Indian companies and the industry. The letter assures the Senators of support and co-operation by Nasscom and its member companies on the larger issue of visa fraud and also echoes the Senators’ belief that any fraudulent activity should be dealt with in the strictest possible manner.

The letter highlights that H-1B visas are beneficial to, both, the United States and Indian companies, and also to the US economy. It also draws attention to the fact that many US industry leaders have repeatedly stressed the need to raise the H-1B visa cap, which was reduced from 195,000 to 65,000 two years ago.

H-1B visas: Which company got how much
On the linkage between layoffs and the H-1B visa, the letter notes that these two do not seem to go hand in hand as exhibited through the 2006 survey by Money Magazine. It also iterates that while the number of H-1B visas is currently very limited (currently capped at 65,000 a year), the H-1B visa is not limited to the IT sector nor to Indians alone.

In fact, of the H-1B visas granted in the year 2006, nearly 14,000 (more than 20%) visas were granted to American educational institutions.

Among other significant areas of note, one at a broader level is addressing the mistaken belief that US-India trade is flowing primarily in one direction. As has been recognized widely, India is a major buyer of a whole host of US goods and services, including aircraft, wheat, branded garments and accessories, et cetera.