Hi Fred, Swearing loyalty to two or more countries is definitely not on -- suppose the two countries go to war, on whose side would you be -- divided loyalty!!!
This happened during WW I & WW II -- Germany accepts dual nationality and called upon U S Citizens of German descent (at that time mostly first generation born U S Citizens) to come and fight for "THEIR FATHERLAND" -- some did -- same played a double game for Germany -- pretending to be U S Citizens and feeding information to Germany resulting in a number of Allied Ships carrying troops and ammunition to Europe being sent to the bottom by German U boats At the moment U S A is wooing India -- a few years back USA treated us as pariahs -- what could happen in the future? Most of the NRIs owe India considerable sums of money expended by India on their education -- how do they propose to repay this debt -- before giving them any further facilities India should call on them to repay their debts -- these people want to enjoy the life style of U S A, coming back to India to invest their U S Dollars at huge premia in terms of Rupees on holidays. If such NRIs are investing in development of India -- either through industry, education or health -- I think they should be given some benefits -- but if only for holidays then NO!! We should look closely at what Taiwan has done in respect of Chinese of Taiwanese origin studying in U S A then coming back and setting up industries to feed U S companies and then the world with electronic components and instruments. Cheers Aloysius D'Souza ----- Original Message ----- From: Frederick Noronha (FN) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 10:34 AM Subject: [Goanet]EXPATS: Dual citizenship bill faces trouble over oath ofallegiance > Dual citizenship bill faces trouble over oath of allegiance > > By Deepshikha Ghosh, Indo-Asian News Service > > New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) A move to grant dual citizenship to people of > Indian origin has run into rough weather over a clause that requires > applicants to sign an oath of allegiance to India. > > A parliamentary panel studying the draft dual citizenship bill appears to be > in two minds about the oath of allegiance clause following objections from > the High Power Committee on Indian Diaspora that had recommended dual > citizenship. > > "We have discussed the bill and heard the views of L.M. Singhvi, the > chairman of the diaspora committee," Hansraj Bhardwaj, a member of the panel > on home affairs, told IANS. "More meetings are required to clear all aspects > of the bill." > > Bhardwaj said the committee was seized of the provision that those seeking > Indian citizenship would have to sign an oath of affirmation of loyalty to > India. > > Singhvi had reportedly expressed his reservations on this. > > Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had announced in January that global > Indians settled in eight countries - the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada, > Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy - would be granted dual > citizenship after an amendment in the Citizenship Act of 1955. > > The demand had been mulled over and over by successive governments, and > national security concerns were the biggest hurdle in its way. > > The Vajpayee cabinet ratified the decision in May. Subsequently, Deputy > Prime Minister L.K. Advani, who heads the home ministry steering this bill, > announced that the new law would be ready by the end of this year. > > Those granted dual citizenship would be termed "Overseas Indian Citizens" > and given an Indian passport. > > The passport would allow free movement without visas and grant many other > privileges but no political rights. Those with dual citizenship would not be > allowed to vote, or run for office or take jobs in the defence services. > > The measure would enable Indian expatriates to own properties, build or > invest directly in projects in this country and travel without visa or > immigration restrictions. > > Having initiated the major change of policy towards global Indians, the > diaspora panel is not too happy with the home ministry's move to include the > loyalty rider. > > "This is not what we proposed, as such an oath is essentially against the > very idea of dual citizenship," a senior member of the committee told IANS. > > "A person will naturally have primary allegiance to the country he has made > his home, where he enjoys domicile and makes a living. He will only be given > certain facilities in the second country, which is granting him some rights > only due to the emotional ties." > > Under the circumstances, an oath would only create more problems, said the > member. "Besides, the Indian government is not giving them rights to elect a > government or occupy any constitutional office." > > An estimated 20 million Indians are spread across the planet, but the deeply > sentimental - and of course economic - benefit of dual citizenship has been > extended only to the countries that have reciprocal policy of citizenship. > > Under the current rules, which are to be amended, Indian expatriates have to > forfeit their citizenship when they leave India to live and naturalise in > another country. > > --Indo-Asian News Service ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
