Ashok Mitra seems to have his facts all wrong.....indians who work in the Arabian Gulf countries are NOT offered the opportunity to settle in the Arabian Gulf States even if they were born in the gulf....therefore the question of offering them dual citizenship is ridiculous....Also, to the like of Naipaul......It is cutomary to offer distingushed individuals honarary citizenship.....Mitra needs to read more and write less !!!!
The reason for granting dual-citizenship for certain countries are because those countries also grant reciprocal dual-citizenship privileges, while the Gulf countries do not even grant citizenship to foreigners, let alone sanctioning dual citizenship --- so much for Dr. Mitra's laboured article based on a figment of his wild imagination! As for welcoming NRIs and their dollars, what's wrong with that if Indian economy benefits from that --- isn't Dr. Mitra's 'paradise' China also not welcoming with open arms foreign investments from the overseas Chinese diaspora, who basically control the economies of most of the countries of South-East Asia, which make up the ASEAN, as well as from the West?!?
what the heck, i am better off being an alien in US than a citizen in India, I have had to get into inferior institutions because of all the reservation and stuff. I am enjoying my life here, I will make the system in India pay with quick returns in case I invest. ***k India.
Please follow the Chinese model, where more than 70% of the foreign investment comes from overseas Chinese, and the rest comes from Taiwan and a very limited amount from the rest (Americans or Europeans). Indian Economy is highly politicised, no clear direction to input/output ratios, financial industry is hopelessly unorganised,unreliable and run by near cheats. Judicial system can tie you for ever, where ownership of any capital assets is based upon 19th century colonial law, of ownership by adverse possession, introduced by Britishers. Please invest in to the basic infra structures, social and political machines, then think about the organization of the economic development. Yes we have excellent minds of old history, but no understanding financial flows, capital market behaviours, or value of foreign investment processes. Yes we love our country, but development is also a very cognitive/technical process let us try to spend some time in understanding and managing the above. I do not want India to become USA or Canada, but become an enlightened India, of 21st century, to remain relevant to it's people. Did you ever see any professional body trying to set standards in engineering, medicine, law or dentistry. No legislation exists, either at the provincial or central levels. We are full of ideas and evil Karma. Value functions in life don't have to be esoteric but real hands on to remain effective and relevant. We had an excellent Citizenship Act of 1957. Some babu in the Ministry of Home Affairs changed the requirements of registration from 6-months to 5-years and later to 12-years. Threat to Indian nation will not be external, but the decadent psychology of it's babu class, bent upon rejecting it's progeny and it's talent, or any bright ideas. How come Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka and Burma allow dual Citizenship, and not we. Capital is important, but it's proper conrol and investment cycle is more important. We are in a self destructive cycle, NRI's need to protect mother India from it self now. Rakesh Kapila
I agree with the fact there was excessive mourning for a person who was certainly a foreign citizen. The fact she was an Indian citizen earlier and basic fundamentals required for her astounding achievements in a foreign country calls for recognition and pride in ourselves, mixed with the sadness that India couldn't provide such opportunities for people to excel further and had to find some other places to do so. If anyone can help India, let them do so. We are not in a position to say No to any help. And it would be better if it was none other than people who have benefited from this Great Land. They owe a "dashina". In Gulf countries, you can't become a citizen, so there is no question of dual citizenship.
