25 Years On – Is there any Hope For Justice Yet?

It has been 25 years but the disaster and its impacts are still going on in Bhopal. Well, we all know what has happened on 3rd December, 1984, when Union Cardbide Pesticide Plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India spewed out poisonous gas Methyl Isocyanata (MIC) exposing more than 500,000 people to MIC and other chemicals. 3,787 people died immediately because of the exposure to MIC and an estimate 8,000 to 10,000 died within 72 hours and more than 25,000 have died since then from gas-related diseases. More than 100,000 people are still suffering from severe, chronic and breathing difficulties, damaged eyesight, reproductive complications, rising cancer rates and range of other ailments that affect nearly every system of their assaulted bodies.

25 years on and still hundreds of tonnes of abandoned toxic chemicals from the Union Carbide plant continue to pollute the ground waters of the region and affecting the thousands of people who depend on it as Union Carbide left the disastrous site un-cleaned. There has been many civil and criminal cases pending in USA and Indian against Union Carbide now owned by Dow Chemical Company, yet no Justice has been met. The people affected are promised compensations, yet the powerful Industrialists of USA and the dirty bureaucrats of India has denied the people their rights. They were the innocent victims of the negligence and irresponsibility of the Union Carbide Manslaughters, the terrorists without arms or bombs who ignored the basic safety norms to cut the costs. They are now the victims of the irresponsible governments and blood-sucker politicians who in the name of victims’ compensations swelling their Swiss Bank Accounts.

Will these people ever get Justice for what they gone through? Will these people ever get compensations for their sufferings? Will these people get treatments for their ailments? Will they ever get a clean and un-polluted environment to live in?

You can find more information on International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) at www.bhopal.net . Let us spread this message and educate ourselves about the tragedy that has happened 25 years back, yet those affected are denied their right to live better lives. Let us raise our voice. Just participate in ICJB and help those are suffering from Bhopal Gas Disaster get their Justice.

You can read more about the tragedy at: BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

The Least We Can Do

The terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 claimed 166 lives and caused unforgettable pain to everyone. We lost our fellow citizens and we lost our Heroes. Yet this figure is only 166, it has directly and indirectly affected many and brought a great loss to their families. We cannot bring back what has been lost, but we can try to heal it. That is the Least We Can Do.

“From the Ashes of Tragedy, Heroes Arise.

From the Debris of Despair, Compassion is Born.

From the Wrath of Nature, Humanity’s Strength is Forged”

With this Motto, The Taj Public Service Welfare Trust has started its mission to help not only those who were affected on the fateful day of 26/11 2008 in Mumbai, but also for those who may need the help recovering from what the World throws at them in Future.

TPSWT aims at alluding the pain when the terror strikes, providing the peace of mind when the war invades, and help put the lives back together when the nature rages. Therefore let us support TPSWT to achieve its mission, infact it is our mission.

We always think and talk about the pain, but we don’t find any proper means how we can part of a mission to do the least we can do. I made a difference today, Will You.

The details of TPSWT are as follows:

Contributions can be made from India and from any where in the World by direct account transfer or by sending cheques or drafts.

Indian Account Details for Online Transfers or Cheques or Drafts:

HDFC Account No: 00600310020833 , IFSC Code: HDFC0000240, Branch: Fort Branch,   Favouring “TAJ PUBLIC SERVICE WELFARE TRUST”, Mandlik House, Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai – 400001

Email:tajpublicservicewelfaretrust@tajhotels.com

WEBSITE: http://www.tajpublicservicewelfaretrust.org/

For Transfers From Germany: 

JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, FRANKFURT, A/C NO:623-16-02308, SWIFT CODE: CHASDEFX, IBAN NO: DE26501108006231602308

For Transfers From Switzerland:  

UNION BANK  OF SWITZERLAND, ZURICH, A/C NO: 02300000094169050000E, SWIFT CODE: UBSWCHZH80A    

For Transfers From Sweden: 

NORDEA BANK AB, STOCKHOLM, A/C NO: 39527909511, SWIFT CODE: NDEASESS

For Transfers From Denmark: 

NORDEA BANK,  A/C NO: 5000015611, SWIFT CODE: NDEADKKK 

For Transfers From USA:  

JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, NEW YORK,  A/C NO: 001-1-406717, SWIFT CODE: CHASUS33, CHIPS ABA : 0002, FEDWIRE ABA : 021000021, CHIPS UID # 354459

We are not terrorized

It has been a year now when terrorists have carried deadly attacks on 26/11 which has terrified Mumbai City for more than 60 hours and claimed 166 innocent lives. Their ultimate motto was to create fear, gut wrenching fear and spread panic and hysteria everywhere. Terrorists know very well, if they don’t create such a big fear and hysteria by such a big bloodbath, everyone will forget the tragedy much more quickly as a bus accident or a train accident. There have been many terrorist attacks before 26/11 in India, but no one remembers and neither did the whole World was glued to the Televisions broadcasting live the massacre.

Terrorists have achieved what they wanted, they crave for being noted and noticed in a much bigger way. They carried such big massacres over and over again to get noticed and to reach the maximum. Therefore 9/11, 12/10, 7/7 and 26/11 shall be remembered for the biggest achievements of terrorists. They reached the maximum hearts and created fear in them. And that is what they die for. They want us to be afraid about. Every attack has led to the blood-bath of the innocent children, men and women. Lives of people are lost for no reason. But every year if we invest ourselves in recalling those anniversaries and remember those hours, more and more fear creep into our lives and that is when the terrorists build their superstructure of fear.

We lost many of our fellow citizens, we lost of heroes on this day, we do remember them but we do not let our spirits down. Future lies in not recalling these memories and encouraging those perpetrators who leapt into our homes and try to shake its pillars and cause unforgettable pain. It is important to forget our own mistakes and prepared in much better way for the future and show the world that we are not afraid, we are not terrorized. We move on in our lives with our heads high, we are not afraid of anyone, terrorists did hurt us, but they cannot break our spirit and our resolve. We move on and we move on with courage and our heads high.

May God bring peace to all those who lost their lives on 26/11.

Image Courtesy: http://www.ns-law.net/

India pens the Social Security Agreements with Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands and other European Countries

Well, it has been almost an year that I tread into Germany after working as Accounts Manager in India, and one of the things or I should say the only thing that I impressed me a lot is the Social Welfare System of the Germany. It is quite an elaborate and comprehensive system. People employed in Germany have to contribute to four principal social insurances whereby employee pays half while the employer contributes for the other half. The contributions are:

• Pension Insurance: 19.5 %
  
• Unemployment Insurance: 6.5 %
  
• Health Insurance: 14.3 %
• Nursing Care Insurance: 1.7%

The Health Insurance and Nursing Care Insurances privileges you can claim whenever you needed a medical service in your day-to-day life. The Unemployment Insurance privileges can be claimed once you are down and out  (Jobless) in Germany. You can claim the Pension Insurance only once you have reached 64. Well most of us Indians do come to Germany for work temporarily, yet entitled to pay the pension insurance which God knows if we can claim it once we leave Germany.

I have been wondering when we stay here temporarily, what's the funda to pay Pension Insurance which we are not sure if we can claim it. 19.5% is quite high, isn't it?

Well, answering to my queries and bringing relief to everyone who come to Germany temporarily, the Government of India has signed Social Security Agreement with Germany on 7th October, 2008. This Agreement shall exempt the nationals of either countries (Germany and India) working in either countries from social security contributions. But the exemption is given only to those on short-term contracts for a period of FOUR years, extendable to ONE more year. The agreement provides for portability of the benefits at the time of relocation for those who are self-employed and have lived longer, but they have to contribute for the social security system of the host country.

Officially, this agreement should have become effective from 1st October 2009, yet Employee's Provident Fund Organization of India has not updated with this regard.

Check this link for further updates:
http://epfindia.com/IntWorkers/IntWorkers.htm

But for sure this agreement shall protect the interests of all those professionals who are sent from India to many German companies or subsidiary of German-based companies in India or subsidiary of Indian-based companies in Germany for short term contracts up to 48 months.

Well, though I have highlighted the Germany's case, this has been true with some other European countries too.

Indian Government has signed a Social Security Agreement with Switzerland on 03 Sept, 2009. This agreement shall allow the nationals of one country who are working in the other on a short term basis - not more than 72 months - to be exempted from social security contributions in their host nation.

India signed a Social Security Agreement with Netherlands on 22 October, 2009 to facilitate the exchange of professionals between the two nations. The detached workers sent by Netherlands-based companies to their Indian subsidiaries, or those sent by Indian companies to their branches in the Netherlands will be exempt from social security contribution in the host country for a period of 60 months. This agreement provides that an employed or self-employed person, other than detached workers shall be subject only to the legislation of the host country. The agreement provides for portability of the benefits at the time of relocation.                                    

India and France have signed Social Security agreement on September, 2009. The agreement will ensure that short-term workers of 60 months will be exempted from social security contributions on reciprocal basis. It will also allow exportability of pension benefits, which will mean that workers can avail of pension benefit even if they change their residence between the two countries. The agreement will also allow the totalisation of periods of contributions made in both countries for calculating eligibility of pensionary benefits.

India has announced that the Social Security Agreement with Belgium has come into effect from 1st September 2009. The agreement allows the employees of the home country deputed by their employers in the host country for a short term contract less than 60 months, need not remit social contributions in the host country. The Agreement also allows the export of pension due under the legislation of one country to the other country, where the member chose to live is possible and also the totalisation of the contribution periods earned while in service in both the countries for the purpose of deciding eligibilty to benefits is possible. Check this out for more information: http://www.epfindia.com/IntWorkers/IntWorkers_files/BelgiumAgree.pdf

India has also signed similar agreements with Denmark in August 2009. This agreement shall open up opportunities for Indian skilled workers, including Doctors and Nurses to work in Denmark. The agreement shall also provide cooperation between India and Denmark in the areas of labour market expansion, mployment facilitation, orderly migration and exchange of information and cooperation in introducing best practices.

India signed Social Security Agreement with Luxembourg in September 2009. According to the agreement, for posted workers, for a detachment period of 60 months no social security contribution need to be paid under the Luxembourg law by the detached workers provided they continue to pay social security payment in India. If the detachment period continues beyond 60 months the competent authorities of the two countries or the competent agencies designated may agree to extend the period of posting. The provision of detachment is also applicable where a person who has been sent by his employer from the territory of one contracting state to the territory of a third country is subsequently sent by that employer from the territory of the third country to the territory of the other contracting state. The agreement shall also facilitate for the portability of social security benefits and also provides the totalisation of the periods of contribution for pension benefits.

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/

http://www.trak.in/news/

Important Links:
EPFOIndia
EPFO International Worker FAQ

I'm a Chakkr - the Courier Wheel

You all might have known that taxation system of Germany is the most complicated in the World. I do really cannot follow it, and I see how much my hubby struggles to get our tax declarations done. Well, not only the language does hurt you a lot, but also the ever-changing the taxation rules add to the complications. I really wonder if even the people who work in Finance Offices (Finanzamt) are aware of all the rules.

We shell out almost 40% of what we earn every month, yes indeed Germany's income tax rate is the highest in the World, we try here and there to get some tax returns. There are lots of things for which you can claim a little portion of tax back, yet with different clauses and regulations which I think even the one who framed those might not understand on the whole. Recently, we ran thru some tax hurdles of which one of them is the "Family Maintenace Support" (Unterhaltungserklärung) for which we needed to produce a "Family Maintenance Support Certificate" (Unterhaltungsbescheinigung) duly signed by the Head of your place of residence in your country of permanent residence or nationality. Infact for our tax declarations we did produce one but was sent back stating it was unacceptable and we need to get a new one duly signed by the Head of District of your place of residence in your country. We have to respond to this request from Finance Office within a stipulated period until then our tax declarations are not processed further and if we do fail to respond, the "Family Maintenance Support" returns would be scrapped from our declaration.

By the time, we could understand what we have to do from our tax consultant our deadline was nearing, then CHAKKR came to our rescue. We heard about Chakkr from our frens here who has already tried and very quite satified with it.

Chakkr, basically is a network of people whereby you can either offer a courier service or seek a courier service for some minimal price left at the discretion of the individuals. We quickly enrolled thru it and we browsed thru the courier offers and fortunately enough we found someone flying from Düsseldorf to India offered to be a Courier. We contacted him who offered us to help with a minimal price and well we handed our certificate to him and whom my family did contact in India and took the certificate from him. We could also manage to find a courier offer from Bangalore to Düsseldorf. Pefect, we got our signed in certificate much faster than normal postal and courier services yet cheaper.

Now we are also Chakkrs. Chakkr has indeedly helped us a lot and it is more reliable and fast. I believe Chakkr indeed is doing a great job, it does not only help us our courier services get done much faster and cheaper, it also helping us build a network and earn the satisfaction of helping someone and also earn a few bucks.

Well, frens, as an ardent follower of Chakkr, I do really advise you to be CHAKKRS, yet atelast try it out. It is not only for India, it is for everyone and everywhere around the globe. Be a Chakkr and build your network.

http://www.chakkr.com/

Floods in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka - Flood Relief - Help - Donate

The worst floods in 100 years has devasted most of South Andhra Pradesh and North Karnataka. The floods have created a massive havoc leading to the death of more than 250 people in Andhra Pradesh and around 200 people in Karnataka and rendered more than 3 million people homeless. There was death and destruction in those regions.

The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have appealed for help from individuals and NGOs to rebuild the devasted areas and provide a new hope for the people affected.

I am hereby posting some of the links whereby you can contribute in aiding those affected towards flood relief.

For those living in India:

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Relief Fund:

http://cmo.ap.gov.in/cmrf/registration.do;jsessionid=9FAC30D6F1B37F1CD411940FF25FCAE8

Karnataka NGOs:

Sochara:

http://sochara.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=286&Itemid=38

            1. Community Health Cell (CHC - SOCHARA), 
              85/2, Ist Main, Maruthi Nagara,
              Madiwala, Bengaluru – 560068 
              (Contact: Pushpa, 9449870223);
              Email : solidarity@sochara.org 
           2. Janarogya Andolana Karnataka (JAAK),
                Bangalore.
                (Contact: Obalesh, 9740524128); 
                Email: jaaksecretariat@gmail.com
           3. Association for India’s Development (AID), 
                Bangalore
                Contact: Prasanna Saligram 9916937280, 
                             Guru : 9845294184),
                Email: prasanna_aid@yahoo.com           

Headstreams:

http://www.headstreams.org/

       1. Headstreams, 
         2200, HAL II Stage, 5 E Cross, 
         17 A Main, Bangalore – 560 008
         (Contact: Naveen Thomas, 9342858056, 080-25200318), 
         Email: naveen@headstreams.org
    

For those living in India and Overseas:

Give India:
http://www.giveindia.org/t-india-flood-relief.aspx

Aid India:
http://www.eurekachild.org/andhra-karnataka-flood/ 

Aid India Collection Points in India:
     * Hyderabed
          o Srihari D - +91-9390002143 - sriharidu@gmail.com
            Kiran V - +91-9701705743 - kiranvissa@gmail.com
            Suresh D - +91-9703654585
     * Bengaluru
          o Sathish Sundaram - +91-9900505975

            sathish.sundaram@gmail.com
     * Secunderabad: 

           134A East Marredpally,
           Secunderabad - 500026
           Contact: Vidya J @ 9394006036

Sewa USA:

http://www.sewausa.org/apka_flood09

Please do help as much as you can. I shall appreciate your inputs in further updating this list.

Range De filling new colors in the lives of the needy!

Today when I was browsing, I came across rangde.org. The concept has really impressed me a lot. Rangde is India's first online micro-lending platform offering low-income households micro-credits with low interest rates. Rangede provides the platform for the individuals to make social investments by lending small amounts of money (in multiples of Rupees 500) to the small business peoples from Indian villages and towns who have less access to the bank credits.

Anybody can be a social investor and can choose their borrowers from the geographical area of their choice by selecting the potential borrowers from the lists which are consistently growing in Rangede.org. The investor gets a nominal financial return on the money they invest and they also get some tangible social return through evaluation reports and updates from the field.

Rangde provides loans for micro-enterpreneurs at 8.5% interest rate and for students at 5% interest.

May be small investments we make can bring big changes in somebody's lives.
Rangde: http://rangde.org/home.htm#s/109
Range Education: http://rangde.org/rangdeEducation.htm

Image courtesy:www.boston.com
Article Excerpts:www.siliconindia.com