NRIs seek visas for political refugees
Wednesday, 22/01/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140122/punjab.htm#17
New Delhi: Members of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) based in United States today met Union Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi and raised the matter of issuance of Indian visas and passports to those who had sought political asylum in the US.
Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director, NAPA, said, “It is an established fact that these people were not political refugees but rather economic migrants who sought asylum fearing repression from terrorists in Punjab for not cooperating with them. Most of them fall in this category and did not have any association with any terror outfit.”
The members claimed the minister had assured them that all the Indian nationals who were on a political asylum due to economic reasons would be issued Indian passports or their passports would be renewed if they produce nativity certificates attested by Deputy Commissioners/Sub Divisional Magistrates of their respective areas back home.
In its memorandum given to the Union minister, NAPA stated a large number of NRIs owned properties in Punjab and had become victim of false litigation in courts filed by unauthorised occupants. These cases had remained undecided for a number of years and it was not possible for NRIs in US to visit Punjab frequently to fight these lawsuits. This was one of the apprehensions among overseas Punjabis which kept them from investing in land deals here, it stated. There was a need for fast track courts to decide these issues, NAPA stated.
Seek fast track courts n Members of the North American Punjabi Association in a memorandum to Union Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi also demanded fast track courts to decide cases pertaining to property disputes.
