tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82782795043046519572024-03-29T04:03:35.670-07:00South Asia Investor ReviewSouth Asia Investor Review is focused on reporting, analyzing and discussing the economy and the financial markets of countries in South Asia, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. For investors looking to invest in emerging markets beyond BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), this blog is designed to help international investors looking to learn about investing in South Asia with focus on Pakistan. Riaz has another blog called Haq's Musings at http://www.riazhaq.comRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger1398125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-36798135168405487142024-02-27T17:35:00.000-08:002024-02-27T17:59:37.289-08:00Biden's Gaza Ceasefire Veto Defies American Public Opinion<p>Aaron Bushnell, an active serviceman in the United States Air Force, burned himself to death in front of the Israeli Embassy in protest against the US policy in Gaza. Before setting himself on fire in what he called an "extreme act of protest", he said he would "no longer be complicit in genocide". Polls show that the vast majority (63%) of Americans want an immediate end to the carnage being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKzFOv-BtWLRG_gjz9DKjUbT-412m_ONso7Of2iZEjfCN_B1LSRR5PPVTIJrNoCoGRbZwCjNaScE1nzFbZ0mbGFOfo8ZiAMJP1EXIpQ-Z22GVszIh-qoE7MP_RQrRzw7KDzo8vdrrBsPTPL9HOsZXuWAw5-1z40kjRpYZQCt3o0MJWSelO4zpfP25JweH/s907/Aaron%20Bushnell.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="907" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKzFOv-BtWLRG_gjz9DKjUbT-412m_ONso7Of2iZEjfCN_B1LSRR5PPVTIJrNoCoGRbZwCjNaScE1nzFbZ0mbGFOfo8ZiAMJP1EXIpQ-Z22GVszIh-qoE7MP_RQrRzw7KDzo8vdrrBsPTPL9HOsZXuWAw5-1z40kjRpYZQCt3o0MJWSelO4zpfP25JweH/w640-h638/Aaron%20Bushnell.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USAF Engineer Aaron Bushnell</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Although Bushnell resorted to this extreme form of protest against the Biden Administration's policy of unqualified support for Israel, he was not alone in opposing it. American public opinion polls confirm that the vast majority of Americans, including Jewish Americans, want an immediate end to the Gaza carnage. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDPtGnzOyGih7aG4sqiNPGxPjBmYduLR_pYGa62nogEeZRckXYhs0TO7q0i7-W2QDWwc4HK_dAfNwDUkop7jfkJ31XzAc8beDbld_Ol4tH_1SvJoQf82zOh7ZjOUkIMWNNUYLAGfIsdZY_V5BtAFJpQa83501t8f-alxfAJEjhEPrtlQxU8AY22ZqDCGS/s966/Gaza%20Poll.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="966" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDPtGnzOyGih7aG4sqiNPGxPjBmYduLR_pYGa62nogEeZRckXYhs0TO7q0i7-W2QDWwc4HK_dAfNwDUkop7jfkJ31XzAc8beDbld_Ol4tH_1SvJoQf82zOh7ZjOUkIMWNNUYLAGfIsdZY_V5BtAFJpQa83501t8f-alxfAJEjhEPrtlQxU8AY22ZqDCGS/w640-h562/Gaza%20Poll.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ispu.org/ceasefire-poll/">Gaza Ceasefire Poll. Source: ISPU</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Overall, 63% of Americans support a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a <a href="https://www.ispu.org/ceasefire-poll/">recent poll</a> conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). In terms of religions, 71% of Catholics, 61% of Non-Affiliated, 60% of Protestants, 58% of White Evangelicals, 50% of Jews and 75% of Muslims support an immediate ceasefire, according to the poll. </p><p>Jewish and Muslim Democrats, like Democrats in the general public, favor an end to the violence in Gaza. The majority of Republicans in the general public also favor a ceasefire. </p><p>So why is President Biden defying the will of the American people on Gaza? The simple answer is AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the most powerful lobby in Washington D.C. This Israel lobby has showered its friendly politicians with money from wealthy Jewish donors. It has also ensured the defeat of those politicians who dared to speak out against Israeli policies in the Middle East. As one former Democratic senator, Ernest Hollings, put it on leaving office, ‘you can’t have an Israeli policy other than what <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby">AIPAC</a> gives you around here.’ Or as Ariel Sharon once told an American audience, ‘when people ask me how they can help Israel, I tell them: “Help AIPAC.”’</p><p>President Jimmy Carter who helped broker peace between Israel and Egypt knows the Israel lobby well. He told Amy Goodman of "<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2007/9/10/fmr_president_jimmy_carter_on_palestine">Democracy Now</a>" many years ago: "I think it’s accurate to say that not a single member of Congress with whom I’m familiar would possibly speak out and call for Israel to withdraw to their legal boundaries or to publicize the plight of the Palestinians or even to call publicly and repeatedly for good faith peace talks..... And I would say that if any member of Congress did speak out, as I’ve just described, they would probably not be back in the Congress the next term ". </p><div><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of the Same Coin</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/israels-gaza-attack-is-criminal-not.html">Israel's Gaza Attack is Criminal, Not Defensive</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/pictorial-of-israels-young-victims-in.html">Pictorial Review of Israel's Young Gaza Victims</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">American College Campuses Rise Up Against Israel's Genocidal War on Gaza</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">Islamophobia Driving US Policy in Middle East and South Asia?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/israeli-scholars-provide-insights-into.html">Israeli Scholars Offer Insights into Zionist Psyche</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/" style="font-family: times;">PakAlumni: Pakistani Alumni Social Network</a></p></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-18172974815067198422024-02-16T21:22:00.000-08:002024-02-16T21:22:05.487-08:00Pakistan Elections: Imran Khan's Supporters Skillfully Used Tech to Defy Powerful Military<p>Independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) party emerged as the largest single block with 93 seats in the nation's parliament in the general elections held on February 8, 2024. This feat was accomplished in spite of huge obstacles thrown in front of the PTI's top leader <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/pakistans-political-crisis-did.html">Imran Khan</a> and his party leaders and supporters by Pakistan's powerful military to prevent their victory. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfzlRyK87CgzgE5xDnuAvuFZsmFF0oNucWdnk3lwRhJmeSfuq42MK8roT-pkHkIXgDlnl1dXvnxIQ_Ffs8Ek8vE2j1WQfiVJFnjz-pVNe84Cc9dcZ4LGITOK5KVPqdTQ5SEv7hX97c275oR3vH14ZNhyphenhyphend36S5ZyKrKoHveWTz9oylMq3nM8fY6NQG2RMb/s1068/Pak%20Elections%202024.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1068" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfzlRyK87CgzgE5xDnuAvuFZsmFF0oNucWdnk3lwRhJmeSfuq42MK8roT-pkHkIXgDlnl1dXvnxIQ_Ffs8Ek8vE2j1WQfiVJFnjz-pVNe84Cc9dcZ4LGITOK5KVPqdTQ5SEv7hX97c275oR3vH14ZNhyphenhyphend36S5ZyKrKoHveWTz9oylMq3nM8fY6NQG2RMb/w640-h458/Pak%20Elections%202024.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/11/pakistan-election-results-live-wait-for-final-tally-three-days-after-vote">Pakistan's Official Election Results 2024. Source: Aljazeera</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Imran Khan and his top party leaders were thrown in jail on trumped up charges, his party was denied a unified electoral symbol of cricket bat, his supporters' rallies were banned, the mainstream media were prevented from carrying PTI leaders' speeches and the Internet was repeatedly blocked when the party held online events. So how did they succeed in spite of it? The answer lies in how skillfully the PTI activists used <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/04/digital-pakistan-2023-technology.html">technology</a> to get the party's messages out to the country's young electorate. </p><p>Well over 90% of Pakistan's adults have access to the Internet. This allows them to use a variety of apps ranging from TikTok and YouTube to Facebook, Instagram and X. The PTI supporters used AI (<a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/openai-chatgpt-generative-ai-buzz-in.html">Artificial Intelligence</a>) to produce Imran Khan's speeches using his own voice and words and made them go viral. They used X Spaces to engage with the public. Here's how Uzair Younus, a Pakistani-American analyst at The Atlantic Council, a Washington-based Think Tank, describes what occurred:</p><p>"The result of PTI’s technological campaign strategy was a more engaged and informed electorate, which translated into significant electoral gains. Khan’s PTI managed to galvanize a significant part of the electorate, and the party’s success demonstrates the potential of digital tools to democratize political participation and challenge entrenched power structures". </p><p>When it became clear that the PTI was headed for a massive victory with more than half of the 264 National Assembly seats as live results from the polling started to pour in on the evening of February 8, there was a sudden mysterious delay in real time reporting. Most political analysts in Pakistan believe that this delay was ordered by the Pakistani military to rig the results. This belief is confirmed by the reports that the total votes reported cast for PTI<span> by the polling stations on "Form 45" add up to a lot more votes than those reported cast on "Form 47" for over 55 constituencies of the National Assembly. These 55 seats plus the officially reported 93 seats add up to 148 seats giving PTI more than half of the total 264 directly elected members in the National Assembly. </span></p><p>Any coalition government formed by the PTI opponents is unlikely to be stable or long lasting. This unstable situation will likely prolong the deep economic crisis the country now faces. The best course of action for the Pakistani military is to release Imran Khan from jail and allow his party to form the next government. </p><p>Related Links:</p><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/pakistans-political-crisis-did.html">Did Washington Cause Regime Change in Pakistan?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/pakistan-now-darkest-before-dawn.html">Pakistan Now: Darkest Before Dawn?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-at-75-highlights-of-economic.html">Pakistan at 75</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/04/digital-pakistan-2023-technology.html">Digital Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/12/goldman-sachs-projects-pakistan-economy.html">Goldman Sachs: Pakistan to be World's 6th Largest Economy By 2075</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/11/nearly-700000-pakistani-workers-have.html">Over 800,000 Pakistani Workers Migrated Overseas in 2022</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2022/12/todays-pakistan-conservative-or.html">Today's Pakistan: Conservative or Progressive?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/openai-chatgpt-generative-ai-buzz-in.html">Generative AI Buzz in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/12/rural-pakistan-new-infrastructure.html">New Infrastructure Driving Socioeconomic Revolution in Tharparkar</a><br /><br /><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/01/digital-pakistan-2022-broadband.html">Digital Pakistan 2022: Broadband Penetration 90% Among 15+ Age Group</a></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2011/03/resilient-pakistan-defies-doomsayers.html">Resilient Pakistan Defies Doomsayers</a></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">US and China Compete For Influence in Pakistan</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /></p><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni: Pakistani Social Network</a></div></div><div><br style="text-align: justify;" /></div></div></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-46267816211820836872024-02-02T17:07:00.000-08:002024-02-02T17:14:54.695-08:00Soaring Illegal Immigration of Indians into the United States <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;">Illegal immigration from India to the United States is soaring. A record 96,917 Indians were detained while attempting to enter the US illegally from October 2022 to September 2023, representing a 50% jump from the corresponding period in the prior year. Vast majority of the arrested Indians came from Prime Minister Modi's state of Gujarat while others came from the state of Punjab. There are about 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US – the third-largest population of illegal immigrants after Mexicans and El Salvadorans – according to a Pew Research Centre report. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmptMARwOXAgh270rjfcQdZ2D6ICeZJ1OkeXB-UpDHddWFLOP_XRM_TVwG_YxhnN0ZZLsFs9VwTdzYWybGTFMZRxJo8kyA7vIVyn1BMLSrLW1zcdQRR0C0m9NnYSPVvn_SzWDybSHdg9DmUPJ-aJ1azxhlDgT26E2kn5AfyyBOKK5tgucL6tAbzwPyuwoh/s1497/Illegal%20Indian%20Immigration.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1497" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmptMARwOXAgh270rjfcQdZ2D6ICeZJ1OkeXB-UpDHddWFLOP_XRM_TVwG_YxhnN0ZZLsFs9VwTdzYWybGTFMZRxJo8kyA7vIVyn1BMLSrLW1zcdQRR0C0m9NnYSPVvn_SzWDybSHdg9DmUPJ-aJ1azxhlDgT26E2kn5AfyyBOKK5tgucL6tAbzwPyuwoh/w640-h342/Illegal%20Indian%20Immigration.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/illegal-migration-from-india-to-us-under-spotlight-following-legend-airlines-flight-s-forced-return">Illegal Immigration to the US From India. Source: Strait Times</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">The number of Indians attempting to cross into the United States illegally has accelerated in recent years on Prime Minister Modi's watch. These immigrants take the Latin American route to reach the US-Mexico border before making a run for the US. They cross the Darien Gap, a dangerous thick forest region between Colombia and Panama, taking three days to a week while taking huge risks ranging from lack of food and drinking water, wild animals and violent gangs. </p><p style="text-align: left;">There are multiple drivers of mass <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/08/thousands-of-indian-asylum-seekers-in.html">illegal migration</a> of Indians to other countries. These include increasing violence under Mr. Modi's Hindutva rule and lack of jobs for thee growing working-age population. Human traffickers are exploiting these conditions to profit from vulnerable groups most impacted by political and economic problems in the country. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Christians, low caste Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are among the main targets of the far-right Hindu mob attacks across India. In 2023, the Modi government’s discriminatory and divisive policies led to growing violence against minorities, creating a pervasive environment of fear and a chilling effect on government critics, Human Rights Watch said in its <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024">World Report 2024</a>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">India's labor force participation rate (LPR) has been declining for several years. Centre For Monitoring Indian Economy (<a href="https://www.cmie.com/kommon/bin/sr.php?kall=warticle&dt=20230627171423&msec=676">CMIE</a>) data shows that the labor participation rate fell to 39.5% in 2022-23, from an already low 40.1% in 2021-22. This indicates that more than half of India’s working age population is not employed. This is especially the case for women 90% of whom are out of the labor force. India’s LPR is among the lowest in the world. The global average LPR is 60%.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9unrxHgHUJvEUAfYDI1Rn9zaO0bc0dgxugN0dPosJsaujGr6rfjtjPaFoORt1oyFhcjD5BrRD0EYFiFYth1FL611ElXxjBdf1vAiJYo1j6bT8f4JvdhC7vLnuIheGWXZtJrtu9evqiLem5-RVp_0fq_6W8zFyVMmxaCw9gCVfnFKh16XsQoNs-jjNxWm/s1461/India%20LPR%20Declining.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1461" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9unrxHgHUJvEUAfYDI1Rn9zaO0bc0dgxugN0dPosJsaujGr6rfjtjPaFoORt1oyFhcjD5BrRD0EYFiFYth1FL611ElXxjBdf1vAiJYo1j6bT8f4JvdhC7vLnuIheGWXZtJrtu9evqiLem5-RVp_0fq_6W8zFyVMmxaCw9gCVfnFKh16XsQoNs-jjNxWm/w640-h398/India%20LPR%20Declining.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/off-canada-indias-jobs-crisis-exasperates-its-youth-2022-01-25/">Labor Participation Rate in India. Source: CMIE Via Reuters</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><p style="text-align: left;">The rapid GDP growth claimed by India is not creating enough <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html">jobs</a> for its massive young population. The much-hyped "<a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/08/indias-70th-independence-day-is-make-in.html">Make in India</a>" initiative of the Modi government is just not working well enough to keep pace with the demand for jobs. Manufacturing’s contribution to India’s GDP has declined from 17% two decades ago to just 13% in 2022, according to the World Bank. India has added only 5 million factory jobs since Mr. Modi was first elected, for a total of 65 million such jobs now, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/india/india-wanted-a-manufacturing-boom-its-workers-are-back-on-the-farm-instead-e94bb940">Wall Street Journal</a>. Unable to find jobs in cities, a very large number of Indians are going back to subsistence farming to eke out a meager living. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Indian economist Ritesh Kumar recently wrote a piece for <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Few-are-benefiting-from-India-s-rapid-GDP-growth">Nikkei Asia</a> titled "Few are benefiting from India's rapid GDP growth". His conclusion: What India really needs is a growth trajectory that is inclusive, sustainable and can foster shared prosperity across all segments of the economy rather than benefiting only a privileged few.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Related Links:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/01/pakistan-among-worlds-largest-food.html">Pakistan Among World's Largest Food Producers</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/floods-in-pakistan-biggest-global.html">Pakistan Floods 2022</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/08/food-prices-in-pakistan-are-worlds.html">Food in Pakistan 2nd Cheapest in the World</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html">India in Crisis: Unemployment and Hunger Persist After COVID</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/02/india-rising-pakistan-rapidly-collapsing.html">India Rising, Pakistan Collapsing</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/record-number-of-indians-seeking-asylum.html">Record Number of Indians Seeking Asylum in US</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/12/the-great-indian-brain-drain-accelerates.html">The Great Indian Brain Drain</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/08/indias-70th-independence-day-is-make-in.html">Is Modi's "Make in India" All Hype?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/06/economic-survey-pakistanis-consuming.html">Pakistanis Consuming More Calories, Fruits & Vegetables Per Capita </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/06/how-grim-is-state-of-pakistans-social.html">How Grim is Pakistan's Social Sector Progress?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/03/pakistan-fares-marginally-better-than.html">Pakistan Fares Marginally Better Than India On Disease Burdens</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/indias-covid-crisis-decimates-indian.html">COVID Lockdown Decimates India's Middle Class</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/03/pakistan-survey-reveals-positive-trends.html">Pakistan Child Health Indicators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/07/can-pakistan-avoid-recurring-bop-crises.html">Pakistan's Balance of Payments Crisis</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/how-does-india-build-large-forex.html">How Has India Built Large Forex Reserves Despite Perennial Trade Deficits</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/" style="text-align: left;">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-15474985052602197392024-01-26T16:36:00.000-08:002024-03-20T17:32:05.637-07:00Indian Muslims: The Poorest Group in Modi's Hindu Rashtra<p>Muslims are the poorest group in India. They will most likely face further marginalization after the recent inauguration of the Ram Temple built on the ruins of the historic Babri Masjid in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/11/south-asian-contrast-ayodhya-and.html">Ayodhya</a>. The medieval mosque was demolished by right-wing Hindu groups in 1992. While consolidating the power of the upper caste Hindus in India, the newly built Ram Temple, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also not benefit the vast majority of Hindus either. It will, however, help Mr. Modi's BJP party win the upcoming election by a wide margin. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyflsVzoTzn8x8jKhbPrPWGVmEn-kyePCDtDbJwlOBNETdSNmx7VsGNx29l_FEcHuP-YA0dE5SViI9v0xRKNJCNdDjW5mwpUBwSo4CaLXunXikEOzyAX_bOLpy4vFbkkmR0ZM5GalohP3mmtpf9_hyt3pUfLKZqZZEUPbSW7pCqjWOBTfKgdSmYVj1d-r/s1000/Muslims%20Poorest%20in%20India.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1000" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyflsVzoTzn8x8jKhbPrPWGVmEn-kyePCDtDbJwlOBNETdSNmx7VsGNx29l_FEcHuP-YA0dE5SViI9v0xRKNJCNdDjW5mwpUBwSo4CaLXunXikEOzyAX_bOLpy4vFbkkmR0ZM5GalohP3mmtpf9_hyt3pUfLKZqZZEUPbSW7pCqjWOBTfKgdSmYVj1d-r/w640-h432/Muslims%20Poorest%20in%20India.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslims-in-india-the-poorest-religious-group-with-high-inequality-and-limited-opportunities-data-analysis-reveals-101688097160955.html">Average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure in India. Source: Hindustan Times</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Analysis of 2021-22 data from AIDIS (All India Debt and Investment Survey) and PLFS (Periodic Labor Force Survey) shows that Indian Muslims have the lowest asset and consumption levels among major religious groups in the country. Even upper caste Muslims (Ashrafs) are poorer than Hindu OBCs (Other Backward Castes). </p><p>Average MPCE (Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure) for Muslims is only Rs. 2,170, lower than Rs. 2,470 for Hindus, Rs. 3,194 for Christians and Rs. 3,620 for Sikhs. Average MPCE for upper caste Hindus is Rs. 3,321, the highest of all groups. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSfAWz3cLo9gQl6-GQKly0OfE-9NTlHfNYlXI9vfS1UVOQs1DyvFsO3DjgC6bFHqRaROrizsBp4BBkCbBko5VmHtcEhzJG1gZ9vMxOkZtwvglatQch2G4YGvALvNe6Da0_amiWIqxUob_QgA8F_ePdCqcCAv9YLKkVe4t8Qc85-NJotvKhN4p_RG42V-V/s1000/Indian%20Muslims%20Poorest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1000" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSfAWz3cLo9gQl6-GQKly0OfE-9NTlHfNYlXI9vfS1UVOQs1DyvFsO3DjgC6bFHqRaROrizsBp4BBkCbBko5VmHtcEhzJG1gZ9vMxOkZtwvglatQch2G4YGvALvNe6Da0_amiWIqxUob_QgA8F_ePdCqcCAv9YLKkVe4t8Qc85-NJotvKhN4p_RG42V-V/w640-h414/Indian%20Muslims%20Poorest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslims-in-india-the-poorest-religious-group-with-high-inequality-and-limited-opportunities-data-analysis-reveals-101688097160955.html">Average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure by Caste in India. Source: Hindustan Times</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The economic inequality is the lowest among Muslims, far lower than among various Hindu castes. Average MPCE for lower caste Muslims is Rs. 2,164 while it is Rs. 2,180 for upper caste Muslims (Ashrafs). Inequality among Hindu castes is the highest. <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/11/dalit-victims-of-apartheid-in-india.html">Lower caste</a> Hindus average MPCE is only Rs. 2,095, far lower than Rs. 3,321 for upper caste Hindus. </p><p>India is almost totally dominated by the upper caste Hindus. It is not just the 220 million Dalits (untouchables), or the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2014/05/maulana-azads-grandniece-says-muslims.html">190 million Muslims</a>, or the 110 million from “scheduled tribes” (Adivasis) who are under-represented in positions of power and privilege, but also the 40-50% of Hindus who come from the widest tier of the pyramid, the shudras or laboring castes, known as Other Backwards Classes (OBCs), according to a report in <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/07/23/even-as-india-urbanises-caste-discrimination-remains-rife">The Economist</a> Magazine. Here's an excerpt from The Economist:</p><p>"Out of the 89 highest-ranked civil servants in the central government, according to a recent survey, just four are not upper-caste Hindus, and not one is an obc. Two-thirds of the Supreme Court’s 31 judges and more than half of all state governors are high-caste Hindus. When the home ministry recently formed a panel to revise the criminal code, its five experts were all men, all from north India and all from upper castes. The trend is just as stark outside of government. A study published last year of the mainstream Hindi and English press revealed that out of 121 people in senior jobs, such as editors, all but 15 were upper caste. Not a single one was a Dalit."</p><p>------------------------------</p><p>PS: Since I published this post in January this year, there has been a barrage of comments (all rejected) claiming without evidence that the Indian Muslims are richer than Pakistani Muslims. The fact is that the average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) in Pakistan was <a href="https://www.ceicdata.com/en/pakistan/household-integrated-economic-survey-average-monthly-per-capita-expenditure/avg-monthly-per-capita-expenditure-exp">PKR 5,959</a> in 2019-20, the year closest to the 2021-22 for which the Indian MPCE data is available. Using the <a href="https://www.exchangerates.org.uk/INR-PKR-spot-exchange-rates-history-2019.html">2019 average exchange rate</a> of 2.136 PKR to INR, this works out to MPCE of INR 2,789 in Pakistan, higher than for Indian Hindus (INR 2,470) and Muslims (INR 2,170). As to the cost of living in the two countries, Pakistan is 15.8% cheaper than India without rent and 20.1% cheaper with rent, according to <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=India&country2=Pakistan">Numbeo</a>. </p><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/03/bigotry-dedevils-silicon-valleys-indian.html">South Asian Contrasts: Ayodhya and Kartarpur</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/05/world-values-survey-finds-indians-most.html">India Ranked as Most Racist in the World</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/06/hindu-nationalists-admire-nazis-and.html">Indians Admire Israel and Hitler</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/11/dalit-victims-of-apartheid-in-india.html">Caste Apartheid in India</a><br /><br /><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=5wXAtDbGM1EC&printsec=frontcover&dq=lelyveld+gandhi&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g3yVUYLlGsWqigLsiYGIDQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=kaffirs&f=false">Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/10/terror-in-india-who-killed-karkare.html">Who Killed Karkare?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.countercurrents.org/gatade131109.htm">Procrastinating on Hindutva Terror</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2008/09/indias-guantanmo-and-abu-ghraib.html">India's Guantanamos and Abu Ghraibs</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/radical-hindu-government-in-israeli.html">Hindutva Government in Israeli Exile?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/01/impact-of-growing-india-us-military.html">Growing US-India Military Ties Worry Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2008/11/21st-century-challenges-of-resurgent.html">The 21st Century Challenges For Resurgent India</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's YouTube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-75554755132793310512024-01-19T21:54:00.000-08:002024-02-13T20:24:05.626-08:00Iran Chooses to Quickly De-escalate After Pakistan Hits Back Hard<p>Pakistan swiftly retaliated with "killer drones, rockets, loitering munitions and stand-off weapons" to an Iranian military provocation in Balochistan province this week, according to multiple media reports. Pakistanis felt it was necessary to hit back hard to send a loud and clear message to the Iranians to respect Pakistan's national sovereignty. Within hours of the strong Pakistani military response, the foreign ministers of the two neighbors agreed to de-escalate tensions in a phone call. The Pakistani foreign ministry sent out the following tweet after this phone conversation: "Foreign Minister @JalilJilani spoke with the Foreign Minister of Iran, @Amirabdolahian today. Foreign Minister Jilani expressed Pakistan’s readiness to work with Iran on all issues based on the spirit of mutual trust and cooperation. He underscored the need for closer cooperation on security issues". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AbRCtpUNs2mTJwqMe36NSVh2QVlETCgZz42-K3u8UKlSZnotvA2_rSycmNvTxrtwhj4Xv90zvBiBGtnxIEw0PH9c7MP4q6suwfi9uNguPZFit5HAjPCqZtcvDihp-sjQPR1YSEeeXq8isYwz0E2wFSidnHE2i7nXCvrd8AtcXWK07kf0q1MwX5frOfI/s1458/Iran%20Pakistan%20Foreign%20Ministers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1458" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AbRCtpUNs2mTJwqMe36NSVh2QVlETCgZz42-K3u8UKlSZnotvA2_rSycmNvTxrtwhj4Xv90zvBiBGtnxIEw0PH9c7MP4q6suwfi9uNguPZFit5HAjPCqZtcvDihp-sjQPR1YSEeeXq8isYwz0E2wFSidnHE2i7nXCvrd8AtcXWK07kf0q1MwX5frOfI/w640-h474/Iran%20Pakistan%20Foreign%20Ministers.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pakistan Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani (L), Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In the early hours of Tuesday, Iran fired missiles and drones at an armed group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s southwestern border province of Balochistan. Pakistan in turn struck anti-Pakistan Baloch militant targets inside Iran on Thursday. Pakistan also recalled its ambassador from Tehran and blocked the return of Iran’s envoy to Islamabad. </p><p>The Iranian attack on Pakistan came without warnings at multiple forums where the two sides were engaging each other. Just prior to the Iranian provocation, the Iranian Foreign Minister met Pakistani Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. There were also joint navy drills taking place which were quickly abandoned after the surprise attack. </p><p>The only way to explain it is that the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, initiated the attack on Pakistan without consulting with the Iranian government of President Ebrahim Raisi. The IRG also targeted locations in Iraq and Syria. The IRGC works independently of the Government in Tehran. Its commander reports directly to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ao20vIn0Qn8/XhelvFcjF3I/AAAAAAAAlY0/mg3N1wuOkZsnaegK_rZBaAtT8yqP7J2bwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Soleimani.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ao20vIn0Qn8/XhelvFcjF3I/AAAAAAAAlY0/mg3N1wuOkZsnaegK_rZBaAtT8yqP7J2bwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/Soleimani.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late IRGC Commander General Qassem Soleimani </td></tr></tbody></table><p>IRGC appears have been personified by its former leader <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2020/01/soleimani-was-hardest-of-hardliners-in.html">General Qassem Soleimani</a> who was assassinated by the US military on former President Donald Trump's orders. He was known for his independence from the Tehran government. There were reports in 2018 of then President Hassan Rouhani lashing out at Soleimani during a meeting with several senior IRGC officers in attendance, accusing him of hiding the truth from the president and even from the supreme leader. Soleimani left the room in anger. Earlier, when the two met during Friday prayers, Soleimani warned the president about the “folly of not increasing the budget allotted to Quds.</p><p>Soleimani sat by Imam Khamenei’s side at key meetings, conveying his importance in the eyes of the spiritual leader. He met Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad in February 2019 together with the supreme leader — but without Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, triggering resignation threats by Iran's top diplomat at the time. </p><p>In February, 2019, <a href="http://news.rediff.com/commentary/2019/feb/24/general-soleimani-threatens-pakistan/288dad4dbd5b06d6725784bb870d3bb8">Soleimani threatened Pakistan</a>. He boasted of Iran's "independent power and honor". He said: "I warn you not to test Iran and anyone who has tested Iran has received a firm response. We are speaking to <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/08/iran-pakistan-ties-friends-or-foes.html">Pakistan</a> with a friendly tone and we are telling that country not to allow their borders to become a source of insecurity for the neighboring countries..... Iran enjoys independent power and honor. Some countries have wealth, but no prowess. Trump tells the Al-Saud that if it hadn't been for the US support, Saudi Arabia would not have survived and Saudi Arabia's coalitions in the region have all ended in failure." Soleimani's tone in this message to Pakistan is anything but "friendly".</p><p>Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2020/01/soleimani-was-hardest-of-hardliners-in.html">General Soleimani's Hardline Against Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/08/iran-pakistan-ties-friends-or-foes.html">Iran-Pakistan Ties</a><br /><br />I<a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/05/comparing-irans-chabahar-and-pakistans.html">ran's Chabahar and Pakistan's Gwadar Ports</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/indias-ex-intelligence-officers-blame.html">Indian RAW Agent Kulbhushan Jhadav Used Chabahar</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/01/pathankot-attack-india-pakistan-ties.html">Iran-Saudi Conflict</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2013/02/silicon-valley-launch-of-eating-grass.html">Pakistan's Nuclear Program</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/04/iran-nukes-deal-pakistans-yemen-role.html">Iran Nuclear Deal</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/performance-of-pakistan-armed-forces-in.html">1971 India-Pakistan War</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/05/comparing-irans-chabahar-and-pakistans.html">Chabahar vs Gwadar Ports</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/01/does-america-share-responsibility-for.html">Did America Contribute to the Rise of ISIS?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's YouTube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-20552837038418450652024-01-13T20:39:00.000-08:002024-01-15T20:00:34.886-08:00Pakistan to Set New Record For Rice Exports in 2023-24<p>The United States Department of Agriculture is forecasting that Pakistan's rice exports will set a new record of 5 million metric tons in 2023-24. This is nearly 30% more than the 3.9 million tons Pakistan exported last year. It is being attributed to a bumper rice crop in the country and strong global demand after India imposed restrictions on its exports. A large exportable surplus has helped Pakistani exporters to offer competitive prices in the international market, but prices are likely to remain high due to an increase in demand, according to <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/agriculture/010324-pakistani-rice-market-set-for-bullish-2024-but-downside-risks-loom">S&P</a> Global Commodity Insights. European Union and Middle East are the main export markets for Pakistani Basmati rice while Africa and the Far East have emerged as the key export destinations for non-Basmati rice from Pakistan. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2ciaRqQ49d0k4K1Tgk5xCK-IZQt2V8ZeOV0wNRCYjHuQVBOxKu1unpneqTAHnYN5oO-xA7Is8YDoBnviOIgbEnB32ZgSaLX7X1H-hZJsNwf9LosX0gYJDSBIjrBeA3t3W9S0PP7fps6ZajFrEwSfZJuAPNR3ua5lba_CvNINdNMjsPavvtGPFPvgJqLm/s1155/Top%2010%20Rice%20Exporters.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1155" data-original-width="1098" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2ciaRqQ49d0k4K1Tgk5xCK-IZQt2V8ZeOV0wNRCYjHuQVBOxKu1unpneqTAHnYN5oO-xA7Is8YDoBnviOIgbEnB32ZgSaLX7X1H-hZJsNwf9LosX0gYJDSBIjrBeA3t3W9S0PP7fps6ZajFrEwSfZJuAPNR3ua5lba_CvNINdNMjsPavvtGPFPvgJqLm/w608-h640/Top%2010%20Rice%20Exporters.png" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/20/how-reliant-is-the-world-on-indian-rice-exports">Top Rice Exporting Countries. Source: Aljazeera</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Pakistan is the world's fourth largest exporter of rice after India, Thailand and Vietnam. Last year (2022-23), India exported an estimated 20.5 million tons of rice, almost 2.5 times that of the second largest exporter, Thailand with 8.5 million tons. Thailand was followed by Vietnam (7.9 million tons), Pakistan (3.6 million tons) and the United States (2.1 million tons).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPbmuLEDT2aogF6kfwCLCxGfdigRXhdoRYGa2h95fXXbWbiNifySdqYLxz2XoECKuTb8WvBnNFui9n_KgILMC7jX65qAzEiIRYiEVFAA9LYRotyLNSOSmAMVfOAQVUZoEdlEAK-0bT0x1p_NoXP7uQ5VLPFBmCPO2htk1OZj5hnDairmI8oWO8O3C8AHM/s1416/Pakistan%20Rice%20Exports%20Year%20to%20Date.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1416" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPbmuLEDT2aogF6kfwCLCxGfdigRXhdoRYGa2h95fXXbWbiNifySdqYLxz2XoECKuTb8WvBnNFui9n_KgILMC7jX65qAzEiIRYiEVFAA9LYRotyLNSOSmAMVfOAQVUZoEdlEAK-0bT0x1p_NoXP7uQ5VLPFBmCPO2htk1OZj5hnDairmI8oWO8O3C8AHM/w640-h404/Pakistan%20Rice%20Exports%20Year%20to%20Date.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/agriculture/010324-pakistani-rice-market-set-for-bullish-2024-but-downside-risks-loom">Pakistan Rice Exports. Source: S&P Global</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Pakistan is among the world's <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/01/pakistan-among-worlds-largest-food.html">largest food producing</a> countries. It produces large and growing quantities of cereals, meat, milk, fruits and vegetables. Currently, Pakistan produces about 38 million tons of cereals (mainly wheat, rice and corn), 17 million tons of fruits and vegetables, 70 million tons of sugarcane, 60 million tons of milk and 4.5 million tons of meat. Total value of the nation's agricultural output exceeds $50 billion. Improving agriculture inputs and modernizing value chains can help the farm sector become much more productive to serve both domestic and export markets. </p><p>One of the objectives of Pakistan government's Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is to bring in new investments to modernize farming. Already, Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kuwait for $10 billion worth of projects, including some focused on food security. The government is also collaborating with China Machinery Engineering Corp., an engineering and construction heavyweight, and China’s Famsun, an agriculture equipment company, according to a presentation about the initiative in November seen by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-04/farming-revolution-pakistan-army-wants-to-overhaul-outdated-agriculture-sector">Bloomberg</a>. </p><p>The initial focus of the Green Pakistan program is on transforming parts of the Cholistan desert to farms and fruit orchards As much as 4.8 million acres of the desert may be allocated fir this purpose. Many parcels of land available for lease are in arid and underdeveloped regions, supporting irrigation initiatives. Some farmers are already working on their own to implement drip irrigation in Cholistan. Back in 2019, Zofeen Ibrahim of <a href="https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/farmer-turns-pakistans-sand-dunes-green/">The Third Pole</a> publication met one such farmer named Hasan Abdullah. He uses a measured amount of water mixed with fertilizer via drip irrigation to precisely irrigate his 50 acre citrus farm located on the sand dunes. As much as 60% of the cost of installing drip irrigation system has come from the provincial government. </p><p>Related Links:</p><p><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/06/is-chicken-really-more-affordable-than.html">Chicken Cheaper Than Daal</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/pakistan-meat-industry-experiencing.html">Meat Industry in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/03/bumper-crops-and-soaring-credit-drive.html">Bumper Crops and Soaring Tractor Sales in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2012/09/strong-food-beverage-demand-draws.html">Meat and Dairy Revolution in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/06/economic-survey-pakistanis-consuming.html">Pakistanis Consuming More Calories, Fruits and Vegetables</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/09/eid-ul-azha-observance-in-pakistan.html">Eid ul Azha: Multi-Billion Dollar Urban-to-Rural Transfer</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/01/pakistans-rural-economy-showing.html">Pakistan's Rural Economy</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/01/pakistan-among-worlds-largest-food.html">Pakistan Among World's Largest Food Producing Countries</a><br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/01/comparing-median-income-wealth-data-for.html">Median Incomes in India and Pakistan</a></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-30774960418617785932024-01-08T16:25:00.000-08:002024-01-08T16:25:01.063-08:00India's Malign Influence in Bangladesh<p>Shaikh Hasina has won a 5th term in yet another sham election which saw a mere <a href="https://thewire.in/south-asia/with-opposition-boycott-and-40-turnout-sheikh-hasina-wins-bangladesh-election">40%</a> voter turnout. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, boycotted the election. Months leading up to the elections saw protests in the country suffering from economic slowdown, human rights violations and a crackdown on the opposition parties. Her longevity in office is believed to be largely orchestrated by <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/hasina-seeks-modis-help-to-survive.html">India</a>. Her own Foreign Minister Abdul Momen acknowledged this fact when he made a trip to New Delhi in 2022 and said, "I've requested Modi government to do whatever is necessary to sustain Sheikh Hasina's government". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ruX2ytdwi_YxJebnFDohTaX1WM6kyE5O3L1b-nEI656wOg3z83TLZPHql3hkYankskVt57RviIHxJSjTDUK-l4wiyJVndOx1nIR9_O3WP-bEyseWmAZ4zrM_IGGJjVP7O8Y9sZSpfu-7zQf1mvZjCBz1RGtsQbiNpJRWGgfrEJRX_y1mLuEYoYnBZnm4/s700/MODI%20HASINA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="700" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ruX2ytdwi_YxJebnFDohTaX1WM6kyE5O3L1b-nEI656wOg3z83TLZPHql3hkYankskVt57RviIHxJSjTDUK-l4wiyJVndOx1nIR9_O3WP-bEyseWmAZ4zrM_IGGJjVP7O8Y9sZSpfu-7zQf1mvZjCBz1RGtsQbiNpJRWGgfrEJRX_y1mLuEYoYnBZnm4/w640-h370/MODI%20HASINA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11.88px;">Bangladesh PM Shaikh Hasina (L) with Indian PM Narendra Modi</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Upon her return from India in 2022, Sheikh Hasina <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/i-have-not-returned-empty-handed-from-india-bangladesh-pm-hasina-122091401249_1.html">told the news media</a> in Dhaka, "They (India) have shown much sincerity and I have not returned empty handed". It has long been an open secret that Indian intelligence agency <a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasina-india-pm-modi-attacks-on-hindus#read-more">RAW</a> helped install Shaikh Hasina as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and her Awami League party relies on New Delhi's support to stay in power. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen has described India-Bangladesh as one between husband and wife. In an interview with Indian newspaper 'Ajkal,' he said, "Relation between the both countries is very cordial. It's much like the relationship between husband and wife. Though some differences often arise, these are resolved quickly." Both Bangladeshi and Indian officials have reportedly said that Sheikh Hasina "has built a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/the-ground-under-sheikh-hasina-s-feet-is-shifting-101657725078715.html">house of cards</a>". </p><p>British Indian analyst Dr. Avinash Paliwal explains Shaikh Hasina's current dilemma as follows: "Politically reliant on New Delhi, she (Hasina) is finding it increasingly difficult to manage the ramifications of India's turn towards <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/nehrus-secularism-was-aberration-modis.html">Hindu nationalism</a> that misuses migration from Bangladesh and the Rohingya crisis for domestic electoral gain". Justice <a href="https://thewire.in/south-asia/india-bangladesh-modi-sheikh-hasina">Surendra Kumar Sinha</a>, Bangladesh's former Chief Justice, has said India is backing Sheikh Hasina's autocratic government for its own interest. Here's how prominent Indian journalist <a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasina-india-pm-modi-attacks-on-hindus#read-more">SNM Abdi</a> explains Indian intelligence agency RAW's influence in Bangladesh: "India wields more influence in Bangladesh than the Security Council’s five permanent members put together. The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is the most dreaded outfit in the neighboring country surpassing even the brutally unforgiving RAB (Rapid Action Battalion). Hasina lives in mortal fear of RAW. She knows that she will be toppled if she displeases India. So she has adopted the policy of pleasing India to retain power at any cost".</p><p>Bangladesh has received wide acclaim for its <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/has-bangladesh-really-left-india-and.html">remarkable economic success</a> under the authoritarian leadership of Shaikh Hasina over the last decade. She has jailed many of her political opponents and <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/12/sheikh-hasinas-witch-hunt-in-bangladesh.html">hanged</a> others. She has tamed the country's <a href="https://thewire.in/south-asia/india-bangladesh-modi-sheikh-hasina">judiciary</a> and gagged Bangladeshi mainstream media. What has helped her retain power is the fact she has New Delhi's support and she has succeeded in delivering rapid <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/03/bangladesh-development-over-democracy.html">economic growth</a> that has helped improve the lives of ordinary Bangladeshis. However, a combination of current global inflation and the resulting economic crisis is unravelling this formula. Ordinary Bangladeshis are being hit by high <a href="https://www.newagebd.net/article/217074/a-deplorable-failure-to-contain-food-inflation">food and fuel</a> prices. There is widespread discontent and anger among the people of Bangladesh against the Hasina government and its chief supporter India. </p><p>Bangladesh's currency taka has depreciated by over <a href="https://thewire.in/south-asia/despite-political-repression-economic-crisis-bangladesh-is-set-for-a-one-sided-election-on-jan-7">40% against the US dollar</a> in the last two years, import bill has soared by nearly 44%, forex reserves have declined to <a href="https://english.news.cn/20231219/68bab20f33594a3892bf4b1a756e045e/c.html#:~:text=Bangladesh's%20foreign%20exchange%20reserves%20hit,2022%20due%20to%20international%20turmoil.">$20 billion</a> and the revenue from ready made garments export and remittances is not keeping pace with the fast rising imports. Bangladesh is receiving a $4.7 billion IMF bailout to cope with the situation. In addition, India has agreed to trade with Bangladesh in local currencies to reduce pressure on forex reserves. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1434" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3l_HORJ88KCG9KREBueK0ue6FnPHH1XFFNxn4V6p6eY4sWHoqouUYwZug371AM8Pd1-AhdNr9IMpX9sPIIaoczXWvIWfLE5zar-Q3_thhT3oaasT-eF34Lvd6Pt1sV3yw3HPl172ONBKUn5h7-5RUizytMjcuA4k3adjk-Rg2QpPS4LYQPqLRwNHhleM/w640-h358/India%20FDI.jpeg" width="640" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/02/business/india-economy-foreign-direct-investment.html">Falling Foreign Direct Investment in India. Source: NY Times</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Bangladesh is not the only economy in trouble. The European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are also experiencing severe economic pain. India's <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/07/indias-forex-reserves-fall-as-foreign.html">forex reserves</a> are falling and its <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-current-account-deficit-likely-jumped-near-decade-high-2022-09-16/">current account deficit</a> is rising as foreign direct investment declines. High energy prices and the strong US dollar are hurting most of the world economies. Food and energy prices have shot up due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The US currency driven by aggressive US Federal Reserve policy of rate hikes has reached new highs. A stronger dollar for the US means cheaper imports, a tailwind for efforts to contain inflation, and record relative purchasing power for Americans. But the rest of the world is straining under the dollar’s rise, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/dollars-rise-spells-trouble-for-global-economies-11663437428">Wall Street Journal</a>. </p><div><div><div>Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/12/sheikh-hasinas-witch-hunt-in-bangladesh.html">Sheikh Hasina's Witch Hunt in Bangladesh</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/05/indias-plan-to-divert-ganges.html">India's Plan to Divert Brahmaputra River Water Alarm Bangladesh</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/04/ukraine-war-time-for-india-to-rethink.html">Military Lessons From Russia-Ukraine War</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/stimson-poll-vast-majority-of-indians.html">Vast Majority of Indians Believe Nuclear War Against Pakistan is "Winnable"</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/03/bangladesh-development-over-democracy.html">Bangladesh: Development Over Democracy</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/07/hindutva-legacy-of-british-raj.html">Hindutva: The Legacy of the British Rulers "Divide and Rule" Project</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/has-bangladesh-really-left-india-and.html">Has Bangladesh Left India and Pakistan Behind in Per Capita Income?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni: Pakistani Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-59334350850207657312023-12-31T15:42:00.000-08:002023-12-31T16:00:53.961-08:00The Great Indian Brain Drain Accelerates<p>India is losing its best and brightest to the West, particularly to the United States, at an increasingly rapid pace. A 2023 study of the 1,000 top scorers in the 2010 entrance exams to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) — a network of prestigious institutions of higher learning based in 23 Indian cities — revealed the scale of the problem. Around 36% migrated abroad, and of the top 100 scorers, 62% left the country, according to a report in the science journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03915-5">Nature</a>. Nearly two-thirds of those leaving India are highly educated, having received academic or vocational training. This is the <a href="https://scroll.in/article/1021175/brain-drain-two-in-three-indian-emigrants-are-highly-educated">highest</a> for any country, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD5PFDyf0ZNAjvCoDQBPeiOVsSR5L1JAmmU3964Be1dPuK8LluL0wupzcfmVTa6B2oCH1L0da6L0g3Od2KrbggDy-wQO3OaO_9L0vMdxPRGaTcOsNR4LpMo8PLsDrpcQYnNF6EC6iEbc-IYdF3zUz4qWGyH5SiATY2Q_pNybMcqok5K-madIsRl8ks2JW/s1365/Indian%20Brain%20Drain.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1365" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD5PFDyf0ZNAjvCoDQBPeiOVsSR5L1JAmmU3964Be1dPuK8LluL0wupzcfmVTa6B2oCH1L0da6L0g3Od2KrbggDy-wQO3OaO_9L0vMdxPRGaTcOsNR4LpMo8PLsDrpcQYnNF6EC6iEbc-IYdF3zUz4qWGyH5SiATY2Q_pNybMcqok5K-madIsRl8ks2JW/w640-h516/Indian%20Brain%20Drain.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bostonpoliticalreview.org/post/a-crisis-in-human-capital-understanding-the-indian-brain-drain">Example of The Great Indian Brain Drain. Source: Boston Political Review</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Brain drain is defined as the loss of precious human capital of a nation. It is a “consequence of an education system designed for ‘selecting’ the best and brightest in an economy that is still too controlled and cannot create opportunities for its best and brightest”, according to Indian economist <a href="https://www.bostonpoliticalreview.org/post/a-crisis-in-human-capital-understanding-the-indian-brain-drain">Shruti Rajagopalan</a>. High-profile examples of India's human capital loss include Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (Google), Shantanu Narayen (Adobe), Arvind Krishna (IBM) and Ajay Banga (World Bank). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/s1337/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1337" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/w640-h530/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">Foreign-Born STEM Workers in America. Source: American Immigration Council</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Growing number of Indian students are going abroad for higher education each year and <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/why-indians-dont-want-to-be-indian-citizens-anymore/articleshow/101418122.cms">90%</a> of them never return home after completing their studies. In 2022, the number of Indian students leaving the country for higher education reached a six-year high of 770,000. And a 2021 report estimated that around two million Indian students would be studying abroad by 2024. </p><p>Many developing countries are experiencing brain drain. But India is losing its best brightest at a much faster rate than others. Some call it "The Great Indian Brain Drain". This is the reason why Indians in the United States are the best educated and the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/top-one-percent-are-hindus-new-jews-in.html">highest earning</a> group. In a recently published book titled "The Other One Percent", authors Sanjoy Chakravorty, Devesh Kapur and Nirvikar Singh explain this phenomenon. </p><p>They write that the vast majority of Indians who migrate to the United States are from privileged backgrounds in terms of caste, class and education. They have gone through “a triple selection” process that gave Indian-Americans a boost over typically poor and uneducated immigrants who come to the United States from other countries. The first two selections took place in India. As explained in the book: “The social system created a small pool of persons to receive higher education, who were urban, educated, and from high/dominant castes.” India’s examination system then selected individuals for specialized training in technical fields that also happened to be in demand in the United States. Kapur estimated that the India-American population is nine times more educated than individuals in the home country. Here's an excerpt of it:</p><p>"A major focus of this book is on demonstrating and understanding the multiple selections that shaped the Indian-American population. These selections applied not only to education (that, in terms of attaining college degrees, made the India-born population three times more educated than that in the host country and nine times more educated than the home country’s population) but also to class and caste (favoring, by large margins, the “upper” and dominant classes and castes of India), profession (engineering, IT, and health care), and both the region of origin (Gujarati and Punjabi were overrepresented in the first two phases, and Telugu and Tamil in the third phase) and region of settlement (in specific metropolitan clusters in and around New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Houston and Dallas). In addition to direct selection is what we call the “selection+” advantage: we suggest that group characteristics or norms, such as the fact that Indians had the highest propensity to live in married-couple households of any major immigrant group, added to the advantages of being an already selected group. We show, in particular, how family norms were useful in keeping the Indian-American poverty level low (under 5 percent) and family income high (the highest in the United States). It is also likely that the selection process enabled, without explicitly intending to, the generation of high levels of social capital (through linguistic/ professional networks such as Gujarati entrepreneurs in the hotel industry, Telugu and Tamil workers in the IT industry, IIT engineers, Malayali nurses, Bengali academics, etc.)"</p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/s1200/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/w640-h640/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/29667/doctor-brain-drain/">Doctor Brain Drain. Source: Statista</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Asian Americans are the best educated among all Americans of various races and ethnicities, including whites. Within Asian Americans, the Indians (three quarters) have the highest educational attainment with at least a bachelor's degree, followed by Koreans and Pakistanis (about 60% each). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5AbB27bjzXLZqYkX77a1SN1gqGi49zDE72RdEAZlpGcHjM1b6c5iny7AhTU8r7fCoyuM4bIj4vGHnmdee5ceWe8j_4Iq_iG8s7Bk70VuZcmkZblssn8RkbZ_T5hS-WIh-m8wtPyOAVTRL96CwDJCvJcdKRE6Rit0QVL_QhOl4vDaFlG__RYAkkl4BP4Z/s1616/Asian%20American%20Educational%20Attainment.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5AbB27bjzXLZqYkX77a1SN1gqGi49zDE72RdEAZlpGcHjM1b6c5iny7AhTU8r7fCoyuM4bIj4vGHnmdee5ceWe8j_4Iq_iG8s7Bk70VuZcmkZblssn8RkbZ_T5hS-WIh-m8wtPyOAVTRL96CwDJCvJcdKRE6Rit0QVL_QhOl4vDaFlG__RYAkkl4BP4Z/w564-h640/Asian%20American%20Educational%20Attainment.jpeg" width="564" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/detailed-characteristics-race-ethnic-tribal-groups.html">Asian American Educational Achievement by Countries of Origin. Source: US Census</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Asians, including Chinese/Taiwanese, Indians and Pakistanis, tend to be concentrated in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/pakistan-among-top-sources-of-foreign.html">STEM</a> (Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology) fields where incomes are generally much higher than in other occupations. </p><p>As of 2019, there were 35,000 Pakistan-born STEM workers in the United States, according to the American Immigration Council. They included information technologists, software developers, engineers and scientists. These figures do not include medical doctors and healthcare workers. </p><p>Foreign-born workers make up a growing share of America's STEM workforce. As of 2019, foreign-born workers made up almost a quarter of all STEM workers in the country. This is a significant increase from 2000, when just 16.4% of the country’s STEM workforce was foreign-born. Between 2000 and 2019, the overall number of STEM workers in the United States increased by 44.5 percent, from 7.5 million to more than 10.8 million, according to <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">American Immigration Council</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/s1498/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1197" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/w512-h640/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">India and Pakistan Among Top 10 Countries Receiving US Immigrant Visas. Source: Visual Capitalist</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>India topped the top 10 list of foreign-born STEM workers with 721,000, followed by China (273,000), Mexico (119,000), Vietnam (100,000), Philippines (87,000), South Korea (64,000), Canada (56,000), Taiwan (53,000), Russia (45,000) and Pakistan (35,000). Enormous number of Indian STEM workers in the United States can at least partly be attributed to the fact that India's "body shops" have mastered the art of gaming the US temporary work visa system. Last year, Indian nationals sponsored by "body shops" like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS received <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">166,384 H1B</a> visas for work in the United States. By comparison, only <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">1,107 Pakistanis</a> were granted H1B visas in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition to H1B work visas, 9,300 Indian nationals and 7,200 Pakistani nationals received <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">immigrant visas</a> to settle in the United States as permanent residents in 2021. </p><p></p><p>In addition to 35,000 Pakistan-born <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">STEM workers</a>, there were 12,454 Pakistan-born and Pakistan-trained <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/04/pakistan-is-second-biggest-source-of.html">medical doctors</a> practicing in the United States, making the South Asian nation the second largest source of medical doctors in America. Pakistan produced <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">157,102 STEM graduates</a> last year, putting it among the world's top dozen or so countries. About 43,000 of these graduates are in information technology (IT).</p><p>Related Links:</p><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">Over a Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/08/google-names-indian-fob-sundar-pichai.html">Google Names Indian-American CEO</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/pakistani-americans-rising-strength-in.html">Pakistani-Americans in Academia</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/top-one-percent-are-hindus-new-jews-in.html">Top One Percent: Are Hindus the New Jews in America?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/independence-day-growing-share-of.html">Growing Share of Working Age Population in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/12/pakistans-research-output-growth-among.html">Pakistan Scientific Output is World's Fastest Growing</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/indias-chandrayaan-3-success-can.html">India's Chandrayaan 3 Success: Can Pakistanis Explore Space?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/01/digital-pakistan-2022-broadband.html">Digital Pakistan 2022</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/pakistans-large-and-growing-civil.html">Pakistan's Large and Growing Civil Nuclear Program</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-30583311124418275222023-12-21T19:12:00.000-08:002023-12-21T19:27:44.207-08:00Bibi to Biden: "You Carpet Bombed Germany. You Dropped the Atom Bomb. A Lot of Civilians Died"<p>At a recent Democratic fundraiser organized by the Israel lobby in the United States, President Joseph R. Biden shared some details of the conversations he has had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu about protecting civilians in Gaza. Justifying Israel's genocidal <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">war on Gaza</a>, Netanyahu told Biden: “You carpet-bombed Germany. You dropped the atom bomb. A lot of civilians died”. Netanyahu is “a good friend, but I think he has to change, and… This (extremist coalition) government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move,” Biden told the attendees at the campaign fundraiser in Washington hosted by former AIPAC board chair Lee Rosenberg. Last month, Biden used the word “indiscriminate” to describe Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, according to a report in the <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-indiscriminate-bombing-costs-israel-support-netanyahu-has-to-change/">Times of Israel</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtoajrYAc59RjINxYhY5FErEwLrytqFXiWBJZLp7X8sO5uqnB6H28cJqXLby1hnMQyV9NFSDx_w_UAKPc3FMZNtJFnEQ1k0sz0hKCC2pmOkMUJjzcwWEJ0Iv53nCjyr1MQ9p8Txu3BlR9cWADjdmzyGYrERgGaU__kqARpRjllcXBDOYZc3EP5K3VaSU/s2019/Biden-Netanyahu.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="2019" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtoajrYAc59RjINxYhY5FErEwLrytqFXiWBJZLp7X8sO5uqnB6H28cJqXLby1hnMQyV9NFSDx_w_UAKPc3FMZNtJFnEQ1k0sz0hKCC2pmOkMUJjzcwWEJ0Iv53nCjyr1MQ9p8Txu3BlR9cWADjdmzyGYrERgGaU__kqARpRjllcXBDOYZc3EP5K3VaSU/w640-h416/Biden-Netanyahu.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>The Israel Lobby:</b></p><p>American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC), also known as the Israel lobby, is considered the most powerful lobby in Washington D.C. The lobby has showered its friendly politicians with money from Jewish donors. It has also ensured the defeat of those politicians who dared to speak out against Israeli policies in the Middle East. As one former Democratic senator, Ernest Hollings, put it on leaving office, ‘you can’t have an Israeli policy other than what <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby">AIPAC</a> gives you around here.’ Or as Ariel Sharon once told an American audience, ‘when people ask me how they can help Israel, I tell them: “Help AIPAC.”’</p><p>President Jimmy Carter who helped broker peace between Israel and Egypt knows the Israel lobby well. He told Amy Goodman of "<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2007/9/10/fmr_president_jimmy_carter_on_palestine">Democracy Now</a>" many years ago: "I think it’s accurate to say that not a single member of Congress with whom I’m familiar would possibly speak out and call for Israel to withdraw to their legal boundaries or to publicize the plight of the Palestinians or even to call publicly and repeatedly for good faith peace talks..... And I would say that if any member of Congress did speak out, as I’ve just described, they would probably not be back in the Congress the next term ". </p><p><b>Biden-Netanyahu Conversations: </b></p><p>President Biden recalled how during one of their many conversations since October 7, Netanyahu sought to justify the deaths of civilians in Gaza by recalling how many died in the US response to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, according to the <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-indiscriminate-bombing-costs-israel-support-netanyahu-has-to-change/">Times of Israel</a>. </p><p>“You carpet-bombed Germany. You dropped the atom bomb. A lot of civilians died,” Biden quoted Netanyahu as having said. “They not only want to have retribution — which they should — for what Hamas did, but against all Palestinians… They don’t want anything to (do) with the Palestinians,” Biden said, reiterating the US stance that Hamas does not represent all Palestinians and that not all of Gaza should suffer because of the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. </p><p>It should be noted that the reason Netanyahu sounds American is because he was raised and educated in the United States. He is essentially an American who was born in Tel Aviv, raised in Philadelphia, and then returned to Israel after finishing higher education at MIT and Harvard. </p><p><b>The US and Israel: </b></p><p>While acknowledging the US role in killing large number of civilians during WW II, Biden pointed out to Netanyahu that the conventions and laws agreed to by the international community after the war were designed to stop the kind of excesses Netanyahu mentioned, such as the carpet bombing of Germany and the dropping of the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2008/02/pakistan-questions-safety-of-us-nukes.html">atomic bombs</a> on civilian populations in Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. </p><p>“I said, ‘Yeah, that’s why all these institutions were set up after World War II to see to it that it didn’t happen again,'” Biden said he told Netanyahu. Biden also advised Netanyahu not to repeat the mistakes the US made in response to the terrorist attacks in New York in 2001. “Don’t make the same mistakes we made [after] 9/11. There was no reason why we had to be in a war in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/08/pakistani-security-officials-warned-of.html">Afghanistan</a> [after] 9/11. There was no reason why we had to do some of the things we did,” Biden said.</p><p>While Biden's response makes sense, it is hard not to see the parallels between the United States and Israel. Both of them are settler colonial societies built on genocide of the native populations and their replacement by Europeans. This process was endorsed by top British politicians like Winston Churchill. </p><div>This process of Israel's creation was <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/winston-churchills-racist-legacy-palestine/30481">endorsed</a> by top British politicians like Winston Churchill. “I do not admit that the dog in the manger has the final right to the manger,” former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the Peel Commission in 1937, “even though he may have lain there for a very long time.” He denied that “a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the Black people of Australia,” by their replacement with “a higher grade race.”</div><div><br /></div><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of the Same Coin</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/israels-gaza-attack-is-criminal-not.html">Israel's Gaza Attack is Criminal, Not Defensive</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/pictorial-of-israels-young-victims-in.html">Pictorial Review of Israel's Young Gaza Victims</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">American College Campuses Rise Up Against Israel's Genocidal War on Gaza</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">Islamophobia Driving US Policy in Middle East and South Asia?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/israeli-scholars-provide-insights-into.html">Israeli Scholars Offer Insights into Zionist Psyche</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/" style="font-family: times;">PakAlumni: Pakistani Alumni Social Network</a></p><p><br /></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-26124770951561062102023-12-14T17:37:00.000-08:002023-12-14T19:34:07.580-08:00Pro-Israel Politicians and Donors Assault Academic Freedom in America <p>Widespread student <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">protests</a> on the US campuses against Israel's genocidal war in Gaza are being labeled antisemitic by pro-Israel politicians and donors. They have now joined forces to intimidate the leadership of top American universities. President Liz MaGill of the University of Pennsylvania has already been forced out. Leaders at Harvard and MIT are also under threat. The Pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Brandeis Center have called on 200 college presidents to investigate pro-Palestinian student groups. Faculty members and instructors at several public and private colleges have either been placed on leave or fired for comments about the conflict, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-12-03/israel-hamas-war-in-gaza-tests-academic-freedom-on-college-campuses?embedded-checkout=true">Bloomberg</a> columnist Noah Feldman. These actions are a direct assault on the academic freedom in America, with long term negative consequences for the world's most admired institutions of higher education. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43A0q6htwMjicwRrUhTvCLCwJw4TKLpj2CFl-QnEALJRkxYIPEAhHYRHyzzKhWkUVDTgkxTmJtsItPyoAWidO5cKWwG0Zrbe0ooTAlVnjdun4RSjex23pLaxVaC2M5IaM7bejLdWwQFVMwMImKzjpjNHe4WwIAoMTwrazqphfrdPF7ze9lGoCGlF2CJUI/s7277/UCLA%20Pro-Palestine%20Protest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4603" data-original-width="7277" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43A0q6htwMjicwRrUhTvCLCwJw4TKLpj2CFl-QnEALJRkxYIPEAhHYRHyzzKhWkUVDTgkxTmJtsItPyoAWidO5cKWwG0Zrbe0ooTAlVnjdun4RSjex23pLaxVaC2M5IaM7bejLdWwQFVMwMImKzjpjNHe4WwIAoMTwrazqphfrdPF7ze9lGoCGlF2CJUI/w640-h404/UCLA%20Pro-Palestine%20Protest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dailybruin.com/2023/10/12/ucla-students-attend-walkout-teach-in-following-violence-in-palestine">Pro-Palestine Protest at UCLA. Source: Daily Bruin</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Academic Freedom: </b></p><p>Academic freedom is about free exchange of ideas on campus by students and faculty. It is considered essential for learning. Limiting this freedom hurts pursuit of excellence which has helped American colleges and universities become the envy of the world. This freedom must be defended by all Americans to maintain the excellence of institutions of higher learning in America. </p><p><b>US Congress: </b></p><p>GOP politicians see these pro-Palestine protests on US campuses as a fundraising opportunity. Harvard alumna Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 (R-N.Y.) aggressively questioned presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT to score points with the Israel lobby. “At Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment?” asked — to which Gay twice responded that “it depends on the context.” </p><p>GOP politicians like Stefanik are deliberately conflating slogans such as "From the River to the Sea, Free Palestine Free" with call for genocide of Jews. In fact, this chant is only about ending the long brutal Israeli Occupation of Gaza (along the Mediterranean Sea) and the West Bank (of the Jordan River). </p><p><b>Jewish Donors:</b></p><p> Several Jewish donors of major private sector universities have either cancelled their donations or threatened to do so over the Pro-Palestine protests. Investors Bill Ackman and Ross Stevens have been among the most vocal pro-Israel donors at Harvard and Penn. They both called for the ouster of the presidents of these universities over what they call "antisemitism" on campuses. </p><p>The aggressive behavior of Jewish donors is serving to reinforce the antisemitic stereotype of wealthy Jews. As former Labor Secretary Robert Reich put in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/12/us-college-donors-influence-gaza-israel">Guardian</a> Op Ed: "As a Jew, I cannot help but worry, too, that the actions of these donors will fuel the very antisemitism they claim to oppose – based on the perilous stereotype of wealthy Jewish bankers controlling the world". </p><p><b>Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:</b></p><p>Some right-wing politicians and donors have attacked DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs as the cause of what they call "antisemitism" on campuses. These programs help bring in faculty and students from under-represented groups to colleges and universities that have traditionally been almost entirely white. They blame DEI because many new students from minority background tend to sympathize with Palestinians who they see as oppressed. Many of them see Israel as a "Western settler-colonialist oppressor par excellence", according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/dei-drives-campus-antisemitism-harvard-ivy-ackman-israel-bds-b19ebd12">Wall Street Journal</a>. </p><div>Israel has long been seen as a <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">settler colonial</a> state . It was established by the displacement of the indigenous population of Palestinians and their replacement by Europeans, similar to places like America and Australia. This process of Israel's creation was <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/winston-churchills-racist-legacy-palestine/30481">endorsed</a> by top British politicians like Winston Churchill. </div><div><br /></div><div>“I do not admit that the dog in the manger has the final right to the manger,” former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the Peel Commission in 1937, “even though he may have lain there for a very long time.” He denied that “a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the Black people of Australia,” by their replacement with “a higher grade race.”</div><div><br /></div><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of the Same Coin</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/israels-gaza-attack-is-criminal-not.html">Israel's Gaza Attack is Criminal, Not Defensive</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/pictorial-of-israels-young-victims-in.html">Pictorial Review of Israel's Young Gaza Victims</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">American College Campuses Rise Up Against Israel's Genocidal War on Gaza</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">Islamophobia Driving US Policy in Middle East and South Asia?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/israeli-scholars-provide-insights-into.html">Israeli Scholars Offer Insights into Zionist Psyche</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/" style="font-family: times;">PakAlumni: Pakistani Alumni Social Network</a></p><p><br /></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-63840131524420970372023-12-06T17:28:00.000-08:002023-12-08T10:17:00.377-08:00COP28: Pakistan Planting World's Largest Mangrove Forest<p>Pakistan, which contributes less than 1% of global carbon emissions, is among the countries considered most vulnerable to climate change. About a third of the country was devastated by massive <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/climate-change-pakistan-requires.html">floods</a> in 2022. The nation committed continued pursuit of nature-based solutions to the problem at <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/11/pakistans-agenda-at-cop26-climate.html">COP26</a> in Glasgow in 2021. As part of this commitment, the country is planting one of the world's largest mangrove forests in the Indus River Delta, a key component of its Ten Billion <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/05/olive-revolution-pakistan-joins.html">Tree Tsunami</a> campaign launched by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbWQjBLxD6wfvgIM5eP34-Oq-QwTYEh0pO-cwEYKald7L7UwrAXwAcY1iosTSxwI-dmAndMWPkzxrl8pWZu6UFf-UQRC-hcZcsEplY2Em4YXnAQ-hIdYVUfMDxC0hEDMd5WtyFR4Fb2bClUyRbKgoYQHYEr6H8fywe8Mh9WXLJ7tfhvNuC7UJ0PuKIfE/s1670/Pakistan%20Mangroves.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1670" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbWQjBLxD6wfvgIM5eP34-Oq-QwTYEh0pO-cwEYKald7L7UwrAXwAcY1iosTSxwI-dmAndMWPkzxrl8pWZu6UFf-UQRC-hcZcsEplY2Em4YXnAQ-hIdYVUfMDxC0hEDMd5WtyFR4Fb2bClUyRbKgoYQHYEr6H8fywe8Mh9WXLJ7tfhvNuC7UJ0PuKIfE/w640-h492/Pakistan%20Mangroves.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://deltabluecarbon.com/">Pakistan Mangroves Plantation Project. Source: Delta Blue Carbon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><p><b>Mangrove Forest:</b></p><p>Also known as <a href="https://deltabluecarbon.com/">Delta Blue Carbon Project</a>, the mangroves plantation will eventually cover 350,000 hectares of Tidal Wetlands on the south-east coast of Sindh. Currently, Pakistan is estimated to have 600,000 hectares of mangrove forest. Mangroves absorb hundreds of millions of tons of atmospheric carbon, reduce the impact of storms on human lives and economic assets, and provide a habitat for fish, birds and other plants supporting biodiversity. It is funded by sales of carbon credits to global polluting industries such as those involved in fossil fuels trade. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbDxdO1FYsnmNESeZNbYNaNSZGhIB_zxRkgDxrRP5CY7DGFHaLXBE0__47yq9z2x7JHhDTlTJCw46vgZvGeaLackZlXb_wNCbLbehl_UWMW-u5jPMQAfRvYAyXw29qaMLMeYz3cCRAU7Ib7Ll7b5QMKyL1oeTi7hlcXUBYw3TVaoFCupGZ6bUaSj07zU/s1025/Pakistan%20Climate%20Goals.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbDxdO1FYsnmNESeZNbYNaNSZGhIB_zxRkgDxrRP5CY7DGFHaLXBE0__47yq9z2x7JHhDTlTJCw46vgZvGeaLackZlXb_wNCbLbehl_UWMW-u5jPMQAfRvYAyXw29qaMLMeYz3cCRAU7Ib7Ll7b5QMKyL1oeTi7hlcXUBYw3TVaoFCupGZ6bUaSj07zU/w436-h640/Pakistan%20Climate%20Goals.jpeg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/Pakistan%20First/Pakistan%20Updated%20NDC%202021.pdf" style="background: transparent; color: #2196f3; text-decoration-line: none;">Pakistan NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) For Climate Goals. Source: UN</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>Massive Floods of 2022:</b></p><p>More than a year after the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/climate-change-pakistan-requires.html">unprecedented floods</a> of 2022, Pakistan is still dealing with the havoc they wreaked. Over a thousand Pakistanis died. About 33 million people in two southern provinces became homeless. Sindh was inundated with 784% of normal rainfall in the year. Balochistan saw 522% of average rainfall. Both provinces suffered their worst ever heatwave prior to this unprecedented deluge. Nearly a million livestock were lost, over two million acres of farmland came underwater and 90% of the crops in Sindh and Balochistan were damaged. This was a massive humanitarian crisis. </p><p><b>Nature Based Solutions:</b></p><p>How are nature based solutions different from man made solutions? Here's how the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/05/19/what-you-need-to-know-about-nature-based-solutions-to-climate-change">World Bank</a> explains the difference: </p><p>"Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural ecosystems, that address societal challenges such as climate change, human health, food and water security, and disaster risk reduction effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. For example, a common problem is the flooding in coastal areas that occurs as a result of storm surges and coastal erosion. This challenge, traditionally tackled with manmade (grey) infrastructure such as sea walls or dikes, coastal flooding, can also be addressed by actions that take advantage of ecosystem services such as tree planting. Planting trees that thrive in coastal areas – known as mangroves -- reduces the impact of storms on human lives and economic assets, and provides a habitat for fish, birds and other plants supporting biodiversity" </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO_GunMEbk06dJPBvPzeKBDDFeGP-ZMvZ3vRFuv4L3rDjt0-JeZxcZs1MyeJF0fv1Es27zbtgJVo3kDPd8w7YPWWnii5MYzJg9FARmVCBRs0zNL6P-zBG1hv1yjp_ydtpHV6r8ZNwMRBiLrpRCigwm2IB8UMS5-xjqngVbS3yNnUvAWxLJpTNwc97cqg/s1024/Mangroves%20Exhibit.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1024" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO_GunMEbk06dJPBvPzeKBDDFeGP-ZMvZ3vRFuv4L3rDjt0-JeZxcZs1MyeJF0fv1Es27zbtgJVo3kDPd8w7YPWWnii5MYzJg9FARmVCBRs0zNL6P-zBG1hv1yjp_ydtpHV6r8ZNwMRBiLrpRCigwm2IB8UMS5-xjqngVbS3yNnUvAWxLJpTNwc97cqg/w640-h428/Mangroves%20Exhibit.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.magnifiscience.org/attractions/">Karachi Mangroves Exhibit. Source: Magnifiscience Center</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>Saving Karachi:</b></p><p>One of the objectives of restoring mangroves is to prevent a climate disaster in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and the country's economic hub. Mangroves in Karachi are a unique marine ecosystem fringing the coast, and they provide both a vital spawning area for ocean fish and protection from periodic tsunamis and storm surges. </p><p>Karachi's Magnifiscience Center has a special exhibit to help teach citizens the importance of restoring this marine ecosystem. Here's an excerpt of a recent Time Magazine report on the subject:</p><p>"On a recent Tuesday morning, several dozen Pakistani schoolchildren barreled down a wooden walkway into a thicket of mangroves. They jostled for space at a small viewing platform and eagerly pointed out fish darting between the exposed tree roots. As the rising tide inched ever closer to the crabs and mudskippers resting on shore, the children’s guide launched into a detailed explanation of the unique marine ecosystem fringing the coast, and how it provided both a vital nursery for ocean fish and protection from tsunamis and storm surges. If mangroves are so important, wondered one child out loud, “Why are they in here, and not out there?” By in here, she meant the soaring glass atrium of Karachi’s newly opened MagnifiScience Centre, where the high-tech centerpiece is the living mangrove exhibit—complete with real trees, live fish, plastic crabs, and an accelerated tidal ebb and flow maintained by underground water pumps. Out there is the crowded coastal megacity of Karachi, where all but a few of the mangrove forests that once defined this Indus Delta port town have been chopped down, paved over, and developed into ocean-view high-rises, golf courses, and container ports". </p><div><p>Related Links:</p><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/12/katas-raj-temple-case-exposes-pakistans.html">Groundwater Depletion in Pakistan</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/06/pakistan-water-crisis-facts-and-myths.html">Pakistan Water Crisis: Facts and Myths</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/07/pakistan-ramps-up-nuclear-power-to.html">Pakistan Ramps Up Low-Carbon Sources of Electricity</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/09/recurring-floods-and-droughts-in.html">Cycles of Drought and Floods in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-at-75-highlights-of-economic.html">Pakistan at 75: Economic and Demographic Progress</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2014/03/thar-drought-precursor-of-dust-bowl-in.html">Dust Bowl in Thar Desert Region</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/01/uae-eyes-pakistans-dasht-river-water-in.html">Dasht River in Balochistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/05/bridge-collapse-amid-heat-wave-in.html">Bridge Collapse After Sudden Glacier Melt in Pakistan</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-12316416598231724502023-11-29T16:43:00.000-08:002023-11-29T16:56:05.021-08:00Sikh Assassinations: US Exposes Modi-Doval Hubris<p>The United States Department of Justice has filed an indictment alleging that an Indian agent hired an assassin to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist. It seems that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his National Security Advisor Ajit Doval now believe in their own hype about India being a superpower that can get away with murdering American citizens on the US soil. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9QWb06L9hZxmiQtiV2v8GCxxb_q8YZH6ggjdNwjQVQs4MA-mBzFTS3nemCEl5Sq3hazUyJYq-sQfwpGFFe7nm9JjUhx9tR5NjO_DX76L17NPoBAZ0JrkJqbHsuknkrXTxdZrHis8i67CKIWWkMqkGWJJpRusmdP_yoz_LSUEgTERbE4rgLWALXlVYyXA/s1280/Sikh%20Leaders.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9QWb06L9hZxmiQtiV2v8GCxxb_q8YZH6ggjdNwjQVQs4MA-mBzFTS3nemCEl5Sq3hazUyJYq-sQfwpGFFe7nm9JjUhx9tR5NjO_DX76L17NPoBAZ0JrkJqbHsuknkrXTxdZrHis8i67CKIWWkMqkGWJJpRusmdP_yoz_LSUEgTERbE4rgLWALXlVYyXA/w640-h360/Sikh%20Leaders.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sikh Leaders: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (L), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Mid), Paramjeet Singh Panwar (R)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Earlier, a Canadian Sikh leader named Hardeep Singh <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/canadian-sikhs-murder-how-long-will.html">Nijjar was murdered</a> in June this year in British Columbia. The US DOJ believes that Nikhil Gupta was involved in both the killing in Canada of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and the attempted murder in New York, He is reported to have told an associate two days before the Nijjar’s slaying: “we are doing their job, brother. We are doing their New York [and] Canada [job],” according to the indictment. He lives in India and was arrested on the charges in the Czech Republic on June 30, according to a report in the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/india/prosecutors-charge-indian-man-with-trying-to-kill-sikh-activist-in-u-s-a71c8249?st=o6n3w4uylw9d81j&reflink=article_email_share">Wall Street Journal</a>. Gupta's plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was foiled in a US sting operation involving an informant who was being recruited by him to be the hitman. </p><p>“Modi and Doval have a much more macho approach to statecraft, including taking a more risky approach in intel operations in order to say, ‘Look at how tough I am in protecting India’s interests’,” said Paul McGarr, a specialist in South Asian security and intelligence at King's College London, according to <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20230926-sikh-leader-nijjar-murder-canada-spotlight-raw-shadowy-indian-spy-agency">France24</a> news agency. “RAW could do it before, but wouldn’t have conducted assassinations without Modi’s approval,” added McGarr. “RAW has got the political license to kill under Modi.” </p><p>The US DOJ decision to go public with charges came after President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and CIA Director William Burns warned India of potential consequences for the U.S.-India relationship over the actions, according to the Wall Street Journal. </p><p>The Indian government is engaged in a worldwide assassination campaign targeting Sikhs and Kashmiris seen as "terrorists" by New Delhi, according to leaked documents of Pakistani intelligence agencies. Inside Pakistan, a spate of assassinations and other attacks in recent years targeted people alleged to be involved in Sikh and Kashmiri activism as well as Islamist militancy inside India, according to <a href="https://theintercept.com/2023/11/21/india-assassinations-sikh-pakistan/">The Intercept</a>. Last month, the Pakistani government arrested people it believes were involved in targeted killings of Sikhs and Kashmiris inside Pakistan. </p><p>Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said her country remained a “target of a series of targeted killings and espionage by (Indian Intelligence Agency) RAW". “In December last year, Pakistan released a comprehensive dossier providing concrete and irrefutable evidence of India’s involvement in the Lahore attack of June 2021. The attack was planned and executed by Indian intelligence,” she said, adding that in 2016, a high-ranking Indian military officer <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/indias-ex-intelligence-officers-blame.html">Kulbhushan Jadhav</a> confessed to his involvement in directing, financing and executing terror and sabotage in Pakistan.</p><p>Narendra Modi has a long history of murdering minorities in his country. After the Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002, Narendra Modi made the cover of India Today magazine with the caption "Hero of Hatred". Modi was denied a visa to visit the United States. The US visa ban on Modi was lifted in 2014 after he became prime minister. Since then, Narendra Modi's image has been rehabilitated by the West as the US and Western Europe seek allies in Asia to counter the rise of China. However, Modi's actions on the ground in India confirm that he remains "Hero of Hatred" and "Divider In Chief" at his core. A recent two-part <a href="https://www.bbcselect.com/watch/india-the-modi-question/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6fC4hY-T_u_Zg7mAOjWFNaVd2zex4TNXjxqIBI-ekz4jSX-diaDkAcaAmZmEALw_wcB">BBC documentary</a> explains this reality in significant detail. The first part focuses on the 2002 events in Gujarat when Modi as the state chief minister ordered the police to not stop the Hindu mobs murdering Muslims and burning their homes and businesses. The second part looks at Modi government's anti-Muslim policies, including the revocation of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Kashmir's autonomy</a> (article 370) and a new citizenship law (CAA 2019) that discriminates against Muslims. It shows the violent response by security forces to peaceful protests against the new laws, and interviews the family members of people who were killed in the 2020 Delhi riots orchestrated by Modi's allies. </p><p>Here's Indian National Security Advisor on how to use Taliban to attack Pakistan:</p><p>https://youtu.be/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=ZB1c7Dd8ntQdKeFi</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=kioJoC8X-6nHSzSV" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><br /></p><p> Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/07/karan-thapar-debunks-indias-narrative.html">Karan Thapar Dismantles Official Indian Narrative on Kulbhushan Jadhav</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/10/why-is-india-sponsoring-terrorism-in.html">Why is India Sponsoring Terror in Pakistan? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/03/pakistan-releases-indian-raw-agent.html">Indian Agent Kubhushan Yadav's Confession</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2014/12/has-modi-stepped-up-indias-covert-war.html">Has Modi Stepped Up India's Covert War in Pakistan?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/05/ex-indian-spy-documents-raws-successes.html">Ex India Spy Documents Successful RAW Ops in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/07/london-met-police-confirm-document.html">London Police Document Confirms MQM-RAW Connection Testimony</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/indias-ex-intelligence-officers-blame.html">India's Ex Spooks Blame Kulbhushan Jadhav For Getting Caught</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=ZB1c7Dd8ntQdKeFi">Ajit Doval Lecture on "How to Tackle Pakistan" </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/mohanlal-bhaskar-indian-raw-agent-in.html">Mohan Lal Bhaskar: An Indian Raw Agent in Pakistan</a><br /></p><div><div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-83933714703036328352023-11-22T16:49:00.000-08:002023-11-25T07:16:53.188-08:00Is Islamophobia Shaping US Policy in Middle East and South Asia? <p>As the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rolls out "Nakbah 2023", a former senior US diplomat has been caught on a <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kxmwe/stuart-seldowitz-halal-cart-harassment">viral video</a> telling an Arab street food vendor in New York that the killing of 4,000 Palestinian children in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">Gaza</a> is "not enough". The video shows Stuart Seldowitz, who worked on the National Security Council South Asia Directorate under President Barack Obama, beginning by insulting Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Holy Quran, and then goes on a hateful <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/09/islamophobia-in-america-doubled-in-20.html">anti-Muslim</a> and anti-Palestinian tirade. Seldowitz also served as deputy director/senior political officer in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs from 1999 to 2003. This incident raises the question: Is Islamophobia shaping the US policy in the Middle East and South Asia regions? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Z0hdSDeywYZiL8E4gs5YTq6DLYvDhtYMGHj9Dhfuc6k8hRK9-HtR5dlqtkCfSCrT593yr5YSi8iraMwTd6mJD6aVscipMVWrwBkkrZCKzToXV0Ii4xEcRx09SvO2e3rMCG5dVJTbwzwcVhZdTtHnNVb9xD3Kqb64BTtD10lZAFgw1bJlREUp3r8_uyY/s1556/Stuart%20Seldowitz.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1556" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Z0hdSDeywYZiL8E4gs5YTq6DLYvDhtYMGHj9Dhfuc6k8hRK9-HtR5dlqtkCfSCrT593yr5YSi8iraMwTd6mJD6aVscipMVWrwBkkrZCKzToXV0Ii4xEcRx09SvO2e3rMCG5dVJTbwzwcVhZdTtHnNVb9xD3Kqb64BTtD10lZAFgw1bJlREUp3r8_uyY/w640-h432/Stuart%20Seldowitz.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuart Seldowitz, Former US Senior National Security Official</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>US-Pakistan Ties:</b></p><p>US-Pakistan relations hit an all-time low during the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/12/obamas-parting-shot-against-pakistan.html">Obama years</a> when Stuart Seldowitz worked on the National Security Council South Asia Directorate. Did Seldowitz contribute to the downward spiral? Would the ties have tanked as rapidly and as far as they did if he wasn't there? Were there other Islamophobes in policy roles who caused it? Seldowitz's recent <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1727069135262392519">hateful comments</a> about Muslims and Palestinians do raise all these questions. </p><p><b>Nakba 2023:</b></p><p>"We're rolling out Nakba 2023", said Israeli government minister Avi Dichter, referring to Israel's <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">genocidal war</a> on Gaza on November 12, 2023, according to <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-12/ty-article/israeli-security-cabinet-member-calls-north-gaza-evacuation-nakba-2023/0000018b-c2be-dea2-a9bf-d2be7b670000">Haaretz newspaper</a>. <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2008/05/yom-haatzmaut-and-nakbah.html">Nakbah</a>, meaning catastrophe, is what the Palestinians call their forced removal from their homes and lands by violent <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/11/israeli-scholars-provide-insights-into.html">Zionist</a> militias in the 1940s. </p><p>Since Dichter's statement about "rolling out Nakba 2023", another Israeli minister, Gila Gamliel, has explained in a <a href="https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-773713">Jerusalem Post</a> op ed why Israel has made large parts of Gaza un-inhabitable. In her words, Israel wants to "promote the voluntary resettlement of Palestinians in Gaza, for humanitarian reasons, outside of the Strip." </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfk73XjERyaPgfX-jJuR7CC9w3tT5vQcpOlCtx3QbgNI5pqWFWWQUO-A8ehMvqKRwj5y1D9nU2cDiatxyJMKFpRmkoEUv1N2s5WaYKFgiLbEcgBaMEdhzOwFv1lpxU3hLY7Brv_l_x1p-OAp10OEsCq8TBzD_8XoCtJ_ppgVZT1FSj4KshtvK3Jhyphenhyphenpak/s960/UN%20Palestine%20Partition%20Map.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="645" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfk73XjERyaPgfX-jJuR7CC9w3tT5vQcpOlCtx3QbgNI5pqWFWWQUO-A8ehMvqKRwj5y1D9nU2cDiatxyJMKFpRmkoEUv1N2s5WaYKFgiLbEcgBaMEdhzOwFv1lpxU3hLY7Brv_l_x1p-OAp10OEsCq8TBzD_8XoCtJ_ppgVZT1FSj4KshtvK3Jhyphenhyphenpak/w430-h640/UN%20Palestine%20Partition%20Map.JPG" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palestine Partition Plan of 1937</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The Nakba 1 happened in contravention of the <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/text-of-the-balfour-declaration">Balfour Declaration</a> on British support for a Jewish state in Palestine that clearly stated: "it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM4zRjQHdzlvxKRWLx7S9ptnxphij6fdjg3fSvl09Cj6Ox-VuYM4dyDz0mzxkX5ANcArjhjxTuK5_efxWnhbvHrIstSCQ0D2bUCB2kF7iZA8rGzDxTK4RM18dYZZAnnfT7ZB_nTtF8ADBSesjHYeX2n874EQj55yGJSz0PilHQzrU9rsL9Ro06SLCq0c/s1532/Balfour%20Declaration.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="1164" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM4zRjQHdzlvxKRWLx7S9ptnxphij6fdjg3fSvl09Cj6Ox-VuYM4dyDz0mzxkX5ANcArjhjxTuK5_efxWnhbvHrIstSCQ0D2bUCB2kF7iZA8rGzDxTK4RM18dYZZAnnfT7ZB_nTtF8ADBSesjHYeX2n874EQj55yGJSz0PilHQzrU9rsL9Ro06SLCq0c/w486-h640/Balfour%20Declaration.jpeg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/text-of-the-balfour-declaration">Balfour Declaration. Source: Jewish Virtual Library</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><b>Settler Colonialism: </b><div><br /></div><div>What has followed the Balfour Declaration of 1917 is essentially <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">settler colonialism</a>. It is similar to the displacement of the indigenous populations and their replacement by Europeans in places like America and Australia. It was <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/winston-churchills-racist-legacy-palestine/30481">endorsed</a> by top British politicians like Winston Churchill. </div><div><br /></div><div>“I do not admit that the dog in the manger has the final right to the manger,” former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the Peel Commission in 1937, “even though he may have lain there for a very long time.” He denied that “a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the Black people of Australia,” by their replacement with “a higher grade race.”<div><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Zionist Psyche: </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">How do Zionists like Stuart Seldowitz, Avi Dichter and Gila Gamliel think about what is going on in the Middle East? I wrote the following piece a couple of weeks ago to explain it: </p><div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: justify;">Zionists are "secular" but they use God as their "<a href="https://thewire.in/world/full-text-israel-palestine-karan-thapar-avi-shlaim">land agent</a>" who gave them the "promised land", says Professor Avi Shlaim of Oxford University. Jews are God's "<a href="https://www.wrmea.org/transcending-the-israel-lobby-at-home-and-abroad/keynote-gideon-levy-the-nature-of-democracy-and-human-rights-in-israel.html">chosen people</a>" who are exempt from the rules that apply to non-Jews, according to Israeli author and journalist Gideon Levy. Israel is carrying out "<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/bartov_genocide_apartheid">ethnic cleansing</a> … and that may become genocide”, adds Israeli American scholar Omer Bartov. "No, Palestinians did not commit acts of terrorism, Israel did", <a href="https://x.com/mikopeled/status/1721800069769535517?s=20">tweets</a> Miko Peled, an ex IDF soldier and son of a former Israeli general. These few quotes summarize current thoughts of some of the former Zionists. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/15882/production/_131649188_f002eb9e89430341b2b8d0793f48e7e243b804ab.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/15882/production/_131649188_f002eb9e89430341b2b8d0793f48e7e243b804ab.jpg.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Israel Turns Gaza into Rubble</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Israeli author and journalist Gideon Levy:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The core of Zionism is the "feeling of being chosen people" that is "deep rooted" in Israel. A consequence of it is that the rules and laws that apply to others do not apply to Israelis. Here's a <a href="https://www.wrmea.org/transcending-the-israel-lobby-at-home-and-abroad/keynote-gideon-levy-the-nature-of-democracy-and-human-rights-in-israel.html">quote</a> from one of his speeches: </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"This is the core of Zionism. This feeling of chosen people is still very deep rooted in Israel. The consequence is that everything which refers to any other country in the world does not refer to Israel. That we are a special case. That international law should be implemented everywhere, but we are a different case. That a Molotov bottle against a Jewish soldier is not like a Molotov bottle against a Russian soldier because we are different, because we are chosen, because of this damned Jewish supremacy". </p><p style="text-align: justify;">On Israel's campaign of dehumanizing Palestinians, Levy says:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“My biggest struggle is to rehumanize the Palestinians. There’s a whole machinery of brainwashing in Israel which really accompanies each of us from early childhood, and I’m a product of this machinery as much as anyone else. [We are taught] a few narratives that it’s very hard to break. That we Israelis are the ultimate and only victims. That the Palestinians are born to kill, and their hatred is irrational. That the Palestinians are not human beings like us… So you get a society without any moral doubts, without any questions marks, with hardly public debate. To raise your voice against all this is very hard.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Levy believes that the talk of the peace process and two-state solution is a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/is-gideon-levy-the-most-hated-man-in-israel-or-just-the-most-heroic-2087909.html">scam</a> perpetrated by Zionists. Here's Levy in his own words: </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Now the real turning point should be, for us, the moment that each of us realize that the Israeli occupation is not a temporary phenomenon. I think that most of the people, if not all of them, understand that the occupation is there to stay. And Israel never had the slightest intention to put an end to it. All the efforts were only to mislead the West and to maintain the occupation. All this longest peace process in history, which never led to anywhere, was never aimed to lead to anywhere. All those efforts were only in order to mislead you and enable the occupation to grow, including Oslo". </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Professor Avi Shlaim:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oxford Professor Avi Shlaim believes that Israel "prefers land to peace", adding that "land grabbing and peacemaking don't go together". Here's his exact <a href="https://thewire.in/world/full-text-israel-palestine-karan-thapar-avi-shlaim">quote</a>:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Land grabbing and peacemaking don’t go together, it’s one or the other, and by constantly expanding settlements, Israel showed that it prefers land to peace....Israel by its actions has shown that it is not interested in having a Palestinian partner for peace because it wants to maintain its control over the territory. Israel refuses to accept Hamas as a negotiating partner. Israel’s position is that Hamas is a terrorist organisation – pure and simple. It will never negotiate with it. Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy has been to let Hamas rule the Gaza Strip, but to contain the Gaza Strip, and this policy collapsed, because Gaza could not be contained."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Professor Omer Bartov:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov has warned of "genocide" in Gaza. He has talked about "clear intention of ethnic cleansing" in the narrow strip of two million Palestinians under heavy bombardment by Israeli forces since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel. Here's a <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/bartov_genocide_apartheid">quote</a> from him:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"So, my sense is the following. Israeli political leaders and military leaders have made very startling and frightening statements about Gaza, speaking about flattening Gaza, speaking about Hamas, but by sort of extending it also, by extension, also Gazans, in general, as human animals, speaking about moving the entire population of Gaza out of Gaza. That is a clear intention of ethnic cleansing. So, those statements show intent. And that’s a genocidal intent, which is often very difficult to prove in genocide. People who carry out genocide don’t always want to say that they’re doing it". </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Former Israeli Soldier Miko Peled:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Miko Peled, whose father was a general in the IDF and who himself served in the Israeli military, says that Israel is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Talking about the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, he says that "Israel is behaving like a gangster who has been humiliated taking <a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">vengeance</a> upon innocent civilians, killing thousands upon thousands". "It's not a question of self-defense, it's a question of brutality and revenge because Israel was humiliated", he adds in an interview on <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-bottom-line/2023/11/3/should-palestinians-israelis-live-equally-in-one-state">Al Jazeera English</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Peled accuses Israel of lying about the October 7 attack. He said the testimony is now showing that most of the Israeli civilians on October 7 were killed by the <a href="https://seemorerocks.substack.com/p/israel-admits-they-fired-on-their">Israeli helicopters</a> firing indiscriminately. He says the western governments who support Israel “are supporting the fight against justice, the fight against peace”.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Peled says that “liberal Zionism” is a myth and all forms of Zionism amount, in practice, to the denial of fundamental rights and freedoms for the Palestinian people. This process starts at a young age for Israeli children whose history textbooks claim that the Palestinians left their homes of their own free will, that they were not driven out by Jewish militias in the 1940s. These history books deny what the Palestinians call "<a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2008/05/yom-haatzmaut-and-nakbah.html">Nakbah</a>", meaning Great Catastrophe, that forced them to flee their homes as part of the Zionist plan to ethnically cleanse what is now Israel. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Related Links:</p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of the Same Coin</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/israels-gaza-attack-is-criminal-not.html">Israel's Gaza Attack is Criminal, Not Defensive</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/pictorial-of-israels-young-victims-in.html">Pictorial Review of Israel's Young Gaza Victims</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">American College Campuses Rise Up Against Israel's Genocidal War on Gaza</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">India Promotes Half Truths About UNSC Kashmir Resolutions</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/12/obamas-parting-shot-against-pakistan.html">Obama's Parting Shot Against Pakistan</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WideAngleZoom/videos" style="font-family: times;"></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WideAngleZoom/videos">VPOS Youtube Channel</a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p></blockquote></div></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-46502755744147239372023-11-10T17:57:00.006-08:002023-11-11T09:34:02.039-08:00Israeli Scholars Provide Insights into Zionist Psyche<p>Zionists are "secular" but they use God as their "<a href="https://thewire.in/world/full-text-israel-palestine-karan-thapar-avi-shlaim">land agent</a>" who gave them the "promised land", says Professor Avi Shlaim of Oxford University. Jews are God's "<a href="https://www.wrmea.org/transcending-the-israel-lobby-at-home-and-abroad/keynote-gideon-levy-the-nature-of-democracy-and-human-rights-in-israel.html">chosen people</a>" who are exempt from the rules that apply to non-Jews, according to Israeli author and journalist Gideon Levy. Israel is carrying out "<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/bartov_genocide_apartheid">ethnic cleansing</a> … and that may become genocide”, adds Israeli American scholar Omer Bartov. "No, Palestinians did not commit acts of terrorism, Israel did", <a href="https://x.com/mikopeled/status/1721800069769535517?s=20">tweets</a> Miko Peled, an ex IDF soldier and son of a former Israeli general. These few quotes summarize current thoughts of some of the former Zionists. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><br /></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/15882/production/_131649188_f002eb9e89430341b2b8d0793f48e7e243b804ab.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/15882/production/_131649188_f002eb9e89430341b2b8d0793f48e7e243b804ab.jpg.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Israel Turns Gaza into Rubble</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p><b>Israeli author and journalist Gideon Levy:</b></p><p>The core of Zionism is the "feeling of being chosen people" that is "deep rooted" in Israel. A consequence of it is that the rules and laws that apply to others do not apply to Israelis. Here's a <a href="https://www.wrmea.org/transcending-the-israel-lobby-at-home-and-abroad/keynote-gideon-levy-the-nature-of-democracy-and-human-rights-in-israel.html">quote</a> from one of his speeches: </p><p>"This is the core of Zionism. This feeling of chosen people is still very deep rooted in Israel. The consequence is that everything which refers to any other country in the world does not refer to Israel. That we are a special case. That international law should be implemented everywhere, but we are a different case. That a Molotov bottle against a Jewish soldier is not like a Molotov bottle against a Russian soldier because we are different, because we are chosen, because of this damned Jewish supremacy". </p><p>On Israel's campaign of dehumanizing Palestinians, Levy says:</p><p>“My biggest struggle is to rehumanize the Palestinians. There’s a whole machinery of brainwashing in Israel which really accompanies each of us from early childhood, and I’m a product of this machinery as much as anyone else. [We are taught] a few narratives that it’s very hard to break. That we Israelis are the ultimate and only victims. That the Palestinians are born to kill, and their hatred is irrational. That the Palestinians are not human beings like us… So you get a society without any moral doubts, without any questions marks, with hardly public debate. To raise your voice against all this is very hard.”</p><p>Levy believes that the talk of the peace process and two-state solution is a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/is-gideon-levy-the-most-hated-man-in-israel-or-just-the-most-heroic-2087909.html">scam</a> perpetrated by Zionists. Here's Levy in his own words: </p><p>"Now the real turning point should be, for us, the moment that each of us realize that the Israeli occupation is not a temporary phenomenon. I think that most of the people, if not all of them, understand that the occupation is there to stay. And Israel never had the slightest intention to put an end to it. All the efforts were only to mislead the West and to maintain the occupation. All this longest peace process in history, which never led to anywhere, was never aimed to lead to anywhere. All those efforts were only in order to mislead you and enable the occupation to grow, including Oslo". </p><p><b>Professor Avi Shlaim:</b></p><p>Oxford Professor Avi Shlaim believes that Israel "prefers land to peace", adding that "land grabbing and peacemaking don't go together". Here's his exact <a href="https://thewire.in/world/full-text-israel-palestine-karan-thapar-avi-shlaim">quote</a>:</p><p>"Land grabbing and peacemaking don’t go together, it’s one or the other, and by constantly expanding settlements, Israel showed that it prefers land to peace....Israel by its actions has shown that it is not interested in having a Palestinian partner for peace because it wants to maintain its control over the territory. Israel refuses to accept Hamas as a negotiating partner. Israel’s position is that Hamas is a terrorist organisation – pure and simple. It will never negotiate with it. Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy has been to let Hamas rule the Gaza Strip, but to contain the Gaza Strip, and this policy collapsed, because Gaza could not be contained."</p><p><b>Professor Omer Bartov:</b></p><p>Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov has warned of "genocide" in Gaza. He has talked about "clear intention of ethnic cleansing" in the narrow strip of two million Palestinians under heavy bombardment by Israeli forces since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel. Here's a <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/bartov_genocide_apartheid">quote</a> from him:</p><p>"So, my sense is the following. Israeli political leaders and military leaders have made very startling and frightening statements about Gaza, speaking about flattening Gaza, speaking about Hamas, but by sort of extending it also, by extension, also Gazans, in general, as human animals, speaking about moving the entire population of Gaza out of Gaza. That is a clear intention of ethnic cleansing. So, those statements show intent. And that’s a genocidal intent, which is often very difficult to prove in genocide. People who carry out genocide don’t always want to say that they’re doing it". </p><p><b>Former Israeli Soldier Miko Peled:</b></p><p>Miko Peled, whose father was a general in the IDF and who himself served in the Israeli military, says that Israel is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Talking about the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, he says that "Israel is behaving like a gangster who has been humiliated taking <a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">vengeance</a> upon innocent civilians, killing thousands upon thousands". "It's not a question of self-defense, it's a question of brutality and revenge because Israel was humiliated", he adds in an interview on <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-bottom-line/2023/11/3/should-palestinians-israelis-live-equally-in-one-state">Al Jazeera English</a>. </p><p>Peled accuses Israel of lying about the October 7 attack. He said the testimony is now showing that most of the Israeli civilians on October 7 were killed by the <a href="https://seemorerocks.substack.com/p/israel-admits-they-fired-on-their">Israeli helicopters</a> firing indiscriminately. He says the western governments who support Israel “are supporting the fight against justice, the fight against peace”.</p><p>Peled says that “liberal Zionism” is a myth and all forms of Zionism amount, in practice, to the denial of fundamental rights and freedoms for the Palestinian people. This process starts at a young age for Israeli children whose history textbooks claim that the Palestinians left their homes of their own free will, that they were not driven out by Jewish militias in the 1940s. These history books deny what the Palestinians call "<a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2008/05/yom-haatzmaut-and-nakbah.html">Nakbah</a>", meaning Great Catastrophe, that forced them to flee their homes as part of the Zionist plan to ethnically cleanse what is now Israel. </p><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of the Same Coin</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/israels-gaza-attack-is-criminal-not.html">Israel's Gaza Attack is Criminal, Not Defensive</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/pictorial-of-israels-young-victims-in.html">Pictorial Review of Israel's Young Gaza Victims</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2023/11/americas-college-campuses-rise-up.html">American College Campuses Rise Up Against Israel's Genocidal War on Gaza</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">India Promotes Half Truths About UNSC Kashmir Resolutions</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/04/post-cold-war-line-up-pakistan-china.html">Pakistan-China-Russia Vs India-Japan-US</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WideAngleZoom/videos" style="font-family: times;">VPOS Youtube Channel</a></p><p><br /></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-13796413258580412432023-11-03T07:46:00.015-07:002023-11-25T10:40:27.540-08:00America's College Campuses Rise Up Against Israel's Genocidal War on Gaza<p>Zionists are "secular" but they use God as their "<a href="https://thewire.in/world/full-text-israel-palestine-karan-thapar-avi-shlaim">land agent</a>" who gave them the "promised land", says Professor Avi Shlaim of Oxford University. Jews believe they are God's "<a href="https://www.wrmea.org/transcending-the-israel-lobby-at-home-and-abroad/keynote-gideon-levy-the-nature-of-democracy-and-human-rights-in-israel.html">chosen people</a>" who are exempt from the rules that apply to non-Jews, according to Israeli author and journalist Gideon Levi. Israel is carrying out "<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/bartov_genocide_apartheid">ethnic cleansing</a> … and that may become genocide”, adds Israeli American scholar Omer Bartov. "No, Palestinians did not commit acts of terrorism, Israel did, <a href="https://x.com/mikopeled/status/1721800069769535517?s=20">tweets</a> Miko Peled, son of a former Israeli general. These few quotes summarize current thoughts of some of the former Zionists. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER4RRQBy7rJDGDNO6Uio14zETp9wk_s-SOG9YDXwik71LBoyoVh-FKRBlCh99lYlG6mAYy-Y1nIkm8lMIiI5px723hedzM-tLOn-nyiRmLHmdOuyGVTJTn-l2lx-rLAPMmTLDuG9ZM3t2amzUpwyD9ikpfXT3QRKtizWnIEUOHGLCe-Dt2FM-nWSRnfMt/s7277/UCLA%20Pro-Palestine%20Protest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4603" data-original-width="7277" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER4RRQBy7rJDGDNO6Uio14zETp9wk_s-SOG9YDXwik71LBoyoVh-FKRBlCh99lYlG6mAYy-Y1nIkm8lMIiI5px723hedzM-tLOn-nyiRmLHmdOuyGVTJTn-l2lx-rLAPMmTLDuG9ZM3t2amzUpwyD9ikpfXT3QRKtizWnIEUOHGLCe-Dt2FM-nWSRnfMt/w640-h404/UCLA%20Pro-Palestine%20Protest.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dailybruin.com/2023/10/12/ucla-students-attend-walkout-teach-in-following-violence-in-palestine">Pro-Palestine Protest at UCLA. Source: Daily Bruin</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Genocidal War:</b></p><p>Israel has completely cut off water, food, electricity, fuel and communications in Gaza. It is bombing its 2 million trapped residents around the clock since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israelis by Hamas. On the ground in Gaza, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's promised "Mighty Vengeance" is in fact a genocidal war on Gaza. Thousands of Palestinian civilians, mainly innocent children and women, have been killed by Israel's bombing. The Israeli military has destroyed hospitals, churches, mosques, apartment blocks and schools. Large parts of Gaza have been turned to rubble by the Israeli air strikes. Multiple generations of families have been completely wiped out. Craig Mokhiber, a UN human rights official, has called it “<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/2/qa-former-un-official-craig-mokhiber-on-gaza-and-genocide">textbook genocide</a>” and accused the UN of again “failing” to act, referring to previous genocides in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Myanmar. Israeli government ministers' statements calling Gazans "human animals" and their intentions of "flattening Gaza" lend support to Mokhiber's conclusions. He has resigned from his UN post in protest. At a recent senate hearing, <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/09/karachi-born-us-senator-van-hollen.html">Pakistan-born US Senator</a> Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) presented Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with statistics and a personal story of loss when questioning him about Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza. Van Hollen said:</p><p>"Last night, my wife and I learned that someone we know well lost two family members and four of their children killed in bombing in Gaza. So, they are not yet included in the most recent death toll reported by the United Nations yesterday, which says the number of dead has risen to over 8,300 people, 70% of them women and children, including 3,457 children. These are UN figures. According to UN figures, that is about six times more children killed in three weeks in Gaza than the number of children killed in Ukraine during the entire war there.And if you scale the deaths of those Palestinian children to the United States population, it’s comparable to more than 230,000 American children killed. The executive director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, said at the current rate, more than 420 children are being killed and injured in the Gaza each day, a number, she said, which should shake us to our core. I agree".</p><p><b>The Original Sin:</b></p><p>Speaking at the UN General Assembly debate on the Gaza ceasefire resolution, the Pakistani Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram provided the historical context for what is happening now. He said Israel’s occupation and killing of Palestinians “is the original sin” and not what happened on Oct 7. “We all know who started this. It is 50 years of Israeli occupation and the killing of Palestinians with impunity,” he added. The resolution passed with 145 countries voting in favor and 14 against, including the United States and Israel. </p><p><b>College Campus Protests:</b></p><p>There have been massive protests on US college campuses against mass killings of civilians by indiscriminate Israeli bombings in Gaza. Vast majority of the victims of Israel's attacks are women and children who make up over two-thirds of the Gaza population. These protests have drawn the ire of Israel supporters who are alleging antisemitism to try to stop these protests. Some wealthy pro-Israel Jewish donors are threatening college administrators, while others are rescinding job offers made to students who have participated in anti-Israel rallies. In the media, several journalists have been fired for expressing pro-Palestine views. </p><p><b>Israel Apartheid and BDS:</b></p><p>According to Amnesty International, Israel's practices in Israel and the occupied territories amount to Apartheid, which is prohibited in international law. Prior to the latest protests, dozens of US college campuses voted for and passed BDS (Boycott-Divest-Suspend) resolutions against Israel with overwhelming majority. These were designed to send a message to the Jewish state to abandon its Apartheid policies aimed at the Palestinians. </p><p><b>Jewish Americans Call For Ceasefire:</b></p><p>Many Jewish Americans have marched in support of a ceasefire in Gaza that has been proposed to stop the slaughter of Palestinian civilians and allow aid agencies to deliver desperately needed help to relieve the immense suffering of the civilian population. Overwhelming majority of countries voted for this ceasefire at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 145 countries voted in favor of this resolution and 14 against, including the United States and Israel. </p><p><b>US Opinion Polls:</b></p><p>Polls show that the majority of young Americans oppose the Biden administration policy of unconditional support for Israel. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 51% of voters under 35 say they disapprove of the United States’ sending weapons and military support to Israel—a much higher figure than the 28% of Americans who oppose such a policy. Only 21% of voters under 35 say they approve of Biden’s Israel policy; 42% of voters across all age brackets approve.</p><p>A CBS News poll conducted last week found that 59% of respondents under 30 oppose sending weapons and supplies to Israel. An even more resounding 64% of those between age 30 and 44—a bracket more likely to vote that carries the whole millennial generation and part of Gen X—said the U.S. should not.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2sWQNE2WA8ZCTTkd7LcB8qC5nBDu2MKLWleQ3W_0gDrwQmGkENRhOdSir1yvUFznfAFHcWSKSY_ADU20OPPd1zFWTbnkphEliXRMXgi01JN6GsHhln597hlbNgv2mgI0ZZHHK4XdVaO8y7n3UZfAmn_Cmop_XBypdyR104gbveL_cH5_4LDY51BsWIZu/s1180/US%20Pew%20Poll%20on%20Israel%20.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="620" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2sWQNE2WA8ZCTTkd7LcB8qC5nBDu2MKLWleQ3W_0gDrwQmGkENRhOdSir1yvUFznfAFHcWSKSY_ADU20OPPd1zFWTbnkphEliXRMXgi01JN6GsHhln597hlbNgv2mgI0ZZHHK4XdVaO8y7n3UZfAmn_Cmop_XBypdyR104gbveL_cH5_4LDY51BsWIZu/w336-h640/US%20Pew%20Poll%20on%20Israel%20.jpeg" width="336" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/07/11/american-views-of-israel/">US Pew Poll Conducted in 2022. Source: Pew Research</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Democrats Split:</b></p><p>Some strong voices critical of Israel have recently emerged in the US Congress, particularly among the progressive Democrats. A Pew survey conducted last year found that only 44% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have a favorable view of Israel. Conservative and moderate Democrats (50%) are more favorable toward Israel than liberal Democrats (36%). But the party establishment, led by the Biden administration, remains totally committed to supporting the Jewish state unconditionally. This split could cost Democrats enough votes for them to lose the White House and both houses of Congress in 2024. </p><p><b>American Muslim Vote:</b></p><p>Recent Reuters/Zogby poll shows that only 17% of Arab-Americans expressed support for President Biden, a huge drop from the 59% support he received in 2020. American Muslim vote is particularly important in swing states where Biden won by a small margin in 2020. For example, Biden won Michigan by about 154,000 votes, and there are estimated 242,000 Muslims in the state. And he won Minnesota by about 233,000, where there are an estimated 115,00 Muslims, according to an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/swing-state-muslim-voters-threaten-vote-against-biden-rcna122870">NBC report</a>. </p><p>The White House has unveiled a strategy to combat Islamophobia, an attempt to woo Muslim voters. "We look forward to continuing our work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more to develop the strategy – which will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council – and counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.</p><p><b>Summary:</b></p><p>US polls indicate that Israel's genocidal actions in Occupied Palestine are costing the Jewish state the support of many young Americans, and causing a major split in the Democratic Party. These events do not augur well for Israel in the long run. It is time for the Israeli public to ponder if it is wise to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy of continued occupation and destruction of Palestine. </p><p>Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/modi-and-netanyahu-two-sides-of-same.html">Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of the Same Coin</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/israels-gaza-attack-is-criminal-not.html">Israel's Gaza Attack is Criminal, Not Defensive</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/01/pictorial-of-israels-young-victims-in.html">Pictorial Review of Israel's Young Gaza Victims</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/700000-indian-soldiers-versus-10.html">Kashmir: 700,000 Indian Soldiers vs 7 Million Kashmiris</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">India Promotes Half Truths About UNSC Kashmir Resolutions</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/04/post-cold-war-line-up-pakistan-china.html">Pakistan-China-Russia Vs India-Japan-US</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WideAngleZoom/videos" style="font-family: times;">VPOS Youtube Channel</a></p><p><br /></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-44382805990843425192023-10-25T20:33:00.005-07:002023-11-16T18:21:46.974-08:00US Proposes H-1B Visa Changes to Stop Indian Body Shop Fraud<p>The Biden administration has proposed a number of significant changes to how the H-1B temporary work visas are issued to high-skilled foreign workers. These changes are the result of the government finding earlier this year that companies, particularly Indian body shops, had colluded to try to increase their chances of winning a coveted visa by gaming the visa lottery system. This has helped Indian workers win as many as three quarters of all H1B visas issued in recent years. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDW7WKPOW0GuTCTMFllQuUxw4N9IfKhxS2SdA6TnXIJHy2YvT3_nzZvZq-NAlgBjrnDhrL1AOv7e1zPzxfmdUUOUK3Nv8-MuOlKNixkglv4JAABdThaiGHN6zYqWPbWUTEJkcEQWn7jiYsdzdmTcJkXuHMLJtXivT3xrVGGni4oYx46xbFhys7P7Chw/s1060/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1060" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDW7WKPOW0GuTCTMFllQuUxw4N9IfKhxS2SdA6TnXIJHy2YvT3_nzZvZq-NAlgBjrnDhrL1AOv7e1zPzxfmdUUOUK3Nv8-MuOlKNixkglv4JAABdThaiGHN6zYqWPbWUTEJkcEQWn7jiYsdzdmTcJkXuHMLJtXivT3xrVGGni4oYx46xbFhys7P7Chw/w640-h470/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">H1B Visas Issued in India. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Every year, applicants sponsored by Indian body shops claim the lion's share of H1B visas. In 2022, Indian nationals received 166,384 new H1B visas, accounting for nearly three quarters of all such visas issued by the US government. The figures reported as India <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/04/india-files-h1b-visa-complaint-against.html">IT exports</a> include the wages earned by millions of Indian H1B workers in the United States. </span></span></p><p>Public interest groups have been complaining about the behavior of Indian body shops gaming the system to take away a big chunk of the H1B visas issued each year. Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is one such group. In a report last year, <a href="https://www.fairus.org/blog/2023/03/09/h-1b-visa-lottery-draws-crowd-all-wrong-reasons">FAIR</a> said, "In fact, the H-1B lottery as currently constituted is a corrupt program dominated by Indian “body shops” that prey on desperate foreign workers looking for a light at the end of the tunnel: a green card. A bustling industry of lawyers and lobbyists advertises ways to improve players’ “chances of success.”"</p><p>“Because [USCIS] made it easier, you’re seeing an over-exaggerated demand, mostly from Indian outsourcing companies that provide lower-cost labor,” Roger Ross, a policy adviser for U.S. Tech Workers, told FAIR in a phone interview. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqTpm9Y0y9B9vDUF-bxHY1BBmDiO2mJXbLH391RBfMiGeu9_9xoxgrij9kjSwYQXRC3kTkI6HoPjyQIyPeKSY4Ox_sHsHT-2eBTiVSrzeZraU6unIqqUFbyB7x27aX-wLqvCOMt_fn56W2nM6tRR-u8W3PKR9ylR1ozLXMDesMgT_wUDMPd_jXsCqB1Y/s1496/Top%2010%20Recipient%20Countries%20of%20H-1B%20Visas.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="1171" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqTpm9Y0y9B9vDUF-bxHY1BBmDiO2mJXbLH391RBfMiGeu9_9xoxgrij9kjSwYQXRC3kTkI6HoPjyQIyPeKSY4Ox_sHsHT-2eBTiVSrzeZraU6unIqqUFbyB7x27aX-wLqvCOMt_fn56W2nM6tRR-u8W3PKR9ylR1ozLXMDesMgT_wUDMPd_jXsCqB1Y/w500-h640/Top%2010%20Recipient%20Countries%20of%20H-1B%20Visas.png" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/OLA_Signed_H-1B_Characteristics_Congressional_Report_FY2022.pdf">Top 10 Recipient Countries of H-1B Visas. Source: USCIS</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>H-1B rejection rates of around 7% for India and other nations are after the lottery selection, according to <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B">Visagrader</a>. The problem is that Indian body shops are gaming the lottery system by multiple entries for each of their applicants to win the lottery in huge numbers, unfairly edging out applicants from other countries.</p><p>In 2022-23, thirteen of the top 30 H-1B employers were Indian outsourcing firms that underpay migrant workers and offshore U.S. jobs to countries where labor costs are much lower, according to a report by the <a href="https://www.epi.org/blog/tech-and-outsourcing-companies-continue-to-exploit-the-h-1b-visa-program-at-a-time-of-mass-layoffs-the-top-30-h-1b-employers-hired-34000-new-h-1b-workers-in-2022-and-laid-off-at-least-85000-workers/">Economic Policy Institute</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5A03gvVsAq0msLjdSoqyvNcpaxr9Hp1vIq6zN0vcl62KHFqS1oEY1FkA8YW508cb3y72txRgdk47Imrzwg2H3z6S84RfMi53qzRe7ud1NbdLTx9mn1qYx7eVgNuPBWWX16T7rY8W8gR9G4z8aAbbCfn9tbGem4EfRzCaSv3XViugiw_CZpZTDLKBVDM/s2200/Top%2030%20H1B%20Empoyers%20in%202022-23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1401" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5A03gvVsAq0msLjdSoqyvNcpaxr9Hp1vIq6zN0vcl62KHFqS1oEY1FkA8YW508cb3y72txRgdk47Imrzwg2H3z6S84RfMi53qzRe7ud1NbdLTx9mn1qYx7eVgNuPBWWX16T7rY8W8gR9G4z8aAbbCfn9tbGem4EfRzCaSv3XViugiw_CZpZTDLKBVDM/w408-h640/Top%2030%20H1B%20Empoyers%20in%202022-23.png" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.epi.org/blog/tech-and-outsourcing-companies-continue-to-exploit-the-h-1b-visa-program-at-a-time-of-mass-layoffs-the-top-30-h-1b-employers-hired-34000-new-h-1b-workers-in-2022-and-laid-off-at-least-85000-workers/">Top 30 H1B Employers in 2022-23. Source: EPI</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Last year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) <a href="https://redbus2us.com/uscis-noid-h1b-multiple-registrations/">issued</a> a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) for petitions filed by companies they found related by common ownership such as family relationships or registrations done by the same agent. </p><p>The most significant change to the H1B visa system involves the elimination of multiple entries by employers on behalf of the same employee. In 2023, over half of the approximately 800,000 H-1B registrations were multiple entries, artificially inflating the chances of some applicants, according to an Indian news outlet <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/5-big-changes-as-us-releases-proposed-tweaks-to-h-1b-process-4508357">NDTV</a>'s report. Under the proposed new rules, an employee can only be registered once, and employers will now be required to submit passport information for each employee. This allows the USCIS to ensure a fair and equitable selection process. Violation of this rule will lead to denials or revocations of visas. </p><p>Other changes involve elimination of "employer-employee" relationship for H1B visa (entrepreneurs can sponsor themselves) and eligibility of remote work for job offers, extension of the "cap-gap" provision for international students on F-1 visa to receive H1B visa, more on-site inspections for IT consulting work and stricter definition of "specialty occupation". </p><p>Currently, India tops the list of foreign-born <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/pakistan-among-top-sources-of-foreign.html">STEM workers</a> with 721,000, followed by China (273,000), Mexico (119,000), Vietnam (100,000), Philippines (87,000), South Korea (64,000), Canada (56,000), Taiwan (53,000), Russia (45,000) and Pakistan (35,000). Enormous number of Indian STEM workers in the United States can at least partly be attributed to the fact that India's "body shops" have mastered the art of gaming the US temporary work visa system. Last year, Indian nationals sponsored by "body shops" like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS received <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">166,384 H1B</a> visas for work in the United States. By comparison, only <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">1,107 Pakistanis</a> were granted H1B visas in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition to H1B work visas, 9,300 Indian nationals and 7,200 Pakistani nationals received <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">immigrant visas</a> to settle in the United States as permanent residents in 2021. </p><p>Related Links:</p><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/03/indian-engineering-students-perform.html">Indian Engineering Students Perform Poorly on International Assessment Test</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/03/h1b-visa-abuse-what-do-software.html">H1B Visa Abuse</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/04/india-files-h1b-visa-complaint-against.html">India Files H1B Visa Complaint Against US With WTO</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/top-one-percent-are-hindus-new-jews-in.html">Top One Percent: Are Hindus the New Jews in America?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/pakistan-among-top-sources-of-foreign.html">Pakistan Among Top 10 Sources of Foreign STEM Workers in America</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/12/pakistans-research-output-growth-among.html">Pakistan Scientific Output is World's Fastest Growing</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/indias-chandrayaan-3-success-can.html">India's Chandrayaan 3 Success: Can Pakistanis Explore Space?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/01/digital-pakistan-2022-broadband.html">Digital Pakistan 2022</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/pakistans-large-and-growing-civil.html">Pakistan's Large and Growing Civil Nuclear Program</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-56108613024765511392023-10-18T10:47:00.007-07:002023-10-24T20:25:56.542-07:00Global Hunger Index 2023: India's Child Wasting Rate is the Highest in the World<p>India's child-wasting rate of 18.7% is the highest in the world, according to the Global Hunger Index <a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pdf/en/2023.pdf">(GHI) 2023</a> released recently. The South Asian country’s child wasting rate is higher than that of war-torn Yemen (at 14.4%) and Sudan (at 13.7%), which are ranked second and third in the world. Pakistan's child wasting rate is 8%. It represents the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition. The child wasting rate of the South Asia region is 14.8%, the highest of any world region and more than twice the child wasting rate of Africa. India is home to a quarter of the world's most undernourished people. According to the United Nations, India has nearly 195 million undernourished people. This is more than any other country, including China. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0q1DH9HThjAKIQr9v5QDaHqBpQyFoPkMYmx1HcucyzeV6cyTd70L54rOYm3Fp07F8q6VYKnDcyRPszYOuHCgjVx29QbjFi5MmAGOttKRBtD2d0_x0SZlbSa8tCu_vRSbpWMjvjCqm3uTFgb7AU81EEqPobnYD5rX7IBjJ9PtbWo0hniTeBqKnGRTyQQX/s1042/India%20Child%20Wasting%20Rate.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1042" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0q1DH9HThjAKIQr9v5QDaHqBpQyFoPkMYmx1HcucyzeV6cyTd70L54rOYm3Fp07F8q6VYKnDcyRPszYOuHCgjVx29QbjFi5MmAGOttKRBtD2d0_x0SZlbSa8tCu_vRSbpWMjvjCqm3uTFgb7AU81EEqPobnYD5rX7IBjJ9PtbWo0hniTeBqKnGRTyQQX/w640-h596/India%20Child%20Wasting%20Rate.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thewire.in/rights/india-rank-107-global-hunger-index-2022">India Tops in Child Wasting Rate. Source: The Wire</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1OCpOb8dZYYQlNe22E8pLy-MnzuhWPpeqc4KHNt8nN5-6awzKU6cmZJPrxYg4JKHgbHvWRIjmRDjcSKI6bPFGqv7tbpIKPTkEXjjhl8cFjOZWLo5TNqbhkNKsO8cZhhoQ_GO_g_bDVyeS2-47agisxq44z27OWiacycQov-IxLHQ5GaP8BasWFgZ0OI/s1285/Child%20Wasting%20Rate%202023.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1285" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1OCpOb8dZYYQlNe22E8pLy-MnzuhWPpeqc4KHNt8nN5-6awzKU6cmZJPrxYg4JKHgbHvWRIjmRDjcSKI6bPFGqv7tbpIKPTkEXjjhl8cFjOZWLo5TNqbhkNKsO8cZhhoQ_GO_g_bDVyeS2-47agisxq44z27OWiacycQov-IxLHQ5GaP8BasWFgZ0OI/w640-h324/Child%20Wasting%20Rate%202023.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pdf/en/2023.pdf">India Tops the World in Child Wasting. Source: Global Hunger Index 2023</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>India's Hindu Nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to project India as a superpower launching <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/modi-co-opting-chandrayaan-3-success.html">moon missions</a> and hosting <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/g20-summit-in-india-modis-personal-pr.html">G20 summits</a>. Since the GHI 2023 report runs counter to this PR exercise, New Delhi has rejected its findings. But its own National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS 5) <a href="https://www.feedingindia.org/blog/understanding-the-malnutrition-crisis-in-india/">says</a> that "Thirty-six percent of children under age five years are stunted; 19 percent are wasted; 32 percent are underweight; and 3 percent are overweight. Children born to mothers with no schooling and children in the lowest wealth quintile are most likely to be undernourished". </p><p>Overall, <a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/india.html">India</a> ranks at the 111th position out of 124 countries, with neighboring <a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pakistan.html">Pakistan</a> (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th) and Sri Lanka (60th) faring better than India in the index. India has slipped four notches from its 107th position in 2022.</p><p>India has slipped 4 places, from 107 in 2022 to 111 in 2023, on GHI. Pakistan ranking has also slipped 3 places, from 99 to 102. It is not a huge surprise since the country is still facing the aftermath of the disastrous <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/floods-in-pakistan-biggest-global.html">floods of 2022</a>. It is also suffering from a serious economic crisis. Meanwhile, India's Modi government is making claims to being the world's fastest growing economy. And yet, Indian children are the most malnourished in the world. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdQV2OBJZu688c7hrmHCbDfz4BDXjjD6X3tk9n-NxWpe_426Lcda8GBz1K0OgqbDPZcNhqKsYomUUnrKulyZZvS6InnIVV2ftfFxxWCfO8iB_sD-IiChYJr-6PDWo1ZbTC7PwYlvUUJaxHRh5FaH_FlWxg3YKFuaLtUhp6WN41iu2E9_p5kV7OEhfPXQ/s1184/India%20Hunger.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1184" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdQV2OBJZu688c7hrmHCbDfz4BDXjjD6X3tk9n-NxWpe_426Lcda8GBz1K0OgqbDPZcNhqKsYomUUnrKulyZZvS6InnIVV2ftfFxxWCfO8iB_sD-IiChYJr-6PDWo1ZbTC7PwYlvUUJaxHRh5FaH_FlWxg3YKFuaLtUhp6WN41iu2E9_p5kV7OEhfPXQ/w640-h562/India%20Hunger.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/india.html">India Malnutrition Indicator Trends. Source GHI 2023</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifW7IbX9bYFZIt2J7bojZSVsZpSs_iwTp0lji3CZojzy2Pm9nkKmFmy3J9CcMbxmZgKltCgpByo1yZdlbOgZeW81ITOWevuHQjEiw1M3CWgyKjf1rmD3JcXTnq5ppV7EOgvLQOYBH4jsR2_yEaw7iwp75BfrwiSBndHVDc54xoNsuDJuYH1EjL8OAeNQ8/s1175/Pakistan%20Hunger.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1175" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifW7IbX9bYFZIt2J7bojZSVsZpSs_iwTp0lji3CZojzy2Pm9nkKmFmy3J9CcMbxmZgKltCgpByo1yZdlbOgZeW81ITOWevuHQjEiw1M3CWgyKjf1rmD3JcXTnq5ppV7EOgvLQOYBH4jsR2_yEaw7iwp75BfrwiSBndHVDc54xoNsuDJuYH1EjL8OAeNQ8/w640-h570/Pakistan%20Hunger.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pakistan.html">Pakistan Malnutrition Indicator Trends. Source GHI 2023</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><p>There's a close relationship between hunger and poverty. At the $3.65 poverty line, India accounts for 40% of the slight upward revision of the global poverty rate from 23.6% to 24.1%, according to the World Bank <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/september-2023-global-poverty-update-world-bank-new-data-poverty-during-pandemic-asia">September 2023 Global Poverty Update</a>. It is the same update that made the following recent headline in the Indian and Pakistani media about Pakistan: "Pakistan's 40% Population Lives Below Poverty Line, Says World Bank". Fact: 45.9% of Indians and 39.4% of Pakistanis live below the $3.65 a day poverty line as of September, 2023, according to the the latest World Bank global poverty update that takes into account the impact of inflation on poverty rates. But neither the Pakistani media nor India's compliant "Godi Media" reported it. Nor did they question why poverty in India is growing despite the Modi government's claim to be "the world's fastest growing economy". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqNx3jwlTurDlEUZRtFwia2yoOCWR2mwMHBO8L2Eefy6DvJqsVasLbI-3j8gZdcGtHdRpywa4ygFHhse2OxGt8uMk1kKLihrRo8ZOHA44QwRnjqWLFoRuc9G4QkwEzO3cNaPcRs5fm0KVkpS8YMW93HSiW0G_0OpBfSrVbKKEilUHscLZqbMWwQAAFS-0/s1900/Child%20Poverty.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1900" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqNx3jwlTurDlEUZRtFwia2yoOCWR2mwMHBO8L2Eefy6DvJqsVasLbI-3j8gZdcGtHdRpywa4ygFHhse2OxGt8uMk1kKLihrRo8ZOHA44QwRnjqWLFoRuc9G4QkwEzO3cNaPcRs5fm0KVkpS8YMW93HSiW0G_0OpBfSrVbKKEilUHscLZqbMWwQAAFS-0/w640-h484/Child%20Poverty.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Global Child Poverty Rate. Source: UNICEF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Another recent <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/144856/file/Global%20trends%20in%20child%20monetary%20poverty.pdf">report by UNICEF</a> that went unnoticed by the media is that the child poverty rate in India far exceeds the rate in Bangladesh and Pakistan: At $2.15 poverty level, India has 11.5% children under poverty, Pakistan 5.6% and Bangladesh 5.1%. At $3.65 poverty level, India has 49.8% children under poverty, Pakistan 45% and Bangladesh 35.2%. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu5_C4zdNf2CL1odEPYbMTyMtbAEdPS0Uw7TtlotDY2ED7zHAt2G9W9aCTBK28yXpc1VzjlDO2TWpdozQa0Eo4J9wZDVy0A3RnDUyaEH32hAPpgbGAtO-AeItPZrQ3sYQE8MbYlD4cPOZbbsdF3qNw69gI7N9EKiOovUU5AAui_cAhfLYAPhfvEpKPkq4/s1227/Child%20Poverty%20Rate%20India%20South%20Asia.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="1227" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu5_C4zdNf2CL1odEPYbMTyMtbAEdPS0Uw7TtlotDY2ED7zHAt2G9W9aCTBK28yXpc1VzjlDO2TWpdozQa0Eo4J9wZDVy0A3RnDUyaEH32hAPpgbGAtO-AeItPZrQ3sYQE8MbYlD4cPOZbbsdF3qNw69gI7N9EKiOovUU5AAui_cAhfLYAPhfvEpKPkq4/w640-h254/Child%20Poverty%20Rate%20India%20South%20Asia.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/144856/file/Global%20trends%20in%20child%20monetary%20poverty.pdf">Child Poverty Rate By Year By Region From 2013 to 2022. Source: UNICEF</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="text-align: center;">The <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/144856/file/Global%20trends%20in%20child%20monetary%20poverty.pdf">UNICEF data</a> shows that the South Asia region's child poverty rate at $2.15 for any year since 2013 drops to about a half when India is excluded. </span></p><p>The latest World Bank and UNICEF reports remind me of the famous Indian writer and poet <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/abp-india-summit-2023-javed-akhtar-saw.html">Javed Akhtar</a> who told his audience at a conference in Mumbai earlier this year that he saw "no visible poverty" in Lahore during his multiple visits to Pakistan over the last three decades. Responding to Indian novelist Chetan Bhagat's query about Pakistan's economic crisis at ABP's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/pZ5e81ysKGQ?feature=share">Ideas of India Summit 2023</a>" in Mumbai, Akhtar said: "Unlike what you see in Delhi and </p><p>Mumbai, I did not see any visible poverty in Lahore". This was Akhtar's first interview upon his return to India after attending "Faiz Festival" in Lahore, Pakistan. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhXEkg-httD3qxF7DferSG04Z_03q17v8HPDv4nHL_Jmla7pTampoDzYFWmjnMhkJxj1_45UDrcj7lxL0DLvrD63fjaT6hgWvmUzJZNreV2Tuzex92EKRybsfjXFEH3618g4o-1biH669JK4-2DXFsBR5hBnKSKGgteasuc6u8uxtScP3LQzzQBrN/s906/Javed%20Akhtar.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="906" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhXEkg-httD3qxF7DferSG04Z_03q17v8HPDv4nHL_Jmla7pTampoDzYFWmjnMhkJxj1_45UDrcj7lxL0DLvrD63fjaT6hgWvmUzJZNreV2Tuzex92EKRybsfjXFEH3618g4o-1biH669JK4-2DXFsBR5hBnKSKGgteasuc6u8uxtScP3LQzzQBrN/w640-h570/Javed%20Akhtar.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Javed Akhtar at ABP Ideas Summit in Mumbai</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Chetan Bhagat began by talking about high inflation, low forex reserves and major economic crisis in Pakistan and followed it up by asking Javed Akhtar about its effects he saw on the people in Pakistan. In response, Akhtar said, "Bilkul Nahin (Not at all). In India you see poverty right in front of you, next door to a billionaire. Maybe it is kept back of the beyond. Only some people are allowed to enter certain areas. But you don't see it (poverty) on the streets. In India, it is right in front of you...amiri bhi or gharibi bhi (wealth and poverty). Sare kam apke samne hain (It's all in front of you). Wahan yeh dekhai nahin deta (you don't see it in Pakistan)". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHZavy1W5xuhs4uUoxECC2p8reoSzO1JJiRmfvmkIH1fK2NkveMH-uWDWPOjxV9nXmD95nZb1Iy0Lp4QGp3qZnt2XOmUHH00GxdH1-C_oD_Tt0NcB7QLehi7z7QGg0V5qjPF9XbHyEYTo2Y86kdtdM_dNIH7ziG9y5qYY2IZnxEEftt5MW-eRH5hs/s800/Alhamra%20Arts%20Center%20Lahore.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHZavy1W5xuhs4uUoxECC2p8reoSzO1JJiRmfvmkIH1fK2NkveMH-uWDWPOjxV9nXmD95nZb1Iy0Lp4QGp3qZnt2XOmUHH00GxdH1-C_oD_Tt0NcB7QLehi7z7QGg0V5qjPF9XbHyEYTo2Y86kdtdM_dNIH7ziG9y5qYY2IZnxEEftt5MW-eRH5hs/w640-h384/Alhamra%20Arts%20Center%20Lahore.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alhamra Arts Center, Lahore, Pakistan</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Disappointed by the response, Bhagat suggested that the Indian visitor could have been guided by his hosts through certain routes where he couldn't see any poverty. Javed Akhtar then said "it's not possible to hide poverty. I would have seen at least a "jhalak" (glimpse) of it as I always do in Delhi and Mumbai....I have been to Pakistan many times but I have not seen it". </p><p>What Javed Akhtar saw and reported recently is obviously anecdotal evidence. But it is also supported by <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/multidimensional-poverty-india-is-home.html">hard data</a>. Over 75% of the world's poor deprived of basic living standards (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing) live in India compared to 4.6% in Bangladesh and 4.1% in Pakistan, according to a recently released OPHI/UNDP report on multidimensional poverty. Here's what the report says: "More than 45.5 million poor people are deprived in only these four indicators (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing). Of those people, 34.4 million live in India, 2.1 million in Bangladesh and 1.9 million in Pakistan—making this a predominantly South Asian profile". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="1459" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK4ip0A6ZfXTXzt5hSFuiyVAC9eANK0deQocGhNPCeZDFKfOnILhq8zyIp_rIS65siKxf94Iz8NBN5TMREjWoNsiYNrcKUrt5aecwRDQ-6wo_zJW01NmIG7SY4N9l4q5PKWk-9S4iGpTwyvFOzI4sH63EMuq-JZ_xFI4euB03O9tid2tWUBIQB1eVTA/w640-h128/Global%20MPI%202022.png" width="640" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2022mpireportenpdf.pdf">Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022. Source: OPHI/UNDP</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELCR9rkoie4C-bhJA8jPr42393mkV-obVV_MBFlEtGGNeCH8IoYQ7h62ymBVwpHdxz8dqySLarw4VkpgHvBYoVM6QZXKFuBngerhZ_1DJNndD1rw5o6-901yuPt6zsRvPR9_3a_f8Oin0REbfF7Xnf_VURL60h4PBEiESJ8XdJFLrdK57QJ0eAHWG/s1198/Poverty%20in%20Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1198" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELCR9rkoie4C-bhJA8jPr42393mkV-obVV_MBFlEtGGNeCH8IoYQ7h62ymBVwpHdxz8dqySLarw4VkpgHvBYoVM6QZXKFuBngerhZ_1DJNndD1rw5o6-901yuPt6zsRvPR9_3a_f8Oin0REbfF7Xnf_VURL60h4PBEiESJ8XdJFLrdK57QJ0eAHWG/w640-h440/Poverty%20in%20Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/from-1-90-to-2-15-a-day-the-updated-international-poverty-line">Income Poverty in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Source: Our World in Data</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2022mpireportenpdf.pdf">UNDP poverty report</a> shows that the income poverty (people living on $1.90 or less per day) in Pakistan is 3.6% while it is 22.5% in India and 14.3% in Bangladesh. In terms of the population vulnerable to multidimensional poverty, Pakistan (12.9%) does better than Bangladesh (18.2%) and India (18.7%) However, Pakistan fares worse than India and Bangladesh in multiple dimensions of poverty. The headline multidimensional poverty (MPI) figure for Pakistan (0.198) is worse than for Bangladesh (0.104) and India (0.069). This is primarily due to the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/06/how-grim-is-state-of-pakistans-social.html">education and health</a> deficits in Pakistan. Adults with fewer than 6 years of schooling are considered multidimensionally poor by OPHI/UNDP. Income poverty is <a href="https://ophi.org.uk/multidimensional-poverty-index/mpi-faqs/">not included</a> in the MPI calculations. The data used by OHP/UNDP for MPI calculation is from years 2017/18 for Pakistan and from years 2019/2021 for India. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCv2hQnmYV3EQTndEDTfpNbT-H5ebKz6gH0EQcGpWZznoWkJ7G6ytFqNn5dwXh80_X6PpdU1dc6StxIPORwMRMwGfwtYDbJVKZfCE1zRvXLV_HACypaCVKeVcgtWI75tldx3wp6LXaM0JvxoLGpVTNlckkg-ofh0EbbzxB5DU4lEybBpYKv7FY9gml7A/s1772/Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20MPI.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="1772" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCv2hQnmYV3EQTndEDTfpNbT-H5ebKz6gH0EQcGpWZznoWkJ7G6ytFqNn5dwXh80_X6PpdU1dc6StxIPORwMRMwGfwtYDbJVKZfCE1zRvXLV_HACypaCVKeVcgtWI75tldx3wp6LXaM0JvxoLGpVTNlckkg-ofh0EbbzxB5DU4lEybBpYKv7FY9gml7A/w640-h180/Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20MPI.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/MPI/PAK.pdf">Multidimensional Poverty in South Asia. Source: UNDP</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Indian government's reported multidimensional poverty rate of 25.01% is much higher than the OPHI/UNDP estimate of 16.4%. <a href="https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-11/National_MPI_India-11242021.pdf">NITI Ayog report</a> released in November 2021 says: "India’s national MPI identifies 25.01 percent of the population as multidimensionally poor".</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiRHVTh5_tmfPSLfr10zFb711cp9AK1MFweQ6XOED5kv6GxaFAhRJ4lvO2BlGxgB8WYQl2u3tzFx9jpYeanWk99OSewWlwqp5g0qaf8IQ2wtwoZRFZvScs1tYtYGZkMUiEWDR-CeBpi9dv4QJ3iGt2bT0Mb5JHrz2aSJYPQpyrz7bGjmgxL33Gx3L/s1600/Poverty%20in%20India.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiRHVTh5_tmfPSLfr10zFb711cp9AK1MFweQ6XOED5kv6GxaFAhRJ4lvO2BlGxgB8WYQl2u3tzFx9jpYeanWk99OSewWlwqp5g0qaf8IQ2wtwoZRFZvScs1tYtYGZkMUiEWDR-CeBpi9dv4QJ3iGt2bT0Mb5JHrz2aSJYPQpyrz7bGjmgxL33Gx3L/w640-h640/Poverty%20in%20India.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/churumuri/status/1585863034232139776?s=20&t=NkwiX7zE5R1RChy3t5GCSQ">Multidimensional Poverty in India. Source: NITI Ayog via IIP</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Earlier last year, Global Hunger Index 2022 reported that <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/world-food-day-2022-india-tops-hunger.html">India ranks 107th</a> for hunger among 121 nations. The nation fares worse than all of its South Asian neighbors except for war-torn Afghanistan ranked 109, according to the <a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/ranking.html">t</a>he report. Sri Lanka ranks 64, Nepal 81, Bangladesh 84 and Pakistan 99. <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html">India</a> and Pakistan have levels of hunger that are considered serious. Both have slipped on the hunger charts from 2021 when India was ranked 101 and Pakistan 92. Seventeen countries, including Bosnia, China, Kuwait, Turkey and UAE, are collectively ranked between 1 and 17 for having a score of less than five.</p><p>Here's a video of Javed Akhtar's interview with Chetan Bhagat at ABP's "Ideas of India Summit 2023". Please watch from 4:19 to 6:00 minutes. </p><p>https://www.youtube.com/live/pZ5e81ysKGQ?feature=share</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pZ5e81ysKGQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><br /></p><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/01/pakistan-among-worlds-largest-food.html">Pakistan Among World's Largest Food Producers</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/floods-in-pakistan-biggest-global.html">Pakistan Floods 2022</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/08/food-prices-in-pakistan-are-worlds.html">Food in Pakistan 2nd Cheapest in the World</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html">India in Crisis: Unemployment and Hunger Persist After COVID</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/02/india-rising-pakistan-rapidly-collapsing.html">India Rising, Pakistan Collapsing</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/record-number-of-indians-seeking-asylum.html">Record Number of Indians Seeking Asylum in US</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2020/05/survey-finds-overwhelming-majority-in.html">Vast Majority of Pakistanis Support Imran Khan's Handling of Covid19 Crisis</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2020/04/pakistan-plsmhies-incomes-of-poorest.html">Incomes of Poorest Pakistanis Growing Faster Than Their Richest Counterparts</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/06/economic-survey-pakistanis-consuming.html">Pakistanis Consuming More Calories, Fruits & Vegetables Per Capita </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/06/how-grim-is-state-of-pakistans-social.html">How Grim is Pakistan's Social Sector Progress?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/03/pakistan-fares-marginally-better-than.html">Pakistan Fares Marginally Better Than India On Disease Burdens</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/indias-covid-crisis-decimates-indian.html">COVID Lockdown Decimates India's Middle Class</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/03/pakistan-survey-reveals-positive-trends.html">Pakistan Child Health Indicators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/07/can-pakistan-avoid-recurring-bop-crises.html">Pakistan's Balance of Payments Crisis</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/how-does-india-build-large-forex.html">How Has India Built Large Forex Reserves Despite Perennial Trade Deficits</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/" style="text-align: left;">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br style="text-align: center;" /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-67192455321660900782023-10-13T11:33:00.075-07:002023-10-24T20:27:15.321-07:00US Census Update: Pakistani-Americans' Average Annual Household Earnings Estimated at $150,000<p>The average annual household earnings of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/search?q=Pakistani+Americans">Pakistani-Americans</a> are $149,178, according to the <a href="https://data.census.gov/table/ACSSPP1Y2022.S0201?q=S0201:+Selected+Population+Profile+in+the+United+States&t=-02:-04:070:Ancestry:Income+and+Poverty">latest update</a> issued by the United States Census Bureau for 2022. The update estimates the median income of 132,958 Pakistani-American households at $106,281. Average is calculated by adding up all incomes and dividing it by total number of households. Median income level divides the top 50% of families from the bottom 50%. It shows that Pakistani-American household incomes are roughly at par with the Asian-American households' median of $104,646 and average of $149,363. The highest income ethnic group in the US are Asian <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/top-one-percent-are-hindus-new-jews-in.html">Indian households</a> with a median of $152,341 and average of $197,732. Asians are significantly richer than Whites (mean $78,636, average $112,415) and African Americans (mean $52,238, average $76,888). The word "alone" in the labels in the following table excludes mixed race households. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGcOdk5mUmcKEk6pl-hfKC6F0AQCnH85-k-iJOWhg9hyphenhyphen2WoknkcMPAUBcSp00Ms756QS1vgdXzHp-hH325lsEZ1hHffFtt6LlvaGIs_2wiszGrJO1IBdWxDaUSkymzbh0tctm1Kvgk29AkJqa_MfcAXfHvEQt8YGqegD3ObqSe3vCOBSakXtLhGTlLkU/s1345/South%20Asian%20Americans%20Household%20Incomes.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="1345" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGcOdk5mUmcKEk6pl-hfKC6F0AQCnH85-k-iJOWhg9hyphenhyphen2WoknkcMPAUBcSp00Ms756QS1vgdXzHp-hH325lsEZ1hHffFtt6LlvaGIs_2wiszGrJO1IBdWxDaUSkymzbh0tctm1Kvgk29AkJqa_MfcAXfHvEQt8YGqegD3ObqSe3vCOBSakXtLhGTlLkU/w640-h350/South%20Asian%20Americans%20Household%20Incomes.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://data.census.gov/table/ACSSPP1Y2022.S0201?q=S0201:+Selected+Population+Profile+in+the+United+States&t=-02:-04:070:Ancestry:Income+and+Poverty">South Asian Americans Households. Source: US Census Update 2022</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Asian Americans are the best educated racial group in the United States. From 2012 to 2022, the percentage of adults age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more increased from 34.5% to 41.8% for the non-Hispanic White population; from 21.2% to 27.6% for the Black population; from 51% to 59.3% for the Asian population; and from 14.5% to 20.9% for the Hispanic population, according to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/educational-attainment-data.html#:~:text=the%20Hispanic%20population.-,From%202012%20to%202022%2C%20the%20percentage%20of%20adults%20age%2025,20.9%25%20for%20the%20Hispanic%20population.">US Census</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoMcw3AOOG799Bbx3H6e4HZ7oKvfMb4Z9ALk8yYWjlSRp0DpUCE2nSVrWiQJnH7TyYgcEZiSjRHjE5da8gGbLE7xCRiftFAjTfLp8N4RGns7mY60FB5SwHZMDJDevY9oMe587aVZISPBioPMygbBLoVxyxeHqu8DFSDUKCbeU3uHSBZmmIE1EvOqF5RO5/s889/Americans%20Educational%20Attainment%20By%20Race.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="885" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoMcw3AOOG799Bbx3H6e4HZ7oKvfMb4Z9ALk8yYWjlSRp0DpUCE2nSVrWiQJnH7TyYgcEZiSjRHjE5da8gGbLE7xCRiftFAjTfLp8N4RGns7mY60FB5SwHZMDJDevY9oMe587aVZISPBioPMygbBLoVxyxeHqu8DFSDUKCbeU3uHSBZmmIE1EvOqF5RO5/w638-h640/Americans%20Educational%20Attainment%20By%20Race.jpeg" width="638" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/educational-attainment-data.html#:~:text=the%20Hispanic%20population.-,From%202012%20to%202022%2C%20the%20percentage%20of%20adults%20age%2025,20.9%25%20for%20the%20Hispanic%20population.">Educational Attainment By Racial Groups (Source: US Census)</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Among Asian Americans, the Indians (three quarters) have the highest educational attainment with at least a bachelor's degree, followed by Koreans and Pakistanis (about 60%), followed by the rest. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5AbB27bjzXLZqYkX77a1SN1gqGi49zDE72RdEAZlpGcHjM1b6c5iny7AhTU8r7fCoyuM4bIj4vGHnmdee5ceWe8j_4Iq_iG8s7Bk70VuZcmkZblssn8RkbZ_T5hS-WIh-m8wtPyOAVTRL96CwDJCvJcdKRE6Rit0QVL_QhOl4vDaFlG__RYAkkl4BP4Z/s1616/Asian%20American%20Educational%20Attainment.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5AbB27bjzXLZqYkX77a1SN1gqGi49zDE72RdEAZlpGcHjM1b6c5iny7AhTU8r7fCoyuM4bIj4vGHnmdee5ceWe8j_4Iq_iG8s7Bk70VuZcmkZblssn8RkbZ_T5hS-WIh-m8wtPyOAVTRL96CwDJCvJcdKRE6Rit0QVL_QhOl4vDaFlG__RYAkkl4BP4Z/w564-h640/Asian%20American%20Educational%20Attainment.jpeg" width="564" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/detailed-characteristics-race-ethnic-tribal-groups.html">Asian American Educational Achievement by Countries of Origin. Source: US Census</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Asians, including Chinese/Taiwanese, Indians and Pakistanis, tend to be concentrated in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/pakistan-among-top-sources-of-foreign.html">STEM</a> (Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology) fields where incomes are generally much higher than in other occupations. </p><p>As of 2019, there were 35,000 Pakistan-born STEM workers in the United States, according to the American Immigration Council. They included information technologists, software developers, engineers and scientists. These figures do not include medical doctors and healthcare workers. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/s1337/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1337" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/w640-h530/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">Foreign-Born STEM Workers in America. Source: American Immigration Council</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Foreign-born workers make up a growing share of America's STEM workforce. As of 2019, foreign-born workers made up almost a quarter of all STEM workers in the country. This is a significant increase from 2000, when just 16.4% of the country’s STEM workforce was foreign-born. Between 2000 and 2019, the overall number of STEM workers in the United States increased by 44.5 percent, from 7.5 million to more than 10.8 million, according to <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">American Immigration Council</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/s1498/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1197" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/w512-h640/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">India and Pakistan Among Top 10 Countries Receiving US Immigrant Visas. Source: Visual Capitalist</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>India topped the top 10 list of foreign-born STEM workers with 721,000, followed by China (273,000), Mexico (119,000), Vietnam (100,000), Philippines (87,000), South Korea (64,000), Canada (56,000), Taiwan (53,000), Russia (45,000) and Pakistan (35,000). Enormous number of Indian STEM workers in the United States can at least partly be attributed to the fact that India's "body shops" have mastered the art of gaming the US temporary work visa system. Last year, Indian nationals sponsored by "body shops" like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS received <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">166,384 H1B</a> visas for work in the United States. By comparison, only <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">1,107 Pakistanis</a> were granted H1B visas in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition to H1B work visas, 9,300 Indian nationals and 7,200 Pakistani nationals received <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">immigrant visas</a> to settle in the United States as permanent residents in 2021. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/s1200/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/w640-h640/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/29667/doctor-brain-drain/">Doctor Brain Drain. Source: Statista</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In addition to 35,000 Pakistan-born <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">STEM workers</a>, there were 12,454 Pakistan-born and Pakistan-trained <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/04/pakistan-is-second-biggest-source-of.html">medical doctors</a> practicing in the United States, making the South Asian nation the second largest source of medical doctors in America. Pakistan produced <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">157,102 STEM graduates</a> last year, putting it among the world's top dozen or so countries. About 43,000 of these graduates are in information technology (IT).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdAzdHhACGEfCuHFPNd2ZfA87buzMeP_T-dADiSGGh0cPPZBppfZM3YJ2QDZK_W63sbVvqrbmL3AtMhNTgISlCNy3JqPDzQn_igPww_QYuMyKjMM7ed-0O35p9g80ovykre-rJoes83AH9jB2BVTh4RKIMWwofVZ9NkCrosEVOYNCg9Rd7rKaftpX5f5Y/s1041/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Pakistani%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1041" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdAzdHhACGEfCuHFPNd2ZfA87buzMeP_T-dADiSGGh0cPPZBppfZM3YJ2QDZK_W63sbVvqrbmL3AtMhNTgISlCNy3JqPDzQn_igPww_QYuMyKjMM7ed-0O35p9g80ovykre-rJoes83AH9jB2BVTh4RKIMWwofVZ9NkCrosEVOYNCg9Rd7rKaftpX5f5Y/w640-h458/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Pakistani%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">H1B Visas Issued in Pakistan. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzD6eceQm7wCvbVZcbOmb05CRG_UkF8RusTleDtpNv7urz8pBdEp7WRxcnV2HQ2ptPdvsNVB2Zsjrg75WlujEAePda1I1Zr_friSHpkXEOiMrD0YSPMd1G1RBg10wx0ZvUZZiKKSwSprdvLC_1jvrl2xo55VW4QxZ8STMqh7zzKpvsIWDQvA_XLmHZThZ/s1060/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1060" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzD6eceQm7wCvbVZcbOmb05CRG_UkF8RusTleDtpNv7urz8pBdEp7WRxcnV2HQ2ptPdvsNVB2Zsjrg75WlujEAePda1I1Zr_friSHpkXEOiMrD0YSPMd1G1RBg10wx0ZvUZZiKKSwSprdvLC_1jvrl2xo55VW4QxZ8STMqh7zzKpvsIWDQvA_XLmHZThZ/w640-h470/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">H1B Visas Issued in India. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p>Every year, applicants sponsored by Indian body shops claim the lion's share of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/04/india-files-h1b-visa-complaint-against.html">H1B visas</a>. In 2022, Indians received 166,384 new H1B visas, accounting for nearly three quarters of all such visas issued by the US government. The figures reported as India <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/11/indias-it-exports-figures-highly.html">IT exports</a> are in fact the wages earned by millions of Indian H1B workers in the United States. </p><p>Many developing countries are experiencing brain drain. But India is losing its best brightest at a much faster rate than others. Some call it "The Great Indian Brain Drain". This is the reason why Indians in the United States are the best educated and the highest earning group. In a recently published book titled "The Other One Percent", authors Sanjoy Chakravorty, Devesh Kapur and Nirvikar Singh explain this phenomenon. </p><p>They write that the vast majority of Indians who migrate to the United States are from privileged backgrounds in terms of caste, class and education. They have gone through “a triple selection” process that gave Indian-Americans a boost over typically poor and uneducated immigrants who come to the United States from other countries. The first two selections took place in India. As explained in the book: “The social system created a small pool of persons to receive higher education, who were urban, educated, and from high/dominant castes.” India’s examination system then selected individuals for specialized training in technical fields that also happened to be in demand in the United States. Kapur estimated that the India-American population is nine times more educated than individuals in the home country. Here's an excerpt of it:</p><p>"A major focus of this book is on demonstrating and understanding the multiple selections that shaped the Indian-American population. These selections applied not only to education (that, in terms of attaining college degrees, made the India-born population three times more educated than that in the host country and nine times more educated than the home country’s population) but also to class and caste (favoring, by large margins, the “upper” and dominant classes and castes of India), profession (engineering, IT, and health care), and both the region of origin (Gujarati and Punjabi were overrepresented in the first two phases, and Telugu and Tamil in the third phase) and region of settlement (in specific metropolitan clusters in and around New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Houston and Dallas). In addition to direct selection is what we call the “selection+” advantage: we suggest that group characteristics or norms, such as the fact that Indians had the highest propensity to live in married-couple households of any major immigrant group, added to the advantages of being an already selected group. We show, in particular, how family norms were useful in keeping the Indian-American poverty level low (under 5 percent) and family income high (the highest in the United States). It is also likely that the selection process enabled, without explicitly intending to, the generation of high levels of social capital (through linguistic/ professional networks such as Gujarati entrepreneurs in the hotel industry, Telugu and Tamil workers in the IT industry, IIT engineers, Malayali nurses, Bengali academics, etc.)"</p><p>Related Links:</p><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">Over a Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/10/2021-banner-year-for-pakistani-tech.html">2021: A Banner Year For Tech Startups in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/10/pakistani-americans-rising-strength-in.html">Pakistani-Americans in Academia</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/top-one-percent-are-hindus-new-jews-in.html">Top One Percent: Are Hindus the New Jews in America?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/independence-day-growing-share-of.html">Growing Share of Working Age Population in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/12/pakistans-research-output-growth-among.html">Pakistan Scientific Output is World's Fastest Growing</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/indias-chandrayaan-3-success-can.html">India's Chandrayaan 3 Success: Can Pakistanis Explore Space?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/01/digital-pakistan-2022-broadband.html">Digital Pakistan 2022</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/pakistans-large-and-growing-civil.html">Pakistan's Large and Growing Civil Nuclear Program</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-29441737027685022062023-10-09T12:03:00.005-07:002023-10-09T12:08:32.097-07:00Modi and Netanyahu: Two Sides of The Same Coin<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently <a href="https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1710614655620534296?s=20">tweeted</a> that he is "shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel", adding that "We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour". This tweet was posted immediately after the Hamas militants' unprecedented attack on Israel by air, land and sea. Modi's critics have noted that he has yet to tweet any condemnation of months-long killings of his fellow countrymen in Manipur which are continuing unabated. Nor has he issued any similar condemnation of the long and brutal Israeli military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. To those who know Modi, his reaction makes sense given the similarities between Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both leaders are extreme right-wing divisive politicians. Modi is a Hindu Supremacist and Netanyahu is a Jewish Supremacist. Both have a long history of murdering large numbers of Muslims living under their rule. Both are pursuing settler colonial policies; <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/g20-summit-in-india-modis-personal-pr.html">Modi</a> in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/g20-kashmir-meeting-modis-pr-ploy.html">Kashmir</a> and Netanyahu in <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Palestine</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9Brcizjk3IYEbE-mjzrk07bSrYauUF1ohZbOY2XpSfaH8uNcftunY07t2y7oWzxOlsZkLfJ84vPYFB4OOaGqseBaNdOznafZtOdVGSYW39jwVw3L93AaDYe1QlGnR5Uw2fjxOE52odCQlOXBaQBbsVh5Org7iQHA57g4pbAKT-lgFEo6voXcGMiOr-TB/s1589/Modi%20and%20Netanyahu.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1589" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9Brcizjk3IYEbE-mjzrk07bSrYauUF1ohZbOY2XpSfaH8uNcftunY07t2y7oWzxOlsZkLfJ84vPYFB4OOaGqseBaNdOznafZtOdVGSYW39jwVw3L93AaDYe1QlGnR5Uw2fjxOE52odCQlOXBaQBbsVh5Org7iQHA57g4pbAKT-lgFEo6voXcGMiOr-TB/w640-h342/Modi%20and%20Netanyahu.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42686597">India's Narendra Modi and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu in New Delhi. Source: BBC </a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Indians, particularly Hindu Nationalists, have suffered from what Shashi Tharoor calls "<a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2009/05/indias-israel-envy.html">India's Israel Envy</a>". Here's an excerpt of Tharoor's piece published in "<a href="https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/india-s-israel-envy#:~:text=As%20Israeli%20planes%20and%20tanks%20exact%20a,strategic%20thinkers%20have%20been%20watching%20with%20an">Project Syndicate</a>" in January 2009: </p><p>"Yet, when Indians watch Israel take the fight to the enemy, killing those who launched rockets against it and dismantling many of the sites from which the rockets flew, some cannot resist wishing that they could do something similar in Pakistan. India understands, though, that the collateral damage would be too high, the price in civilian lives unacceptable, and the risks of the conflict spiraling out of control too acute to contemplate such an option. So Indians place their trust in international diplomacy and watch, with ill-disguised wistfulness, as Israel does what they could never permit themselves to do".</p><p>In a piece titled "The Settler Colonial Alliance of India and Israel" published in <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/qa-india-israel-azad-essa/">The Nation</a>, Indian journalist Deeksha Udupa interviewed Azad Essa, author of “Hostile Homelands” – The new alliance between India and Israel". Here's what Essa told Udupa: </p><p>"Kashmir is a perfect example of another region being turned into a sort of testing ground (for Israeli weapons and methods). Both India and Israel already share many tactics. They both attack journalists and criminalize civil society. They both exercise collective punishment on Palestinians and Kashmiris. They both maim protesters. In Palestine, protesters are shot in the limbs. In Kashmir, protesters are blinded by lead pellets. Israeli drones, sensors, surveillance, and machine guns are all there, and Israeli methods of controlling the population have long existed in Kashmir—so much so that India is now producing some of these Israeli weapons in factories across India.". </p><p>Azad Essa argues that the Israeli occupation of Palestine has served as a model that Indians are replicating in Kashmir. He says that Israeli weapons, developed and field tested on Palestinians, have been used in Kashmir. Here are a couple of excerpts from his book "Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel": :</p><p>"So how did India, which once considered Zionism a form of racism, become Israel’s number one weapons trade buyer, accounting for 42% of Israel’s arms exports since Modi came to power in 2014?* How did India, the first non-Arab state to recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement that opposed colonialism and apartheid, simultaneously maintain its colonial occupation of Kashmir since 1947 and metamorphose into extolling Israel’s settlements as a model to colonize Kashmir with its own Indian settlers?"</p><p>"In the days leading to August 5, 2019 and in the weeks and months to come, Kashmir became a site of unfathomable cruelty. Thousands of Kashmiris were detained; pro-India politicians were placed under house arrest, pro-freedom leaders as well as minors were rounded up and thrown in jail. Young boys were shipped off to Indian prisons 1,500km away in Agra and Varanasi. Foreign journalists and international human rights groups were banned from access to Kashmir. The region was placed under a complete communication blackout. Cellular phones, Internet, landline services, and even the postal services were dismantled. News traveled by word of mouth. Journalists compressed photos and video onto memory cards and smuggled them out with passengers en route to Delhi. Schools, offices, banks, and businesses were closed for months. Life came to a standstill". </p><p>Here's India's JNU Professor speaking about illegal Indian occupation of Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland:</p><p>https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KWp1E8xrY5E" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><br /></p><p>Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2018/09/china-and-us-battle-for-influence-in.html">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/12/pakistan-fm-bilawal-bhutto-zardari.html">Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Lashes Out at India's Jaishankar</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2019/03/modis-india-paper-elephant.html">India: A Paper Elephant?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/03/india-pakistan-nuclear-arms-race.html">India-Pakistan Nuclear Arms Race</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/700000-indian-soldiers-versus-10.html">Kashmir: 700,000 Indian Soldiers vs 7 Million Kashmiris</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/05/israel-apartheid-state-created-propped.html">Israeli Settler Colonialism</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/kashmiris-observe-black-day-while-india.html">India Promotes Half Truths About UNSC Kashmir Resolutions</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/04/post-cold-war-line-up-pakistan-china.html">Pakistan-China-Russia Vs India-Japan-US</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Total, Extended Lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/kashmir-what-is-india-hiding-from-un.html">What is India Hiding From UN Human Rights Team?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/KWp1E8xrY5E">Indian JNU Professor on Illegal Indian Occupation of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WideAngleZoom/videos" style="font-family: times;">VPOS Youtube Channel</a></p><p><br /></p>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-42730318541503152242023-10-02T11:02:00.006-07:002023-10-05T18:49:41.765-07:00Pakistani-Americans Rising Strength in Academia<p>Recent appointment of Karachi-born Irfan Siddiqui as Chairman of the Physics Department at the University of California at Berkeley highlights the growing numbers of Pakistani-Americans in the top ranks of the academia. Dr. Irfan Siddiqui is among the top US experts in quantum computing. He is also the head of Lawrence Livermore Quantum Computing Lab at UC Berkeley. He's also one of the architects of the United States Quantum Initiative backed by industry, academia and the federal government.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXS8svcj_YWaMH8iaubBfxNMRp6IJGcIAg8Qc7btBg4uk0z9TXhyphenhyphenhXr04mJrz5FDwljwOcgKO-Hu2VxWoSXljq5uQnNJ-wtxSl6Ac-T43t6j7HcXKd-kBFlmm2uogN2YIcZ3GZFRje-7yOglv6njqDGeL-rcnvzlg6m4edt6Io8UiRfvt0Ny0NbJV13r3/s488/Irfan%20Siddiqui.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="488" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXS8svcj_YWaMH8iaubBfxNMRp6IJGcIAg8Qc7btBg4uk0z9TXhyphenhyphenhXr04mJrz5FDwljwOcgKO-Hu2VxWoSXljq5uQnNJ-wtxSl6Ac-T43t6j7HcXKd-kBFlmm2uogN2YIcZ3GZFRje-7yOglv6njqDGeL-rcnvzlg6m4edt6Io8UiRfvt0Ny0NbJV13r3/w640-h638/Irfan%20Siddiqui.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pakistani-American Professor Dr. Irfan Siddiqui, Chairman of Physics Dept at UC Berkeley</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In addition to <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/12/pakistani-american-scientist-irfan.html">Dr. Irfan Siddiqui</a>, there are many other high-profile Pakistani-American academics. For example, astrophysicist Dr. <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/02/pakistani-american-astrophysicist-dr.html">Nergis Mavalvala</a> is the Dean of the School of Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Asad Abidi is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Economist Dr. Asim Khwaja is Director of the Center for International Development (CID) at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Atif Rehman Mian is a p<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">rofessor of Economics</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">, Public Policy, and Finance at Princeton University. <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/07/lina-khan-pakistani-american-law.html">Lina Khan</a> was a professor at Columbia University Law School before she was named Chairperson of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by President Joseph R. Biden. Dr. <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/03/obama-honors-pakistani-american-with.html">Mark Humayun</a> is a p</span><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span>rofessor of ophthalmology, biomedical engineering, and integrative anatomical sciences at University of Southern California (USC). </span><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/01/pakistani-american-surgeontransplants.html">Dr. Mansoor Mohiuddin</a><span> is professor of medicine and director of Cardiac Xenotransplantation Program at the University of Maryland. Dr. Adil Najam is a professor of International Relations and of Earth and Environment at Boston University. </span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;">These are just a few of high-profile Pakistani-Americans currently teaching at top universities in the United States. </span></p><p>As of today, Wikipedia lists 39 professors of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_academics_of_Pakistani_descent">Pakistani origin</a> and 171 professors of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_academics_of_Indian_descent">Indian origin</a> teaching at US universities.</p><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJwsEzxo103PB9qzftufa0IU83rLwd0_lL-mkMOFlEwequU8ISZ-0EDNPMZ35Z3cEXTK9p5eZbfqKFbIkpkp_u-FvUpYwYJeAZcjv5c3ucDGumsakZUV23SeZMamgQAqokkK6K3MhTF7vhCNNMzWpRg8USIBNuE__2rpAQGhJ8OANQ11Ym3K5lrz8h0sE/s960/Nergis%20PACC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJwsEzxo103PB9qzftufa0IU83rLwd0_lL-mkMOFlEwequU8ISZ-0EDNPMZ35Z3cEXTK9p5eZbfqKFbIkpkp_u-FvUpYwYJeAZcjv5c3ucDGumsakZUV23SeZMamgQAqokkK6K3MhTF7vhCNNMzWpRg8USIBNuE__2rpAQGhJ8OANQ11Ym3K5lrz8h0sE/w640-h480/Nergis%20PACC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/02/pakistani-american-astrophysicist-dr.html">Dr. Nergis Mavalvala (L) and Riaz Haq</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p>As of 2019, there were <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/pakistan-among-top-sources-of-foreign.html">35,000 Pakistan-born STEM</a> (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) workers in the United States, according to the American Immigration Council. They included information technologists, software developers, engineers and scientists. These figures do not include 12,454 medical doctors from Pakistan. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/s1337/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1337" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/w640-h530/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">Foreign-Born STEM Workers in America. Source: American Immigration Council</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Foreign-born workers make up a growing share of America's STEM workforce. As of 2019, foreign-born workers made up almost a quarter of all STEM workers in the country. This is a significant increase from 2000, when just 16.4% of the country’s STEM workforce was foreign-born. Between 2000 and 2019, the overall number of STEM workers in the United States increased by 44.5 percent, from 7.5 million to more than 10.8 million, according to <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">American Immigration Council</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/s1498/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1197" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/w512-h640/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">India and Pakistan Among Top 10 Countries Receiving US Immigrant Visas. Source: Visual Capitalist</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>India topped the top 10 list of foreign-born STEM workers with 721,000, followed by China (273,000), Mexico (119,000), Vietnam (100,000), Philippines (87,000), South Korea (64,000), Canada (56,000), Taiwan (53,000), Russia (45,000) and Pakistan (35,000). Enormous number of Indian STEM workers in the United States can at least partly be attributed to the fact that India's "body shops" have mastered the art of gaming the US temporary work visa system. Last year, Indian nationals sponsored by "body shops" like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS received <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">166,384 H1B</a> visas for work in the United States. By comparison, only <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">1,107 Pakistanis</a> were granted H1B visas in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition to H1B work visas, 9,300 Indian nationals and 7,200 Pakistani nationals received <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">immigrant visas</a> to settle in the United States as permanent residents in 2021. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/s1200/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/w640-h640/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/29667/doctor-brain-drain/">Doctor Brain Drain. Source: Statista</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In addition to 35,000 Pakistan-born <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">STEM workers</a>, there were 12,454 Pakistan-born and Pakistan-trained <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/04/pakistan-is-second-biggest-source-of.html">medical doctors</a> practicing in the United States, making the South Asian nation the second largest source of medical doctors in America. Pakistan produced <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">157,102 STEM graduates</a> last year, putting it among the world's top dozen or so countries. About 43,000 of these graduates are in information technology (IT).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdAzdHhACGEfCuHFPNd2ZfA87buzMeP_T-dADiSGGh0cPPZBppfZM3YJ2QDZK_W63sbVvqrbmL3AtMhNTgISlCNy3JqPDzQn_igPww_QYuMyKjMM7ed-0O35p9g80ovykre-rJoes83AH9jB2BVTh4RKIMWwofVZ9NkCrosEVOYNCg9Rd7rKaftpX5f5Y/s1041/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Pakistani%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1041" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdAzdHhACGEfCuHFPNd2ZfA87buzMeP_T-dADiSGGh0cPPZBppfZM3YJ2QDZK_W63sbVvqrbmL3AtMhNTgISlCNy3JqPDzQn_igPww_QYuMyKjMM7ed-0O35p9g80ovykre-rJoes83AH9jB2BVTh4RKIMWwofVZ9NkCrosEVOYNCg9Rd7rKaftpX5f5Y/w640-h458/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Pakistani%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">H1B Visas Issued in Pakistan. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzD6eceQm7wCvbVZcbOmb05CRG_UkF8RusTleDtpNv7urz8pBdEp7WRxcnV2HQ2ptPdvsNVB2Zsjrg75WlujEAePda1I1Zr_friSHpkXEOiMrD0YSPMd1G1RBg10wx0ZvUZZiKKSwSprdvLC_1jvrl2xo55VW4QxZ8STMqh7zzKpvsIWDQvA_XLmHZThZ/s1060/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1060" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzD6eceQm7wCvbVZcbOmb05CRG_UkF8RusTleDtpNv7urz8pBdEp7WRxcnV2HQ2ptPdvsNVB2Zsjrg75WlujEAePda1I1Zr_friSHpkXEOiMrD0YSPMd1G1RBg10wx0ZvUZZiKKSwSprdvLC_1jvrl2xo55VW4QxZ8STMqh7zzKpvsIWDQvA_XLmHZThZ/w640-h470/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">H1B Visas Issued in India. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p>Every year, applicants sponsored by Indian body shops claim the lion's share of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/04/india-files-h1b-visa-complaint-against.html">H1B visas</a>. In 2022, Indians received 166,384 new H1B visas, accounting for nearly three quarters of all such visas issued by the US government. The figures reported as India <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/11/indias-it-exports-figures-highly.html">IT exports</a> are in fact the wages earned by millions of Indian H1B workers in the United States. </p><p>Related Links:</p><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">Over a Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2020/11/stanford-ranks-243-pakistani-scientists.html">Stanford Ranks 243 Pakistan Scientists Among 2% of Top Scientists in the World</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/12/goldman-sachs-projects-pakistan-economy.html">Pakistan Projected to Be World's 6th Largest Economy By 2075</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/pakistan-among-top-sources-of-foreign.html">35,000 Pakistan-Born STEM Workers in US</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/independence-day-growing-share-of.html">Growing Share of Working Age Population in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/12/pakistans-research-output-growth-among.html">Pakistan Scientific Output is World's Fastest Growing</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/indias-chandrayaan-3-success-can.html">India's Chandrayaan 3 Success: Can Pakistanis Explore Space?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/01/digital-pakistan-2022-broadband.html">Digital Pakistan 2022</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/pakistans-large-and-growing-civil.html">Pakistan's Large and Growing Civil Nuclear Program</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-50150929998737543102023-09-27T07:37:00.003-07:002023-09-27T08:02:18.465-07:00WB Poverty Update: India is the Biggest Contributor to Increased Global Poverty in 2023<p>At the $3.65 poverty line, India accounts for 40% of the slight upward revision of the global poverty rate from 23.6% to 24.1%, according to the World Bank <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/september-2023-global-poverty-update-world-bank-new-data-poverty-during-pandemic-asia">September 2023 Global Poverty Update</a>. It is the same update that made the following recent headline in the Indian and Pakistani media about Pakistan: "Pakistan's 40% Population Lives Below Poverty Line, Says World Bank". Fact: 45.9% of Indians and 39.4% of Pakistanis live below the $3.65 a day poverty line as of September, 2023, according to the the latest World Bank global poverty update that takes into account the impact of inflation on poverty rates. But neither the Pakistani media nor India's compliant "Godi Media" reported it. Nor did they question why poverty in India is growing despite the Modi government's claim to be "the world's fastest growing economy". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqNx3jwlTurDlEUZRtFwia2yoOCWR2mwMHBO8L2Eefy6DvJqsVasLbI-3j8gZdcGtHdRpywa4ygFHhse2OxGt8uMk1kKLihrRo8ZOHA44QwRnjqWLFoRuc9G4QkwEzO3cNaPcRs5fm0KVkpS8YMW93HSiW0G_0OpBfSrVbKKEilUHscLZqbMWwQAAFS-0/s1900/Child%20Poverty.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1900" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqNx3jwlTurDlEUZRtFwia2yoOCWR2mwMHBO8L2Eefy6DvJqsVasLbI-3j8gZdcGtHdRpywa4ygFHhse2OxGt8uMk1kKLihrRo8ZOHA44QwRnjqWLFoRuc9G4QkwEzO3cNaPcRs5fm0KVkpS8YMW93HSiW0G_0OpBfSrVbKKEilUHscLZqbMWwQAAFS-0/w640-h484/Child%20Poverty.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Global Child Poverty Rate. Source: UNICEF</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Another recent <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/144856/file/Global%20trends%20in%20child%20monetary%20poverty.pdf">report by UNICEF</a> that went unnoticed by the media is that the child poverty rate in India far exceeds the rate in Bangladesh and Pakistan: At $2.15 poverty level, India has 11.5% children under poverty, Pakistan 5.6% and Bangladesh 5.1%. At $3.65 poverty level, India has 49.8% children under poverty, Pakistan 45% and Bangladesh 35.2%. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu5_C4zdNf2CL1odEPYbMTyMtbAEdPS0Uw7TtlotDY2ED7zHAt2G9W9aCTBK28yXpc1VzjlDO2TWpdozQa0Eo4J9wZDVy0A3RnDUyaEH32hAPpgbGAtO-AeItPZrQ3sYQE8MbYlD4cPOZbbsdF3qNw69gI7N9EKiOovUU5AAui_cAhfLYAPhfvEpKPkq4/s1227/Child%20Poverty%20Rate%20India%20South%20Asia.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="1227" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu5_C4zdNf2CL1odEPYbMTyMtbAEdPS0Uw7TtlotDY2ED7zHAt2G9W9aCTBK28yXpc1VzjlDO2TWpdozQa0Eo4J9wZDVy0A3RnDUyaEH32hAPpgbGAtO-AeItPZrQ3sYQE8MbYlD4cPOZbbsdF3qNw69gI7N9EKiOovUU5AAui_cAhfLYAPhfvEpKPkq4/w640-h254/Child%20Poverty%20Rate%20India%20South%20Asia.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/144856/file/Global%20trends%20in%20child%20monetary%20poverty.pdf">Child Poverty Rate By Year By Region From 2013 to 2022. Source: UNICEF</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="text-align: center;">The <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/144856/file/Global%20trends%20in%20child%20monetary%20poverty.pdf">UNICEF data</a> shows that the South Asia region's child poverty rate at $2.15 for any year since 2013 drops to about a half when India is excluded. </span></p><p>The latest World Bank and UNICEF reports remind me of the famous Indian writer and poet <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/abp-india-summit-2023-javed-akhtar-saw.html">Javed Akhtar</a> who told his audience at a conference in Mumbai earlier this year that he saw "no visible poverty" in Lahore during his multiple visits to Pakistan over the last three decades. Responding to Indian novelist Chetan Bhagat's query about Pakistan's economic crisis at ABP's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/pZ5e81ysKGQ?feature=share">Ideas of India Summit 2023</a>" in Mumbai, Akhtar said: "Unlike what you see in Delhi and </p><p>Mumbai, I did not see any visible poverty in Lahore". This was Akhtar's first interview upon his return to India after attending "Faiz Festival" in Lahore, Pakistan. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhXEkg-httD3qxF7DferSG04Z_03q17v8HPDv4nHL_Jmla7pTampoDzYFWmjnMhkJxj1_45UDrcj7lxL0DLvrD63fjaT6hgWvmUzJZNreV2Tuzex92EKRybsfjXFEH3618g4o-1biH669JK4-2DXFsBR5hBnKSKGgteasuc6u8uxtScP3LQzzQBrN/s906/Javed%20Akhtar.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="906" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhXEkg-httD3qxF7DferSG04Z_03q17v8HPDv4nHL_Jmla7pTampoDzYFWmjnMhkJxj1_45UDrcj7lxL0DLvrD63fjaT6hgWvmUzJZNreV2Tuzex92EKRybsfjXFEH3618g4o-1biH669JK4-2DXFsBR5hBnKSKGgteasuc6u8uxtScP3LQzzQBrN/w640-h570/Javed%20Akhtar.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Javed Akhtar at ABP Ideas Summit in Mumbai</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Chetan Bhagat began by talking about high inflation, low forex reserves and major economic crisis in Pakistan and followed it up by asking Javed Akhtar about its effects he saw on the people in Pakistan. In response, Akhtar said, "Bilkul Nahin (Not at all). In India you see poverty right in front of you, next door to a billionaire. Maybe it is kept back of the beyond. Only some people are allowed to enter certain areas. But you don't see it (poverty) on the streets. In India, it is right in front of you...amiri bhi or gharibi bhi (wealth and poverty). Sare kam apke samne hain (It's all in front of you). Wahan yeh dekhai nahin deta (you don't see it in Pakistan)". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHZavy1W5xuhs4uUoxECC2p8reoSzO1JJiRmfvmkIH1fK2NkveMH-uWDWPOjxV9nXmD95nZb1Iy0Lp4QGp3qZnt2XOmUHH00GxdH1-C_oD_Tt0NcB7QLehi7z7QGg0V5qjPF9XbHyEYTo2Y86kdtdM_dNIH7ziG9y5qYY2IZnxEEftt5MW-eRH5hs/s800/Alhamra%20Arts%20Center%20Lahore.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHZavy1W5xuhs4uUoxECC2p8reoSzO1JJiRmfvmkIH1fK2NkveMH-uWDWPOjxV9nXmD95nZb1Iy0Lp4QGp3qZnt2XOmUHH00GxdH1-C_oD_Tt0NcB7QLehi7z7QGg0V5qjPF9XbHyEYTo2Y86kdtdM_dNIH7ziG9y5qYY2IZnxEEftt5MW-eRH5hs/w640-h384/Alhamra%20Arts%20Center%20Lahore.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alhamra Arts Center, Lahore, Pakistan</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Disappointed by the response, Bhagat suggested that the Indian visitor could have been guided by his hosts through certain routes where he couldn't see any poverty. Javed Akhtar then said "it's not possible to hide poverty. I would have seen at least a "jhalak" (glimpse) of it as I always do in Delhi and Mumbai....I have been to Pakistan many times but I have not seen it". </p><p>What Javed Akhtar saw and reported recently is obviously anecdotal evidence. But it is also supported by <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/multidimensional-poverty-india-is-home.html">hard data</a>. Over 75% of the world's poor deprived of basic living standards (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing) live in India compared to 4.6% in Bangladesh and 4.1% in Pakistan, according to a recently released OPHI/UNDP report on multidimensional poverty. Here's what the report says: "More than 45.5 million poor people are deprived in only these four indicators (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing). Of those people, 34.4 million live in India, 2.1 million in Bangladesh and 1.9 million in Pakistan—making this a predominantly South Asian profile". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="1459" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK4ip0A6ZfXTXzt5hSFuiyVAC9eANK0deQocGhNPCeZDFKfOnILhq8zyIp_rIS65siKxf94Iz8NBN5TMREjWoNsiYNrcKUrt5aecwRDQ-6wo_zJW01NmIG7SY4N9l4q5PKWk-9S4iGpTwyvFOzI4sH63EMuq-JZ_xFI4euB03O9tid2tWUBIQB1eVTA/w640-h128/Global%20MPI%202022.png" width="640" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2022mpireportenpdf.pdf">Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022. Source: OPHI/UNDP</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELCR9rkoie4C-bhJA8jPr42393mkV-obVV_MBFlEtGGNeCH8IoYQ7h62ymBVwpHdxz8dqySLarw4VkpgHvBYoVM6QZXKFuBngerhZ_1DJNndD1rw5o6-901yuPt6zsRvPR9_3a_f8Oin0REbfF7Xnf_VURL60h4PBEiESJ8XdJFLrdK57QJ0eAHWG/s1198/Poverty%20in%20Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1198" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELCR9rkoie4C-bhJA8jPr42393mkV-obVV_MBFlEtGGNeCH8IoYQ7h62ymBVwpHdxz8dqySLarw4VkpgHvBYoVM6QZXKFuBngerhZ_1DJNndD1rw5o6-901yuPt6zsRvPR9_3a_f8Oin0REbfF7Xnf_VURL60h4PBEiESJ8XdJFLrdK57QJ0eAHWG/w640-h440/Poverty%20in%20Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/from-1-90-to-2-15-a-day-the-updated-international-poverty-line">Income Poverty in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Source: Our World in Data</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The <a href="https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2022mpireportenpdf.pdf">UNDP poverty report</a> shows that the income poverty (people living on $1.90 or less per day) in Pakistan is 3.6% while it is 22.5% in India and 14.3% in Bangladesh. In terms of the population vulnerable to multidimensional poverty, Pakistan (12.9%) does better than Bangladesh (18.2%) and India (18.7%) However, Pakistan fares worse than India and Bangladesh in multiple dimensions of poverty. The headline multidimensional poverty (MPI) figure for Pakistan (0.198) is worse than for Bangladesh (0.104) and India (0.069). This is primarily due to the <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/06/how-grim-is-state-of-pakistans-social.html">education and health</a> deficits in Pakistan. Adults with fewer than 6 years of schooling are considered multidimensionally poor by OPHI/UNDP. Income poverty is <a href="https://ophi.org.uk/multidimensional-poverty-index/mpi-faqs/">not included</a> in the MPI calculations. The data used by OHP/UNDP for MPI calculation is from years 2017/18 for Pakistan and from years 2019/2021 for India. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCv2hQnmYV3EQTndEDTfpNbT-H5ebKz6gH0EQcGpWZznoWkJ7G6ytFqNn5dwXh80_X6PpdU1dc6StxIPORwMRMwGfwtYDbJVKZfCE1zRvXLV_HACypaCVKeVcgtWI75tldx3wp6LXaM0JvxoLGpVTNlckkg-ofh0EbbzxB5DU4lEybBpYKv7FY9gml7A/s1772/Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20MPI.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="1772" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCv2hQnmYV3EQTndEDTfpNbT-H5ebKz6gH0EQcGpWZznoWkJ7G6ytFqNn5dwXh80_X6PpdU1dc6StxIPORwMRMwGfwtYDbJVKZfCE1zRvXLV_HACypaCVKeVcgtWI75tldx3wp6LXaM0JvxoLGpVTNlckkg-ofh0EbbzxB5DU4lEybBpYKv7FY9gml7A/w640-h180/Bangladesh%20India%20Pakistan%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20MPI.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/MPI/PAK.pdf">Multidimensional Poverty in South Asia. Source: UNDP</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Indian government's reported multidimensional poverty rate of 25.01% is much higher than the OPHI/UNDP estimate of 16.4%. <a href="https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-11/National_MPI_India-11242021.pdf">NITI Ayog report</a> released in November 2021 says: "India’s national MPI identifies 25.01 percent of the population as multidimensionally poor".</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiRHVTh5_tmfPSLfr10zFb711cp9AK1MFweQ6XOED5kv6GxaFAhRJ4lvO2BlGxgB8WYQl2u3tzFx9jpYeanWk99OSewWlwqp5g0qaf8IQ2wtwoZRFZvScs1tYtYGZkMUiEWDR-CeBpi9dv4QJ3iGt2bT0Mb5JHrz2aSJYPQpyrz7bGjmgxL33Gx3L/s1600/Poverty%20in%20India.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiRHVTh5_tmfPSLfr10zFb711cp9AK1MFweQ6XOED5kv6GxaFAhRJ4lvO2BlGxgB8WYQl2u3tzFx9jpYeanWk99OSewWlwqp5g0qaf8IQ2wtwoZRFZvScs1tYtYGZkMUiEWDR-CeBpi9dv4QJ3iGt2bT0Mb5JHrz2aSJYPQpyrz7bGjmgxL33Gx3L/w640-h640/Poverty%20in%20India.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/churumuri/status/1585863034232139776?s=20&t=NkwiX7zE5R1RChy3t5GCSQ">Multidimensional Poverty in India. Source: NITI Ayog via IIP</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Earlier last year, Global Hunger Index 2022 reported that <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/world-food-day-2022-india-tops-hunger.html">India ranks 107th</a> for hunger among 121 nations. The nation fares worse than all of its South Asian neighbors except for war-torn Afghanistan ranked 109, according to the <a href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/ranking.html">t</a>he report. Sri Lanka ranks 64, Nepal 81, Bangladesh 84 and Pakistan 99. <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html">India</a> and Pakistan have levels of hunger that are considered serious. Both have slipped on the hunger charts from 2021 when India was ranked 101 and Pakistan 92. Seventeen countries, including Bosnia, China, Kuwait, Turkey and UAE, are collectively ranked between 1 and 17 for having a score of less than five.</p><p>Here's a video of Javed Akhtar's interview with Chetan Bhagat at ABP's "Ideas of India Summit 2023". Please watch from 4:19 to 6:00 minutes. </p><p>https://www.youtube.com/live/pZ5e81ysKGQ?feature=share</p><p><br /></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pZ5e81ysKGQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><br /></p><p>Related Links:</p><p><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/01/pakistan-among-worlds-largest-food.html">Pakistan Among World's Largest Food Producers</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/floods-in-pakistan-biggest-global.html">Pakistan Floods 2022</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/08/food-prices-in-pakistan-are-worlds.html">Food in Pakistan 2nd Cheapest in the World</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html">India in Crisis: Unemployment and Hunger Persist After COVID</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/02/india-rising-pakistan-rapidly-collapsing.html">India Rising, Pakistan Collapsing</a></p><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/record-number-of-indians-seeking-asylum.html">Record Number of Indians Seeking Asylum in US</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2020/05/survey-finds-overwhelming-majority-in.html">Vast Majority of Pakistanis Support Imran Khan's Handling of Covid19 Crisis</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2020/04/pakistan-plsmhies-incomes-of-poorest.html">Incomes of Poorest Pakistanis Growing Faster Than Their Richest Counterparts</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/06/economic-survey-pakistanis-consuming.html">Pakistanis Consuming More Calories, Fruits & Vegetables Per Capita </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/06/how-grim-is-state-of-pakistans-social.html">How Grim is Pakistan's Social Sector Progress?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/03/pakistan-fares-marginally-better-than.html">Pakistan Fares Marginally Better Than India On Disease Burdens</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/06/indias-covid-crisis-decimates-indian.html">COVID Lockdown Decimates India's Middle Class</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/03/pakistan-survey-reveals-positive-trends.html">Pakistan Child Health Indicators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/07/can-pakistan-avoid-recurring-bop-crises.html">Pakistan's Balance of Payments Crisis</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/how-does-india-build-large-forex.html">How Has India Built Large Forex Reserves Despite Perennial Trade Deficits</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/" style="text-align: left;">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-12732715772533276472023-09-21T17:49:00.003-07:002023-09-21T18:01:00.336-07:00Canadian Sikh's Murder: How Long Will Modi Continue to Escape Accountability? <p>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused the Indian government of involvement in the murder of a Canadian Sikh leader on Canadian soil. Trudeau announced this week that Canada was "actively pursuing credible allegations" that <a href="https://youtu.be/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=ZB1c7Dd8ntQdKeFi">Indian intelligence</a> agents had potentially been involved in the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, 2023. Canada, a member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance with Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US, is reported to have shared intelligence on the incident with Washington. The US and UK say they are "deeply concerned" and encourage Indian officials to cooperate in any investigation. There have been similar "mysterious" assassinations of Sikh leaders in Pakistan and the UK this year. Can the West afford to ignore these assassinations? Will <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/g20-summit-in-india-modis-personal-pr.html">Modi</a> government be emboldened to continue its campaign of murder of more leaders of the significant Sikh diaspora in the West if the US fails to hold Modi to account now? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DjDrrxtkcZ1h7PaMkanVMvTcqYvzStxeADJQ2J2I9HOVX0tJhPCc7eoXrU09NGjVPw8J12KKomMKpEKduLCxGG0B1T6gdLS-HPkjakvPtSUlsbO6vGrR3Q07LOp59ND3OT7JItra5Ly_p134XqSI4IOoQW6JomrPBNtP6BIf0zowClENcTaAxYyz33wM/s1280/Sikh%20Leaders.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DjDrrxtkcZ1h7PaMkanVMvTcqYvzStxeADJQ2J2I9HOVX0tJhPCc7eoXrU09NGjVPw8J12KKomMKpEKduLCxGG0B1T6gdLS-HPkjakvPtSUlsbO6vGrR3Q07LOp59ND3OT7JItra5Ly_p134XqSI4IOoQW6JomrPBNtP6BIf0zowClENcTaAxYyz33wM/w640-h360/Sikh%20Leaders.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Sikh Leaders Assassinated in 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Since the 2020-21 farmers' protests in Delhi, the Sikh diaspora has staged massive rallies at Indian diplomatic missions across western capitals. These rallies were followed by systematic, and near-simultaneous, killings of various Sikh leaders in Canada, Pakistan and UK. On May 6, 2023, Paramjit Singh Panwar was killed in Lahore, Pakistan. Avtar Singh Khanda was assassinated in Birmingham, England. on June 11. On June 18, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. </p><p>Reacting to the report of Trudeau's allegation against the Indian government, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi said: “We are aware of the nature of our eastern neighbor, we know what they are capable of … so it is not a surprise for us. “We caught [one of their] serving naval intelligence officers on our soil. He (Kulbhushan Jadhav) is in our custody and admitted that he came here to create instability and spread evil,” he added. </p><p>Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said her country remained a “target of a series of targeted killings and espionage by (Indian Intelligence Agency) RAW". “In December last year, Pakistan released a comprehensive dossier providing concrete and irrefutable evidence of India’s involvement in the Lahore attack of June 2021. The attack was planned and executed by Indian intelligence,” she said, adding that in 2016, a high-ranking Indian military officer <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/indias-ex-intelligence-officers-blame.html">Kulbhushan Jadhav</a> confessed to his involvement in directing, financing and executing terror and sabotage in Pakistan.</p><p>Narendra Modi has a long history of murdering minorities in his country. After the Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002, Narendra Modi made the cover of India Today magazine with the caption "Hero of Hatred". Modi was denied a visa to visit the United States. The US visa ban on Modi was lifted in 2014 after he became prime minister. Since then, Narendra Modi's image has been rehabilitated by the West as the US and Western Europe seek allies in Asia to counter the rise of China. However, Modi's actions on the ground in India confirm that he remains "Hero of Hatred" and "Divider In Chief" at his core. A recent two-part <a href="https://www.bbcselect.com/watch/india-the-modi-question/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6fC4hY-T_u_Zg7mAOjWFNaVd2zex4TNXjxqIBI-ekz4jSX-diaDkAcaAmZmEALw_wcB">BBC documentary</a> explains this reality in significant detail. The first part focuses on the 2002 events in Gujarat when Modi as the state chief minister ordered the police to not stop the Hindu mobs murdering Muslims and burning their homes and businesses. The second part looks at Modi government's anti-Muslim policies, including the revocation of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Kashmir's autonomy</a> (article 370) and a new citizenship law (CAA 2019) that discriminates against Muslims. It shows the violent response by security forces to peaceful protests against the new laws, and interviews the family members of people who were killed in the 2020 Delhi riots orchestrated by Modi's allies. </p><p>Having been caught by Ottawa in the act of murdering one of its citizens, the Indian government has reacted angrily, calling the Canadian allegations "absurd". In fact, India has labeled victims of assassination campaign "terrorists". The Indian response will only force Canada to publicly share evidence of wrongdoing by New Delhi. Such public disclosures will expose India's links to similar recent "mysterious" murders in Pakistan and the UK. It will also force London and Washington to confront the issue because the UK and the US also have hundreds of thousands of Sikh citizens whose leaders will be vulnerable to potential assassinations by the Modi government. </p><p>Here's Indian National Security Advisor on how to use Taliban to attack Pakistan:</p><p>https://youtu.be/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=ZB1c7Dd8ntQdKeFi</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=kioJoC8X-6nHSzSV" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><br /></p><p> Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/07/karan-thapar-debunks-indias-narrative.html">Karan Thapar Dismantles Official Indian Narrative on Kulbhushan Jadhav</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/10/why-is-india-sponsoring-terrorism-in.html">Why is India Sponsoring Terror in Pakistan? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/03/pakistan-releases-indian-raw-agent.html">Indian Agent Kubhushan Yadav's Confession</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2014/12/has-modi-stepped-up-indias-covert-war.html">Has Modi Stepped Up India's Covert War in Pakistan?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/05/ex-indian-spy-documents-raws-successes.html">Ex India Spy Documents Successful RAW Ops in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/07/london-met-police-confirm-document.html">London Police Document Confirms MQM-RAW Connection Testimony</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/01/indias-ex-intelligence-officers-blame.html">India's Ex Spooks Blame Kulbhushan Jadhav For Getting Caught</a><br /><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/eYRuk8H5M9E?si=ZB1c7Dd8ntQdKeFi">Ajit Doval Lecture on "How to Tackle Pakistan" </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/10/mohanlal-bhaskar-indian-raw-agent-in.html">Mohan Lal Bhaskar: An Indian Raw Agent in Pakistan</a><br /></p><div><div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-25251802377870845452023-09-17T19:31:00.003-07:002023-10-26T21:10:02.466-07:00Pakistan Among Top Sources of Foreign-Born STEM Workers in America<p>As of 2019, there were 35,000 Pakistan-born STEM workers in the United States, according to the American Immigration Council. They included information technologists, software developers, engineers and scientists. These figures do not include medical doctors and healthcare workers. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/s1337/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1337" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHNut5iHgljCrpKJCOI-zhQuLzBworRn4AYTIUUYjlmopzIYgfU4RghhV8qEqZabFBkBakM_4832y6bDrmVZI4lLUv1fEjz5r5TSXYI2NkxQjT7UzHysWS2L8ENUgw2Phd5k3QVTOKynFvtCJkIWhvr8-qaxv5JmNQyyVqhg816zRpsVrBcYNZu1SjCuF/w640-h530/Foreign%20STEM%20Workers%20in%20America.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">Foreign-Born STEM Workers in America. Source: American Immigration Council</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Foreign-born workers make up a growing share of America's STEM workforce. As of 2019, foreign-born workers made up almost a quarter of all STEM workers in the country. This is a significant increase from 2000, when just 16.4% of the country’s STEM workforce was foreign-born. Between 2000 and 2019, the overall number of STEM workers in the United States increased by 44.5 percent, from 7.5 million to more than 10.8 million, according to <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states">American Immigration Council</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/s1498/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1197" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiFoV_73-z3dd_8pZMT99ugnPmURhaztP3snnHnjrfL920ScnyBhtZq9x6VOngX_bzDJp0Jk325nvzl80-P97iEOHKRyma61V9rXYynyz1kdOEoNHe-iAZl7ibR-cPSZCzv4VJqF3rKBnoj_rdP1sjoNX1AHo4abOsFfbjU2I0s7jmygo5Bt3p17c1qQC/w512-h640/Immigrant%20Visas%20to%20US%202021.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">India and Pakistan Among Top 10 Countries Receiving US Immigrant Visas. Source: Visual Capitalist</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>India topped the top 10 list of foreign-born STEM workers with 721,000, followed by China (273,000), Mexico (119,000), Vietnam (100,000), Philippines (87,000), South Korea (64,000), Canada (56,000), Taiwan (53,000), Russia (45,000) and Pakistan (35,000). Enormous number of Indian STEM workers in the United States can at least partly be attributed to the fact that India's "body shops" have mastered the art of gaming the US temporary work visa system. Last year, Indian nationals sponsored by "body shops" like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS received <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">166,384 H1B</a> visas for work in the United States. By comparison, only <a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">1,107 Pakistanis</a> were granted H1B visas in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition to H1B work visas, 9,300 Indian nationals and 7,200 Pakistani nationals received <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-receiving-most-us-immigration-visas/">immigrant visas</a> to settle in the United States as permanent residents in 2021. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/s1200/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RxNejC2Ey_6EiPw3UUo1kdtWYf9nJ4PIlIdsWA6uxTdKA2tdOZAogHhIH5hfbots_ORb4Qdzl0quqWuIlJzw5Qd6tVdbMj24lsUQ2F_UgRBm75DpqLSuDEQyAJGh7kCkh4VWb4yhX6VwO7kidyBGBvSZ3NKDBhT938nlN5W54Vr4YPpnn7z6RFsLB9Za/w640-h640/Doctor%20Brain%20Drain.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/29667/doctor-brain-drain/">Doctor Brain Drain. Source: Statista</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In addition to 35,000 Pakistan-born <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">STEM workers</a>, there were 12,454 Pakistan-born and Pakistan-trained <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/04/pakistan-is-second-biggest-source-of.html">medical doctors</a> practicing in the United States, making the South Asian nation the second largest source of medical doctors in America. Pakistan produced <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">157,102 STEM graduates</a> last year, putting it among the world's top dozen or so countries. About 43,000 of these graduates are in information technology (IT).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOAKducq92vodItfvArl8xsMQ-sj0rnIT2UuWlDTvZRkdjnq86LM4-ZGLo77on-2sZsSmy7orosjghsDpsCs7r7iDLlYR0ehpGtjbmhIZlqzAlCmJFZT_5Rd7ZOyc6Skl2WlnRZPel9dV7Q-7cNhyphenhyphenanGNC2UhqXlRuf7Rm5vJpFJuV2pfZ9bzt68E5jJ6/s1496/Top%2010%20Recipient%20Countries%20of%20H-1B%20Visas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="1171" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOAKducq92vodItfvArl8xsMQ-sj0rnIT2UuWlDTvZRkdjnq86LM4-ZGLo77on-2sZsSmy7orosjghsDpsCs7r7iDLlYR0ehpGtjbmhIZlqzAlCmJFZT_5Rd7ZOyc6Skl2WlnRZPel9dV7Q-7cNhyphenhyphenanGNC2UhqXlRuf7Rm5vJpFJuV2pfZ9bzt68E5jJ6/w500-h640/Top%2010%20Recipient%20Countries%20of%20H-1B%20Visas.png" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/OLA_Signed_H-1B_Characteristics_Congressional_Report_FY2022.pdf">Top 10 Recipient Countries of H-1B Visas. Source: USCIS</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdAzdHhACGEfCuHFPNd2ZfA87buzMeP_T-dADiSGGh0cPPZBppfZM3YJ2QDZK_W63sbVvqrbmL3AtMhNTgISlCNy3JqPDzQn_igPww_QYuMyKjMM7ed-0O35p9g80ovykre-rJoes83AH9jB2BVTh4RKIMWwofVZ9NkCrosEVOYNCg9Rd7rKaftpX5f5Y/s1041/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Pakistani%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1041" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdAzdHhACGEfCuHFPNd2ZfA87buzMeP_T-dADiSGGh0cPPZBppfZM3YJ2QDZK_W63sbVvqrbmL3AtMhNTgISlCNy3JqPDzQn_igPww_QYuMyKjMM7ed-0O35p9g80ovykre-rJoes83AH9jB2BVTh4RKIMWwofVZ9NkCrosEVOYNCg9Rd7rKaftpX5f5Y/w640-h458/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Pakistani%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/pakistan-pak">H1B Visas Issued in Pakistan. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzD6eceQm7wCvbVZcbOmb05CRG_UkF8RusTleDtpNv7urz8pBdEp7WRxcnV2HQ2ptPdvsNVB2Zsjrg75WlujEAePda1I1Zr_friSHpkXEOiMrD0YSPMd1G1RBg10wx0ZvUZZiKKSwSprdvLC_1jvrl2xo55VW4QxZ8STMqh7zzKpvsIWDQvA_XLmHZThZ/s1060/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1060" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzD6eceQm7wCvbVZcbOmb05CRG_UkF8RusTleDtpNv7urz8pBdEp7WRxcnV2HQ2ptPdvsNVB2Zsjrg75WlujEAePda1I1Zr_friSHpkXEOiMrD0YSPMd1G1RBg10wx0ZvUZZiKKSwSprdvLC_1jvrl2xo55VW4QxZ8STMqh7zzKpvsIWDQvA_XLmHZThZ/w640-h470/H1B%20Visas%20Issued%20to%20Indian%20Nationals.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visagrader.com/visa-approvals-and-refusals/H1B/india-ind">H1B Visas Issued in India. Source: Visagrader.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p>Every year, applicants sponsored by Indian body shops claim the lion's share of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/04/india-files-h1b-visa-complaint-against.html">H1B visas</a>. In 2022, Indians received 166,384 new H1B visas, accounting for nearly three quarters of all such visas issued by the US government. The figures reported as India <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2013/11/indias-it-exports-figures-highly.html">IT exports</a> are in fact the wages earned by millions of Indian H1B workers in the United States. </p><p>Related Links:</p><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/over-million-pakistani-university.html">Over a Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/10/2021-banner-year-for-pakistani-tech.html">2021: A Banner Year For Tech Startups in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/12/goldman-sachs-projects-pakistan-economy.html">Pakistan Projected to Be World's 6th Largest Economy By 2075</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/11/pakistans-fintech-revolution-to-promote.html">Fintech Revolution in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/independence-day-growing-share-of.html">Growing Share of Working Age Population in Pakistan</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2018/12/pakistans-research-output-growth-among.html">Pakistan Scientific Output is World's Fastest Growing</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/09/indias-chandrayaan-3-success-can.html">India's Chandrayaan 3 Success: Can Pakistanis Explore Space?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/01/digital-pakistan-2022-broadband.html">Digital Pakistan 2022</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/pakistans-large-and-growing-civil.html">Pakistan's Large and Growing Civil Nuclear Program</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/pakistan-next-electronics-manufacturing.html"> </a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-86148034932306053702023-09-10T17:16:00.007-07:002023-09-10T19:47:08.346-07:00G20 Summit in India: Modi's Personal PR Extravaganza?<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi successfully transformed routine rotational G20 presidency into an extravagant personal <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/g20-kashmir-meeting-modis-pr-ploy.html">PR exercise</a> this week. The Indian mass media and the general public saw Mr. Modi's face plastered all over the Indian capital. Some analysts described it as the kickoff of the Indian leader's political campaign for national elections scheduled for next year. As Mr. Modi spoke of "one earth, one family, one future", his right-wing Hindutva allies continued their unhindered campaign of murder and mayhem against the Christian community in the Indian state of Manipur. Globally, too, Mr. Modi lived up to his reputation of "<a href="https://time.com/5586415/india-election-narendra-modi-2019/">Divider In Chief</a>" as the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Russian leader Vladimir Putin chose to stay away from the gathering attended by all the western leaders. Both China and Russia stand in the way of the continuation of centuries-old unchallenged western hegemony of the world. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfMfZJavMCkCqrKTnXzCAHBDr4yd9qoX-6rmPO_7WdaobNd3i8CB_3V5cJYJoJw_LMWjEGbTyTW_oCkbs2NCujy1iZcZSupC0Gd6sJKffmti-14l0LHFtoVF9Glft3i5m4P89lEKdo1n_1Mepu4U-hf7xrUjG3ywMa4mxppAgJ7F4yWWPzgxaDg1kYtcs/s2184/Modi%20Hero%20or%20Villain.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="2184" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfMfZJavMCkCqrKTnXzCAHBDr4yd9qoX-6rmPO_7WdaobNd3i8CB_3V5cJYJoJw_LMWjEGbTyTW_oCkbs2NCujy1iZcZSupC0Gd6sJKffmti-14l0LHFtoVF9Glft3i5m4P89lEKdo1n_1Mepu4U-hf7xrUjG3ywMa4mxppAgJ7F4yWWPzgxaDg1kYtcs/w640-h402/Modi%20Hero%20or%20Villain.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modi: Hero of Hatred at G20. Source: India Today</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After the Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002, Narendra Modi made the cover of India Today magazine with the caption "Hero of Hatred". Modi was denied a visa to visit the United States. The US visa ban on Modi was lifted in 2014 after he became prime minister. Since then, Narendra Modi's image has been rehabilitated by the West as the US and Western Europe seek allies in Asia to counter the rise of China. However, Modi's actions on the ground in India confirm that he remains "Hero of Hatred" and "Divider In Chief" at his core. A recent two-part <a href="https://www.bbcselect.com/watch/india-the-modi-question/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6fC4hY-T_u_Zg7mAOjWFNaVd2zex4TNXjxqIBI-ekz4jSX-diaDkAcaAmZmEALw_wcB">BBC documentary</a> explains this reality in significant detail. The first part focuses on the 2002 events in Gujarat when Modi as the state chief minister ordered the police to not stop the Hindu mobs murdering Muslims and burning their homes and businesses. The second part looks at Modi government's anti-Muslim policies, including the revocation of <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/08/indian-occupied-kashmir-under-total.html">Kashmir's autonomy</a> (article 370) and a new citizenship law (CAA 2019) that discriminates against Muslims. It shows the violent response by security forces to peaceful protests against the new laws, and interviews the family members of people who were killed in the 2020 Delhi riots orchestrated by Modi's allies. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqClIeKkB0maeZn7VCFAju1KnGj7h4h26Of1NMRn5mOrUfC9PfpjV1a7Mi3uQs70UGItbY3nfq46KVqndEwRXCUTSxcqryZlK66vj8qlkbs3iRbfHZ5z9X7of4eqHroEXePYBsloDQ8kI_4_IAmi70Dn51sCR7MHenks6kfrIOYr4vtklE0-mPtzdjoAdk/s1260/Modi%20Divider%20In%20Chief.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="948" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqClIeKkB0maeZn7VCFAju1KnGj7h4h26Of1NMRn5mOrUfC9PfpjV1a7Mi3uQs70UGItbY3nfq46KVqndEwRXCUTSxcqryZlK66vj8qlkbs3iRbfHZ5z9X7of4eqHroEXePYBsloDQ8kI_4_IAmi70Dn51sCR7MHenks6kfrIOYr4vtklE0-mPtzdjoAdk/w482-h640/Modi%20Divider%20In%20Chief.png" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://time.com/5586415/india-election-narendra-modi-2019/">Modi Divider In Chief. Source: Time Magazine</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In a recent piece for <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/India-s-Modi-is-not-the-world-s-guru">Nikkei Asia</a>, Indian journalist Swaminathan Aiyar dismisses Modi's attempts to recast himself as "Vishwaguru", the teacher of the world. Here's an excerpt of Aiyar's piece titled "India's Modi is not the world's guru": </p><p>"Modi's notion of being the world's guru is just as ridiculous as his twisted history of "centuries of enslavement," which has been used to attack India's religious minorities. A guru is nothing without disciples. If India or Modi himself is the world's guru, who are the disciples? The least likely candidates are Western powers which believe, rightly or wrongly, that they are the true global gurus. It might seem that India's disciples would be most likely to come from its geographic neighborhood rather than distant lands. But even a cursory examination shows otherwise. Does Pakistan regard India as a guru? No, it is India's greatest foe. It has allied with China, India's other major foe, to try and put India in its place. No disciples there. What about Bangladesh, which India helped to achieve independence from Pakistan in 1971? There is now little gratitude for India's help, which is accurately viewed as a ploy to split and disempower Pakistan rather than an altruistic move to aid Bangladeshis. Sri Lanka? Many there harbor ill will toward New Delhi in the belief that it supported the development of the Tamil Tiger insurgency when Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister in the early 1980s. The insurgency became a civil war in which up to 100,000 were killed. Hard to find disciples there. What about Nepal, a predominantly Hindu nation? Ever since then-Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru intervened in a royal power struggle in 1951, Nepalese have viewed New Delhi as an imperial power to be feared. India has on more than one occasion blocked essential supplies to Nepal to try to exert political influence. Nepalese may be Hindus, but they are anything but Modi's disciples" </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_VbTnchqFbycXVXmWnWkEiXSUI077Vk1GjEtYo9lNX7G-bNS8cnazfrKVLYy1s34J_o-c2-DiFVwqxM-ypM3r-ysC-VzU4XefOnUwj4dgmcb-g7JQ8dNotA6uirlI5eYsBUB5wCepr9IZjMH7cTcKWOEtRfF1k9onL-hsFAn5gpN-CisVlkVu8Gofmu1/s1600/Modi%20Cartoon%20on%20Discrimination%20Against%20Muslims.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="1600" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_VbTnchqFbycXVXmWnWkEiXSUI077Vk1GjEtYo9lNX7G-bNS8cnazfrKVLYy1s34J_o-c2-DiFVwqxM-ypM3r-ysC-VzU4XefOnUwj4dgmcb-g7JQ8dNotA6uirlI5eYsBUB5wCepr9IZjMH7cTcKWOEtRfF1k9onL-hsFAn5gpN-CisVlkVu8Gofmu1/w640-h498/Modi%20Cartoon%20on%20Discrimination%20Against%20Muslims.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/satishacharya/status/1672277338330140674?s=20">Cartoonist Mocks Modi's Answer at the White House. Source: Satish Acharya</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br style="text-align: left;" /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>President Joseph R. Biden and other western leaders are making a huge mistake by coddling divisive and <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/07/is-west-unwittingly-helping-modi.html">dangerous Modi</a>. While the western nations are seeking an <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/can-washington-trust-modis-india-as-key.html">alliance with India</a> to counter rising China, the Hindutva leadership of India has no intention of confronting China. In a piece titled “America’s <a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/india/americas-bad-bet-india-modi?check_logged_in=1">Bad Bet</a> on India”, Indian-American analyst Ashley Tellis noted that the Biden administration had “overlooked India’s democratic erosion and its <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/india-emerges-biggest-winner-of-ukraine.html">unhelpful foreign policy</a> choices” in the hopes that the US can “solicit” New Delhi’s “contributions toward coalition defense”.</p><p>Earlier this year, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed New Delhi's unwillingness to confront China in an interview: “Look they (China) are a bigger economy. What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, I am going to pick up a fight with bigger economy? It is not a question of being a reactionary; it is a question of common sense.”</p><p>Modi's India is driven much more by a desire to bring back what the right-wing Hindus see as the "glory days" of India through "Hindu Raj" of the entire South Asia region, including Pakistan. The arms and technology being given to Modi will more likely be used against India's smaller neighbors, not against China. </p><div><div><p>Related Links:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/03/can-modis-india-be-trusted-with-nukes.html">Can Modi's India be Trusted with Nukes?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2019/03/balakot-kashmir-fact-checkers-expose.html">Balakot and Kashmir: Fact Checkers Expose Indian Lies</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/12/indian-hindu-nazis-join-forces-with.html">India's "Hindu Nazis" Join Forces With Western Neo-Nazis to Threaten World Peace</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/02/india-emerges-biggest-winner-of-ukraine.html">India is the Biggest Winner of Ukraine War and US-China Competition</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/10/indias-superpower-delusions-modis.html">Modi's Blunders and Delusions </a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/modi-co-opting-chandrayaan-3-success.html">Modi Coopting Chandrayaan Success For Hindutva Propaganda</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/06/pakistani-american-journalist-questions.html">Pakistani-American Journalist Questions Modi About Minorities in India</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/05/g20-kashmir-meeting-modis-pr-ploy.html">G20 in Kashmir: Modi's PR Ploy</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/09/can-washington-trust-modis-india-as-key.html">Can Washington Trust Modi as a Key Ally?</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/07/are-indias-leaders-uneducated-what-is.html">Are India's Leaders Uneducated?</a><br /></p><div></div><p><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/08/stimson-poll-vast-majority-of-indians.html" style="font-family: times;">Vast Majority of Indians Believe Nuclear War Against Pakistan is Winnable</a></p><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><div style="font-family: times; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/">PakAlumni Social Network</a></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-49694896136520103482023-09-02T21:04:00.005-07:002023-09-03T18:32:50.313-07:00India's Chandrayaan 3 Success: Can Pakistanis Explore Space?<p>India's recent <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/08/modi-co-opting-chandrayaan-3-success.html">Chandrayaan 3</a> success has triggered serious soul searching among Pakistanis. They are asking: Can we explore space? Do we have the basic technical knowhow? Are there any serious rocket scientists among Pakistanis? The answer to all three questions is absolutely YES. Pakistan's NESCOM (National Engineering and Science Commission) has developed, tested and supported deployment of several solid and liquid fueled multi-stage rockets for the nation's highly advanced missile program. In multiple test flights conducted over the years, these NESCOM missiles have traveled long distances through space at hypersonic speeds to deliver payloads to their designated targets. </p><div><br /></div><div><b>From Rehbar to Shaheen:</b> <br /><div><br /></div><div>Pakistan has certainly come a long way from the Rehbar series of rockets tested by SUPARCO in the 1960s. With some investment of time and money, the NESCOM rockets designed for the military can be <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/military-rockets-launched-space-age">repurposed</a> to launch satellites into space. But it has not been a priority for Pakistan. It will likely become a high priority when sending rockets into space starts to be seen as a matter of national security. After all, Pakistan has to prepare itself for the possibility of India using its kinetic capabilities to threaten Pakistan militarily by attacking its six satellites currently in space, including the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS). </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFzkwW56LJ0nkF_EDpz9qV1_LtZr1ugZJtPVnsZHfGnSvnhbd148fcXLmch6wtaAGCqVgRM_gMKdBWA6hVJowJu69BFZCZK3lZLsuTZJQhYm3MYVTaoMFZFahgfoOxWed9gHg8RVfJLRJoiKLAlYngj8CmZYGZr81b4jjpm7OIe4hNOz7-SzvB7rkOs4H/s1915/Shaheen%203%20Launch.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1915" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFzkwW56LJ0nkF_EDpz9qV1_LtZr1ugZJtPVnsZHfGnSvnhbd148fcXLmch6wtaAGCqVgRM_gMKdBWA6hVJowJu69BFZCZK3lZLsuTZJQhYm3MYVTaoMFZFahgfoOxWed9gHg8RVfJLRJoiKLAlYngj8CmZYGZr81b4jjpm7OIe4hNOz7-SzvB7rkOs4H/w640-h412/Shaheen%203%20Launch.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pakistan's Shaheen 3 Launch. Source: ISPR</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><b>US-Soviet Space Race History:</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>In the early years of the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union started developing rockets for use in long-range missiles. But this race to build weapons later turned into a race to build rockets for space exploration. The same rocket that could carry a nuclear warhead could (and sometimes did) also launch spacecraft into orbit. This intense investment in engineering for missiles and rockets sparked off the Space Race, according to space historians at the <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/military-rockets-launched-space-age">Smithsonian</a> in Washington DC. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pakistan's Shaheen 3:</b> </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Pakistan has successfully tested <a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/03/pakistans-shaheen-iii-can-serve-as-slv.html">Shaheen III</a> ballistic missile. It is a medium-range ballistic missile with a maximum flight altitude of 692 kilometers. The Kármán line, the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, is located at an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level. Shaheen 3 can strike targets up to 2,750 kilometers away. Its multi-stage solid-fuel technology can also be used to <a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2008/04/india-races-ahead-in-space.html">launch satellites</a> into space. It has been jointly developed by the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) and the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). It's the latest example of dual-use technology. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Shaheen-III is the latest in the series of the indigenously produced Shaheen-I and Shaheen-II, which had shorter ranges. Since the technology used in satellite launch vehicles (SLV) is <a href="http://www.mtcr.info/english/guidelines.html">virtually identical</a> to that used in a ballistic missile, Shaheen 3, the latest enhancement to the Shaheen series of missiles, is expected to boost <a href="http://www.pakalumni.com/forum/topics/pakistan-s-space-program">Pakistan's space program</a> as well. The United States and the Soviet Union used their military missiles in the space race. More recently, several nations, including <a href="http://fas.org/nuke/guide/india/missile/agni.htm">India</a> and <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBXL1i-n6UAC&pg=PA238&lpg=PA238&dq=Ballistic+missile+Shavit+SLV&source=bl&ots=-YiSY98Tvy&sig=28FSsA0KfwdzTTsUyimH2H6r7Io&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cBX_VMHjL8ywogT_3IK4Bw&ved=0CFQQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Ballistic%20missile%20Shavit%20SLV&f=false">Israel</a>, have used the same rocket motors for both ballistic missiles and satellite launch vehicles (SLVs). Israel's Shavit SLV and India's SLV-3 are examples of it. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Space Defense:</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>For its defense, Pakistan has non-kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) options, including: Jamming, Spoofing, Meaconing, Laser, High-powered microwave attacks. Pakistan has to prepare itself for the possibility of India using its kinetic capabilities to threaten Pakistan militarily by attacking its six satellites currently in space, including the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS). India has already demonstrated it in 2019 by destroying its own satellite with an anti-satellite missile system (ASAT). The debris from the destroyed satellite still circulates in orbit. More than 50 pieces of debris remain in space, posing a small but potential threat to other spacecraft. </div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><p>Related Links:</p><p><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/">Haq's Musings</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.southasiainvestor.com/">South Asia Investor Review</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2015/03/pakistans-shaheen-iii-can-serve-as-slv.html">Pakistan's Shaheen 3 as Satellite Launch Vehicle</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/03/has-pakistan-developed-cyber-attack-and.html">Pakistan's Cyber Attack and Defense Capability</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2010/04/indias-indigenous-copies-of-foreign.html">Are India's Nukes and Missiles Really Indigenous? </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/12/pakistan-made-airplanes-lead-nations.html">Pakistan's Aircraft Exports</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/06/navy-modernization-to-boost-pakistan.html">Pakistan Navy Modernization</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/10/pakistan-nuclear-program-kahuta-in.html">Pakistan Nuclear Program: Kahuta in the Crosshairs of India & Israel in 1980s</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2009/03/pakistans-growing-defense-industry.html">Pakistan Defense Industry</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2013/02/silicon-valley-launch-of-eating-grass.html">Silicon Valley Book Launch of "Eating Grass"</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/02/ukraines-lesson-for-pakistan-never-give.html">Ukraine's Lesson For Pakistan: Never Give Up Nukes!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/12/pakistan-ppp-gdp-nears-trillion-dollar.html">Pakistan Economy Nears Trillion Dollars</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2015/04/israel-and-pakistan-bolster-second.html">Pakistan's Sea-Based Second Strike Capability</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Riazhaq/videos">Riaz Haq Youtube Channel</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WideAngleZoom/videos" style="font-family: times;">VPOS Youtube Channel</a></p><p><br /></p></div>Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com13