ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਤਾ ਲਈ ਨਵਾਂ ਨਿਯਮ 1 ਨਵੰਬਰ ਤੋਂ

ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ 29 ਸਤੰਬਰ - ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਤਾ ਅਪਲਾਈ ਕਰਨ ਵੇਲੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਅਰਜ਼ੀਕਰਤਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ (ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਜਾਂ ਫਰੈਂਚ) ਦੇ ਗਿਆਨ ਦਾ ਸਬੂਤ ਅਰਜ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ ਨੱਥੀ ਕਰਨਾ ਲਾਜ਼ਮੀ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਪਹਿਲੀ ਨਵੰਬਰ 2012 ਤੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਨਵੇਂ ਨਿਯਮ ਬਾਰੇ ਸਿਟੀਜ਼ਨਸਿਪ ਐਂਡ ਇਮੀਗ੍ਰੇਸਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਜੇਸਨ ਕੈਨੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਹੁਣ ਤੱਕ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ 18 ਤੋਂ 54 ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਉਮਰ ਦੇ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਸਿਟੀਜ਼ਨਸਿਪ ਲਈ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਅਰਜ਼ੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਪੜਤਾਲ ਮਗਰੋਂ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਅਤੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇਸ਼ ਬਾਰੇ ਆਮ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦੀ ਇਕ ਟੈਸਟ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਪਰਖ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਸਿਟੀਜ਼ਨਸਿਪ ਜੱਜ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇੰਟਰਵਿਊ ਲੈ ਲਈ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਪਰ ਹੁਣ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਕਾਮਯਾਬ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ੀ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਕੋਲ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਜਾਂ ਫਰੈਂਚ ਦੀ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ ਹੋਣਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਅਰਜ਼ੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਬੋਲਣ ਦੀ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ ਦਾ ਸਬੂਤ ਲਿਆ ਜਾਇਆ ਕਰੇਗਾ। ਇਹ ਸਬੂਤ +2 ਤੱਕ ਦੀ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ/ਫਰੈਂਚ ਨਾਲ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ, ਆਇਲੈਟਸ ਜਾਂ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ ਕੋਰਸ ਦੇ ਸਰਟੀਫਿਕੇਟ ਵਜੋਂ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਸਿਟੀਜ਼ਨਸਿਪ ਦਾ ਟੈਸਟ ਆਮ ਵਾਂਗ ਲਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਹੇਗਾ। ਉਪਰੋਕਤ ਨਵੇਂ ਨਿਯਮ ਲਾਗੂ ਹੋਣ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਦੇਸੀ (ਅਨਪੜ੍ਹ) ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗਾਂ ਲਈ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਬਣਨਾ ਅਸੰਭਵ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।

Former Cong minister Henry loses citizenship

Jalandhar, September 19
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) has ceased the Indian citizenship of senior Congress leader and transporter Avtar Henry.

In a communication to Principal Secretary (Homes) DS Bains, Undersecretary, Union Government, SN Garg has said the Centre, while exercising powers under Sections 9(2) of the Citizenship Act-1955, had ceased Henry’s Indian citizenship from the date he acquired British citizenship and passport in 1969.

Henry, however, is at liberty to acquire Indian citizenship by following the procedures laid down under the law.

In the letter, Garg stated that an inquiry report forwarded by the Additional Director General of Punjab Police specified that the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, was not in possession of any record that could be used to ascertain whether Henry had submitted an application to acquire Indian citizenship or not. Henry had acquired an Indian passport in 1981 and subsequently in 2004. The passport can be issued only to an Indian citizen.

But the records of the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that the division had not granted Indian citizenship to Avtar Henry from 1981 onwards.

The letter sent by Garg to Bains stated that the fact that he had acquired a British passport conclusively proved that he had acquired British citizenship and thereby automatically ceased to be an India citizen under Sections 9(1) of the Citizenship Act-1955 from the date of the acquisition of British citizenship.

Case history

Henry had landed in a trouble following allegations of dual citizenship levelled by his son Gurjit Singh Sanghera. The Union Home Ministry had summoned him to Delhi to clear his stand.

Henry was asked to appear before the ministry on July 10, 2012. Henry had appeared before SM Garg and recorded his statement.

In November 2009, Sanghera had accused his father of possessing two passports. In his complaint, Sanghera had alleged that Avtar Singh ‘Sanghera’ had been to England on an Indian passport, which he had procured from the passport office in Delhi by posing as Lakhbir Singh Sanghera’s son. Lakhbir Singh Sanghera is, in fact, Henry’s elder brother and his father’s name is Joginder Singh.

The complainant had further alleged that Henry had made a false averment in the British passport that his “father”, Lakhbir Singh Sanghera, had died in 1905. Lakhbir Singh had actually died in November 2006.

The complaint further read that Avtar Henry (‘son’ of Lakhbir Singh) took British citizenship on the old passport issued by the Indian Government. He later managed to get a passport from the British government and returned to India in September 1969. He yet again got a passport prepared from the Jalandhar passport officer, showing himself as the son of Joginder Singh (the real father) and born in Pakistan.

The complainant had sought charges under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 494 of the IPC against Henry. The Jalandhar police acted on the complaint, but the files were gathering dust at the SSP’s office.

The case was later reopened by the city police after Sanghera, through his friend Ajay Sehgal, an RTI activist, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The court had directed the Union Home Ministry, Punjab Chief Secretary and the DGP to complete an ongoing probe into a complaint against Henry in four months.

Son relieved

Gurjit Singh Sanghera has expressed satisfaction at the union government’s decision to cease Henry’s Indian citizenship. Talking to The Tribune, Sanghera claimed that he would move an application before the city police Commissioner seeking his arrest.

BJP veteran Bakshi Ram Arora is Amritsar Mayor

Amritsar, September 19
The BJP high command today appointed veteran leader Bakshi Ram Arora as the city Mayor, putting to rest the tussle between two factions of the local unit lobbying hard for respective candidates.
The three-time BJP councillor’s name was proposed by SAD Chief Parliamentary Secretary Inderbir Bolaria and seconded by BJP Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi during the first meeting of the fifth Amritsar Municipal Corporation House at Town Hall.
SAD councillors Avtar Singh Truckanwala and Avinash Jolly were unanimously elected Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively. Their names were proposed by Joshi and seconded by Bolaria.

The presiding officer, Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner SR Ladhar, administered the oath to the newly elected councillors.

ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਇਯਾਲੀ ਨੇ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਕਾਰਜਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਹਲਕੇ ਦੀ ਨੁਹਾਰ ਬਦਲੀ

ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ, 19 ਸਤੰਬਰ (ਵਤਨਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ)-ਨਵੇਂ ਨਰੋਏ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਸਿਰਜਣਾ ਲਈ ਅਕਾਲੀ-ਭਾਜਪਾ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵਲੋਂ ਪਿੰਡ-ਪਿੰਡ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਕਾਰਜਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਸੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਤੁਸ਼ਟ ਤੇ ਖੁਸ਼ ਹਨ। ਸ: ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਹੇਠ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਅੱਜ ਤਰੱਕੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਮੰਜ਼ਿਲਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਵਧ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਸ: ਬਾਦਲ ਤੋਂ ਸੇਧ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਹਲਕਾ ਦਾਖਾ ਤੋਂ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਇਯਾਲੀ ਨੇ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਕਾਰਜਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਹਲਕੇ ਦੀ ਨੁਹਾਰ ਬਦਲ ਦਿੱਤੀ, ਜਿਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਹਲਕੇ ਦੇ ਵੱਡੇ-ਵੱਡੇ ਕਾਂਗਰਸੀ ਲੀਡਰ ਸ: ਇਯਾਲੀ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਣਾ ਸਦਕਾ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਦੀਆਂ ਨੀਤੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ।

British PM hails role of Indian immigrants

London, September 12
Prime Minister David Cameron today said the thousands of Indians and other Asians who arrived in Britain after being expelled from Uganda 40 years ago had made an "extraordinary contribution" to the fabric of British life.

Responding to a question from Indian-origin Conservative MP Shailesh Vara in the House of Commons, Cameron said those in Britain who had opposed their immigration in 1972 were "completely wrong", and also lauded Vara's contribution to parliament.

Vara, MP from north-west Cambridgeshire, was born in Uganda and migrated to Britain with his family in the early 1970s.

Vara recalled that the then Conservative government had allowed the Uganda Asians to migrate here after being expelled by Idi Amin despite much opposition at the time in Parliament and other parts of the country.

In August 1972, the Uganda Indians were not welcome in the east Midlands city of Leicester, where over 10,000 of them migrated, and went on to prosper in one of the most remarkable success stories of the Indian diaspora.

The Leicester city council had then paid for advertisements in the Uganda press, informing that it was "in your own interests and those of your family... not come to Leicester".

As the community of Uganda Asians mark 40 years of their expulsion and immigration to Britain, the Leicester city council is planning to publicly thank them for transforming the city and region after facing racism and other hurdles as they rebuilt their lives.

Sundip Meghani, son of one of the many Indians expelled from Uganda, has proposed a motion in the same city council thanking the Indians and other Asians from Uganda for their contribution to the city.

Man killed in 'targeted' Surrey shooting

VANCOUVER — The man gunned down in a Surrey parking lot Thursday is the brother of a recently-convicted cocaine smuggler.

Police confirmed Friday the victim was 37-year-old Delta resident Jag Johal, brother to Shminder Johal, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in July for smuggling cocaine and guns into B.C. after a 2007 arrest.

Johal was shot multiple times in broad daylight while sitting in the passenger side of a car in a parking lot at 68 Avenue and King George Boulevard.

There were no other injuries in the daylight attack in the 6800-block of King George Boulevard Thursday.

He was rushed to Royal Columbian hospital, where he later died. Surrey RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger called the targeted attack, which was witnessed by Johal's wife and four-year-old son, “brazen and deplorable.”

Grainger said the shooting was of particular concern because the plaza has a number of businesses catering to families and children, and took place right at the end of a school day.

No other injuries were reported and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken over the case.

Paramedics were called by the RCMP just before 2:45 p.m., according to B.C. Ambulance Service. According to bystanders, about 10 police cars, a fire truck and two life support unit ambulances were on scene.

This summer, Johal was present in the courtroom while his brother received a lengthy sentence for acting as the “overseer” of a cocaine smuggling ring that also saw a former Canada Border Services Agency guard Baljinder Kandola sentenced to 15 years.

"This apparent targeted shooting occurred in broad daylight in a highly populated public area where many businesses are located. The potential for further victims was high and this selfish act of violence is not taken lightly by investigators," said Sgt. Jennifer Pound, of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which has taken over the case.