Letters to Editor

Indian Diaspora Largest in the World

The Indian diaspora constitutes 6% of the total number of international migrants (people living outside the country of their birth), which was estimated at 243 million in 2015. A recently released United Nation’s report said that the global figure has risen by 10% over that recorded in 2010. In other words, out of a global population of 7.3 billion, one out of every 30 people was a migrant in 2015. However, if computed as a percentage of the world’s population, the growth of the diaspora has been largely static, from 3.2% in 2010 to 3.3% in 2015, according to the ‘World Migration Report - 2018’, published by the International Organisation for Migration, a UN agency. According to the report, nearly half of all the international migrants worldwide in 2015 were born in Asia, primarily originating from India, China and other South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. After India, Mexico has the second largest diaspora. Notably, people in the working age group, between 20 to 64 years, account for a significant chunk of the international migrant population - nearly 72%. Since 1970, the US has been the main destination for international migrants. The number of foreign-born people residing in the US has almost quadrupled from fewer than 12 million in 1970 to 46.6 million in 2015 (of which nearly two million were of Indian origin). The Gulf nations house the biggest share of the Indian diaspora — nearly 3.5 million or 22% of the total Indian diaspora were in the UAE and 1.9 million (or 12%) in Saudi Arabia. According to immigration experts, protectionist measures adopted in these and other countries will eventually transform the diaspora landscape.

We are currently witnessing intense vetting of applications for H-1B, the most popular work visa for Indians headed for the US and entry into the US is likely to involve stricter rules. The number of migrants to the Gulf has dipped drastically in recent years, owing to economic conditions and the protectionist measures adopted by these countries.

However, the Indian diaspora is the world’s largest with slightly more than 15.6 million people from India living overseas.

Satish Kumar Sarma,

Kalyanpur, Biswanath Chariali.

Death for Rapist, a good move but..

The death penalty for rape of children below 12 years of age and increasing minimum punishment from 10 years to 20 years with provision to extend the same to life imprisonment in case of rape of girls below 16 years are the first right steps. But in most such cases the accused is known to victim and reporting of known persons for such heinous crimes is ignored in most cases. Another form of punishment for other rape cases is to have surgical or chemical castration of rape convicts with heavy fines. The strict implementation of these laws is a must for safety of our women. And to reduce such number of crimes, it is equally important that there’s urgent need to launch a national awareness campaign through the media, internet, posters, and advertisements to educate the public about the vital importance of gender equality and respect for women. In addition, girls and women should be trained in martial arts and self-defense techniques in all schools and colleges and gender sensitization classes should be made compulsory for male children and their parents.

Mahesh Kapasi,

Gulmohar Park, New Delhi-110 049.