While introducing South Carolina's Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Vincent Sheheen at a recent dinner, South Carolina Democratic Chairman Dick Harpootlian made the statement "In about 18 months from now, hopefully Sheheen will have sent Nikki Haley back to wherever the hell she came from".

The comment drew cheers and laughs from the audience but now Harpootlian is facing harsh criticism, given Haley's Indian heritage, as his remarks implied that if Governor Haley loses the election she would go back to India, the place of her ancestors.

However, the somewhat red-faced Democrat leader later clarified that he was referring to Lexington County not India. At last year's Democratic convention, Harpootlian had compared Haley to Adolf Hitler's mistress, saying the governor 'was down in the bunker a la Eva Braun’.

Harpootlian refused to apologise for that remark.

Before being elected governor in 2010, Haley lived in Lexington County in suburban Columbia and represented the area in the state house. Her parents are Sikh immigrants.

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Five years ago, Komal Pravinbhai Ganatra was married, but just 15 days later her husband deserted her because her parents could not meet his dowry demands, and shortly after she was thrown out by her in-laws.

Now all these years later Komal has secured a top rank in the Union Public Service examination for civil services. She is a primary school teacher in a remote village in Bhavnagar and now expects to join the Indian Revenue Service. She is among 11 candidates from Gujarat who have cleared the examination this year.

Komal is now determined to fight a legal battle with her NRI husband Shailesh Popat, in New Zealand. She could not seek justice earlier because of her weak financial condition and fear that litigation would affect her preparations for the exam.

She is now determined to go ahead and get justice for what her husband and in-laws did because she came from a poor family.

It is going to be a long and hard campaign because Shailesh has never kept in touch nor given her his address or contact number. He has also not divorced her yet.

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NRI workers in Saudia Arabia legally, will be permitted to regularise their visa status, find new jobs or return home if they voluntarily register with the Saudi authorities during the three month grace period announced by the Kingdom.

This was one of the issues discussed at a joint group meeting held at the Saudi ministry of labour. A statement issued from the Indian embassy in Riyadh said discussions will continue next week.

The group that was set up during discussions between Saudi labour minister Adel Fakeih and an Indian delegation is mandated to discuss all issues pertaining to the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia, including those pertaining to the recently introduced Nitaqat programme and overstaying Indian workers. The Nitiqat law was implemented to cut unemployment in the country among Saudis.

Additionally those workers who volunteer to use the three months grace period and have no legal issues pending against them will not be blacklisted and will be allowed to return to Saudi Arabia with appropriate visas, and will not need to go through deportation centers.

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Over 6500 Indians languish in prisons in 80 foreign counties, half of them in three Gulf countries, Kuwait, Saudia Arabia and the UAE.

Pakistan has 253 Indian prisoners, China has 157, Sri Lanka 63. Nepal prisons have 377 Indian prisoners. Italy has 121 Indians in their jails, the United Kingdom has 426 inmates and US prisons house 155 Indians.

These statistics were obtained on an RTI by a Kochi based NGO Human Rights Defense Forum.

T P Sreenivasan former ambassador of India to the United Nations said ordinary crimes, drug trafficking and domestic violence land Indians in jail in European countries, but a number of prisoners in Gulf countries are arrested for questionable contracts, illegal stay and migration.

Malaysia's 187 Indian prisoners and Singapore's 156 have mostly been arrested for immigration violations and a few for criminal cases.

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With the recent opening of new attractions like River Safari and Gardens of Bay, the Singapore Tourism Board is aiming at a million visitor arrivals from Indian this year

The Tourism Board claims to have registered the best-ever performance in 2012 with international tourist arrivals. India was the fifth largest visitor source market among the top 15 countries that accounted for 76 percent of international visitors in 2012.

According to GB Srithar, area director (South Asia), Singapore is no longer a destination for Indian film shoots alone, small screen shoots are also picking up in the country. The Board is in talks with various regional TV channels to facilitate their travelogue programmes.

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