Re: Dual Citizenship

[Charu datt <charu@ix.netcom.com>]

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Administrative Note:
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Week's Agenda: Political & administrative reforms
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Arvind Kumar wrote:
>Here is a practical reason for not giving dual citizenship.
>The welfare of a nation is taken care of when its
>citizens have a vested interest in seeing it prosper.
>Those with citizenship of another country couldn't
>care less because they have another safe haven.

Following this argument, it would make sense for India to
revoke the citizenship of people [like yours truly]
who have not lived in in India, or paid taxes there for many years.

Whether I accept another passport or not does not
change this argument.

This discussion so far has been thought provoking for me.
Some thoughts [my opinions only]:
Expatriate Indians represent a huge pool of people who care about
and want to contribute to the welfare of India.
It is stupid to structure foregn policy to obstruct them.

Travel restrictions on Indian citizens is largely a result of reciprocal
policies. Much of the obstruction to expatriates can be removed by
amending these policies.

I associate citizenship with communitiy- a sense of common welfare
and shared purpose. I belive in decentralization and localization of the power
of people to control their lives. I do not acknowledge the legitimacy of pledges

of allegiance, saluting flags, and so on- I see these as Orwellian devices for
manipulation of emotions with roots in feudalism where serfs would swear
allegiance to their masters or subjects swore allegiance to their kings.
This has no place in a society of equals where the only requirement for
membership [citizenship] ought to be mutual respect for each other.

My conclusions on this topic:
India would benefit from foregn policy that facilitates contributions by
expatriates
who wish to do so [and domestic policy that fully uses the potential of people
that
live in India, but we're talking foregn policy so that's another discussion].

There are people, both resident and expatriate, who would exploit the system
for their own gain at the expense of the local population. Local laws and
controls
need to be applied regardless of the origin or passport of the people who
operate locally in India.

-Charu

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