ajai@fx.com (Ajai Banerji) (06/29/91)
===================================================================== NEWS-JUNE 28 Source: India West, June 21 and 28. Most items originally from Reuter. ===================================================================== General: The Bharat Ratna has been awarded posthumously to Rajiv Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. Air Marshal N.C. Suri will be the next chief of the air staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal S.K.Mehra Pranab Mukherji is the new deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, following the resignation of Mohan Dharia and other incumbent members. ELECTION MISCELLANY New governments have been formed in all the states where polls were held, with the exception of Pondicherry where the Congress has got 15 seats out of 30. The AIADMK is not joining the government here. N.D.Tewari lost the LS election but did manage to win a VS seat. He thus avoided the fate of Devi Lal who lost both the LS and VS seats he was contesting. The 1991 census shows that Bengal is now the most densely populated state, overtaking Kerala. Some data from the 1990 US census: ------------------------------------ The total number of "Asian Indians" in the US is about 815,000. People from Pakistan and other neighboring countries are classified as "other Asian" and not much data is available about them. The US census data applies to all people living in the US, regardless of whether they are citizens, permanent residents, students or even illegal aliens. The states with the largest number of Indians are: California 159,000; Illinois 64,000; Maryland 28,000; New Jersey 79,000; New York 140,000; Pennsylvania 28,000: Texas 55,000. The states with the least Indians include Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, all with less than 500. The lowest figures are 248 for Montana and 240 for Wyoming. TALK OF AID CUT TO INDIA: An amendment to the Foreign Aid bill was moved by Congressman Lagomarsino which sought to include India in the Pressler amendment which presently applies to Pakistan. This means that all aid to India will be cut off unless the President certifies that India does not possess nuclear weapons. This amendment was passed in spite of strong protests by pro-India congressmen like Solarz and Dymally. The good news is that the White House has announced that the President will veto the foreign aid bill. This is not because he likes India but because of the internal politics of the US; he does not like the bill because it includes aid to health organizations which support abortion. TERRORISM Security forces in Kashmir claimed to have captured the number one and two leaders of the Hezbollah group. Militants reported to have involved in several killings. End of article ==============