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Archive for category India

Reflections on Balochistan

Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in India on October 3rd, 2012

COMMENTARY
KHURRAM SHAIKH
Pakistan media particularly, the US sponsored GEO is promoting seccessionists and lionizing Baloch Sardars as freedom fighters. GEO received bulk of the $50 Million from the recent grant by the US. India is behind destabilization of Balochistan. India does not realize that this meddling can come to bite India in the form of a Nuclear War. any attack on Balochistan will be construed as attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and will be dealt with full might of Pakistan’s Armed Forces, including the Strategic Forces. This not a “gurya-guddi ka khel,” India beware that he whole Hindu cult could be wiped out in such an eventuality.


Balochistan: An attractive target


The reason why foreign powers get attracted towards Balochistan is because of its strategic importance and wealth. It has Makran coastline in the south, which connects it with Iran in the southwest and Afghanistan in the northwest. It has a seaport at Gawadar that was built by China. Gawadar along Makran coastline lies at the opening of Strait of Hormuz. Balochistan has huge quantities of natural gas, and unexplored oil reserves apart from gold, copper and variety of other costly mineral resources. More importantly US want to control the port of Gawadar, and eventually start its dream oil pipeline from Central Asia through Afghanistan.

In 2006, Carnegie Institute of International Peace identified Balochistan as an area of interest for the US in subverting Pakistan. Selig Harrison in a seminar held in Washington recently stated, “The US is ready to recognize independent Balochistan because it serves American interests; its accession to Pakistan was not legitimate; Pak Army is a suppressing force; Zardari government’s policies have further ignited separatist movement; four million insurgent Baloch people want independent state of Balochistan”. Declan Walsh of Britain unveiled international conspiracy cooking up in Balochistan. RAW run South Asian Analysis Group (SAAG) website openly claims India’s involvement in Balochistan and equates it with Kashmir.
Balochistan: Heart of Pakistan

Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area and it covers almost 48% of Pakistan’s area. But its population accounts for only 5% of the total population of Pakistan. Ethnically Balochistan is divided into Balochis and Pathans, followed by other small minorities.
The state capital is Quetta, (termed as nerve center of Afghan Taliban by US Generals who allege that Mullah Omar led Shura is based in that region). From among the Baloch tribes, Magsis and Jamalis are relatively prosperous while all other Baloch tribes are backward and poverty ridden. Among the Sardars, Bugti and Marri Sardars are the most ruthless. Bugtis and Marris being neighbors have remained arch rivals. Their marrying up in 2004 was out of political expediency and the US influence. Mengals command influence over largest part of Baloch populated Balochistan and are in commanding position to either keep the pot of Balochistan simmering or defuse it.
Balochistan like, Afghanistan and Tribal Areas of Pakistan is a tribal society. Baloch Sardars (tribal chiefs) rule their respective tribes, often with serious disregard for human rights. Development wise, Balochistan is the most backward province in Pakistan. There may be some weight in the argument that the federal government in Pakistan has neglected the development of Balochistan, but equal responsibility lies with the Baloch Sardars who enjoy immense power in their tribes. Sitting in provincial and national parliaments, they don’t work for the development of their own people. Among the Sardars, handful of dissident Baloch Sardars have never reconciled to the amalgamation of Balochistan into Pakistan and have always looked for outside help to make Balochistan independent.
Balochistan has the worst human rights record out of all the provinces of Pakistan. Every time horrific human rights atrocities are committed in Balochistan, tribal chiefs defend the abuses by claiming them to be part of their tribal cultural norms. Since the independence of Pakistan, most of the tribes have accepted Pakistan as their homeland and have tried to come into the mainstream Pakistani society. But Bugti and Marri tribal leaders have always been a source of trouble for Pakistan. Brahamdagh Bugti (grandson of former Bugti tribe leader and former chief minister of Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Bugti) is the leader of a runaway terrorist group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). He has till recent been operating out of Kandahar. Before Brahamdagh, Balach Marri, son of Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, was leader of BLA, and he was killed in Afghanistan in 2007. Brahamdagh has now shifted to Switzerland and continue to badmouth Pakistan.
A new dirty game of geo-politics is going on in full swing in Balochistan. To understand the ongoing wave of violence in Balochistan we must understand the vested interests in Balochistan. The root cause of violence in Balochistan is not internal poverty or lack of development but the covert operations of foreign intelligence agencies. Internal issues might act as catalysts to inflame the situation but the root cause is foreign interference in internal affairs of Balochistan. The main group responsible for violence in Balochistan is the BLA. Brahamdagh Bugti, in his interview with Pakistani news channel AAJ TV declared that he will attack and kill non-Baloch population of Balochistan. In other words he threatened killing of innocent Pakistani civilians on ethnic lines. This is just taking words out of Col Ralph Peter’s plan for balkanization of Pakistan, along the lines of Yugoslavia (June 2006 issue of ‘The US Armed Forces Journal’). His article ‘Blood Borders’ envisaged redrawing map of countries in the Middle East in accordance with oil and gas contents of various regions. The map showed truncated Pakistan with Greater Balochistan as a separate state. The contents of this article were included in a course run at US military academies. Brahamdagh also asked for support of India and other powers to help him break away Pakistan’s Balochistan. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is affiliated with BLA, al-Qaeda and TTP and has taken upon itself to target Hazaras in Quetta.
After the termination of Bugti-Marri led insurgency from 1974 to 1978, Balochistan remained peaceful till such time Gen Pervez Musharraf took over power and decided to remove its socio-politico-economic deprivations through mega projects and other development works, which went against the vested interests of Sardars. Development of Gawadar deep seaport and construction of water dams were aimed at alleviating the poverty of the province and bringing the neglected province into socio-economic mainstream.
Commencement of work on several mega projects in Balochistan caused deep resentment to Akbar Bugti and other troublesome Sardars as well as to the US harbouring ill designs against Balochistan. The coercive Sardars who had kept their respective tribes in bondage viewed development works in interior Balochistan a threat to their Sardari system. On one hand they aired political and economic grievances and on the other they objected to the mega projects vehemently. They propagated that Gawadar Port would be monopolised by the affluent class from other provinces at the cost of people of Balochistan. Opening of schools and colleges and development of road infrastructure in rural areas was also resented. Anti-development stance contradicted their earlier stance that Balochistan being the biggest province and rich in resources had been kept backward and neglected.
At the behest of foreign powers that had deep-seated interest in the province, Nawab Bugti who was already miffed over gas royalty issue, kindled insurgency in Dera Bugti in 2004 which later spread to other Baloch inhabited regions of Sui, Kahan, Kohlu, Kalat, Turbat, Khuzdar, Panjgur, Pasni, Lasbella, Awaran, Kharan, Machh, Dhadhar, Sibi, Dera Allah Yar, Dera Murad Jamali and also to Quetta city. Terrorists targeted gas pipelines, electric grid stations and pylons, railway lines, security check posts, military convoys, passenger trains and buses. 65 Farari camps were made operational by foreign agencies in interior Balochistan to train and launch terrorists. Kohlu was attacked with rockets when Musharraf was addressing the people and helicopter carrying IGFC was hit by bullets, injuring the general officer. When the insurgency assumed dangerous proportions, a military operation had to be launched in mid 2006 in selective troubled areas. Most of the 65 Farari camps were dismantled during the six-month operation. Death of Akbar Bugti in his mountain hideout in August 2006 further intensified the insurgency, which was supported by RAW, RAAM and Mossad from Afghanistan and CIA and MI-6 from within.
Continuous funding and material and moral support by foreign governments and agencies to the dissidents in Balochistan together with policy of softness adopted by the elected government has converted the insurgency into separatist movement. Pressure exerted by foreign powers together with human rights activists, NGOs and foreign/local media forced the military to return to barracks and hand over dual internal and border security charge to Frontier Corps (FC). Farari camps that were destroyed have become functional again. In 2009, a deadline was given by BLA to non-Baloch settlers to quit Balochistan or be prepared to get killed. On 29 March 2012 Nawab Khair Bux Marri demanded that all (Persian speaking) Hazaras being settlers from Afghanistan since the British period should leave as should Punjabis, or else, they would be killed.
The FC is now in the firing line and demand for its withdrawal from counter insurgency operations is getting louder. After airing grievances over political disempowerment, distribution of federal budget, political autonomy, control over provincial natural resources, the thrust has shifted towards target killings of nationalists, missing persons, mutilated bodies, military cantonments, and trial of Musharraf. The FC and ISI are being accused in the case of missing persons. While Punjabis have vacated Baloch inhabited regions and shifted to Quetta and other provinces, large numbers of Hazaras have been killed. Killing of ten Pakhtun labourers in Mastung on 13 September 2012, which was claimed by United Baloch Liberation Army, has been resented by the Pashtuns who are otherwise complaining of political inequities. It has added to the Pakhtun-Baloch divide.
Encouraged by foreign powers, the fugitive Baloch leaders are now demanding independence. Sardars Brahamdagh Bugti, Harbyar Marri, Suleiman Khan and Dr Wahid Baloch are promoting the idea of independent Balochistan. Three US Republicans moved a highly controversial bill in the Congress which supported the cause of Baloch separatists. The US Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Dana Rohrabacher on February 8, 2012, advocated right of self-determination for the Baloch and championed the cause of independent Balochistan. He pleaded the case of the Baloch saying that they were natural allies of USA who would gladly share the mineral resources of Balochistan and would let the US run Gawadar Port. Christine Fair was the only one to shun the notion of independent Balochistan. She asserted that it was unsustainable because of ethnic diversity and geographic constraints. Congress support has further emboldened anti-Pakistan Baloch Sardars to spew out poison against Pakistan.
Issue of missing persons in Balochistan was drummed up under a calculated scheme. The US, the West and India helped in internationalizing it and coaxing the UN team to visit Pakistan and carryout ground assessment. Our government instead of forbidding the team welcomed it and facilitated its visit to Balochistan. It is still not clear who invited the UN delegation. Talal Bugti presented the visitors a list of 638 missing persons and demanded UN intervention. This is a very sinister move and seems that the schemers are feeling confident that the endgame has begun. Our leadership and the media are either a party or are criminally negligent. We must not forget that this was exactly the same framework used by the UN to intervene in Sudan, Indonesia and other countries. A UN mandated case against Pakistan is now being hatched by our adversaries and our leaders have helped them in putting Pakistan in awkward situation and in paving the way for propaganda hell to break loose once this team returns and hands over a jaundiced report.
Although the armed forces are doing an excellent work in motivating the misled Baloch youth by undertaking host of development works and spreading education in interior Balochistan, however, the provincial government mired in corruption and lacking political will and commitment to redress law and order is a huge disappointment. While the US resolution moved by Rohrabacher has not been condemned by Balochistan Assembly, Federal government is appeasing the rebels and ignoring the patriots and so is our media. Despite its policy of appeasement, the government has failed to woo back the dissidents. Law courts have so far not convicted any terrorist nabbed by security forces while no effort has been made to expose involvement of RAW in Balochistan about which the government claims that it has undeniable proofs.
Baloch nationalism is assuming dangerous proportions because of heavy involvement of foreign agencies and deleterious role of dissident Baloch Sardars who are prepared to go to any extent to save their Sardari system. However, they are not making any headway since the people of Balochistan do not subscribe to their separatist ideas. The Baloch neither represent the whole of Balochistan nor do they have sizeable following. The Pashtuns, Brahvis and Hazaras in Balochistan comprise 60% of the province and are averse to the idea of independence and fully support the federation. Majority of Baloch are patriots and loyal to the federation and the youth have started joining cadet colleges and taking up service in armed forces in great numbers.

The problem for US is that BLA together with BRA and BLF with no more than 3500 fighters are not able to break away Balochistan from Pakistan. Of the 8 million population of Balochistan, 3.5 million are Baloch and among them the trouble makers supporting the terrorist groups are about 3-5 lacs only. They don’t even have support of 10% Balochi population. With this narrow support base confined to limited space, the dissidents are neither capable of building mass movement nor have the ability to defeat the security forces. That is why their exiled leaders keep urging foreign powers to step in and make Balochistan an independent state as had been done in former East Pakistan in 1971.

The Pakistan Army and ISI are resisting the assault in national and strategic interests of Pakistan. The Great Game of Brzezinski will surely continue in Balochistan and rest of Pakistan. The people of Pakistan are ready to counter this great game but need leadership and some courage. Among the array of politicians, Nawaz Sharif has better equation with dissident Sardars like Khair Bux Marri and Akhtar Mengal and even with Mahmud Achakzai who is a popular leader among the Pashtuns of Balochistan. The other party is Imran Khan led Tehrik-e-Insaf (TI) whose agenda of eliminating corruption within 90 days, strict accountability and delivering equitable justice has appealed to the senses of masses. It is opined that if any of the two parties gain power in next elections, it will be in a better position to normalize the situation in Balochistan. It will be ideal if the two together with Jamaat-e-Islami marry up and form a coalition government. Unity of the three will be the only way to prevent PPP from getting re-elected in 2013. However, so far, much to the delight of the PPP, the TI and PML-N are on a self-destructive warpath, while Zardari is employing variety of tricks to postpone the elections for another year, or how to win the next elections by hook or crook.
Feeling the pulse of the people, exiled Gen Musharraf is suggesting an interim government of top class technocrats for three years to cleanse the rot, carryout suitable amendments in the constitution to correct the anomalies in sham democracy and ensure growth of true democracy, and then hold fair and free elections under the supervision of the Army and judiciary. He prods the judiciary to marry up with the Army and play its role in getting rid of the gang of corrupt and save the country rather than the constitution. He gave an example of his first three years tenure in which his selected technocrats had made substantial progress in all the fields. There is no denying the fact that Field Marshal Ayub Khan, Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Musharraf were competent rulers and had lifted the GDP to over 7% because of superior governance and dedicated approach. Their performance declined after the induction of politicians in the government. Though I do not hold high opinion about Gen Musharraf, however, his suggestions need to be critically examined and pondered over. Team of spotless technocrats led by Imran Khan assisted by honest and hard nose provincial governors like Nawab of Kalabagh, Lt Gen Azam Khan and Air Marshal Nur Khan will be most desirable to cleanse the stables. In order to cure the diseases, the surgeon’s knife rather than treating the symptoms must dig deep down to remove the malignant part of the body.
The writer is a retired Brig, a columnist, defence analyst and historian. Email: [email protected]

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Indians project Quaid-e-Azam as a communalist

Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in India on October 3rd, 2012



In order to hide their crimes and to distort historical facts, Indian historians and political leaders have chosen to paint Quaid-e-Azam as the ‘villain of the piece’. The Indians propagate the theme that ‘Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a communalist responsible for the bloody break up of Pakistan. He founded a theocratic and non-secular State’. The BJP and other Hindu hardliners even now accuse him of leading a communal agitation to achieve the goal of Pakistan. This is travesty of history and negation of facts that prove beyond doubt that Partition was a legitimate and democratic outcome of the collective choice made by all Muslims and Hindus of the subcontinent. They conveniently and deliberately close their eyes to the hard fact that politics, not religion led to creation of Pakistan . Acceptance of Cabinet Mission Plan by Jinnah in 1946 demonstrated his earnestness for amicably resolving the communal problem. It was Nehru and his Congress colleagues who wasted that opportunity and dug the last nail in the coffin of united India .  Nehru’s and other Indian leaders’ acts of commission and omission are far too many and have already been narrated by historians.
Indian passions flowing from distorted historiography notwithstanding, the Quaid was as tall a man as history has ever carried. His penetrating vision had room for a united India but he simultaneously foresaw the dangers of unrelenting Congress led Hindu domination. Congress confirmed his fears. He knew parting was inevitable. After the Congress had rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan, the Congress was the first to sign the Act of Partition. The Muslim League signed it subsequently. In the backdrop of these crystal clear historical facts, how come Quaid is being blamed by certain segments of Indian society? The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Gandhi, Nehru and Patel who deliberately turned the course of history. It is naïve to dub Pakistan as a theocratic State if it came into existence as a result of the intransigence of a ‘majority’ that preferred partition over granting the ‘minority’ it’s due rights and proportionate share.
Nirad Chaudhri, in the second volume of his autobiography “Thy Hand, Great an Arch” observed, “I must set down at this point that Jinnah is the only man who came out with success and honor from the ignoble end of the British Empire in India. He never made a secret of what he wanted, never prevaricated, never compromised, and yet succeeded in inflicting unmitigated defeat on the British Government and the Indian National Congress. He achieved something, which not even he could have believed to be within reach in 1946”. Former Advocate General of Maharashtra H.M. Seervai exonerates Jinnah and holds mainly the Indian National Congress responsible for Partition. In his book “Partition of India: Legend and Reality”, Seervai maintains, “It is a little unfortunate that those who assail Jinnah for destroying the unity of India do not ask how it was that a man who wanted a nationalist solution till as late as 1938, when he was 61 years of age, suddenly became a communalist”.
While the entire Indian leadership was involved in the bloodletting of migrating Muslims in India at the time of Partition, Pakistan’s violent birth did not embitter the unbending Quaid. Even after the holocaust he stood by his principles, as his August 11, 1947, address to Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly demonstrated. He had pleaded for equality of all the citizens in the eyes of the State and freedom of worship for all citizens irrespective of their religion, caste or creed. He never uttered any single statement of settling of scores or vengeance. He sought peace and good neighborly relations with India. Even Quaid’s most diehard critics had to admit that he was a man of the highest standard of probity and honor.
For the first time in the hate-filled history of India, an ardent Hindu nationalist L.K. Advani, President of BJP, not only heaped lavish praises upon Quaid during his official visit to Pakistan in the first week of June 2005, but also astonished the Pakistanis and his fellow countrymen by saying that Jinnah was not communal but secular and that Partition was an unalterable reality of history. This visible change occurred probably because of the immense warmth and hospitality that he got both from official and private circles. This was in spite of his past tainted record of being a hardcore RSS activist, firebrand Muslim basher and reportedly involved in the assassination attempt on Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
After becoming BJP President in 1986, he was in the forefront to inflame communalism in India. He led Ram Rath Yatra in 1990, spearheaded the Ram Janambhoomi movement that ended in the destruction of Babri mosque and said that he was not ashamed of it. He condoned Gujarat pogrom in 2001, vociferously pleaded Hindutva as the basis of nationhood and Hindu cultural nationalism and ruined Agra Summit. His pronouncements jolted the age-old concept of Akhand Bharat feverishly pursued by the Indian nationalist leaders and incensed one-nation theory advocates to an extent that they demanded his resignation if not his head.

The soothing statements given by Advani which were music for Pakistanis were severely criticized by Hindu extremist groups RSS, Sangh Parivar and VHP. It clearly showed that hard-line Hindus who have a lot of say in Indian politics have not accepted Pakistan. Going by the track record of Indian leaders, they have a reputation of backtracking, breaking promises, brazenly uttering falsehoods and above all past masters in deception and intrigue. It was indeed hard to digest such a radical overnight change from a political diehard like Advani. If this change of heart had taken place out of noble sentiments and not political expediency, it was indeed a very good omen. It was the first drop of affection that had dropped on the soil of Pakistan and it was ardently hoped that this drop would soon convert into a river of love and affection to submerge the clouds of mistrust and communal hatred once and for all. It was a first attempt to cut the umbilical cord of communal abhorrence, intrinsically woven with Indo-Pakistan hostility.

It did not take long to discern the real purpose as to why he admired the Quaid so profusely. It triggered a heated debate on Mr. Jinnah in India as well in Pakistan aimed at undermining his standing as a larger-than-life hero and leader. It gave strength to secularists in Pakistan who have always considered Quaid a secular and offended the sensibilities of those who regard him as a forward looking Islamist. The debate generated in India exposed how history is interpreted to suit expeditious and competing political designs and how widespread is antagonistic view across various divides in India about Mr. Jinnah and creation of Pakistan.

Advani was in a position to bring a change in the mindsets of hardliners that he commands. Jaswant Singh’s book was another attempt to wash away perception in Pakistan that all Hindu Indians hate Quaid-e-Azam and Pakistan. However, later events have proved that Hindu extremism and hatred of Pakistan is increasing rather than decreasing. Indo-Pak peace treaty signed in January 2004 and resumption of composite dialogue to resolve all contentious issues including Kashmir dispute was a big trap to numb the senses of our leaders so that it could activate the eastern front for cultural onslaught and show the soft face of India and to weaken the morals of the youth; and to use Afghan soil for covert war to destabilize Pakistan. Peace mantra was sung to buy time to build series of dams over Rivers Chenab, Jhelum and Indus to dry up Pakistan. Having inflicted substantial damage through patronized terrorism and subversion, it removed its masked of friendship and came out in true colors after the Mumbai attacks. India’s latest snare is the trade offer aimed at giving a deathblow to our industries. It is expectantly waiting for the Pak Army to get snared in North Waziristan so that it could exercise its military option. Yet we foolishly keep falling into India’s deadly embrace whenever it smiles at us captivatingly under the happy premise that this time it will not harm us.

The writer is a retired Brig and a defence analyst. Email: [email protected]

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ABC Report – Phantom Debt Collectors From India Harass Americans, Demand Money

Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in India on September 23rd, 2012


 Hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped Americans have been targeted by abusive debt collectors operating out of overseas call centers suspected of links to organized crime in India, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

The calls are part of a massive scam, one that appears to target struggling Americans — especially those who have gone online to apply for payday loans. Armed with personal information from those pilfered applications, the threatening callers, who claim to be debt collectors poised to initiate legal action, have managed to pry loose millions of dollars from their victims — even when the victims never owed money in the first place.

“This is what we call a phantom debt collection scam,” said Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. “It’s a very pernicious and innovative new fraud.”

“I got threatened by these guys, and I only filled out an application for a loan I never accepted one. My email is still flooded with offers to an upwards of $2000 in loans, but I was just curious at the time what was available to me when I filled out the app online. They sounded innocent enough at first they left me a voicemail saying I needed to contact them right away because it was an emergency. When I called they said I am under investigation and they want to speak to my lawyer.”-DUCKWORTH,USA

WATCH “Nightline” and “World News” tonight for more on “phantom” debt collectors.

Working through call centers in India

Working through call centers in India, the commission estimates that the criminals have dialed at least 2.5 million calls, persuading already cash-strapped victims to send them more than $5 million. Some have reported receiving dozens of calls per hour. They are victims like Cindy Gervais, of New Orleans, who went online for a quick loan when her husband’s car was hit by a driver who didn’t have insurance.

Even though she paid the loan off, the so-called “phantom” debt collectors with Indian accents began calling to say she still owed money.

“He more or less told me that if I didn’t pay, they were going to have someone on my doorstep to arrest me,” she told ABC News. “And that they were going to contact my place of business, and tell them what kind of person I am.”

At first, she said she resisted. Then the calls became more frequent, and started to ring on her cell phone, and at the grocery distribution company where she had worked for 27 years.

“I was more or less was in panic mode because he told me there would be someone before noon at my place of business to arrest me and take me to jail,” she said tearfully. “So I agreed to pay him.”

After receiving scores of complaints, investigators with the FTC said they began tracking the calls, and following the payments. They alleged the payments led them to a California company run by an Indian-American named Kirit Patel, and that such scams would not be possible without American front men.

“I would say that all roads of this scam, or many of the roads of this scam, lead back to Mr. Patel,” said the FTC’s Leibowitz.

ABC News tracked Patel for weeks, from the suburbs of San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

Patel refused to talk. But his lawyer, Mark Ellis, said he believes it is far too early to pass judgment on his client. Ellis, a Sacramento-based attorney, told ABC News that Patel was hired for a nominal fee to set up an American shell company, and had no idea what the call centers in India were doing.

“I can tell you, he was as snookered by the people in India as anybody,” Ellis said. “He’s a 69-year-old man who is nearing his retirement who thought all he had to do was set up some corporations and everything was on the up and up. He’s completely dismayed that he has become the lightning rod of this entire problem.”

A close friend of Patel’s also defended him in a brief interview at his home, saying Patel was not trying to defraud anyone — he was just an unwitting, bit player in a larger scheme.

“If Mr. Patel was just a cog in the wheel he seems to have been a pretty big cog,” Leibowitz said. “It is clear that Patel was integrally involved with this scam.”

Leibowitz points to thousands of pages of financial and phone records gathered by the FTC and filed as part of a civil case brought against him in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento last month. When FTC lawyers sought to freeze his assets and prevent his business from continuing to operate, Patel responded by invoking his rights against self-incrimination. His lawyer told ABC News he has had to be careful in how he responds to the allegations in civil court “because there is a potential criminal action,” but that Patel maintains the allegations against him are false.

Federal investigators said the phantom debt collection operation that allegedly benefitted from Patel’s assistance was one of several that all trace back to the same small town in Western India called Ahmedabad. Callers use technology to make it appear that the calls originate inside the U.S. Victims provided ABC News with recordings of dozens of the calls, and many of the thickly accented callers appear to be reading off a script.

“Subpoenas have been readied, and Monday morning you’re going to be picked up from your home,” one caller says on a victim’s voicemail. “And you have children. Don’t worry about your children. We have a childcare department to take care of the children.”

“You will be behind bars for six months,” said another caller. “And once you go behind bars, you will lose your job. Once you are behind the bars, you won’t get a single drop of water.”

William Peerce Howard, a Tampa attorney who represents victims of harassment from debt collectors, said it takes an especially twisted criminal to use threats and coercion to pry money from someone who is already struggling financially

“These guys really are the most visible villains in America today,” he said. “They make a living scaring people.”

Mark Merola, of Florida, said he just panicked when the caller told him he might be arrested at the deli where he works in a Florida retirement community.

“I was nervous. I didn’t want to embarrass myself, my family,” he said. He used his debit card to pay the collector $576.

Afterwards, he says he realized “how stupid I was.”

“It just happened so fast,” he said. “I got scared.”

Leibowitz said he hopes with more attention, future potential targets of the scam will recognize red flags before they turn over any money.

If callers say they are from the police, consumers should know that law enforcement officers do not collect debt for private parties. If the caller is speaking with a thick Indian accent, but calls themselves by a names such as Officer Mike Johnson, that should be a tip off. And if they’re calling 40 times in two hours, that’s another red flag. “Legitimate debt collectors, legitimate pay day lenders don’t do those sorts of things,” he said.

Merola said he would like to see anyone involved in the scam prosecuted aggressively.

“There’s no place in society for these people,” he said.

For tips on how to avoid being scammed by a phantom debt collector, CLICK HERE to go to the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

By BRIAN ROSS, CINDY GALLI and MATTHEW MOSK | ABC News – Wed, Jun 6, 2012 6:11 PM EDT

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HOW INDIA DESTROYED US ECONOMY: How Indian IT Industry and H1B Visa Workers Take American Jobs and Scam US Industry & Government

Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in India, India Destroys US Economy on September 23rd, 2012

 

This is just the second shot of the opening salvo. There will be more. I have worked these last ten years cleaning up the messes that the H-1B’s make. The Government here is starting to realize that the best and the brightest do not come from the third world. Logic dictates that new innovations do not come from a countries home populace that has just recently been introduced to indoor plumbing. We walked on the moon over forty years ago. You come here as Scab labor working for half or less the wage. fortunately you also screw almost everything you touch. They have tried for many years to get innovations from you and have only received non working programs and devices. The marketing people only see the bottom line. They do not understand that there is a difference between good engineering and bad engineering. They see a degree and figure this person is an engineer. Those of us that have tried to acclimate you to innovation know different. Some companies have paid by going out of business. Others are back tracking trying to figure a way to save their company from the mistake of hiring substandard foreign workers. For those of you who sya that we cannot compete please read up on what happens to scab labor when they are removed. It is not pretty. Americans have been dealing with labor disputes for well over 100 years. Corp[orations have done this in the past and have paid dearly. In the end they always hand the scabs (technical term for cheap labor used in wage disputes) over to the repatriated American workers as a blood sacrifice as it were. Do you really think it will be different now.

Do you really think that you or us or anyone can compete with less then a dollar an hour wage like what is paid in China. Do you really think that you who just recently learned what the use of toilet paper was for can compete with real American innovators. By the time we get to the fifth or sixth stage of clearing this mess up you will be begging to go home and the few companies left standing will fight for the best American workers that are still out there. Get real swami. You cannot compete with real American engineers. We invented the phone, the car, the everything you use that uses electricity. What have you ever invented. Like I aid, read up on American history to see how this ends for you. It won’t be pretty.

You want truth here is some truth for you. The British tried to drag you into the twentieth century and failed. You did not invent calculas the Creeks did. You invented the sex. You must have as there are so many of you. Walk down any modern street in India and you will happen up[on a dead body just laying there. they come and night and pick them up. You did not invent the USB we did. I worked on that project in Chandler AZ in 1995. I was awarded a solid silver cup for my work on that project. That Indian guy was in the Bay area and was the project staffing manager. he was nearly fired for sending the layout to Malaysia. It came back all messed up and we worked 18 hour shifts fixing it. You guys break everything you touch. If you do on the rare occasion innovate something it is done here under our supervision. Not in India. For Gods sake man you people still use your finger to wipe your butts even when we provide you with toilet paper. But even with the starvation wages we pay you in India you can still not do a simple job like answer the phone. So now we are shipping the work to the Philippians. As for the people that we have coming here the best and the brightest. I was told one time by my boss to acclimate one of you and I told him after that experience never to ask me to do that again. I mean to take you to a grocery store and show you what deodorant is used for. What toilet paper is used for. and to walk by the meat counter and watch you faint dead away because you have never sen meat before. To explain that you have to bath every day. And then on the job we have to explain the simplest most basic principles of circuit design. High school stuff. But the top brass wants to save money so we do what we can to get you up to speed. What it more often turns out to be is us putting you in the corner with some fake work to keep you out of our hair while we work twice as hard because now we have lost our knowledgeable colleges. If you are so great then why don’t you go home. You invented technology. get real man wake up. you are living in a dream world. American corporations wants slaves. plain and simple. They get manufacturing workers in china for between 4 cents and up to 89 cents an hour for the ones who have masters degrees. Their engineers like you can remember formula. But, that is not engineering. If you could solve problems then you’d have indoor plumbing instead of coming here and getting all wild eyed when you walk into a bathroom. You will never catch up to the modern world. The medicine you practice is what was developed in the west. Or are you going to say that you invented SEM’s and CAT scanner, and MRI’s and the microchip. And whatever else there is in the modern world. Now, go and pray to whatever multi-headed elephant God you want for salvation. And, like always we have to explain everything twice to you and yet you still don’t get it. When the corporations are done with you they will make sure that you are returned to the slums they found you in. Once again go read up on American labor disputes and see what happens top the scabs. This has been going on here for a very long time. The 40 hour work week, the paid time off, the health insurance everything working benefit that you enjoy in this country was paid for in blood by the miners like the ones who just recently perished. Read up on what they did to the scabs once the strikes and such were done. When the back lash truly starts you won’t have time to leave the country. You will find yourself in the belly of the beast. You are a fool. You live the life of a fool and you will like all fools die a fools death. probably trying to cross the street. Or maybe by sticking your head in a microwave oven to see how it works while it’s running. Will you just go back to that rat infested S*%hole,called India you came from and we will send you some GM rice.

You want truth here is some truth for you. The British tried to drag you into the twentieth century and failed. You did not invent calculas the Creeks did. You invented the sex. You must have as there are so many of you. Walk down any modern street in India and you will happen up[on a dead body just laying there. they come and night and pick them up. You did not invent the USB we did. I worked on that project in Chandler AZ in 1995. I was awarded a solid silver cup for my work on that project. That Indian guy was in the Bay area and was the project staffing manager. he was nearly fired for sending the layout to Malaysia. It came back all messed up and we worked 18 hour shifts fixing it. You guys break everything you touch. If you do on the rare occasion innovate something it is done here under our supervision. Not in India. For Gods sake man you people still use your finger to wipe your butts even when we provide you with toilet paper. But even with the starvation wages we pay you in India you can still not do a simple job like answer the phone. So now we are shipping the work to the Philippians. As for the people that we have coming here the best and the brightest. I was told one time by my boss to acclimate one of you and I told him after that experience never to ask me to do that again. I mean to take you to a grocery store and show you what deodorant is used for. What toilet paper is used for. and to walk by the meat counter and watch you faint dead away because you have never sen meat before. To explain that you have to bath every day. And then on the job we have to explain the simplest most basic principles of circuit design. High school stuff. But the top brass wants to save money so we do what we can to get you up to speed. What it more often turns out to be is us putting you in the corner with some fake work to keep you out of our hair while we work twice as hard because now we have lost our knowledgeable colleges. If you are so great then why don’t you go home. You invented technology. get real man wake up. you are living in a dream world. American corporations wants slaves. plain and simple. They get manufacturing workers in china for between 4 cents and up to 89 cents an hour for the ones who have masters degrees. Their engineers like you can remember formula. But, that is not engineering. If you could solve problems then you’d have indoor plumbing instead of coming here and getting all wild eyed when you walk into a bathroom. You will never catch up to the modern world. The medicine you practice is what was developed in the west. Or are you going to say that you invented SEM’s and CAT scanner, and MRI’s and the microchip. And whatever else there is in the modern world. Now, go and pray to whatever multi-headed elephant God you want for salvation. And, like always we have to explain everything twice to you and yet you still don’t get it. When the corporations are done with you they will make sure that you are returned to the slums they found you in. Once again go read up on American labor disputes and see what happens top the scabs. This has been going on here for a very long time. The 40 hour work week, the paid time off, the health insurance everything working benefit that you enjoy in this country was paid for in blood by the miners like the ones who just recently perished. Read up on what they did to the scabs once the strikes and such were done. When the back lash truly starts you won’t have time to leave the country. You will find yourself in the belly of the beast. You are a fool. You live the life of a fool and you will like all fools die a fools death. probably trying to cross the street. Or maybe by sticking your head in a microwave oven to see how it works while it’s running. Will you just go back to that rat infested S*%hole your came from and we will send you some GM rice.

Another US IT person:

Those who complain about the USCIS enforcement of current USA laws have something to hide. You break the law, you face the consequences. Sorry I didn’t get any break when H-1B stole my job. Now H-1B wannabes get to experience US corporate greed first hand. Doesn’t feel good, does it.. Maybe you will be more empathetic to the people you replaced.

Despite popular H-1B belief, you, exclusively, are not the masters of the universe. Thanks to corporate greed and political corruption,the people you replaced, hardworking, qualified and educated Americans have lost our jobs, homes, life savings, and healthcare as a direct result of the corrupt H-1B temporary work visa program.

Think again if you think you can get away with one of the H-1B visas that bend the rules.I suspect lots of laid off US workers like me are only too happy to help the USCIS enforce the law.

Mike Greg says:

“The changes are for protecting US jobs as many IT companies are misusing them. The body shoppers WIPRO, SATYAM MAHINDRA, TCS, INFOSYS should all be in line next after the small body shoppers are stopped. These big companies grew overnight by outsourcing US Jobs. They do not create new jobs but just OUTSOURCE”

    • ram parivar says:
      January 26

      Sad thing to write on India’s Republic day!

      Because of the consultants and their malpractices there is such a bad name for Indian community in US of A. Even big companies such as TCS, Infosys etc. get H1 VISA approved for their employees awaiting projects in US. This is atrocious, when there are many people in US waiting to change from one VISA to another, how can these big companies consume all the VISA numbers for a non-existing employment. I would suggest USCIS to initiate a strict rule saying that any H1B VISA applicant should have landed in US and be in US pay roll within 1-2 months of approval of H1B VISA or else he/she cannot come to US in H1B at all.

      Another issue is the consultants, in NJ/NY and Bay area may be all over US there are 1000s of consultants doing this fraudulent VISA practice. These guys are from mainly one particular state in INDIA. I do not want to name that. One guy will come to US and then bring the whole village within one year through a consultant company (may be his brother-in law’s distant cousin – they have such a wonderful networking capability – only human networking). He gets paid for bringing people. Now this is SAD state of affairs. If anyone wants genuinely come here with all proper documents, the VISA officer and the people at POE look at you suspiciously!

      Very bad!

      SM

      Amol says:

      I hate this IT culture in India. HCL/TCS/WIPRO/INFY are sophisticated pimps where as there desi counterparts in US are street hustlers.Both thrive by selling body of poor consultants. This culture has altered our thinking process and made us cheap servants of western masters who dole out H1B visas and we like dogs runs for crumbs.

      Look at China who has grown strong by creating robust manufacturing jaggernaut which no IT company can match.They are producing goods and thus makin chinese people self reliant.Do Indian IT companies have guts to make software product and sell it world over or would they keep on living like parasites and dutiful servants.

      I wish to see a day when Indians stop complaining about H1B policies of their masters who throw crumbs at them.

      sreekanth says:

      Well, see the facts man. If you look at numbers- there are only 1000 H1B visas filed by top INdian consulting companies. like Infosys, Microsoft etc…rest thousands (100,000) of H1Bs are being filed by these fraud Indian consulting (Body-shoppers) who will anything to make money. Let people fake resumes, layers, lies…these are FACTS.

      If you look at H1B worker- isn’t he supposed to have job before he lands here- isn’t he supposed to make money from day 1…I do not know how strictly the USCIS can enforce this memorandum..I am sure at the begining everything may look like mess- but if they can hold on to those rules for couple of years- everything will be streamed out. It is good for immigrants, good for Job market..it would fair game..smooth and clean. Poor Americans are having hard time undestading how this market is working- Fact is- it is just the fraud game. I lie that I know some technology- i get on board I will have somebody who has knowledge on phone…keep working…if i can fairwell..who cares..they will fire…just find an another job…as easy as it is…At most your contract gets terminated what do you have to loose….atleast you got free training in the real time environment. You will do better …keep trying…until you become knowledgble……:)..That is what is going on 90% of the cases.

      Reference: http://www.happyschoolsblog.com/neufeld-memo-h1b-workers-deported-to-india/

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ARCHIVE: REALITY CHECK ON INDIA BY AN AMERICAN IT PROFESSIONAL : India… burgeoning paper tiger?

Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in India on September 18th, 2012

India is corrupt. I’ve dealt with firms from India for almost two decades now. They are a pain to deal with because they rarely pay on time, in the full amount, or ever in some cases.  They also make you ship stuff through their brother’s, or nephews shipping company that you never heard of, and they invent taxes that have be paid that are really just discounts (the taxes won’t be paid)…KEN NELSON

 

 

image thumb43 India… burgeoning paper tiger?
India: corruption will limit their success

People go on about India being the next economic engine. I’m dubious.

India is corrupt. I’ve dealt with firms from India for almost two decades now. They are a pain to deal with because they rarely pay on time, in the full amount, or ever in some cases.  They also make you ship stuff through their brother’s, or nephews shipping company that you never heard of, and they invent taxes that have be paid that are really just discounts (the taxes won’t be paid).  I tell them, you pay your taxes, I’ll pay mine, until then pay my full invoice.  An exception to this pattern is American companies operating in India. They’ve paid up as expected.

Two countries make up most of our deeply in arrears receivables – India & France. We have virtually none seriously late anywhere else.  Corruption and a cultural willingness to cheat (by Western standards) explains it in India. In France’s case, a particular corrupt company no longer in business.

I’ve encountered some great minds from India. They were here though. Some entrepreneurs claim India is now a better environment for business than the US – and that could be true. I suspect, however, that it is only true if you have corruption on your side.

I was reminded to write about this by this article about how crappy Indian infrastructure building is:

If they can’t build highly visible homes for athletes during the games or stadiums without roofs that collapse, apartment buildings and homes might also be of similar weak quality.

India has great potential. But tribal/family corruption and their caste system seems a great brake on maxing that potential out.

http://www.kennelson.com/newblog/india-burgeoning-paper-tiger-10296

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