The contribution made for community by working with main American stream.
( In the above photograph Richard Hobbs, Director,'Citizenship and Immigrant Program,Santa Calra County)
---------------------------
By Bharat Desai
===============
The 1998 figures shows that there are immigrants from 180 countries settled down in the Santa Clara County. One third of the Engineers and Scientists working in the county were born in the foreign countries. The 10 largest high tech firms were cofounded by immigrants. Besides that they earned the revenue of $20 billions.
In the above context the commission was appointed in order to find their needs and solve their problems thereon.
I actively worked on the 'Global Context Group' of the Commission and also made several suggessions thereon relating to Indian American Community. I give here below some of them.
To Richard Hobbs(Project Director)
========================
Dear Richard,
I am forwarding here below imputes on the above subject as desired by you. I will be happy if it can be help to you. However I will appreciate your response in the matter.
With regards,
BHARAT DESAI
AN ACTION PLAN FOR IMMIGRANT NEEDS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEN KEY RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPUTE THEREOF
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1) A-The statistics by country of origin may be maintained with the classifications like profession/educational qualification/income etc and those statistics may be reviewed periodically by concerned agencies in order to assess the progress made thereof.
B-The governmental and other important forms may be printed in the prominent Multilanguage like Hindi, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese whereby people 'With limited English proficiency' can actively participate in development and welfare activities.
C-In order increase the cultural knowledge about the various immigrant community the step may be taken to recruit qualified people from those community in the government agencies which are directly dealing with public and their welfare activities. It will help to get better results and progress thereof.
2) The translation and interpretation may be provided in the major languages of immigrants (i.e. Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hindi, etc). This will increase the involvement of all most all immigrants in respect of Health care, Court transactions, Mental health and Welfare activities.
3) There should be vigorous action plan for educating some of the immigrant communities which are not aware or lacking knowledge regarding the various welfare schemes. (I.e. In respect of Health Care/ Child Care/Senior's Benefits/ and provision against Child and Wife abuses.)
4) The comprehensive resettlement and resources guide may be compiled in order to help immigrants. However it may be published in all major languages of immigrants so that even people not knowing English may be able to take the advantage of its and consequently their adjustment with local environment and integration in American main stream will be easier and expedited.
5) The most of the immigrants bring with them treasure of experiences, or skill or knowledge. In order to utilize the same in best interest of our country we must have agency with proper infrastructure that can help to absorb them in a right field. In absence of such guidance and help most of them are doing wrong or odd jobs. Taking corrective action as suggested above can save such waste of national energy.
6) A- There may be certain provisions in law, which may be hurting immigrants adversely. As for example the immigrants under H-1B Visa are suppose to pay social security tax. However one can earn the social security if one earn minimum forty units or one serve for atleast ten years. While under the provision of law H-1B Visa holder has to leave USA at the end of six year. Hence there appears to be contradiction in the law. In short the law may be amended in order to remove the contradictions and to give relief to the immigrants.
B-There is certain immigrant communities like Indian, which has strong family system. Son is looking after the dependent parents. Besides that certain reputed Indian companies are reimbursing the medical /Leave fare expenses of their dependent parents. While in American system there are no such provisions. This is creating lot of difficulty for old parents of Indian immigrants. Therefore special affordable medical group insurance may be created for immigrants parents.
7) No input.
8) Free legal aid may be also provided to the immigrants with law income and who are living on poverty line.
9) It is necessary to support and finance all those agencies, which provides services and assistance to immigrant communities.
10) The special agency may be formed with the aim to raise money for funding the immigrant's programs. The fund can be raised through leaders in trade, industry, and business.
Note: -The comments made under serial no relates to the respective serial no of each recommendations.
-----------------***************------------
Besides that I also made suggessions regarding the low payment of wages to the immigrants as under
To Richard Hobbs(Project Director)
-----------------------------------------
Dear Richard,
Your paper on ' Wage and working Condition ' is very informative and in that context I have to request you to consider below given impute favorably if it is not covered in the final report. I am sending you the impute in advance so that you can have required time to cover it suitably. I hope it will be a use to you.
With regards,
Bharat Desai
WAGE AND WORKING CONDITION/ IMPUTE THEREOF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'The 40% jobs in Silicon Valley are contingent labor, which includes temporary, part time and contracted workers. The majority is from immigrant's population. Even temporary job volume is also increasing with tremendous speed. Besides that increase of high level of profitability of companies may have direct result of increase of such labor. This sector of wage earners is unable to meet the inflammatory trends in the valley. Therefore some protective measures like uniform living wages policy has to be formulated for entire areas of Silicon Valley which can protect such unorganized weaker section.'
-------------------------
The above comments/Suggessions were included on the page no 138 of the final report of 6th December 2000 under "Bridging Borders in Silicon Valley"
The implementation of the above report has already started under "Immigrant Action Network"
However I have satisfaction that thereafter some of the measures taken by Santa Clara County reflects the recommendations of the commission. (I. e. Free Health Care for children, publishing welfare brochures in various languages etc.)
Therefore one may do something for the community according to its own way. It is better to make some efforts by each one then doing nothing.
--------------

In the Search of New Avenues
----------------------------------
By Bharat Desai
===========
The left side is the Logo of then 'Indo-American Community Service Center' with which I was closely associated and which was merged with 'India Community Center.' The right side is a photograph of Talat Hasan, Chairperson, ICC( Standing in the middle) receiving award for ICC along with other Community Leaders.
============================
I made many efforts to find constructive activities in USA. In the process actively joined with Indo-American Community Service Center,Santa Clara, California which was running 'Chajjuka Chaubara',(i.e.The Creative writings on this web page to see'http://www.chaubara.blogspot.com/)and 'Family Day' programs etc.
However with the time the flow of Indian American Seniors was increasing. The some of them were occupying very high positions in the various fields of India. They were also in search of intellectual food. Therefore we organizes with the collective efforts of the friends a monthly lecture forum under' Friends On Same Wave Length'.
I am one of the founder Joint secretary of the 'FOSWL'and proud of it.
I also give here below the Minutes of organizing committee of the 'Friends On Same Wavelength' which is self explanatory
================================================================
F O S W L
( Friends On Same Wave Length)
(A Wing of Indo American Community Service Center, Santaclara)

Minutes of the Organizing Committee Meeting of FOSWL held on 09-13-2000 in the premises of Indo American Community Service Center, Santaclara..

Present:

1. Suresh Bhai Shah 4. Venkatesa L.N.
2. Bharat C. Desai 5. Srinivasan. A
3. Kulkarni P.A. 6. Swamy. M.L.

The subject of nominating Office Bearers of FOSWL is discussed and the following are nominated. The term of the office bearers is one year from 09-13-2000, which may be extended to two years.

1. President : Suresh Bhai Shah

2. Vice President : Srinivasan. A

3. Secretary : Swamy M.L.

4. Joint Secretary : Bharat Desai

5. Joint Secretary Narayanaswami. A.

6. Think Tank : i. Srinivasa Ayyar. K.R.
ii. Kulkarni. P.A.
iii Venkatesa. L.N.
iv. Divatia. K.J..
v. Verma. H.N.
vi. Marathe. V.G.
vii. Vipin Shah
viii. Himmat Mehta

7. Hospitality : Rani Tatapudy
Vinay Tatapudy


Suresh Shah Bharat C. Desai Kulkarni. P.A. Vankatesa L.N.


Srinivasan. A. Swamy. M. L.
-------------------

I also coordinating 'Current Events'(To see Click on this web page "http://www.newdevelopements.blogspot.com/") monthly program in order to keep seniors in touch with the latest developments in the spheres of politics,science,art/culture, sports. All these programs also are being well received.
The 'Indo- American Community Service Center' was merged with the 'India Community Center' now and all those programs are being continued.
However I was always in the search of avenues whereby one can mixed with the main stream of American life. How I landed there is another story.
=====================

Even you can Serve Community during your Professional Life
(In the pictures on the left hand side Illa Bhatt, Megasey Award winner of Self Employed Women Bank,Ahd, in the middle Logo of the Lions International and on the right hand side Ambani family of Reliance Industries Ltd)
=====================================
By Bharat Desai
-------------------
You cannot give full time to the community service during your professional career. However some time your profession gives you ample opportunity to serve it. I tried to finance the needy people on merits who were neglected during my banking career.
It was a great self satisfaction to give help to unorganized women who were running business on movable cart or who were selling flowers and Hand made Craft in Ahmedabad. Besides that I recollect that we had finance at initial stages about 20 women who were totally neglected and sponsored by then 'SEWA ' Ahmedabad.(i.e.Self Employed Women Association) It became gradually internationally recognized organization. Its chair person Mrs Illben Bhatt was also awarded 'Megasey Award 'for her contribution thereon.
There were small powerlooms owners in surat who were need of finance then and we had helped. It is great satisfaction to see them happy and prosperous now.
I had opportunity to deal with the finance of one of the companies which was small and unknown house at initial stage. It is now one of the Giant Industrial House in India (i.e. Reliance Industries Ltd) It gives you satisfaction to the effect that you have somewhere played some small part in development of company which gives now employments to laces of persons and plays very important role in the Development of India.
In the public relation for your profession will also give you some opportunity to do public service. In the process I joined the Service Club like Lions club which gave me position and dignity in Public Service. We had done many projects to assist blind and disabled. We adopted many schools for giving all sort of help to the schools and students thereon. The adoption of villages were the very interesting activities which assist those villages in building up their infrastructures facilities.
These are few instances which shows that"If there is a will there is a way."
-----------------------

Family Background, Brought Up and Culture
(The postal stamps were issued in the honor of Morarji Desai by the Government of India. He was recieptant of 'Bharat Ratna' and Pakistan honored him by giving the highest civilian Award of 'Nishane Pakistan )
========================================
By Bharat Desai
One always follow what he sees around in the young age. He also try to follow the path in family style. He also act according the culture filled in by his parents and others.
In this contex one tries to follow family tradition and continue to do quality of work accordingly.
I was born in the year 1937 when independence struggle of India was in full swing. My parents, brother, sister, uncles and aunts /anuntes were very much involve in freedom struggle. We have about eight persons as a freedom fighters in our family. One of them was my uncle Morarji Desai who became Primeminister of India. My brother Indrajeet was in jail at the age sixteen for actively taking part in independence struggle. My father Chhotubhai R Desai who was City Engineer of Ahmedabad municipality was dismissed and sent to jail for taking part in 1942 'Quite India' movement. Our large family has to pass through very bad time then.
However he was taken back in the service after India became independence in the 1947. He thereafter retired as Chief Engineer from Maharashtra State of India. My uncles and several relatives were in jail for several times. They suffered and sacrifice lot in the process.
All these suffering and sacrifice tought me that we must do something according to our ability for others because nothing goes waste. I tried my best to help needy one through my professional life and through service activities like lions club etc.
However certain service activities which I could not do during my professional life was followed by me in the time of retirement. The community developments should be the main aim of any one anywhere in the world.
Hence it is better to highlights the community development and work thereon.
--------------------------

The Aim and Objectives of the Community Service
(In the picture below along with Mike Honda,Congressman at Seminar on 'Health Care for all Californians, San Jose, Capital of Silicon Valley and in the above picture from right Ron Swegles,Mayor of Sunnyvale, California and in the Middle Pradeep Joshi, Program Director of 'India Community Center,'Sunnyvale, California)
==================================
By Bharat Desai
-------------------
One who live a long life for himself has no meaning but who lives for others is living a worthy life. The God is good to you then you must return it by giving services to the needy who deserves it.
The retirement from one's professional life is the best period you can dedicate to the community services to needy. However such call has be within to give self satisfaction. It is not meant to gain anything in any form but to give only.
The most of the religions are encouraging the inner Ego up to some extent. It encourages inner Ego to inform humbly to people regarding' what one is doing or done for community?' It is not to advertise but to encourage and inspire others to do the same in better way for more and more people.
It should be the aims and objectives of the Community Service.
-------------------------