Telugu pharmacist shot dead in New Jersey

Dyapa Arjun Reddy(52)

Trenton (New Jersey): An Indian-American pharmacy owner here was shot dead allegedly by a black teenager after he refused to give a medicine to the boy without a valid prescription.52-year-old Arjun Reddy Dyapa, owner of Brunswick Avenue Pharmacy in Broad Street, was shot in the chest and brought dead to Capital Health Regional Medical Centre across the pharmacy around 6.30 pm local time last evening.Eye witnesses said a teenage African-American with dreadlocks showed up at the counter and demanded a prescription medicine without producing valid prescription issued by a physician.
Dyapa politely refused and said sorry but when the customer insisted that he be given the medicine, he told the boy that he would lose his licence if he obliges him.
The customer, at that time, seemed to have resigned to the fate and nodded his head, said Dyapa's staff. The boy left only to return again and fired one bullet at Dyapa from his pistol from behind.
The police have taken the video camera recordings and are confident of nabbing the criminal very soon.
Dyapa, a native of Jadcherala village in Mehboobnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, is survived by wife Geetha and a 16-year-old daughter.
Dyapa was an active community activist and one of the founders of North American Telugu Association (NATA) and also a senior leader of American Telugu Association (ATA). He was involved with several social and cultural organisations in New Jersey.
Steve Ettman, who owns Westside Pharmacy on Hermitage Avenue, said he was "absolutely shocked" by the news. He is offering a USD 1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
"This could happen to any of us and Reddy was a nice guy, ever helpful," he said.
The shocked Indian-American community leaders gathered at the hospital to console the family and assist in the identification of the culprit.

Mr&Mrs ArjunReddy Dyapa(File)

Adopting a village
Monday 7 July 2008
Hyderabad: The American Telugu Association (ATA) members will adopt one village each in their motherland to contribute their might for its development. ATA has about 3000 members of whom about 300 will take up this programme over two years. ATA has chosen "Adopt a village" as its biennial theme this year and its chairman Gavva Chandra Reddy has started the initiative by adopting his native Pillalamarri village in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. "Prime emphasis of 'Adopt a village' programme will be on creating infrastructure for schools, improving sanitary conditions and providing healthcare facilities through special camps in collaboration with voluntary organisations like the Lions Club," ATA organiser Arjun Dyapa said. Another prominent ATA member P Malla Reddy has built a college building in his native village near Bhongir. "There has been a good response from our members to the initiative and many are ready to adopt their native villages and contribute to their uplift," Arjun said. Meanwhile, most of the second-generation NRI youth have been showing an inclination to return to their motherland, given the growing job and business opportunities here. With the Indian economy on a boom compared to the US, NRI youth were keen on investing in Andhra Pradesh and set up manufacturing facilities. ATA is seeking guidance from the state government on the investment prospects in Andhra Pradesh so that prospective investors could set up shop here. "Unlike in the past, we need not move lock, stock and barrel from the US to do business here. We can open our units here and do business even staying abroad," Arjun pointed out. 

Arjun Dyapa Addresses

167 Main St Ste 2A
Metuchen, NJ 08840  

Majlis MLA shot and injured in Hyderabad

Majlis MLA shot and injured in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Akbaruddin Owaisi, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator from Chandrayangutta here, was injured when his rivals attacked him with knives and shot at him near Barkas, a stronghold of his party, sparking tension in the old city area of Hyderabad on Saturday. Mr. Owaisi was declared out of danger after he underwent a major surgery.A youth, later identified as Ibrahim Yafai (26), said to be an assailant, was killed and two others were injured when the gunman of another MIM legislator, Mohammed Bin Balala, opened fire as the attack took place, around 11.15 a.m. Mr. Balala too suffered a bullet wound while trying to save Mr. Owaisi, but his condition was stable, police said.Large contingents of police moved into the old city, a bastion of the MIM, as thousands of youth took to the streets and began attacking vehicles near the Owaisi Hospital, where Mr. Owaisi was undergoing treatment. Tension eased only after police declared that Mr. Owaisi was out of danger. The motive appears to be the strident opposition of the Majlis to alleged land-grabbing activities by Mohammed ‘ Pehalwan.'Mr. Owaisi, Mr. Balala, party legislator from Malakpet, and some party workers were near their office when a group rushed towards them and began arguing with them. “They attacked Mr. Owaisi with knives, inflicting bleeding wounds, while one of them shot him from close range,” police maintained. They said doctors removed two bullets from the injured Owaisi, while one more was still embedded in the abdomen.

Thriving economy lures NRIs back to India

BANGALORE: It is finally official. The anecdotal reports of a growing influx of US returnees joining India's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem is borne out by the findings of a joint research report from Duke University, University of Berkeley and the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship in the USA, released on Thursday. Greater economic opportunity in the home countries drew these immigrants back with 60% of those polled saying it was India's thriving economy that lured them back to start new ventures. Over half of the returnees have set up IT based start-ups with nearly 31% of these companies situated in Bangalore. "This city offers a soft landing for returnees with a ready talent pool to man new ventures, a highly developed ecosystem for fund raising and a cosmopolitan culture," says Anand Daniel, Principal at global venture fund, Accel Partners , who returned to India in 2010 drawn by the rising economy and greater career opportunities. The six-month survey conducted by graduate students at the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University ended in March 2011. The 153 Indian respondents with an average age of 37 were picked through business networking site LinkedIn and were all running start-up ventures that were at least a year old in India. Prior to relocating here they would have spent a minimum of a year studying or working in the US. "Skilled immigrants are voting with their feet, they are returning home to countries like India and China. and they are learning to innovate just as Silicon Valley does. Some call this a 'brain drain' others say it is 'brain circulation'," says Vivek Wadhwa, director of Research, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialisation, Duke University, who has been tracking this growing trend since 2008. "The grass is indeed greener in India and China for returnee entrepreneurs," he added. Over half the respondents said they returned to start new businesses due to the upbeat mood in the Indian economy with 60% citing a ready talent pool as one of the biggest factors that drew them back. "I returned to India to head the engineering team of product company Trilogy , went onto set up my own venture VM Logix that I subsequently sold to another large technology firm Citrix Systems ," says Ravi Gururaj who now heads engineering at Citrix Systems. Buoyed by this vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem he is now preparing to set up a start-up accelerator programme to kickstart more new ventures.

NRIs fail to use opportunity to vote

CHENNAI : For the first time they got an opportunity to register as voters in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, but not even a single non-resident Indian (NRI) capitalised on it.The Election Commission had made provision for NRIs to exercise their franchise by filling in Form 6A through the EC portal. According to the EC guidelines, if the Form 6-A is sent by post with relevant documents, his or her name would be enrolled in the list.Chief electoral officer Praveen Kumar said: "Even though the EC had made the NRIs eligible to be included as voters and exercise their franchise, no NRI from Tamil Nadu came forward to cast their votes." NRIs whose names were on the rolls as local residents, however, voted. The EC has not allowed the NRIs to vote through post. According to EC's guidelines, if application (Form 6A) is sent by post with relevant documents, his/her name will be enrolled in the electoral list..After his/her enrolment they (NRIs) will be able to cast votes in election in the constituency, if they are physically present in the polling station along with their original passport on the day of poll.However, NRIs feel that the election date in Tamil Nadu was on a working day and it may not have been possible for them to get leave to come to their native place and cast their votes."First of all I am not aware of the fact about Form 6A. Moreover, I could not have taken off on April 13 since it was a working day here. Further to come to India, I needed to spend more money", R Sivakumar, who doing textile business in Malaysia told TOI over phone.Former CEO Naresh Gupta said the interval between the date of finalisation of candidates by the EC to the date of poll was very short for NRIs to communicate. "Also they are required to be present in the constituency to enable them to vote", he added.

NRIs in voter’s list too: Gujarat EC
Gandhinagar : The State Election Commission has formally launched the process for including names of Non Resident Indians (NRIs) hailing from the state in the voters list.After several rounds of discussions with the external affairs and overseas Indian affairs ministries, the Election Commission had earlier this year issued guidelines for enrollment of names of NRIs in electoral rolls.Officials in the state Election Commission said overseas citizens from the state can apply for enrollment into voters' list through Indian missions abroad or can approach voter registration centres in the state."Every citizen of India staying in a foreign country, who has completed 18 years of age as on January 1, 2011, can apply for including his name in the electoral roll in the constituency mentioned as his residence in his passport," said state election commission officials.The overseas electors have to submit form 6A for inclusion of their name in the electoral rolls.For enrolling his name in the voters' list, an NRI can go to an election registration officer (ERO) in person or send by post his application to the ERO concerned. A postal application must be accompanied by copies of the passport and other documents duly attested by an officer of the Indian mission in the country concerned.

Prince William wedding: NRIs in Southall celebrate royal wedding in Punjabi style

LONDON: The fairytale wedding of Prince William with his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton was celebrated all over the UK today but the 'street party' at the Clarence Street in Southall, where Kate's grandfather once lived, was special as it was celebrated in typical Punjabi style with Bhangra dance and folk music. While the wedding proper at the historic Westminster Abbey was shown on the big screen set up near a stage at the Clarence Street in Southall, there were typical scenes of Band Baja, Bhangra and Doli organised by Virendra Sharma, NRI Labour MP . Southall, primarily a South Asian residential district, also known as "Little India". Local businesses including TKC's Restaurant and Chandni Chowk Restaurant owned by leading NRI hotelier Baljit Komal helped to sponsor the food, drink and festivities. Sharma said, "As Kate Middleton's grandfather lived in Clarence Street, Southall, it seemed a great idea to hold a street party in celebration of the Royal Wedding there. " Southall residents are proud of their connection with the newest member of the Royal family. It is a great day for everyone involved."
He suggested organising similar parties for celebrating various occasions including Eid and Diwali.
Sharma and Mayor of Ealing Rajindra Singh Mann jointly cut a huge cake to celebrate the royal wedding. The cake had sketches of Kate and William on top. Councillor Julian Bell said, "This is a fantastic celebration for the people of Clarence Street. Besides the big screen for the people to watch the wedding, people enjoyed the mock Indian Wedding organised on the occasion. It was a nice way to celebrate the wedding and the streets connection with Kate Middleton's family." As the royal wedding commenced, more than four thousand people from Southalljoined the party, enjoying the music, food and dance. There were enchanting scenes as women danced through the streets carrying pots (gaggar) decorated with candles and singing 'jaago' songs. Jaago literally means "wake up". The ladies dance which started from 57 Clarence Street, finished at the stage, set up about 200 metres away. Then came the Bharaat, comprising the immediate family and friends of the "groom". The "groom" arrived on a horse back with band baaja, dhol and asli bahara Punjab diyan performing bhangra in front of the groom. Rose petals were laid out leading the path. An hour later, the bride departed from her parent's house in a Doli to the groom's house.

It's Punjabi versus Punjabi in Canadian polls

Toronto, April 29 (IANS) It is Punjabi versus Punjabi in many constituencies in Canada which is headed for parliamentary elections May 2. Three major parties - the ruling Conservative Party, and two opposition Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party - have fielded 23 Indian-origin candidates to woo the million-strong Indo-Canadian community. But barring Bengali-origin candidate Rana Sarkar, all Indian-origin candidates are Punjabi, including former federal health minister Ujjal Dosanjh, current parliamentary secretary Deepak Obhrai and the glamorous Ruby Dhalla. Not surprisingly, it is all-Punjabi affair in some constituencies. In Bramalea-Gore-Malton on the suburbs of Toronto, the longest-serving Indian-origin MP Gurbax Malhi of the Liberal Party is locked in a triangular race with fellow Punjabi Bal Gosal of the ruling Conservative Party and Jagmeet Singh Dhaliwal of the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP). Malhi, the western world's first Sikh MP when he was elected first from this constituency in 1993, is seeking to retain the seat for the seventh time. In the Newton-North Delta constituency on the outskirts of Vancouver, two Sikh women - Mani Kaur-Fallon of the ruling party and Jinny Sims (Joginder Kaur) of the NDP - are pitted against sitting MP Sukh Dhaliwal of the Liberal Party. Punjab-born Dhaliwal, who tabled a motion in the Canadian parliament last year to recognize the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as an act of genocide, faces the prospect of being unseated by the fiery Jinny Sims who has been a teachers' union president. In another Vancouver suburb constituency of Fleetwood-Port Kells, it is a battle between two Sikh women - sitting MP Nina Grewal of the ruling Conservative party and Pam Dhanoa of the Liberal Party. However, it is the Brampton-Springdale constituency in the Toronto area which is making the headlines here as sitting Sikh woman MP Ruby Dhalla is fighting for her political survival against Parm Gill of the ruling Conservative party. Voted as one of the sexiest women politicians in the world by Maxim magazine, the 37-year-old Dhalla hit national headlines in 2009 in what was termed Canada's 'nannygate' where her two former caretakers alleged exploitation at the MP's home. A former beauty queen, Dhalla is a three-time MP.

India, China leading dynamic Asia's growth: IMF

Washington, April 28 (IANS) Led by India and China, growth is expected to reach around 8 percent in emerging Asia, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said today in its latest Regional Economic Outlook (REO). With both exports and domestic demand fuelling rapid economic growth, economic growth in the Asia and Pacific region is expected to remain robust this year and next, the regional outlook released in Hong Kong said. Growth is expected to be led by India and China, whose economies are presumed to expand by 8 percent and 9.50 percent, respectively, in the next two years, noted Anoop Singh, Director of the IMF's Asia & Pacific department Their growth will have important spillovers for other countries in the region (and the world), particularly through demand for commodities, the IMF said. In India, base effects and policy tightening are projected to slow growth from 10.50 percent in 2010 to a more sustainable 8.25 percent in 2011 and 7.75 percent in 2012. In China, growth is expected to moderate from 10.33 percent in 2010 to 9.50 percent in 2011-12, as policy tightening slows investment. 'Looking ahead, a key challenge for Asia's policymakers remains to achieve balanced, sustainable, and more inclusive growth over the medium term,' Singh said. He noted the need to reduce inequality through inclusive labour markets, which would guard against risks to social stability, and to develop new engines of growth by strengthening private domestic demand. Noting that the Asia and Pacific region entered 2011 with healthy economic momentum, the outlook said in late 2010 thanks to both domestic demand and exports, growth remained robust in India and Korea. Helped by favourable weather and a strong run-up in prices, agricultural production also accelerated in late 2010 in many regional economies, particularly India and the Philippines. Despite some monetary tightening in several economies, the real cost of capital remains well below both pre-crisis levels and historical averages and bank credit has continued to accelerate in the region, it said. Corporate equity and debt issuance (local and external) increased strongly during 2010, especially in ASEAN-4 economies, China, India, and Korea, partly reflecting increasing risk appetite from foreign investors. In nominal effective terms, exchange rates have also weakened somewhat since October 2010 in China, India, and the ASEAN-5 economies.

Seven Indians in 50 top women-led North American firms

Washington, April 29 (IANS) Indian origin women lead seven of the 50 fastest-growing women-owned or women-led companies in North America, according to the non-profit group the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) and American Express OPEN. In the US alone there are an estimated 8.1 million women-owned businesses that contribute $1.3 trillion to the national economy and employ 7.7 million people, US business magazine Forbes noted citing the list. The companies that made the top 50 generated an astounding $4.1 billion in combined revenues last year. Leading the Indian contingent is Himanshu Bhatia of Rose International, Montana, Contingent Workforce Services, in the third place. Ranjini Poddar of Artech Information Systems, New Jersey, IT Consulting in the seventh place comes next followed by Rachna Agarwal of Expedien, Texas, Business Intelligence in the 12th place. Gloria Rajkumar (16) of SIMAC Canada, Ontario, Coordinate Independent Medical Assessments, Kiran Gill (21) of PARS Environmental, New Jersey, Environmental consulting firm and Anjali 'Ann' Ramakumaran (26) of Ampcus, Virginia, Consulting services take the next three places. Sonu Ratra of Akraya, California, IT & Marketing staffing in the 37th place brings up the rear. Shelly Sun led the fastest-growing company on the list, BrightStar Care, a home healthcare and medical staffing company based in Illinois, which quadrupled its revenue in just two years to $100 million To qualify for the list, companies were required to be privately held, woman-owned or women-led, and located in the US or Canada. They were ranked according to a sales growth formula that combines percentage and absolute growth.

Canada promises faster immigration, more student visas

TORONTO: Just days before Canadian parliamentary elections on May 2, political leaders are wooing Indo-Canadians by promising less waiting time for immigration and more students visas from India. Speaking at a roundtable organized by the Canada-India Foundation (CIF) here, top leaders of the opposition Liberal Party promised a comprehensive relationship with India. They said their party government will take the bilateral ties beyond trade to increase immigration and tourism from India and foster deeper education and research cooperation. Top Liberal Party leader and Toronto MP Bob Rae reminded Indo-Canadians the role played by his party leader and former prime minister Paul Martin in ushering in G20 to include India and other developing economies for wider consultation on global economic issues. He said Canada should focus on its core competencies in engaging with India and leverage its expertise to continue to push for stronger nuclear ties with India. Suggesting more visas for Indian students to study in Canada, John McCallum, MP from the Toronto suburb of Markham-Unionville, said Australia was "eating Canada's lunch'' in attracting Indian students and the federal government must usher in friendlier policies on visa and work. Canada currently gets about 3,500 Indian students compared to over 40,000 going to Australia each year. Rob Oliphant, MP from the Toronto constituency of Don Valley West, said his party had identified Gujarat as a great business destination 20 years ago. He said he was happy that the current Canadian government has recognized the importance of Gujarat by being a partner country at this year's Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Since Canada still doesn't have any official presence in Gujarat, he favoured a full consular office in the state. Oliphant promised that his party government would reduce wait times for the family class immigration category from 11-13 years now to five to six years. He also said his party government would be more careful in addresses sensitive issues like the visit of union minister Kamal Nath here last year which led to protests by Sikh groups for his alleged involvement in the 1984 riots. Bengali-origin Rana Sarkar, who is contesting for parliament for the first time from the Toronto constituency of Scarborough Rouge River, said that based on past history, his Liberal Party has "the DNA for dealing with India and now there is need for India 2.0 engagement strategy.''
Maria Minna, MP from the Toronto constituency of Beaches-East York, emphasized the need for serious engagement of the Indian diaspora for deepening Canada-India relations. Canada-India Foundation leaders Aditya Jha and Ramesh Chotai, said the Indian diaspora was pleased that the Liberal Party recognizes its role in shaping Canadian policies. Representatives of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, IIT Alumni of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Hindu Civilization also quizzed Canadian politicians about India.

Abuse of H1B, L1 visas in India: US

Washington: Noting that Indians have been benefited most from the H-1B and L1 work visas, a senior US official has said there have been some cases of abuse of these visa categories in India. "Our consulates or the embassy in India had become aware of certain abuses of those categories of visas, and they are taking measures to make sure that those abuses do not continue," Janice Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs told reporters. "There's an awful lot of outreach with the business community in India. We have a very good relationship with NASSCOM and other business groups there. I even spoke to them when -- during a recent visit to Delhi," Jacobs said. "Over 50 per cent of the H1-B and L visas that we issue worldwide are issued in India. So those two programs, I think, have really benefited Indian nationals over the years," he said in response to a question.

Canadian parliament may see more Indian-origin MPs

TORONTO: With main three national parties putting up 23 Indo-Canadian candidates for the May 2 general election, the Canadian parliament may see more MPs of Indian-origin this time. In the outgoing 308-member House of Commons, there were nine MPs of Indian origin - four from the ruling Conservative Party and five from the opposition Liberal Party.The ruling Conservative party has fielded eight, the main opposition Liberal Party 10 and the New Democratic Party (NDP) five Indo-Canadian candidates in this election.While all the sitting MPs - Ujjal Dosanjh, Ruby Dhalla, Navdeep Bains, Gurbax Malhi, Sukh Dhaliwal, Nina Grewal, Deepak Obhrai, Devinder Shory and Tim Oppal - have been re-nominated by their parties, there are many new faces in the fray this time.Though most of the siting Indo-Canadian MPs are expected to be back in the House of Commons, veteran Ujjal Dosanjh and Ruby Dhalla of the opposition Liberal Party face tough battle this time. In the 2008 elections, Dosanjh had managed to win in the Vancouver South constituency by just 20 votes. Dhalla, who is one of the first Sikh MPs in Canada, too had retained her seat by about 700 votes. The ruling Conservative Party, which has failed to achieve a simple majority in the last three elections, is trying very hard to unseat both Dosanjh and Dhalla.
Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and immigration minister Jason Kenney have visited Dhalla's constituency of Brampton-Springdale on the outskirts of Toronto in support of their candidate Parm Gill. "It will be very difficult for Dhalla to retain her seat this time because her opponent has interacted intensely with the people in this riding (constituency) since the last election,'' says a Brampton transport, requesting anonymity.From the ruling Conservative Party, all its four sitting Indo-Canadian MPs - Deepak Obhrai, Devinder Shory, Tim Oppal and Neena Grewal - are sure to retain their seats.From the opposition Liberal Party, Gurbax Malhi is set to return to the House of Commons for a record sixth time. Malhi became the first turbaned Sikh MP in Canada when he was elected first in 1993.

New York Indian Film Fest to partner with film schools
The oldest festival for Indian cinema in the United States will partner with three prestigious film schools in New York and India to help directors to have their stories reach a wider platform. The partnerships aimed at helping foster a new generation of filmmakers are with award-winning filmmaker Subhash Ghai's Whistling Woods International (WWI)in Mumbai, The Department of Cinema Studies at Tisch, New York University, and the New York Film Academy. Organized by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the 11th annual New York Indian Film Festival will run from May 4 to May 8 in Manhattan. WWI, an institute for film, television, animation, and media arts, awards the top short films from its film students each year. These award-winning shorts will now travel to New York and screen at NYIFF each year allowing emerging filmmakers to reach audiences and industry professionals in the US.This year's line-up includes "Incerto", "Flip", "Punha", "Daily Soap", "Kalapaani", and "Uss Paar". "These graduates will be part of India's next generation of filmmakers and have commenced their filmmaking journey with these films. I am extremely happy to see the quality of their work," says Subhash Ghai, founder and chairman of Whistling Woods. "I am thrilled about the association between the Mukta Arts group and the 11th annual New York Indian Film Festival," he said. For the last two years, NYIFF has teamed up with the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University with students of Professor Karl Bardosh creating one-minute cell phone films on themes at the film festival. This programme will continue for a third year and Richard Allen, Professor of Cinema Studies at Tisch School of the Arts, will once again host post-screening discussions with key filmmakers during the five-day festival. "The Department of Cinema Studies at Tisch, NYU, again looks forward to collaborating with the NYIFF in its cutting edge programme of screenings and events which brings the best of the New Indian Cinema to New York City by staging a series of in-depth discussions with key directors and actors in the industry," Allen said. In addition, the New York Film Academy has offered a one-week scholarship valued at $1,575 for film study to an emerging filmmaker whose work will be screened at the film festival. "The New York Film Academy is proud to associate with the New York Indian Film Festival; we share a deep passion for film," said NYFA's Jack Newman.

Dhalla accuses rival of having inappropriate access to immigration minister

Ruby Dhalla, Liberal MP for Brampton?Springdale, in June 2009

BRAMPTON, Ont. - Liberal candidate Ruby Dhalla is urging the auditor general to investigate the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration over allegations that her Conservative rival has inappropriate access to Minister Jason Kenney. At a news conference Wednesday, Dhalla accused Conservative candidate Parm Gill of trying to buy votes by offering to help residents of the Brampton-Springdale riding obtain visas for their family members. "No political party in our country should be utilizing the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration for the purpose of buying ethnic votes," Dhalla said. "This is a new low for Canadian democracy. It speaks and smells of corruption, it speaks and smells of fraud." A Gill campaign spokesperson declined comment when contacted by The Canadian Press. A call to Kenney's office wasn't immediately returned. Dhalla alleges that Gill, an unelected candidate, has set himself up as Kenney's official delegate on visas. Brampton-Springdale has a large South Asian population, and Dhalla says immigration is a central issue in the area. But although she says she has been hearing "whispers" about the allegations in the community for some time, as of yet, no one has come forward to say Gill offered to assist them. "There is a great culture of fear, of intimidation," Dhalla told reporters. "Individuals that have been helped are fearful that if they come forward they will put their own particular files in jeopardy." Kenney told the CBC the allegations are ridiculous and said residents may be turning to Gill because they're not getting the help they need from the incumbent Dhalla. She denies this accusation, countering that she has helped thousands of people. Dhalla urged people who have been offered help by Gill's office to "be brave" and come forward with information. "I think the Prime Minister needs to start asking his Conservative candidates very serious questions," she said.

Bio: Ruby Dhalla
Ruby Dhalla may have caught the “political bug” as a young child, but she likely had no idea just how messy political life could get. Despite a number of recent controversies, the Liberal MP is in a tight race to keep her Brampton-Spingdale seat. Dhalla was born in 1974, and raised in a poor neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Man., by a single mother who had arrived from Punjab, India, two years before. Her mother worked as a bookkeeper and child care worker to raise Dhalla and her brother Neil, and made the children watch the news on television each night before going to bed. At the age of ten, Dhalla saw a news report about the massacre at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, and was captivated by the report. She wrote a letter to the late prime minister of India Indira Gandhi, urging her to pursue a peaceful solution. Two weeks after the letter was sent, Dhalla received a personalized letter from Gandhi, inviting Dhalla to visit India. Dhalla and her family were in London en route to India to visit Gandhi when she was assassinated in New Delhi on October 31, 1984. Dhalla credits the entire experience as being the catalyst of her interest in politics. Dhalla was student body president in both junior high and in high school. At the age of 12, she participated in a program called Forum for Young Canadians, which required that she get a $100 donation from her local MP. She went to visit MP David Walker, who agreed to provide the donation, on the condition that Dhalla volunteer for the Liberal party. Every Saturday for the next year, Dhalla volunteered her time for the party by answering phones and attending events. She volunteered for David Walker’s campaign to win the parliamentary seat for Winnipeg North Centre in 1988, and became an active member of the Young Liberals.

Academic career
She started her studies at the University of Winnipeg, but her academic career was briefly sidetracked while on a natural sciences scholarship exchange at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. Dhalla began to work as a model, and finished second in the Miss India Canada pageant in 1993. She returned to Manitoba and graduated from the University of Winnipeg in 1995 with a degree in biochemistry with a minor in political science. She moved back to Toronto and obtained her Doctor of Chiropractic medicine in 1999, before opening a number of chiropractic clinics in the GTA with her brother. But Dhalla was again drawn to pursue modelling and acting. She appeared in a Hindi film made in Hamilton in 2003 called Kyon Kis Liye (Why? And for Whom?). She continued to model, and appeared in television commercials. In 2004, then Prime Minister Paul Martin approached Dhalla and asked her to represent the Liberals in the next election. She accepted, and won the Brampton-Springdale seat, becoming the first Sikh woman in the House of Commons.

Controversy
Dhalla had her first taste of controversy on a trip to India in January 2008. Two children were beaten by police after an aide’s purse was stolen, and the Indian media portrayed Dhalla as uncaring. Dhalla responded with a statement condemning violence. In March of 2009, Dhalla was attempting to block sales of DVD copies of her movie Kyon Kis Liye, saying her face was placed on someone else’s body in the movie’s publicity material. The producer of the film, an auto body shop owner in Hamilton, countered with a claim that Dhalla had conspired to alter scenes from pirated copies of the DVD to remove scenes she didn’t like. Then another controversy hit Dhallas’s career: allegations that she illegally hired and employed three foreign caregivers in her family’s home in Mississauga, Ont. Dhalla resigned as Critic for Youth and Multiculturalism, and appeared before the Commons immigration committee to defend herself. She claimed the allegations are part of a conspiracy to end her political career. Dhalla wants a judge to force a nanny who claims she was exploited while working at their Mississauga home to accept a $5,000 payment and a gag order not to talk about the deal.The nanny, Richelyn Tongson, has refused to sign the court papers, saying it would stop her from "ever discussing what happened to me while working for the Dhallas and the horrid things which I had been forced to endure in that household."The case returns to court on Monday. Meanwhile, the MP finds herself in another tight race for the Brampton-Springdale seat that she won by a narrow margin in 2008 - fewer than 800 votes. Her opponent, Tory Candidate Parm Gill, has already put Dhalla on the offensive.
A newspaper report from India alleged Dhalla had billed a local Indian government thousands of dollars in expenses during a recent visit as a guest of the state. Federal Conservatives called the media suggest they write a story.The MP defended the January trip, explaining that she was invited to give a keynote speech at a conference and had used the opportunity to promote new business ties in the emerging economy for her constituents.