Two new studies, one done in the U.S. and the other in the U.K., document the systematic discrimination against Indian (mostly Mallu) nurses. From Indolink:

The author says that the [U.S.] study ‘underscores the continuing inequities of our health care system’ and concludes that the challenge is to establish a more just and effective environment for those who provide health care.

As one of the nurses said, “I have proven myself over and over. What do we have to do to get recognized? What makes me mad is I would never have been able to do all the things I have done if I had stayed in India…We own a house, my children have gone to college, and yet…here, I feel like I don’t belong.”

Another commented: “I have not been treated badly, but I know I am not treated the same as the other White nurses…”

An Indian nurse with 26 year’s experience observed: “I think I am in the middle…White is the top and Black is the bottom.”

The British study notes similar conclusions:

The British study by Michael Shields and Stephen Price, and entitled ‘Racial Harassment…Evidence from the British Nursing Profession,’ defines racial harassment as behavior towards the individual nurse that is perceived to be ‘difficult, aggressive or hostile’ on the grounds of race or color.

This study confirms that nurses from South Asia are victims of racial harassment from hospital staff as well as patients. Furthermore, the study reveals that South Asian nurses are likely to experience abuse on a frequent basis. More than half of the Indian nurses reported having been the victim of racial harassment by patients or their families during their working lives.

I usually think its great when some do-gooder American goes to India or Africa to help with the AIDS problem, but not like this. From 365Gay.com:

Police in India are seeking government permission to extradite three Americans for allegedly testing an animal vaccine on Indian patients with HIV 10 years ago.

The indictment names Pierre Emanuel De Gaspe, a Florida-based financier, Dr Bharav Bhattacharya, a veterinary scientist from New Jersey, and AIDS-patient counselor Dr Maya Gogte whose hometown in the US was not available.

All three are charged with medical negligence leading to death.

The case dates back to March 1994, when 10 HIV-positive patients were allegedly injected with a Bovine Immuno-deficiency Virus (BIV) vaccine meant for cows during medical trials conducted in Mumbai.

How often do we allow extradition of criminals anyways? Not including for torture I mean.

This dude is hard core – New York Daily News – Home – Cabbie’s 360G buys medallion & a dream

It cost him $360,000, but Mohammed Shah is glad to be in the driver’s seat. The Queens cabbie shelled out the record cash for a taxi medallion yesterday, mortgaging his East Elmhurst house and laying out a 10% down payment to finance the purchase at a city auction. “I work 50 hours a week,” the Bangladeshi immigrant said with a smile. “Maybe now I just work 40 hours. It’s nice to be your own driver.”

Shah came to the United States 23 years ago and is married, with two boys and a girl. His second son was born 10months ago. He worked in a restaurant until 1996, when he turned to driving a taxi. He already had achieved the American Dream of homeownership, and now he’s notched the cabbie New York Dream. “Now I own everything, a car and the medallion,” he said.

A big Sepia Mutiny BRAVO to you, Mr Shah.

According to the Navhind Times it seems that many Sikhs from Afghanistan presently living in India, want to make their way back to Afghanistan through Pakistan, now that the country is stable enough for them to return to their businesses. What were up to 500,000 Sikhs doing in Afghanistan before the violence of the 90s and 9/11?

Afghan Sikhs and Hindus were predominant in Afghanistan’s unique ‘money market’ working as commission money changers, while others had shops and trading establishments.

However, after the fall of Najibullah regime, the Sikhs and Hindus fell prey to bloody inter-Mujaheddin warfare.

“For the past few years we have been trickling back and trying to reclaim our properties. We are facing lot of hardships,” the Sikh leaders said.

The Indian government however is not receptive to the idea of the Sikhs traveling trough Pakistan.

The Indian government had imposed a ban on overland entry of Afghan Sikhs following warning from intelligence agencies that Pakistani agencies were trying to infiltrate Sikh extremists in the garb of Afghan Sikhs.

Restrictions had also been enforced as after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Afghan security agencies had come across tell-tale evidence of some Sikh youths undergoing arms training in ISI-run camps near Kabul and in northern Afghanistan.

Assuming the article is refering to Al Qaeda’s terrorist training camps, that’s the first time I have heard that there were any significant number of Sikhs in those camps. In any case, it must be seen as a positive sign when people who fled a country start to return.