Lexbase, the country's leading immigration publication run by Kurland, reviewed the inventory of all overseas Economic Class permanent residence applications as of April 4, 2008, and was astonished to discover that there are a whopping 145,556 people in the queue in New Delhi, but that the 2008 target allows for only 9,245 visas.

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GOVERNMENT SOURCES SAY REGIONAL POLICE FORCE AFTER NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION
They say: “We are in the global world. We’re in an area where criminals don’t respect municipal boundaries and in spite of the regional units that have been set up the fact is that you need to have better coordination.” [Full Story]

INDO-CANADIAN LAWYER DEV DLEY APPOINTED PROVINCIAL COURT JUDGE IN KAMLOOPS
Indo-Canadian lawyer Dev Dley, QC, who has been appointed to the bench of the British Columbia Provincial Court in Kamloops, is a “very bright” and “outstanding” man, Attorney General Wally Oppal told the VOICE this week. [Full Story]

ABBOTSFORD’S WRESTLER GURJOT KOONER: ANOTHER INDO-CANADIAN OLYMPIAN IN THE MAKING
Abbotsford’s wrestler Gurjot Kooner, who turned 18 just last month, is all pumped up after an amazing raft of successes over the last few years. He told The VOICE this week he wants to represent Canada at the Olympics in 2012 in London when he’ll be 22 – and also at the 2016 Olympics in 2016. [Full Story]

B.C. SIKH COMMUMNITY CAMPAIGNS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIA
The B.C. Sikh Community held a successful series of events to commemorate the 24th anniversary of Operation Bluestar (the Indian Army’s attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab,) and to raise its voice against the ongoing human rights abuses that India’s minorities face in what is called the world’s largest democracy. [Full Story]

DISTORTED PORTRAYAL OF 'KHALISTAN' HINDERS REDRESS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST SIKHS
Raw pain, perceptions of fear and feelings of injustice by Sikhs here in BC appear to have marred their ability to openly speak out about human rights violations in India. This dilemma seems to be compounded by the fear of being painted with a terrorist brush and being associated with a one-sided construction of what Khalistan actually means today. [Full Story]

PUTTING THE FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BY SIKHS IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE
Here we carry excerpts from speeches made on the occasion this year by WSO President Gian Singh Sandhu (Politics and the Dehumanization of Human Rights) and former MP David Kilgour (Justice, Dignity and Non-violence versus Dehumanized Politics). [Full Story]

NEED TO GUARD AGAINST RACISM EVEN AS PRIME MINISTER HARPER COURAGEOUSLY APOLOGIZES FOR NATIVE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
This Wednesday, the Province newspaper published yet another stupid, racist letter (for which this newspaper and its sister paper The Vancouver Sun are notorious) by a white woman from Langley, on the government’s apology for Native residential schools. [Full Story]

BASI CASE: IS CROWN PLAYING GAMES? WILL PREMIER CAMPBELL BE FORCED TO TESTIFY?
Everyone is now waiting for the British Columbia Court of Appeal to decide whether the defence lawyers in the December 28, 2003 Raid on the Legislature case can be present at a hearing when special prosecutor William Berardino presents information concerning a secret police witness in the B.C. Supreme Court. [Full Story]

B.C. COURT OF APPEAL TO DECIDE ON REYAT’S BAIL
Reyat, 55, completed his five-year sentence for manslaughter in the 1985 Air India bombing in February. He pleaded guilty in 2003 to supplying materials for the bomb. He had also served a 10-year sentence for manslaughter in the 1985 Narita International Airport incident in which two baggage handlers were killed when a bomb went off. [Full Story]

YOUR TURN
#1. ‘NO TRUTH TO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SWAMI RAMDEV JI’
#2. CAN JUDGES BE TOUGHER WITH DRUG DEALERS?
#3. WHY DIDN’T THE VANCOUVER SUN COVER THE BC RAIL CASE? [Full Story]

FOCUS ON SURREY
#1. BRAR CHALLENGES CAMPBELL GOV’T TO STOP SURREY SCHOOL CLOSURE

#2. SUE HAMMELL AWARDS $500 BURSARIES TO TWO SURREY STUDENTS

#3. SURREY NORTH M.P. PENNY PRIDDY HOSTS IMMIGRATION FORUM

#4. WHERE’S THE BLUE BIN AT YOUR EVENT? [Full Story]

CONSERVATIVES MOCK THE LIBERALS AS ONLY 15 MP’S VOTE AGAINST BILL C-50
The Conseravtives said: “Last night (Monday night), only 15 Liberal MPs joined Stephane Dion in showing up to vote against Bill C-50. Why, after spending months fear mongering over Bill C-50 did the Liberals allow this legislation to pass? Could it be that Dion and his Liberal colleagues really agree with the proposed immigration changes? [Full Story]

ETHNICITY IS THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATION FOR HATE-MOTIVATED CRIMES
Hate-motivated incidents account for a relatively small proportion of both police-reported and self-reported crime. In both cases, race / ethnicity is the most common motivation for these crimes, says Statistics Canada. [Full Story]

PROVINCE PROVIDES $100 FOR CLIMATE SMART CHOICES
I wonder if many Canadians realize that, with a legacy of tax reductions from 2001 to 2008, British Columbia is now considered one of the lowest taxing provinces in the country. Our government is very proud of the fact that, by next year, if you are an individual in B.C. earning $111,000 per year or less, you pay the lowest personal income taxes in all of Canada. Hard to believe, but true. [Full Story]