Public Transport Challenge faced by Community:
OFBJP team has been actively lobbying with several Dutch Politicians to take the Indian Community issues forward. Please see recent survey done and presented to CDA party on inconvenience faced by people. For more information on survey results please see: Public Transport Survey Results Public Transport Survey
Housing Challenge Faced by Indian Community:
OFBJP has contributed advise to Amstelveen Gementee on housing challenge faced due to high rentals and lack of knowledge on occupancy law. Amstelveen Gementee has informed that this will be further presented to Ministry in Den Hague by them. For more information on OFBJP advise click on following: Housing Challenge. It is OFBJP intention to share intellectually how the Dutch Government can ensure affordable Housing.
OFBJP brings the challenges of Community forward to Amstelveen Gementee:
A presentation was given to Amstelveen Gementee to Mayor Bas Eenhoorn, Jurrian Blokland, Julien Rikkoert, Anne Kaiser Amstelveen, Jolanda Van der Aart , Sabine van Egeraat, IIse Kerling. To see the presentation click here . OFBJP has also shared bad Press Release . The main goal was OFBJP would like to prevent unpleasant experience and address the needs of the community in order to focus on long term solution for everyone in Society to live happily and safely.
OFBJP brings the needs of Indian Community forward to Amstelveen Gementee:
OFBJP has gently requested Amstelveen Gemeentee to support Indian Community:
1. To provide Indian Community Centre so that they can conduct Dutch classes, support in Dutch Cultural programs, set up a help desk and celebrate both Dutch and Indian festivals together.
2. To recognize all Indian community organisation equally by forming an Umbrella organisation which will be a consortium of Indian diaspora organisation. This Umbrella organisation will be a collective representation of Indian Community.
3. To provide subsidy to to all Indian Community organisation equally.
OFBJP pleades Amstelveen Gementee to recognise the Diversity of India:
OFBJP believes that the world can learn about living happily with multi-cultures from India as Unity in Diversity is India’s identity and strength. Since 2016, OFBJP has spent a lot of effort and time with Amstelveen Gementee to educate them about the Diversity of India and our community in Netherlands. The efforts has been concentrated as Amstelveen Gementee as every year the government celebrates one festival and the representation of India is by ONE family. Mr. Frank Berkhout from D66 advised OFBJP to be honest about our concerns. OFBJP requested the Chairman of meeting Floor Gordon ( also from D66) to provide transparency on how Amstelveen Gementee takes Decisions towards Indian Community. OFBJP has asked the following top 5 questions in order to understand modus of operandi of Amstelveen Gementee:
1. Question: Why the Municipality of Amstelveen is celebrating only one festival and why others are ignored and what Amstelveen Gementee is achieving by celebrating one festival?
Rationale of the Question: India is a country of festival and each festival is important to Indian Community.
2. Question: Why Amstelveen Mayor sends emails to Indian Companies asking sponsorship for one festival and not other festivals?
Rationale of the Question: If sponsorship is asked by Mayor to Indian Companies, it is natural that the Indian companies will participate hence we request the mayor to treat all Indian Organisation with equality and also ask for sponsorship for other festivals.
3. Question: Why support and subsidy is given to only one organisation and others are ignored ?
Rationale of the Question: There are many Indian Diaspora Organisation within Amstelveen. None of them are getting subsidy however only one organisation is getting subsidy.
4. Question: Do Amstelveen Gementee believe in Nepotism?
Rationale of the Question: India is a heterogeneous Community and India cannot be reduced to be represented by one family.
5. Question: How much money is collected and spent for one afternoon how it is helping the Indian community to Integrate or contribute to Dutch Society?
Rationale for the Question: Amstelveen Gementee kept repeatedly asking OFBJP how can Indian Community can contribute to Dutch Society. OFBJP has informed Amstelveen Gementee that
– Indian Community is helping in the Elderly program run by OFBJP
– Indian Community is helping in Cancer Program run by NLTC.
– Indian Community works to Integrate in order to avoid any kind of animosity between Indian and Dutch Community. In Q1 2017, OFBJP team has already shared ideas on how proper Integration can be organised.
So far there is zero transparency on any of the questions. We hope the Amstelveen Gementee will support the Indian Community in equal way and understand the heterogeneous community and end nepotism. It is OFBJP goal to build a more inclusive Society.
Regarding this matter, Amstelveen Gementee has published the following news:
https://rtva.nl/2018/11/indiase-amstelveners-willen-een-koepel-vormen/
https://www.amsterdamsdagblad.nl/gemeente/gemeente-in-gesprek-met-indiase-gemeenschap
OFBJP Netherlands 