Been wandering on BE looking at threads of people coming back to the Uk, came across a post about Commonwealth Citizen rights, but couldn't find any for India. But as they are holding Games in Delhi, wondered if there are any rules relateing to Commonwealth citizens that relate to rights for living in India, as it appears many countries have rights in the Uk

Excellent question! lets get the brainy ones on to it!

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I an not brainy by any means,I have been looking at India and the Commonwealth, this particular part I thought was interesting.


Main article: India-United Kingdom Relations
Since 1947, India's relations with the United Kingdom have been through bilateral, as well as through the Commonwealth of Nations framework. Although the Sterling Area no longer exists and the Commonwealth is much more an informal forum, India and the UK still have many enduring links. This is in part due to the significant number of people of Indian origin living in the UK. The large South Asian population in the UK results in steady travel and communication between the two countries. The British Raj allowed for both cultures to imbibe tremendously from the other. The English language and cricket are perhaps the two most evident British exports, whilst in the UK food from the indian subcontinent are very popular.[156] The United Kingdom's favourite food is often reported to be Indian Cuisine, although no official study reports this.[156]

Economically the relationship between Britain and India is also strong. India is the second largest investor in Britain after the US.[157][158] Britain is also one of the largest investors in India.[159]

The Queen's visits to India have been enormously successful along with those by other members of the Royal Family. Britain has also supported India's rise to prominence on the international stage, including advocating a permanent seat on the Security Council.[160][dead link] The UK recently gave India a £825 million aid package to help India develop its health and education systems

So lets get HRH, INVOLVED, God bless her
As a boy at school I remember all the This is our friendship with these countries this bond with people across the globe and how wonderful to have such Friends. Went as school outing, some big exhibition about 40 years ago

As far as I see it, the Commonwealth was formed when Britain ruled a number of other nations and Islands , known then as the colonies.
Since its inception many nations have been granted independance from UK governance including India.
In todays terms, the Commonwealth is reduced to an informal bond of good relations between Britain and former colonies of Britain. Britain effectively has no 'ruling power' but can use diplomatic tactics or sanctions when necessary.

At the present time, I don't see good relations between India and Britain - judging by the way British citizens are being treated out there.

Dread - opinion only
x

Especially with English law I know, laws get forgotten and never come to light until found in some dirty old library ' always thought it quaint in Wood green anyway there was a by law that anyone should they ask could use your toilet. Just trying to promote maybe something in Indian constitution, or Goan laws

There are some very old English laws still live in the UK. You have recognised one, another is a law that states that Hackney Carriage drivers may urinate in public against the rear nearside wheel of their carriage - goes back to the days of the horse and carriage which is where the name of Hackney carriage originates. One day all the London black cabbies lined up their cabs and did this as a form of protest - can't even recall what the protest was about only that this is what they did !
Another one is that it's unlawful to shoot rabbits on a Sunday!
Murder and manslaughter are offences against 'Common law' - which is law that came in during the 'hue and cry' years, and was formed from the societal view of what was or was not acceptable human behaviour.

Dread - the law is an ass !
x

In the 1980s Britain changed the laws relating to citizenship rights (UK) for those in Commonwealth countries. If I remember rightly it was about the time that Hong Kong was being handed back to China.

The commonwealth nations have their own citizenship and residency laws, most of which I would say, made it possible to be British in those newly independent countries except in the transitional process ie africanisation, indianisation, forced those who would not surrender Brit citizenship to leave.

Outside of Goa (Portuguese), Indian law prevented non Indians from holding property after independence. So those that had Brit citizenship, such as the "Anglo Indians", and those Brits that wanted to stay, had to take up Indian citizenship on completing residency periods.

There's a hugely favourable and enlightening article in the Goanvoice of 28th april (today) by an Alda Figueredo. She is the typical Goan with probably generational links to the UK directly from Goa (pre and post 1961), and BE'rs have to understand this timeline distinction if any headway is going to be made....hopefully the BHI are not too young enough in years for this to be lost on them.

Commonwealth citizens are allowed the vote in UK general elections (and may have influenced the outcome of some marginal seats in the recent one - e.g. Bethenal Green & Bow). You can be an Indian (or Nigerian, or other CW citizen) - just arrived from the plane, and register yourself to vote in a UK election, and that is entirely lega!

I believe that as part of the 'voter reform' that the new coallition government (con-lib, or lib-lab) insists on, there should be an immediate scrapping of this right!

Julia x

are you sure 'just arrived off the plane' and can vote is correct?. I thought 'established residency' was a requirement first?

Yes, 'Just arrived off the plane' Voting rights are a given. Who Checks? Certainly not the electerol commission who don't check who has just arrived and who is a longer-term resident. No ID, visa or passport is required in order to register yourself on the UK electorol roll. Just a signature, which anyone can forge - ohh did I say FORGE - I ment SIGN!! The UK electrol roll is a shambles. No-one checks if the people added to the register actually exist let alone if they have the right to vote! That is the problem.

J x

Are they giving out polling cards instead of immigration cards on planes now?
Thought you had to have a polling card to vote ?

Dread - I did !
x

They post you polling cards before each election if you are registered on the roll of electors.

To register, all you need to do is phone the local authority and ask for a form. You sign it and send it back and then bing you are registered to vote. Anyone can do this. No ID checks are carried out, even the most rudimentary - e.g. assertaining if the person actually EXISTS. I know because I personally registered both my brother-in-law and his wife (both Goans) on the electorol roll a week before they arrived in England 6 years ago on HSMP visas. (HSMP means they can stay and work - but aren't yet permanant residents). They both duly voted (and received polling cards posted to them) in the 2005 general election.

Now they have supposedly tightened the system and each voter needs to sign the form themselves, rather than one person sign on behalf of the whole household, but still WIDELY open to abuse and fraud.

I personally believe that only British Citizens should have the vote, not CW, but that is not for me to decide unfortunately!

J

So now we know how Vaz-eline and his slimy sister got elected!

Not my constituency so I was not responsible for this... but YES, that's exactly how people get elected. Commonwealth Citizens have the vote, end of. In fact I have been (un)privileged to meet Vaseleine and his wife once when they visited Goa and he told me if Shah Rukh Khan or similar bollywood actor stood for elections in against him in Lecester East, he would be ousted!

J