About the author

Wahid Saleh is a social entrepreneur and a community leader based in the Netherlands. He is now mainly involved in multicultural integration, social and development work through voluntary and non-government organizations. The focal point is in the area of socio-cultural field.

Hailing from Rajabari, Jorhat, district of Assam, Wahid (21-04-1941) went to Kerala for his engineering study and in 1963 moved to West Germany for his higher training in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Thereafter Wahid studied Information Technology and in 1968 moved to the Netherlands where he was employed till 2003. He was employed as Head of IT department. His last job was Head of the department of Quality and Research of a major Dutch company. He was responsible for the design, procurement and implementation of a data communication infrastructure involving more than 5,000 online users. In 2003 Wahid went on early retirement and is now involved in multicultural integration, social work and development work through voluntary and non-government organizations.

For many years he has played an integral role in helping people from South Asia, mainly India, to settle down in the Netherlands and to get familiarized with the Dutch way of life. For 19 years he served as a Board Member of the Netherlands-India Association out of which 15 years as a Secretary. Wahid took the initiative to collect data and design the first website of the Netherlands-India Association. He helped and guided the creation of the Dutch Indian Youth Association (DIYA) also.

As a Secretary of the Association he organised art-exhibitions and cultural programmes of well-known Indian artists and coordinated fundraising campaigns for drinking water projects, vocational education etc. He was also responsible for running relief campaigns including, but not limited to, Orissa floods, Gujarat earthquake, floods in Assam and Bihar etc.

Wahid is a social entrepreneur and is an active member of the Indian community in and outside The Netherlands. He has served in numerous civic, community and cultural organisations in various advisory and executive positions. He is now associated with the following organisations:

Founding Member, Mentor, Europe India Chamber of Commerce, Brussels, Belgium
Member, Board of Directors, North East Healthpoint Pvt. Ltd., Mirza, Assam, India
Board Member, NIFI - The Netherlands India foundation for Innovation
Adviser, AQM & NM Memorial Trust for Higher Education, Assam, India
Adviser, The Raushanara Educaton Foundation, Guwahati, Assam
Founder, Editor, www.indiawijzer.nl.
Coordinator, Friends of India in the Netherlands
Founder and Modarator, IndiansinNL Yahoo Group
Life Member Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti (Assam Research Society), Guwahati
Former Adviser, Prajnalaya, Titabor, Assam
Former Alumni Advisor NEPIF-North East Professional Instituties Forum, Assam
Former Cultural Coordinator, Milan Festival, The Hague
Former Member of the Board and Founding Member of The EuroIndia Centre, La Rochelle, France.
Former Secretary of the Federation of International Friendship and Cultural Societies in The Netherlands
Former Trustee and later a Vice President of the Foundation for Critical Choices for India, a think tank based in the Netherlands.
Former Member, Board of Directors, Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters, Katy, Texas, USA
For a number of years Wahid was a member of the jury of the Miss Hindustani of the Netherlands
Member of the advisory committee of the European Regional Conference of the First International Convention of Overseas Indians held in London in 1989.
National coordinator of the First Convention of Overseas Indians held in New York in 1989.
One of the organisers and coordinators of the seminar "In the Shadow of the Nuclear Threat-A Dialogue between India and Pakistan"(28-04-2002). It was the first meeting between the Pakistani and Indian community living in the Netherlands and so far known first in Europe.
In 2008, the Surinamese Hindustani community celebrated the 135^th year of immigration. Wahid was one of the members of the Steering Committee responsible for the celebration. Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Mr. Ravi was the Chief Guest of the International Symposium organised by the Steering Committee.
The First European Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held at the World Forum, The Hague on 19th September, 2009. The main theme of the Meet was “The Rising India and The Role of Indian Diaspora”. The event was organized jointly by representatives of major Indian Diaspora organizations in the Netherlands, under the umbrella organization the “Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe” and assisted by a number of other organizations and NRI/PIO volunteers. The partners in this event were The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Govt. of India, The Indian Embassy at The Hague and the municipality of The Hague. Over 600 participants, including 500 delegates and many outstanding speakers from 20 different European countries, attended the Meet. Wahid was one of the coordinators of the Divas.
The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2011. After successfully conducting the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas-Europe in September 2009, the representatives of the Indian Diaspora organizations in the Netherlands met again on the 25th of September 2011 at the World Forum in The Hague for the first Netherlands edition of the Annual Diaspora Conference. The the of the Annual Diaspora Conference 2011was: Indian Diaspora in Netherlands: Achievements, Contributions & Challenges. Wahid was one of the organising partners responsible for the media and publicity.
Former Member of the Advisory Boards of EBF International Business Research India 2009 & 2011, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Member, Advisory Board EBF International Business Research India 2013, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
In a befitting tribute to the ideals and message of peace and non-violence propounded by Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhiji was honoured in the Netherlands in a special way through opening of an Indian Cultural Centre named “Gandhi Centre” in The Hague on the occasion of his birth anniversary on 2nd October 2011. Gandhi Centre was inaugurated by H.E. Dr. Karan Singh, MP and President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The Gandhi Centre is an integral part of the Indian Embassy.
Its launch is a long anticipated and eagerly awaited event by the Indian Embassy and Government of India, as well as the Indian Diaspora community in the Netherlands. The initial discussion about the India Centre/Indian Cultural Centre started around 1984. The Netherlands India Association appointed a committee on 17-09-1986 to examine the desirability, feasibility and viability of creating and sustaining an Indian Cultural Centre. The conclusion of the Committee at that time was that the association should postpone this idea at that time and examine it again. In order to oversee the setup of this Indian Cultural Centre the ambassador of India under the chairmanship of the ambassador established a committee of NRIs and PIOs. Wahid was one of the members of the committee.
Adviser, 70th Biannual Session of Asam Sahitya Sabha (Assam Literary Society) in Dhemaji: Non Resident Assamese Consultative Committee(NRACC).
The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2012 - Connecting Communities & Generations was organized in the Forum of RAI Conference Center, Amsterdam by the Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe on 30th September 2012. As the theme of this conference suggests, it was focused on improving inter-generational relations as well as relations between different groups of Indian Diaspora in the Netherlands. Wahid (Indiawijzer) was the media partner responsible for the media and publicity.
The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2013: Rise of Indian Diaspora in Europe was organised by The Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe (FIDE) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at Louwman Museum. The Hague with the theme: The Rise of the Indian Diaspora in Europe. The objectives of the conference were: 1. To evaluate the achievements of the Indian Diaspora in Europe in general, and in the Netherlands in particular 2. To explore the possibilities of enhancing strength and visibility of Indian Diaspora in the different sectors of economic and social activities in Europe. Wahid (Indiawijzer) was the media partner and Press Officer responsible for the media and publicity.
The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2015: Rising Soft Power of India & The Role of Indian Diaspora was the theme of the Indian Diaspora Conference which was organized jointly by the Foundation for Critical Choices for India (FCCI) and the Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe on the 26th of September, 2015 in the World Forum, The Hague.
India’s soft power exemplified by the popularity of Indian cuisine, Indian films (Bollywood). Indian music, India’s spiritual traditions and Yoga, has grown substantially during the last fifty years. The non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin, collectively known as Indian Diaspora, have played a very significant role in expanding India’s soft power.
The conference tried to identify and examine various components of India’s soft power and critically examine the role which the Indian Diaspora played and still playing in enhancing India’s soft power further. Wahid (Indiawijzer) was pne of the coordinators of the seminar. He was also the media partner and Press Officer responsible for the media and publicity.
On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Rural Women on October 15, the Foundation for Critical Choices for India, (FCCI) and the Foundation for Indian Diaspora Europe (FIDE) jointly hosted an international conference on Rural Women in India, in the Bharat Bhawan, The Hague. The theme of the conference was : Indian Rural Women: role models, achievements & challenges . Wahid (Indiawijzer) was one of the coordinators of the conference. He was also the media partner and Press Officer responsible for the media and publicity.
ZerOrigIndia Foundation (Link to Facebook), which restricts its scope to India, has set itself the task of having a properly staffed and funded multidisciplinary research team of experts take up the challenge of answering the question as to when and where the zero digit first appeared, and if possible to pinpoint the prevailing cultural conditions under which the individual thrived, who made this astounding contribution to progress. Wahid is an active member of the Advisory Board of the Foundation. His contribution to this project is the " re-discovery" of zero pointing to Assam. The Assam ZERO, if reconfirmed by independent sources, would be one of the most important historical discoveries of the world.

Some of the activities (initiated) by Wahid

Indiawijzer - Guide to India
To cover the multifaceted relations between the Netherlands and India Wahid published a book called Indiawijzer - a guide to India. This book gives a comprehensive overview of India and Indians in the Netherlands covering organisations, institutions and individuals in the Netherlands involved directly or indirectly with India.

The profit of the 1st edition of the book was donated to the Netherlands India Association (NIA). The second and revised edition was published in 1999. The income of this edition was donated to an educational trust in India. This was followed by an internet edition uploaded in September 2004. The address of the website is www.indiawijzer.nl. It covers only one country - The Netherlands. One of the main features of Indiawijzer is a cultural agenda of Indian programmes in the Netherlands. It is updated daily and is unique, as it covers the India related activities of the whole country. Once a month the cultural agenda is mailed to more than 2.000 people in the Netherlands who are interested in India. It is provided as a service to the community, free of charge.
Name change from Assam to Asom
The Government of Assam, India adopted a resolution on 27 February, 2006 to change the official name of the state from Assam to Asom. The reason given for the change of name was that the name Assam is not an indigenous one and was coined by the British.

Wahid has done some original research on this subject. On the basis of his research and documents available in the Dutch archives, it can be safely established that the name Assam was not coined by the British. It was in use before the British came to Assam. Wahid took the initiative to submit a petition to the Chief Minister of Assam and other concerned politicians and opinion makers both in Assam and Delhi mentioning that the government of Assam has taken a decision on a wrong assumption. They name Assam should not be changed as it was not introduced by the British. Another petition on the same subject was signed by Assamese living in and outside India and submitted through "Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters". A committee for the retention of the name Assam was also formed to act against the name change.
Glanius : Did he at all visit Assam?
For many historians it was Glanius, a Dutch sailor who accompanied Mir Jumla, the trusted General of Emperor Aurangzeb, during his campaign to Assam who has left an account of his experience in Assam. As he was among the first Europeans to proceed as far as the capital or its neighbourhood his account has significance of its own. During his research to find out if the English coined the name “Assam”, Wahid searched the Dutch archives and discovered something else too.
He discovered that Glanius never went to Assam. Glanius never accompanied Mir Jumla. It was one Frans van der Heiden, a shipwrecked sailor of the VOC ship Terschelling, who went to Assam to fight with Mir Jumla and left a diary of his experience which was published in 1675. Glanius translated this diary in to English and he used first person to describe this experience. This gave the impression that he served in the army of Mir Jumla. As the historians had access to the English translation most of them took it for granted that Glanius went to Assam. Wahid published this "discovery" to correct an incident in the history of Assam which took place some 400+ years ago.
Payment of Dutch old age pension(AOW) in India
On 1 January 2000, the Dutch Export Restrictions on Benefits Act (BEU) came into effect. Under this Act, pension payments by the Dutch government to people in India would affect the Dutch Old Age pension (AOW) to be paid in India. But if an agreement is concluded between India and the Netherlands before 1 January 2003, the entitlement will remain unchanged after that date.

In 2002 Wahid approached the government of India informing about the change of Dutch law and requested the government of India to do the needful so that rights for the payment of Dutch Old Age pension (AOW) in India continues. In 2005 he submitted a petition signed by the NRI's living in the Netherlands to the Prime Minister of India and other VIP’s on this subject followed by regular communications with Indian Embassy and the Dutch government.

As a result during the Bharatiya Pravasi Divas Europe held on 19^th September 2009 in The Hague, HE Mr. Jan Piet Hein Donner, Minister of Social Welfare & Employment, The Netherlands and HE Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs announced that the the long awaited social security “Social Security Agreement” between India and the Netherlands is going to be signed in New Delhi in October 2009. This agreement was finally signed on 22nd October 2009 in New Delhi by HE Mr. Jan Piet Hein Donner, Minister of Social Welfare & Employment, The Netherlands and HE Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs. The agreement covers several branches of social insurance.
Uniform cost of PIO cards for EU countries with a common currency
The cost of a PIO card is Rs. 15,000/-. The Euro is the common currency to the majority of the EU countries. But the cost of a PIO card in Euro’s in different European countries of the EU is different. Wahid wrote to the ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and requested to introduce one uniform rate for the EU countries which has a common currency. This issue was also taken up during minister of MOIA's visit to the Netherlands. The minister advised that MOIA is in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs regarding the issue of anomaly in the fee structure presently obtaining in the Euro-zone countries of the PIO and OCI cards.
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card in relation to expired passports
The OCI is a life long visa pasted to a foreign passport. Together with the OCI card it is valid also with an expired foreign passport. In the Netherlands the passport issuing authorities punch holes in an expired passport. If requested some Dutch municipalities don't punch any hole on the passport page with the OIC visa pasted on it. The PIO card is also travel document, a multiple entry visa to travel to India. It is valid for 15 years. Wahid requested the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to issue OCI visa pasted to the OCI booklet or a single document like the PIO card issued as a separate booklet valid for life long. He also suggested the MOIA to instruct the immigration officials at the international airports in India to accept a passport with holes punched in it. Shri Vayalar Ravi, minister of MOIA replied that they are striving to find a via-media. On 09-01-2011, during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas the Prime Minister announced merging of the OCI and PIO cards into a single facility to simplify visa-free entry and participation of Indian Diaspora in business and other activities in India
OCI card and the Dutch nationality
The new Dutch law does not allow dual nationality. After corresponding for several months Wahid was able to convince the Dutch authorities that OCI card does not mean dual nationality. It is only a life long visa to visit India and this should not have any implication to PIOs holding a Dutch passport. This helped to remove some of the prevailing uncertainties regarding accepting OCI card as a life long visa and not as a nationality document issued by India
Anomalies in the Internet site of MOIA (www.moia.gov.in)
A few of the contents in the country profile of the Netherlands were not correctly represented. Wahid informed the MOIA that the contents needed updating; which the Ministry updated.
Avoidance of double taxation of inheritance
Wahid corresponded with the Dutch Ministry for Finance to draw their attention to the fact that the Avoidance of Double Taxation agreement signed between the Dutch and Indian government in 1988 did not include the avoidance of double taxation of inheritance. As in the year 2008 they are going to revise the agreement, Wahid requested them to include the same in the new agreement. The Dutch government replied that the Inheritance law of 1956 is now under revision and the new law when implemented will include some provisons in this area.
Promotion of Medical Tourism to India
In December 2006, as Board Member of The Netherlands Foundation for Business Process Innovation (NF BPi), Mr. Wahid Saleh, in collaboration with the Erasmus University, Rotterdam initiated a web-based survey under the motto “Medical Tourism - Your next healthcare destination is India”. He, designed, developed and coordinated the survey. The aim of the survey was to find out if India is a healthcare destination for residents of the Netherlands and to get the Dutch health insurance companies interested in this particular market. This has led to some efforts by others to further develop these ideas.
Friends of India
A number of cultural, trade and commercial organizations are active in the Netherlands devoted to bilateral issues between India and the Netherlands. However, there is no apex group which coordinates activities of these separate groups and more important, in the area of Indo-Dutch relations there is no group which interacts at political level, cutting across the party and interest group lines. As a result a better and comprehensive understanding of problems of India and stimulation of cooperative activities at higher levels, are not facilitated.

With a view to tackle these issues Wahid came up with the idea of starting a “Friends of India” group in the Netherlands to be active at the political level. A few discussions with Dutch MP's have already taken place. Officially The Friends of India has not yet started functioning.
An Agreement in the Area of Media & Entertainment between the Netherlands and India
In the Netherlands the creative sector holds a very important position. The Dutch are the leaders in fields like TV-productions, music and advertising. On the other hand the annual production of number of films, India leads the world. The growing TV and Film market in India as well as the globalization trends create business and partnering opportunities.

In order to fully utilise the potentials for the entertainment industries of both the countries and use the availability of the film-making facilities, suitable skilled workforce and locations for filming, we suggested that an agreement should be signed between the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Government of the Republic of India. This would assist in developing the growth and competitiveness of their film industries and the enhancement of their film cultures.

On the basis of a Film Co-production Agreement signed by the Government of the Republic of India and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland together with Soeniel Sewnaraien of ME-India, a draft of a possible “Film Co-production Agreement” between India and the Netherlands was submitted to the government of India on 29^th April 2009.
TOEFL® Test Centre in Assam and the North East
The TOEFL® Test - Test of English as a Foreign Language is a test which is required for entrance in to a foreign university. The Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking and analytical writing skills. The GRE® Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in 8 specific fields of study. There is also the SAT - the SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States.

Assam and the seven neighbouring provinces do not have a centre for TOEFL®/GRE examination. The students from that area go to Kolkota to appear in the examination.

In consultation with University of Tezpur, Assam, Wahid contacted ETS Corporate Headquarters in the USA and negotiated for starting a TOEFL® test centre in Assam. As a result the first ever TOFEL iBT examination (IBT=Internet Based Test) test centre for the north east of India is opened at Tezpur University in March 2011. It has a cluster of 30 workstations with internet connections dedicated to the TOEFL examination.
Grass root level activities in Assam
Wahid has helped to start grass root level activities in several educational institutions in Assam and provided funds to start vocational training centre for handicapped children, weaving and embroidery centre for girls and tribal women around Guwahati, and a small fishery project in a school near Jorhat. In January 2007 the Assam Institute of Management (AIM) organized the International seminar Epigenesis 2007 and invited Wahid Saleh as one of the speakers. In 2009 for the Pravashi Bharatiya Divas 2009 held in Chennai, the MOIA invited Wahid as a panelist for the Regional Working Session on Europe. The travelling cost paid to him by both AIM and MOIA was donated by Wahid to the schools supported by him. In a tribal village near Guwahati, he donated a school drinking water project, and also provided the seed money required for a few small micro-credit projects to help different villagers to stand on own two feet.

Through the Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS), a think tank organisation, Wahid is personally involved with several other projects. He has also supported the initiative “Support-a-child” to help children in Assam and Northeast India financially in pursuit of their education.
Educational Trust
In 2003, in the name of his parents, Wahid helped to establish an educational Trust in Assam and provided the necessary funds by the sale of his immovable properties. Since its inception the Trust has supported education of different needy students from Assam, from Higher Secondary schooling to a Doctorate in Bio-technology. The financial asistance is given to Indian nationals of Assamese Mulim community.
Assamese search engine and Assamese content on internet
In April 2010 while discussing about Assamese search engine Wahid and his friends were confronted with the fact that Assamese as a spoken, written, and literary language has a rich history. However, that richness is not well represented on the Internet. To create awareness, a few enthusiasts Assamese living both in and outside India took the initiative to start a group. The name of the initiative is E-jonaki-jug (ই-জোনাকী যুগ). The mission of the initiative is to be a catalyst for increasing the scale of Assamese content on the Internet and to promote the creation of online repositories of Assamese literature - both classic and new. On 26th August 2010 in a Press Release we informed the public about the aim and objectives of the initiative.
Many came forward to support this initiative. At present we have several lively Assamese discussion groups in FaceBook. From E-Jonaki-Jug's point of view, we can now focus on technical and collaboration details, rather than awareness, which are anyway being done by the FaceBooks groups, Assamese Blogs and Assamese websites.
News letter IndianDiaspora.nl
The Netherlands has the second largest number of Indian Diaspora in Europe. In order to provide Diaspora related news, Sandew Hira of Amrit Consultancy, The Hague took the initiative to publish the digital news letter IndianDiaspora.nl. The first edition was published in September 2005. Wahid was a member of the editorial Board of this publication.
Reject National Film Awards jury decision on 'Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare' - a Petition
The jury of the Indian National Film Awards in India this year [2012] decided to disqualify the Assamese film, Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare [which translates to ‘On the other bank of a river unseen’], as "not Assamese", even though the film had already been certified as Assamese by the official censorship authority in India.
It is not for the jury to question the language of the film that has already been established by competent authority but it is their solemn duty to fairly judge the merits of the film for awards. The jury failed to perform this duty they were entrusted with.
In order to reject this unfair decision, Wahid together with Satyajit Nath of USA took the initiative to submit a petition to make that request to Honourable Ms. Ambika Soni, the Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. The petition “Reject National Film Awards jury decision on Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare” was signed by more than 500 people and was submitted to the minister on 17th April 2012.
As a PIL [Public Interest Litigation] was submitted by a NGO from Delhi on this issue and our petition remained unanswered.
The transition of PIO & OCI to OIC (Overseas Indian Cardholder): A lifelong visa for Indian Diaspora
There is a proposal with the Parliament on the subject of Citizenship (amendment) bill. The amendment is the result of different representations and proposal submitted by the Diaspora community to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs [MOIA], Government of India.

During this process, where possible, the Indian Diaspora of the Netherlands interacted with the Dutch government to obtain clarification of the OCI in relation to the Dutch nationality and also several times interacted with the Minister, the Secretary and Joint-Secretary of MOIA on different Diaspora related issues.

As I am personally involved with this issue for a number of years, I have tried to put the history of transition of PIO & OCI to OIC on paper.

This article focuses on the activities initiated in the Netherlands. As I am not fully aware of initiatives taken by the Indian Diaspora in other countries, this article should not be considered a comprehensive representation of such.
The ZerOrigIndia Foundation
ZerOrigIndia Foundation, which restricts its scope to India, has set itself the task of having a properly staffed and funded multidisciplinary research team of experts take up the challenge of answering the question as to when and where the zero digit first appeared, and if possible to pinpoint the prevailing cultural conditions under which the individual thrived, who made this astounding contribution to progress.

Wahid is a member of the Advisory Board of this initiative. He came across the discovery of a stone slab with epigraphical inscriptions. The broken, rounded stone (15x9x6 cm) inscribed with numerical figures may possibly be the earliest example of a ZERO inscription in India and perhaps in the world. The Assam ZERO, if reconfirmed by independent sources, would be one of the most important historical discoveries of the world.

Please find some of the details at:
Indians are certain they invented the zero. But can they prove it?
Facebook Page of The Foundation ZerOrigIndia

Membership of professional organisations

Wahid is a former member of professional bodies like:

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
British Institute of Management
Institute of Data Processing Management
Institute of Engineers & Technicians
Dutch Register of Information Specialists (RI) etc.

Wahid in the Press

Wahid publishes generally Diaspora related articles. Now and then he also writes on subjects of general interest.

See the attached list.

Photos by Wahid Saleh

	Wahid Saleh is a social entrepreneur and a community leader based in the Netherlands. He is now mainly involved in multicultural integration, social and development work through voluntary and non-government organizations. The focal point is in the area of socio-cultural field. Hailing from Rajabari, Jorhat, district of Assam, Wahid (21-04-1941) went to Kerala for his engineering study and in 1963 moved to West Germany for his higher training in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Thereafter Wahid studied Information Technology and in 1968 moved to the Netherlands where he was employed till 2003. He was employed as Head of IT department. His last job was Head of the department of Quality and Research of a major Dutch company. He was responsible for the design, procurement and implementation of a data communication infrastructure involving more than 5,000 online users. In 2003 Wahid went on early retirement and is now involved in multicultural integration, social work and development work through voluntary and non-government organizations. For many years he has played an integral role in helping people from South Asia, mainly India, to settle down in the Netherlands and to get familiarized with the Dutch way of life. For 19 years he served as a Board Member of the Netherlands-India Association out of which 15 years as a Secretary. Wahid took the initiative to collect data and design the first website of the Netherlands-India Association. He helped and guided the creation of the Dutch Indian Youth Association (DIYA) also. As a Secretary of the Association he organised art-exhibitions and cultural programmes of well-known Indian artists and coordinated fundraising campaigns for drinking water projects, vocational education etc. He was also responsible for running relief campaigns including, but not limited to, Orissa floods, Gujarat earthquake, floods in Assam and Bihar etc. Wahid is a social entrepreneur and is an active member of the Indian community in and outside The Netherlands. He has served in numerous civic, community and cultural organisations in various advisory and executive positions. He is now associated with the following organisations: Founding Member, Mentor, Europe India Chamber of Commerce, Brussels, Belgium Member, Board of Directors, North East Healthpoint Pvt. Ltd., Mirza, Assam, India Board Member, NIFI - The Netherlands India foundation for Innovation Adviser, AQM & NM Memorial Trust for Higher Education, Assam, India Adviser, The Raushanara Educaton Foundation, Guwahati, Assam Founder, Editor, www.indiawijzer.nl. Coordinator, Friends of India in the Netherlands Founder and Modarator, IndiansinNL Yahoo Group Life Member Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti (Assam Research Society), Guwahati Former Adviser, Prajnalaya, Titabor, Assam Former Alumni Advisor NEPIF-North East Professional Instituties Forum, Assam Former Cultural Coordinator, Milan Festival, The Hague Former Member of the Board and Founding Member of The EuroIndia Centre, La Rochelle, France. Former Secretary of the Federation of International Friendship and Cultural Societies in The Netherlands Former Trustee and later a Vice President of the Foundation for Critical Choices for India, a think tank based in the Netherlands. Former Member, Board of Directors, Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters, Katy, Texas, USA For a number of years Wahid was a member of the jury of the Miss Hindustani of the Netherlands Member of the advisory committee of the European Regional Conference of the First International Convention of Overseas Indians held in London in 1989. National coordinator of the First Convention of Overseas Indians held in New York in 1989. One of the organisers and coordinators of the seminar "In the Shadow of the Nuclear Threat-A Dialogue between India and Pakistan"(28-04-2002). It was the first meeting between the Pakistani and Indian community living in the Netherlands and so far known first in Europe. In 2008, the Surinamese Hindustani community celebrated the 135^th year of immigration. Wahid was one of the members of the Steering Committee responsible for the celebration. Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Mr. Ravi was the Chief Guest of the International Symposium organised by the Steering Committee. The First European Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held at the World Forum, The Hague on 19th September, 2009. The main theme of the Meet was “The Rising India and The Role of Indian Diaspora”. The event was organized jointly by representatives of major Indian Diaspora organizations in the Netherlands, under the umbrella organization the “Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe” and assisted by a number of other organizations and NRI/PIO volunteers. The partners in this event were The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Govt. of India, The Indian Embassy at The Hague and the municipality of The Hague. Over 600 participants, including 500 delegates and many outstanding speakers from 20 different European countries, attended the Meet. Wahid was one of the coordinators of the Divas. The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2011. After successfully conducting the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas-Europe in September 2009, the representatives of the Indian Diaspora organizations in the Netherlands met again on the 25th of September 2011 at the World Forum in The Hague for the first Netherlands edition of the Annual Diaspora Conference. The the of the Annual Diaspora Conference 2011was: Indian Diaspora in Netherlands: Achievements, Contributions & Challenges. Wahid was one of the organising partners responsible for the media and publicity. Former Member of the Advisory Boards of EBF International Business Research India 2009 & 2011, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Member, Advisory Board EBF International Business Research India 2013, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. In a befitting tribute to the ideals and message of peace and non-violence propounded by Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhiji was honoured in the Netherlands in a special way through opening of an Indian Cultural Centre named “Gandhi Centre” in The Hague on the occasion of his birth anniversary on 2nd October 2011. Gandhi Centre was inaugurated by H.E. Dr. Karan Singh, MP and President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The Gandhi Centre is an integral part of the Indian Embassy. Its launch is a long anticipated and eagerly awaited event by the Indian Embassy and Government of India, as well as the Indian Diaspora community in the Netherlands. The initial discussion about the India Centre/Indian Cultural Centre started around 1984. The Netherlands India Association appointed a committee on 17-09-1986 to examine the desirability, feasibility and viability of creating and sustaining an Indian Cultural Centre. The conclusion of the Committee at that time was that the association should postpone this idea at that time and examine it again. In order to oversee the setup of this Indian Cultural Centre the ambassador of India under the chairmanship of the ambassador established a committee of NRIs and PIOs. Wahid was one of the members of the committee. Adviser, 70th Biannual Session of Asam Sahitya Sabha (Assam Literary Society) in Dhemaji: Non Resident Assamese Consultative Committee(NRACC). The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2012 - Connecting Communities & Generations was organized in the Forum of RAI Conference Center, Amsterdam by the Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe on 30th September 2012. As the theme of this conference suggests, it was focused on improving inter-generational relations as well as relations between different groups of Indian Diaspora in the Netherlands. Wahid (Indiawijzer) was the media partner responsible for the media and publicity. The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2013: Rise of Indian Diaspora in Europe was organised by The Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe (FIDE) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at Louwman Museum. The Hague with the theme: The Rise of the Indian Diaspora in Europe. The objectives of the conference were: 1. To evaluate the achievements of the Indian Diaspora in Europe in general, and in the Netherlands in particular 2. To explore the possibilities of enhancing strength and visibility of Indian Diaspora in the different sectors of economic and social activities in Europe. Wahid (Indiawijzer) was the media partner and Press Officer responsible for the media and publicity. The annual Indian Diaspora conference 2015: Rising Soft Power of India & The Role of Indian Diaspora was the theme of the Indian Diaspora Conference which was organized jointly by the Foundation for Critical Choices for India (FCCI) and the Foundation for Indian Diaspora in Europe on the 26th of September, 2015 in the World Forum, The Hague. India’s soft power exemplified by the popularity of Indian cuisine, Indian films (Bollywood). Indian music, India’s spiritual traditions and Yoga, has grown substantially during the last fifty years. The non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin, collectively known as Indian Diaspora, have played a very significant role in expanding India’s soft power. The conference tried to identify and examine various components of India’s soft power and critically examine the role which the Indian Diaspora played and still playing in enhancing India’s soft power further. Wahid (Indiawijzer) was pne of the coordinators of the seminar. He was also the media partner and Press Officer responsible for the media and publicity. On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Rural Women on October 15, the Foundation for Critical Choices for India, (FCCI) and the Foundation for Indian Diaspora Europe (FIDE) jointly hosted an international conference on Rural Women in India, in the Bharat Bhawan, The Hague. The theme of the conference was : Indian Rural Women: role models, achievements & challenges . Wahid (Indiawijzer) was one of the coordinators of the conference. He was also the media partner and Press Officer responsible for the media and publicity. ZerOrigIndia Foundation (Link to Facebook), which restricts its scope to India, has set itself the task of having a properly staffed and funded multidisciplinary research team of experts take up the challenge of answering the question as to when and where the zero digit first appeared, and if possible to pinpoint the prevailing cultural conditions under which the individual thrived, who made this astounding contribution to progress. Wahid is an active member of the Advisory Board of the Foundation. His contribution to this project is the " re-discovery" of zero pointing to Assam. The Assam ZERO, if reconfirmed by independent sources, would be one of the most important historical discoveries of the world. Some of the activities (initiated) by Wahid Indiawijzer - Guide to India To cover the multifaceted relations between the Netherlands and India Wahid published a book called Indiawijzer - a guide to India. This book gives a comprehensive overview of India and Indians in the Netherlands covering organisations, institutions and individuals in the Netherlands involved directly or indirectly with India. The profit of the 1st edition of the book was donated to the Netherlands India Association (NIA). The second and revised edition was published in 1999. The income of this edition was donated to an educational trust in India. This was followed by an internet edition uploaded in September 2004. The address of the website is www.indiawijzer.nl. It covers only one country - The Netherlands. One of the main features of Indiawijzer is a cultural agenda of Indian programmes in the Netherlands. It is updated daily and is unique, as it covers the India related activities of the whole country. Once a month the cultural agenda is mailed to more than 2.000 people in the Netherlands who are interested in India. It is provided as a service to the community, free of charge. Name change from Assam to Asom The Government of Assam, India adopted a resolution on 27 February, 2006 to change the official name of the state from Assam to Asom. The reason given for the change of name was that the name Assam is not an indigenous one and was coined by the British. Wahid has done some original research on this subject. On the basis of his research and documents available in the Dutch archives, it can be safely established that *the name Assam was not coined by the British.* It was in use before the British came to Assam. Wahid took the initiative to submit a petition to the Chief Minister of Assam and other concerned politicians and opinion makers both in Assam and Delhi mentioning that the government of Assam has taken a decision on a wrong assumption. They name Assam should not be changed as it was not introduced by the British. Another petition on the same subject was signed by Assamese living in and outside India and submitted through "Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters". A committee for the retention of the name Assam was also formed to act against the name change. Glanius : Did he at all visit Assam? For many historians it was Glanius, a Dutch sailor who accompanied Mir Jumla, the trusted General of Emperor Aurangzeb, during his campaign to Assam who has left an account of his experience in Assam. As he was among the first Europeans to proceed as far as the capital or its neighbourhood his account has significance of its own. During his research to find out if the English coined the name “Assam”, Wahid searched the Dutch archives and discovered something else too. He discovered that Glanius never went to Assam. Glanius never accompanied Mir Jumla. It was one Frans van der Heiden, a shipwrecked sailor of the VOC ship Terschelling, who went to Assam to fight with Mir Jumla and left a diary of his experience which was published in 1675. Glanius translated this diary in to English and he used first person to describe this experience. This gave the impression that he served in the army of Mir Jumla. As the historians had access to the English translation most of them took it for granted that Glanius went to Assam. Wahid published this "discovery" to correct an incident in the history of Assam which took place some 400+ years ago. Payment of Dutch old age pension(AOW) in India On 1 January 2000, the Dutch Export Restrictions on Benefits Act (BEU) came into effect. Under this Act, pension payments by the Dutch government to people in India would affect the Dutch Old Age pension (AOW) to be paid in India. But if an agreement is concluded between India and the Netherlands before 1 January 2003, the entitlement will remain unchanged after that date. In 2002 Wahid approached the government of India informing about the change of Dutch law and requested the government of India to do the needful so that rights for the payment of Dutch Old Age pension (AOW) in India continues. In 2005 he submitted a petition signed by the NRI's living in the Netherlands to the Prime Minister of India and other VIP’s on this subject followed by regular communications with Indian Embassy and the Dutch government. As a result during the Bharatiya Pravasi Divas Europe held on 19^th September 2009 in The Hague, HE Mr. Jan Piet Hein Donner, Minister of Social Welfare & Employment, The Netherlands and HE Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs announced that the the long awaited social security “Social Security Agreement” between India and the Netherlands is going to be signed in New Delhi in October 2009. This agreement was finally signed on 22nd October 2009 in New Delhi by HE Mr. Jan Piet Hein Donner, Minister of Social Welfare & Employment, The Netherlands and HE Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs. The agreement covers several branches of social insurance. Uniform cost of PIO cards for EU countries with a common currency The cost of a PIO card is Rs. 15,000/-. The Euro is the common currency to the majority of the EU countries. But the cost of a PIO card in Euro’s in different European countries of the EU is different. Wahid wrote to the ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and requested to introduce one uniform rate for the EU countries which has a common currency. This issue was also taken up during minister of MOIA's visit to the Netherlands. The minister advised that MOIA is in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs regarding the issue of anomaly in the fee structure presently obtaining in the Euro-zone countries of the PIO and OCI cards. Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card in relation to expired passports The OCI is a life long visa pasted to a foreign passport. Together with the OCI card it is valid also with an expired foreign passport. In the Netherlands the passport issuing authorities punch holes in an expired passport. If requested some Dutch municipalities don't punch any hole on the passport page with the OIC visa pasted on it. The PIO card is also travel document, a multiple entry visa to travel to India. It is valid for 15 years. Wahid requested the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to issue OCI visa pasted to the OCI booklet or a single document like the PIO card issued as a separate booklet valid for life long. He also suggested the MOIA to instruct the immigration officials at the international airports in India to accept a passport with holes punched in it. Shri Vayalar Ravi, minister of MOIA replied that they are striving to find a via-media. On 09-01-2011, during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas the Prime Minister announced merging of the OCI and PIO cards into a single facility to simplify visa-free entry and participation of Indian Diaspora in business and other activities in India OCI card and the Dutch nationality The new Dutch law does not allow dual nationality. After corresponding for several months Wahid was able to convince the Dutch authorities that OCI card does not mean dual nationality. It is only a life long visa to visit India and this should not have any implication to PIOs holding a Dutch passport. This helped to remove some of the prevailing uncertainties regarding accepting OCI card as a life long visa and not as a nationality document issued by India Anomalies in the Internet site of MOIA (www.moia.gov.in) A few of the contents in the country profile of the Netherlands were not correctly represented. Wahid informed the MOIA that the contents needed updating; which the Ministry updated. Avoidance of double taxation of inheritance Wahid corresponded with the Dutch Ministry for Finance to draw their attention to the fact that the Avoidance of Double Taxation agreement signed between the Dutch and Indian government in 1988 did not include the avoidance of double taxation of inheritance. As in the year 2008 they are going to revise the agreement, Wahid requested them to include the same in the new agreement. The Dutch government replied that the Inheritance law of 1956 is now under revision and the new law when implemented will include some provisons in this area. Promotion of Medical Tourism to India In December 2006, as Board Member of The Netherlands Foundation for Business Process Innovation (NF BPi), Mr. Wahid Saleh, in collaboration with the Erasmus University, Rotterdam initiated a web-based survey under the motto “Medical Tourism - Your next healthcare destination is India”. He, designed, developed and coordinated the survey. The aim of the survey was to find out if India is a healthcare destination for residents of the Netherlands and to get the Dutch health insurance companies interested in this particular market. This has led to some efforts by others to further develop these ideas. Friends of India A number of cultural, trade and commercial organizations are active in the Netherlands devoted to bilateral issues between India and the Netherlands. However, there is no apex group which coordinates activities of these separate groups and more important, in the area of Indo-Dutch relations there is no group which interacts at political level, cutting across the party and interest group lines. As a result a better and comprehensive understanding of problems of India and stimulation of cooperative activities at higher levels, are not facilitated. With a view to tackle these issues Wahid came up with the idea of starting a “Friends of India” group in the Netherlands to be active at the political level. A few discussions with Dutch MP's have already taken place. Officially The Friends of India has not yet started functioning. An Agreement in the Area of Media & Entertainment between the Netherlands and India In the Netherlands the creative sector holds a very important position. The Dutch are the leaders in fields like TV-productions, music and advertising. On the other hand the annual production of number of films, India leads the world. The growing TV and Film market in India as well as the globalization trends create business and partnering opportunities. In order to fully utilise the potentials for the entertainment industries of both the countries and use the availability of the film-making facilities, suitable skilled workforce and locations for filming, we suggested that an agreement should be signed between the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Government of the Republic of India. This would assist in developing the growth and competitiveness of their film industries and the enhancement of their film cultures. On the basis of a Film Co-production Agreement signed by the Government of the Republic of India and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland together with Soeniel Sewnaraien of ME-India, a draft of a possible “Film Co-production Agreement” between India and the Netherlands was submitted to the government of India on 29^th April 2009. TOEFL® Test Centre in Assam and the North East The TOEFL® Test - Test of English as a Foreign Language is a test which is required for entrance in to a foreign university. The Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking and analytical writing skills. The GRE® Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in 8 specific fields of study. There is also the SAT - the SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. Assam and the seven neighbouring provinces do not have a centre for TOEFL®/GRE examination. The students from that area go to Kolkota to appear in the examination. In consultation with University of Tezpur, Assam, Wahid contacted ETS Corporate Headquarters in the USA and negotiated for starting a TOEFL® test centre in Assam. As a result the first ever TOFEL iBT examination (IBT=Internet Based Test) test centre for the north east of India is opened at Tezpur University in March 2011. It has a cluster of 30 workstations with internet connections dedicated to the TOEFL examination. Grass root level activities in Assam Wahid has helped to start grass root level activities in several educational institutions in Assam and provided funds to start vocational training centre for handicapped children, weaving and embroidery centre for girls and tribal women around Guwahati, and a small fishery project in a school near Jorhat. In January 2007 the Assam Institute of Management (AIM) organized the International seminar Epigenesis 2007 and invited Wahid Saleh as one of the speakers. In 2009 for the Pravashi Bharatiya Divas 2009 held in Chennai, the MOIA invited Wahid as a panelist for the Regional Working Session on Europe. The travelling cost paid to him by both AIM and MOIA was donated by Wahid to the schools supported by him. In a tribal village near Guwahati, he donated a school drinking water project, and also provided the seed money required for a few small micro-credit projects to help different villagers to stand on own two feet. Through the Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS), a think tank organisation, Wahid is personally involved with several other projects. He has also supported the initiative “Support-a-child” to help children in Assam and Northeast India financially in pursuit of their education. Educational Trust In 2003, in the name of his parents, Wahid helped to establish an educational Trust in Assam and provided the necessary funds by the sale of his immovable properties. Since its inception the Trust has supported education of different needy students from Assam, from Higher Secondary schooling to a Doctorate in Bio-technology. The financial asistance is given to Indian nationals of Assamese Mulim community. Assamese search engine and Assamese content on internet In April 2010 while discussing about Assamese search engine Wahid and his friends were confronted with the fact that Assamese as a spoken, written, and literary language has a rich history. However, that richness is not well represented on the Internet. To create awareness, a few enthusiasts Assamese living both in and outside India took the initiative to start a group. The name of the initiative is E-jonaki-jug (ই-জোনাকী যুগ). The mission of the initiative is to be a catalyst for increasing the scale of Assamese content on the Internet and to promote the creation of online repositories of Assamese literature - both classic and new. On 26th August 2010 in a Press Release we informed the public about the aim and objectives of the initiative. Many came forward to support this initiative. At present we have several lively Assamese discussion groups in FaceBook. From E-Jonaki-Jug's point of view, we can now focus on technical and collaboration details, rather than awareness, which are anyway being done by the FaceBooks groups, Assamese Blogs and Assamese websites. News letter IndianDiaspora.nl The Netherlands has the second largest number of Indian Diaspora in Europe. In order to provide Diaspora related news, Sandew Hira of Amrit Consultancy, The Hague took the initiative to publish the digital news letter IndianDiaspora.nl. The first edition was published in September 2005. Wahid was a member of the editorial Board of this publication. Reject National Film Awards jury decision on 'Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare' - a Petition The jury of the Indian National Film Awards in India this year [2012] decided to disqualify the Assamese film, Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare [which translates to ‘On the other bank of a river unseen’], as "not Assamese", even though the film had already been certified as Assamese by the official censorship authority in India. It is not for the jury to question the language of the film that has already been established by competent authority but it is their solemn duty to fairly judge the merits of the film for awards. The jury failed to perform this duty they were entrusted with. In order to reject this unfair decision, Wahid together with Satyajit Nath of USA took the initiative to submit a petition to make that request to Honourable Ms. Ambika Soni, the Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. The petition “Reject National Film Awards jury decision on Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare” was signed by more than 500 people and was submitted to the minister on 17th April 2012. As a PIL [Public Interest Litigation] was submitted by a NGO from Delhi on this issue and our petition remained unanswered. The transition of PIO & OCI to OIC (Overseas Indian Cardholder): A lifelong visa for Indian Diaspora There is a proposal with the Parliament on the subject of Citizenship (amendment) bill. The amendment is the result of different representations and proposal submitted by the Diaspora community to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs [MOIA], Government of India. During this process, where possible, the Indian Diaspora of the Netherlands interacted with the Dutch government to obtain clarification of the OCI in relation to the Dutch nationality and also several times interacted with the Minister, the Secretary and Joint-Secretary of MOIA on different Diaspora related issues. As I am personally involved with this issue for a number of years, I have tried to put the history of transition of PIO & OCI to OIC on paper. This article focuses on the activities initiated in the Netherlands. As I am not fully aware of initiatives taken by the Indian Diaspora in other countries, this article should not be considered a comprehensive representation of such. The ZerOrigIndia Foundation ZerOrigIndia Foundation, which restricts its scope to India, has set itself the task of having a properly staffed and funded multidisciplinary research team of experts take up the challenge of answering the question as to when and where the zero digit first appeared, and if possible to pinpoint the prevailing cultural conditions under which the individual thrived, who made this astounding contribution to progress. Wahid is a member of the Advisory Board of this initiative. He came across the discovery of a stone slab with epigraphical inscriptions. The broken, rounded stone (15x9x6 cm) inscribed with numerical figures may possibly be the earliest example of a ZERO inscription in India and perhaps in the world. The Assam ZERO, if reconfirmed by independent sources, would be one of the most important historical discoveries of the world. Please find some of the details at: Indians are certain they invented the zero. But can they prove it? Facebook Page of The Foundation ZerOrigIndia Membership of professional organisations Wahid is a former member of professional bodies like: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics British Institute of Management Institute of Data Processing Management Institute of Engineers & Technicians Dutch Register of Information Specialists (RI) etc. Wahid in the Press Wahid publishes generally Diaspora related articles. Now and then he also writes on subjects of general interest. See the attached list. Photos by Wahid Saleh