Punjab's French Connection: French Town Saint Tropez To Install Statue Of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jul, 2015 10:11 AM
A statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will soon be installed in a coastal town of France following years of efforts by a historian and descendant of a French officer who served under the Sikh king, a media report said on Monday.
The statue will be installed at Saint Tropez along with the statue of General Jean-Francois Allard, who served as a military adviser to the king of Punjab from 1822 to 1839, Sikh24.com reported.
Jean-Francois Allard was an officer in the Napoleon army before being exiled to India in 1822. Maharaja Ranjit Singh appointed him to train his royal brigade -- Fauj-e-Khas.
The installation of the statue has been made possible by Henri Prevost Allard, who is the deputy mayor for tourism of Saint Tropeza and a direct descendant of Jean-Francois.
While declining comment on India's surgical strike on militants in Myanmar, the US has asked India and Pakistan to take steps to reduce tensions and move toward resuming dialogue.
Two US lawmakers have urged India to take action against telephone scammers who they said defraud millions of Americans. Their appeal came after they proposed tough legislation to combat widespread fraud by foreigners that hijacks caller IDs.
MONTREAL — The Quebec government said it would accelerate immigration procedures for Raif Badawi, the blogger in Saudi Arabia who has been sentenced to 1,000 lashes but was spared Friday.
Three Indian Americans are among the national finalists for the 2015-16 White House Fellowship that offers exceptional Americans first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.
The US has opened an investigation into two top Indian IT companies -- Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys -- for possible violations of rules for H-1B visas for foreign technology workers, according to a media report.
Dr Vivek Murthy, the Indian-American US surgeon general, also known as "America's Doctor", has been presented with the Pride of the Community Award by the Hindu American Foundation, a Hindu advocacy group.
