Information for Travelers

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Newsletter for American Citizens -
Volume 3:September 2006
U.S. Consulate General, Calcutta, India
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Table of Contents

Welcome to Peter Kaestner, Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs
2006 Federal Elections
Introduction of New E-Passport
Evacuations and Other Crises
Demographics of American Citizens Living in the Calcutta Consular District
Terrorism Avoidance
ACS Unit Location & Hours (including upcoming holiday schedule)

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1.  Welcome to Peter Kaestner, Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs

In August 2006, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi welcomed Peter Kaestner as the new Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs (MCCA).  In his role as MCCA, Peter oversees the U.S. Government’s consular operations at the Embassy in New Delhi, as well as the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.  This is not Peter’s first time in India, however.  He attended the American International School in New Delhi in 1967-68, and also served his first overseas tour with the State Department as a vice consul in New Delhi in 1981-82.  Before joining the Foreign Service, Peter was a Peace Corps volunteer working as a science teacher in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo).  In addition to India and various assignments with the State Department in Washington, Peter’s other overseas Foreign Service assignments have included Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Colombia, Malaysia, Namibia, Guatemala, Brazil and, most recently, as Consul General in Cairo, Egypt. 

Peter is married to Kimberly Kaestner and has two daughters, Katherine and Laurel.  Both attend the American Embassy School, where Peter serves on the Board of Governors.

Peter is not all work and no play.  He is a well-known bird-watcher, and is presently ranked fourth in the world in number of species seen in his life.  In 1989, he discovered a new species of bird that was named in his honor as Grallaria kaestneri.
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2.   2006 Federal Elections.

This is your last chance to request your absentee ballot in order to vote in the midterm U.S. Federal Elections scheduled for Tuesday, November 7, 2006.  Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be at stake, as well as one-third of the seats in the U.S. Senate.  There are many important state and local races as well.  The rules for voters
vary state by state.  Information is available on the Consulate website at http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov/voting_services.html.  Confused?  Contact the American Citizen Services Unit at 3984-2400, or write to CalcuttaACS@state.gov.

For those of you who will be receiving absentee ballots in the upcoming months, don’t forget that the Consulate General will mail those ballots back to the United States for
you.  Voting mail is the only type of mail that we send on behalf of private American citizens, so take advantage of the service!

Make sure your vote counts.  Do not procrastinate.  Order your absentee ballot today!

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3. Introduction of New E-Passport

On December 30, 2005 the U.S. Department of State began issuing the first-ever U.S. Electronic Passports.  The passports are issued on a pilot basis in the form of diplomatic and official E-Passports.  Upon successful completion of the pilot, the Department of States plans to deploy electronic tourist passports worldwide.  The U.S. anticipates
having all 17 domestic passport agencies issuing E-Passports by the end of 2006.
The proposed U.S. Electronic Passport is similar to a regular passport with the addition
of a small contactless integrated circuit (computer chip) embedded in the back cover.
The chip will securely store the same data visually displayed on the photo page of the passport, and will additionally include a digital photograph. The inclusion of the digital photograph will enable biometric comparison through the use of facial recognition technology at international borders. The U.S. “E-Passport” will also have a new look, incorporating additional anti-fraud and security features.

Don’t worry if your current passport does not include the computer chip.  Passports without chips will still be valid for the full extent of their specified validity period.
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4.  Evacuations and Other Crises.

Many Americans overseas watched with anxiety as American citizens were
evacuated from Lebanon during the recent war.  Mass evacuation of Americans
from a site of danger is an extremely complicated enterprise.  The most important component in executing an evacuation is information, primarily through our warden network.

Although there currently are no circumstances at this time, which we foresee could l
ead to an evacuation of American citizens from India, it is important that you keep in touch with the Consulate General by ensuring that your registration information is
up to date.  We need correct information in order to send our “warden messages”
to you via e-mail, and also possibly to call you if a serious emergency arises.

The key factor in executing a successful evacuation is managing information.  We communicate with you in emergencies either directly via e-mail or telephone,
or through the “warden” in your zone.  If you would like to know the name and
contact information for your warden, please write to CalcuttaACS@state.gov,
or call the American Citizen Services Unit at 033-3984-2400.  If you know American citizens who are not registered, please encourage them to do so.  The link to our
on-line registration system appears on our consulate website at http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov (click on “U.S. Citizen Services” look for “Online Registration”, or AmCit Registration from the menu).

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5.  Demographics of Americans Living in the Calcutta Consular District

Currently, there are over 1,000 American citizens registered with the Consulate.  We estimate that only 20-25%of Americans living here actually register. 
Most registrations are from West Bengal, followed by Bihar and Orissa.

Based on persons who come to the Consulate to renew or replace their passports, we estimate that 80% of the American citizens in the Calcutta Consular District are of
Indian descent.

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6. Terrorism Avoidance

Recent acts of terrorism in India have been a cause for concern and the American Embassy’s Regional Security Office would like to provide the following guidelines
to help you from becoming a victim of terrorism:

- Let someone know about movements around the city and travel plans.  Keep that
person informed if you change your plans.

- Avoid predictable times and routes of travel and report any suspicious activity
to local police and the U.S. Consulate General.

- Keep an eye out for suspicious abandoned packages or briefcases.  Report them
to the police or other authorities and leave the area promptly.

- Be sure of the identity of visitors before opening the door of your hotel room or residence.  Don’t meet strangers at unknown or remote locations.

- Refuse unexpected packages.  Formulate a plan of action for what you will
do if a bomb explodes or there is gunfire near your location. 

Check your vehicle in the morning before you leave for work and in the evening
before you return home.  A quick check of the undercarriage and wheel wells of
the vehicle will go a long way in letting terrorists know that you take security seriously.
  If you find a suspicious device on your vehicle, immediately evacuate the area,
instruct others to do the same, and contact the local police.  Be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Know what is normal in the areas you frequent and what
is not.  Trust you instincts.  If it feels bad, chances are that it is.   

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7. ACS Location & Hours and Upcoming Holidays

Our hours: The American Citizen Services Unit is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  We are available outside of these hours for emergency services.  To contact us, call 91-33-3984-2400.  You can also e-mail us at CalcuttaACS@state.gov.

Upcoming Indian and American holidays on which the Consulate will be closed are September 29 and  October 2 (Dussehra/Mahatma Ghandi’s birthday), October 6 (Lakshmi Puja), October 9 (Columbus Day), October 25 (Id-ul-Fitr), November 10 (Veteran’s Day), November 25 (Thanksgiving Day) and December 25 (Christmas Day).  The Consulate is always available for emergency services for American citizens.

If you believe you may have missed a recent “warden message” sent to American citizens in India, all recent warden messages issued by the Consulate are available on the Consulate website at http://calcutta.usconsulate.gov/warden_messages2.html.