Alfred Ford

Infobox_Person | name = Alfred Ford


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birth_date = 1950
birth_place = Detroit, U.S.
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occupation = Businessman
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religion = Hinduism
spouse = Dr. Sharmila Bhattacharya
children = Amrita and Anisha
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Alfred Ford (1950 - ), also known as Ambarish Das, is an American businessman. He is a great grandson of legendary businessman Henry Ford. He is married to Dr. Sharmila Ford and has two daughters named Amrita & Anisha.Fact|date=February 2008

Ford is the son of Josephine Clay Ford (daughter of Edsel Byrant Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay) and Walter Buhl Ford (not related to the Ford family). His brother Walter Ford III served as a Ford executive.Fact|date=February 2008

Hare Krishna

Alfred Ford joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (the "Hare Krishnas") in 1975 and that same year he made his first trip to India with A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He assisted in the establishment of the first Hindu temple in Hawaii and also donated $500,000 to help establish the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Detroit cite web | title = Article in The New York Times | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3DA1E39F93AA35752C1A967948260 | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006] which was completed in 1983. Alfred has made many significant donations to ISKCON over the years which have assisted ongoing projects to build the Pushpa Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupada. He founded the Iskcon Foundation, and is also campaign chairman of the Sri Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium. [ [http://www.hinduwisdom.info/quotes321_340.htm q u o t e s o n h i n d u i s m 321- 340] - Hindu Wisdom]

Ford is also reported to have lobbied to have a Vedic cultural centre made in Moscow at an estimated cost of $10 million.cite web | title = Article in vnn.org | url = http://www.vnn.org/world/WD0310/WD21-8417.html | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006] . He also bought a $600,000 mansion to house Hare Krishna temple and learning centre in Honolulu.cite web | title = Article in The Times of India | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1042366,curpg-1.cms | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006]

Ford has adopted a Spiritual name, "Ambarish Das".Fact|date=February 2008

Himalayan Ski Village

Ford plans to construct a ski village by the name of "Himalayan Ski Village" in Himachal Pradesh in India with an investment of $400 million.Fact|date=February 2008

The project is proposed to have more than 600 five-star hotel rooms, 150 villas, 150 condos, and luxurious spa and restaurant facilities.cite web | title = The Hindu Business Line | url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/10/28/stories/2005102802580100.htm | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006]

The project however ran into trouble in early 2006, when people declared that the project was environmentally unsound.Fact|date=February 2008

The oracle of "Jamlu devta", the most important deity of Kullu, advised against the project. Upon his insistence, Maheshwar Singh, king of Kullu state and now a BJP leader called a formal "Badi Jagati Puch" (grand convention) of persons claiming to represent 175 local deities. The convention ruled that the proposed ski village would be detrimental to the local populace and rejected the ski village.cite web | title = Story in The Times of India | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1387655.cms | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006] cite web | title = Story in The Telegraph | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/21/wgods21.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/02/21/ixportal.html | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006]

The fracas was dubbed by the media as a politically motivated one between the ruling Congress and the BJP.cite web | title = Article in The Tribune | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060220/edit.htm#3 | accessdate = August 25 | accessyear = 2006]

The project, as of August 2006, is in the process of getting approvals from the government.Commentators have observed that the driving feature of the project is the prospect for breaching the restrictive land ownership rules of article 118 of the Himachal Land Act which restricts outside ownership of Himalayan land. Speculators hope to make profits from land sales whilst a market distortion such as article 118 prevents locals from selling outside their state whilst developers can market to the entire world.Fact|date=February 2008

The social and practical problems of "Big Bang" development proposals have yet to be experienced in the Himalaya. Project promoters claim that the management capacities of large development companies can address all the negative issues which have been raised. None of the project promoters have any previous experience in the Himalayas.Fact|date=February 2008

References

See also

* Ford Family Tree

External links

* [http://himalayanskivillage.com/ Official website of the Himalayan Ski Village]
* [http://www.fordforums.com/showthread.php?t=39450 Ford family keeps dynasty alive through five generations]