The Indian Panorama

Month: August 2013

  • Congress Slams Modi For ‘Petty Politics’

    Congress Slams Modi For ‘Petty Politics’

    NEW DELHI (TIP): As Narendra Modi turned I-Day into a showdown with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress slammed the Gujarat chief minister for indulging in “petty politics” for personal projection. Accusing Modi of being overeager, foreign minister Salman Khurshid said the leader’s tone suggested he was “so restless to become something big in the country” that he forgot it was a day when parties sink political differences.

    The angry reaction summed up the mood in Congress but the condemnation of Modi hinged on grounds of propriety while the challenger’s unorthodox style dominated TV coverage and social media, amplifying issues of corruption and leadership that BJP has identified as its ammunition against UPA in 2014. Congress leaders felt Modi’s political speech barely dressed as an I-Day address came across as arrogant and desperate. “We don’t think it will go down well with the masses,” a senior leader said.

    Congress spokespersons shunned TV studios. “We don’t want to stoop to his level on this special day. This has never happened,” a strategist said. AICC general secretary Ajay Maken said, “I appeal to members of fellow political parties that they unitedly uphold the sanctity of the day so that the generations to come continue seeing 15th August as a template of freedom and unity rather than an opportunity for selfseeking.” Minister of state for information and broadcasting Manish Tewari added, “I think the chief minister should withdraw his remarks about the PM.”

    The moral stance, however, skirts the question posed by Modi’s preparedness to adopt unconventional tactics and if such fine lines matter with public opinion influenced by negatives like corruption, inflation and unemployment. The challenge for Congress lies in countering the Gujarat leader who is not hobbled by traditional concerns like bipartisanship on I-Day and who makes barbs of “saas, bahu aur damaad” to refer to allegations of malfeasance against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra.

    If Parliament witnesses prolonged clashes on Vadra and the economy, Congress’s arguments may come across as stonewalling while the rival hammers home his perceived advantage. Given the risk, Congress is sticking to its strategy of what is to be done to retain its sway over the rural poor.

    The push for the food security act seems aimed in that direction, with concerns that urban centres and middle classes may be a challenge in 2014 unlike the last time when they swept the cities of Delhi and Mumbai. Foreign minister Khurshid slammed Modi’s hallenge to PM for a debate as “pompous” and called him a “villain” to counter his “saas, bahu” barb.

  • Cases Of Drunk Driving Accidents Decline

    Cases Of Drunk Driving Accidents Decline

    The continuous decline in accidents caused due to intake of alcohol/drugs in the past three years has come as a breather for the government. While in 2010 such violation caused 31,000 accidents, the number of such mishaps reduced to 23,979 last year. Even the fatalities have fallen from 9,976 in 2010 to 7,835 in 2012. Uttar Pradesh reported maximum fall in fatalities in this category from 4,635 in 2011 to 2,400 last year.

    Other states that have reported decline include Andhra Pradesh (by 50% in past three years), Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan. However, there was increase in such deaths in states including Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu for the past three years. To put a check on dink driving, some state governments have decided not to give fresh licences for liquor shops along National Highways. Some of the cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Jalandhar have intensified crack down on such offenders.

  • Roads In Punjab Most Fatal In India

    Roads In Punjab Most Fatal In India

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Chances of getting killed in a road accident is the highest in Amritsar and in the country’s Mercedes capital Ludhiana. Latest data on road fatalities shows that at least six people died in every 10 road crashes in these two cities in 2012 against only three in Delhi, which recorded maximum fatalities in 2012.

    Though Mumbai recorded the highest number of accidents among 50 millionplus cities, the fatality rate was only 2%. The ‘Road Accidents in India’ report prepared by the transport research wing of the road ministry also shows that roads in Punjab are proving to be fatal for commuters. The severity of accident – deaths per 100 mishaps – in the state has been increasing in the past four years.

    While it was 65.9% in 2009, this increased to 76% in 2012. “Ludhiana and Amritsar are the worst examples. But the state as a whole is also losing over 4,800 lives in road accidents. We have heterogeneous traffic, little enforcement of no-entry timings and huge problem of drink driving,” said Dr Kamalzit Singh Soi, vicechairman of Punjab Road Safety Council.

    The industrial city of Ludhiana has around 1.4 million vehicles for its 3.5 million people, of whom 20- 30% are migrant labourers. Soi said traffic coming from six districts passed through the city and almost 23 km of the under-expansion Panipat-Jalandhar highway runs through the urban area. “On top of this, annually around 35 crore bottles of liquor are sold in the state that has a population of only 2.7 crore.

    Out of this, around 1.49 crore are women. So, we can make out how many times and how many people drive in a drunken state,” he said. The ministry’s data also exposes how over 80% of road fatalities are reported from smaller towns and rural areas where there is little or no traffic regulation. Out of the 1.38 lakh fatalities in road accidents last year, 1.21 lakh people died in these areas. States including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana have put a check on fatalities with Uttar Pradesh bringing it down from 21,512 in 2011 to 16,149 last year.

    Road safety expert Rohit Baluja said there was no traffic regulation or penalty on violations responsible for accidents on highways. “There are all kinds of violations including lane changing, speeding and drunk driving. We talk of traffic rule enforcement only in 12-13 cities, all important state capitals.

    In urban areas, where deaths have reduced, the main reason is increasing congestion. Focus of traffic police in cities has now shifted to dealing with congestion than managing traffic or enforcement,” he said. Baluja also said the crackdown on drunk driving was only confined to private vehicles in cities.

  • Many House Republicans Favor A Pathway To Citizenship For Illegal Immigrants

    Many House Republicans Favor A Pathway To Citizenship For Illegal Immigrants

    WASHINGTON (TIP): With Congress out of town for five weeks, many predicted that immigration reform would fall by the wayside, but back at home, several Republican congressmen have voiced support for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. In discussions with constituents at town halls and in interviews with news media, several Republican members of the House have indicated a willingness to support a pathway to citizenship proposed in the Senate immigration bill that passed in June – something that had been a major sticking point as House Republicans attempted to craft their own piecemeal approach to immigration reform, after leadership opted not to take up the Senate bill.

    Last week, Washington Republican Rep. Dave Reichert said in a radio interview with KVI that he would support a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally. Those people, he said, are “working here, and they’re here illegal, but they can’t purchase homes … because they’re hiding from the government, and they’re not paying income tax.

    I want them to get to the point where they’ve got to pay a fine, there are some penalties they have to go through, and there are some steps they have to go through. And then I want to hold them accountable: then they get citizenship and they’re gonna pay taxes.” He specifically pointed to the DREAMers – people who were brought here illegally when they were young children – as people whose situations must be remedied.

    California Republican Rep. Jeff Denham said last week that he would have supported the Senate’s Gang of Eight Bill, saying he was “frustrated” that the House was not going to take it up. The Senate bill won’t get a vote in the House, and it’s something that could have helped this community,” he said. “I am frustrated. I thought we’d get this done before the August work period. I think the Senate made tremendous progress.

    It was done bipartisan and I thought that would be enough to get the House moving forward.” Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock said at a town hall that he favored an eventual path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the country along the guidelines laid out in the Senate bill. “I think undocumented citizens should have to come forward, they should have to self-identify, they should pay a penalty and back taxes, and then I think they should … go on a probationary period, and then the border needs to be secured.

    The Senate bill has a provision in there that somebody in the administration ultimately makes the determination that the border is secure before those who have legal staff can then be in the line for citizenship to actually make application to citizenship,” he said. He noted that he could not predict what a House bill might look like, but said that that is what he would personally support. Florida Republican Rep. Dan Webster also came out for a pathway to citizenship in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.

    He said he would support a pathway that roughly followed the guidelines laid out in the Senate bill, with one exception: he wanted state and local officials to help in enforcement of immigration laws. In what could perhaps signal a meeting in the middle, New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer, a member of the Gang of Eight and one of the architects of the Senate bill, said last week that he would be all right with a piecemeal approach to passing immigration reform.

  • Rupee Falls To Historic Low Of 62 Per Dollar, Sensex Plunges Over 400 Points

    Rupee Falls To Historic Low Of 62 Per Dollar, Sensex Plunges Over 400 Points

    MUMBAI (TIP): The rupee dropped to a historic low of 62.00 per dollar in late morning trade on August 16 on good demand for the US currency from banks and importers in view of sharp fall in equity market. The rupee resumed slightly higher at 61.35 per dollar as against the last closing level of 61.43 at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market.

    But, it fell sharply to an all-time low of 62.00 on good dollar demand from banks and importers in view of fall in equity market, before quoting at 61.90 per dollar at 1045 hours. It moved in a range of 61.32 and 62.00 per dollar during the morning deals. In global market, the US dollar seesawed against major rivals in the early trade, in line for further volatility as the week wraps up with more data to fuel Federal Reserve consideration of tapering monetary stimulus.

    Sensex snaps 4-session winning spree, tumbles 475 points The S&P BSE benchmark Sensex snapped 4-session rising spree, tumbling 475 points in late morning trade due to all-round selling from operators in view of fall in global markets amid depreciation of rupee value against the dollar. Shares of consumer durable, banking, realty, capital goods, metal, power and refinery sectors declined sharply.

    The BSE-30 share index, Sensex, resumed lower at 19,297.11 points and dropped further to a low of 18,852.40 before quoting at 18,892.86 at 1115 hours. It showed a sharp fall of 474.73 points, or 2.45 per cent, from its last close. It had gained by 702.71 points or 3.76 per cent in last four sessions. The NSE 50-share barometer Nifty also tumbled by 159.90 points or 2.78 per cent to 5,582.40 at 1050 hours.

    Major losers were – BHEL (4.59%), HDFC (4.44%), Maruti Suzuki (4.24%), Tata Power (3.73%), Icici Bank (3.59%), M&M (3.41%), Tata Steel (3.36%) and Larsen (3.19%). The market sentiment was also affected by RBI’s decision on Wednesday to reduce the limit for overseas direct investment (ODI) under automatic route for all fresh ODI transactions from 400 per cent of the net worth of an Indian party to 100 per cent of its net worth.

    Asian stocks stumbled on Wednesday after some weak earnings and worries that the Federal Reserve would soon pare its bond purchases slammed Wall Street. Key benchmark indices in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Japan were down by 0.51 to 1.35%.

  • Indian-American Gets Life Term For Murder

    Indian-American Gets Life Term For Murder

    SACRAMENTO (TIP): An Indian-American has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for 35 years for the murder of another Indian- American outside a Sikh Gurdwara in California in 2008. Jurors in Sacramento Superior Court last week sentenced Gurpreet Singh Gosal, 28, for the second degree murder of Parmjit Singh Pamma outside the Bradshaw Gurdwara in Sacramento during a Sikh sports festival Aug 31, 2008.

  • Nikki Haley Announces Re-Election Campaign

    Nikki Haley Announces Re-Election Campaign

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The much awaited announcement from Indian-American Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley has come at last. She announced August 13 that she would run for the post again. She will formally launch her re-election campaign on August 26, which will be attended by a host of top Republican leaders including Louisiana’s Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal.

    Jindal and Haley – both from the Republican Party – are the first two Indian American governors in the United States. While Jindal is in his second term, Haley had created history when she was sworn in as the Governor of South Carolina in January 2011. At 41, Haley currently is the youngest governor in the US. “Even though we have come far, we still have many more miles to travel.

    I want to keep doing the hard work to make sure South Carolina is the best place to live, raise a family and do business in America,” Haley said in a message to her supporters as she announced to contest elections to be held in November 2014.

  • Federation Of Indian Associations, Chicago Organizes INDIA’S 67TH INDEPENDENCE DAY Gala Banquet And Parade

    Federation Of Indian Associations, Chicago Organizes INDIA’S 67TH INDEPENDENCE DAY Gala Banquet And Parade

    SCHAUMBURG, IL (TIP): Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago, under the leadership of President Ms. Rita Singh, successfully hosted the 67th Independence Day Gala Banquet on August 9th at India House Banquet in Schaumburg and Independence Day Parade on August 11, 2013 at India House Plaza in Schaumburg.

    The colorful banquet dinner event was attended by Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, Consul General of India Chicago Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, State Representatives Michelle Mussman, Marty Moylan, State Senator Michael Noland, Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson, Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig, Village of Oakbrook Mayor Mr. Gopal Lalmalani, Sohan Joshi NFIA President and Raja Krishnamurthy, among others.

    In fact, for Consul General of India Chicago Dr. Sayeed, it was the first public appearance in Chicago after he took charge of Chicago Consulate. All the dignitaries along with Banquet Chair Ms. Neelam Dwivedi addressed the audience on the occasion and wished everyone a very happy India’s 67th Independence Day. FIA President Rita Singh welcomed guests and participants on the occasion. She described how our forefathers had to fight against British Rule to get independence.

    But the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi taught us the path of non-violence to win our freedom. The occasion was celebrated with fanfare and enthusiasm. A cultural program was organized on the occasion. Bollywood actress Minisha Lamba was the Star attraction in the Independence Day Banquet and Parade. The banquet dinner evening was successfully conducted by two very articulate and entertaining emcees Ms. Sadhna Kumar and Tarun Mullick M.D.

    One of the key highlights of this evening was a Runway Fashion Show 2013 sponsored by Charisma Boutique, which was choreographed by Mika Chadha and coordinated by Sylvia Bhugra. Ms. Minissha Lamba, the popular Bollywood actress and chief guest at the banquet, in her address thanked FIA and specially FIA President Ms. Rita Singh for inviting her to the event. She was very pleased to see Indian Americans celebrating India’s Independence Day with such enthusiasm.

  • Message Of Peace And Synchronization Marks Eid Celebration At Indian Consulate

    Message Of Peace And Synchronization Marks Eid Celebration At Indian Consulate

    NEW YORK (TIP): Prominent members of the Indian American community gathered at the Consulate General of India in New York City to greet each other on the occasion of Eid, which is celebrated all over the world as an auspicious day after the month of fasting– a ritual meant for purification of the soul, developing self control and bringing one closer to God.

    With these festivities the Consulate General of India in New York continued its tradition of celebrating the diversity of Indian culture. The event was graciously supported by the President of Youth Coalition of India Juned Qazi who is a promising young entrepreneur and New York based community leader, along with Pankaj Mathur , Ilayas Qureshi , Ms.Sonia Sodhi , Saeed Patel , Dr.Ubaid , Dr.Rahman , Dr.Salim Contractor and Harkesh Thakur . The celebration reflected a rare combination of social and cultural integration.

    An added attraction of the evening was the enchanting Ghazal recital by Sudhir Narain, a well known singer of Agra Gharana. Juned Qazi introduced Youth Coalition of India which is actively working in India for the Youth to harness their energy to towards achieving greater goals of communal harmony, better education which would be translated into brighter job prospects and emotional and physical well being of India at large.

    On the auspicious occasion of Eid-Ul – Fitr, Ambassador Mulay, Consul General of New York, in his speech, expressed his best wishes to the community at large and also emphasized the need of bringing amity, harmony and peaceful co-existence of various communities to achieve common goals and synergies which will lead to the path of stronger, dynamic and vibrant India as depicted in the Indian Constitution.

  • Ethics Panel Survey Launched

    Ethics Panel Survey Launched

    ALBANY, NY (TIP): A lawyer who served as counsel to Gov. Mario M. Cuomo is spearheading a review of the effectiveness and potential improvement measures for the ethics commission created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Timesunion.com report says. “The idea would be to do the survey … and be informed by what people are saying,” Evan Davis said of the study on the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which is less than two years old.

    The survey was launched via email earlier this month by the New York City Bar Association’s government ethics committee, along with Common Cause and the League of Women Voters’ New York City branch. The groups sent surveys to leaders of other good government groups as well as members of the Legislature, general counsels to state agencies, lobbyists and academics.

    The invitation to participate, signed by Davis, says the report will consider how well the 2011 legislation that created JCOPE “is functioning in practice, whether amendments to the act are required, how well JCOPE is fulfilling its responsibilities and the apparent cause of any shortcomings found (e.g. budget constraints, statutory defects, inadequately trained or experienced staff).” People can respond anonymously. Davis said organizers hope to finish their report by the end of the year.

    The survey includes ratings on a scale of 1 to 5 and questions about whether amendments to JCOPE are needed regarding appointment of members, financial disclosure requirements, investigations and enforcement, staffing, adequacy of resources, public outreach and information technology – including the agency’s website, which lists lobbyists and their clients.

    It also asks about the watchdog panel’s successes and shortcomings. JCOPE has been in the news after its report on alleged sexual harassment by former Assemblyman Vito Lopez prompted his resignation. But the panel has faced criticism for not engaging on the question of whether Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver should have agreed to confidential taxpayerfunded settlements with two of Lopez’s alleged victims. JCOPE critics note much of its investigative material is exempt from freedom of information laws.

    Eminent attorney Ravi Batra when asked to comment, in his inimitable style said, “It doesn’t take a survey to know Jcope missed it’s mark – Gov. Cuomo’s new anti-corruption Moreland Commission is looking at Jcope. Jcope violated the PIRA law’s effective-date for Source of Funding disclosure and changed the law-set date of June 1, 2012 so that the Report due July 15, 2012 became January 15, 2013 and in so doing cloaked 6 months of law-required disclosure. This is wrong and illegal. Illegal action does not ethics make.”

  • Hindu Organizations Blast Pakistan For Religious Bigotry, Hate And Intolerance: Submit Memorandum To Pakistani Consulate

    Hindu Organizations Blast Pakistan For Religious Bigotry, Hate And Intolerance: Submit Memorandum To Pakistani Consulate

    NEW YORK (TIP): A group of US-based Hindu organizations held a protest demonstration against the Pakistani Government near the Pakistani Consulate in Manhattan, New York on Aug 14. The rally held between noon and 2 PM at the corner of East 65th Street in Manhattan was to voice their concern against religious discrimination of minorities in Pakistan- Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists- in their motherland. “This is nothing but religious apartheid for the entire world to see.

    Almost all the Hindus and Sikhs have been religiously cleansed from Pakistan with the blessings of the government. At the time of Partition, Hindus and Sikhs were approximately 22-25 percent but now they are only about one percent. Thousands of Hindu families are being torn apart by their desperation to flee persecution in Pakistan. We urge the Obama administration to intervene, save the minorities and restrain Pakistan,” said Narain Kataria, president of Indian American Intellectuals Forum and the key organizer of the rally.

    Besides the Forum, other organizations that took part in the rally included Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Hindu Human Rights Watch, India Heritage Foundation, Lansing, Probasi of Brooklyn, Michigan Justice for Hindus and Human Rights Coalition against Radical Islam. The peaceful demonstration was organized to condemn the atrocities as well as inform New Yorkers on the religious bigotry practiced in Pakistan.

    “We want to express our solidarity with the victims and assure them that we will do our best to expose the evil designs of Pakistan in the US,” Kataria said. “Torture, loot, discrimination and murder of Hindu men and rape of Hindu girls and their forcible marriage to Muslims have become the order of the day in the failed state. According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on an average around 20 to 25 Hindu girls are being abducted, converted to Islam and forcibly married to Muslim men every month in the southern Sindh province.

    Also a campaign of vilification and slander is being unleashed against Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in Pakistan to denigrate and demonize their religions and preventing them from practicing their religious faith,” Kataria added. Addressing the audience, Narain Kataria, organizer of the protest said that Hindus have been terrorized in Pakistan to such an extent that in April-May this year, about 500 Hindus who crossed into India under the pretense of visiting a religious festival, refused to go back to Pakistan and begged government of India to give them political asylum.

    Quoting from the last week US Commission report on International Religious Freedom Kataria said that it has tracked 203 publicly-reported incidents of sectarian violence resulting in more than 1,800 casualties, including over 700 deaths. “Blasphemy laws are being used to intimidate, harass and even give life sentences based on false accusations.

    Radicalization of Pakistani society by Jihadists supported by ISI and other intelligence agencies led to imposition of 12 million rupees ($140,000) by way of jizya – the medieval tax levied on Sikhs last year in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan”, said Arish Sahani, co-convener of the rally. “Pakistan is a living hell for minorities; Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians.

    It is time the country takes immediate steps to stop atrocities being perpetrated on hapless minority communities, Sahani added. The protesters carried banners and placards saying: “Pakistan is a Living Hell for Hindus, Sikhs and Christians; “Save Hindus, Sikhs and Christians from Islamic Terror”; “Every Month 20 to 25 Hindu Girls are abducted, converted to Islam and forcibly married to Muslim Men” etc.

    In a memorandum presented to the office of the Pakistani Consul General, the protesters expressed outrage, shock and indignation at the horrific treatment meted out to Hindus, Sikhs and Christians. The Memorandum, inter alia, stated that the blasphemy laws are used to intimidate, harass and give life imprisonment based on false accusations. Campaign of vilification and slander continues in connivance with Pakistan government against Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in order to denigrate and demonize their religion.

    Radicalization of Pakistani society by Jihadists supported by ISI and other intelligence agencies goes on unchallenged by the government, it said. Reminding the Consul General that “your forefathers were Hindus before converting to Islam by Arabs”, the Memorandum further stated that “you should understand that hate, violence, and terror are the hallmark of uncivilized brutes.

    They are part and parcel of the Arabic barbarism. Perhaps you may be aware of the stark reality that even Mr. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Father of Pakistan was the grandson of Punjabhai Valjibhai Thakkar, a Hindu. Hence, religious fanaticism of the 7th century is not compatible with the spirit of 21st century.

  • Federation Of Indian Associations NY/NJ/CT (FIA) Is Not A Representative Organization Of Indian Americans

    Federation Of Indian Associations NY/NJ/CT (FIA) Is Not A Representative Organization Of Indian Americans

    “The organization that claims to organize the India Day Parade is far from being Indian in character. Look at the people in FIA Trust and Executive. See the list of Trustees and Executive Members on FIA website www.fianynjct.org. You will find they all are, with the exception of one or two, from one community and one state of India. Is this organization truly representative of Indians and India?” asks the author.

    Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) came into being in 1977 after changing the name of umbrella organization “Joint Committee of Indian Organizations” founded in 1975, under the leadership of Rajan Ghosh. The main goal of this organization was to celebrate India’s Independence and Republic days in Tristate area by bringing under one roof Indian students organizations: India Club of New York University, India Club of Columbia University and Association of Indians in America, The Bharathi Society of America and the Tagore Society of America.

    A laudable step to celebrate and project united India. The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Founder, Thomas Abraham, a Christian from Kerala, was elected First President of FIA in 1977 and continued till 1981 when in March that year Sureshwar Prasad Singh took over and initiated the first India Day Parade in 1982 in New York . He was succeeded by H. C. Chandershekar for the 1982-83 term. Sudha Acharya took over for the term 1983-84 and introduced Bollywood to the Parade.

    It was the first time that a Bollywood actor- Sunil Dutt- was invited as the Grand Marshal of the Parade and from then on it became a tradition to have a Bollywood actor as Parade’s Grand Marshal. Sudha Acharya was also instrumental in bringing 17 more organizations under FIA. With the Presidency of Ram Gadhvi in 1985, the hold on FIA of people from one religion and one region started getting stronger.

    With the arrival on scene of the present Chairman, Ramesh Patel in mid 80’s, this group consolidated its position further and came to have absolute control of FIA. By now the organization which aimed at bringing together Indian American students associations and various regional organizations and communities to celebrate India’s Independence and Republic days had lost its focus. The degeneration of FIA had set in Also, the objective of showcasing Indian culture has been lost sight of.

    Vulgar displays became the favorite projections of “the Indian culture”. (See picture of cheerleaders in tricolor bikinis on top). Display of Indian history and depiction of Indian freedom movement have clearly not been the themes with the coterie of 20 to 30 people from one community and from one state of India. The rot further set in with the entertainment industry people, keen on promoting their personal business, having Bollywood actors as Grand Marshals.

    Two of the trustees -Yashpal Soi and Kanu Chauhan- have been pillars of entertainment industry for the last many decades and they have been at the helm of arranging Bollywood actors. What a lowly way to achieve a level of self aggrandizement! The organization that claims to organize the India Day Parade is far from being Indian in character. Look at the people in FIA Trust and Executive. See the list of Trustees and Executive Members on FIA website www.fianynjct.org. You will find they all are, with the exception of one or two, from one community and one state of India.

    Is this organization truly representative of Indians and India? A Not-for -Profit organization is expected to value democracy and transparency. In the case of FIA, both democratic temper and values, and transparency are absent. A coterie of 20 to 30 persons from one community and one region of India, under the tutelage of Ramesh Patel, the Chairman of FIA, who has been donning various colors at different times, has been clutching , what should be the people’s organization, in their jaws and fangs.

    This in the cradle of democracy, the United States of America! This in the land of the people who prize democracy and liberty the most! This in the land of the Lady of Liberty! This in the land of Martin Luther King, Jr. who drew inspiration from Father of the Indian Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whom we revere as Bapu and as Mahatma Gandhi! All this is being done by the sons of the land of Gandhi! What a shame! Money talks.

    Money walks. Who knows it better than Ramesh Patel? It is with the patronage of government of India, donations from people and sponsorships manly from Indian banks, organizations and businesses that the FIA India Day parade walks and talks. But the organizers have scant respect for government of India representatives here.

    Not long ago, it was widely reported in the media how Ambassador Hardeep S. Puri, the then Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and the then Consul General of India in New York, Ambassador Prabhu Dayal were humiliated and not allowed to join the Grand Marshall in the front row during the parade. The Indian Panorama had, in particular, taken umbrage and raised the issue of humiliation of government of India at India Day Parade, and condemned the FIA.

    As for transparency in functioning and financial wheeling dealing of FIA, it is a matter that needs to be looked in to by IRS and concerned US administration agencies. There are many a skeleton in the FIA cupboard which will tumble out once its doors are opened. It is for the donors, sponsors and government of India institutions who dole out large sums for the glory of India to ask the organizers how the money was being spent. We, on our own, do not mind coming up with the financial misadventures of FIA.

    FIA has its own share and burden of criminals, some proven, some under cloud. We will not name any who has not been proved guilty. But we will let our readers know who have already been through criminal proceedings. Without going in to smaller matters which can be ignored, we will name at least two cases. One of Nirav Mehta, who was President of FIA in the year 2010 and was a Trustee until a few months ago. He was a proclaimed offender in India against whom there was a red corner notice.

    He knows it. Ramesh Patel knew about it. Government of India outpost in New York knows about it. Another, more recent case is of Sarvesh Kumar Dharayan, Chair of the Reception Committee of FIA 2013 who was arrested from his home in New Jersey on July 17, in a multi-million fraud, and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, one count of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

    FIA has been having such illustrious people at the helm of affairs. And to keep company with such illustrious people, we are having another few illustrious people from India at FIA Parade on August 18, 2013. Do we not feel wronged when a champion against corruption decides to come to this parade organized by not so clean an organization? Anna Hazare should know he is no ordinary person, that all his activities are being watched and interpreted by billions who love and admire him as another Gandhi.

    He should know the high hopes people of Indian origin the world over have from him. He will only be promoting corruption and strengthening the unjust coterie by coming to India Day Parade in New York. The worthy retired General of Indian army, V.K. Singh, one hopes, has not forgotten the strict protocol that he has been following in his long military career.

    Before you accept an invitation, know where you are going. Before meeting a person, know who you are meting with. The least that this newspaper expects of him is that he turns his back on FIA India Day Parade in New York and never again accepts an invitation from such an organization. For the people from entertainment industry, from the hot and the most sought after siren of Bollywood, Vidya Balan, to the South Indian film world “supreme star” Sarath Kumar and “Queen of Indian TV” Radhika Sharat Kumar, I would say, “New York welcomes you. You are here to make money and showcase your talent.

    You are here to entertain and in return win applause which will add up to your personal satisfaction, popularity and rating. I will not ask you not to show up because I will not like to snatch a person’s means of sustenance. Good luck to you!” But all who have been invited in the name of Bharat Mata must know where they are, in whose company they are, and what the intentions of the people behind FIA are.

    Congratulations on the 66th anniversary of Independence of India, the largest democracy of the world, in the land of the oldest democracy of the world! Jai Hind!

  • 5 Myths Used To Justify Death By Drone And America’s Assassination Policy

    5 Myths Used To Justify Death By Drone And America’s Assassination Policy

    America’s never-ending war on terrorism is almost always depicted in the mainstream media as a military and intelligence agency fight on a global battlefield. But it is also a propaganda war where the public is fed inaccuracies from Washington, especially when it comes to overseas killings by U.S. military drones. Here are five myths perpetuated by the military and its weapons makers that seek to make Americans feel good about drones and the White House’s policy of targeted assassinations.

    Myth #1: They Target High Level Terrorists
    Only two percent of drone strikes have killed “high value targets,” former counter-terror advisor to David Petraeus, David Kilcullen, notoriously remarked in a New York Times column early in the Obama presidency,where he said that 50 civilians were killed for every “high-value target” assassinated. That means that 98 percent of drone-caused deaths have been a mix of low-level militants, civilians, or another dubious Pentagon classification called “unknown militants.

    ” This spring McClatchy and later NBC reported that 25 percent of those killed in drone strikes in Pakistan have been classified as “unknown militants.” So by its own admission, the CIA has no idea whom they are killing about a quarter of the time. Keep in mind that if a militaryaged male is killed in a strike they are automatically presumed to be militants. The implication being, there is a huge room for error, and many of these “unknown militants” are likely civilians. In one case, the CIA classified 20-22 “unknown militants” killed. This strike actually killed around 40 civilians.

    Myth#2: Drones Are Accurate
    The Pentagon rhetoric touting “pin point” and “laser” accuracy of drones is baseless. Dr. Larry Lewis, a principal research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, a research group with close ties to the US military, studied the record in Afghanistan and found that drone strikes were no more accurate than traditional air power.

    So, after all this talk about the ability to discern enemies through surveillance, they are no more accurate traditional fly-bys. This rhetoric has allowed us to kill innocent children. Notably, this study was done in Afghanistan,where there is ample ground and human intelligence for selecting and assessing targets, as well as people who investigate the aftermath of the strikes. But that is not the case in Pakistan and Yemen,which means that the strikes have been more deadly for civilians.

    The implications from this reality are cynical and cavalier: Either the information on the ground is faulty, or drone operators are okay with certain levels of civilian casualties. Regardless, drones fall far short of the hyped rhetoric coming from the Obama administration.

    Myth #3: Drone Targets Imminently Threaten America
    The mainstream media have played into the CIA/Administration’s selective leaks about drones, especially the concept of a “kill list.” This military branding conjures up a process of carefully selected enemies who pose imminent threats to the U.S. However, the reality of “signature strikes” undercuts this P.R. construction.

    Never officially acknowledged by the administration, signature strikes target unknown suspected militants who display “pattern of live” behavior associated with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. What the “patterns” consist of is officially a secret. What we do know is that as soon as signature strikes were implemented there was a spike in number of drone strikes and the number people killed in strikes. Furthermore, reporting has recently revealed that the original authorization for drone strikes in Pakistan came from now deposed President Musharraf.

    The only way he would approve of the strikes was if the CIA killed his enemies. These “side-payments” became a characteristic of the CIA program. Instead of focusing on enemies of the U.S., the CIA played along with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, and its military to hit targets who posed no threat to the U.S.

    Myth #4 Drones Are Cheap
    Setting aside the moral, legal, and efficacy arguments about drones, the mantra from the administration, lobbyists and their lackeys in Congress has been drone’s low per-unit cost of $4 million to $5 million.

    According to Winslow Wheeler of the Project on Government Oversight, “This is quite incorrect.” He states, “The actual cost for a Reaper unit is $120.8 million in 2012 dollars.” This is far above the $27.2 million dollar F-16C or the $18.8 million A-10. Seemingly, this “aura of inevitability” about investing in this new revolutionizing weapon is the militaryindustrial- complex at its self-serving worst.

    Myth #5: Drones Are Making Americans Safer
    They are not, in fact.Not only are drones effectible destabilizing a nuclear power, Pakistan, in one of the most conflict-ridden regions of the world, they are inciting waves of suicide bombers to attack Pakistan. They are also directly threatening the U.S. In a global age connectivity there is a new phenomenon of self- radicalization. People who identify with the Muslim Diaspora are seeing their kinsmen being murdered by America in a most brutal way.

    The Boston Marathon bombers are only the latest example of this phenomenon. The most notorious selfradicalized terrorist was Faisal Shahzad, who, in 2010, tried to blow up New York’s Times-Square. When asked about his motive, he directly cited drones. These rebels with a cause will sadly become the norm as we push and provoke more of the world’s 1.3-1.4 billion Muslims into the political fringes where American violence begets more violence.

    Last fall I traveled to Pakistan where I witnessed first-hand the horror and challenges people of Pakistan face while living under drones. I went to Pakistan to investigate the civilian casualties caused by U.S. drone strikes and to speak with Pakistani people about how drone strikes impact their families, their communities, and their lives.

    During my travels I met Rafiq ur Rehman and his son and two young daughters whose mother was killed in a drone strike. Rafiq’s daughters reminded me of my daughters at a very young age and speaking with them left a significant impression on me. It helped drive my desire to create our upcoming film on drones.

  • Freedom, Not Just Independence

    Freedom, Not Just Independence

    Independence is a sweet sounding word.However, mere political independence does not guarantee freedom. The constitution may enumerate freedoms available to a nation’s citizens yet people may not enjoy them. That’s what precisely has been happening in India during 66 years of independence.We have only on August 15th entered the 67th year of independence. But freedoms elude the large mass of India.

    Going by the statistics, India has developed and made progress. Politicians in India do not tire repeating that Indian economy is one of the most stable economies, growing at a reasonably good rate despite global recession. They keep telling the people of the country that it is a matter of pride for India that she will be one of the three major economies of the world by 2050. Nobody will dispute that India’s GDP has shown remarkable progression and that Indian economy has survived the scare of global recession.

    India has wealth, no doubt. But this wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small percentage of the Indian population. Benefits of national growth have not percolated down to the common people. It is the unequal distribution of wealth that is the bane of India. India’s claim to democracy will be a hollow claim if India cannot reach the benefits of growth to every single person.

    In the absence of means of sustenance, freedoms enshrined in the Constitution have no real worth, no meaning, and no relevance. On the 66th anniversary of India’s independence let each Indian ponder how each Indian can have real freedom which means freedom from hunger, from ignorance, from exploitation. One of the worst enemies of freedom not reaching people is the corrupt system obtaining in the country. Hordes of scandals involving politicians, businessmen, government officials are an indication that our society is sick. There is a mad race for amassing wealth. There is a wanton desire to have power.

    Gandhi Ji who prized means so much must be an uncomfortable soul in heavens to see the by hook or by crook approach being adopted by the people of the country he rid from the slavery to a foreign rule. He must be very uncomfortable that no body had the vision he so much cherished to wipe every tear in every eye. Let him have peace. Let us resolve to annihilate the corrupt and the corrupt system and ensure the people have not just independence but freedom. The sooner the better it will be. We will well be reminded of an Urdu couplet which reads: “Kaun rahata hai teri zulf ke sir hone tak”? which means who can wait for all that long to happen?

  • Indian Embassy At Washington Celebrated The 66th Anniversary Of India’s Independence

    Indian Embassy At Washington Celebrated The 66th Anniversary Of India’s Independence

    Ambassador Nirupama Rao addressing the guests and reading out the President’s Address to the Nation. Ambassador Nirupama Rao with children from the Gandharva School of Music.

  • 67th Independence Day Of India Celebrated At The Permanent Mission Of India To The UN

    67th Independence Day Of India Celebrated At The Permanent Mission Of India To The UN

    Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations celebrated the 67th Independence Day of India. H.E. Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to UN hoisted the national flag at the Permanent Mission premises and readout salient excerpts from Hon’ble President’s address to the nation.

    The brief and impressive ceremony saw a well attended turn out of over 150 guests including senior Indian officials of the United Nations, Indian Army and Police officers on deputation to the UN, in addition to officials from PMI and the Consulate General of India, New York and their families.

  • Independence Day CELEBRATED IN Tel Aviv

    Independence Day CELEBRATED IN Tel Aviv

    GOPIO Israel executive committee with the Indian Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Mr. Jaideep Sarkar at the 67th Independence Day Celebrations in Israel. L to R Yehoshua Naor, Yosef Reuben, H.E. Mr. Jaideep Sarkar, Yaffa Gupte, Mrs. Minoka Sarkar, Jacqueline Solomon.

  • India’s Missions Abroad Celebrate 66th Anniversary Of India’s Independence Day

    India’s Missions Abroad Celebrate 66th Anniversary Of India’s Independence Day

    India’s 66th anniversary of Independence was celebrated across USA with great enthusiasm. Whereas the government of India outposts in Washington, New York and elsewhere held celebrations, Indian Americans in various parts of USA took out parades and organized cultural festivities to mark India’s 67th Independence Day.

    We have reports of celebrations from others countries, too, including Israel where India’s Independence Day was celebrated in Tel Aviv. We bring our readers here a brief pictorial report of the celebrations at a few Government of India outposts.

  • Area’s Aging Airports Cry For Attention

    Area’s Aging Airports Cry For Attention

    NEW YORK (TIP): Anyone who frequents New York City’s airports is familiar with the delays that plague them, which are consistently ranked among the worst in the nation. And while the causes are myriad, the sheer volume of flights crowding the runways and airways is putting the system’s aging infrastructure to the test. Newark, JFK and LaGuardia handle more passengers combined-109 million in 2012-than any other regional airport system in the country.

    Last year the number of flights approached the prerecession peak of 110 million-from 2007, a year notorious in the aviation industry for its record delays. While rates of growth are hard to predict, a 2011 Regional Plan Association study estimated as many as 150 million passengers by 2030. The economic losses from congestion at the airports, while hard to quantify, are very real. Not only are regional businesses and travelers affected, but delays in New York have a cascading effect on air travel throughout the nation.

    According to The New York Times, a third of all delays in the country each year originate in New York airports. A study from the pro-business Partnership for New York City put the figure at closer to three quarters of all delays. Some steps are being taken at the local and federal levels to streamline, modernize and expand, but many New Yorkers are not satisfied with the snail’s pace of improvement.

    In response, an unlikely coalition of policy analysts, labor representatives and business leaders came together earlier this year to launch the Global Gateway Alliance, an advocacy organization vowing to lobby for significant improvements at the city, state and federal level. “This involves multiple levels of government-and, frankly, when something requires intergovernmental cooperation, it very often doesn’t happen without an outside catalyst,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City and a Global Gateway Alliance board member.

    “The idea is that the Gateway Alliance provides an external advocate and pressure point for getting the multiple levels of government to cooperate and invest.” The Partnership for New York City’s 2009 study estimated that air traffic delays dealt a $2.6 billion hit to the regional economy in 2008, and projected $79 billion in avoidable costs and lost opportunities by 2025 if no improvements are made.

    The study, which relied on input from the Port Authority, looked at factors like lost time for leisure and business travelers, losses sustained by shipping companies, and the costs of increased staffing and wasted jet fuel in the airline industry. The negative impacts on the environment and on New York’s ballooning tourist industry were taken into account as well.

    Wylde noted that places like London and China have invested heavily in upgrading their air traffic control systems from radar to satellite-based technology, something the Federal Aviation Administration is still struggling to implement as part of their “NextGen” program. To date it is unclear when New York will receive the NextGen technology. The FAA’s regional office did not return requests for comment.

    “There was a period of time during the first Obama administration in which there were a lot of people at the FAA who were focused on it and working hard to implement it,” said Stephen Sigmund, executive director of the Global Gateway Alliance. “And I think as the gridlock has happened in Washington, there just simply has been no real movement on it recently. You can’t get it done because the money’s not flowing.”

    Joseph Sitt, a real estate magnate and chairman of the coalition, promised an investment of $1 million to get his airport advocacy group up and running. The Alliance has recruited an impressive collection of backers, including New York City’s Economic Development Corporation, ABNY, NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, the Hotel Association of New York City, the Hotel Trades Council, and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, along with business leaders like Jared Kushner and Alvin Trenk.

    “We need a full-court press approach to reducing delays, with everyone responsible for airports playing their role,” Sitt said. “But most critically, we need the federal government to make New York City its top priority in fully implementing NextGen to relieve congestion in the skies, because without New York’s airspace functioning at its best, the rest of country won’t fully benefit from this new technology.”

    Sigmund, who once headed up the Port Authority’s public affairs department, says that aside from trying to influence federal policy, the Alliance will push to modernize and expand infrastructure, and for customer service and quality of life improvements in terminals, which have outdated signs, endless TSA lines and Wi-Fi that is only available for a fee. The Alliance also hopes to circumvent government gridlock and bureaucracy by harnessing private investment, which Wylde said has been a major factor in improvements at airports worldwide.

    New York State laws prohibit publicprivate partnerships without special legislative permission, but the Port Authority, which straddles New York and New Jersey, is exempt from such restrictions. The Port Authority’s planned renovation of LaGuardia’s grungy Central Terminal, which involves just such a private investment, is a model for the Global Gateway Alliance-but Sigmund says he isn’t sure if the plan is moving forward. “I think the Port has expressed its priority to do so, but I don’t know that there’s any process on it moving forward,” he said.

    “They certainly haven’t picked a developer or done anything in that area.” A Port Authority spokesman said that private sector bids for the Central Terminal project are still being evaluated. In late July the board approved $225 million for repairs and maintenance to keep the terminal operational in the interim. The Port Authority also reached an agreement with the South Jersey Transportation Authority recently to assist in the operation of Atlantic City International Airport, in the hopes of attracting new airlines and more passengers to the underused facility.

    But some observers note that Atlantic City is some 150 miles away from the core of Manhattan. “I don’t think it’s terribly relevant to New York City,” Wylde said. In 2011 the Regional Plan Association, which is not formally affiliated with the Global Gateway Alliance, released a study assessing the region’s air travel needs and made recommendations for how best to manage demand, expand runway capacity and improve transit to and from the airports.

    One of the study’s authors, Jeff Zupan, said that the Port Authority showed interest in the group’s findings but insisted on hiring a consultant to verify and expand on the study. The Port Authority expects its own study, which has been undertaken in conjunction with the FAA, to be ready early next year, according to a spokesman. Sigmund said that the lack of momentum on these projects illustrates the need for an organization like the Global Gateway Alliance. Some politicians, like Sens.

    Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, have been supportive. But legislators have a lot on their plates, and airports don’t get the same level of attention as other forms of mass transit, like subways and roads. “Airports don’t get the same kind of sustained coverage from the press or attention from the stakeholders that they need to keep moving forward,” Sigmund said.

    “So you get things like the announcement of the LaGuardia plan and then the attention goes away. Just as the straphangers were the vehicle for sustained improvements to the subways in the ’80s and the ’90s, we hope to create a vehicle for sustained focus on airport infrastructure today.”

  • Ahmed Shakir Honored AT Liu’s Eid Party

    Ahmed Shakir Honored AT Liu’s Eid Party

    NEW YORK (TIP): Ahmed Shakir, P.E. who is the Local 375 Secretary, arrived in the United Sates of America in 1969. He received his B.S. and M.S. in structural engineering from the University of Texas. As a student he was active in international, Indian and Muslim student associations because of his deep interest in social, community, and political activities. This initial commitment stemmed from his belief that everyone should dedicate some of their time to improving and serving their community.

    Over the past twenty years, Ahmed has been extensively involved in the union and labor activities. He has a number of accomplishments to his credit. He is the first South Asian elected as Secretary of Local 375 for four consecutive terms, since 1998. He is the first South Asian to serve as Vice President on the Board of Directors of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance of U.S.A. He is on the Board of Directors of the Eastern Queens Democratic Party and an officer for the union and their political office.

    He is a founding Vice President of the American Engineering Alliance which was established in 1996. As a Treasurer of FIA since 2009, Ahmed is bringing new sponsors for FIA and helps FIA to connect with Senators, Congressmen and Political leaders at City and State levels. Among his peers and colleagues, Ahmed has come to be seen as a man who promotes the idea and practice of tolerance in every facet of life.

    He believes that people should work together regardless of nationality, religion, or race, because peace and prosperity can only be achieved through non-violence, patience and service to the needy. Ahmed’s message to Indian community in USA is to come together and take a leadership role in the adopted country. “This country gave us all the opportunity to make our dream come true.We should make every effort to be worthy of this country”, says Sakir

  • Egypt Violence: World Leaders Concerned;UN Urges ‘Restraint’

    Egypt Violence: World Leaders Concerned;UN Urges ‘Restraint’

    NEW YORK (TIP): The ever increasing violence in Egypt which has claimed hundreds of lives and is threatening a bloody civil war in the country has shaken world leaders and the United Nations. The Argentine president of the United Nations Security Council urged all parties in the crisis in Egypt to exercise “maximum restraint” on Thursday, following an emergency meeting in New York.

    Argentine Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval said that the Council’s 15 member states had regretted the loss of life in Cairo, called for an end to the violence and spoke of the need to advance “national reconciliation”. The meeting was requested by France, Britain and Australia a day after nearly 600 people were killed when security forces moved to clear camps of supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

    France and Britain are permanent members of the Security Council and Australia is one of the 15 countries currently represented. Argentina currently presides over the Council. Perceval said its members shared “a common desire” to stop the unrest. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the violence and urged calm and restraint on both sides.

    He made no direct criticism of the military leadership or the protesters who had refused to disperse on their own but said he was “well aware that the vast majority of the Egyptian people, weary of disruptions to normal life caused by demonstrations and counterdemonstrations, want their country to go forward peacefully in an Egyptian-led process towards prosperity and democracy.” UN rights chief Navi Pillay has urged a wide-ranging probe.

    A disturbed President Obama announced that the United States had canceled longstanding joint military exercises with the Egyptian Army set for next month, using one of his few obvious forms of leverage to rebuke Egypt’s military-backed government for its brutal crackdown on supporters of the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry termed Egypt violence as “deplorable”.

    “The United States strongly condemns the use of violence against protesters in Egypt,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement. “We have repeatedly called on the Egyptian military and security forces to show restraint and for the government to respect the universal rights of its citizens, just as we have urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully.”

    The U.S. opposed the one-month state of emergency imposed by the Egyptian government, he added. Britain, Germany, France and Italy also criticized the use of force and called on both sides to stand down from their dangerous face-off and return to meaningful dialogue to defuse Egypt’s political stand-off.

  • India Day Parade USA

    India Day Parade USA

    India Day Parade USA, a Conduit to Supp India Day Parade USA, a Conduit to Support Mangano Campaign?ort Mangano Campaign?

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Was India Day Parade USA at Hicksville on August 11 used by the organizers to support Mangano campaign? Circumstances reveal that it was. At the site of the Cultural program and the Mela, there were 30 numbered stalls. At 5.05 P.M. 8 were fund to have been vacated, with all banners and the stuff removed. Out of the 22 left, 12 carried the banner which read “Sponsored by Friends of Ed Mangano”.

    The question is: Did the organizers announce at any time that political contenders may put up their advertisements? If not, is it not an unfair practice on the part of the organizers to be promoting the political interests of one man or one party whereas the India Day Parade belongs to all Indian Americans with diverse political ideologies and leanings? Aren’t the organizers guilty of betraying the trust of the Indian American community who had charged the organizers with organizing an India Day Parade which each one of them could claim as his own? Aren’t the organizers guilty of gross and most shameful discrimination? It is another matter that a Not-for-Profit organization, unless specifically allowed, cannot involve itself in political activity.

    Again, many stall owners/ representatives who were interviewed by The Indian Panorama said they had handed over checks to different people connected with organizing the parade without filling in the Payee’s name. It cannot be a co-incidence that their stalls had the banner “Sponsored by Friends of Ed Mangano”. One can rightly suspect that the checks without the payee’s name were diverted by the organizers to Mangano’s campaign fund. If it is true, the organizers are guilty of betrayal of the trust of stall owners, in the first place, and, guilty of misappropriation, in the second place.

    The organization that organized the India Day Parade of Hicksville is only two years old. But some people running it have a long and checkered history of foul play. They must explain to the Indian American community of Long island in particular, and the entire Indian diaspora, in general why they conducted themselves in such an unfair manner for which the entire community has become suspect in the eyes of the fair minded people.

  • PM Calls For Secular India, Warns Pakistan

    PM Calls For Secular India, Warns Pakistan

    New Delhi (TIP) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 15 called for political stabilityand strong secular values as he made his last Independence Day speech ahead of the much awaited Battle 2014. Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the country’s 67th Independence Day, he also made it clear that relations with Pakistan can only improve when it checks anti-India activities on its soil.

    Speaking in Hindi as usual, the prime minister presented the big picture, placing emphasis on what the Congress-led UPA government had achieved in the last nine years — and what more could be done on the economic front before the next Lok Sabha election due next year. In comments laced with political overtones, Manmohan Singh, 81, declared that there was no place “for narrow and sectarian ideologies in a modern, progressive and secular country.

    “Such ideologies divide our society and weaken our democracy. We should prevent them from growing,” he said in a crisp 35- minute speech, standing behind a bulletproof enclosure at the Red Fort. “We need to strengthen those traditions of our country which teach us to promote tolerance and respect for thought processes different from ours.” Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel provided security at the venue. Hundreds of school children dressed in the national tricolour were in the front as Manmohan Singh spoke under an overcast sky.

    As if in cue, the clouds poured once Manmohan Singh ended his speech. Stating that India had witnessed major changes after every decade, the prime minister said there was a need to build an environment of political stability, social cohesion and security. Manmohan Singh said India desired friendship with all neighbouring countries but relations with Pakistan would improve only when it prevents the use of its territory for anti-India activity.

    He also referred to the “dastardly attack” by Pakistani troops this month that killed five Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir and vowed to “take all possible steps to prevent such incidents in the future”. Manmohan Singh asserted that in no other decade had India seen the kind of economic development as in the past 10 years — when the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power. Claiming that his government had worked with “sincerity and honesty”, he admitted that India’s growth rate had come down to 5 percent.

    “We are trying our best to remedy the situation… I believe this phase of slow of growth in India will not last long.” India, he said, had grown in the last nine years at an annual average rate of 7.9 percent. “This pace … is the highest in any decade so far.” He said the government had taken many steps to speed up the process of clearances for industry, build an environment more conducive to trade and industry, and increase investment in the economy.

    Even as he listed his achievements, Manmohan Singh admitted that much remained to be done to reform India’s educational system. “Many of our schools still lack drinking water facilities, toilets and other necessary infrastructure. There is a need to improve the quality of education. “To achieve this, it is necessary to lay more emphasis on training of teachers.” The prime minister claimed a reduction in Maoist and terrorist violence but “we have not been successful in preventing Naxal attacks that happen from time to time”.

    He said the UPA had taken important measures to make governance responsive, transparent and honest. The Right to Information (RTI) Act had helped expose “irregularities and corruption” and hoped it would lead to further improvements in the way the government functions. The Lokpal Bill was now in the Rajya Sabha, he said. When it became law, it will “be a major step towards making our political system clean”.

  • 2nd India Day Parade Of Hicksville : A Show Of Strength

    2nd India Day Parade Of Hicksville : A Show Of Strength

    HICKSVILLE,NY (TIP): The 2nd India Day Parade USA, in Hicksville, was taken out Sunday, August 11, 2013 under a benign Sun god who was pleased to bathe the participants in His silver light. Mercury hovered at around 80 but the heat was not oppressive, and let people venture out in thousands. There was enthusiasm writ large on the faces of the people who had come out to celebrate India on a fine August day.

    The route from Patel Plaza on South Broadway to the destination in front of Asa Mai Hindu temple saw the presence of hordes of people who chose to stay at one point to look at the passing parade. At the head of the parade that started from Patel Plaza around 1 P.M. were the Grand Marshal Miss USA 2005 Chelsea Cooley, the not so well known film artist from Bollywood Aarti Chhabria, and the ever present and cherubic Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, legislators, judges, officials, among others.

    The parade with 17 ( as per list provided by the organizers) tastefully decorated floats and people in varied clothes from formals to casuals looked impressive all along. It moved on South Broadway across Old Country Road to North Broadway and terminated in the open grounds in front of Asa Mai Hindu temple where a stage was erected to showcase guests and deliver comments.

    A little ahead one could get the ambience of an Indian fair, with 32 stalls (as per list provided by the organizers) selling or displaying all kinds of ware from food of different varieties to jewelry and modern gadgets, mostly cell phones and notebooks. On a specially erected spacious stage, singers and dancers performed to the great delight of the audiences who took the day long cultural program as a rare gift in their otherwise daily struggle for making money for today and tomorrow, for here and for back home.

    Certainly, a relief to most people who hardly ever find time for such exotic cultural extravaganza. The performances rightly drew the applause of an appreciative audience. The BQ girls as also the Punjabi folk dancers drew repeated applause. DJ Kutcha, as usual, was at his best. Not only did he play the right tunes, he played the master of ceremonies with aplomb.

    This young Sikh will go far should he continue to be so amiable and alert The Indian Panorama spoke with a number of gathered people to elicit their comments on the parade. Most felt happy to be at the parade. Nobody complained of any mismanagement or inconvenience. They all seemed to be satisfied with arrangements to provide water all along the route. Though we have recordings of their comments, we will not be able to publish them all here.

    However, we are grateful to all we spoke with for their cooperation. Here are the pictures of some we spoke with. The common moan was the organizers downplayed the contribution of their benefactors. They did not recognize all the companies, businesses, organizations who had paid handsome amounts for each float. They were naturally disappointed that their contribution had not been recognized. In stead, “those in the good books of the organizers were not only mentioned or recognized, some were extolled to skies”, some said.

    Certainly, a discriminatory attitude and practice, unworthy of a public organization. The promised Parade journal in which many had paid handsome money to advertise never showed up, to the disappointment of many advertisers I spoke to. One gentleman, upon condition of anonymity, told me he was expecting the journal to be distributed amongst thousands at the parade which would have brought him return for the amount he had invested in advertising but was disappointed. He said it amounted to cheating.

    A journalist was upset to find that the promised plaques were not presented to the media. He said he had no plans to stay back until 3 P.M. but thought he would pick up his plaque. He wondered at the casualness of the organizers.

    Whatever else, the India Day parade, the idea of which was conceived by a couple of residents of Long Island some 2 years ago, is believed to have been hijacked by Bobby Kumar, aka Karan “Bobby” Kumar, (I have heard many people naming the Hicksville India Day Parade “Bobby Parade”) a man who had risen from utter poverty in India and in USA to become a symbol of Indian American power and prosperity in the nineties and who then committed, in 2001, a mistake of faking his kidnapping for which he pleaded guilty and paid a fine to avoid a jail term.

    That is part of the history now. He was written off by most people, including some of his friends. But Bobby rose, like phoenix from ashes, and repositioned himself in body social and political. I must admit, my admiration for the man grew, when I found him parading dozens of judges at event after events to sing his praises.

    I wondered there must be something extraordinary in the man that judicious judges choose to attend his events. The Nassau County officials appear to be under his magic spell; not to speak of the lesser Indian American community leaders who probably find in Bobby a model to emulate. And surely, while others who contributed to the founding of the 2 year old India Day Parade USA sulk at being pushed back and ignored, Bobby Kumar enjoys his resurrection, albeit, with the hard work, imaginative planning and dedication of many.

    It reminds me of Shakespeare’s words in Julius Caesar that may aptly express the feelings of many who are envious of Bobby, “Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus; and we petty men walk under his huge legs, and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves.” Nearer our times and area of common experience, it reminds me of the gang war in Mumbai, depicted so beautifully in many Bollywood movies, particularly in Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya, where gangs fight to edge each other out to have control over human and material resources with a view to wielding power.

    They fight with brawn and brain. And here you witnessed a chessboard fight with brain alone which eliminated nearly all and left one and only one Bobby to claim the crown. Is there another Bobby Kumar?

  • LARA IS A CUT ABOVE TENDULKAR, PONTING: AFRIDI

    LARA IS A CUT ABOVE TENDULKAR, PONTING: AFRIDI

    KARACHI (TIP): Joining the debate on who among Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar is a greater batsman, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said he considers the West Indian a cut above the best of his era. “Lara was the best batsman I have seen in my entire career spanning 16 years better. Personally I found him to be a class above the two other greats of this era, Tendulkar and (Ricky) Pointing,” Afridi said.

    “He was the most difficult batsmen I have bowled too in every format of the game. He could play and hit boundaries at will. Especially against the spinners he produced boundaries out of the hat a superb player and I enjoyed watching him bat,” Afridi said while talking about the greatest players of his era. Afridi said there were times when he felt that Lara could play blindfolded. “At times I felt he was so good at playing spin he could even bat well against them blindfolded. Tendulkar and Pointing are also greats but I thought Lara was a cut above them,” he said.

    Talking about the greatest bowlers of his time, Afridi praised Australian, Glenn McGrath and compatriot Mohammad Asif who could swing the new ball both ways at will. “They were the only bowlers who I felt knew when they were going to bowl inswing or outswing and that is a big quality in any bowler,” he explained. Afridi also talked about his comeback and a resurgence in his career. “Now whenever I get out, I talk to myself and I curse myself for not finishing off a match if I am batting. It has helped me a lot this self assessment therapy,” he said.

    Afridi admitted he didn’t think much about his batting after getting out or didn’t do enough post-examination. “But now when I am batting I am eager to finish off matches myself. I keep on talking to myself and even if I get out, I keep on analysing myself.” The flamboyant all-rounder said he was keen to keep on playing for Pakistan but with self-respect.

    “I have seen the fate of some of our former greats and how they went out. I don’t want to go through that phase. I can say this safely I will know when the time is right for me to go. Right now the time is good for me and I can carry on performing in Twenty20 and ODI cricket,” he said. Afridi conceded that in the past he had made mistakes in his career but insisted he never compromised on self-respect. “I am that sort of a person if I feel I am not wanted or I don’t get along with someone I will not play. I couldn’t get along with Waqar Younis when he was captain so I decided not to play and stepped aside.” He also described Misbah-ul-Haq as a good captain who was a good planner. “He is an excellent planner but unfortunately not everything you plan is executed all the time. And one can’t expect him to treat other players like schoolchildren,” he said.