The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2014

  • Pak needs a long-term vision for Waziristan

    Pak needs a long-term vision for Waziristan

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): The long-awaited Pakistani military assault has been launched in North Waziristan. For over a decade, the region harboured local and foreign militants including Arabs, Chechens, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Tajiks and Uighurs.

    Some militant groups holding sway in the region were considered by Pakistan as pro-state while others antistate. Prominent among the militant groups of good guys were ones led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and slain Mullah Nazir while the Haqqani network of Afghan militants was the only foreign militant outfit given open space to operate from the region.

    Last month, a major faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which walked out of the umbrella organization, was willing to enter into the list of friendly groups, but Islamabad did not agree. Now, as the military has launched a “comprehensive” offensive in the region of battle-hardened fighters, the government needs to reveal whether the operation will take on all militant groups without discrimination or whether it is just aimed at eliminating the bad guys. One way or the other, all these groups of so-called good and bad elements have an understanding not to interfere in each other’s spheres of influence.

    They have carved out their own territories in tribal badlands where they call all the shots – administrative, social, religious, legal, political and military. Their inspiration is the same. They have a history of being good at one time, and bad at another.

    The question is after the military operation ends successfully, and the displaced families return to their abandoned homes, will they find themselves in midst of guntoting good militants or with the Sharifled government focused on its mega projects like highways and motorways? They have already suffered immensely due to the war on terror. They are, no doubt, simple people and their minds can be easily moulded the way one wants.

    A chat with a senior intelligence official revealed that the kidnapped vice chancellor of Peshawar’s Islamia College University, Dr Ajmal Khan, reformed several militants by educating them in Shawal Valley of North Waziristan. The state brainwashed them when it wanted the die-hard religious tribesmen to take up guns in the name of religion.

    Has it now decided to reverse the trend? If that is so, as some argue, the government needs to come up with a clear policy and vision at strategic, ideological, political and foreign policy levels while the military should keep cleansing the dens of militancy there. The operation in North Waziristan won’t end the scourge of terrorism in Pakistan unless a clear policy is adopted to address militancy in all shapes and shades.

    Also, the government must stop calling people along Af-Pak border tribals, which makes them sound like a bunch of uncivilized people. They should be mainstreamed like the rest of Pakistanis. The people of tribal regions deserve the same rights, freedom, protection and economic opportunities available to Pakistanis elsewhere. For sustainable peace and development, the government needs to introduce political, economic, social and administrative reforms in tribal areas.

    Their fundamental rights cannot be guaranteed unless the government decides to amend the constitution and transfer the legislative and administrative powers of tribal areas from the president to parliament. A comprehensive package should be announced for people of tribal areas, with focus on health, education and employment. Gains of military offensive can only be retained if these are coupled with a radical new development agenda for the deprived people.

  • TALIBAN TARGET VOTERS IN AFGHANISTAN, KILL 50, MUTILATE 11

    TALIBAN TARGET VOTERS IN AFGHANISTAN, KILL 50, MUTILATE 11

    KABUL (TIP): Election officials overseeing Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of power sifted through scores of fraud complaints on June 12 as they began a lengthy vote count, after insurgents killed at least 50 people on polling day.

    The final result in the run-off presidential election is not due for several weeks, and international concerns have focused on the risk of a disputed outcome as the two candidates started to trade fraud allegations. Officials said more than 50 people were killed in separate Taliban strikes on Saturday, when more than 7 million voters cast their ballot in the contest between former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.

    The deaths included five election workers killed when their bus was hit by a roadside bomb in Samangan province, and five members of one family who died when a Taliban rocket hit a house near a polling station. Eleven voters in the western province of Herat had their fingers—which were dipped in ink to register their ballot—cut off by insurgents. The UN described the mutilations as “abhorrent”.

    More than 70 militants were also killed in fighting during the day, according to the interior ministry.The White House praised voters’ courage and called the elections “a significant step forward on Afghanistan’s democratic path”, after the turnout topped 50 percent. The US, along with the UN, urged the two candidates not to make unproven fraud allegations, but both Abdullah and Ghani raised the issue immediately after polls closed.

    “It is win or lose now,” said Kate Clark, director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. “The voting is only one phase of the election, and there is still a lot that could change. Being a good loser doesn’t gain you much here. “If it is close and fraud looks to have been a lot, and either candidate wants to really make a fuss, then we could be in for months of wrangling.”

    The 2009 election, when outgoing President Hamid Karzai retained power, was hit by massive fraud that shook the US-led international effort to develop Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

  • Taliban strike Nato trucks in east Afghanistan

    Taliban strike Nato trucks in east Afghanistan

    KABUL (TIP): Afghan officials say three Taliban suicide bombers targeted Nato fuel trucks at the border with Pakistan, setting off a gunbattle with police guards. A spokesman for the border police in eastern Nangarhar province, Idris Momand, says the attack took place early on Thursday at the parking lot of the Nato outpost near the Torkham border crossing, a key supply route for the alliance.

    Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the spokesman for the provincial governor, says two of the attackers were killed by police while one blew himself up in the attack. Abdulzai says 37 Nato fuel trucks were destroyed by explosions set off during the gunbattle. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid says his group was behind the attack. Most Nato cargo shipments go through the Torkham crossing, toward Pakistan’s port city of Karachi.

  • EU alarmed by anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka

    EU alarmed by anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka

    COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (TIP): The European Union expressed alarm on June 18 at recent violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka in which three people died and more than 50 were injured, and urged the government to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. “Incitement of communal violence and hatred can only be counterproductive to Sri Lanka’s stability,” the EU delegation in Colombo said in a statement.

    Hard-line Buddhists hurled gasoline bombs and looted homes and businesses in attacks on Sunday evening in several towns in southwestern Sri Lanka. The attacks were led by a mob from Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Power Force, which rails against the country’s Muslim minority. The group has been gaining followers and is believed to enjoy state support. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s powerful defense secretary and the president’s brother, once made a public appearance supporting the group’s cause.

    Muslim residents say armed mobs broke into their houses and burned them after stealing jewelry and money. Associated Press journalists who visited the attacked towns saw dozens of shops gutted, and motorbikes and bicycles piled up and set on fire. Residents said mosques were also defaced. A curfew imposed on the towns after the violence was lifted Wednesday.

    Galagoda Atte Gnanasara, the leader of Bodu Bala Sena, said the Buddhists were angry over an alleged attack on the driver of a Buddhist monk. Sri Lanka is still deeply scarred by its 1983-2009 civil war between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and ethnic Tamil rebels, who are largely Hindu, but Buddhist- Muslim violence has been relatively rare. The US embassy in Colombo on Monday condemned the violence and urged restraint by all sides.

  • Afghan election in peril over Abdullah Abdullah’s fraud claims

    Afghan election in peril over Abdullah Abdullah’s fraud claims

    KABUL (TIP): Afghan presidential election candidate Abdullah Abdullah on June 18 demanded a halt to votecounting over fraud allegations, taking the country to the brink of a political crisis during its first democratic transfer of power.

    Abdullah ramped up his complaints over alleged fraud in Saturday’s run-off election by accusing his opponent Ashraf Ghani, outgoing President Hamid Karzai and the Independent Election Commission (IEC) of all being involved. A smooth election was seen as a key test of the 13-year international military and civilian effort to develop Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

  • 8 killed as police, protesters clash in Lahore

    8 killed as police, protesters clash in Lahore

    ISLAMABAD: At least eight people were killed and 85 injured in Lahore on Tuesday when the police clashed with supporters of moderate cleric Dr Tahirul Qadri, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, vowing to bring a soft revolution in the country.

    Qadri, a leader of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), a religiopolitical party, has been trying to form a grand alliance against the government while demanding a change in the present system through a revolution. He has promised to return to Pakistan on June 23.

    The clashes started when PAT members tried to stop the police from removing barriers outside their leader’s house in Lahore’s Model Town Colony and the party secretariat. As police baton-charged and shelled the protesters, the latter retaliated by pelting stones.

    Meanwhile, the police started firing shots at the protesters, leading to the death of eight PAT supporters, including two women and a child, while more than 85 people were injured. “We received eight dead bodies including two women,” said Dr Abdul Rauf, a medical superintendent at Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital.

    “All of them had bullet wounds. We also received 85 injured, including 17 police personnel. About 40 of the wounded sustained bullet injuries.” The doctor said 22 of the injured were critical. A spokesman for PAT said 12 of its workers were killed.

    “They launched this operation to counter our peaceful movement and the ‘green revolution’ promised by Dr Tahir ul Qadri,” the spokesman said Responding to the use of force against his party workers, the PAT chief described it as “state terrorism” and lashed out at the Punjab government, saying an FIR would be registered against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for the brutal killing of his supporters.

    Qadri said the police took action, on the orders of the government, because of his support for the army during the ongoing operation in North Waziristan. “Anyone who stands in support of the army is seen by the government as their biggest enemy,” he said, adding the government had been against the military since the 1990s.

    “The government was never in favour of the army operation in North Waziristan and had to approve it since they had no choice,” he said. PAT supporters staged protests in different cities — including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sialkot and Multan. All political parties strongly condemned the Lahore clashes. A joint opposition also staged a token walk out from Parliament.

    Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah said it was a conspiracy against democracy, which he said was allegedly hatched by Shahbaz Sharif against his elder brother. Later, the Punjab CM addressed a press conference saying he would resign if found responsible for the violence. “The deaths in Lahore’s Model Town are unfortunate,” Shahbaz Sharif said. “I have ordered the formation of a judicial commission to probe the incident.”

  • Nextdoor CEO pleads no contest to hit and run charge

    Nextdoor CEO pleads no contest to hit and run charge

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia, whose social networking website espouses neighborhood safety and community, pleaded no contest Thursday, June 12, in a San Mateo court to a misdemeanor for leaving the scene of a highway accident that a driver says Tolia caused, says a Reuter report.

    Tolia will pay a $239 fine, spend 30 weekend days in a county program in lieu of 30 days’ jail time, serve two years’ probation, and will be responsible for restitution to the victim, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

    Tolia originally faced felony criminal charges, but Wagstaffe said he reduced them to a misdemeanor “hit and run causing injury” because of Tolia’s forthrightness in admitting his role in the accident. “I’m glad he accepted responsibility right up front and never tried to lie about what happened or avoid responsibility,” he told Reuters.

    The work program includes activities such as picking up litter or trimming weeds along public roads and at schools, Wagstaffe said. “I am relieved that after further examination of the facts, the DA reduced the charge to a misdemeanor and that Thursday’s hearing brought the matter to a close,” Tolia said in a statement. The incident occurred in August when executive recruiter Patrice Motley lost control of her car after Tolia swerved into her lane.

    Her Honda del Sol spun across two lanes and crashed into the median on Highway 101 near Candlestick Park, south of San Francisco, she stated in court documents in a separate civil case. Tolia drove his wife and child home in their black BMW X5 SUV without stopping or calling 911, the lawsuit stated.

    Witnesses wrote down his license plate number and gave it to authorities. Tolia told police in an interview he was shaken and did not call 911 because he was in shock. Last month, he said he was saddened by Motley’s injuries and was troubled by the incident. Ten years ago, Tolia resigned as chief operating officer of Shopping.com after the company learned he had lied about the status of his Stanford University degree and previous work experience.

    Nextdoor has raised just over $100 million from backers including Benchmark, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Tiger Global. Its last funding, a $60 million round in October, valued the company at more than $500 million.

  • US cuts aid to Uganda, cancels military exercise over anti-gay law

    US cuts aid to Uganda, cancels military exercise over anti-gay law

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The United States on June 19 cut aid to Uganda, imposed visa restrictions and canceled a regional military exercise in response to a Ugandan law that imposes harsh penalties on homosexuality.

    The White House said in a statement the measures were intended to “reinforce our support for human rights of all Ugandans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.” Homosexuality is taboo in most African countries and illegal in 37, including in Uganda where it has been a crime since British rule.

    Uganda’s new law, signed by President Yoweri Museveni in February, imposes jail terms of up to life for “aggravated homosexuality” which includes homosexual sex with a minor or while HIVpositive. Widely condemned by donor countries, the law also criminalizes lesbianism for the first time and makes it a crime to help individuals engage in homosexual acts. Western donors, including the United States, had halted or re-directed about $118 million in aid to the east African nation’s economy before Thursday’s announcement.

    The White House said on Thursday the United States would impose visa restrictions on Ugandans it believes have been involved in human rights violations, including gay rights. The United States will halt $2.4 million in funding for a Ugandan community policing program in light of a police raid on a US-funded health program at Makerere University and reports of people detained and abused while in police custody.

    In addition, Washington will shift some funding for salaries and travel expenses of Ugandan health ministry employees to non-governmental agencies involved in health programs. It will also reallocate $3 million in funding for a planned national public health institute in Uganda to another African country, which it did not name.

    A National Institutes of Health genomics meeting would be moved from Uganda to South Africa, the White House said. It also canceled plans for a US-sponsored military exercise in Uganda that was meant to include other East African countries. A date had not yet been set for the exercise.

    Uganda is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic extremism in Somalia, where Ugandan troops for the backbone of the African Union force battling al Qaeda-aligned militants. US special forces have also been involved in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the elusive rebel commander seeking to topple the Ugandan government. Kony is believed to be hiding in the jungles of central Africa.

    In Kampala, a government official asked about the US measures said that Uganda would not alter its decision to toughen laws against homosexuals. “Uganda is a sovereign country and can never bow to anybody or be blackmailed by anybody on a decision it took in its interests, even if it involves threats to cut off all financial assistance,” government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said. US President Barack Obama previously told Museveni the law would complicate relations between the two countries. Since then Washington has been reviewing its funding to Uganda, while privately pressing Museveni’s government to repeal the law.

  • US court strikes down Los Angeles ban on living in cars

    US court strikes down Los Angeles ban on living in cars

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A US appeals court struck down on June 19 a Los Angeles city ordinance that bars people from living in their cars, describing the rule as cryptic and saying that it has been used to discriminate against the poor and homeless.

    The ruling overturned a 2011 lower court decision in a lawsuit brought by a group including four homeless people who parked in the city’s Venice district and were cited and arrested under the ordinance, which prohibits the use of vehicles as living quarters.

    Calling the ban a “broad and cryptic statute” that criminalized innocent behavior, the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals said it was unconstitutional because it gave insufficient notice of the conduct it penalized and promoted discrimination against the homeless. “Arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement is exactly what has occurred here,” the court said in its ruling.

    Tens of thousands of transients are thought to look for somewhere to sleep every night in the city. Many are drawn to bohemian, beachside Venice, and in 2010 the Los Angeles Police Department created the Venice Homelessness Task Force. The court said its 21 officers used the ordinance, which dates from 1983, to cite and arrest homeless people living in cars, as well as providing them with information about shelters and other social services.

    Among the plaintiffs was Steve Jacobs-Elstein, who ran his own legal company before losing his business and home in 2007. Suffering from anxiety and depression, he was living in his SUV, moving between private parking lots, when he was cited in 2010 by the LAPD as he sat in the car on a Venice street waiting to volunteer at a church soup kitchen. A few weeks later, he was arrested and his car impounded.

  • Appointment of Juned Qazi as INOC(I), USA President celebrated

    Appointment of Juned Qazi as INOC(I), USA President celebrated

    NEW YORK (TIP): A large gathering of INOC (I) workers celebrated, June 17, the appointment of Juned Qazi as the new President of INOC (I) USA. Introducing Juned Qazi, George Abraham, Chairman of INOC(I) said Qazi is a dedicated leader with charisma and youthful vigor who is capable of taking INOC (I) to the next level. He recollected the time he was with Qazi in India during the recent election cycle to secure a seat to run from Aligarh constituency on a Congress ticket.

    ” I have personally witnessed his ability to motivate and mobilize the cadre at the grass-roots level; if he is to employ the same amount of stamina and focus, INOC could be rebuilt very soon to face up to the challenges on hand”, Abraham added. General Secretary Harbachan Singh who was master of ceremonies for the event, said that Juned Qazi was a consensus builder and a very talented leader who has earned the trust of fellow members of the organization both in USA and India.


    45
    Mrs. George Abraham presenting a bouquet to Juned Qazi

    He is a very amiable and dynamic leader, and we are confident that he will fully and very ably discharge his duties as President of INOC (I) and overwhelming support for him was the order of the day. He added, ” A sense of relief was felt all around the reception hall that the stagnant INOC(I) over the last one year was now once again geared up to function fullswing to respond to the aspirations of the people.” Mohinder Singh Gilzian, senior Vice- President lauded Qazi for his commitment to the values and principles of the Congress Party and wished him all the success. Juned Qazi thanked everyone for the great show of support and committed himself to work hard for the Indian Americans and motherland India, and to foster greater cooperation and friendship ties between the two.


    46
    ” I have been a Congress worker and loyalist all my life and I mean to remain one and serve the organization in the best possible manner. Of course, I will need your support to restore strength and vibrancy to the organization”, said Juned. Photos/ Gunjesh Desai/ Masala Junction

    He also vouched that he will go the extra mile to help the needy and will not hesitate to stand for what is right. Those who felicitated included Dr. Dayan Naik (President, Karnataka Chapter), Dr. Neil Mandava (Chairman, AP Chapter), John Joseph (President, Tamil Nadu ), T. J. Gill (President, Punjab), Zinda Singh (President, Delhi), Sonia Sodhi (President, MP Chapter), Chander Prakash Sukhval (V.P. Rajasthan Chapter), U.A. Naseer (Secretary, Kerala chapter), Sawaran Singh (President, Haryana Chapter) and Executive Committee members; Zach Thomas, Sabina Ali, Prasad Kambahpaty, Karamjit Dhaliwal. Others who felicitated included R. Jayachandran, Dr. Vaijinath Chakote, Jose George, Thomas T. Oommen, Dr. Uday Singh, Ram Gadula, Vidya Bhushan Sharma, Harkesh Thakur, Jose Jacob, Rev. Dr. Abraham and Rev. Wilson Jose, Mahesh Bhai and Rumpy Bindra. Earlier, at the beginning of the function, Mrs. George Abraham, the first lady of the INOC (I) presented, on behalf of the INOC (I) family a bouquet to Juned Qazi.

  • John Kerry denies Obama has been too passive in Iraq

    John Kerry denies Obama has been too passive in Iraq

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Secretary of state John Kerry brushed aside criticism of Obama administration’s Middle East policy on June 19, taking exception to assertions that Washington has been doing too passive in the face of surging terrorism in the region. Kerry noted the failure of the United States to secure a continuing military arrangement with Iraq’s government after US combat forces left.

    “We didn’t have operational theatre capacity at the time” of the surge in violence spawned by al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State militants, he said in an interview on NBC. On the broader issue of Mideast policy, Kerry said that the administration has been “deeply engaged” in the region and is the largest source of humanitarian assistance. He said violence is on the rise in Iraq because Syria’s Bashir Assad, who has been under siege for at least three years, “is a magnet for terrorists of all walks.”.

    Asked about former Vice President Dick Cheney’s assertion that President Barack Obama has been wrong all along about the Mideast, Kerry replied, “This is a man who took us directly into Iraq. Please.” He reiterated that air strikes have not been ruled out, saying that “nothing is off the table” in administration discussions. Kerry didn’t signal any details of involvement beyond what is already known, but did say that whatever assistance is forthcoming won’t necessarily be aimed at bailing out embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

    The efforts will be “focused on the people of Iraq”, he said. Kerry said the militant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, is “more extreme than even al-Qaida and they are a threat to the United States and Western interests.”

  • US military advisers to be in and around Baghdad: OFFICIALS

    US military advisers to be in and around Baghdad: OFFICIALS

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The major focus of the initial tranche of US military advisers to be sent to Iraq would be in and around Baghdad, a senior official has said. He, however, did not rule out that they were being sent to other parts of the strife-torn country as well.

    “The major focus of this initial tranche will be in and around Baghdad, but can’t rule out that they would be sent to higher headquarters at several other places,” the Obama Administration official said. Several teams of a dozen each would be sent to Iraq to assist the Iraqi forces against expanding influence of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (which is also translated as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham), the official said.

    “We are going to start with several teams of a dozen each, .. the initial estimate would be in the several dozen in the initial tranche here that are going in to assess the situation. “Most of these teams will come from units that are already in the Central Command area of responsibility. They’re already in the region,” the official said, without announcing an exact date when they’ll get there.

    President Barack Obama at the White House said, “we are prepared to send a small number of additional American military advisers – up to 300 – to assess how we can best train, advise and support Iraqi security forces going forward.” “American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq, but will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well,” he said.

    The President, said another administration official, is focused on a number of potential contingencies that may demand US direct military action. “One of those is the threat from ISIL and the threat that that could pose not only to Iraq’s stability but to US personnel and to US interests more broadly, certainly including our homeland,” he said.

    According to another senior official, the US currently has some military advisory personnel in Iraq based out of its embassy in Baghdad. “They have the protections that are necessary for them to be there, and we are confident that these additional forces would have the necessary protections and authorities to be there, particularly as Iraq has requested them,” the official said.

  • CONSUL PERUMAL VENKATASAMY GIVEN A WARM FAREWELL

    CONSUL PERUMAL VENKATASAMY GIVEN A WARM FAREWELL

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Community members and Consulate officials organized a farewell reception for Consul Perumal Venkatasamy, Head of Chancery at the Indian Consulate in New York, who was retiring after 37 years of service. Venkatasamy served in India and at a number of Indian diplomatic missions abroad. Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay praised Venkatasamy for his hard work and dedication in a speech that was also narration of how typical bureaucracy functions.

    Consul General Mulay praised Mr. Venkatasamy for his being a willing and ready worker. He was always ready to do whatever work was given to him, said Mr. Mulay. Thomas T. Oommen, Chairman, Heritage Indian Association of North America, which organized the event highlighted Venkatasamy’s helping nature. “He was ready to help anyone who faced problems,” Oommen said.


    43
    They gathered to give an affectionate and warm farewell to a gentleman

    ” If he could not help immediately, he would give advice as to how to solve the problem. We need officials like him, who interact with people and never show arrogance or indifference to them.” Venkatasamy expressed his thanks to the Indian American Community for their affection for him. Those who spoke on the occasion included Professor Indrajit Saluja, George Abraham, Sudha Acharya, Juned Quazi, Appen Menon, Sharma, Shakir Ahmed, Jayachandran Ramakrishnan, Jose George, Korason Varghese, U A Naseer, V K Sabhapathi, R P Singh, Varghese Chunkathil, Wilson Jose, Lal Motwani, Harbachan Singh, Thomas Koshy, Dr. Parameswaran, Consul Dhirendra Singh, Sheela Sreekumar, Leela Maret, George Mathew, Dr. Itty Abraham and George Joseph.

  • White House hails undocumented Delhi girl as ‘Champion of Change’

    White House hails undocumented Delhi girl as ‘Champion of Change’

    WASHINGTON: New Delhi-born Pratishtha Khanna, who came to the US illegally at the age of ten, is one of ten local “Champions of Change” honoured by the White House for their exemplary leadership in their communities. All the ten honoured on Tuesday were what are called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients under a programme initiated by President Barack Obama through a memo signed on June 15, 2012.

    The programme requires the US immigration authorities to defer removal action for certain undocumented young people who came to the US as children and have pursued education or military service here.

    They are also often referred to as “DREAMers” as most of them meet the general requirements of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act “These DACA recipients serve as success stories and role models in their academic and professional spheres,” the White House said.

    Khanna from Laurel, Maryland for one, is currently a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and will graduate in May with a BS in Biology. She is an active member of the API Youth Convening-DACA Collaborative planning committee and the Maryland Dream Youth Committee (MDYC). She is also a member of Dreamers for DREAMers student organization at UMBC.

    After graduation, Khanna will be working (thanks to DACA) as an Emergency room medical scribe and will pursue a Certified Nursing Assistant Programme at Howard Community College. She hopes to attend medical school in fall 2017.

    “These champions distinguished themselves through their community involvement and the hard work they put into helping other members of their academic and professional communities succeed,” White House said. The White House event was intended to “showcase these inspirational young leaders and highlight the importance of providing talented young people with the opportunity to realize their full potential”.

  • US says 75 government scientists possibly exposed to anthrax

    US says 75 government scientists possibly exposed to anthrax

    WASHINGTON (TIP): As many as 75 scientists working in US federal government laboratories in Atlanta may have been exposed to live anthrax bacteria and are being offered treatment to prevent infection from the deadly toxin, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on June 19.

    The potential exposure occurred after researchers working in a high-level biosecurity laboratory at the agency’s Atlanta campus failed to follow proper procedures to inactivate the bacteria. They then transferred the samples, which may have contained live bacteria, to lowersecurity CDC labs not equipped to handle live anthrax.

    Dr Paul Meechan, director of the environmental health and safety compliance office at the CDC, said the agency discovered the potential exposure on the evening of Friday, June 13, and immediately began contacting individuals working in the labs who may have unknowingly handled live anthrax bacteria. “No employee has shown any symptoms of anthrax illness,” Meechan said.

    Meechan said the normal incubation period can take up to five to seven days, though there are documented cases of the illness occurring some 60 days after exposure. Meechan said as many as seven researchers may have come into direct contact with the live anthrax. But the agency is casting as wide a net as possible to make sure all employees at the agency who may have walked into any of the labs at risk are being offered treatment.

    Around 75 individuals are being offered a 60-day course of treatment with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin as well as an injection with an anthrax vaccine. Meechan said it is too early to determine whether the transfer was accidental or intentional. He said that all employees who were doing procedures to inactivate the bacteria were working in a biosecurity laboratory and were “tier one select agent approved,” meaning they had undergone a security reliability review and deemed to be “stable, trustworthy individuals.” Meechan said the CDC is conducting an internal investigation to discover how the exposure occurred and said disciplinary measures would be taken if warranted.

    “This should not have happened,” he said. For those exposed, he said, “We’re taking care of it. We will not let our people be at risk.” The CDC said in a statement is has reported the labsafety incident to the Federal Select Agent Program, which oversees the use and transfer of biological agents and toxins that pose a severe threat to the public.

    CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said appropriate background checks were done on all employees handling the anthrax, but would not say whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate, deferring that question to the FBI. Anthrax is a potentially deadly infectious disease caused by exposure to the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

    The bacteria most commonly affects hoofed animals such as goats, but people who come in contact with the spores can also become infected. Infection can occur through a cut in the skin, breathing in anthrax spores or eating tainted meat. Meechan said CDC workers in the lower-security labs were likely not wearing masks, which would have prevented inhalation of the spores. In inhalation anthrax, bacterial spores enter the lungs where they germinate before actually causing disease, a process that can take one to six days.

    Once they germinate, they release toxins that can cause internal bleeding, swelling and tissue death. Inhalation anthrax occurs in two stages. In the first stage, symptoms resemble a cold or the flu. In the second stage, anthrax causes fever, severe shortness of breath and shock. About 90 percent of people with second stage inhalation anthrax die, even after antibiotic treatment.

  • NYC Comptroller urges raising minimum wage to $13.13 per hour

    NYC Comptroller urges raising minimum wage to $13.13 per hour

    OVER ONE MILLION NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS WOULD SEE WAGES RISE BY $100 A WEEK

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Raising the minimum wage to $13.13 in New York City would benefit nearly 1.2 million City residents by an average of $100 a week, according to an analysis released June 16, by Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “New York City deserves the ability to set its own minimum wage,” Comptroller Stringer said. “We are falling behind other states and cities when it comes to the minimum wage, despite the fact that this is the most expensive city in which to live in the nation.

    There is no one size fits all when it comes to the minimum wage; raising it to $13.13 would make an enormous difference for more than one million New York City residents.” Currently, New York State’s minimum wage is $8.00/hour, and is set to rise to $8.75/hour in 2015 and $9.00/hour in 2016. These small increases are not sufficient to make a substantial impact on the lives of lowwage workers.

    Comptroller Stringer supports a State bill co-sponsored by Assemblymember Carl Heastie/Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Senator Adriano Espaillat/Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (A8343A/S6518A) which would raise the minimum wage in New York State to $10.10/hour by December 31, 2015 and allow cities and counties to establish local minimum wages of up to 30% above the state minimum, or $13.13. This local flexibility is particularly important for New York City, where the cost of living is 80% higher than in Buffalo, 70% higher than in Rochester, and 60% higher than in Albany. Not only is New York City’s cost of living the highest in the State, it is also the highest in the country.

    Because of this, low-wage workers rely on public programs to subsidize their incomes. The Comptroller’s estimate shows the greatest number of beneficiaries of a raised minimum wage would be in Brooklyn, with 376,000 people seeing a raise in their wages, followed by 348,000 in Queens, 220,000 in the Bronx, 194,000 in Manhattan and 31,000 on Staten Island. When adjusted for cost-of-living, the City’s current minimum wage is the lowest of any major city in the nation.

    Many cities across the country have recently increased their municipal minimum wages, helping millions of working families in the process. San Francisco’s is $10.74; San Jose’s is $10.15; Santa Fe’s is $10.51; and Washington D.C.’s is set to rise to $11.50 by 2016. And just this month, Seattle enacted the nation’s highest minimum wage of $15.00/hour. Many states have also hiked their minimum wages in recent months.

    In March, Connecticut enacted an increase up to $10.10/hour and in May, Maryland followed suit. In addition, Vermont enacted a $10.50/hour wage and the Massachusetts Senate voted to raise the Commonwealth’s minimum wage to $11 by 2017. “New York City should be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to raising the minimum wage. The time has come for the Big Apple to pay its workers a wage that works for employees and employers,” Stringer said.

  • India opposes Russian decision to sell arms to Pak

    India opposes Russian decision to sell arms to Pak

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India conveyed to Russia, June 18, its concern over Moscow’s decision to lift embargo on the supply of Mi-35 attack helicopters and defense equipment to Pakistan. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin that Moscow must keep in mind India’s sensitivities while dealing with its neighbors on defense-related matters.

    Rogozin also held talks with Defense Minister Arun Jaitley. MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin confirmed that the issue did figure during Swaraj’s four-hour meeting with Rogozin in the context of defense cooperation between India and Russia. Official sources said New Delhi had unambiguously told Moscow in recent days that it could not be business-asusual on the defense front between the two countries until Moscow reconsidered its decision. India imports nearly 60 per cent of its defense equipment from Russia.

    The meeting between Swaraj and Rogozin was the first high-level contact between the two countries after the Narendra Modi government assumed office. The two ministers also discussed the possible dates for the annual summit between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Delhi towards the end of the year.

    The two leaders are also scheduled to meet next month in Brazil on the margins of the BRICS Summit. The spokesperson said the principal focus of the talks was on how to harness the “untapped potential” of their economic ties and raise it from the $10 billion at present, of which Russian exports amount to $6.5 billion.

    Both sides have decided to set up a joint feasibility study on a free trade agreement between India and Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which have formed the Eurasian Economic Union bloc. Swaraj informed the Russian minister that the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant attained full capacity on June 7. The second unit was to attain criticality at the end of the year. In April this year, India and Russia signed an agreement to build units 3 and 4 of the power plant.

  • Federal Judge Cogan dismissed SFJ’s case against Sonia Gandhi

    Federal Judge Cogan dismissed SFJ’s case against Sonia Gandhi

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): “Eastern District of New York Federal Judge Cogan dismissed the Sikhs For Justice case against Sonia Gandhi, holding SFJ to be an illegal plaintiff in this case,” said Ravi Batra, attorney for Sonia Gandhi. In a 13-page Decision and Order on May 9, Judge Brian M. Cogan, despite admitting that the Court construed the Amended Complaint “with great generosity,” proceeded to grant Hon.

    Sonia Gandhi’s motion on each and every point, dismissing the case with finality, before declining to issue a global antisuit injunction against SFJ for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots – even as the Judge held that SFJ can never be a ATS or a TVPA plaintiff in any US court. Judge Cogan’s Order puts SFJ out of the publicity-lawsuit business.

  • NEW YORK SENIORS CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY

    NEW YORK SENIORS CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY

    NEW YORK (TIP): New York Seniors Celebrated Father’s Day on June 11 at Saneeswara Temple in Bellerose Terrace. At the festive program organized by Shashikant Patel and Gopi Udeshi, seven magnificent men were honored. Speakers that included Dr Jatin Kapadia, Nikhil Trivedi, Indubhai Patel, Suresh Udeshi, Narendra Choksi, Kirit Ramolia and Ramanbhai Patel, spoke of importance of father in the family.

    Father’s unconditional love and sacrifice, in particular, were underscored. Champak Parikh sang a very emotional Lokgeet “Mat Pita Na Charano Ma 68 Tirth Dham,Mara .Nathi Javu Gokulgam”. Vijay Shah sang ” Mara Ram Tame Sitaji Na Tole Na Avo”. Narendra Modi’s victory was also celebrated on the occasion. Gopi Udeshi spoke about NRI’s.

  • After governors, NDA targets statutory bodies to purge UPA nominees

    After governors, NDA targets statutory bodies to purge UPA nominees

    NEW DELHI (TIP): After having its way with Congress-appointed governors, the NDA government has moved on to purge UPA nominees from statutory bodies, starting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Following suggestions from the government asking them to quit, NDMA vice-chairman M Shashidhar Reddy and a majority of its eight members, including former Special Director of CBI, K Saleem Ali, have put in their papers.

    The resignations in the NDMA came amid indications that the government may also get those holding Cabinet and MoS-rank posts in bodies like Indian Council for Cultural Relations, National Commission for Women and others to step down. Membership of these bodies are distributed among nominees of the regime of the day as part of what has evolved into Indian version of the spoils system. NDA’s focus on these bodies came among signs it could be on the verge of ridding Raj Bhavans of Congress nominees.

    Sources in Congress said the leadership is reconciled to the reality of its nominees having little option save moving out of governors’ mansions if the Modi government wants them to make way for nominees of the new regime. ESL Narasimhan, Governor of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and Mizoram governor K K Paul are mentioned as the only possible exceptions. NDMA vice-chairman Reddy, a Congress politician from Telangana, set the stage for the panel’s reconstitution by resigning on June 16.

    At least five or the eight NDMA members — K M Singh, K N Srivastava, Major Gen (Retd) J K Bansal, K Saleem Ali and B Bhattacharjea — resigned on Thursday, while J K Sinha, Harsh K Gupta and Muzaffar Ahmad are in the process of putting in their papers. Though sources in the government indicated that Reddy’s resignation followed a call from Union home secretary Anil Goswami suggesting that he relinquish the key post, the vicechairman, when contacted, insisted that he had quit on his own volition.

    “The first thought of quitting occurred to me on the day of the poll results itself. After all, the NDMA is headed by the Prime Minister himself and he must have the leeway to reconstitute the body according to the roadmap he has in mind. “However, the government formation took some time, and I delayed my resignation plans. Then, when I saw many governors were being nudged to quit, I put in my papers on June 16 itself,” Reddy said.

    While NDMA vice-chairman holds the rank of a Cabinet minister, its members enjoy the status of a minister of state. The Prime Minister is chairman of the NDMA. Even as he claimed to have resigned on his own, Reddy confirmed that separate calls were made to the 8 NDMA members on Wednesday seeking their resignation. “But they were specifically told to hold charge till an alternative arrangement is made…since there cannot be any vacuum in disaster management, we will continue doing our job till further orders,” he said.

    While Reddy, who has been with NDMA since 2005 as a member and then its vice-chairman, is a Congressman and has been active in both national and state-level politics, most NDMA members, by virtue of being retired bureaucrats or ex-officers of the Army/DRDO, are deemed to be political appointees. “Every new government comes with a certain vision and has the prerogative to choose its own people to realise that vision,” an NDMA member pointed out after putting in his papers on June 19

  • People’s Expectations from Modi are enormous, says Chaurasia

    People’s Expectations from Modi are enormous, says Chaurasia

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): A nascent organization that came in to being a few months before the elections, has been able to propel itself into limelight, much to the chagrin of the traditional BJP organizations which include factions of Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP). The organization, a political action committee, to begin with, chose a more appropriate name, to be in sync with the brewing political climate – Overseas Friends of Narendra Modi.

    The organization organized a Modi-BJP victory celebration on June 18 in Hicksville which was attended by a diverse section of the Indian American community. , Jagdish Sewhaney, the man behind the organization, recalled his long association with Narendra Modi and described him as a man with strong convictions and a great will power. BJP National Secretary Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasia was the guest speaker.


    35
    BJP National Secretary Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasia who was the guest speaker, claimed that Modi would bring about development and India would soon be a leading nation in the world.

    When asked how NRIs can be of help in nation building in India, Chaurasia first of all thanked overseas Indians whose voice – over Twitter and other social media even from afar– and support for BJP and Modi in the run up to the general election mattered a lot. “Now, your support is still needed because people’s expectations from Modi government are enormous,” said Chaurasia. He gave the example of poor peasants in Bihar who wanted to make Modi PM hoping that Modi will develop Bihar too like Gujarat so that their sons don’t have to go to Gujarat to find work.” Similarly, he said, India should be so developed that instead of Indians going abroad, NRIs would want to return to their home land.


    36
    Darshan Singh Bagga whose organization GOPIO was one of the sponsors hoped India will do well under Modi

    Chaurasia said Modi showed how a strong leader projects strength of a nation when he invited all SAARC heads to his swearing in and they fell over each other to attend. Modi’s slogans have been: ‘Sabaka saath, sabka vikas’, and ‘Ek Bharat, shreshtha Bharat.’ So he is going to see to it that northeast too develops, Bihar and UP too are not lagging behind Gujarat. Chaurasia complimented Modi for breaking the walls of caste and creed, and cited that over 20% Muslims voted for Modi in Varanasi.


    37

    He praised Modi’s step to allow 100% FDI in defense production, which will bring in capital and knowhow direly needed in a country “whose ordnance factories cannot even manufacture AK-47s, which even a village in Munghyr has bootlegged.” Chaurasia ascribed falling of rupee value to black money from India hoarded in foreign banks in dollars. And for corruption he blamed bureaucrats more than politicians. Weak ministers depend on bureaucrats who don’t fear losing their jobs and get into shady deals.


    39
    View of the gathering

    Modi’s incorruptibility is well-known despite ruling Gujarat for 15 years – note that his real brother still runs a ration shop. Chaurasia said that Modi wants to make a beginning by first cleaning up Parliament. “He has asked Supreme Court to decide the pending cases against MPs within one year, so we can be rid of the bad eggs.” Others who spoke welcoming the speaker and eulogizing Modi included Dr Shashi Shah, Sunil Modi, Darshan Singh Bagga, Dr Yash Pal Arya, Mohinder Verma, Dr Narinder Kukar and Dr Azad Anand.

  • Congress in revamp mode, mulls leadership change in three states

    Congress in revamp mode, mulls leadership change in three states

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A month after the Congress got decimated in the Lok Sabha polls, the party seems to be in revamp mode. Top sources have confirmedthat the party’s immediate priority is to quell the rebellion in its ranks, especially in the states it rules.

    The Congress is reportedly looking at a possible change of chief ministers in Maharashtra, Assam and Haryana. Sources say the revamp will not confine itself to just containing rebellion but also bringing in new faces in the form of party chiefs in the states. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has been facing dissidence for over two years now, but the Lok Sabha debacle has made his continuation untenable. The party managed just three out of 14 seats in a state where it has been in power since 2001.

    In Haryana, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda faces severe opposition from party colleagues and former union minister Kumari Selja. The party could manage just one seat in the general elections. Hooda’s counterpart in Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, also faces an uncertain future.

    On Thursday, Sharad Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is an ally in the state, met the Congress’ AK Antony and Ahmed Patel and both sides reportedly confirmed that their state legislators are seeking a change in leadership. The Congress-NCP combine was decimated in the Lok Sabha elections. “Right now, we are seriously considering leadership change in these three states but all I can say is that the odds of a new incumbent taking over in these three states are 50-50,” said a top Congress source. Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra are about three months away.

    The Congress leadership seems hesitant in effecting a change; many argue that changing chief ministers in these states will have little or no impact on the outcome of the elections. However, in case of Assam, many believe that the party can make a good comeback with a fresh face as elections there are due in 2016.

  • Sena declares Uddhav as CM candidate

    Sena declares Uddhav as CM candidate

    MUMBAI (TIP): The Shiv Sena on JUne 19 anointed Uddhav Thackeray as the saffron combine’s CM pick. The Sena president later told journalists he had to honour Shiv Sainiks’ collective wish. “The CM issue can be decided by discussions (with the BJP).

    We are not in a hurry,” Thackeray said, indicating, for the first time, that he didn’t intend to toe the hard line on the issue. Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde said the CM issue will be decided by leaders of the Mahayuti, or grand (Sena- BJP) alliance. Earlier, Aditya Thackeray, Uddhav’s son and Yuva Sena president, cleared the decks for an impromptu endorsement of his father’s CM candidature from Shiv Sainiks. Addressing a party congregation at a Bandra auditorium, Aditya sought a voice vote on the issue.

    To his question as to who would be the CM of Maharashtra after the October assembly election, the party representatives replied, “Uddhav Thackeray”, in unison. “This is the Sena way of seeking ratification from party workers on a crucial policy issue,” a senior party leader said on the sidelines of the conclave. “Uddhavji was elected as the Sena’s executive president in 2002 in a similar manner.”

    Sanjay Raut, MP and executive editor of party mouthpiece Saamna, said there should be no glitches in Uddhav becoming CM after the assembly elections. “Just as the Sena has wholeheartedly accepted Narendra Modi as PM, the BJP should accept Uddhav Thackeray as Maharashtra’s CM,” said Raut.

  • Agents promised jobs in Dubai, sent youths to Iraq

    Agents promised jobs in Dubai, sent youths to Iraq

    AMRITSAR (TIP): Most of the 40 Punjabi youths stuck in Iraq reached there allegedly through travel agents who with illegal recruitment syndicates operating from the Gulf countries trapped them using false promises of lucrative jobs for a hefty fee. Sources said unauthorized travel operators in various towns of Punjab are in touch with hiring agents of various construction companies in Iraq.

    These agents lure youths by promising to get them jobs that offer monthly salaries in the range of $1000 to $1200 for which they are told to pay a fee of Rs 2-4 lakh to the travel agents. “There is hardly anyone willing to work in Iraq due to unrest so these agents send the boys to Dubai on tourist visas where they are ‘handled’ by the local agents,” a source said. These job-seeking youths are then made to stay in Dubai for a few days without any work. “When they get desperate to work and earn money, the agents tell them that due to some problems they couldn’t get the jobs in the promised companies in Dubai.

    The hiring agents offer the hapless youngsters jobs in Iraq which are accepted by them. They are sent to Iraq from Dubai via Qatar and Kuwait,” a source said. “The youth from Punjab mostly travel illegally and without any documents, the agents also ensure crossing of borders to reach Iraq,” said Dubai-based businessmen S P S Oberoi who is the founder of NGO Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust.

    Sometimes these youths were illegally ‘transported’ to Iraq via the sea route as well, he added. Oberoi said the agents in India promise jobless youths they would be paid 1,200 dirham per month but they get even less than half of the promised salary in the construction companies in Iraq. He said his trust had opened offices in all districts of Punjab to save unemployed youth from falling into this trap.

    “We ask such duped youths to give us their appointment letters or other documents given to them by the agents. Then our trust verifies the details so that the job aspirants are not cheated,” Oberoi said. He has offered to bear all expenses to bring the abducted Punjab youths back from Iraq.

  • MUNDE’S DAUGHTER TO BE INDUCTED IN ELITE BJP PANEL

    MUNDE’S DAUGHTER TO BE INDUCTED IN ELITE BJP PANEL

    MUMBAI (TIP): The BJP has cleared the decks for deceased leader Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja’s induction in the party’s core committee. This was decided at a meeting of the party’s core committee in Mumbai on June 19. State BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis played a key role in getting Pankaja on board the high profile panel, sources said. “This is the party leadership’s signal that it accepts Pankaja as her father’s political heir,” said a senior BJP functionary.

    Munde, inducted as Union agriculture minister in PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet, died in a car accident in New Delhi on June 3. There are indications that Pankaja may be the BJP’s candidate for the Lok Sabha byelection in Beed following Munde’s death. There is a growing demand from state BJP workers that Pankaja should be inducted in the Union cabinet, said the BJP functionary. On Uddhav Thackeray’s anointment as the saffron combine’s CM nominee, Fadnavis said, “We will talk about it when the Shiv Sena formally communicates its decision to us.”