The Indian Panorama

Month: November 2015

  • Nearly 35,000 comment on the proposed changes to the STEM OPT Extension – F1 Student Visa

    Nearly 35,000 comment on the proposed changes to the STEM OPT Extension – F1 Student Visa

    NEWYORK (TIP): On Oct. 19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposal for “Improving and Expanding Training Opportunities for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students with STEM Degrees and Cap-Gap Relief for All Eligible F-1 Students.” “The rule will benefit the U.S. educational system by helping ensure that the nation’s colleges and universities remain globally competitive in attracting international students in STEM fields,” said the U.S., in its description of the proposed changes.

    As of September, 2015, over 34,000 students were in the United States on a STEMOPT extension, according to the Federal Register.

    The proposed rule seeks to remedy the procedural deficiencies of the original STEMOPT Extension, ensure that the extensions can continue beyond February, and make several additional changes to the rules and procedures.

    Since 2008, those who complete a degree in a STEM field have also qualified for a one-time 17-month extension of OPT. This extension, however, was recently challenged in court by the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, and this August, the District Court for the District of Columbia vacated the STEMOPT Extension on the grounds of procedural deficiency. The court order is set to take effect in February 2016 unless a new rule is enforced.

     

    DHS, in response to the August 2015 court order, increased the scope of the program. It took the original STEMOPT extension of 17 months and made it 24 months. That means the overall amount of time someone can work on a student visa has been will be extended from 29 months to 36 months.

    The proposed rule received nearly 35,000 comments on its plan to extend the Optional Training. The deadline for comments was November 19, 2015.

    By increasing the length of time someone can work on a student visa, the U.S. is trying to give these students more time to get an H-1B visa. Demand for H-1B visas, especially from IT offshore outsourcing firms, is making it harder for students who graduate from U.S. schools to get a work visa.

    The majority of comments received (view comments) support extending the program, which is not surprising. If the government effort fails, many STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) students may be forced to leave the U.S.

    The comments, some anonymous, were collected over the last month. Technically, the register says it has received about 50,000 comments, but it has only posted 35,000 and moderates before posting. The responses define the sharp divide on this issue.

    The question is whether this comment collection meets the obligations imposed in August by a federal court. That court had ruled that government erred by not seeking public comment in 2008, when it originally extended the OPT program from 12 months to 29 months for STEM students. The court gave the U.S. until Feb. 12 to fix the program or risk giving the students 60 days to return home.

    The Indian Panorama has zealously reported on STEM and will continue to update our readers on the changes on OPT as and when they become available.

  • Indian American Eye Surgeon Dr. V K Raju Lectures in Vietnam

    Indian American Eye Surgeon Dr. V K Raju Lectures in Vietnam

    It was some 2 years ago that I came across Dr. VK Raju. I hadn’t heard of him though I should have. It is a journalist’s task to have information about people-good and bad. Dr. Raju is not only an efficient eye surgeon, he is also a man endowed with a rare virtue of helping patients with eye affliction anywhere in the world. However, though he has provided vision and saved a large number of people from blindness in various parts of the world, he remains steadfast in his love for the country of his origin-India.

    Dr. VK Raju is founder and Medical director of Eye Foundation of America and Clinical professor of ophthalmology at West VirginiaUniversity. Since 1977, he, with his team, has examined 2 million outpatients, performed 300 thousand surgeries, including 25 thousand on children in India and 21 other developing countries.

    Recently, Dr. Raju was invited as a guest speaker at Vietnam ASEAN Ophthalmology Congress. He delivered 4 lectures on Cataract surgery and dry eyes, and corneal transplants. The meeting took place in Hanoi on 29th, 30th and 31st of October 2015.

    Dr. Raju is passionately committed to preventing blindness among children, particularly in India where, he says, because of malnutrition millions are always in danger of losing vision. I have been told he makes it a point to rush to India to hold eye camps for children, whenever he gets an opportunity. Thank you, Dr. Raju for the great service you are doing to children in India and patients here in America and elsewhere I am sure, some day your enormous contribution will be adequately recognized.

  • Intolerance in India Echoes Home and Abroad

    Intolerance in India Echoes Home and Abroad

    As a young boy I attended Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Shakhas. I loved to go there to play and wield lathi. It provided me an opportunity to prove my strength and superiority. As part of our training, we were told to be patriotic, have respect and love for Bharat Mata. At times, we were told about the superiority of Hindu religion. But I don’t think it ever occurred to me to develop a staunch Hindu view of everything.

    As I grew, I distanced myself from RSS shakhas because I did not any more find an opportunity for the kind of sport I looked for. The primitive kabaddi and wielding lathi did not attract me any more.

    A few years later in my life I found the ideology of RSS not in consonance with the liberal values that my education had imbibed me with. I was drawn more to left than to the right where I saw RSS and the political party Jan Sangh.

    The right will always remain opposed to the left. It is like the East is East and the West is West and the twain can never meet. So, I  maintained distance from the right wing  Jan Sangh and the RSS which I considered to be a  religion-based group. I could never digest the aversion of the RSS for minority religious groups, though it pleased me as a Sikh to find some of the pracharaks of the RSS eulogizing  Guru Gobind Singh for the great sacrifice he and his father made to protect Hindus from the tyranny of the Muslim rulers.

    India has always been a country which absorbed all  who arrived on its soil, much as USA has. But, of late it appears India is being sought to be taken in a different direction. And the direction is certainly  not a welcome one; certainly not the one which would  strengthen the unity of the nation. The government of the day seems to be  bent upon creating divisions  in the name of religion. Surely, we have not forgotten the number of painful  incidents of communal clashes which, besides claiming life and property, have left deep scars on the psyche of the suffering people.

    People of India and Indians abroad will have to  find ways to oppose the Hindutva agenda of the RSS and the present government. It is either the people of India and India succeed or they succeed.

    Luckily, India has a number of intelligent people who could see through the game plans of the present government. They saw danger in rationalists being killed. They saw danger in the utterances of some representatives of the party in power. They saw danger in the studied silence of the Prime Minister on the issue of growing intolerance in India. So, they protested. Writers, artists, film makers returned their awards to register their protest. Instead of trying to allay their fears and  remedy the situation, the Modi government let the party workers organize counter protests. What a government we have?

    Every time somebody spoke of intolerance, the party in power made sure to come up with a condemnation of the protest. It happened in the case of Shahrukh Khan. It happened recently in the case of Aamir Khan.

    However, the number of protesters is growing and the protests are getting louder. These have not remained confined to India; Indians abroad have also protested.

    The Alliance for Justice & Accountability held  a Public Demonstration & Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, November 14th from 3-5 pm in Washington Square Park, New York to stand in solidarity with India’s disenfranchised communities to raise their  voices to dissent the recent acceleration of killings of Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, Christians and Sikhs.

    In USA, Indian Americans have raised their voice of protest.

    George Abraham, a former UN officer and Chairperson of Indian National Overseas Congress USA sent in his comment, which is being reproduced ad verbatim.

    “The very fact that Aamir Khan’s statement evoked so many vitriolic reactions from the Sanghis is another evidence of growing intolerance towards freedom of expression in Modi’s India. If anyone thinks that there is no anxiety among the minorities about the prevalent situation is fooling himself.

    People are getting lynched for their dietary habits, Dalit families are set on fire, NGOs like Greenpeace and Caritas International are being banned or FCNR denied, sedition charges are  being filed against human rights activists like Teesta Setalvad, eminent secular voices are silenced through murder in cases of Kalburgi and Pansare, respected writer such as Kulkarni being assaulted, cultural police raiding Bars and beating up women, 90 year old Dalit set on fire for entering the temple, another Dalit man’s hand chopped off because he was seen dining with an upper caste individual, MLAgetting beaten up in J&K Assembly building for expressing his freedom of thought on the issue of slaughter of cows and the list goes on and on.

    According to an NGO report, there were 800 incidents arising out of growing intolerance in last year alone. This is in addition to the ongoing purges in academic institutions of people with a pluralistic view, such as Amartya Sen in NalandaUniversity, who are being replaced by RSS ideologues across the board in institutions such as National Book Trust, National Film Institute, Historical Society and so forth to impose a kind of cultural hegemony based on Vedic history.

    The very fact that the current administration downplays the role Nehru has played in creating the very idea of India as we know it, is very troublesome as they are increasingly inclined to create divisions pitting one freedom fighter against the other for political ends. Yes, they have truly learned something ‘valuable’ for themselves from the British: ‘Divide and Rule’.!”

    Is the  Modi government not bothered about  the fall out of these protests on the image of India abroad? Is the Modi government not bothered about  feelings of the  minorities ? Is the Modi government not bothered  for the unity of the nation? Is the Modi government not bothered for the people of India? It would be very sad if the answer was a  “NO”.

  • Why it’s silly to link FDI and Intolerance

    Why it’s silly to link FDI and Intolerance

    “Those making a connection between an intolerant India and FDI are widely off the mark. Democracies by definition are tolerant and nobody is claiming that we are abandoning our democratic system……….At the heart of the controversy is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence – specifically on the beef-linked murder of a Muslim – and his inaction in not reining in fringe elements of his party voicing communal views. His general statements against such acts and discourse which detracts from his development agenda are not considered sufficient to clear the air”, says the author.

    Many believe that rising intolerance in India is becoming an issue in our foreign relations, to the point that foreign investment flows into the country may be affected.

    The murder of a Muslim for allegedly stocking beef in one state, those of a couple of Dalits in another, the killing of a ‘rationalist’ in still another state, and some statements by BJP members inconsistent with our secular ethos are seen as instances of a dramatic surge in intolerance in India.

    This has been enough for writers, artists, historians and scientists to return awards, and others of public standing to express concern.

    The media has, of course, amplified the controversy, with denunciatory columns in some newspapers and unbridled TV debates.

    At the heart of the controversy is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence -specifically on the beef-linked murder of a Muslim – and his inaction in not reining in fringe elements of his party voicing communal views.

    His general statements against such acts and discourse which detracts from his development agenda are not considered sufficient to clear the air.

    Debate

    Naturally, such an intensive debate in the country will be followed by local diplomatic missions – western in particular – and their assessment reports will reach their capitals.

    Foreign correspondents will inevitably follow the domestic sparring over the issue and publish articles without being too rigorous in their analysis, as their target is newspaper readership and not policy-makers.

    Indian or Indian-origin correspondents writing for foreign media are often inclined to write negative stories to make themselves more credible with head offices, besides catering to the biases of a few established US/UK newspapers who traditionally put the spotlight on some darker aspects of India’s social reality.

    The NGOs, domestic and foreign-funded, focused on community issues will be drawn into the debate on rising intolerance as part of civil society’s increasing political activism.

    Indian scholars and Western ones involved in India studies are networked and influence each other on the choice of issues to study and analyse and shaping perspectives on them.

    Some foreign scholars get unusually large space in our papers for airing views on sensitive subjects, which reinforce the impression of foreign concern about unwholesome developments at home.

    In addition, sections of India-origin populations, principally in some Western countries, have grievances against India which find sympathetic echoes in political, academic, media and religious circles there for a variety of reasons, including electoral.

    Incidents relating to minorities in India especially draw negative attention.

    The debate on rising intolerance in the country is closely linked to Modi’s rise to power, the political legitimacy that the Hindutva ideology is seen to have acquired as a result, and – what is anathema to devout secularists – the expanding influence of the RSS.

    Intolerance

    Those mounting a campaign against rising intolerance have been in their large majority always politically opposed to Modi and the Hindutva ideology.

    Despite the judicial process through which Modi has been wrung for years, this group has not forgiven him for the 2002 Gujarat riots – and it is this entrenched prejudice that found echo in the questions posed to him by the BBC and The Guardian journalists at his joint press conference with UK PM David Cameron during his London visit.

    Modi’s opponents at home and India-baiters in the US/UK establishment in particular are complicit in denigrating the Indian PM, and both feed on each other’s prejudices.

    +1

    The leadership of the Congress has begun to target Modi personally for the reprehensible crimes that have been lately in the news, holding him responsible for allowing an atmosphere to be created which has encouraged such acts.

    Such accusations, made recklessly in the context of domestic politics, do not serve India’s interests abroad as they give a handle to India’s opponents there to project a picture of India that is actually far from reality.

    Freedom 

    To say that dissent or freedom of expression in India is being suppressed overlooks the rampant criticism of the government in the media and the constraints that the judiciary has put on the power of the government and Parliament too.

    Attempts to impose some constraints on the social media as part of counter-terrorism efforts have failed because of public opposition.

    The government cannot even implement crucial parts of its economic reforms agenda because of political opposition.

    Those making a connection between an intolerant India and FDI are widely off the mark.

    Democracies by definition are tolerant and nobody is claiming that we are abandoning our democratic system.

    Most countries in the world are not democratic, and so by definition they should not be attractive for foreign investment.

    China has received vastly greater amounts of FDI than India and continues to do so, despite its open rejection of democracy and Western values and active suppression of dissent at home.

    The Gulf countries are not paragons of tolerance, but corporate heads and governments too do not seem to hold back investments there for this reason.

    Western businessmen are now thronging in Iran for economic opportunities.

    Singapore’s authoritarianism is actually an explanation for its economic success. Our own investments abroad, especially in the oil sector, are not contingent on tolerance or lack of it in the countries concerned.

    We can be our worst enemies.

    As an extension of domestic politics we want to leverage external forces to make a democratically elected government of a country of 1.25 billion inhabitants accountable for few sporadic crimes.

  • Aamir Khan speaks up | Voices of dissent need to be heard

    Aamir Khan speaks up | Voices of dissent need to be heard

    The moment the poster boy of ‘Incredible India’ campaign, Aamir Khan, made a remark on
    ‘growing intolerance’, the sarkari brigade began questioning his credibility. The star, celebrated for handling social issues with sensitivity in his films and through highly popular TV show Satyamev Jayate, spoke on Monday of his wife, Kiran’s concerns over the safety of their child in an atmosphere of growing intolerance. His silence through the ‘award vapsi’ campaign by writers and his film fraternity was taken as an exception, for the actor is known to be vociferous to the extent of lending active support to social issues like Narmada Bachao Andolan and Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption.

    Aamir Khan’s comments should have been taken in the context they were made, as many other self-critical observations he has made through Satyamev Jayate on many ills afflicting Indian society. In the present context, these have been colored with communal connotations in the social media war waged between two factions: those who have reason to worry about threats to freedom and those who are just looking for an opportunity to jump on the bandwagon of establishing Hindutva supremacy.

    The tendency to reduce popular icons like Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to one community advocating a particular point of view by a handful undermines the tremendous concern they have shown for their country over the years with their body of work.

    The boorishly aggressive reaction from the Hindutva brigade is a reaffirmation of the very intolerance against which Aamir Khan and others have raised their voice. The BJP’s cultural warriors have raised a question over his deshbhakti. These new cultural vigilantes have unwittingly shown themselves to be lacking in respect for dissent and disagreement. No Aamir Khan needs a certificate of good conduct from the new intolerant Indian. The new itch to want to shut up any contrary voice or person is most unacceptable.

  • Woman in critical condition after being struck by hit-and-run driver in the Bronx

    Woman in critical condition after being struck by hit-and-run driver in the Bronx

    NEW YORK (TIP): A woman was hospitalized in critical condition after she was slammed by a hit-and-run driver in the Bronx on Thursday, November 19, police said.

    The woman was hit on Westchester Ave. near Pilgrim Ave. in Pelham Bay at 4:39 p.m., cops said.

    She was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in grave condition, cops said. The driver fled the scene, cops said.

    A vehicle description was not immediately available.

    The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad was called to the scene to probe the crash.

    The crash came in the midst of a ten-day NYPD crackdown on dangerous drivers in the city.

    On Wednesday, a man and a woman were killed in Brooklyn just blocks apart from each other in separate traffic crashes, cops said. Both victims were pedestrians.

  • Man plunges to death from fifth floor Queens window after stabbing girlfriend

    Man plunges to death from fifth floor Queens window after stabbing girlfriend

    QUEENS, NY (TIP): A 29-year-old man died after he plummeted from a fifth floor window, November 16 -moments after stabbing his girlfriend several times in Queens, police said.

    The 24-year-old woman was attacked when a domestic dispute turned violent in the fifth floor apartment on Grand Central Parkway near Commonwealth Blvd. in Little Neck shortly after 9:20 a.m., authorities said.

    Bloodied and panicked, she ran out onto the street and flagged down a passing NYPD patrol car, police said.

    The officers then went to up to the apartment to investigate but found the man had plunged from the window down to the ground on the side of the building, according to officials. Police were investigating whether the man leapt or fell.

    The man and woman were both rushed to North Shore LIJ Hospital, where the man died, police said. The woman was listed in stable condition.

    It was not immediately known what spurred the violence.

  • Winter session of Parliament gets off with debate on Constitution

    Winter session of Parliament gets off with debate on Constitution

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Winter session of Parliament got underway November 26 with an aggressive Opposition taking  on the government over the Constitution and the legacy of its framer BR Ambedkar.

    Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the basic ideals of the Constitution were in danger and the happenings of the past few months were against its values, a reference to the swirling debate on intolerance in the country, stoked by controversial statements by BJP leaders.

    “Those who have no respect for the Constitution and have no role in the making of the Constitution are claiming to be keeping the Constitution,” the Rae Bareli MP said, a possible reference to the BJP that has been accused by the Congress of attempting to usurp Ambedkar’s legacy.

    The session began on a heated note, with home minister Rajnath Singh saying the word ‘secular’ was the most misused word in Indian politics.

    He went on to say that Ambedkar didn’t find it necessary to insert the word along with ‘socialist’ in the Preamble because he felt it was already in the basic nature of people.

    “We know how many problems he (Ambedkar) faced, he must have been hurt, yet (kept) his emotions in control… But he never said I have faced discrimination in India, so I will go somewhere else,” Singh said, hitting out at actor Aamir Khan who revealed this week that his family contemplated moving abroad due to rising intolerance.

    But Gandhi rejected Singh’s charge, saying the Constitution undeniably upheld secularism and that Ambedkar worked to give a voice to people discriminated by society.

    “The Constitution is closely linked to the history of Congress party. It is the Congress that brought Dr Ambedkar into the Constituent Assembly,” she said, amid uproar by BJP parliamentarians.

    “Indian Constitution is a result of decades of struggle. Mahatma Gandhiji made a huge contribution in this struggle.”

    The heated argument came at a two-day long special sitting of Parliament to discuss commitment to the Constitution as part of Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary celebrations. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Thursday after an obituary reference to sitting member Khekiho Zhimomi who died on Thursday morning.

    The session, which ends on December 23, is expected to see fireworks with the government determined to push through its reform agenda, including the landmark goods and services tax bill. After intense negotiations, it has agreed to reach out to the Opposition and agreed to a debate on intolerance as part of its attempts to avoid a repeat of the monsoon session washout.

    Hours before Parliament opened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government was ready for debates but all parties must work for the nation.

    “I’m confident we all MPs will leave no stone unturned to match the expectations of the people of the nation. I have spoken to all the political parties and all want the House to run smoothly,” the PM said, speaking to reporters outside Parliament. including price rise, Mohammad Ikhlaq’s mob lynching over cow slaughter remarks and the killing of Dalit children in Faridabad.

    Later, on November 27, PM Narendra Modi met the Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh who he had invited for  a discussion on GST. The 45-minute meeting at 7, Race Course Road did not result in an immediate breakthrough, but it did serve to break the ice between the government and the Congress, with the latter consistently alleging that the ruling party was riding roughshod over the Opposition in Parliament. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu were also present during the meeting. Sonia reiterated her party’s three main demands – 18 per cent cap on the tax, formation of a GST Disputes Settlement Authority and scrapping of the proposed one per cent additional tax that ends up favoring producer states. The government presented its viewpoint with facts and figures. All eyes are fixed on Monday, November 30 when the Parliament sits again to transact business.

  • Outlandish Trump & His Politics of Fear

    Outlandish Trump & His Politics of Fear

    Trump has garnered huge support among the Republican voters by playing the fear trump card. Since the Paris attacks, while the “serious” GOP contenders have proposed establishing no-fly zones and arming Kurdish rebels in Syria, Trump has focused on registering Muslims and closing mosques in the U.S. while insisting that he “watched … thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrate 9/11 as the Twin Towers were coming down.

    Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump at a rally in Oskaloosa, Iowa, July 25.
    Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump at a rally in Oskaloosa, Iowa, July 25.

    He’s turned the focus of the debate on the right candidate to terrorism and immigration, with a vociferous anti-Muslim rhetoric. His racist approach and fear mongering statements are propelling him in debates. This needs a reality check.

    Let us see what Trump has to say on various issues.

    On Domestic Issues

    1. Arab-Americans cheered the attacks on 9/11 – Trump repeatedly claimed that on September 11, 2001, there were thousands of Arab-Americans celebrating in New Jersey after two planes flew into the Twin Towers. He says such public demonstrations “tell you something” about Muslims living in the US. However, there are no media reports or police records to back up the claim.

    2. There should be surveillance on US mosques – Trump believes Muslims should be tracked by law enforcement as a counterterrorism initiative. He has walked back some comments about keeping a database on all American Muslims, but says he doesn’t care if watching mosques is seen as “politically incorrect”.

    3. The US should use waterboarding and other methods of “strong interrogation” in its fight against the Islamic State.

    4. “Would build a “great, great wall” between the US and Mexico. In some of his earliest campaign comments, Trump suggested that Mexicans coming to the US are largely criminals. “They are bringing drugs, and bringing crime, and they’re rapists,” he said. A wall on the border, he claims, will not only keep out undocumented immigrants but Syrian migrants as well. He also believes that Mexico should have to pay for the wall, which could cost between $2.2bn and $13bn (BBC analyst).

    5. A mass deportation of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the US should go into effect. Despite criticism that this idea is xenophobic and prohibitively expensive – estimated at $114bn – Trump says his deportation plan is as achievable as it will be humane. In addition, his immigration reforms would end “birthright citizenship”, the policy that grants the children of illegal immigrants citizenship so long as they are born on American soil. He does not support creating a new path to citizenship for undocumented workers.

    6. In order to end mass shootings, the US should invest in mental health treatment rather than Gun Control. In a position paper on gun rights, Trump revealed he has a concealed carry permit and that when it comes to gun and magazine bans, “the government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own”. He would also oppose an expansion of background checks.

    7. The Black Lives Matter movement is “trouble”. Trump mocks Democratic candidates like Martin O’Malley for apologizing to members of the protest movement against police brutality and casts himself as a pro-law enforcement candidate. “I think they’re looking for trouble,” he once said of the activist group. He also tweeted a controversial graphic purporting to show that African Americans kill whites and blacks at a far higher rates than whites or police officers. However, the graphic cites a fictitious “Crime Statistics Bureau” for its numbers, and has been widely debunked using real FBI data.

    On Foreign Policy

    1. Trump and Vladmir Putin would “get along very well”. In an interview with CNN, Trump said that Putin and Obama dislike one another too much to negotiate, but that “I would probably get along with him very well. And I don’t think you’d be having the kind of problems that you’re having right now”.

    2. Climate change is just “weather” . While Trump believes that maintaining “clean air” and “clean water” is important, he dismissed climate change science as a “hoax” and believes environmental restrictions on businesses makes them less competitive in the global marketplace. “I do not believe that we should imperil the companies within our country,” he told CNN on the issue. “It costs so much and nobody knows exactly if it’s going to work.”

    3. The world would be better off if Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddhafi were still in power . Trump told CNN that he believes the situation in both Libya and Iraq is “far worse” than it ever was under the two deceased dictators. While he concedes Hussein was a “horrible guy”, he says he did a better job combating terrorists.

    4. No asylum to Syrian migrants . He says that the Paris attacks prove that even a handful of terrorists posing as migrants could do catastrophic damage, and so he will oppose resettling any Syrians in the US, and deport those who have already been placed here.

    5. “Bomb the hell” out of IS. Trump claims that no other candidate would be tougher on the Islamic State and he would weaken the militants by cutting off their access to oil.

    On Healthcare

    1. Veteran healthcare in the US needs a major overhaul . Trump wants to clear out the executive level in the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that wait times for doctor visits have only increased after previous interventions failed. Thousands of veterans have died while waiting for care, he says. He will invest in the treatment of “invisible wounds” like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He would also increase the number of doctors who specialize in women’s health to help care for the increasing number of female veterans.

    2. Obamacare is a “disaster”. Trump says he favors repealing the president’s Affordable Care Act, which aims at extending the number of Americans with health insurance, but he believes that “everybody’s got to be covered”. A spokesman for Trump told Forbes that he will propose “a health plan that will return authority to the states and operate under free market principles”.

    On Economy

    1. Create a simpler tax code . Trump wants anyone who earns less than $25,000 to pay no income tax. They would submit nothing more than a single page tax form that reads “I win”. He would lower the business tax to 15%. He would also allow multinational companies keeping money overseas to repatriate their cash at a 10% tax rate.

    2. Hedge fund managers are “getting away with murder” . Trump found common ground with Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren when he said that hedge fund managers and the ultra-wealthy do not pay enough taxes. However, after the campaign released specifics of his plan, analysts argued that hedge fund managers would actually get a tax cut along with the middle class.

    3. China should be taken to task . If elected , Trump says he will make China stop undervaluing its currency, and force it to step up its environmental and labor standards. He is also critical of the county’s lax attitude towards American intellectual property and hacking.

    4. Unemployment. Trump has said repeatedly that unemployment in the US is at 20% – once commenting it may be as high as 42% – despite the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics pegs the number at 5.1%. Trump says he doesn’t believe that figure is real.

    But can Americans buy the stuff Trump is so zealously dishing out?

    Americans know well presidential candidates must make unrealistic guarantees. The difference in Trump’s blather is that it is dangerous. Trump’s megalomania borders craziness.

    Everyone who has bought into Trump needs take a step back, rethink and make informed decisions about what America stands for and who will uphold the great values and tradition of America. Those who care deeply about the values of this nation need to recognize where we are. Throughout history, anxiety has brought out the worst in people.

  • Syed Akbaruddin to succeed Asoke K Mukherjee as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

    Syed Akbaruddin to succeed Asoke K Mukherjee as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

    NEWYORK (TIP): Syed Akbaruddin has been named  as the new permanent representative of India to the United Nations in New York. He succeeds Asoke Kumar Mukherjee who will be retiring at the end of December, 2015

    Syed Akbaruddin (left) willl succeed Ambassador Asoke K Mukerji as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador Mukerji is retiring on 31st December
    Syed Akbaruddin (left) willl succeed Ambassador Asoke K Mukerji as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador Mukerji is retiring on 31st December

    The current reshuffle in the Ministry of External Affairs has facilitated the biggest career jump for Syed Akbaruddin, who stands promoted from the rank of Additional Secretary to a Secretary-level post.

    Asoke K Mukerji
    Asoke K Mukerji

    Mr. Akbaruddin, former MEA spokesperson, was the chief coordinator of the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) held in New Delhi in October 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had handpicked Mr. Akbaruddin to be the chief coordinator of the IAFS, a mega event that was attended by all the 54 countries of Africa.

    Mr. Syed Akbaruddin is the son of late Prof. S Bashiruddin, former Head of the Dept of Journalism and Communication, OsmaniaUniversity, Hyderabad. Bashiruddin also served as India’s Ambassador to Qatar.

    An alumnus of HyderabadPublic School, Akbaruddin is a 1985 batch civil servant and considered an “expert” on the West Asia issues.

  • Congress leaders fete INOC USA Chair

    Congress leaders fete INOC USA Chair

    CHENNAI (TIP): Senior Congress leaders of Tamil Nadu including Pradesh Congress Committee President and former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan felicitated George Abraham, chairman of Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) in New York at a function held in Satyamurti Bhavan, the headquarters of the party, in Chennai recently.

    Elangovan placed a shawl on Abraham as mark of respect before the invited Congress leaders and workers and praised the efforts of Abraham in propagating the ideals of the grand old party in the US.

    Elangovan said the INOC not only invites Congress leaders visiting the US to attend events in New York but also actively involves itself in various national and state elections in India. He complimented the team headed by Abraham for their active involvement.

    Others who attended include Youth Congress leader Vazhapadi Rama Suganthan, State Congress spokespersons -Tiruchi Veluswamy, Ms. Jothimani, America Narayanan and SM Hidayathulah and Chairman of State SC and ST Wing Selva Perunthagai.

    Rama Suganthan recalled the receptions and hospitality arranged by the INOC to visiting senior Congress leaders such as Kumari Anandan, S Thirunavukkarasu and Mani Shankar Aiyar.

    Earlier, Abraham addressed a special meeting of the party’s social media team headed by EVKS Ram Elangovan and KT Lakshmikanth and shared some inputs on the role of social media in the American elections.

    He advised the members especially youth who are handling the wing to take social media campaign seriously as it could decide the fate of future elections in India with exponential growth of internet connections and use of Facebook and Whats App even in rural areas of India.

  • The Vegetarian Vision Aim is to Promote Vegetarian Way of Life

    The Vegetarian Vision Aim is to Promote Vegetarian Way of Life

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): Vegetarian Vision, under the leadership of Chairman & Founder H.K. Shah and Malati Shah, has been highly influential in spreading vegetarian way of life. Their programs and events are focused on promoting happy healthy vegetarian way of life and healthy food habits.

    Chairman H.K. Shah announced big celebrations of Upcoming Vegetarian Vision Silver Jubilee Year in 2017, intending to promote vegetarianism across various other communities. Additional information can be found on our website at www.vegetarianvision.org. He urged for organization and community support and volunteers to make this a grand success.

    President Chandra Mehta said in her inspiring speech emphasizing the benefits to become vegetarian. She said human being by nature is vegetarian and veggie diets are healthy and environment friendly. Production of non-vegetarian food has direct effect on global warming. Mrs. Mehta created beautiful pumpkin decorations making event’s center of attraction. She informed the community about upcoming events including the vegetarian pageant in spring of 2016 and encouraged everybody to participate and be a member.

    Overall event was co-ordinated and emceed by Flora Parekh (Vice President) and Vinod Shah (Director) with the help of the entire executive committee and volunteers. Ms. Flora Parekh also urged all interested volunteers can sign in / donate through our website at
    www.vegetarianvision.org for our upcoming Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 2017.

    A cardiologist Vegan from Michigan, Dr. Joel Kahn was the esteemed speaker at this Thanksgiving Dinner and spoke on Best Heart healthy diets and Vegetarian dietary patterns and mortality inspiring people to live a happy healthy vegetarian life. Several doctors in attendance had an informative question /answer session providing immense wealth of knowledge to attendees.

    Vegetarian Vision conducted its kids annual Essay competition in February coordinated by Ms. Nivea Kothari, Youth Chair. All 4 Essay competition winners were felicitated with cash checks and certificates. Amongst the winners were Aneesh Sabarad (1st Prize) IS237 School, Priyansh Raval (2nd Prize), Grade 10 Hicksville High School, Prisha Arora (3rd Prize) HB Thompson Middle School and Rishi Rakesh Shah (Prize 4th) Southwoods Middle School. Vegetarian Vision Congratulates all the winners and encourages all students to look forward to their participation in future.

    H.K. Shah’s generous donation of$125,000 included $25,000 for the current year and $100,000 for the upcoming Silver Jubillee celebrations, was very motivating to the community. He urged this first time in 25 years fundraising, encouraging the community to feel a part of the event.

    The organization also announced its Mr. and MS. Vegetarian Pageant next year.

    A rocking musical night by Sargam group rocked the dance floor. Exciting raffle coordinated by Kirti Shukla, Paresh Parekh, Meghna Shah and Dipika Modi. Regsitration desk managed by Minesh Desai, Ashok Acharya, Suman Munjal, Meghna Mehta and team. Executive Committee Member Kanak Golia and many organization heads were in attendance. Entire executive committee and volunteer’s hard work made the event flow seamless and highly successful with an attendance of over 400 guests.The event ended with sumptuous vegetarian dinner with a message to live a happy healthy life.

  • The Essence of Thanksgiving

    The Essence of Thanksgiving

    Expression of gratitude is the ultimate balancing act in everyone’s life. We know whom we receive the good from and offer our gratitude. The absence of a simple thank-you creates an imbalance in the relationship and spiritual energy, while a simple thank you restores it.

    I am pleased to share my personal story and few small things you can do to regain your sense of composure and balance.

    Firstly, we need to be considerate to those who did not have a good childhood, youth, adulthood or retirement. Let’s be kind to those who are struggling to take care of themselves, and fighting for a square meal for their families. The least we can do for them is to let them know that we care.

    Secondly, we need to awaken our mentor, be it Zarathustra, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus, Muhammad, Tao, Confucius, Nanak, Bahaullah, Gandhi, MLK or whomever we hold dearly. We need to emulate them for at least for the day as an experiment, ready to embrace every one with a caring attitude.

    Finally, let’s make a list of people who have helped us shape our lives. We should not lose enthusiasm due to a large number of people we have to thank, we can do it by carrying a piece of paper, and writing down the names as they pop in the mind, even if we don’t call everyone on the list, we have already said our thanks by thinking about the individual and writing his or her name down. When we express our gratitude to the person who has made a difference in our life, it brings a ton of relief. It’s ours to keep.

    The Unforgettable Story of Appaiah

    It was a Sunday ritual for me to sit and take care of the poor. A line of the needy people would pass in front of my house, and being the oldest in the family, my father had assigned me the task of doling out the alms to the individuals when they pass by our door. I have seen lepers, people who cannot see, hear or talk, and people with missing body parts.

    I was fascinated by one such person, he did not have arms and limbs from the base of the body, and he was just a torso with a head. He wrapped his body with a tube (those days car tires were inlaid with rubber tubes to hold the air) of a car tire, and would slide inch by inch on his back from door to door… his shoulder and rear part would move in tandem similar to a snake.

    It was beyond me to understand Appaiah, I often wondered, what is there for him in life?The 14-year-old in me was full of ambition, and was looking forward to getting my education, finding the work, getting married, having a house and kids. I was a typical teenager loaded with testosterones and could not imagine life beyond that.

    Why does he not commit suicide? What is there for him to look forward to? One day, I asked him. “Appaiah, you don’t have relatives, can’t do thing, don’t have a place to live, and can’t wear clothes … why do you want to live?”

    He turned around and took a deep breath and looked at me, he made an effort to move, but could not, and said, son, I look forward to every morning to see the blue sky or see the rain and smell the earth, I taste the good food people give me, I am thankful to God for giving me these eyes to see the beauty of his creation. I was watching him, he did not have the arms to point to his eyes, he then asked me, isn’t there so much to be thankful for? Live for?

    He was poetic, philosophical and pragmatic. He shattered my bias to smithereens, here I was thinking, what does this guy know?

    I was rendered speechless. Here is a man with nothing to hope for, yet he is not complaining, instead, he is appreciating what he has got, which is nothing. That was quite an influencing experience in my life to treat others as I would want to be treated (Bible).

    Just that morning, I heard my Dad’s favorite verse from Quran: “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?” (55:16). Now, when hopelessness hits me, I go to the Scriptures. I have found solace in opening Bhagvad Gita, Bible, Guru Granth Saheb, Dale Carnegie’s book, Kitáb-i-Aqdas or simply read Sura Rahman, chapter 55 in Quran, to uplift my spirits. We have to be grateful for whatever we have and express it to the unknown giver, a true thanksgiving.

    You can only feel the joy when you say a big or a small thank you to the ones who have helped you along the way, whether it is materially, spiritually or professionally.

    A simple thank you will do a lot of good to us, and our relationships. Most people say thanks without fail, those who miss out on a few things; we have an opportunity to reflect on this Thanksgiving Day.

    If you don’t believe in God, that is fine, it is still a release when you say thanks to the invisible good that came to you un-asked.

    Life Is a Self-Balancing Act

    Life is self-balancing act; everything we do and say is spiritual as well as a real life transaction that moves the needle from balance to imbalance, and back to balance.

    The mechanism is built around forgiveness, repentance, service and gratitude. These values are a product of co-existence and inculcated through religious teachings; however, the atheists would also achieve the same without invoking God.

    The accountant chants, for every debit there is a credit; the physicist has proved that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and the doctor declares, that blood lost from the body of an individual must be replenished with an equal amount of blood to sustain life.

    As a spiritualist I say, for every wrong we do, an equal amount of energy is drained from us, and for every good we do, energy is recouped. We are constantly receiving and giving energy, intake and output must be equal to have a healthy living, or else we are thrown off balance.

    For every hurt we hurl on others, an equal amount of burden gets dumped on us, and until we say sorry and repent genuinely, the energy balance within us deteriorates. The transaction remains incomplete.

    Where Is Happiness?

    If you are single or empty nesters and nowhere to go, call up Salvation Army, a hospital or a homeless shelter and volunteer your services. There is a joy in serving others.

    As the Jewish Scriptures say, Ve’ahavta la’ger — you must love the stranger for that guaranteed happiness. Jesus reached out to the ones who were abandoned by the society. Prophet Muhammad said the least you can give to others is hope and a smile. The Hindu Scriptures guides you to treat the whole world as one family. Buddha, the learned one, taught the joys of living for others.

    The Sikh faith is indeed founded on the principle of caring for the humanity. The Jains and Baha’i believe our joy comes from taking care of others. The Native Americans and Wicca believe we have to take care of what we see around us and preserve it for the next seven generations, life and the matter. With malice toward none is a good advice from Mahatma Lincoln to follow.

    Happy Thanksgiving

    When you express your gratitude to the persons who have made a difference in your life, it brings a ton of relief to you. Make an effort and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with it. May you be blessed to be a blessing to others. Amen!

    The author is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place
  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL Celebrates Diwali

    BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL Celebrates Diwali

    CHICAGO, IL (TIP): The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett celebrated Diwali and the Hindu New Year on November 11th and 12th. Diwali is one of the most important and colorful festivals celebrated by Hindus, where friends and family gather together to welcome the New Year and reflect on the past year. It is a time when charity, goodwill, family values and the love of God are celebrated and reinforced. Diwali is often referred to as the Festival of Light, and is traditionally marked by placing decorated oil lamps (called a ‘deep’) in rows (‘avali’). Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil and is a reminder to dispel inner darkness with the light of God’s presence. The festival of Diwali is celebrated over five days, with each day carrying its own unique significance and form of celebration.

    Celebrations began on Sunday, November 1st, as children learned about cultural traditions at the Kids’ Diwali Celebration. The program included skits and fun-filled games to engage a younger audience. Arts and crafts stations were set up to illustrate traditions and teachings of Diwali. Reflecting on the scenes of the day, Sapna Jadav, a mother from Hanover Park said, “It’s extremely prideful to see my two young sons learn more about their culture and traditions and how they celebrate them as young Indian-Americans.”

    The five-day celebration continued the day after Diwali with the beginning of the Hindu New Year. As a time of renewal, reflection and resolution, it is also an occasion for giving thanks, and is traditionally celebrated with the Annakut – literally meaning, ‘a mountain of food’. This is a grand offering of over a thousand different vegetarian food items, prepared lovingly by devotees, to thank God for His providence over the past year and to seek His blessings for the year ahead.

    Each year, the BAPS mandir in Bartlett also holds a themed exhibition to showcase important values that inspire Indian-Americans. This year’s exhibit,
    ‘Mandir…Transcending Above,’ drew inspiration from a book written by the late former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, about his encounters with His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of BAPS. In his book, ‘Transcendance,’ Dr. Kalam, explains how through his interactions with Pramukh Swami Maharaj he was able to transcend above all the obstacles in his life and experience spiritual peace. The mandir represents a place of paramount peace where everyone, regardless of ethnicity or creed, can experience tranquility and spirituality. The idea of spreading peace to everyone and getting involved with community and charity work to become a better person inspired many to change their lives as they started the new Hindu year.

    Dressed up in traditional, colorful clothes, families and friends wished each other sentiments of prosperity. Adults, community members, and young children eagerly visited the mandir to view the colorful décor, various food dishes, creative fruit carvings, and imaginative artwork. Mr. Ashfaq Hussain Syed, senior banker, was among those in attendanceon Thursday. Visiting the mandir for the very first time, he was awestruck with the magnificent carvings of the white marble mandir, the Annakut displays, and the educational exhibition, saying, “It’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.” He was also extremely impressed with the organization, contributions, and cultural knowledge of the youth of BAPS, saying “having that knowledge at this young age is amazing.” He was delighted at how many friends he had also run into at the mandir,”never thought I’d meet with a lot of my friends here today but I was able to celebrate this wonderful occasion with a lot of them.”

    BAPS Bartlett, IL 2The community from all over the Chicago area gathered to offer prayer, express their wishes for the year ahead, and partake in the Annakut offerings. The dedication and tireless efforts of the volunteers was evident in every aspect of the celebration. The Mayor of the Village of Bartlett, Mr. Kevin Wallace, expressed his gratitude to BAPS and its volunteers saying, “I know as I look over the years passed, I am filled with appreciation for the many contributions that the BAPS community has made to Bartlett. We continue to be grateful for the opportunity you give us to learn from each other. We are thankful for your social service, for the generous gift with which you share food, joyous music, & colorful traditions. When I look forward I see good neighbors, valued neighbors, with whom we hope to celebrate many many more years to come.”

    Similar celebrations took place at BAPS centers across the globe. On November 4th BAPS also co-hosted the Diwali in DC at the Jefferson Hall in the Library of Congress. Over 1,200 prominent Indian Americans and their Congressional representatives from across the United States attended the event hosted by the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

    The Diwali celebration continues Sunday, November 15th, with a special cultural program at 4:30 pm, followed by a grand fireworks show at 7:00 pm with music, videos, and traditional dances. Community members left the mandir on Thursday with the hope that the coming year will bring joy and peace to their family.

    About BAPS: The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide socio-spiritual organization is dedicated to community service, peace and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families and individuals. Through social and spiritual activities, BAPS endeavors to produce better citizens of tomorrow who have a high esteem for their roots. Its 3,300 international centers support these character-building activities. Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is morally, ethically and spiritually pure, and free of addictions.

    About Pramukh Swami Maharaj: His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, has inspired millions of people across the world to lead a God-centered, morally pure life. As the present leader of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj has traveled extensively, emphasizing the importance of family harmony, community service and spiritual progress. He embodies the essence of Hindu life. His compassion for humanity, universal wisdom and striking simplicity has touched many world religious and national leaders.

  • A MONA BHALLA RELEASED HER DEBUT MUSIC VIDEO, WITH A STRONG SOCIAL MESSAGE

    A MONA BHALLA RELEASED HER DEBUT MUSIC VIDEO, WITH A STRONG SOCIAL MESSAGE

    CHICAGO (TIP): Mona Bhalla, a well-known singer, both in India and the US, and Mrs. India Illinois 2015, released her debut music video, “Kudi Bindaas”, with a big bang on her birthday. A large number of music lovers, including prominent community leaders, from different walks of life, attended the event.

    The video, with cinematography by Tyler Furlan Film, Music by Suniel and Zohaib Khawar, lyrics by Zohaib Khawar and Thakur, and dancers from Chicago Adaa, has been produced by Art Spot Chicago (ASC). The video, which has its own original storyline, meaningful lyrics, and scintillating music, appeals to both youngsters and seniors alike. The video includes, in addition to prominent leaders, actors, and supporters, a few of Mona’s family and friends who have dreams they are trying to fulfill.

    At the launch event, Mona performed, along with her three beautiful daughters, Manpreet Bhalla, Simran Bhalla, and Kiran Bhalla. The exciting dance performance literally set the stage on fire. The audience swayed to the magical beats of the music band. Quite a few of them gave in to the musical mood of the evening, joined Mona on the stage, matched her dancing skills, step for step, and provided a great foot tapping time for one and all.

    “The video, which has been shot at a number of picturesque locations, with beautiful girls and handsome boys dancing to the catchy tune, is a captivating treat to both eyes and ears”, said Tyler Furlan, Tyler Furlan Film.

    “Mona’s youthful voice, which comes as a breath of fresh air, and her electrifying performance, infuse the video with enough energy not only to force the listeners into tapping their feet but also to get up and dance.Kudi Bindaas is, therefore, not a one-time watch; it has got a huge repeat value”, said Zohaib Khawar.

    “Kudi Bindaas” means a girl who does not worry about trivial things. She, instead, focuses on living life to the fullest and helping others. This is the personality profile of Mona and I want all girls to chase their dreams as she did”, said Fahad Zuberi, CEO, ASC.

    Music Should Not be for the Sake of Music:

    Mona opines that music for the sake of music alone is devoid of soul and substance. “When coupled with a message, which addresses a pressing social issue, it proves to be a double delight for the heart and soul of listeners and creates a lasting impact on them”, Mona added.

    “Unlike run-of-the-mill videos, which focus solely on singing and dancing, Kudi Bindaas is aimed at not only providing huge entertainment but also spreading awareness about issues that have been adversely affecting the lives of women, across the globe, such as rape, domestic abuse, save-a-girl-child, etc.”, Mona said. “A music video, which has got the potential to go viral on the internet, is a powerful tool for creating such awareness”, she added.

    “The response to the video has been tremendous and listeners are not only enjoying the music but also appreciating the message behind it”, Mona said with a sense of accomplishment.

    “The video is not the end of the road for me; I plan to take this initiative to its logical conclusion by establishing a Foundation, equipped with the requisite human, physical, and financial resources, in order to spread the message as extensively as possible and to make a real difference to society by alleviating the lot of victims of discrimination against women”, said Mona while explaining her future plans.

    “I will continue to volunteer and be part of different organizations with a view to not only enriching the cultural fabric of the society but also creating wider awareness about all socially-relevant issues, especially those that relate to women”, Mona added.

    “Being a married woman, with multifarious responsibilities of running the household, pursuing my passion for music was a challenging task”, Mona said.

    However, Mona gives full credit to her family, which has been honored this year as the model family by Asian Chronicle, USA, for their encouragement at different stages of the conceptualization and execution of the music video.

    “Performing in music concerts, at frequent intervals, involving, many a time, extensive travel, calls for multiple sacrifices on the home front. And touching the commanding heights of music would not have possible without the proactive support of my husband, Manjeet Singh Bhalla and daughters”, said Mona with a sense of gratitude.

    “Men can play a significant role  in empowering women in entering the world of work, achieving the cherished goals related to their careers, contributing their mite to the process of creating wealth, and living life queen-size”, opined Mona.

    Mona called upon men to extend all possible help to women folk in order to ensure that they succeed in realizing their inherent potential to the fullest extent, which brings in its wake multiple beneficial outcomes not only for the family but also for the society at large.

    Trained in classical music and a graduate in Microbiology, Mona Bhalla started performing on stage at a tender age of five. Mona was one of the few newlywed brides who actually sang and performed at her own marriage receptions, both in India and the US.

  • Construction continuing on Hindu Hanuman Temple of Greater Chicago

    CHICAGO (TIP): Construction is reportedly continuing on large two-storey Hanuman Mandir of Greater Chicago in Glenview (Illinois).

    According to reports, construction is expected to wind-up in 2016 on this 37,200 square feet white-marble and glass temple on a 3.98 acres lot; which is said to include fountains, tall glass dome and tall sikhras. Besides sanctuary, it will also include a community center for various cultural, educational, social and spiritual programs. Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has  commended efforts of temple leaders and area community for realizing this Hindu temple complex.

    Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this new temple would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

    Mandir has announced various Sunday School programs, including Indian languages, Bhagavad-Gita, yoga, religion and culture, etc.

    Lord Hanuman, greatly revered and worshipped in Hinduism, is known for incredible strength and was a perfect grammarian. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

  • Dr. Seema Jain leads AAPI delegation at 2015 Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in LA

    Dr. Seema Jain leads AAPI delegation at 2015 Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in LA

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): “AAPI has successfully collaborated with past Governments and with the new Government at the Center, we are looking forward to have renewed participation and engagement in areas related to health seeking to make a positive impact on Healthcare in India,” American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) President Dr. Seema Jain  told the delegates at 2015 Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in LA.

    “AAPI would like to make a positive meaningful impact on the healthcare in India, she said, as she led a delegation of AAPI leaders at the 2015 Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Los Angeles, California, a celebration marking Indian diaspora contributions that help to spur India’s development,

    Organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the US government and other members of the diaspora, Dr. Jain addressed on healthcare initiatives by AAPI in India, “I was excited to lead an AAPI delegation and part of a panel that discussed healthcare in India and how we as physicians are able to make a positive impact,” Dr. Jain said.

    During a panel discussion on Healthcare, Dr. Jain referred to the numerous initiatives AAPI has taken in India to make healthcare affordable, accessible and best quality. “AAPI has successfully collaborated with past Governments and with the new Government at the Center, we are looking forward to have renewed participation and engagement in areas related to health seeking to make a positive impact on Healthcare in India,” Dr. Jain told the delegates. “AAPI would like to make a positive meaningful impact on the healthcare in India.”

    Dr. Jain drew the attention of the delegates to the  Global health Summit by AAPI that continues to offer educational and training programs on areas that need special attention, including high priority areas such as Cardiology, Maternal & Child Health, Diabetes, Oncology, Surgery, Mental Health, HIT, Allergy, Immunology & Lung Health and Gastroenterology, Transplant and impact of comorbidities by world leaders in the field of medicine.

    “The scientific program developed by leading experts with the contributions of a Scientific Advisory Board and International Scientific Committee, with live streaming of sessions, which are viewed live by physicians from around the world,” she said. Dr. Jain emphasized the need for digitalizing Indian medical system, including the prescriptions of medications, which will eliminate people abusing of and getting addicted to prescription drugs. In collaboration with others, AAPI has established fully operational Trauma/EMS system   in Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahemedabad, Hyderabad and  Delhi, since the year 2000.

    Superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who is part of AAPI’s campaign to create awareness on Trauma and Brain Injury, has been requested to be part of the next Global Healthcare Summit to be held in New Delhi from January 1st to 3rd, 2016. AAPI’s focus of GHS 2016 will be on women-related issues, creating awareness among women on their role as nation builders, campaigning to prevent infant and maternal mortality, and mental health issues, Dr. Jain said.

    AAPI Charitable Foundation (AAPI-CF) is the non-profit arm of AAPI, responsible for fulfilling the charitable mission of the organization. It runs 17 free clinics in India, which serve millions of patients annually. Overseeing participating in the healthcare initiatives at a number of free clinics run by its local and State chapters across USA, Dr. Jain said. AAPI is supporting three cancer centers and have developed three major trauma centers and a hospital in India. AAPI-CF has also raised funds and mobilized medical equipment and personnel for international disasters including the Tsunami, and Earthquakes in Gujarat and Maharashtra. In addition, AAPI’s local Chapters operate several free health clinics serving the uninsured and the underprivileged people across the United States

    Dr. Jain  urged every aspiring young physicians to take advantage of a unique initiative announced at the PBD in LA, the India Corporate Internship Program. “I wanted our young and aspiring physicians to take advantage of be part of the India Corporate Internship Program, a prestigious, first-of-its-kind program of the Government of India, Ministry of the Overseas Indian Affairs, through the Overseas Indian Facilitation Center (OIFC) in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the students of Indian origin pursuing Post Graduate Programs in Management, Engineering, and Science & Technology at premier universities of the world,” Dr. Jain said.

    The program invites them for paid internships in world class Indian companies for 2-6 months.

    Some of the world’s best healthcare providers, including Apollo Hospitals, Narayana Health, and Max Group are only a few who are looking forward to our budding physicians to be part of the great initiative.

    This program offers students of Indian Origin an opportunity to re-connect with their roots and work in their areas of interest in a dynamic multicultural environment, through paid internships.

    It is a unique and exciting opportunities for Indian Diaspora students to contribute and benefit from one of the world’s foremost, vibrant and increasingly global Indian business eco-system.

    -US $2200 per month. Students could explore options such as a matching grant or support in some other way from their University.

    The host company will either provide accommodation in a hotel/guest house or recommend suitable stay options. Interested candidates can apply to the program on the OIFC website (www.oifc.in/india-corporate-internship/about) or the University recruitment portal.

  • ANGRY CUBANS PROTEST AT ECUADOR VISA RULE

    HAVANA (TIP): Hundreds of furious Cubans chanting and brandishing air tickets have protested outside Ecuador’s embassy in Havana over new visa restrictions designed to stop Cuban migrants travelling through the region to the US.

    It comes with 3,000 Cubans languishing at Costa Rica’s border with Nicaragua after that country closed its border to them, triggering a regional crisis over what to do with desperate Cubans travelling through South and Central America in the hopes of making it to the US.

    Police watched on as about 500 people on Friday demanded they be refunded the money they had forked out for the air tickets, with the new Ecuadoran visa restrictions expected to come into effect on Tuesday.

    “If we can not get into Ecuador, if there is no solution, we want our money back,” teacher Yeanneth Nunez, 31, said.

    Nunez said she paid USD 1,200 to go on honeymoon with her husband in the coming days – a vast amount by Cuban standards. The demonstrators were careful not to directly blame the government of Ecuador, which is a close ally of Cuban President Raul Castro.

    Rafael Correa’s government justified the new visa measure as an attempt to discourage the illegal migration of Cubans who use Ecuador as a springboard to travel to the United States on a long and dangerous journey.

    The Ecuadoran consul in Havana, Soraya Encalada, had little sympathy. “It is beyond our control whether or not people have been able to reschedule their flight dates,” he said.

  • Slow road from Kabul highlights China’s challenge in Afghanistan

    KABUL (TIP): A new road linking the Afghan capital with a trade hub near Pakistan has been stuck in the slow lane since a state-owned Chinese company took the contract to build it two years ago, bedevilled by militant attacks and accusations of mismanagement.

    The 106km (65 mile) highway section running most of the way from Kabul to Jalalabad had been slated for completion in April 2017, and delays will further hurt Afghanistan’s ambition to promote economic growth to quell a rising Taliban insurgency.

    The setbacks are also a reality check for China, as it seeks to bring stability to its war-ravaged neighbour in part through extensive investment.

    A giant copper mine remains untapped despite the involvement of another Chinese state firm, and Afghan officials and politicians are openly questioning Beijing’s commitment.

    “Overall, the company is far behind (on) the commitments they had given to us. We are not satisfied with the company’s general performance,” Mahmoud Baligh, Afghanistan’s minister of public works, said, referring to the road project.

    The work was contracted to Xinjiang Beixin Road and Bridge Group Co Ltd in late 2013 for $110 million, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is financing the road.

    It is designed as an alternative to the overburdened and sometimes dangerous highway from Kabul east to Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province and a trade gateway to Pakistan.

    According to Baligh, insurgents attacked the workers’ camp several times at the start of the project, wounding some Afghans and halting work for three months.

    A source familiar with the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said as little as 3 percent of construction was carried out in the first year.

    Another person with knowledge of the project said Xinjiang Beixin changed its Afghan-based management this year because of a lack of proper oversight.

    Xinjiang Beixin did not respond to requests for comment, and officials at China’s embassy in Kabul declined an interview request.

  • Foreigner among the dead in Taliban ambush on helicopter

    KABUL (TIP): The Afghan defense ministry says a foreign national was among three people killed when Taliban insurgents ambushed a helicopter that made an emergency landing in northwestern Afghanistan.

    The ministry said the privately contracted Mi-17, which was carrying military personnel, was forced to land in Faryab province on Tuesday after suffering a technical problem.

    Today’s statement also said that two foreigners were among 18 people captured in the raid.

  • 2016 WORLD HOROSCOPE

    2016 WORLD HOROSCOPE

    Ganesha says my devotee Bejan Daruwalla is cut to the bone. He is truly devastated. He is shattered. The blowing to smithereens of innocent lives, specially children, religious intolerance, violence, are the main causes for it.

    By Western Astrology, Saturn will be in Sagittarius from December 25, 2014 to December 19, 2017, and THAT WILL REALLY DECIDE WHETHER GENUINE SPIRITUALITY AND TOLERANCE OR BIGOTRY, VIOLENCE, FANATICISM, HATRED WILL WIN. WE ARE AT THE CROSS ROAD OF THE FUTURE.

    Blind, senseless hatred will start lessening and withering and reducing from October 2016 to October 2017, thanks to the relationship of Jupiter, the good guy with Saturn. Your Ganesha devotee takes his stand here. He owes it to himself and to humanity. These words are written on February 3, 2015. May all the Energies go with it? I repeat the fate of the world hinges on Saturn between December 25, 2014 to December 19, 2017.

    There is also a very positive side to Saturn in Sagittarius by Western Astrology. Saturn is karma and dharma. Saturn is, ‘Duty, the stern voice of the daughter of God’. By Modern Astrology Saturn is a key planet for universal consciousness. Universal consciousness helps us to evolve and be what we are capable of becoming. Saturn in Sagittarius can launch us to salvation itself is my prediction in the name of Ganesha.

    Success in law, foreign affairs, aviation and space research, meditation, yoga, neuroscience, brain, output of genes. Susy is the nickname of Supersymmetry, the Higgs Boson, which will crunch time for humanity’s understanding of the universe. Research into Susy will be made, thanks to Saturn.

    Tourism, Pilgrimages, mountaineering, rituals and rites connected with fire and light and explosives, great showmanship in truly practical as well as spiritual matters and a mountain load of money will all go together.

    Other salient features for all of us:

    1) Narrowness and excessive caution will actually stifle your relationships.

    2) Your greatest lesson is to deal with the other’s point of view. Masterkey.

    3) Like those with Saturn in Libra, you too will have to deal with the real world, though, in all fairness, you can be idealistic.

    4) Communication- gaps will be your undoing.

    5) Try not to fight over property matters, as it will make you writhe in agony. Settle it judiciously.

    6) Travel with your friend/ mate/ business associate is your best bet to happiness.

    7) By December 19, 2017, we should be rid of attack from terrorists and bigots and the self righteous who think that they alone are right and everybody else completely wrong. In short we can expect people to keep an open mind.

    Once again I am giving the landmarks of the important years for humanity and extending it a little more at considerable energy and cost. Actually it drains me out.

    The other important points start from number 7.

    1: 2021, watermark for technology.

    2: 2033, important for technology and genetics.

    3: 2035-2037, crucial for chemicals and experiments about life and living, Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Virgo.

    4: 2040, relationships taken to the next level, Jupiter and Saturn in Libra, year marks justice for the whole world .Yes, Ganesha says this is my devotee’s mighty prediction.

    5: 2045, another unimaginable breakthrough in technology, space travel, brain mapping, time warp galaxies, Jupiter in Aquarius, Saturn in Sagittarius.

    6: 2047, all of the above will be superbly analyzed, organized, methodized, mapped out in complete detail and most importantly put and harnessed to the greatest use for the greatest number of people. It is the high point or the tipping point for the service to the wide cosmos.

    7: 2049 is excellent for managing your life intelligently and calculatedly

    8: 2053 to 2055 thanks to chemicals and radiation and light. God will introduce himself in a totally unique way. Yes this is my vision. I may be right or wrong

    9: Surprisingly enough just as I was writing about this vision the badge with the holy number 786 popped out of my American ephemeris. This has given me conviction and confidence. I cannot explain it logically.

    10: From February 2080 to 2090 nature will reveal herself in a totally different way and manner. It is as if nature will be wearing clothes of a different fashion and color. More than this I cannot say.

    11: The year 2100 shows Jupiter and Saturn in the sign Libra by Western Astrology. This means poise, balance, equilibrium, joy and above all the beginning of an era of peace and plenty. It also marks a period of remarkable evolution in the next 100 years. This is certainly the limit of my vision as granted to me by my Lord and Master Ganesha. His is the last word.

    12: Ganesha says my devotee Bejan has worked his heart out for the prediction that between March 23, 2020 and March 8, 2023 consciousness will win over ignorance, freedom will win over captivity, law and order will win over anarchy, open mind will win over closed mind and narrowness, comfort and security and speed will win over air crashes and pilot errors.

    Many truly amazing events will happen. For example, the Ganges will be cleansed. Thought transfers and healing by and through the mind, germ and bacteria free world, devi worship, very surprisingly there could be a cleansing of our mind itself. Artificial implants of new memories, climate control. The secret of having a smooth, delightful, trouble free and joyous relationships will be discovered. That to me is more important than evolution itself. The many layers of consciousness will be explored and laid out before us so that we can choose according to our personal frequencies, layers of knowledge and intuition and finally it could lead to the very existence of God. These predictions will hold true between December 25, 2014 to March 8, 2023. I agree that this is a long shot. But events happen in a chain reaction over a period of time. I admit I am human. All the predictions will certainly not come true. But it is the wish and command of my Lord and Master Ganesha that I should lay my predictions before you.

    Special note: Brain hecking, putting on a “thinking cap” to increase brain power, is also another wondrous and awesome technological possibility of our Aquarian age.

    RUSSIA

    Your Ganesha devotee is writing this forecast on March 18, 2015. Putin had simply disappeared for the last 10 days and has surfaced today March 18, 2015. Putin is a Libra. But he is totally unpredictable because of Pluto, the planet of power in Leo, the sign of power. This makes Putin powerful but dogmatic, wilful and ready to play all sorts of games. The next 4 years will mark the end of Putin the politician. Russia however will be able to make some progress economically and socially. Russia has staying power which is perhaps the key to survival and success. Russia under Putin comes under Gemini, Aquarius and Scorpio. Not a very easy time for it. Conditions and strong disciplinary action will take a huge toll. I report it as I see it. Like my great Hanuman I too am humble and submissive. No pretentions to greatness. Russia might have a money squeeze.

    INDIA

    As you know dear readers I have met Narendra Modi twice and predicted his premiership. India will go from strength to strength. From September 2015 to December 20, 2017India will be zooming ahead despite terrorism, jealousies within the BJP, Hinduvata and all the fanaticism regarding all the religions. The enemies of Modi will be within his own party. Modi is a man with a vision. At the same time Modi must teach the minister in his party to be open, tolerant and fair minded. Yes our economic situation will improve vastly, the Ganges will be cleansed (I admit that to me also the Ganges is holy and mighty). The common man as well as the industrialists will thrive under the leadership of Modi. At the same time your Ganesha devotee  openly and humbly admits that from December 22, 2017 to March 23, 2020 there could be a complete overhauling of values and power and politics in India. IT IS THIS PERIOD WHICH WILL FINALLY DECIDE THE FUTURE OF INDIA. There may be a complete change in the attitude of the Indians and the way the world looks at India. But the final result will be a mighty powerful India which will take its rightful place in the world. It is during this time that India will definitely be the super power of the world. At the same time India will pay the price for it. I am 83 years old. Nothing comes without a price. It will be spirituality and the tolerance of Indian culture which will finally make India very powerful but very human. I openly admit that all my predictions do not come true. Tolerance is the key.

    Ganesha warns that for, both India and America, air crashes, natural calamities, undercover activities, espionage, secret enemies, riots and rebellion could take a heavy toll. This is a nasty and ugly picture. But, there is also, as said earlier a brighter side to it. Both of the predictions are very possible. That’s real life. Life and politics is complicated and convoluted (complex). There are no easy answers. March, June, September and December are the tough and critical months.

    PAKISTAN

    Nawaz Shariff is good for Pakistan. This Capricornian is practical and therefore open to reason and has commonsense. Pakistan is a Sagittarian country. The military leader of Pakistan is a Gemini. Around 2017 I see a good future for Pakistan. After 30 long years I had been to Pakistan in 2014, thanks to my patron Byram Avari. I found the people very friendly and hospitable.

    ISRAEL and IRAN

    Prime Minister Benjamin is a Taurus and Israel is a Taurean country. Therefore he got re – elected recently. Benjamin must learn to let go a little and be flexible. Iran has a new leader in Hussain Rohan. Rohan is a Scorpio the exact opposite of Benjamin who is a Taurean. But I believe given compromise and understanding peace is possible. If I could I would lock both these leaders in a room and tell them very sweetly, do not come out till you have signed a peace treaty. This might be my fantasy. I admit it.

    America, Russia, Brazil and Africa: Cancerian country America(Born July 4) will have sinew and muscle power. China will not be able to get better of America. Leo Obama will prove his mettle. For America I take three signs Cancer, Gemini and Sagittarius. The actual mix is my very own. America will lead the world. That says it all. Obama is a Leo. Ganesha says that this will be a great and glorious period for Obama and America. But America will be involved in many skirmishes and attacks by terrorists. Yes America has many enemies. America must never drop its guard. America must always be completely alert. For all its faults and foibles America is the best bet for a safe world.

    Brazil and Africa are the surprise packages, not China.Yes strange as it may seem, there is a possibility of a compromise among Afghanistan, USA, Pakistan and India. This may seem like pipe dream. But if the Israeli leader Ben could go to Chancellor Addenhaur of Germany after the holocaust, the Taliban too can sit across the table and come to some sort of understanding. With the given time and the right climate, the impossible can be made possible. This is very possible by 2018, latest. 2017 could well show the way.

    GERMANY

    I go with my gut feeling. The gut feeling is something like a powerful brain in the stomach. My gut feeling is that the Cancerian German chancellor Merkel has a very important role to play on the chess board of politics. I am convinced that she is a woman of destiny. This is what I have to say to her, “Listen sweetheart, you are more brilliant and powerful than you think and therefore shoot straight and fast. Victory is yours.”

  • Volume 9 Issue 47 | New York Edition | NOV 27 | Newspaper E-Edition

    Volume 9 Issue 47 | New York Edition | NOV 27 | Newspaper E-Edition

    A New Way to Read This Week’s Print Edition

    The Latest from The Indian Panorama | New York Desk

    Reimagined for the Web
    Volume 9 Issue 47 | Desktop Edition | Nov 27

    Resolution – Low | High

  • Indian-American offloaded from international flight in Islamabad over ‘bomb hoax’

    Indian-American offloaded from international flight in Islamabad over ‘bomb hoax’

    An Indian-American man on board the Qatar Airways flight to Washington via Doha was offloaded at the Benazir International Airport in Islamabad around 3 a.m. on Friday after he claimed that there was a bomb on the aircraft, which later turned out to be a hoax.

    Qatar Airways refused to board Ajit Vijay Joshi on its plane, claiming that he raised a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax, the Express Tribune reports.

    Joshi was, however, detained by the airport security and was released only after the flight landed in Doha.

    The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had last week held a passenger at the same airport for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin to Italy.

    An ANF release claimed that during routine patrolling, officials apprehended Khalid Mehmood, a resident of Gujarat, who purportedly confessed to having ingested heroin capsules.

    Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at various airports around the globe since a wave of coordinated attacks were carried out in Paris on November 13, claiming 129 lives, and downing of a Russian plane on October 31, killing all 224 on board.

    Two Air France flights from United States to Paris diverted over bomb threats

    On November 17, two Air France flights en route to Paris from the United States were diverted following anonymous bomb threats, and hundreds of passengers and crew were safely removed, the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration said.

    On November 22, a Turkish Airlines flight bound for Istanbul from New York was diverted to Halifax, Canada, after a bomb threat, Canadian police said.

    On the same day, a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from San Francisco via Hong Kong received a bomb threat but arrived without incident in Singapore, police said.

  • Indian American Professor of Dallas Community College Honored at ACCT Awards Gala

    Indian American Professor of Dallas Community College Honored at ACCT Awards Gala

    The Association of Community College Trustees presented Dr. Suryakant Desai of the Dallas County Community College District in Texas with the 2015 William H. Meardy Faculty Member Award during the ACCT Awards Gala.

    “The ACCT Association Awards are among the most prestigious awards any community college, its trustees, presidents, faculty, or staff member can receive,” said 2015-16 ACCT Chair and Alamo Colleges (Texas) Trustee Roberto Zarate.

    “In addition to these individual recognitions, ACCT annually recognizes an outstanding community college initiative whose purpose is to achieve equity in the college’s education programs and service, reflecting the association’s commitment to equity and diversity in higher education.”

    “This year’s awardees have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and leadership, going above and beyond to serve their colleges and students,” said ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown. “ACCT is proud to honor these outstanding public servants for a job well done.”

    Dr. Desai has been a full-time faculty member of Dallas Community College since 1984 and teaches Personal Finance and Introduction to Business courses. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Bombay, India; master’s degrees in professional accounting and in business administration from the University of Texas-Arlington; and a doctorate in secondary and higher education from Texas A&M University-Commerce. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified financial planner (CFP).

    Full list of winners : http://www.acct.org/news/2015-acct-association-awardees-announced

  • India Successfully Test-Fires Nuclear Capable Prithvi-II Missile

    India Successfully Test-Fires Nuclear Capable Prithvi-II Missile

    India on Thursday, November 26, successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, as part of a user trial by the Army.

    The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur in Balasore district on the Odisha coast.

    “The trial data of the missile conducted by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) shows positive results,” said a defense source.

    The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twine engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target.

    “The test fire was successful as the trial data conducted by the Strategic Force Command shows positive results,” said a defense ministry source.

    “The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activities were carried out by the specially formed SFC and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise,” a defence scientist said.

    “The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha,” the source said.

    The downrange teams on board a ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown, they said.

    Prithvi-II uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target.
    It has been designed to operate with both liquid and solid fuels and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads.

    The last user trial of Prithvi-II was successfully conducted on 19 February 2015 and was inducted in the Indian Army in 2003.

    For the past two years, Pakistan has tested missiles with very short-range, that could be used if Indian troops cross onto Pakistani soil.