The Indian Panorama

Month: March 2016

  • Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu in the US Congress, on Modi, Hinduism, and linking Islam to terror

    Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu in the US Congress, on Modi, Hinduism, and linking Islam to terror

    Washington has no shortage of politicians struggling to be seen as a maverick. But Tulsi Gabbard isn’t one of them.

    As one of the first two female combat veterans elected to US Congress and also its first Hindu and first American Samoan representative, she wears the label quite easily. And this week, the 34-year-old congresswoman from Hawaii reminded everyone of it, as she broke ranks with the Democratic party establishment and relinquished her post as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee on Feb. 29 to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. (Her role with the DNC, the party’s governing body, would have required to stay neutral in the election.)

    Described last October by the Washington Post as “the Democrat that Republicans love and the DNC can’t control,” Gabbard offered a sample of her independent streak a year ago, when she spoke out of sync with her fellow Democrats and criticized US president Barack Obama’s handling of Islamic extremism—specifically over his unwillingness to brand ISIL an “Islamic” group. “[Obama] is completely missing the point of this radical Islamic ideology that’s fueling these people,” Gabbard told Fox News last February.

    Her viewpoint on this subject is all the more notable given her military experience in the Middle East, where she served in a field medical unit in Iraq and was a trainer for the Kuwait National Guard.

    But it also aligns nicely with the stance toward Islam held by India’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindu nationalist leader, Narendra Modi, with whom Gabbard shares a great rapport.

    Gabbard was among the few to criticize the US government’s decision to deny a visa to Modi before he was prime minister, in the wake of accusations that his government in the state of Gujarat did not do enough to save Muslims during the horrific communal violence carried out there in 2002. The Gujarat riots claimed more than 1,000 people, including close to 800 Muslims. Gabbard had called the no-visa decision a “great blunder.”

    And in November 2013, five months before Modi would win election as prime minister, Gabbard opposed a House resolution that called for “religious freedom and related human rights to be included in the United States-India Strategic Dialogue and for such issues to be raised directly with federal and state Indian government officials,” saying it would weaken the friendship between India and US.

    Critiques of her stance, like this one published on the American social-justice site Alternet.org, accused her of putting politics before policy:

    Rather than review the litany of abuses that have occurred in the country, Gabbard mused she did “not believe that the timing of this hearing is a coincidence….I am concerned that the goal of this hearing is to influence the outcome of India’s national elections.” She went on to state that even holding a hearing on the issue was “an attempt to foment fear and loathing purely for political purposes.” In other words, her concern was that Modi’s electoral chances would be hurt by an honest look at religious persecution in India.

    Speaking at a fundraising event for the BJP in August 2014, where she articulated the plight of Hindus around the world who have suffered persecution, Gabbard said that Modi’s election victory was only possible because “people stood up, one by one by one by one, and said we will demand that this change occurs.”

    In September 2014, the new Indian prime minister made it a point to meet Gabbard following his historic post-election speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden. And the congresswoman gave Modi a gift—a copy of the Bhagwad Gita that she swore by when elected to office—and assured him of her support for a Modi pet project of declaring an International Yoga day.

    “We had a wide-ranging discussion on several issues our countries have in common, including how America and India can work together to help combat the global threat posed by Islamic extremism,” Gabbard said after the meeting.

    For all that and more, Gabbard was treated as royalty on her visit to India last year. As she hobnobbed with the Indian prime minister and foreign minister among others, The Telegraph, a Kolkata-based newspaper, called her “the Sangh’s mascot” in the US. The Sangh, a moniker for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is a right-wing hindutva organisation and the ideological guardian of the BJP party that rules India now.

    With Modi set to stay in power until 2019, and Sanders doing better than expected in the Democratic primaries (or at least was up until March 1, when Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton handily won key states like Texas and Virginia in the “Super Tuesday” state contests), it can’t hurt the BJP and India to have a friend like Gabbard in the US.

    On March 2, Gabbard answered questions from Quartz via email about her support of Modi, her approach to Hinduism, and the connection she draws between Islam and terrorism. The transcript below has been condensed and lightly edited:

    Quartz: Could you tell us about your reasons for supporting the BJP and Narendra Modi, and why you referred to him being denied a visa as a “great blunder”?

    Tulsi Gabbard: There are many different areas and sectors where the United States and India’s growing friendship can cover mutually beneficial ground such as defense, renewable energy, bilateral trade, and global environmental concerns such as climate change. Modi impressed me as a person who cares deeply about these issues and as a leader whose example and dedication to the people he serves should be an inspiration to elected officials everywhere.

    It is very important that the US and India have a strong relationship of mutual respect. The denial of a visa to prime minister Modi could have undermined that relationship had he used it as an excuse to reject having a strong bilateral relationships with America. This would have been bad for both of our countries. For many reasons—not the least of which is the war against terrorists—the relationship between India and America is very important.

    QZ: You took on the US president for his reluctance to name ISIS as an Islamic extremist group. Do you still stand by this criticism?

    TG: In order to defeat the terrorists who have declared war on the United States and the rest of the world, we need to understand their ideology. In other words, the war can’t be won just militarily. We must defeat them in the ideological war, not just on the battlefield. In order to defeat their ideology, we need to recognize what their ideology is.

    The ideology of these terrorists is “Islamism.” It is a radical political ideology of violent jihad aimed at bringing about an establishment of a totalitarian society governed by a particular interpretation of Islam as state law. Referring to terrorists as “Islamist extremists” is simply an accurate way to identify ISIS and other Islamist extremist organizations whose ideology is rooted in one form of Islamism or another.

    The majority of Muslims are practicing the spiritual path of Islam within their own lives in a pluralistic, peaceful way. So by calling organizations like ISIS Islamic or Islamist extremists [emphasis hers], we are making a distinction between the vast majority of Muslims who are not extremists and a handful of those who are.

    QZ: How much of that sentiment is influenced by your experience serving in the military in the Middle East, versus your interest in Hindu/Muslim conflicts in India?

    TG: My experience serving in the Middle East has shaped many of my views. This has nothing to do with any “Hindus/Muslim” conflict in India or anywhere else. It comes from the understanding that in order to defeat the terrorists who have declared war on the United States and the rest of the world, we need to understand their ideology.

    My two deployments in the Middle East reinforced the fundamental military wisdom that you can’t defeat an enemy if you don’t understand him. We cannot win this war if we do not understand our enemy’s goals, [or the] ideology that inspires them and fuels their recruitment propaganda. And the first step to understanding an enemy is correctly identifying him in a way that makes clear his ideology.

    QZ: You referred to the suffering of Hindu minorities across the world, in a speech you gave during a fundraiser attended by some of the top leaders of the BJP. Do you think that in India there exists a similar situation?

    TG: Throughout the world, Hindus are victims of discrimination. Recently, a Hindu priest in Bangladesh was brutally hacked to death by ISIS terrorists and two others were injured trying to help him. Unfortunately, even in the United States, as well as different pockets of India, such discrimination exists.

    While there is no doubt there is some discrimination directed toward different “religious minorities” in India, throughout India you will find Muslims, Christians, and people of all kinds of religions free to practice their faith. However, you will not find this degree of tolerance or openness in countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or other Muslim countries. In fact, if you are not a member of the government-approved religion in those countries, it is government policy that you will be punished and discriminated against. To my knowledge, this does not exist in India. However, if India were to enact government policies that punish their citizens simply for being of a “minority religion,” I would condemn that action.

    The essence of the Hinduism that I practice is karma yoga and bhakti yoga, which means to love God and all [emphasis hers] of His children, regardless of their race, religion, etc., and to use my life working for the well-being of everyone.

    QZ: A report in The Telegraph, an Indian newspaper, referred to you as the mascot for the right-wing RSS in India. How do you respond to that? Do you think that is true and would you like to be associated with the RSS?

    TG: Both in India and here in the US, I have held meetings with members of both the BJP and the Congress Party. As a member of the US Congress, my interest is in helping produce a closer relationship between the United States and India, not just between the United States and one political party of India.

    I have no affiliation with the RSS. Sometimes people on both sides, for their own purposes, try to say I somehow favor, or am part, of the BJP or take photos of me at Indian events and circulate them for their own promotional reasons. But the fact is, I’m not partial to BJP, the Congress Party, or any other particular political party in India.

    QZ: Some media reports suggest that you seem to be supporting the Indian diaspora, mostly because they are huge contributors to your campaign, especially with your Hindu identity. How do you respond?

    TG: Through my election to Congress and my swearing in on Bhagavad-gita, those in the national media, my colleagues in Congress, and regular Americans across the country have all been very respectful, and even proud of America’s diversity. I assume the reason Hindus all across the country have been so supportive of me, is because when they see me, they see the potential for themselves and their sons and daughters.

    There are many Hindus in America who feel they need to convert to Christianity or take “Christian” names if they or their children are to succeed in this country. I have found that simply being the first Hindu elected in Congress has been liberating to so many because it shows that every American, regardless of their background, race, or religion, has the opportunity serve our community in any capacity he or she may choose.

  • Georgia store clerk Bhumika Patel beats up robber who points gun at her

    Georgia store clerk Bhumika Patel beats up robber who points gun at her

    NEW YORK: Armed with just a hammer, an Indian-American woman store clerk bravely fought and chased away a man who tried to rob her store at gunpoint, according to a media report.

    Bhumika Patel was behind the cash register at her store in Burke County Georgia when the man, identified by authorities as 17-year-old Christian Dakota Thornton approached the counter and instead of paying for the soda bottle he bought, brandished a gun in Ms Patel’s face and demanded that she hand over all the money to him, a report in WRDW-TV Augusta said.

    Georgia store clerk Bhumika Patel beats up robber who points gun at herCCTV footage released from the attack showed Thornton paying money to Patel, for a Mountain Dew soda he has in hand, but then taking a gun out and pointing it at Patel’s face, threatening her, ordering her to empty the contents of the cash register and give it to him.

    “He says ‘get me all the money’ or else I’ll shoot you, I said you need money? But if you wanna shoot me go ahead and shoot it,” Patel told WFXG in Augusta, Ga.

    “My register opened and he said ‘No, no, no, no. I don’t need change. Give me whole money,’” Patel told WAGT. “I say no I can’t. He say I shoot you! I say go ahead. If you want to shoot me, shoot me!”

    Ms Patel said as she slapped the gun off from his hand and after pushing the gun to the side, she clawed at the man’s hoodie as he tried to grab the money.

    She continues to hit the man and grabbing the cash register drawer, begins beating him over the head. Then as she got her hands on a hammer, the man fell down and ran out of the store.

    Ms Patel said she chased the robber outside the store, hammer still in her hand.

    According to the Sheriff’s Office, Dakota is charged with Criminal Attempt Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm during a Crime.

    Deputies said the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office helped arrest Thornton at a home in Richmond County after surveillance video deputies said shows him fight with a woman at the convenience store.

    Ms Patel said she did not sustain serious injuries in the fight except for a few scratches.

    People in her neighbourhood are calling her a hero and praising her for fighting off the man with bravery. Ms Patel said she preferred to go down fighting the man instead of letting him rob the store and shoot her.

  • Trump and Baghdadi

    Trump and Baghdadi

    How does the leading Republican candidate for the US presidency, Donald Trump, square off with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi at the helm of the so-called Islamic State group?

    For many, shoving the two names in the same headline is anathema. Drawing any association between them is an abomination.

    After all, how could anyone in their right mind dare to compare the clean-shaven, white businessman and leading candidate to the highest public office in the oldest liberal democracy, with the bearded fundamentalist preacher, former inmate, and head of the world’s most notorious terrorist group, ISIL?

    Defining extremism

    Extremism is a loaded word. Its use in geopolitical newspeak has never been objective.

    Conferring labels such as “extremist” or “moderate” on individuals, movements, leaders and regimes has generally been ideological and therefore unproductive. It has, however, been a useful imperial construct.

    Allies of global powers are described as “moderates”, whereas political opponents are classified as “extremists” or “terrorists”.

    In this regard, extremism is reliant – mainly if not exclusively – on the actors and not on their actions. For example, if you are a US ally, you are by definition a moderate, because it is assumed that the US epitomises moderation.

    Lumping together different peoples and groups as ‘extremists’ out of distaste for their ideas or religion is as wrong as it is counterproductive.

    It is irrelevant in this context whether a group or a regime wages wars, commits acts of terror, and occupies other people, or, if they are religiously intolerant and totalitarian. On the contrary, they are defined as being moderate according to their political orientation. Even after the US invaded and occupied Iraq on false pretenses, it continued to label Iraqis as moderates and extremists, depending on their support of its endeavour.

    The same applies to Russia and other imperial or regional powers. In Moscow, the Syrian regime is portrayed as moderate despite the government’s brutal policies.

    The opposition movement, on the other hand, according to Russia, falls on the “extremist” end of the spectrum simply for not being in line with the Kremlin’s foreign policy. This is as false as it is misleading.

    Lumping together different peoples and groups as “extremists” out of distaste for their ideas or religion is as wrong as it is counterproductive.

    For the sake of brevity, let me just say that, beyond the realm of imperial constructs and “language control”, extremism as moderation can only be defined in terms of how the moral imperative is found or lost in the use of means and attainment of ends. Or more precisely, how far the “ends justify the means”, regardless of their immorality or wickedness.

    Back to Trump and Baghdadi

    Trump, in the words of The New York Times, is a “shady, bombastic liar”, who is hardening the image of the Republican party “as a symbol of intolerance and division”.

    Trump’s call for banning Muslims from entering the US presumably to maintain security, or his disdain for Latinos under the pretext of protecting the “American” workers are all a case in point. He has even accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners to the US.

    Two former Mexican presidents, not known for their haste, have compared Trump to Hitler.

    Trump’s racist and extremist rhetoric, for the time being, has allowed him to succeed in rallying the support of angry white Americans in order to win the presidency.

    On the face of it, such extremism could be seen as no more than a campaign tactic to eclipse his opponents, who have been repeating the same old tired slogans and cliches.

    Or, as I wrote previously, Trump’s danger lies not in his political or ideological extremism but rather his vulgar populism. In the process, however, he is further radicalising the American Right.

    And yet, Trump’s rhetoric does not measure up to Baghdadi’s actions. The latter has established a totalitarian “rule” that constantly represses non-Muslims and enslaves the likes of Yazidis in the name of a Caliphate.

    The Bush-Bin Laden precedence

    But when I think of these provocative men dominating global news and of what they may become, I remember George W Bush and Osama bin Laden.

    I remember how they drove the world to the brink through terror and by labelling each other “evil”, each claiming to be holier than thou.

    They gained no greater legitimacy and support than from feeding into each other’s hatred and incitement.

    Each side seemed to sanction the other, and bringing down the evil empire justified all means, including the horrific attacks of 9/11, just as defeating al-Qaeda justified all means, including war and occupation, in addition to torture for good measure.

    Trump is yet to be nominated, let alone elected. Yet his incitement is already feeding into ISIL’s conspiratorial propaganda, just as the latter’s actions are pushing more Americans into Trump’s lap.

    It remains to be seen if or when a “President Trump” will indeed be as reckless as Bush.

    Confronting extremism

    There is no doubt that grievances matter, especially to those most affected. But these should not be used as a ploy to inflame the souls, and drive further extremism.

    Extremism could have different roots and ideologies, and it could harden in self-defence or for self-preservation, and it can result in minor or devastating damage, but in general, the record shows that extremism on one side is no remedy for extremism on the other.

    On the contrary, it provokes more of the same violence and war. And even if it results in short-term gains, the long-term consequences of extremism on the very cause they claim to be fighting for, are generally catastrophic.

    That is why it is high time for the true moderates on all sides; those who believe the means are no less important than the ends; those driven by moral imperatives – not religious bigotry and political and geopolitical greed – to stand together against the immoral extremism that has fuelled the cycle of hatred and violence.

    ——–
    By Marwan Bishara at Al Jazeera.

  • Rahul vs Modi: Who has won the battle of speeches?

    Rahul vs Modi: Who has won the battle of speeches?

    In the last two days, the rivalry between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi has become more intense and exciting. In Rahul Gandhi’s speech on Thursday, March 3, which received widespread praise, the leader used satire and sarcasm to punch holes in the prime minister’s image and performance.

    Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spared no attempt to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet for their high-handedness in office and the saffronisation of education. The Gandhi scion rained barbs on Modi sarkar’s policies, calling the black money scheme ‘fair and lovely yojana’ and the ambitious Make In India project no more than a “babbar sher”.

    Modi let ego get in the way of a debate with Rahul Gandhi, PM in him must advise the politician in him not to take everything to heart.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his reply to the Vote of Thanks to the President by invoking the words of Rajiv Gandhi to hand out a sermon to the Congress party now led by Sonia & Rahul.

    Modi sought to portray the present Congress leadership as violating the spirit and advice of its own political ancestry.

    The point Modi was trying to make was simple: Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv talked about the necessity of maintaining parliamentary decorum but their words were being ignored by the present leadership and that they were not being truthful to their inheritance.

    These are the points PM Modi made:

    On Parliament Disruption – MPs have expressed their views in House. We should take advice from seniors in the House. The House is a forum where views are expressed, where questions are raised at the government, where the government has to defend itself. Nobody is spared but if the sanctity of the institution is kept intact, then we can express our opinions more effectively. Parliament is a forum for debates. PM cited Rajiv Gandhi on decorum and said we must maintain decorum in parliament. When the House is stalled, the country suffers. Need to find solutions to issues in House.

    On Passage of Bills – PM lists bills stalled after ruckus in parliament, says inferiority complex of some MPs stalling House. Request MPs across parties to help pass bills.

    On Congress – Tackling problems left by earlier government, can’t ignore 60 years of mis-governance. After so many years of independence, 18000 villages are still in the dark. You have sown the seeds of poverty. The 2012 CAG report explains everything in detail how money was looted and it has made some startling revelations. CAG report says in states where poor are less, MNREGA is more effective whereas in states where poor are more, MNREGA hasn’t been that effective. In contrast, PMGSY has benefited those states the most which are below the poverty line.

    On Rahul Gandhi – There are some people who do not become wise with age.

    On Opposition – Opposition is concerned how the govt is doing better than it, says Modi as he cites comparison in some sectors like Railways and MNREGA. I appeal to entire opposition in passage of important bills in both Houses of Parliament, says PM, quoting Rajiv Gandhi. There is need for improvement in this government too, for that I need your help too, let us work together.

  • Modi ji, talk about Hitler and Mussolini also: Kanhaiya Kumar in speech at JNU

    Modi ji, talk about Hitler and Mussolini also: Kanhaiya Kumar in speech at JNU

    Over 2,500 students and teachers gathered at the admin block of Jawaharlal Nehru University on Thursday to welcome JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

    Kanhaiya, who has been accused of sedition, was granted a six-month interim bail by the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.

    While addressing the gathering, Kanhaiya demanded that HRD minister Smriti Irani should grant their fellowships and make honest efforts to apprehend those who are responsible for 26-year-old Rohith Vemula’s death.

    A Dalit research scholar at University of Hyderabad Rohith Vemula committed suicide on January 19.

    “Smriti Irani ji, we are not your children, we are JNUites. Please stop these sedition charges, gives us our fellowships and take moral responsibility for Rohith’s death and apprehend those who are responsible for his demise,” Kanhaiya said while addressing the mass gathering.

    Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kanhaiya said ,”Modi ji, when you talk about Stalin and Khruschuv, please talk about Hitler and Mussolini also.”

    Showing mass solidarity, students erupted on joy with constant whistling, cheering and clapping.

    “Modi tweeted and said Satyamev Jayate. I want to convey this to him that I also say the same thing,” Kanhaiya said.

    On the controversy of sloganeering, Kanhaiya said, “We are not asking for freedom from India but freedom in India.”

  • Prima Facie: RK Pachauri – Ex-UN climate head charged with sexual harassment

    Prima Facie: RK Pachauri – Ex-UN climate head charged with sexual harassment

    The former head of the UN climate change panel (IPCC), Rajendra Pachauri, has been formally charged in an Indian court in a case of sexual harassment.

    A female employee at the environmental think-tank The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) had accused him last year of harassment.

    Accusations by a second employee last month caused widespread outrage.

    Mr Pachauri, who has denied the allegations against him, stepped down from the UN panel last year.

    In February, he was forced to go on indefinite leave by Teri after the latest accusations.

    On Tuesday, March 1, charges running into more than 1,400 pages were filed in the court of metropolitan magistrate Shivani Chauhan in Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported.

    Mr Pachauri has been accused of sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, the agency said.

    The charges relate to accusations made by the first woman. The magistrate has said she will hear the case on 23 April.

    Mr Pachauri collected the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 on behalf of the IPCC for its work in the scientific assessment of the risks and causes of climate change.

    The IPCC shared the award with former US vice-president and environmental campaigner, Al Gore.

  • Be ready to use nuclear weapons at any time, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un tells military

    Be ready to use nuclear weapons at any time, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un tells military

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his country to be ready to use its nuclear weapons at any time and to turn its military posture to “pre-emptive attack” mode in the face of growing threats from its enemies, state media said on Friday.

    The comments, carried by the North’s official KCNA news agency, marked a further escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula after the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday imposed harsh new sanctions against the isolated state for its nuclear program.

    Kim made the comments as he supervised military exercises involving newly developed rocket launchers, KCNA reported. It did not mention the date of the drills but said the new weapons had South Korea within range.

    South Korea’s defense ministry said on Thursday North Korea launched several projectiles off its coast into the sea up to 150 kilometers (90 miles) away, an apparent response to the U.N. sanctions.

    Kim said North Korea should “bolster up (its) nuclear force both in quality and quantity” and stressed “the need to get the nuclear warheads deployed for national defense always on standby so as to be fired any moment,” KCNA quoted him as saying.

    “Now is the time for us to convert our mode of military counteraction toward the enemies into an preemptive attack one in every aspect.”

    “Under the extreme situation that the U.S. Imperialist is misusing its military influence and is pressuring other countries and people to start war and catastrophe, the only way for our people to protect sovereignty and rights to live is to strengthen the quality and quantity of nuclear power and realize the balance of power,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

    “We are aware of the reports. We are closely monitoring the situation on the Korean Peninsula in coordination with our regional allies,” the Pentagon said in response to Friday’s news. “We urge North Korea to refrain from provocative actions that aggravate tensions and instead focus on fulfilling its international obligations and commitments.”

    Fresh sanctions

    Picture1
    Earlier this week, the U.N. Security Council voted to impose an array of sanctions against North Korea because of that nation’s recent nuclear test and missile launch, both of which defied international sanctions.

    The U.N. resolution that brought about the sanctions aims to cripple the economic factors that fuel North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

    The North Korean state news agency blasted the sanctions as “unprecedented and gangster-like.”

    The “political and economic pressure and military aggression on the DPRK have gone to a grave phase that can no longer be overlooked,” KCNA said.

    China reiterated its opposition on North Korea developing nuclear weapons.

    Fu Ying, a spokeswoman for China’s Parliament, said it will abide by the Security Council sanctions, but she highlighted the need for six-party talks to resolve the issue.

  • No ‘Goddard’ scholarship, internship offered to West Bengal teen: NASA

    No ‘Goddard’ scholarship, internship offered to West Bengal teen: NASA

    Earlier this week, Indian media carried reports of an 18-year-old girl from a village in eastern India being selected for NASA’s Goddard Internship Programme — a story that quickly went viral.

    It was reported that Sataparna Mukherjee was one of the five students chosen by the Goddard Institute of Space Studies. Mukherjee had said that she had never formally studied astrophysics but was selected after she shared her thoughts on ‘black hole theory’ on a Facebook group. According to her, a scientist from the group told her to share here findings with NASA, which then awarded her the scholarship to study in London.

    The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has denied an Indian teen girl’s claim that she was selected for its prestigious Goddard Internship Program (GIP) under the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). However, the girl still sticks to her stand.

    Eighteen-year-old suburban West Bengal resident Sataparna Mukherjee has attested to being the “youngest Indian to have been chosen for a NASA research project”.

    The resident of Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district claimed in an interview to IANS that the space agency had offered her a full scholarship to pursue graduation, post-graduation and PhD (as NASA faculty) in aerospace engineering at its “London Astrobiology Centre in Oxford University.”

    In an e-mail to IANS, a NASA official clarified: “We have no record of anyone by that name receiving an internship, scholarship or any form of academic or financial assistance from any NASA institute, center or program.”

    Further the official highlighted: “The program noted by multiple Indian media outlets does not exist.”

    The agency said its NASA GISS education program is the New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI), “where teams of high school and undergraduate students and faculty work alongside graduate students and the lead scientists of NASA-funded research projects at universities within a 50-mile radius of New York City…, or at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) under the mentorship of a GISS scientist.”

    NASA said the NYCRI application deadline has just passed and applications for its summer program were currently under review. “Selections have not been made.”

    However, an unfazed Mukherjee, who claims she is scheduled to leave for Britain in August, maintains she has the necessary documents to prove her assertions.

    Mukherjee had earlier sent a screen-shot to IANS of a purported correspondence from the space agency stating “Goddard Internship program as an employee and researchist. Technical writing for NASA’s Applied Earth Science and Technology Development Program.”

    Quizzed on NASA’s reaction, Mukherjee told IANS that the agency was issuing denials to maintain confidentiality.

    “I have the necessary documents and I can’t send them via mail as I was asked by NASA to maintain confidentiality. I also have my visa. You can come and see them.”

    On the widespread media coverage and the interviews she willingly appeared for, the student said she was “forced by media channels” to tell her story.

    “Since I am the only Indian selected, I was asked to maintain confidentiality. They (NASA) are denying it now because it’s in the news now.”

    Mukherjee has maintained she had posted a paper on NASA’s website on black hole theory which landed her the scholarship. She had also talked about getting through an exam (as one of top three scorers) for doing major in English at the Oxford University. However, even after repeated requests she failed to provide documentary evidence.

    Media reports have quoted Sataparna as saying she verified the authenticity of the NASA website at the Chennai office of the British Council.

    However, the British Council termed the claims as “false”.

    “British Council would like to refute and condemn false claims as they are baseless and without any premise. As per our records, nobody with this stated identity visited or contacted our office in Chennai,” a British Council official told IANS over e-mail.

  • Nirbhaya Jyoti Singh’s gang rape and murder story inspires dance production in Illinois

    Nirbhaya Jyoti Singh’s gang rape and murder story inspires dance production in Illinois

    More than 3 years ago Delhi streets witnessed the most gruesome crime of its time when India’s daughter, Nirbhaya Jyoti Singh, an Indian student was brutally tortured and gang-raped by six men and left on the side of the road to die.

    Yet the torture and gang rape of Jyoti Singh hasn’t been forgotten or ignored, the Nirbhaya story has inspired an interpretative dance production, some 7,500 miles away from Delhi, in Edgewater, Illinois, from March 4 through March 19.

    The interpretative dance production, to be held at the Ebenezer Lutheran Church, is a 50-minute, five-story theater production by Bindis and Bruises, a production of Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble.

    Conceived and co-choreographed by ensemble member Indian American Priya Narayan, and directed and co-choreographed by Ellyzabeth Adler, the performance will tell the story of five women suffering from sexual, dating and domestic abuse in Indian-American culture and the stereotypes and shame that often silence women.

    The multiracial, 10-woman cast will focus on the experiences of five Indian-American women, but their stories are cross-cultural, Adler said in a then-empty performance space at the church in late January.

    “Even if you are educated, even if you have money, (even) if you are an immigrant, everyone can end up in these relationships,” Adler said.

    Narayan and Adler met while Adler was a teacher’s assistant at Columbia College. Narayan was one of Adler’s students in a creative process and theory class. The goal was to take work and turn it into a stage performance.

    “She was very moved by what happened to Jyoti,” Adler said, adding that Narayan’s family is from Bangalore. Adler had taught at a girls home in that area of India, and some of the girls she had worked with had been raped and abandoned by their parents, Adler said. Last year, for Adler’s 40th birthday, she returned to the girls home with Narayan.

    “I like to talk about these performances as laboratories of creativity, between inception to performance, and I was very close to the culture,” Adler said. “When (Singh was raped and murdered, Narayan) and I started talking more about how this is very prevalent in this culture. but it’s not talked about there at all.”

    Along with co-writer Maren Rosenberg, Narayan and Adler created five micro-scenes that bridge the entire show together. Infused with statistics, the performance finds ways to point out that 1 out of 4 women will experience dating or domestic violence at some point in her life, and 1 out of 3 women will be raped, according to a Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble press release.

    Domestic violence and abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally, the press release said, 15 percent of gay men experience rape, domestic violence or stalking by a partner.

    “The play is centered around Dr. Sita, (a therapist) who has collected these five stories that we are sharing, and she is bringing up how this has happened in many cultures, and I think that has been the interesting thing about this play,” Adler said. “I have had someone … email me, he is a fan, and he had been in a relationship for 10 years. (A 6-foot-2-inch-tall gay man,) he had his own story. This happens in every multiethnic background. We talk about how there is such innocence, how you end up in relationships like this.”

    Adler is herself a survivor of dating violence and rape from a college relationship. She founded and is the executive director of the Chicago Danztheater Ensemble, which is now in its 15th season. The company has a social justice mission, but this is the first time that the ensemble has created a show around this topic.

    The five stories address generational physical and emotional abuse; incest; abuse and manipulation of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender coming out process; and verbal abuse. The fifth, 10-minute story talks about the impact these stories have on the fictional psychologist, Dr. Sita. An activist, she is also a survivor who has spent her life listening to stories like these.

    “One of the scenes with (one of the characters) Tara, her story is mostly centered around verbal abuse,” Adler said. “The monologue is all voice-over. The way it will be staged is that it’s very dark on stage, we will only see shadows of Tara. We won’t see her face. I want the audience to listen to the words that are said to women on a daily basis. (For instance,) you can hear the word “bitch” in a song, but to a woman who goes through verbal abuse, it means a whole hell of a lot more than that.”

    “There are some moments, some stories, that you should tell through words, images, dance — whatever it is to get the strongest message across,” Adler added. “Everybody learns differently. When it came to the scene with Tara, and creating shadows, I started thinking about when you are alone in your house and, a lot of times for survivors, sleeping is really hard. You have dreams. Sometimes you just lie awake in your bed at nighttime, and you start thinking, and you might only have a moonlight or a street light shining in your room, and that’s all you see. Shadows are things that people see but don’t talk about. That is something that follows you, just like words are haunting.”

    Finding ways to tell these stories has been a two-year process for Narayan, Adler and Rosenberg, and Adler said they have struggled to tell them in ways that are impactful but not over-imposing. She seeks to create an environment that is safe for audience members to come to. Adler said she and others in the theater group would be available for a discussion around the show, as well.

    “The reason for sharing all of these stories — it’s supposed to focus on healing, and self-preservation, and moving past the hurt, and not being ashamed that it happened to you,” Adler said. “(It’s supposed to be about) not allowing these circumstances to define the rest of your life. Through building a community, one can move forward.”

    Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 for college students and seniors with ID, and free to high school and elementary age students. To purchase tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com, or call 773-486-8261.

  • Indian-Origin Physicist Discovers Material Better Than Graphene

    Indian-Origin Physicist Discovers Material Better Than Graphene

    NEW YORK:  An Indian-origin scientist has developed a new one atom-thick flat material that could upstage the wonder material graphene for having properties allowing it to be used in advance digital technology.

    Discovered by Madhu Menon, physicist at the University of Kentucky in the US, the new material is made up of silicon, boron and nitrogen – all light, inexpensive and abundant elements. The material is stable, a property many other graphene alternatives lack.

    “We used simulations to see if the bonds would break or disintegrate – it didn’t happen. We heated the material up to 1,000 degree celsius and it still didn’t break,” said Mr Menon, physicist in the centre for computational sciences. The discovery is reported in a paper in Physical Review B.

    Using state-of-the-art theoretical computations, Mr Menon and his collaborators demonstrated that by combining the three elements, it is possible to obtain a one atom-thick, truly 2D material with properties that can be fine-tuned to suit various applications beyond what is possible with graphene.

    Mr Menon’s colleagues were Ernst Richter from Daimler in Germany and Antonis Andriotis from Institute for Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) in Greece.

    While graphene is touted as being the world’s strongest material with many unique properties, it has one downside: it isn’t a semiconductor and therefore disappoints in the digital technology industry.

    The three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different.

    As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene.

    The new material is metallic but can be made semiconducting easily by attaching other elements on top of the silicon atoms.

    “We know that silicon-based technology is reaching its limit because we are putting more and more components together and making electronic processors more and more compact,” Mr Menon said adding “but we know that this cannot go on indefinitely; we need smarter materials.”

    He said they were anxious for this to be made in the lab. “The ultimate test of any theory is experimental verification, so the sooner the better!” Mr Menon added in a paper.

    This discovery opens a new chapter in material science by offering new opportunities for researchers to explore functional flexibility and new properties for new applications.

  • Gurudwara Vandalized in Washington

    Gurudwara Vandalized in Washington

    WASHINGTON:  In an apparent hate crime, a gurudwara in the US state of Washington was vandalised by a “naked” man who desecrated sacred items of the Sikh worship place, drawing condemnation from the community leaders.

    The incident occurred on Wednesday when Jeffrey C Pittman, 44, broke into the gurudwara in Spokane.

    Deputies say that Mr Pittman was arrested early Thursday morning wearing nothing but a sheet taken from the temple’s furnishings. He was also holding the gurudwara’s ceremonial sword.

    He also desecrated sacred items of the gurudwara.

    Mr Pittman was booked in Spokane County Jail connection with charges of burglary, malicious mischief and malicious harassment, which is the state’s statute for a hate crime, The Seattle Globalist reported.

    “All religions should be respected. Any crime committed due to someone’s religious beliefs will be a priority and fully investigated,” said Spokane Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich in a statement.

    “They (deputies) detained Pittman after a short altercation. The damage is estimated to be several thousand dollars and there was damage to religiously sacred items of the Temple,” Mr Knezovich said.

    Gurudwara priest Gurjwet Singh Augla said he and another man were able to detain the person until police arrived.

    “We don’t know the motivations behind the vandalism yet, but we do know that police are treating the case seriously and that the perpetrator has been arrested. There are no immediate indications that bias was involved,” a statement issued by the gurudwara said.

    “No house of worship in America should ever be vandalised. The Sikh articles of faith, which include the turban and beard, show our commitment to equality, justice and freedom for all. These are not just Sikh values, they are American values,” the statement said.

    Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, expressed shock and anguish over the vandalising of the Sikh gurudwara in Spokane, Washington.

    “This is terrible news for Sikhs in the Spokane area and nationwide… This kind of incidents should not become norm for us or for the country,” he said.

    “This can change and Americans can appreciate our values once they know that Sikhs believe in equality and tolerance towards other religions,” said Mr Singh, who is also the senior adviser to the National Sikh Campaign.

    The incident is the latest in a number of hate crimes against Sikhs in America.

    A gurudwara in a suburb has been vandalised with hateful anti-ISIS graffiti in December. In September, a Sikh-American father was viciously assaulted in a suburb outside of Chicago after being called “Bin Laden”.

    In 2012, a gunman with Neo-Nazi ties walked into a Sikh gurudwara and shot and killed six innocent Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

  • Does Trump want a Wall to Prevent Mexicans from going back to Mexico?

    Does Trump want a Wall to Prevent Mexicans from going back to Mexico?

    My Dog Mexi (short for Mexi-can) hated winter the most and was in his usual complaining mood

    “Can’t wait for this winter to get over, would U pls raise the heat in the house??”

    “Well, it is already high enough and just to let you know, I am not a politician, just a small business man and this is the best I can afford.

    It’s a pity, he said. My friend, Buzzo (a large bull dog) at the park says he has bedroom for himself while I still sleep in one corner of the family room. He has invited me over so many times to show me his lifestyle

    “That’s fine”, I said, “maybe, U should go and take a look. Many times all is not what it looks.”

    “Aw come on” he said. “His master drives a Lexus and it is kind of embarrassing for me to jump out of a Nissan Sentra. Even the Collar he wears has class.”

    I was beginning to get a little complex “Well, a car is a car and a collar a collar. They serve the same purpose and for that matter I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

    He is served with “Organic Chicken and for the weekends with his favorite fish. I get to eat practically what you eat. Leftovers mostly”

    “That should make you happy. Not many dogs get to eat what their master does.Well U r lucky that U get to walk with and eat like your owner.”

    Mexi continued as if I have not spoken “Oh I forgot to mention,Buzzo’s master arranges for a weekly session with the Trainer which also included a warm water bath in the Jacuzzi and a special massage after that.”

    This was getting uncomfortable “Well that’s not very difficult. I can arrange that for you but without the trainer.”

    Mexi sounded alarmed “Oh No!! If it’s not done by a professional, then I am better off without it. Instead why don’t you let me make a trip to Mexico with all the money, you are saving. I have not met my relatives for a while and I am sure they enjoy a much better lifestyle”

    “Well, I don’t think so. If that was the case, they would not be pouring into America by the thousands. Also Donald Trump would not have to build “THE WALL.

    Mexi sounded a bit annoyed this time “That’s just an election gimmick. What you must know is Mr. Trump is building the wall to prevent the Mexicans from going back to Mexico and not the other way around. He wants to ensure the cheap supply of labor year around which he uses to build Trump towers.”

    I was taken aback by Mexi’s political knowledge “Well let me remind you that it is not just Mr. Trump but every American to become The President wants to build “The Wall”. Mr. Trump has discovered that Americans are mainly unemployed because of Mexicans. Also Mr. Trump has found out that many of your relatives are rapists and criminals. In fact, before he gets elected, we may have to even find out if you have entered the country legally or not.”

    Mexi sounded a little alarmed this time “What do you mean by that?? Dogs do not need to have any passports. Rules that govern you do not apply to us”. In fact, my relatives can visit the US anytime. Only their Masters will be prevented from entering by the “Wall”

    I pretended that I had begun to read a book. Mexi was right. He had the advantage, in this case, of being a Dog.

  • Seven out of eight Indian-American candidates win in Lexington elections

    Seven out of eight Indian-American candidates win in Lexington elections

    NEW YORK (TIP): Seven out of eight Indian-American candidates, who ran for local elections in Lexington city in the state of Kentucky recently, have won.

    With this, now there are a total of 12 Indian-Americans elected members of the Lexington Town Meeting, India New England News reported on Wednesday.

    “This movement is historic. Great result despite heavy turnout because of presidential elections which tends to favor known contestants and incumbents,” Narain Bhatia, a long-time Lexington resident and community activist, said.

    The winners of Lexington elections include Sharmila Mudgal from Precinct-3 for one-year term, Anoop Garg from Precinct-4 gets three-year term, Pam Joshi and Rita Pandey gets three-year term each from Precinct-9 and Precinct-5, respectively.

    Anil Ahuja from Precinct-5, Vikas Kinger from Precinct-7 and Nirmala Garimella from Precinct-8 got one-year term each.

    The only Indian-American candidate to lose in the election was Hema Bhatt in Precinct-9.

    “Hema Bhatt lost but got 375 votes and lost by just 36 votes while beating Scott Burson, a long time town meeting member and former School Committee member by 76 votes,” Bhatia said.

    In addition to the winners in Tuesday’s elections, Indian-Americans have five current Town Meeting members whose term is not over making a total of twelve.

    These sitting members are: Narain Bhatia, Ravish Kumar, Sanjay Padaki, Dinesh Patel and Syed Rizvi.

    (Source IANS)

  • Indian-American Charged with trying to bribe Council Member in Los Angeles

    Indian-American Charged with trying to bribe Council Member in Los Angeles

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): A 39-year-old Indian-American businessman has been charged in Los Angeles with paying a bribe to a city council member in Los Angeles to obtain support for a proposed fee increase for towing and vehicle storage.

    Sukhbir Singh and his company H P Automotive and Tow have been charged in a two-count indictment that accuses Mr. Singh and his company of paying a bribe “to influence and reward” the city council member in relation to official action related to a proposed contract to increase rates to tow and store vehicles in Los Angeles.

    The indictment states that the city council person was a “cooperating witness,” meaning she/he was working with the FBI when Mr. Singh allegedly paid the bribe.

    Mr. Singh is also charged with making false statements to the FBI in October when he falsely stated that he had never discussed the proposed tow fee increase with the city council member and when he falsely stated that he had not discussed how payments could have made so as to disguise the source of the money.

    Mr. Singh and his company will be summoned to appear for an arraigned on the indictment next month.

    The bribery count in the indictment carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for Mr. Singh. If convicted, the company could be ordered to pay a fine as high as USD 250,000.

    According to a criminal complaint previously filed in this case, Mr. Singh gave a total of USD 2,650 in checks to the city council member between August 2013 and March 2015.

    “By seeking to influence a city council vote through bribes, this defendant perverted the democratic process,” said United States Attorney Eileen Decker.

    The bribery scheme followed an August 2013 meeting in which the City Council voted 3-2 to deny a request by HP Tow to increase towing and vehicle storage fees.

    Ten days later, Mr. Singh met with the FBI cooperating witness in the first of a series of meetings that included discussions of Mr. Singh and HP Tow making campaign contributions to the city council member, according to the affidavit, which alleges that Mr. Singh offered to make the bribe payments through third-party checks to a campaign account.

  • Indian American woman fakes blood cancer to raise funds, arrested for fraud

    Indian American woman fakes blood cancer to raise funds, arrested for fraud

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): An Indian American woman has been arrested in San Francisco, California, five counts of felony fraud — for faking to be a blood cancer patient and raising funds through online fundraising sites like Giving Forward, the media reported on Wednesday, March 03.

    Manisha Nagrani, 40, tried to raise funds by unwittingly linking her fake appeal to the fundraising site Giving Forward. It is not yet known how much money she siphoned off fundraising sites, the online news portal American Bazaar reported.

    Hubculture.com — a global collaboration platform to expand collective consciousness — which had also pitched in for her by unwittingly linking her fake appeal to the fundraising site Giving Forward, reported that Nagrani has been working as a marketing consultant in San Francisco, and has worked across a number of PR and technology related fronts over the years.

    Earlier in 2014, Nagrani on her Facebook page wrote, “Twenty days ago I received the news that no one wants to hear – my body is failing at its fight against the MDS (Myelodysplastic syndromes). I have received an ‘official’ expiration date.”

    “If my doctors are right, I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving again, I won’t see my God-children celebrate their next birthdays, I won’t have the chance to experience some beautiful dreams on my bucket list,” Nagrani wrote.

  • Teenager shoots his family because they told him to get out of bed and go to school

    Teenager shoots his family because they told him to get out of bed and go to school

    WASHINGTON (TIP): 16-year-old boy from Tennessee had an extreme reaction when his family told him to get out of bed and go to school – he shot them.

    On March 2 morning the teenager, who has not been identified, became angry that his grandmother, Eearline Hill, and his mother, Sheryl Williams, told him to get his day started, according to a police statement.

    The teenager threatened the two women and then got his handgun, which no one knew he owned. He then fired several shots in the family home, police said.

    “There was a quarrel about getting up and getting ready for the day when [at some point] the 16-year-old ran to a closet, got a 9 mm handgun and started firing,” Nashville police spokeswoman Kris Mumford said, as reported by the Tennessean.

    Bullets hit his 67-year-old grandmother twice, while his 12-year-old sister and 6-year-old nephew – his older sister’s son -were reportedly grazed by gunfire.

    The boy allegedly tried to shoot his mother, 42, in the living room but she ducked behind the sofa to avoid being hit.

    He fled the home and tossed the gun away at a nearby apartment.

    Metro Schools spokesman Joe Bass said six nearby schools were placed on lockdown.

    Police later retrieved the gun and captured the teenager, who was walking near a set of railway tracks.

    He has been charged with four counts of attempted homicide and one count of reckless endangerment. He refused to speak with domestic violence detectives.

    The teenager attended the Johnson Alternative Learning Center and does not have any record of violence, according to Nashville police spokeswoman Kris Mumford.

    The grandmother and the children are being treated at hospital and expected to make a full recovery.

    (PTI)

  • US man shoots himself dead while taking selfie with gun

    US man shoots himself dead while taking selfie with gun

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): In a bizarre incident, a 43-year-old man in the US shot and killed himself accidentally while taking a selfie with a gun in hand.

    The man from Concrete, Washington, who has not been named, accidentally shot himself in the face with what he thought was an unloaded gun.

    The man and his girlfriend were at home taking photos of themselves with the gun when the incident occurred on Sunday, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Patrol Chad Clark was quoted as saying by the Skagit Valley Herald.

    The girlfriend reported that the pair had done this several times during the day, with the man apparently removing the bullets and then reloading the gun multiple times.

    After the last time, however, a bullet apparently remained in the gun, Clark said.

    The death is being investigated as accidental, Clark said.

    The Washington man is not the first to accidentally shoot himself while taking a selfie, or even the first to die doing so. Last year, a 19-year-old from Houston died while taking pictures of himself with a gun and posting them on Instagram. He too thought the gun was unloaded when he held it to his head for a photo.

    It has been reported that more people die while attempting to take selfies than in shark attacks.

    At least 27 people reportedly died in “selfie-related” incidents around the world last year.

    In Russia, where a woman almost died after inadvertently shooting herself while posing for a photo with a gun she had found, the ministry of internal affairs published a brochure instructing citizens on safe selfie habits.

    (PTI)

  • Kamala Harris likely to become 1st PIO senator in US

    Kamala Harris likely to become 1st PIO senator in US

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): California’s attorney general Kamala Harris may become the first Indian-American senator in the US Congress after she won Democratic Party’s endorsement for the seat. Harris (51) and Loretta Sanchez were vying for their party’s seal of approval to replace California Senator Barbara Boxer, who is retiring. The attorney general won 78% of delegates’ votes on Saturday, surpassing the 60%endorsement threshold.

    The endorsement of Democrats could bring significant financial backing in addition to credibility. The show of approbation allows the party to spend on her behalf in traditional ways such as mailers, phone-banking and precinct walks and provides Harris the right to use its desired seal of approval in the campaign. Both Harris and Sanchez will compete in the June primary along with Republicans Duf Sundheim and Tom Del Beccaro. The top two vote-getters will then square off in November. There have been several Indian-American Congressmen in the House of Representatives, including Ami Bera and retired member Dalip Singh Saund.

    (PTI)

  • India takes US to WTO over visa fee hike for H-1B, L-1 visas, limited quotas

    India takes US to WTO over visa fee hike for H-1B, L-1 visas, limited quotas

    NEW YORK (TIP): India has filed a complaint in the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the US decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas, like H-1B and L-1 visa, a move that makes Indian IT companies less competitive in that market.

    In the complaint, India has notified the WTO that “it has initiated a WTO dispute proceeding against the US regarding measures imposing increased fees on certain applicants for L-1 and H-1B categories of non-immigrant temporary working visas into the US, and measures relating to numerical commitments for H-1B visas,” the WTO said in a statement. India has time and again raised serious concerns over the issue saying the move would impact Indian IT professionals.

    The Geneva-based body said Friday that India has notified it has started dispute proceedings alleging the U.S. measures are not consistent with Washington’s commitments to accept services from other countries.

    The statement said that according to India, the US’ measure “appear to be inconsistent” with the global norms. According to India, it said, the current measures appear to be “inconsistent” with the terms, limitations and conditions agreed to and specified by the US in its commitments under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services).

    In its request for consultation, India alleges the U.S. had increased fees for temporary visas in December, officials said. It argues that as a result, some Indians receive unfair treatment compared with Americans in the United States in providing similar services in sectors like computer services.

    A spokesperson of the US trade relations, Andrew Bate, has confirmed that they have received the request for consultation from WTO.

    “We are confident that the United States’ visa program, which was recently updated on a bipartisan basis by Congress, is fully consistent with our WTO obligations,” he said.

    The US had recently doubled the fees for certain categories of H-1B and L1 visas to$4,000 and $4,500, respectively. H-1B and L-1 visas are temporary work visas for skilled professionals. India is the largest user of H- 1B visas (67.4 per cent of the total 161,369 H1B visas issued in FY14 went to Indians) and is also among the largest users of L-1 visas (Indians received 28.2 percent of the 71,513 L1 visas issued in FY14).

    Andrew Bates, spokesperson for the U.S. trade representative, confirmed the U.S. had received the request for consultations.

    “We are confident that the United States’ visa program, which was recently updated on a bipartisan basis by Congress, is fully consistent with our WTO obligations,” he said.

    The Indian move is unusual at the WTO, where most disputes involve goods, tariffs and restrictions, not services.

    Last summer, the WTO upheld a ruling that India was unfairly blocking imports of U.S. poultry and eggs, which the Obama administration called a major victory that could expand export opportunities for American farmers.

  • JNU: Forensic lab finds Kanhaiya videos doctored, Irani’s aide faces heat online

    JNU: Forensic lab finds Kanhaiya videos doctored, Irani’s aide faces heat online

    NEW DELHI (TIP):At least two out of the seven video clips of the alleged ‘anti-national’ sloganeering in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9 and 11 have been ‘doctored,’ according to forensic reports accessed by various media outlets on Tuesday, March 1.

    Quoting sources, a report in The Indian Express claimed that ‘serious’ tampering and ‘very special words’ were inserted into the clips, while adding that the video samples were sent by the Delhi government to Truth Lab in Hyderabad.

    India Today also accessed a report which claimed that two of the videos, including one which shows student leader Kanhaiya Kumar shouting anti-national and seditious slogans are fake.

    However, what triggered a storm on social media on Tuesday night was the result from the second doctored video, which was claimed to be picked up from Shilpi Tewari, a close aide of Union HRD minister Smriti Irani.

    Shilpi was also actively involved over the past week in promoting the alleged fake videos on social media.

    The report also added that the second video shared by Shilpi online did not contain any edits, but there were ‘discrepancies’ in the lip sync as the audio and video streams were from different sources and “merged with an intention to make these recordings appear as representations of true events.”

    Following these reports, there was massive outrage on Twitter with Shilpi reportedly deactivating her account temporarily on Tuesday night. Her account back online, but she has not tweeted since February 27.

    Shilpi Tewari continued to trend in the early hours of Wednesday morning as various people took to Twitter to express their views on the issue. (Source: The News Minute)

  • Super Tuesday: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump rack up more wins

    Super Tuesday: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump rack up more wins

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have each won the most states on the biggest day of the race for the US presidential nominations.

    The Frontrunners - Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump
    The Frontrunners – Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump

    Key Points

    • Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton dominate ‘Super Tuesday’ primaries
    • Clinton wins seven states but Democrat rival Bernie Sanders has four
    • In Republican race, Senator Ted Cruz wins Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska to prevent a Trump clean sweep. Trump won seven
    • Florida Senator Marco Rubio wins his first state in the race in Minnesota caucuses
    • After earlier votes in four states in recent weeks, Trump leads the Republican field and Clinton the Democratic contest
    • Mr. Trump won seven states while his closest rival, Ted Cruz, took three. The third-placed Republican, Marco Rubio, came in with one.

    Speaking in his home state of Texas, Mr. Cruz urged other Republicans to quit the race and join him against Mr. Trump.

    Democrat Bernie Sanders had wins in four states.

    Super Tuesday saw 11 states voting, from Massachusetts in the east to Alaska in the north-west. A 12th state, Colorado, held a caucus – won by Mr. Sanders – but does not actually select its delegates until April.

    Tuesday allocates nearly a quarter of Republican delegates, and about a fifth of Democratic delegates, who will elect their respective presidential candidates at party conventions in July. No candidate has yet won enough delegates to secure their party’s nomination.

    Mrs Clinton, a former secretary of state, and Mr. Trump, a property tycoon, entered Super Tuesday as favorites to win the vast majority of states for their respective parties.

    The Democratic frontrunner won in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas and Massachusetts, polling well among blocs of black voters.

    Delivering her victory speech from Miami, having moved her campaign to Florida for the primary there on 15 March, in common with other candidates, she appeared to already be looking towards a potential presidential race against Mr. Trump.

    “The stakes in this election have never been higher and the rhetoric we’re hearing on the other side has never been lower,” she said.

    Donald Trump won the Republican primaries in  Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas and Vermont.

    The billionaire insisted he had “expanded the Republican party”, referring to higher turnout from a broad demographic in states that have already voted.

    He described himself as a “unifier” who could put internal fighting in the Republican party behind him and told reporters in Florida: “Once we get all this finished, I’m going after one person – Hillary Clinton.”

    Super Tuesday states won:

    Donald Trump (Republican): Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Vermont

    Ted Cruz (Republican): Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska

    Marco Rubio (Republican): Minnesota

    Hillary Clinton (Democrat): Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Massachusetts, and the South Pacific territory of American Samoa

    Bernie Sanders (Democrat): Vermont, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Colorado

  • 24 jailed in China for biggest ponzi scam

    24 jailed in China for biggest ponzi scam

    BEIJING (TIP): A Chinese court has jailed 24 swindlers involved in the country’s biggest financial scandal worth $1.5 billion.

    It awarded life sentence to the ringleader, Jiang Hongwei, 32, who owned the finance company that cheated 2,30,000 people. Jiang’s 23 accomplices were sentenced to 14-years imprisonment.

    The swindlers persuaded thousands of people, mostly elderly, to invest their lifelong savings in financial schemes that offered as high as 47% returns or take high-cost loans. The investors were conned into investing in return of the absurd offer in a country where banks offer 2-3% interest on deposits.

    “Many elderly victims burst into tears at the trial,” the official Xinhua news reported. Some said they were attracted by the company’s ‘novel modes of financial services’. A large number of victims attended the hearing at a court in China’s Guangdong Province.

    One of the victims described the massive presentation made by the company. “Their grand exhibition occupied six halls. After attending it, I felt assured and decided to invest $116,000,” she said. The woman said she and her husband lost all their savings. The court has seized assets of the swindlers, but it was unclear if the victims would get their money back.

    Lack of sufficient investment options in China has been blamed for people getting attracted to such fraud. Investors get low returns on bank deposits, face extremely volatile stock markets and falling prices in the real estate market. The government has imposed restrictions on the number of houses a family can own. Many Chinese have invested in gold, but it is not a widely popular option. Many welloff Chinese try to sneak wealth out of the country through illegal means.

    (PTI)

  • Volume 10 Issue 09 | New York

    Volume 10 Issue 09 | New York

    Celebrating 10 Years of The Indian Panorama

    10 years

    A New Way to Read This Week’s Print Edition

    Reimagined for the Web
    Volume 10 Issue 09 | Desktop Edition | Mar 04

    Resolution (PDF) Normal

    VOL 10 ISSUE 9 - New York - March 04, 2016
    VOL 10 ISSUE 9 – New York – March 04, 2016

     

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  • Center for Contemporary Art to host Indian art exhibition and production of Indian folk tales

    Center for Contemporary Art to host Indian art exhibition and production of Indian folk tales

    The Center for Contemporary Art in collaboration with the Indo-American Arts Council will host the 13th annual “Erasing Borders Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora.” The exhibition will open on Thursday, March 17 and will remain on view through April 15. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, March 17, from 5-7 p.m. and will be free and open to the public.

    The Indo-American Arts Council’s production “Erasing Borders,” curated by Vijay Kumar, is a stimulating exhibition that presents artists of the Indian diaspora who challenge issues of sexuality, terror, disease, the environment, racial and sectarian politics in painting, prints, installations, video, and sculpture.

    The diverse theme and style of the art juxtaposes traditional Indian aesthetics with Western elements. It also expresses the hardship of personal and cultural disturbance throughout the worldwide community. Twenty-four artists were selected for this exhibition.

    As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization, the Indo-American Arts Council’s is committed to “promoting, showcasing and building an awareness of artists of Indian origin in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts and folk arts.” For further information, visit www.iaac.us.

    On Sunday, April 3, from 2-3 p.m. The center will be holding a live family performance, Tenali Raman: Folk Tales of India, presented by Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center.

    The production Tenali Raman: Folk Tales of India is about the jester-poet Tenali Raman, who served on the court of Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagara emperor in 16th-century India. Despite having no formal education, Tenali Raman used his brilliance and great wit to work his way into the emperor’s court.

    n this family play, Dragonfly Multicultural Arts brings Tenali Raman to life through stories of his adventures and tricks. With music, dance, and comedy, these folk tales are delightful for those who know the Tenali Raman stories as well as those who are new to his tale.

    The performance will be followed by light refreshments. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and may be purchased online at www.ccabedminster.org.

    Founded in 1970, The Center for Contemporary Art is a vital regional art center with a vibrant studio art school, extensive exhibition program and important community outreach component. Visitors requiring an accommodation or service should contact The center at least two weeks prior to the scheduled visit. The center is located at 2020 Burnt Mills Road in Bedminster. For further information, call 908-234-2345 or visit The Center for Contemporary Art online at http://ccabedminster.org/

    Gallery Hoursare Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sundays and major holidays. The gallery is also open during the evening when classes are in session.

  • Indian-Americans Protest To Show Support To JNU Students

    Indian-Americans Protest To Show Support To JNU Students

    NEW YORK:  Students from two US universities gathered in New York to express their solidarity with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who were arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy.

    Students, including Indian-Americans, from New York University (NYU) and Cooper Union college in New York gathered at Washington Square Park to support JNU Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and other students who were arrested on sedition charges last month, Washington Square News newspaper reported on Monday.

    An Indian-American student said during the protest that the primary purpose of the event was to raise awareness about Mr Kumar’s arrest.

    “[Kumar] was arrested for making these comments against the government, even though he was not actually saying anything against the government, he was just having this poetry reading,” Anjana Sreedhar said.

    “We are protesting against the fact that he was arrested under the sedition law which is very antiquated and very outdated,” Ms Sreedhar added.

    Ms Sreedhar, along with several other students read English transcripts of Mr Kumar’s speech during the poetry reading and asked if his words warranted arrest. They also encouraged passersby and attendees to attend a forum discussion at Cooper Union next week.

    A student activist at the NYU Sumathy Kumar said she attended the rally because she wants to show her support to the JNU students who were “beaten and arrested and so much violence was being committed against them just for speaking out”.

    “I am an activist, and I think we take it for granted sometimes that we have the right to dissent and that home where my parents are from and where I call my ancestors are from, they are not allowed to dissent,” Mr Kumar said.

    Anthropology professor Tejaswini Ganti said that she was glad students were voicing support for JNU’s students and that universities should be an open forum for all opinions – even those that dissent against the governing party.