The Indian Panorama

Month: July 2016

  • RBI fines UCO Bank Rs 1 crore

    RBI fines UCO Bank Rs 1 crore

    MUMBAI (TIP): RBI has imposed Rs 1 crore penalty on UCO Bank for flouting its instructions relating to opening of current accounts and providing bill discounting facilities to account holders without any borrowing facility with the bank resulting in “siphoning off of funds”.

    RBI had carried out an inspection of books of accounts, internal control, compliance system and processes at one of the UCO bank’s branches in May-June of 2015. On the basis of findings, a show-cause notice was issued to the bank for violation of certain regulations and instructions.

  • MUTUAL FUND INVESTOR TALLY HITS SIX-YEAR HIGH

    MUTUAL FUND INVESTOR TALLY HITS SIX-YEAR HIGH

    MUMBAI (TIP): The total number of retail investors subscribing to mutual funds in India has reached a six-year high, according to latest data from the industry. This highlights the importance of equities as an investment option for most investors.

    While mutual fund houses added 12.61 lakh folios in the April-June quarter, which is up 2.65% over January-March, the pace of addition has declined, statistics from the Association of Mutual Funds of India and Crisil have shown. The total number of folios now stands at 4.89 crore.

    Though retail folios constitute 95% of total mutual fund folios and grew for the seventh consecutive quarter, the addition of 11.42 lakh folios was lower, compared to the preceding quarter. The total number of retail folios stood at 4.65 crore at the end of June, with equity-oriented funds continuing to find favour.

    Equity-oriented funds added 5.81 lakh folios to reach 3.54 crore in April-June, less than half of the 12.57 lakh folios that were added in the previous quarter, said ratings firm Crisil, which also comes out with a periodic report on mutual funds.

    The drop in folios can also be seen from the fact that investors pulled out Rs 58,185 crore and Rs 21,535 crore in May and June respectively from across mutual funds (including equity, debt, income, exchange traded funds).

    Fund managers say people who typically invest lump sum amounts may have booked profits amid the market rally. “Some investors would have taken advantage of the rally in equity markets and withdrawn. However, SIP (systematic investment plan) flows have remained strong,” said Jimmy Patel, CEO, Quantum Asset Management.

    Total SIP accounts crossed the 1 crore mark in April and the average monthly SIP flows have also risen to about Rs 3,000-3,500 compared with Rs 2,500 a year ago, according to market experts.

  • LLOYDS CUTS 3,000 JOBS AS BREXIT FEARS TAKE SHAPE

    LLOYDS CUTS 3,000 JOBS AS BREXIT FEARS TAKE SHAPE

    LONDON (TIP): Britain’s Lloyds Banking Group said it plans to eliminate 3,000 jobs and close 200 branches — the first big cuts announced since Britain voted to leave the European Union.

    Lloyds is expanding its cost-savings program because of changing consumer behavior and the expectation that interest rates will now remain lower for a longer period than previously expected as a result of the vote, the bank said. The cuts, which are equivalent to about 4 percent of Lloyds’ workforce and almost 10 percent of its branch network, come in addition to previously announced reductions and are expected to save an additional 400 million pounds ($528 million) annually.

    “Following the EU referendum, the outlook for the U.K. economy is uncertain and, while the precise impact is dependent upon a number of factors including EU negotiations and political and economic events, a deceleration in growth seems likely,” CEO Antonio Horta-Osorio said in a statement.

  • India’s Olympic moments: Saina and India soar high at Wembley

    India’s Olympic moments: Saina and India soar high at Wembley

    In 2012, Saina earned India its third medal at the London Olympics by clinching a bronze under fortuitous circumstances, when her opponent and world No 2 Xin Wang conceded the third-place play-off match due to a knee injury after taking the first game. Wang was forced off the court with a twisted knee but returned after bandaging it and quickly went up 1-0 in the second game. However, unable to continue due to immense pain, the Chinese shuttler shook hands with Saina to concede the match and the bronze medal. Aged 22, Saina thus became the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Olympics.

    “I was disappointed [to lose in the semi-final]. I had gone to London to win the gold. I had a day to compose myself, as I knew I had to return with a medal. I had to show something for all the hard work that I had put in over the last four years. I knew I could beat Wang Xin as I had beaten her in the past,” says Saina. “I lost the first game but was still confident of coming through, as it was my eagerness to dominate and be aggressive that had seen me commit unforced errors. I had already noticed that Wang was not moving too well and looked short of full fitness for a match at this level.”

    But more than winning the gold, Saina confessed that it was the sight of the Indian flag waving high at the Wembley Stadium which stirred her emotions. From London to Beijing, Saina has won 10 individual titles, the most recent being the Australian Open in June, and has reached the pinnacle of the BWF World Rankings on more than one occasions. She is hands down India’s best hope of a medal finish in the perennial games.

  • Bolt ready to strike after fitness scare

    Bolt ready to strike after fitness scare

    KINGSTON (TIP): By his own charismatic admission, Usain Bolt is a living legend. But if the Jamaican sprint king pulls off only part of his stated goals in Rio de Janeiro, a whole new vocabulary of superlatives will be required.

    Arguably the greatest sprinter in history, Bolt already owns the world records for the 100 meters and 200m.

    In London four years ago, he completed an unprecedented “Double Triple” by retaining the 100m, 200m and 4x100m crowns won four years earlier in Beijing.

    “I am now a living legend,” Bolt informed reporters imperiously. “Bask in my glory.”

    In Rio, Bolt is targeting all three titles once again — a “Triple Triple” — as well as a new 200m record of under 19 seconds which he insists is achievable.

    “My biggest dream at the Olympics is to win three gold medals again. That’s my focus, that’s what I want,” Bolt said in an interview earlier this year.

    “That’s the main aim. Everyone wants me to win again, but what they really want to see is records. One of the big records I want is the 200. What I want is sub-19 — the first man to ever have done it, it would be a game-changer.”

    It would take an almost superhuman performance from Bolt to become the first man to break the 19-second barrier and it remains the longest of long shots for a man whose fastest time this year is the 19.89 seconds he ran during the London Diamond League meeting on July 22.

    Bolt’s assured victory in that race prompted a collective sigh of relief across the athletics world as he demonstrated his fitness after limping out of Jamaica’s Olympic trials weeks earlier with a hamstring injury.

    For his many fans, Bolt is a beacon of integrity in a sport scarred by doping scandals. At the World Championships in Beijing last year, his 100m showdown with Justin Gatlin –twice convicted of doping offences — was framed as a battle of “good versus evil.” Bolt won that race but will face a renewed challenge in Rio from Gatlin, the fastest man in the world over 100m this year. His rivalry with Gatlin has been given an added edge following remarks by the American relating to Bolt’s withdrawal from the Olympic trials.

    “I laughed when I heard it, I was disappointed, especially in Justin Gatlin,” Bolt said.

    In the 200m another threat is likely to emanate from LaShawn Merritt, the season’s fastest man with a time of 19.74sec.

    Bolt however is never more dangerous than when he is challenged. He has been wearing the bulls eye on his broad back for the last 14 years since he became the youngest IAAF champion at the world junior championships in Kingston in 2002. It was his first world record, 9.72 seconds in the 100m in New York in June 2008 that was to change the life of the shy young man from rural Jamaica — who had cried and begged not to go to Kingston for the junior worlds six years earlier.

    Bolt was long seen as a 200m specialist who many thought would eventually run the 400m but that never panned out as his lightning speed has kept him at or near the top of the 100m & 200m lists for eight years.

    His world records for the 100m and 200m — 9.58sec and 19.19sec respectively — have stood since 2009. His reign has encompassed six Olympic gold medals, 11 world titles and a long list of accolades. He has shown signs of fallibility however, with his hamstring requiring several trips each year to renowned German sports medicine doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt.

  • “America is Great because America is Good” : Hillary Clinton

    “America is Great because America is Good” : Hillary Clinton

    PHILADELPHIA (TIP): US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on July 28 the challenges facing Americans demand steady leadership and a collective spirit, contrasting her character with what she described as a dangerous and volatile Donald Trump.

    In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election with a promise to make the United States a country that worked for everyone.

    “We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid,” she said.

    She presented a sharply more upbeat view of the country than her rival Trump did when he was formally nominated for president at last week’s Republican convention, and even turned one of Republican hero Ronald Reagan’s signature phrases against the real estate developer.

    “He’s taken the Republican Party a long way, from ‘Morning in America’ to ‘Midnight in America,’” Clinton said. “He wants to divide us – from the rest of the world, and from each other.”

    She portrayed Trump as volatile, saying “a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”

    While her speech lacked the electrifying qualities of President Barack Obama and a parade of other prominent Democratic speakers, Clinton spoke authoritatively and with self-assurance in her pitch to the American public.

    She acknowledged some people still do not know her well.

    “I get it that some people just don’t know what to make of me. So let me tell you. The family I’m from, well no one had their name on big buildings,” Clinton said in a reference to Trump. She said her family were builders of a better life and a better future for their children, using whatever tools they had and “whatever God gave them.”

    As she prepared to deliver her speech, people familiar with the matter said the FBI is investigating a cyber attack against another Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee.

    The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers, are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the US election to help Trump.

    Clinton said it would be her “primary mission” to create more opportunities and more good jobs with rising wages, and to confront stark choices in battling determined enemies and “threats and turbulence” around the world and at home.

    ‘Moment of reckoning’
    “America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart,” said Clinton, a former secretary of state. “No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance – looking for steady leadership.”

    Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US president, called her nomination “a milestone.”

    “When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. That’s why when there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit,” the 68-year-old Clinton said in a speech that capped the four-day nominating convention.

    The evening sounded at times more like a traditional Republican convention than a Democratic one. During retired General John Allen’s remarks, chants of “USA!” filled the hall and large flags were brought in to be waved. Speakers, some of whom included military and police officers, made frequent mentions of religion and patriotism.

    “I certainly know that with her as our commander-in-chief, our foreign relations will not be reduced to a business transaction, I also know that our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture,” said Allen.

    Clinton embraced her reputation as a policy wonk, offering a litany of proposals for tuition-free college, infrastructure investment, immigration reform, gun control, affordable child care, paid family leave and more.

    Clinton also reached out to Republicans and to followers of primary rival Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist US senator from Vermont. His supporters chanted at times during her speech only to be drowned out by her supporters. “Your cause is our cause,” she said.

  • WikiLeaks releases audio from Democratic Party hack

    WikiLeaks releases audio from Democratic Party hack

    WASHINGTON (TIP): WikiLeaks released audio recordings on Wednesday, July 27, apparently hacked from the Democratic National Committee’s servers, including a message from an irate Hillary Clinton supporter demanding the party stop “bending over backwards” for Bernie Sanders.

    HAfiMgo6Links to the 29 recordings were posted on Twitter a few hours before US President Barack Obama took the stage in Philadelphia to address the party’s national convention, a meeting that formally nominated Clinton as the Democratic candidate for the White House.

    The confab was meant to be a show of unity, but instead has exposed the raw anger of Sanders supporters who feel disenfranchised by the primary process.

    The WikiLeaks files seemed timed to embarrass the party and Clinton, although the audio recordings did not appear to contain any bombshell revelations.

    They came after the anti-secrecy website on Friday leaked 19,000 emails from the accounts of several top Democratic party leaders.

    At least two email messages suggested an insider effort to hobble Sanders’ upstart campaign against Clinton – including by seeking to present him as an atheist in deeply religious states.

    The uproar following the leak forced party chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz to abruptly announce her resignation on the eve of the convention she was meant to preside over.

    In one audio recording, the angry Clinton supporter said in her minute-long voice mail that she was “furious” about what she perceived as party support for Sanders and giving the self-described democratic socialist “too much influence.”

    “Bernie is the worst person in the world to even be running in the Democratic Party because he’s not a Democrat,” said the unidentified woman, who noted she was on a fixed income and had donated $300 to Clinton.

    “Quit acquiescing to this person who likes to play the victim card and who also has been attacking Hillary, which gives Trump all his talking points. I will leave the Democratic Party if the Democratic Party continues to coddle Bernie Sanders,” she said.

    It was not known which party official the woman was trying to reach.

    In another recording, a woman — possibly the same person in the earlier call — was upset the party was letting Sanders supporter Cornel West serve on the platform committee, calling him “trash.”

    The audio files also provided a small glimpse of the daily inner workings of the party, with a staffer from an ambassador’s office calling to make sure her boss received an invitation to a St. Patrick’s Day reception at the White House.

    Former ambassador to Austria William Eacho left a message to get details on an invitation from Wasserman Schultz to attend a dinner with Obama.

    It was not immediately clear if the audio recordings were part of the original cache of 19,000 emails and attachments released by WikiLeaks on Friday.

  • Government reaches out to Opposition, Cong signals all-clear next week

    Government reaches out to Opposition, Cong signals all-clear next week

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Efforts to hammer out a consensus on the long pending Goods and Services Tax bill gathered momentum on July 28 for its likely tabling in the Rajya Sabha next week with the government reaching out to opposition parties even as the Congress described the exercise as “constructive and positive”.

    Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanyam on July 28 held several rounds of talks with leaders of Congress and other parties including the Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and CPI(M).

    Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha participated in the discussions with Jaitley. There were two rounds with the Congress leaders.

    “Serious effort is being made to bring a consensus on the GST bill,” Sharma said without disclosing details on whether the Congress was insisting on its standing about putting a cap on the levy in the Constitution bill.

    Congress sources said party Vice President Rahul Gandhi also expects a positive outcome from these consultations. They said the discussions have entered a “decisive and positive phase”.

    “Talks are on with various parties on GST and so far things are moving forward as expected,” a senior government functionary said adding the effort is on to present it in the Rajya Sabha next week.

    Sources say Jaitley told the opposition leaders that government wants to bring consensus on the GST and was ready for talks with any leader even during the weekend to hear out and address their concerns on the issue.

    A top congress leader, however, said they were awaiting the draft of the legislation after “extensive talks” with the government and hoped for a “positive outcome”.

    At the meeting of Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Upper House today evening, the GST bill was not discussed as it has already earmarked five hours for the bill last week.

    Jaitley also met SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and held talks with other leaders also.

    Sources add that the government is also in touch with AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on the key bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked to Yadav when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned briefly during the Question Hour. Modi remained seated in the House during the brief adjournment and spoke to Yadav and another SP member Neeraj Shekhar.

    Meanwhile, five parties, including the Left, on Thursday asked the Centre to assure states that their financial needs will be taken care of before the GST Bill is brought, which they allege seeks to take away states’ right to raise resources.

    This was conveyed by them to Jaitley when leaders of the parties in Rajya Sabha belonging CPI(M), CPI, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and BJD met him.

    CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the Constitution amendment bill would make the states “to come with a begging bowl to the Centre, placing them at the Centre’s mercy.”

    He said the GST Bill would deprive the states of their “right to raise resources” through sales tax, surcharge or cess.

    “The state governments will be deprived of their only right to raise revenue as this right will be abolished with the Bill” as they would not be able to impose any cess even during an emergency or natural disaster, he said, adding that this was conveyed to the Finance Minister at the meeting.

    “The GST Bill is only meant for imposing a tax. It does not deal with Centre-State relations. So, a resolution has to be found outside the Bill and the government has to come out with an assurance,” the CPI(M) leader said, adding that “we will have to see how the government addresses this issue.”

    Regarding the meeting, Yechury said “we were merely informed about the discussion the government had with the Congress. There was no scope for a discussion.”

    He also said there is “nothing in writing so far” on what the latest bill actually says.

    Accusing the Narendra Modi government of going by the strength of the parties in Parliament to hold discussions on the GST Bill, he said “so we are immaterial in terms of number of seats we have. It is a game between the BJP and the Congress”.

    Asked whether Jaitley indicated by when the bill will be brought to Rajya Sabha, the CPI(M) leader said “there is no indication. It will all depend on what is happening between the BJP and the Congress.”

    The government is working to address the concerns raised by opposition parties, including Congress, on the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, known as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. The Bill seeks to introduce a system for uniform taxation across the country and has been pending for a long time.

  • A Battle Royal over Dal Arhar in India’s Parliament

    A Battle Royal over Dal Arhar in India’s Parliament

    NEW DELHI(TIP): The issue of rising prices came to a boil in Parliament on Thursday, July 28, with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi faulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the runaway cost of kitchen staples, a charge that prompted finance minister Arun Jaitley to spring to the government’s defense.

    Gandhi highlighted spiraling prices of pulses such the popular arhar dal, potato and tomato to tear into Modi’s poll promise of taming food inflation.

    “There is a new slogan in villages, arhar Modi, arhar Modi, arhar Modi,” he said in the Lok Sabha, mimicking the BJP’s 2014 poll slogan of “Ghar Modi (Modi in every household)”.

    He questioned Modi’s silence on price rise. “You talk about start up India, stand up India, make in India, but not price rise,” he said, mocking at Modi’s signature projects.

    Finance minister Jaitley countered the Congress leader’s charge, and reeled out statistics to make his point that the price rise is seasonal.

    “When the new produce arrives, prices go down,” he said, and asked if the Congress-led UPA was any better in checking spiked prices of essentials.

    “The UPA government left behind a double-digit inflation. Today, steps have been taken in each sector to contain inflation. Any form of bluster is not a substitute of statistics.”

    He also brushed aside Gandhi’s demand that Modi should announce a date by which the prices would come down. “Asking for a date is not the solution. It is about putting in place a policy to fight inflation,” the minister said.

    Gandhi too listed out comparative prices of veggies and pulses in 2014 and 2016, saying tomato sold at Rs 18 two years ago, but is selling at Rs 55 now.

    “You said you want to be chowkidar (caretaker)of the country. You have become the Prime Minister … a big man now. Under the nose of chowkidar, theft of pulses is taking place … Leave chowkidari to us and the Congress party,” he said, reading out excerpts from Modi’s Lok Sabha poll speeches.

    “I want to remind the Prime Minister of the promises he made … He had promised that when the BJP government comes to power, it will bring down prices.”

    He recalled Modi’s speech at a 2014 poll rally in Himachal Pradesh, in which the BJP leader criticized the UPA government over price rise. “Ma-bachche raat rote hain, aasoon pee ke sote hain (mother and child cry the whole night and sleep drinking their tears) … What a dialogue,” Gandhi said, in his seventh speech in the 16th Lok Sabha after the 2014 general elections.

    Soaring food prices, especially of pulses, veggies and dairy products have fed inflation, driven up mainly by shrinking supplies after two years of back-to-back droughts in top farming states. Pulses such as tur or arhar dal are important sources of protein in India, which has been struggling to increase its output to meet local demand.

    With India’s retail inflation moving towards the 6% mark, prices of tomato, sugar and pulses have become talking points for opposition parties, which accused the government of burdening the people with taxes, but not managing inflation.

    The Opposition spoke about sugar and tomato, whose price have spiked substantially in the past few months. Sugar prices have gone up by 17%, while tomato has recorded a 100% rise.

    Finance minister Jaitley said in case of sugar and onion, the government was worried about farmers not getting their remunerative prices.

    “For many months, sugar was at Rs 22-23. We were worried about the farmers. Mills were getting closed. When sugar priced surged to Rs 40, we clamped down on exports,” he said.

    “The biggest worry was how farmers will get prices for onions. 20,000 tons of onions had to be bought so that farmers get money. With fresh harvest, tomato prices will come down.”

    Explaining the demand-supply gap on pulses, the finance minister said: “If steps to increase pulse production had been taken in the past decade, the situation would not have come to this.”

  • Narsingh Yadav fails second dope test, Olympic hopes fade

    Narsingh Yadav fails second dope test, Olympic hopes fade

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Narsingh Yadav’s hopes of competing in the Olympics seemed bleak on July 27 after the wrestler failed a second dope test which was conducted on him on July 5. It is learnt that Narsingh+ , already under provisional suspension for failing a June 25 dope test, has also flunked the second test done on both his ‘A’ and ‘B’ samples taken on July 5.

    “It’s the same substance that was found in the first test. It was unlikely that it would go out of the system,” a Wrestling Federation of Indian source said referring to banned anabolic steroid methandienone. Narsingh has been claiming that he has been framed in the scandal by rivals, who, he alleged, spiked his food supplements+ and meals.

    But the 26-year-old’s food supplements have reportedly been found to be clean in tests conducted after his allegations, dealing a further blow to his Rio hopes. The Maharashtra wrestler had been picked over two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar after he won the quota place with a bronze medal in last year’s World Championships. Following the doping storm, Parveen Rana+ was named as Narsingh’s replacement in the 74kg category, a move that has been approved by United World Wrestling. (PTI)

  • Volume 10 Issue 29 | New York | Jul 29

    Volume 10 Issue 29 | New York | Jul 29

    10 years
    Celebrating 10 Years of The Indian Panorama

    Print Edition

    Reimagined for the Web 

    Volume 10 Issue 29 ~ NY ~ Jul 29

     

    VOL 10 ISSUE 29 ● NEW YORK ● JULY 29 - AUGUST 04, 2016
    VOL 10 ISSUE 29 ● NEW YORK ● JULY 29 – AUGUST 04, 2016

     

     

     

  • Bronx Borough President allocates more than $3 million in Housing Funds

    Bronx Borough President allocates more than $3 million in Housing Funds

    NEW YORK (TIP): Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has allocated more than $3 million in capital funds for seven housing developments across The Bronx, creating more than 800 new affordable units in neighborhoods across The Bronx.

    “Keeping this borough affordable through the creation of appropriate housing units has been a priority of mine from the day I first took office, and this year my office continued to showcase its commitment to affordability through our capital grants,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “From new units for low-income seniors, veterans, the formerly homeless and more, our allocations this year will help a wide range of individuals find and keep an affordable home, right here in The Bronx.”

    In total, Borough President Diaz has allocated $3,265,000 across eight housing-related projects in FY 2017, funding a total of up to 851 new units of affordable housing. Allocations include $750,000 to construct 75 units of moderate and low income housing in partnership with the Mt. Hope Housing Company on Walton Avenue that would also construct a gymnasium for the Mount Hope Community Center, $400,000 towards a 57 unit moderate income co-op in the northeast Bronx in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and $750,000 for two projects with Catholic Charities, which combined will create more than 350 units for low income seniors, veterans and the formerly homeless.

    In addition, Borough President Diaz will provide $165,000 in funding to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for a mobile services unit. This vehicle will travel to different borough neighborhoods to act as a mobile constituent services office on housing and tenant matters.

    “By far the greatest volume of constituent requests received by my office is for housing assistance,” said Borough President Diaz. “I am hopeful that, in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, we will be able to use this new mobile unit to bring housing services directly to the communities that need them the most.”

    Since first taking office in 2009, Borough President Diaz has provided $48,731,000 in capital funding to housing projects across The Bronx, helping to create 6,866 units of all types in the process.

    A complete list of this year’s housing developments funded by Borough President Diaz can be found at http://on.nyc.gov/29S9iqX.

  • Javed Khan – The India-Born Muslim Cop Who Keeps US Hindu Temple Safe

    Javed Khan – The India-Born Muslim Cop Who Keeps US Hindu Temple Safe

    INDIANAPOLIS: A Mumbai-born Muslim police officer is the security in-charge of the largest Hindu temple in the Indianapolis city of US, setting an example of inter-faith cooperation and social harmony at a time when religious intolerance rhetoric is on the rise due to the election cycle.

    An eight-degree black-belt in Taekwondo and a kick boxing champion, Lt Javed Khan from the local police department is director of security at the Hindu temple in Indianapolis.

    For hundreds of visitors thronging the temple daily, in particularly over the weekend, Mr Khan, who was born in Mumbai and raised in Lonavla, Pune, is now considered a part and parcel of the Hindu temple.

    “My message is this; we are all one. We are all the children of God. There is only one God and then there are different forms and names, we choose to worship,” Mr Khan told PTI in a phone interview from Indianapolis.

    “We are Indians. Half my family is Hindu. I do not believe in Hindu-Muslim thing,” he said.

    “I am just doing my duty. I am not doing anything special or extraordinary,” Khan said when asked for an interview.

    Mr Khan settled in Indiana in 2001, a year after he migrated to the United States. He had been coming to the US since 1986 for participating in various martial arts championship.

    Mr Khan said it all started a few years ago, when he married his daughter to a Telugu boy at this Hindu temple, after which he started knowing people at the temple.

    Soon, he said, “I felt there is need over there for protection. Then I offered my services. I am director of security for the temple now. While the temple has been in existence for the past several years, its formal opening ceremony — Kumbhabhishekam — was held last year, which was attended by top state leaders.”

    “Your place of worship adds another significant landmark to the city of Indianapolis and I am certain that it will play a key role in enriching the cultural heritage of our state, as well as, the learning and spiritual growth of its devotees and visitors,” Indiana Governor Mike Pence had said in a message in June last year at the time of the formal opening of the temple built at an estimated cost of USD 10 million. Pence is now the vice presidential candidate of the Republican party.

  • Sikh Charity Praised For Helping Stranded UK Travellers

    Sikh Charity Praised For Helping Stranded UK Travellers

    LONDON (Wire Services) A UK-based Sikh charity has won widespread praise for taking proactive action in distributing bottles of water to passengers stranded at a UK border crossing over the weekend.

    Khalsa Aid volunteers swung into action when they heard the news of huge traffic pile-ups at the Port of Dover, the border crossing between Britain and France, due to border staff struggling to cope with increased security checks.

    “There was just total frustration. People didn’t know what was going on. They could see the queues in front. I asked people what time their ferry was and they said they had already missed it. People were very, very frustrated and pulling their hair out,” said Ravinder Singh, CEO of Khalsa Aid, based at Slough in south-east England.

    His volunteers loaded up two vans with over 6,000 bottles of water and a number of cereal bars to distribute to the stranded passengers on one of the hottest weekends in the UK.

    “It was very strange to see people keen for water in a country so developed,” Singh said.

    His charity, which provides humanitarian aid in disaster areas and conflict zones around the world and also helps provide aid during disasters in the UK such as floods, was widely thanked for its “kindness” and “selflessness” on social media.

    Meanwhile, local police warned that travellers crossing the Dover port on to France from the UK by ferry face delays for several weeks.

    The major pile-up was a result of new heightened security checks in the wake of terror attacks across Europe as well as a school holiday exodus.

    UK officials have been trying to assist French border security to speed things up.

    At one stage there were 12-mile tailbacks and people endured 15-hour waits, with many forced to sleep in their vehicles overnight.

    “I am very ashamed of this situation. I am so sorry for the British passengers starting their holiday with so long a wait because of controls. When we know that there will be big traffic it should be organised,” said Jean-Marc Puissesseau, the president of the Cote d’Opale chamber of commerce that runs the French side of the port in Calais.

    Meanwhile, holidaymakers are expected to face further delays as the backlog gradually clears.

  • Indian American NJ Man Arrested For Killing Wife ~ Stabbed 30 times

    Indian American NJ Man Arrested For Killing Wife ~ Stabbed 30 times

    NEW YORK: A 46-year-old Indian-American has been charged with stabbing his wife to death early Tuesday, July 19, morning in their apartment as their three children slept nearby, as per a report in NJ.com

    Nitin P. Singh, 46, was found covered with blood standing over his wife, Seema Singh, 42, in their kitchen when emergency personnel arrived at 5:30 a.m., according to Pennsville Chief of Police Allen J. Cummings.

    Singh has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated assault, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and fourth-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

    Singh is accused of stabbing his wife Seema Singh, 42, at least 30 times last week and has been remanded to the Salem County Correctional Facility in default of bail of a million dollars cash, the Pennsville Police Department said.

    Cummings said Singh himself had called 911 seeking help for his wife.

    The couple’s three children – two boys, aged 16 and 6 and a 5-year old girl – were taken from the apartment through a side door so they did not see the crime scene in the kitchen, authorities said.

    The children were taken to the Pennsville police station and state protective services workers took custody of them, the report said.

    “This is a very horrific scene. It’s a situation where there are children involved and they have lost their mother and their father is probably going to be incarcerated,” Cummings said.

    While authorities are investigating the cause of the murder, police have indicated it could have been some sort of domestic dispute.

    Cummings said that Pennsville police had never been called to the Singhs’ apartment for any type of domestic troubles in the past.

    The Singhs owned the building where the murder took place and had owned a convenience store in the locality.

    Neighbours expressed shock at the murder, saying it was hard to believe Singh could commit such a crime.

    “He’s the nicest person I ever met. I never heard any type of fighting going on. They never raised their voice or anything,” Singh’s neighbour George Hemple said of him.

  • MOVIE REVIEW Kabali | Rajinikanth owns this gangster drama

    MOVIE REVIEW Kabali | Rajinikanth owns this gangster drama

    Kabali’s Rajinikanth is a man on a mission. He was grievously wronged years ago and Kabaleeswaram
    (Rajinikanth in Kabali) is out to extract his revenge. But before he does it, the audience will get its two-and-a-half hours worth of classic Rajinikanth moves, dialogues and dance steps.

    Cut to the Kabali plot: Kabali is a worker who lives happily with his wife (played by Radhika Apte) and daughter. Then things start going wrong and our innocent, hard-working man loses everything. How he fights to save his world and help the downtrodden Tamilians in Malaysia forms the crux of Kabali.

    The best part of the film, obviously, is Rajinikanth. His charisma pulls Kabali through. From the slick visuals showing the flashback to Rajinikanth playing his age as a don, his fans will not go home disappointed. Add to it the hit Neruppa Da and you hear enough whistles and clapping in the theatre.

    The other cast members are also good and we would like to give a special shout-out to Radhika Apte and Dhansika. Radhika brings a nuance to her performance as Rajinikanth’s wife and is a refreshing change after watching heroines in bit roles in Rajini movies. Watch out for the scene where Rajinikanth and Radhika meet after a long time. We bet this one will give you goosebumps. There is another moment near the interval which leaves you feeling cold.

    What doesn’t work in Kabali is its slow pace and patchy narrations. There are moments when the film starts lagging and your attention wanders. For a movie that has lefts fans in a frenzy across the world, Kabali fails to live up to expectations because of this.

    While for most audiences this will be the major grouse, die-hard fans are going to love every moment. This one is a feast for them, others will find it enjoyable but lagging at certain moments.

    Facts

    • ? “Kabali” is the third Indian film after ‘PK’ and ‘Baahubali’ to be released in more than 5,000 theaters worldwide, with special premieres planned for a day earlier.
    • Make hay while Rajinikanth shines! This seems to be the mantra for theatre owners who are making a killing by selling “Kabali” tickets at exorbitant prices – much to the disappointment of hardcore superstar fans.
    • Superstar Rajinikanth’s upcoming Tamil gangster drama “Kabali”, first movie will be dubbed and released in Malay language. Malay is an Austronesian language mostly spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. It will also be released in Telugu, Hindi and Japanese and will get a Chinese release in a couple of months.
    • AirAsia India, the official airline partner of superstar Rajinikanth’s Tamil actioner “Kabali” and which has a special aircraft bearing the images of the star, spent over a month in designing the livery.
    • He will sport a salt and pepper look along with thick white beard for his role as a gangster in upcoming Tamil drama “Kabali”, which happens to be his 159th film.
  • A Chef par excellence, Dheeraj Tomar

    A Chef par excellence, Dheeraj Tomar

    New York City is home to a variety of expert cooks who are known for adding twists to traditional Indian culinary art. A number of upscale restaurants in the city offer their brand of Indian dishes, which bear the flavor of culinary artistes who work behind the glass windows of the restaurants, in the kitchen.

    ‘Junoon’ is one of the upscale restaurants, located in Chelsea area of Manhattan that serves exotic Indian dishes. The restaurant menu card displays a wide variety of traditional Indian cuisine prepared by its chefs, who are experts in culinary art and possess unique style of cooking contemporary as well as traditional dishes of India.

    Chef Dheeraj Tomar (left) with Rajesh Bhardwaj, CEO of Junoon, one of the top Indian restaurants in New York
    Chef Dheeraj Tomar (left) with Rajesh Bhardwaj, CEO of Junoon, one of the top Indian restaurants in New York

    Dheeraj Tomar is among the younger generation of professional cooks who present their signature dishes to customers and take a great pride doing it.

    “Dheeraj has given a new dimension to traditional Indian cooking”, says Rajesh Bhardwaj, founder and CEO of ‘Junoon’. Dheeraj joined ‘Junoon’, when Bhardwaj was looking for a chef ‘who could maintain consistency and standard of cuisine’. He didn’t want to compromise with the reputation of an upscale profile of the restaurant. “When I interviewed Dheeraj for the job, I asked him to prepare multiple dishes. I am pleased to say that he not only produced delicious dishes, he molded it according to my instructions”, said Bhardwaj.

    Dheeraj was quietly listening as his employer was making remarks about him during this conversation. Five years ago he came to USAfrom Dubai where he enjoyed his decade long career at a leading restaurant, ‘Marco polo’ in Dubai. Starting his career with ITDC training, Dheeraj received his training at Ashok Hotel in New Delhi. He moved to Dubai to work at Marco polo restaurant where he created Indian dishes for the famous buffet display of 525 dishes. The event was the talk of the town and projected an image of expert chef for Dheeraj in Dubai.

    “I was responsible for preparing Indian dishes as a part of the buffet lunch event in which Marco polo also participated”, he recalled.

    “I experimented with a few popular dishes. I prepared ‘Bhendi Anarkali’, in which pieces of okra were stuffed with pomegranate seeds and cooked. This dish proved to be very popular at the event”, he said.In Palak Murg he used seasonal green saag with meat in a way to boost its nutritional value.

    “Dheeraj has the ability to understand the taste of customers. He has a cam demeanor when he is required to make modifications in his style of cooking”, said Bhardwarj, CEO of Junoon.

    Chef Dheeraj Tomar giving a touch of his culinary expertiseat the famous Junoon
    Chef Dheeraj Tomar giving a touch of his culinary expertiseat the famous Junoon

    Elaborating upon his comments Bhardwaj said, “Dheeraj took over the job of preparing traditional dishes when one of our professional cooks retired after a service of 19 years.” As an emerging chef Dheeraj innovated with dishes he cooked. According to directives of his employer he steadily developed his own style-adding flavor to dishes he prepared. The customers of ‘Junoon’ liked the dishes he prepared.

    Today young Dheeraj Tomarmakes a number of exotic dishes, such as, Scotch Goat Curry, which is enflamed with scotch whiskey during the process of cooking. Taking pride in what he does, Dheeraj said that his vision was to excel in what he was doing. “I love to cook Malabar Shrimp where coconut rules among all spices. Another signature dish by Dheeraj is Nadru Mutter Makhana, made out of lotus stem. Rumali Roti and Kabab Curry are other specialties I cook with great pride”, he said.

    Dheeraj adds flavor to cooking Indian dishes. He is liked by his employer and his customers. “This is my accomplishments”, he said. “After working as a professional chef for more than two decades I continue to fine tune my expertise and ensure that lovers of Indian cuisine continue enjoying our traditional dishes.

    As India’s cuisine represents the vast cultural landscape of India, professionals like Dheeraj contribute to its popularity in USA. His ‘calm demeanor’ continues to help me excel in what he is good at-preparing delicious Indian traditional dishes.

    (TIP Bureau)

  • RAHUL MAY FACE TRIAL FOR ‘BLAMING’ RSS FOR MAHATMA GANDHI’S ASSASSINATION

    RAHUL MAY FACE TRIAL FOR ‘BLAMING’ RSS FOR MAHATMA GANDHI’S ASSASSINATION

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi may have to stand trial in a defamation case for blaming the RSS for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination after the Supreme Court on Tuesday told him, “You can’t make wholesale denunciation of an organisation”.

    The court’s observation came on Gandhi’s petition that has sought quashing of proceedings against him in a Maharashtra court.

    “There is a difference between Nathuram Godse killing Mahatma Gandhi and the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh) killing him,” a bench headed by justice Dipak Misra said, referring to the ideological parent of the BJP.

    “You must face trial, case must be decided on merits whether what you spoke was for public good or not.”

    Gandhi’s counsel sought to justify the remarks, arguing they were historical facts. “They are part of government records and also a judgment delivered by the Bombay high court,” senior advocate Harin Raval said.

    The court fixed July 27 as the next date of hearing, turning down the 46-year-old leader’s request to defer the case for two weeks as senior advocate Kapil Sibal was unavailable.

    “Let someone else argue the matter,” said the bench, also comprising justice RF Nariman. The Amethi MP was not present in the court.

    “Purpose of law is not to turn citizens into litigants, history is the biggest enemy of privacy,” the bench said, pointing that law couldn’t be misused even thought the court had upheld criminalisation of defamatory speech.

    Gandhi was one of the petitioners who had challenged the criminal defamation law.

    Senior advocate MN Krishnamani, counsel for complainant Rajesh Kunte, said his client would withdraw the case if Gandhi apologised for his remarks. Krishnamani had made a similar submission during the previous hearing.

    Gandhi has, so far, refused to apologies.

    An RSS activist, Kunte had in March 2014 filed a complaint against Gandhi in a Maharashtra court, alleging he had told an election rally that “RSS people killed Gandhiji”.

    The Congress leader had in May 2015 challenged the complaint in the Supreme Court.

  • INDIA ASKS PAKISTAN TO VACATE POK

    INDIA ASKS PAKISTAN TO VACATE POK

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India on July 21 (Thursday)accused Pakistan of providing state support to terrorists and asked the neighbouring country to vacate the territories it has been illegally occupying in Kashmir.

    New Delhi issued a strong statement a day after Pakistan observed “Black Day” to protest the “brutalities” on Kashmiris by the armed forces.

    The statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs took note of the rallies and other events held in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over the last two days. Islamabad also observed “Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day” on Tuesday.

    Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the militant organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salauddin addressed the rallies held in Pakistan and PoK on Tuesday and Wednesday. Quite a few of those who addressed the rallies threatened marches and protests before the High Commission of India in Islamabad.

    “We have also noted that the events were led by UN-designated terrorists, who had in the past protested the elimination of dreaded terrorists, including Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour, in Pakistan,” Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in New Delhi on Thursday.

    “In view of the threats of marches and protests at the High Commission of India in Islamabad, we ask the Government of Pakistan to ensure full safety and security of the High Commission, all its officials and their families in Pakistan,” he said. “India strongly condemns the encouragement and support which such terrorists and their activities receive from Pakistan,” added Swarup.

    Pakistan has of late been trying to raise its pitch on Kashmir in the wake of violent protests in the Valley against the killing of Hizbul Mujhahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces of India. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed “deep shock” over the killing of Wani and subsequent death of civilians in Kashmir due to police crackdown on protesters.

    New Delhi on Thursday once again asked Pakistan to stop “inciting and supporting violence and terrorism” in any part of India and refrain from its “deplorable meddling” in internal affairs of India in any manner.

    “The observance of Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day (on Wednesday) exposes Pakistan’s longing for the territory of Jammu and Kashmir. India demands that Pakistan must fulfil the obligation to vacate its illegal occupation of PoK,” said Swarup. “It must also stop misleading the international community and Kashmiris through meaningless exercises such as the so-called elections today in PoK which Pakistan ironically calls
    ‘Azad’ (free).” He was referring to the elections being held for the 41 seats in the Legislative Assembly in PoK.

  • 90 LAKH TRANSACTIONS ON I-T RADAR

    90 LAKH TRANSACTIONS ON I-T RADAR

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Income Tax (I-T) Department will issue letters to 7 lakh assesses seeking information on their high-value non-PAN transactions and also to those depositing Rs 10 lakh or more in their savings account. “The department has details of about 90 lakh such transactions for the period 2009-10 to 2016-17, many of these transactions do not have PAN linked to it,” the Ministry of Finance stated on Thursday.

    It said those involved in sale or purchase of immovable property valued at Rs 30,00,000 or more are also under the scanner.

    The I-T department has requested individuals/parties concerned to own up their transactions and provide PAN against them. The department warned that action will be taken against those who do not reply to the ministry’s request. “The department will be issuing letters to the parties of these transactions requesting them to provide their PAN against these transactions. For the convenience of the parties to whom these letters are addressed, a new functionality on e-filing portal has been developed wherein they can own up transactions and provide structured response electronically,” the ministry said in a statement.

    “The parties can log-in to their e-filing website and by quoting a Unique Transaction Sequence Number provided in the letter sent to them, can link their transaction with their PAN easily,” it stated.

  • High court convicts 11 in 2002 Gujarat riot Case

    High court convicts 11 in 2002 Gujarat riot Case

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): The Gujarat high court on Thursday convicted 11 people for burning a man and his daughter to death during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Mehsana district’s Meda-Adraj village.

    A trial court had in 2005 acquitted all 27 people accused of burning Kalumiya Saiyad and his daughter, Hasinabibi, to death. The HC reversed the acquittal of 11 of them and held them guilty of murder, arson, and unlawful assembly.

    The two had taken shelter in the house of a Hindu neighbour. The mob barged into the house by breaking its door.

    It thrashed the neighbour for protecting Muslims before setting the two on fire on March 3, 2002. The accused brought them out and again set them on fire when the two jumped into a water pool.

    Special prosecutor J M Panchal said the high court would pronounce the sentences for the convicts on August 4.

  • ED SLAPS MONEY LAUNDERING CASE AGAINST EX-HARYANA CM HOODA

    ED SLAPS MONEY LAUNDERING CASE AGAINST EX-HARYANA CM HOODA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 22 (Friday) registered a case against Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Associated Journal Ltd under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a disproportionate land allotment case.

    When Hooda was the chief minister, he allocated the land to Associated Journal Ltd in Panchkula under wrong terms. For this land allocation, the loss for the state government revenue was more than crores.

    Hooda is already under the scanner of the CBI involving alleged irregularities in the allocation of industrial plots when he was chairman of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

    It is alleged that the 14 plots, ranging from 496 sq.m, were allegedly allotted at throwaway prices.

    Those allotted the plots included Renu Hooda, Manjot Kaur, Nandita Hooda among others.

    Allegedly, all of them were related to politicians, bureaucrats and other influential people which included Hooda.

  • Several Indian American Party Stalwarts Still Stumped by Republican Presidential Nominee Trump

    Several Indian American Party Stalwarts Still Stumped by Republican Presidential Nominee Trump

    CLEVELAND, OH (TIP): As 16 Indian American delegates pledged to support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the party’s national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, several long-time party supporters said they were still on the fence about the nominee.

    Trump won the nomination July 19 evening after each state announced their delegate vote counts, based on primary elections and caucuses. Trump won 1,725 votes; he needed 1,237 to clinch the nomination. Real estate broker Subba Kolla, a delegate from Virginia, announced the votes from his State during the delegate count. Kolla is the first-ever Indian American delegate from Virginia to the Republican convention.

    “I’m still concerned about Trump,” Sudhir Parikh, founder of the Indian American Republican Council, told India-West. “Trump is too anti-immigrant, too anti-minority, and anti-trade. He sticks to his point of view and I’m not sure this represents the views of the Republican Party,” said the New Jersey physician, a prominent fundraiser for the Bush presidential dynasty.

    “I have not decided yet whether to vote for Trump. I’m not going to sit this election out, but I will wait for four months – until the general election – to see what emerges,” said Parikh, noting that many Republicans will follow conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s call to action and vote for a third party candidate.

    Florida cardiologist Zachariah P. Zachariah, who has attended every Republican convention since 1992, told India-West he would not be attending this year. “It’s going to take a while for Trump to unify the party and all the people he’s alienated: Hispanics, Muslims and women,” said the long-time Republican Party fundraiser in an earlier interview with this publication.

    Former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal also did not attend the convention. Jindal was one of 17 Republican presidential candidates during the primary elections, but dropped out last November after consistently-low polling numbers.

    South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley – a Republican – declined an invitation to speak at the convention. Haley said she would attend the meet, but maintain a low profile.

    Republican National Convention Committeewoman-elect from California Harmeet Dhillon dismissed party naysayers and told India-West she was happy to support Trump, primarily because of his plans for economic recovery.

    “The concept of economic recovery is a universal concept,” said Dhillon, noting that Trump’s proposed initiatives will benefit the nation’s poor. “Donald Trump’s message is about unity, coming together as a country, and talking to each other,” said the Indian American attorney, adding that she does not believe in hyphenated identities.

    On the first day of the convention, several states staged a protest on the convention floor, calling for a roll call vote that would allow each delegate to theoretically “vote his conscience,” and perhaps show support for a nominee other than Trump. Dhillon noted that the renegade move “lost overwhelmingly.”

    “This was a tactic to slow down proceedings and grandstand for the cameras,” she said, adding there is a hard core contingency who simply does not like Trump, and a faction of former Republican presidential nominee Ted Cruz that is attempting to shore up support for the senator from Texas’s possible run in 2020.

    Dhillon said she supports Trump’s choice of Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate. “Pence will unify the conservatives in the party who are still looking for Trump’s bona fides,” she told India-West, adding: “Pence’s record on economic recovery in Indiana has been outstanding.”

    The former chairwoman of the San Francisco Republican Party, Dhillon will accede to the post of California RNC committeewoman after the convention ends July 21.

    Dhillon delivered an invocation July 19, on the second day of the convention, ahead of the state roll call vote to confirm Trump as the party’s candidate. Pulling a scarf over her head, Dhillon recited the Ardas – a Sikh prayer – in Punjabi, then delivered remarks in English.

    “It is an honor as an American and the vice chair of the California Republican party to represent the fifth-largest religion in the world. We look to the one God above for guidance, and a reminder to have humility, truth, courage, service, justice for all and gratitude for all our creator has given to us,” she said.

    “Please bless these delegates from all over this great nation you have created with the integrity to reform faithfully our sworn duty to nominate leaders to take America in the right direction. Please protect us from evil and create prosperity for all Americans.”

    “Please give us the courage to make the right choices, to make common cause with those we may disagree for the greater good of our nation,” said Dhillon, speaking during prime time at the convention.

    This was the first time the Ardas has been recited at either party’s national convention.

    Earlier in the day, prominent Republican Party fundraiser Shalabh ‘Shalli’ Kumar held a press conference with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition. Kumar – who co-founded the coalition with Sampat Shivangi – told India-West that earlier this month Gingrich had arranged for him to meet Trump for a one-to-one meeting to clarify his stance on several issues.

    At the July 9 meeting, Trump reportedly told Kumar he supports the H-1B program and bringing in talent from all over the world. Trump did not state whether he supported an expansion of the program, which is overwhelmingly used by Indians.

    Trump also told Kumar that he wants to maintain a close partnership with India. “We currently have the strongest pro-India platform anyone has ever written,” said the businessman.

    “India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner. The dynamism of its people and the endurance of their democratic institutions are earning their country a position of leadership not only in Asia but throughout the world,” reads the 2016 Republican Party platform.

    “We encourage the Indian government to permit expanded foreign investment and trade, the key to rising living standards for those left out of their country’s energetic economy. For all of India’s religious communities, we urge protection against violence and discrimination.”

    “Republicans note with pride the contributions to our country that are made by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry,” stated the platform.

    Kumar said he supports Trump’s initiative of greater scrutiny of Muslims, including those already in the country and Muslims attempting to enter the U.S.

    Trump also reportedly told Kumar that he wants to completely cut off all aid to Pakistan. “He recognizes Pakistan for what it is: a nation of thugs,” stated Kumar.

    At the July 19 press conference, Gingrich said the Republican Hindu Coalition was in a great position to support Trump’s win this fall.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would make a natural fit, taking the relationship between the two largest democracies to a new high and make the world a safer and better place, said Gingrich. “Trump (as president) would be a very tough defender of the United States. Mr. Modi is a very tough defender of India. Both understand they are trying to achieve things for their own countries and getting to the deal,” he said, as reported by PTI.

    “Here you have the world’s largest democracy and the world’s most powerful democracy coming together in a way that is very important and vital to the future of Asia and to the world,” he said.

    The RHC held press conferences throughout the week with House Rules Committee chairman Pete Sessions and House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce.

    (Source PTI/ India West)

  • SIKH BIKERS RIDE 12,000 KM: RAISE $60,000 FOR CANCER CHARITY IN CANADA

    SIKH BIKERS RIDE 12,000 KM: RAISE $60,000 FOR CANCER CHARITY IN CANADA

    TORONTO (TIP): A group of big-hearted Sikh bikers in Canada have ridden a total of 12,000 kilometers for a noble cause, raising over 60,000 dollars for a cancer charity.

    Twenty-four members of the Sikh Motorcycle Club rolled into Surrey, Canada, two weeks after departing for their journey to raise awareness about the devastating diseases.

    On 13 bikes, the members rode a total of 12,000 kilometers – about 1,200 per day – through British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, before turning around in Montreal. They completed their tour on Sunday.

    More than 70 individuals and groups made donations to support their initiative, raising a total of 61,194 dollars for the cancer society.

    The money will go toward the organization’s efforts to fund research, prevention initiatives and assist those fighting cancer.

    Along the way, the bikers met community members and appeared on local TV and radio stations to share their journey.

    HIGHLIGHTS
    ● On 13 bikes, the members rode a total of 12,000 kilometers

    ● Over 70 individuals, groups made donations to support their initiative

    ● The ride was in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Foundation

    “Every city they went to the Sikh community, the non-Sikh communities, everyone was cooperative of them,” club founder Harjinder Singh Thind was quoted as saying by CTV News.

    “We thought about those kids that are in need that need that money and so that gave us energy and we kept fighting through it,” said rider Charnjit Dhadda.

    The ride was in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Foundation, and the funds will be used for research and prevention for pediatric cancers and also children currently undergoing cancer treatments.

    Allan Mugford, the agency’s regional director for the Fraser Valley, said they were “stunned and amazed” by the fundraising effort.

    “This is a totally committed and passionate group of community members,” he was quoted as saying.

    Beyond fighting childhood cancers, the riders had another mission — bringing communities together.

    “The main purpose of this club was to build a bridge between the mainstream community and us – that the Sikh next door living here is one of us. And so we were able to make that a success,” Mr. Thind said. (Source PTI)

  • Passengers evacuate American Airlines flight after report of leak

    Passengers evacuate American Airlines flight after report of leak

    PALM BEACH, FL (TIP): Passengers from an American Airlines flight were forced to evacuate Thursday, July 21 afternoon while on the taxiway at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The crew of American Airlines Flight 1822 reported a leak, the FAA said, and passengers used emergency slides to get off the plane. The FAA didn’t disclose what kind of leak was reported. The flight was scheduled to fly to Philadelphia.

    Passenger Eric Moore said the flight crew of the Airbus 320 thought it might be a fuel leak so they ordered an evacuation. He said people were not calm as they left the plane. He said he was told later that the leak was hydraulic fluid.

    Passengers were taking buses to the terminal, the FAA said.

    Images on local television showed two airliners at the end of taxiway with emergency vehicles at the scene. The second plane, a JetBlue flight, didn’t have its slides down and later drove back to the terminal.The FAA said one runway was closed.