The Indian Panorama

Month: September 2016

  • Actress Sunny Leone & acid attack victim Reshma Qureshi walk at New York Fashion Week

    Actress Sunny Leone & acid attack victim Reshma Qureshi walk at New York Fashion Week

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Designer Archana Kochhar showcased, September 8, the rural art of India in New York City as part of New York Fashion Week with her collection, “A tale of two travels”. The collection was inspired by her travel to the Taj Mahal and the village of Banjara tribe. Sunny Leone, the first Bollywood actress to ever walk the ramp at NYFW, looked resplendent as the showstopper in an ivory Archana Kochhar gown. Reshma Qureshi, an acid attack victim who made worldwide headlines for her story, opened the show for the designer in a beautiful ivory gown, which was offset with digitally printed motifs, to create awareness of the initiative “Bring Beauty Back”.

    “I am so excited. It’s unbelievable that I just walked at New York Fashion Week for Designer Archana Kochhar wearing her Banjara Collection. The energy here was superb and the response we received was phenomenal”, shared Actress Sunny Leone immediately after the show. “I love this gown; it looks so ethereal. Archana is my favorite Indian designer. She is someone who inspires me as a woman. She has a strong will and goes after what she wants and she is here at New York and has done a spectacular job. Very few Indian designers have reached New York Fashion Week, but she has”, she further added.

    “It was a surreal experience. This is arguably, the largest fashion platform in the world. It is a great honor to be one of the few Indians to have showcased at New York Fashion week, for the second time. It is one of the most professionally run events in the world. As the NYFW organizers had told me, they don’t talk fashion – they own fashion”, said designer Archana Kochhar. “I am very grateful to Sunny, who’s a dear friend, and I think she looks stunning in whatever she wears. Also I am very honored to have Reshma Qureshi walking the ramp and showcasing different facets of beauty to the world. Beauty should not be affirmed by a certain height, color or size, it is beyond that. It should be an all-inclusive concept. We need such acceptance in society and I think such endeavors of mine will increase sensitivity towards this concept in our society”, Kochhar further added.

    “I was very excited. This was my first time at New York” said Reshma Qureshi. “I am hoping that my participation in this runway will inspire hope and confidence in other acid attack survivors, that they can lead a normal life”.

    A group of models at the New York Fashion Week Photos courtesy Asim Farooki Photography
    A group of models at the New York Fashion Week Photos courtesy Asim Farooki Photography

    “A tale of Two Travels” is a thoughtful creation that imparts royal individuality of the surreal Taj and gleams in the colorful essence of Banjara. The first inspiration of the collection is by the nomadic tribe of India called Banjara, known for the craft of the vibrant mesmerizing colors and rustic mirror work in India. The color pallet of this collection is ivory offset with colorful digitally printed motifs, which is further highlighted with multi-color thread work and mirror work. The second inspiration of the collection is by the magnificent Taj Mahal. Depicting a dreamy vision, the collection is an exclusive range of colorful intricate digital prints depicting the vibrant symbolic motifs of the amazing Taj Mahal, the beautiful lotus flower, the mighty royal elephants balanced with geometric motifs. The new line is a foci of contemporary silhouettes fused with a glimpse of Indian conventional cuts to bring forward the concept of the east meets the west. The silhouettes comprised of cold shoulder crop tops, caplets, flared bellbottoms, flared skirts, pencil skirts, high waist shorts, paper bag skirts, dhoti pants, structured gowns, key hole gowns, flowy drapes and jumpsuits.

  • Young Politico of Queens arrested for faking donations to campaign fund

    Young Politico of Queens arrested for faking donations to campaign fund

    QUEENS, NY (TIP): A young Queens politico who ran for City Council in 2015 was arrested Tuesday, September 6 for faking donations to get 6-for-1 matching taxpayer funds for her losing campaign, authorities said.

    A news report published in New York Post says that Celia Dosamantes, 25, allegedly forged 32 contribution cards totaling $3,255, then filed the documents with the Campaign Finance Board in an attempt to get matching funds of nearly $19,530 from the city, officials said.

    CFB allegedly caught Dosamantes red-handed during a compliance visit last summer, according to assistant district attorney Nicholas Leddy.

    “Forged contribution cards were recovered from a folder defendant attempted to conceal in her lap,” the prosecutor said in Manhattan Supreme Court as Dosamantes sat at the defense table in a pin-striped navy pant suit, her hands cuffed behind her back.

    The SUNY grad filed two disclosure statements with the CFB in August 2015, court papers show.

    “These fillings included dozens of forged documents that purported to show contributions to her campaign that were never, in fact, made,” Leddy said. “The forged contribution cards appear to have been digitally altered from legitimate contribution cards.”

    She’s also charged with submitting a copy of a digitally altered check, officials said.

    “All of the donors who appear on the contribution cards and the check at issue in this indictment confirmed that they did not make the donations reflected in those documents,” Leddy said.

    She faces 1 ¹/? to 4 years in prison on 35 counts of offering a false instrument and attempted grand larceny.

    Justice Michael Sonberg set bail at $15,000, which was promptly posted by bondsman Ira Judelson. Dosamantes previously worked as an aide to Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Queens), who was surprised to hear of her arrest.

    “She was a good worker, I had no problem with her,” said Weprin. “You never want to hear something like this.”

    Defense lawyer Joseph Corozzo said, “We deny any allegations of criminality in this matter and feel that the evidence will vindicate Miss Dosamantes.”

    Celia’s arrest has upset many politicians who are believed to be under investigation for similar offences.

  • Fantastic Costumes, Delirious Dancing at the West Indian American Day Parade which draws millions of spectators

    Fantastic Costumes, Delirious Dancing at the West Indian American Day Parade which draws millions of spectators

    BROOKLYN, NY (TIP): Millions of spectators from around the world were drawn to the Eastern Parkway to watch the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn Monday.

    Caribbean culture, food and fashion were on full display, along with floats, arts and crafts, clothing and jewelry vendors.

    Spectators lined the parade route, many of them of Caribbean descent.

    One woman in the crowd says she comes to the parade every year, proudly representing the island nation Grenada.

    The parade draws an estimated 1 million to 3 million spectators each year.

    One of the many traditional dance groups at the parade which drew large number of Spectators to the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, September 5, 2016

    fantastic-costumes-delirious-dancing-at-the-west-indian-american-day-parade

  • Saint Teresa’s sisters in New York serve the poorest

    Saint Teresa’s sisters in New York serve the poorest

    NEW YORK (TIP): Mother Teresa, who was declared a saint by Pope Francis on Sunday, September 4 has been hailed as the “Saint of the Gutters of Kolkata.” But her sisters find they are needed as much in New York, the richest city of the US.

    Suffering and want know no national boundaries. And neither do compassion and charity as the international brigade of Mother Teresa’s sisters bear witness in NYC.

    Barely five miles from New York’s fabled “Billionaire’s Row” overlooking Central Park, sits the nation’s poorest area, the South Bronx where Park Avenue sheds its glitz for grit. Clad in blue-bordered white cotton saris, Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity toil there tending to NY’s unwanted, the homeless and the rejects.

    “We do feel Mother Teresa’s presence here in these sisters,” Nancy Rivera, who grew up in the area, told IANS. Rivera has since moved up and now lives in a well-off area, but still returns to her childhood neighborhood to volunteer at a church near Mother Teresa’s sisters.

    She said that when she sees them pick homeless people off benches on the streets to clean and feed them, she senses “the invaluable presence of Mother Teresa.”

    She added, “I am one of the lucky ones to have met her in person.”

    Considered the poorest area in the US, census figures have pegged the percentage of people below the poverty line in the South Bronx at 38 per cent — and it rises to 49 per cent for children.

    Sister Regipaul, a native of Kerala, heads Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity convent in South Bronx, the poorest area of the US with a segregated population of African Americans and Latinos. Photos courtesy IANS
    Sister Regipaul, a native of Kerala, heads Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity convent in South Bronx, the poorest area of the US with a segregated population of African Americans and Latinos. Photos courtesy IANS

    Sister Regipaul, the head of the convent in the South Bronx, said that 20 sisters from the US, Canada, Poland, France, Argentina, the Netherlands and India work there running a shelter for 18 homeless men, a soup kitchen that provides ready meals for the needy and a service that distributes food supplies to about 200 poor families, many of them immigrants adrift in an alien land.

    Another convent in Manhattan’s Harlem has a shelter for homeless women with a soup kitchen, and in Brooklyn the sisters provide a home for unwed mothers, she said.

    A more remarkable service is the home run by the sisters for AIDS patients in downtown Manhattan. The sisters were among the first to step in to care for AIDS patients in the early 1980s when the newly-discovered disease spawned fear and prejudice.

    The sisters clean, feed and provide for the patients at the center, Regipaul said.

    The Missionaries of Charity are organized into three regions in the US. In the East Coast province headed by a Korean, Sister Rose Clara Lee, over 100 sisters work in 17 centers, three in Canada.

    Mother Teresa began the New York mission in 1971 and the late Sister Nirmala, who succeeded her, worked here for a while.

    Regipaul, who hails from Thrissur in Kerala, worked in Kolkata and Mumbai before coming to the US 35 years ago. A difference between India and here is that the poverty of the spirit is greater in the US, she told IANS.

    “In India, it is easier,” she said, adding “If the people are hungry you give them bread to eat, and it satisfies the need. Here the poverty is greater; they need food, but they are also very lonely. The loneliness is greater suffering than poverty.”

  • NYC’s new education plans aim to diversify more classrooms, restore failing schools

    NYC’s new education plans aim to diversify more classrooms, restore failing schools

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The nation’s largest public school system roars back to life Thursday as more than a million New York City kids return to class.

    As families and students scramble to get ready for the new school year, they will encounter a system at a pivotal moment, as it tries to restore some of the city’s struggling schools while making classrooms more diverse.

    City schools boss Carmen Fariña and Mayor de Blasio are fighting to build on the administration’s successful roll-out of universal pre-kindergarten programs, and critics still say they are doing too little. In an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Wednesday, Fariña outlined her plans to invest more money in strapped schools to create a more level playing field.

    “Right now I’m grinning from ear to ear. Anything is possible,” gushed Fariña, 73, a veteran of both the classroom and school politics. She is entering her 51st year as an educator working in the city schools.”Every child will achieve, every parent will be happy and every teacher will feel their best,” she added. “That’s what I hope to do over the course of the year. I’m very excited.”

    In her third full year leading the public schools under Mayor de Blasio, Fariña said she intends to build on new programs that bring added social services to hundreds of schools.

    She also aims to boost academics – particularly reading – with the addition of hundreds of literacy coaches. Believing that second graders are entering a pivotal year with language skills, she has a goal, she says, to have them all read at grade level.

    Much of Fariña’s efforts will hinge on the twin concepts of equity and excellence first unveiled by Mayor de Blasio in an education policy speech in October.

    The public schools will be rolling out a slew of programs to increase the use of guidance counselors, take students on college visits and promote Advanced Placement classes.

    Fariña will also be doubling down on the city’s efforts to overhaul 94 troubled schools that have posted mixed results despite the city’s efforts to fix them with an investment of $761 million in added services and staffers.

    The city will look to close or combine some of those struggling schools that have resisted improvement, Fariña said.

    She will also work to improve diversity in the city’s schools – including some that are the most racially segregated in the nation.

    More schools are setting enrollment targets to promote diversity, Fariña said, and the city will hold a series of meetings across the city with parents and educators to build on those efforts. Overall, her goal is to improve upon a citywide high school graduation rate of just over $70, to bring it to 80% by 2026, Fariña said. “We need to make sure we have student achievement where it needs to be, so our students will graduate and get good jobs and be productive citizens,” she added.

    Critics, such as Brooklyn College education professor David Bloomfield, have faulted Fariña and de Blasio for failing to produce a sea change for a school system where just 38% of students passed state reading tests in 2016.

    He says he doesn’t trust the administration’s metrics.

    “De Blasio promotes no vision, so he is constantly criticized, without the ability to announce large scale success, just new programs and suspect data points,” Bloomfield said.

    Bronx public school parent and education activist Tracy Woodall shares Bloomfield’s impatience with the public schools’ slow transformation under de Blasio. “I’ve met so many teachers who want to be innovative in the ways they teach kids but feel stifled,” said Woodall. “The whole system needs to be changed.”

  • Indian-Origin Designer Vaishali Shadangule to Showcase at New York Fashion Week

    Indian-Origin Designer Vaishali Shadangule to Showcase at New York Fashion Week

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Designer Vaishali Shadangule is all set to showcase her collection under the label Vaishali S at the New York Fashion Week for the very first time, says an IANS report

    To be presented on Sept. 8, the designer will be showcasing the brand’s new Spring Summer 2017 collection aptly titled ‘And Quiet Flows the Thread’.

    “Showcasing its SS’17 collection at New York Fashion Week, September 2016 will be Vaishali S’s first step towards building the bridge between India’s century old hand weaving tradition and introducing it to the world,” Shadangule said in a statement.

    The label will be showing this new collection amongst the renowned international designers like Tom Ford, Vera Wang, Micheal Costello, Anna Sui and Alexandra Wang.

    The collection is an attempt to find the fine balance through knots and threads depicting the flow of life. The inspiration is to carry this flow through the garments. The inter-woven threads floating on the garment create a confluence of a free-spirited flow. The knots culminate at a point which holds the entire garment together.

    The designer says showcasing the collection at the New York Fashion Week will open an avenue for the entire community of Indian textile makers.

    “This opportunity will open an avenue not only for me and other designers but also for the entire community of Indian textile makers and handloom weavers to get their craft noticed and acknowledged in the international fashion industry,” she added.

    The color palette used in the collection consists of off-white, beige, shades of blue, grey and black, subtly compliment to the progression of the flow. Textures ranging from knots and cords to loose, freely hanging threads are the essence of the collection, giving life to the concept of flow and form.

    The lightness and versatility of the fabrics like silk, khadi and Jamdani will give way to unique, individualistic silhouettes such as those of jackets, dresses of varying lengths and aesthetically constructed drapes, each of which are created with an unconventional perspective.

  • Indian American Aam Aadmi Party Activist, Pran Kurup, dies of Cardiac Arrest

    Indian American Aam Aadmi Party Activist, Pran Kurup, dies of Cardiac Arrest

    SACRAMENTO (TIP): Indian American entrepreneur and social activist Pran Kurup, nicknamed the “unsung hero” behind the nascent Aam Aadmi party movement in Northern California, died Sept. 3 in Thiruvananthapuram, India, of cardiac arrest.

    Kurup was 49 at the time of his death. The Silicon Valley, Calif., resident leaves behind

    his wife, Lachmi Khemlani, and two children.

    In July, Kurup released his third book, “Arvind Kejriwal and The Aam Aadmi Party: An Inside Look.” Kurup and Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal were batch-mates at IIT Kharagpur, and the book chronicles the deep friendship the two shared, as well as Kejriwal’s influence on Kurup’s philosophy.

    “Pran, IIT batch mate and a very dear friend, passed away due to cardiac arrest. May his soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to his family,” tweeted Kejriwal Sept. 3.

    As the Aam Aadmi Party began its growth in the U.S., in 2012, Kurup is credited with increasing the movement’s visibility through social media and his popular column in The Economic Times. At a Sept. 21, 2013 panel discussion at UC Berkeley that explored India’s changing political landscape, Kurup remarked: “Although the last thing India needs is a new party, it is unfortunately the only alternative for a young, aspiring secular India in the 21st century.”

    He then discussed the AAP’s transparent funding process, the open candidate selection process, the push to political decentralization, and the focus on education and healthcare for the masses, emphasizing the message: “Vote even if you don’t vote for AAP.”

    University of California San Francisco cancer researcher Maya Vishwakarma – who in 2014 ran for a Lok Sabha seat from Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh on the Aam Aadmi ticket – credited Kurup with being a mentor, teacher and beloved friend.

    The Chennai-born Kurup founded Vitalect, an e-learning company based in California, in 1997. He also served as the president of the Silicon Valley Indian Professionals Association.

     

     

  • AAPI Victory Fund Launches Anti-Trump Ad in Virginia

    AAPI Victory Fund Launches Anti-Trump Ad in Virginia

    WASHINGTON(TIP): The Asian-American and Pacific Islander community has launched an anti-Donald Trump campaign in the crucial state of Virginia, alleging that the Republican presidential candidate continues to make fear-mongering comments against the American Muslim community.

    The 70-year-old reality TV star’s platform “is steeped in bigotry” and needs to be countered, the Asian-American and Pacific Islanders Victory Fund said while kicking off its campaign by releasing its first web ad, “Rejecting Hate,” which it said is targeted at voters in Virginia.

    Virginia has emerged as a swing state, and is now heavily leaning towards Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

    During the primaries, the AAPI Victory Fund had endorsed 69-year-old Clinton.

    “Donald Trump has consistently chosen to divide our country with hateful demagoguery that fuels anti-Muslim sentiments across the country,” said Dilawar Syed, AAPI Victory Fund co-founder and vice chair.

    “We must fight back against a candidate whose platform is steeped in bigotry and who believes that attacking a diverse and engaged American community will somehow give him the path to the White House. We won’t stand for it, and we won’t let it happen,” he said.

    “President Obama won our state by a margin of three percent in 2012, a state where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders represent six percent of the population,” said Shekar Narasimhan, AAPI Victory Fund chair.

    “As a Virginia resident and voter, I believe our community can be the margin of victory this November. We can affect this election through outreach and mobilizing voters throughout Virginia,” he said. Launched in January 2016, the AAPI Victory Fund is the first super political action committee of its kind. It is now mobilizing AAPI voters in key battleground states where growing AAPI populations could be the margin of victory.

    With a population of more than 21 million and representing six percent of the country’s population, AAPIs are the fastest-growing and most diverse minority groups in America.

    Indian-Americans for Trump welcome his immigration policy

    Indian-American supporters of Donald Trump have welcomed the Republican presidential nominee’s immigration policy, saying it will strengthen his base.

    “The address definitely strengthens his base and, we read that once his message is assimilated by the Latino population interested in keeping the illegal immigrants in the USA, his approval among them will increase somewhat,” said A D Amar, president of Indian-Americans for Trump 2016.

    “What we read from this policy address by Trump is that if the illegal immigrants who have not committed crime continue to live in the shadow, there will be no rounding up of them by any deportation task force that he promised to enlarge if elected the next president,” Amar said, commenting on the major policy speech of Trump on immigration.

    Amar said that in his address, Trump outlined his immigration policy with emotion and toughness that his followers will appreciate and strengthen his base.

    “However, he spared mass deportation for the largest part of the 11 million illegal immigrants who have not committed any crime, are not public charge, are gainfully integrated in the American society, and continue to do so,” he said.

    “We see this as a softening, and showing heart for the immigrants living in the USA. Nevertheless, he was very clear that if they wanted path to citizenship, they will have to go back to the country they came from and go through the process to be legalized,” Amar said.

  • Indian American Entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal back in command at Gravity4, pending Jail Sentence notwithstanding

    Indian American Entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal back in command at Gravity4, pending Jail Sentence notwithstanding

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Despite a 12-month pending jail sentence for domestic violence, tech mogul Gurbaksh Chahal has returned to the helm of Gravity4.

    TechCrunch reported that Chahal had handed over control of the company he founded to his sister Kamal Kaur, after San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tracie Brown found him guilty in July of violating his probation by battering another woman.

    Kaur previously held leadership roles at Chahal’s other companies, including RadiumOne and BlueLithium, which was sold to Yahoo in 2007 for $300 million.

    TechCrunch reported that it was not clear why Chahal has returned to his position as CEO of Gravity4 or how long this will last. Kaur was listed as CEO on the company’s team page until last week, when she was removed without explanation. Her profile has now been replaced with Chahal’s, which describes him as a “diehard entrepreneur” and makes no mention of his legal problems, reported the Web site.

    Chahal had been serving a three-year probation for two misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence. He was first arrested in 2013 in his San Francisco penthouse after his former girlfriend, Juliet Kakish, complained to police that he had kicked and slapped her 117 times over the course of two hours, and attempted to choke her.

    The Indian American entrepreneur – who founded his first company at the age of 16 – was initially charged with 47 felony counts, but eventually entered into a deal with prosecutors that allowed him to plead guilty to just two misdemeanors. While serving his probation, Chahal in 2014 allegedly victimized another woman, for which he must now face jail time. He was not immediately taken into custody following his sentencing Aug. 12.

    Chahal’s attorney, James Lassart, said in court Aug. 12 that he would file an appeal of Brown’s sentence. Lassart did not respond to India-West’s repeated calls to determine if he had filed the appeal, which is due Sept. 12.

    Chahal, who grew up in San Jose, Calif., founded ClickAgents at the age of 25, and went on to found Blue Lithium. He then founded RadiumOne, but was forced to resign from the company in 2014, after he was charged with domestic violence.

  • Indian American girl dead in fatal road accident in Kerala to be cremated in Chicago

    Indian American girl dead in fatal road accident in Kerala to be cremated in Chicago

    KOTTAYAM (TIP): A 4-year-old Indian-American girl Jerena, who was spending her vacation with parents in the ancestral village, died on September 1 after suffering severe injuries in a fatal road accident that happened near Kottayam, Kerala.

    The girl along with her family was traveling to the state capital Thiruvananthapuram to visit the museum when the accident occurred.

    Born and brought up in Chicago, Jerena was the younger daughter of Jomon Mathew and Filsy who are settled in Chicago.

    Jomon works as a Physiotherapists’ and Philsy is a nurse. The couple also has two sons named Johano and Geydon. It was Jerena’s first visit to her ancestral village.

    The accident occurred on MC Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby wall. All six, including the driver, were rushed to the hospital in Meeyannur, but Jerena’s was declared brought dead by the doctors.

    The family has decided to cremate the body in Chicago.

  • SICC Eyes Youth & Women’s Cricket Development with ACF Coach Certification Clinics

    SICC Eyes Youth & Women’s Cricket Development with ACF Coach Certification Clinics

    SARASOTA, FLA (TIP): The Sarasota International Cricket Club (SICC) recently hosted a weekend-long American Cricket Federation (ACF) Level 1 and Level 2 cricket coaching certification session attended by 16 prospective coaches. West Indian Legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul was at the coaching clinics to interact with the participants.

    Interest is high in Youth and Women’s cricket in the State of Florida, as well as in after school cricket programs there, however the development is being hampered by the lack of certified cricket coaches. Encouraging and expanding the number of coaches is a vital part of SICC’s mission to promote cricket in Florida and the USA.

    The SICC club owns two side-by-side cricket fields, which can be used for youth and women’s cricket. The recent coaching clinics were conducted by ACF’s Director of Coaching Jatin Patel, and produced 10 new Level 2 coaches and six new Level 1 coaches; it is a first step towards providing an adequate number of trained coaches to help develop the potential of the youth and women cricketers in the Sarasota area.

    Founded in 1983 by a diverse group of SICC cricketers who brought their knowledge and love of the game to the west coast of Florida, with the aim of giving people there the opportunity to learn, play and enjoy the world’s second most popular sport. The club’s activities are geared to achieving its formal mission: To promote the sport of cricket by conducting games and tournaments for amateur cricketers nationally and internationally, and to support the development of amateur cricketers, particularly youth cricketers for those competitions, by providing facilities, equipment and training.

    SICC is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c) (3) of the revenue code, and the club is the only one in the USA organized solely for the purpose of promoting and playing cricket, that has its own facilities. Its Bermuda grass playing field, ICC approved non-turf match wicket, practice net and clubhouse, are recognized as being among the finest facilities in the country.

    SICC activities include a year-round schedule of games in Sarasota with teams from across Florida; occasional games with teams from up and down the east coast; the hosting of touring teams from other countries; the staging of an annual cricket tournament since 1997 that has drawn entries from Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Australia, Israel and Holland, as well from all over the United States; sponsorship of a local youth cricket program; tours that have taken Sarasota cricket to England (twice), Scotland (as ambassadors for Sarasota to its Twin-city of Dumfermline), South Africa, the Bahamas, Canada (four times), California, Guyana, Trinidad and the Philadelphia International Cricket Festival (six times).

    Milestones for the club include the visit of the Lord’s Taverners, England’s primary cricket charity benefiting physically challenged children, in 1995: matches against the cricket team of Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia in Sarasota and in the UK in 1997; the visit of the Primary Club, Australia’s principal cricket charity in 2003; and two matches with the MCC touring team from London as part of their cricket development tour of the eastern USA organized by the International Cricket Council and the England and Wales Cricket Board, respectively, the world and UK governing bodies for cricket.

    The following testimonials are indicative of the success of the ACF clinic hosted by SICC:

    “Thank you coach – Jatin Patel, it was a wonderful experience to attend the ACF Level 2 Sarasota Cricket Coaching clinic. Everything was perfectly organized; Chris Thakoorpersad did a marvelous job to make me feel at home. Thank you Chris. My perspective has changed as far as teaching the game of cricket to youths. Now onwards I will be more organized and simple in my approach with younger kids so they can develop as better players. Coaching instructions were simply practical rather than coming out of books. Thanks a lot for your effort to teach us how to become perfect coaches.” Sandip J. Desai

    “I really enjoyed the sessions and thanks to Jatin Patel and ACF for making the classes fun and engaging. Needless to say it was an honor to meet Shivnarine Chanderpaul and to listen to him share his experience and cricket knowledge. Thanks to Chris Thakoorpersad for making this happen, and I for one look forward to any other classes that come up in the future and to be a part of the SICC club in the future.” Ganeshbabu Venkat.

    About the American Cricket Federation 
    Cricket (ACF) Coach Certification Program

    The ACF Cricket Coach Certification Level 1 program was launched in May 2014, followed by the Level 2 certification program one year later in June 2015. Since the launch, 17 States can now boast of having certified ACF cricket coaches, with nine States having certified instructors for Level 1 coaches.

    As of August 20, 2016 there were a total of 266 Level 1 and 85 Level 2 certified coaches helping the sport grow in the USA, including 174 Physical Education teachers who have added cricket coaching expertise to their coaching certification portfolios in schools across the country. ACF’s Director of Coaching Jatin Patel has conducted six Level 2 coach certification clinics in a total of five States. The next ACF Level 2 Cricket Coaching Certification Clinic is scheduled for September 17-18, 2016 in New Jersey. For more information, contact:

    Avinash Gaje, New Jersey Softball Cricket League (NJSBCL) via e-mail at agaje@yahoo.com or Coach Jatin Patel via e-mail at forjatin@gmail.com

  • ‘Sidhu never asked to be made CM face, said God told him to work with AAP’

    ‘Sidhu never asked to be made CM face, said God told him to work with AAP’

    As cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu fired his first salvo at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saying Arvind Kejriwal wanted to use him as a “piece of decoration” during elections, AAP’s Punjab co-incharge Sanjay Singh, in an interview to HT in Ludhiana on Thursday, said Sidhu is not speaking the truth as he (Sidhu) had himself said he is not selfish to contest from his wife’s seat and would campaign for the party in the entire state.

    Sidhu has accused the AAP of trying of give him a raw deal?

    Sanjay: I am surprised by his U-turn. I had a direct discussion with Sidhu and he had said he would join us in Punjab’s interests. He said it is a fight between ‘dharm’ and ‘adharm’ (good versus evil) and he wants to uproot the corrupt Badals. I still cannot forget what he then said. I quote him, “Mujhe Mahdev ka adesh ho gaya hai. Mein AAP ke saath Punjab ke liye laruga (I have been ordered by God Mahadev. I will fight alongside AAP to save Punjab)”.

    What was the deal offered to him?

    The AAP is not a mall that it would offer a deal or a discount on its policies. He was only told about the policy of “one family, one-ticket” rule. Sidhu had then said he is not so selfish that he would contest from his wife’s seat. He said his wife would contest elections and he would campaign for the AAP across the state. He is not saying the truth.

    Did he ask for being made party’s CM face, or was offered to be one?

    To be fair to him, neither did he once ask for being made the CM face of the party in Punjab nor was it offered. He did talk to us once again (after Arvind Kejriwal came back from his Vipassana meditation centre in Himachal) on what have we thought about him, and we told him all of that has already been discussed.

    Why is the AAP worried over the fourth front?

    The AAP is not worried. We are only gaining ground in Punjab. Our rallies are only getting bigger. The nervousness being betrayed by our rival parties is the proof. But it is for Sidhu to answer who is he trying to benefit by forming a fourth front. Even a child will not believe that a party being formed a few months before elections has any commitment. It will only lead to division of votes and vitiate the environment of the state before elections. Instead of attacking the Badals and their mafia raj, Sidhu is busy attacking the AAP and helping them.

  • Sidhu’s new outfit a ‘B-team’ of the RSS, says AAP’s Jarnail

    Sidhu’s new outfit a ‘B-team’ of the RSS, says AAP’s Jarnail

    Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab co-incharge Jarnail Singh hit back at Navjot Singh Sidhu, alleging that his political outfit Awaaz-e-Punjab is the “B-team of the RSS”, and said his attack on the Badal family was a diversion, as his real target was Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

    Jarnail also said that by forming a new party, the cricketer-turned-politician finally accepted that he harbours chief ministerial ambitions. “Navjot Singh Sidhu’s press conference has made it clear that he is the B Team of the RSS. We were suspicious of him from the very beginning. He first wanted that the BJP should contest the Punjab polls all alone, but when it was not possible, he got separated with the blessings of the RSS,” Jarnail said.

    “How can a person save Punjab when he cannot relinquish his claim to a ticket,” Jarnail added.

  • ARVIND KEJRIWAL ONLY WANTS ‘YES-MEN’, SAYS NAVJOT SIDHU

    ARVIND KEJRIWAL ONLY WANTS ‘YES-MEN’, SAYS NAVJOT SIDHU

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Playing the cards close to his chest, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on September 8 launched a non-political front in Punjab attacking the Akali-BJP combine, Congress and the AAP but gave no indication about who he will align with in the Assembly elections He dubbed the AAP, with which he was widely speculated to be eyeing a tie up, as “anarchy in the garb of democracy” and said its leader Arvind Kejriwal wants only “yes-men”.

    Addressing a press conference at the formal launch of “Awaaz-E-Punjab”, a non-political front for “betterment” of Punjab, the former BJP leader, who quit his Rajya Sabha seat in July, said its aim is to hand over the power of democracy to people after ending “the rule of one family” in the state.

    Sidhu said that in the next 15-20 days he will come out with the fronts future plan.

    Launching a frontal attack on the Badals, who have been in power for a decade, he said the “kaale Badal (dark clouds) have overshadowed Punjab and people are keen to see sunlight”.

    “People elect government for themselves and not for a family,” he said, alleging that Badals have made Punjab and the party as their family fiefdom. He also claimed that Akalis and Congress were “two sides of the same coin” who fought a “friendly-match” and ruined Punjab, which needed a change for its better future. Clearing the air over speculation about his joining AAP, Sidhu claimed that the AAP leadership was after him for the last two years and made many offers. He accused Kejriwal of speaking “half truth” as he was told to not contest but only campaign. “Kejriwal and his men were luring me for last two years to join AAP. They offered many things but I only asked them to define my role. I wanted to know his intentions and his aim. “He told me not to contest but only campaign. But he said my wife can contest and will make her a minister. I thanked him. He also wanted to make me a decoration piece, which I was earlier,” he told reporters.

    Attacking the AAP leader, Sidhu said, “Kejriwal wants only yes men…arrogance in democracy is not acceptable.”

    “Kejriwal thinks only he is honest and no one else is and it is his copyright. He feels others have no right to say that they are honest. I am sitting here with people who are to help Punjab. I am ready to give my life for Punjab.

    “Kejriwal is always trying to indulge in one-upmanship and take credit and no one else is allowed to do so,” said Sidhu, who was flanked by Olympian and rebel SAD MLA Pargat Singh and Bains brothers – Simarjeet and Balwinder. He claimed that people have suffered in the hands of five years of Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh and during the last 10 years of danda tantra (rule of the stick) during which he alleged, false cases were slapped on people and votes secured through polarisation. Sidhu formally launched the front as Kejriwal started his four-day visit to the state to boost the party’s campaign.

    Sidhu sought 15-20 days more to spell out what would be the role of his newly launched front. Without spelling out if

    ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ will be launched as a political party later on, Sidhu said it is a forum of like minded people for the betterment of Punjab.

    He went into details on why things with AAP did not materialise, how he was strongly opposed to the ruling Badals and mystery surrounding his surprise decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha seat recently.

    Sidhu began by telling journalists that he would prefer to address them in Punjabi, saying “If a Punjabi person does not speak in Punjabi, it looks like he is telling a lie.”

    “The issue I am putting up before you today is serious, it will answer most of your queries. Aawaz-e-Punjab’s objective is to make Punjab which is in dire straits prosperous again.”

    “It has become tradition in India and in Punjab to use good people as decoration pieces, when you need them use them and later on dump them. This has become the tradition,” he said.

    Attacking the Badal family, Sidhu said ideology of ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ is to empower people of Punjab rather than present concentration of power which is only with ruling Badal family.

    Noting that Badals have “no policy and no desire” to resurrect Punjab, he said “dark ‘Badal’ (cloud) has overshadowed Punjab and people are keen to see sunlight.”

    Without naming his own party BJP, he said like them, Kejriwal too wanted him to be just a “decoration piece” who are used and then dumped once the job is done.

    Sidhu held that no party is good or bad, but it’s the people who run it and their thinking what matters.

    He noted that need of the hour is to revive and redeem “hapless” Punjab. “Currently, Punjab is in worse condition,” he said. We are not fighting for personal gains but for the better future of Punjab,” he said.

    He said people of Punjab want change of governance and this can be done by those leaders who are strong. “We will work for Punjab, Punjabiat and in the end Punjabiat and people of Punjab will win,” he said.

    He accused Badals of controlling all the businesses in Punjab and even mortgaging government properties for their own family’s benefit. Sidhu alleged both Badal and Amarinder Singh (Punjab Congress chief) are two sides of one coin. “They are playing a friendly match,” he said, adding this had led to frustrated people raising their voices.

    Hitting out at Badals and Amarinder, he said “they are rich in ambition and poor in condition.”

    Over the issue of his quitting the Rajya Sabha seat, he said that “It had nothing to do with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. I had refused the Rajya Sabha seat two years back.”

    Sidhu also talked in detail trying to clear the air over earlier speculations on his joining AAP. “I will tell you why Sidhu could not be one with Kejriwal Sahib. When I speak, I speak less, but when I do, then I do not leave anything, I will make all things clear to you,” he told a volley of questions fielded on the issue.

    “Kejriwal and his men were luring me for last two years to join AAP. They offered many things, but I only asked them to define my role. I wanted to know his intentions and his aim,” he said.

    “Kejriwal thinks only he is honest and no one else is and it is his copyright. He feels others have no right to say that they are honest. I am sitting here with people who are to help Punjab. I am ready to give my life for Punjab.”

    Attacking BJP and the Akalis, Sidhu said he was made a “decorative piece” by the ruling dispensation and was not accorded any importance even at public functions, fearing he may hog limelight.

    “It was not possible to stand with Dhritarashtra. They are Dhritarashtra and Dusshasana. They nominated me to Rajya Sabha and one BJP leader said campaign for Badal and other said ‘don’t go to Punjab’,” he said, making an analogy with characters of epic Mahabharata.

    Without naming anyone, he said, “they hatched conspiracies, threw baits, but Sidhu did not leave Guru Ka Ghar (Amritsar). They wanted that Sidhu should leave Amritsar,” he said.

    Taking on Akalis, he said, “All that Sidhu wanted was development of Amritsar and to take care of problems faced by the people of holy city”.

    “What were we asking for, only development of Amritsar, something to solve the problem of solid waste in the city. Had they done any politics with Sidhu, I would not have had a problem, but you will stop development of Amritsar, that was unacceptable to me,” he said.

    About Punjab Congress chief, Sidhu said, he also tried to woo him. “Capt Sahib also send 30-40 people (to meet him),” Sidhu said.

    Replying to a question, Sidhu targeted AAP, saying “The East India company came with 40,000 troops and ruled over 40 crore people in India.”

    “Like that, the Central India company has sent 40 people and want to rule over Punjab by dividing the people of Punjab. There is no difference. They talk to individuals and people are told and never heard.”

    When asked that AAP has charged him with being highly ambitious, Sidhu shot back, “who are they to say this”.

    Asked if his front will help the ruling Akails, he said, “It is for the people of Punjab to decide.”

    When asked if he had asked bargained for being projected as Chief Ministerial candidate of AAP, Sidhu said, “look at Kejriwal’s tweet earlier, what does it say, it says Navjot Sidhu had set no pre-condition. Where does this question (of CM ship) arise that I aspired for this or that.”

  • ‘Final decision yet to be made’: India clarifies about Modi’s Pakistan visit

    ‘Final decision yet to be made’: India clarifies about Modi’s Pakistan visit

    HANGZHOU (CHINA) (TIP): India was left scrambling on Sept 6 after its envoy to Pakistan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “looking forward” to visiting Islamabad for the Saarc Summit in November, with officials clarifying a final decision is yet to be made.

    High commissioner Gautam Bambawale made the remarks during an interactive session organised by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations in the Pakistani port city on Monday. Coming against the backdrop of a spike in tensions between the two countries , the comments took some in New Delhi by surprise.

    “I can’t say about the future but as of today, Prime Minister Modi is looking forward to visiting Islamabad for the Saarc summit in November this year,” Bambawale was quoted by Dawn newspaper as saying in response to a question at the event.

    After Bambawale’s remarks were reported by the Indian media, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup clarified that “decisions and announcements of such nature are not made so far in advance”.

    Other officials said a final decision is yet to be made and it would be announced at the right time. “We will only announce dates for any visit of the prime minister just before the visit,” said one official who did not want to be named.

    Another source questioned the envoy’s remarks. “Whether he should have made the comment now is another question. But it’s also a fact that it was a qualified statement,” the source said.

    Pakistan has formally invited Modi to the summit and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had said in December –before the attack on Pathankot airbase that was blamed on the Jaish-e-Mohammed – that Modi would attend.

    Bambawale also said there had been contacts at the operational level between the two governments even while tensions were high. Over the past month-and-a-half, there had been “cordial” interactions between Pakistani and Indian border forces and several meetings of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

    A Saarc Summit cannot go ahead if even one of the heads of state or government of the eight member states opts out. No Indian prime minister has skipped a summit so far.

    India-Pakistan ties have nosedived several times since January over the Pathankot attack, the unrest in Kashmir and Modi’s remarks about Islamabad answering for “atrocities” in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The two sides had announced a new Comprehensive Dialogue when Swaraj visited Islamabad in December but the process is yet to take off.

    Home minister Rajnath Singh visited Pakistan last month for a meeting of Saarc interior ministers but his interactions with his Pakistani counterpart were marked by a lack of warmth. Finance minister Arun Jaitley subsequently skipped another Saarc meet held in Islamabad during August 25-26.

    At the interaction in Karachi, Bambawale also said it was India’s desire to see a Pakistan that is moderate, prosperous and stable, and at peace with itself, its neighbours and the rest of the world. The way forward is to increase trust and confidence between the two countries because this had been lacking for the many years, he said.

    There had been contacts at the operational level between the two governments even when tensions were high, he said. Over the past month-and-a-half, there had been “cordial” interactions between Pakistani and Indian border forces and several meetings of Saarc had been held, he added.

    The Indian government, Bambawale said, had been saying: “Let’s work together to get to the bottom of terrorism which was a headache not only for Pakistan, but for India and the world.” The two countries should not be talking on just one issue but on all issues, he said.

    Replying to a question about alleged atrocities in Kashmir, he said Indians were as concerned about the people of Kashmir as anyone else in the world. However, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is domestic and “you should focus on your problems”, he added. Asked about India’s alleged interference in Balochistan, Bambawale referred to the arrest of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistani authorities and the capture of Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Bahadur Ali in Jammu and Kashmir and said there is a need to discuss these matters though there would be difficulties. When Pakistan arrested Jadhav on charges of spying, India said he was an Indian national and sought consular access, but it was not given, Bambawale said. (PTI)

  • Kashmir: Centre to wait for cessation of violence

    Kashmir: Centre to wait for cessation of violence

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Centre’s next political course in Jammu and Kashmir will entirely depend on the drop in number of incidents of clashes and complete cessation of violence. No fresh initiative is likely till then though the government is open to talking to as many sections of the people as possible, top government sources said on September 8 (Thursday).

    A day after the all party delegation and the government concluded their brainstorming session with an appeal for peace, an assessment by top Union ministers has veered towards first restoring the security in the state, and then rebuilding the primacy and “ability”of the state for easing the life for the common people.

    “Azadi” as a demand will remain a non-negotiable subject for the Centre’s interlocutors. New Delhi has sufficient reasons to believe that the current spate of violent incidents has overtone of religious extremism — to push the state from its traditional “Sufism” to “Wahhabism” as crafted by handlers in Pakistan.

    “We cannot let the people fall prey to the strategy of the pro-freedom extremists. They unleash violence and then  force the security forces to take action. Once, there is counter action by the security forces, who are under orders to show restraint, the extremists play the victim card to question the Centre’s sincerity,’’ said a top official.

    However, a clear instruction has gone out to all official agencies that the people and separatists will have to be treated as separate entities, top government sources said.

    As for the call given by the all party delegation, which went to Srinagar, for “talking to all stakesholders,” the government believes that engagement with separatists is not feasible as they cannot be treated as stakeholders so long as violence continues.

    The state has continued to witness incidents of clashes by “pro-freedom” groups though curfew has been lifted in most areas. However, there is admission in the top echelons of the Union government that there is “home-grown” anger among the people, which is being taken advantage of by terrorist groups and separatists. Therefore, the answer to the problem lies in improving tools of governance.

    Even as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti faces dissension within her People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from seniors like Muzaffar Baig, the Centre feels that the “need of the hour” will be to strengthen the elected government, which has the mandate to engage in dialogue with all sections. Even for that matter, the PDP-BJP coalition was dictated by the arithmetic of the mandate in December 2014 and “no change was likely.” The Centre also sees no immediate possibility of engaging the factions of the Hurriyat Conference as they too are no longer in position to command the mobs that are in the control of extremist groups who want to radicalise the state on religious lines.

    Hurriyat leaders are themselves seen as “hostages” to the Islamist elements who call the shot, now. Even within the Hurriyat ranks, there is dissension over their leadership’s decision not to engage the all party delegation members who knocked at doors of their leaders, Syed Ali Geelani and  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

    What has surprised New Delhi is that the issue of lack of development is not being voiced neither by the separatists or local political and civil groups. Even a group of leading citizens from the state have petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee only on the political aspect of the problem.

    Their concern as stated in their memorandum was more about “an open dialogue with the representatives of those leading the ongoing movement and overall struggle for realization of political aspirations, without questioning the legitimacy of the leadership, is imperative.” The signatories to the memorandum include Muhammad Shafi Pandit, former chairman of J&K Public Service Commission and  Hasnain Masoodi, former judge of J&K High Court.

    The Home Ministry’s assessment is that by the time  Eid-ul Zuha, slated for September 13, is observed, people in greater numbers would shun violence, notwithstanding the strike call extended by separatists till September 16. (PTI)

  • People taking cots thieves but Mallya a defaulter: Rahul takes dig at BJP

    People taking cots thieves but Mallya a defaulter: Rahul takes dig at BJP

    GORAKPUR (TIP): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sept 7 attacked the Modi government saying those who took away cots were being branded as thieves while industrialists like Vijay Mallya who escaped with Rs 1,000 crore was being labelled a ‘defaulter’.

    Using Sept 6 ‘khat loot’ incident in Deoria to attack the Modi government, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that those who took away cots were being branded as thieves while the liquor baron who escaped with Rs 1,000 crore was being called a ‘defaulter’.

    Rahul Gandhi“When people like Vijay Mallya escape from the country with Rs 1,000 crore they are referred to as defaulters. BJP and media label poor farmers as thieves when they take away cots,” said Gandhi while addressing farmers during the ‘khat sabha’ in Gorakhpur’s Sant Kabir Nagar. Gandhi was referring to Tuesday’s incident at Deoria where villagers took away nearly 1,000 stringed cots – khats in local parlance – after his rally. The Congress vice-president, who is undertaking about a month-long 2500-km mahayatra from Deoria to Delhi that started on Tuesday, is highlighting the plight of farmers.

    As part of the yatra, “Khaat Sabha” (Charpoy meetings) are being organised for Rahul to interact with farmers.

    On Wednesday, Gandhi again raised the issue of PM Narendra Modi’s suit which he wore during his visit to the US.

    “Modiji’s suit was sold for several crores of rupees but he does not have time to waive off loan of farmers,” he said. “The Modi government waived off loans of industrialists which were to the tune of Rs 1.4 lakh crore but ignored the poor farmers. The UPA government had written off farm loan of Rs 70,000 crore,” he added.

    Earlier in the day, Gandhi also met Japanese encephalitis patients and took out a road show in Gorakhpur and used both the occasions to hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Addressing the gathering after the road show, Gandhi said that the Prime Minister was busy with his foreign tours while the farmers were crying for help.

    “Kisan trast hain, Modiji mast hain (Farmers are suffering while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is carefree). Modiji is touring China, USA and Japan. He likes foreign trips, it’s okay. (PTI)

  • Pakistan drops charges against 26/11 accused, says no proof

    Pakistan drops charges against 26/11 accused, says no proof

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has dropped charges against an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attack case citing a lack of evidence.

    Local media reported on Thursday that FIA submitted a chargesheet before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) and placed the suspect, Sufiyan Zafar+ , in the second column, which means that no evidence was found against him. But the prosecution told the court that Zafar, a suspected financier of the Mumbai attack, is still being investigated and ordered FIA to submit a separate challan to the court on September 22.

    Zafar was arrested last month on a charge of financing the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in November, 2008. FIA documents revealed that Zafar, a former activist of the now banned Lashkar-e-Taiba+ , had provided financial assistance to other suspects in the case.

    The chargesheet against him mentioned that he had transferred Rs 14,800 into a suspect’s account.

    He was declared a proclaimed offender in 2011 when the ATC indicted seven people, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, a key planner, facilitator and executor of the Mumbai attacks.

    Waseem Ranjha, FIA’s deputy director (legal), informed the court that they were interrogating Zafar in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. (AP)

  • India-US military logistics pact is anti-Muslim, Hafiz Saeed says

    India-US military logistics pact is anti-Muslim, Hafiz Saeed says

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The recent India-US pact to share their military bases for repair and resupply is anti-Pakistan, meant to counter the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor+ (CPEC) and, in fact, against the Muslim world, declared Pakistan-based terrorist Hafiz Saeed+ on Wednesday, ANI reported.

    Given these things, it’s only logical China and Pakistan get even closer, the terrorist said.

    “The US has issues with China, India has issues with Pakistan. The interest of both (China and Pakistan) has become one because of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor+ ),” said Saeed, founder of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Mumbai blasts mastermind.

    Just yesterday, Pakistan’s army chief Raheel Sharif said the security and timely completion of CPEC – that goes through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir – is Pakistan’s “national duty, and no power will be allowed to disrupt it.” China is building the corridor+ that will cost a whopping $46 billion. It is considered to be an extension of China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road initiative.

    The India-US pact facilitates the provision of logistical support, supplies and services between the US and Indian militaries on a reimbursable basis, and provides a framework to govern them. And the US has agreed to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners.

    Analysts have said that US would like to use the pact to counter China’s growing military might – particularly airbases – in the South China Sea. Countering terrorism, a prime objective of the US and India, will also be facilitated by the pact, analysts added.

    Having the pact “makes it much simpler for American naval and air forces to fight there. The US does not have actual bases in India. But, it has the next best thing – a simple way to use India’s bases,” Forbes magazine said in an editorial. (ANI)

  • Dallas Businessman Receives Prestigious Honor at Global Business Summit

    Dallas Businessman Receives Prestigious Honor at Global Business Summit

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Arun Agarwal, CEO of Dallas-based home textiles company Nextt, was among NINE successful Indians honored at “Celebrating 69, Pride of the Nation Series Awards and Business Summit 2015-16,” organized by URS-AsiaOne and attended by top government officials, celebrities and entrepreneurs in India.

    Held at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai , the global business summit focused on the development initiatives of the Indian Central Government and felicitated some of the greatest contributors to India’s economy. Other highly-influential awardees included:

    Ms. Indira Nooyi, CEO PepsiCo

    Mr. Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft

    Mr. Gautam Singhania, Chairman & MD of Raymond Group

    Mrs. Sudha Gupta, Chairperson, Mother’s Pride

    Mr. C P Gurnani, Managing Director & CEO of Tech Mahindra

    Mr. Rana Kapoor, Managing Director & CEO of Yes Bank Ms. Nita Ambani, Chairperson Reliance Foundation Mr. Amartya Sen, Indian economist and philosopher

  • ITT Technical Institute to Close all Campuses

    ITT Technical Institute to Close all Campuses

    DALLAS (TIP): The company that runs ITT Technical Institute announced Tuesday, September 6 that it was shutting down academic operations at all of its campuses and thousands of its employees will lose their jobs.

    The move comes after the federal government banned the for-profit chain last month from enrolling students who use federal loans to pay for classes.

    “It is with profound regret that we must report that ITT Educational Services, Inc. will discontinue academic operations at all of its ITT Technical Institutes permanently after approximately 50 years of continuous service,” ITT Educational Services, Inc. said in a release. “With what we believe is a complete disregard by the U.S. Department of Education for due process to the company, hundreds of thousands of current students and alumni and more than 8,000 employees will be negatively affected.”

    ITT operates vocational schools at more than 130 campuses in 38 states, often under the ITT Technical Institute name. Last year, it enrolled 45,000 students and reported $850 million in revenue.

    In Texas, ITT operated 10 campuses including locations in Arlington, Austin, DeSoto, Houston (3), Richardson, San Antonio (2) and Waco.

    Officials with the Department of Education announced on Aug. 25 the ban on enrolling students with federal loans and other measures against the Indiana-based chain, which has been the subject of state and federal investigations focusing on its recruiting and accounting practices.

    Among the measures, ITT was ordered to pay $152 million to the department within 30 days to cover student refunds and other liabilities in case the company closed. ITT is still paying another $44 million demanded by the department in June for the same reason.

    The education department also prohibited ITT from awarding its executives any pay raises or bonuses, and said it must develop “teach-out” plans that would help current students finish their programs at other colleges if the chain shut down.

    Under the new measures, current students would have been able to continue receiving federal grants and loans.

    “The actions of and sanctions from the U.S. Department of Education have forced us to cease operations of the ITT Technical Institutes, and we will not be offering our September quarter,” the company said on Tuesday. “We reached this decision only after having exhausted the exploration of alternatives, including transfer of the schools to a non-profit or public institution.”

    The firm said its focus and priority with remaining staff was “on helping the tens of thousands of unexpectedly displaced students with their records and future educational options.”

    Last month, a group that accredits ITT found that the chain failed to meet several basic standards and was unlikely to comply in the future.

    One of the biggest for-profit chains in the nation, ITT has been under increasing scrutiny from the education department following allegations of misconduct.

    The Massachusetts attorney general sued the company in April, alleging that it misled students about the quality of its programs. The federal government had previously sued the chain, saying that it pushed students into high-cost private student loans knowing they would likely end in default.

    Department officials have been closely monitoring ITT’s operations since 2014, when the chain was late to submit an annual report of its finances to the government.

    Under President Barack Obama, the Education Department has led a crackdown on for-profit colleges that have misled students or failed to deliver the results they promised. In 2014, the department cut off federal aid to the Corinthian Colleges chain amid allegations of fraud, leading it to close or sell all of its schools.

    “We were not provided with a hearing or an appeal,” ITT Educational Services, Inc. said of the government’s actions. “Alternatives that we strongly believe would have better served students, employees, and taxpayers were rejected. The damage done to our students and employees, as well as to our shareholders and the American taxpayers, is irrevocable.”

  • WHISTLING IN THE DARK: The new groupthink in Kashmir is misconceived

    WHISTLING IN THE DARK: The new groupthink in Kashmir is misconceived

    Three weeks after the Americans had elected him as their next President, Barack Obama met a group of reporters and shared his thoughts on pitfalls of decision-making. In the course of that interaction, he made this point: “One of the dangers in the White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in groupthink and everybody agrees with everything, and there is no discussion and there are no dissenting views.” There is no American monopoly on groupthink. It is a universal weakness. Historians can tell us of numerous instances of grave mistakes and gross misjudgments that resulted from groupthink. We in India seem to be on the verge of a new groupthink of our own on Kashmir.

    In this new thinking it is understood and unquestioningly accepted by all that the woolly-headedness of the past decades must be rolled back, and that it must be replaced by a new muscular approach to men and matters in Kashmir. This new mood is perhaps part of a larger rethink.

    The other day we got a glimpse of the new theology from a senior military functionary, Air Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Indian Air Force. The good Air Marshal was reported to have decried that India had allowed PoK to become “a thorn in our flesh” because the post-Independence leadership allowed itself to be governed by high ideals, rather than following “a very pragmatic approach” to security needs. In the new official wisdom, which the Air Chief unwittingly voiced, there are no strategic or other advantages in taking “a high moral ground.”

    In this emerging new groupthink, the ‘separatist’ has been coddled up for too long; he must now be made to feel the rough end of the Indian truncheon. A kind of easy acceptance is being sought for this tough stance, invoking strands of nationalism, patriotism and a kind of anti-Pakistanism. Tactical cleverness is being mistaken for strategic clarity and wisdom.

    It is being authoritatively whispered in our ears that the separatist leaders, especially those who are associated with the Hurriyat, will no longer be allowed to enjoy the protection of the Indian security forces. Enough is enough. This kind of no-nonsense assertiveness goes down very well with the middle classes back in the ‘mainland’.

    Assuming – and this is a very crucial assumption – that we were ‘protecting’ Syed Ali Shah Geelani, we were presumably keeping him away from coming to harm at the hands of Pakistani agents and contract-killers. Somewhere, sometime there must have been a judgement – and, a mature and considered judgement at that -that it was probably worth providing protection to the Hurriyat leaders; otherwise, they would be easily eliminated and replaced by more radical, more intractable rabble-rousers. Perhaps we have concluded that we have lost control over the Hurriyat leaders, and that we are prepared to have a known devil displaced by an unknown devil.

    The only flaw in this seductive groupthink is that the Hurriyat leaders by themselves do not add up to anything; what makes them toxic is their capacity to summon mobs on the streets and to have people of the Valley respond to their calls for hartal.

    But a self-assured democracy should be able to ask whether by locking them up or by denying them permission to visit Delhi or Saudi Arabia, are we able to wean the crowds away from the difficult Hurriyat-wallahs?  And, while we are at it, we might as well ask ourselves why it is that suddenly the Hurriyat leaders seem to have acquired a greater traction than, say, two years ago. It is inexplicable that we deny the authenticity of the democratic energy we have witnessed on the streets in the Valley; it is inexcusable that we attribute authorship of the anger to Pakistan.

    The Pakistani meddlesomeness is older than the Shankaracharya Hills. But our new rulers in New Delhi seem to be confused. It will be naive to think that just because our Prime Minister allows himself to go and attend a wedding in Nawaz Sharif’s family, the Pakistani military establishment would surrender its assets and advantages in Kashmir. Just as it was a criminal neglect on the part of our intelligence establishment not to be prepared for an explosion after “Commander” Wani’s death in an encounter. Our policy, army, political and intelligence leadership cannot go on making errors of commission and omission and then blame Pakistan for taking advantage of our mistakes.

    The separatists were not born separatist. What drove very many Kashmiris over to the other side were our policies, postures and pretensions, and “our” politicians and their arrogance and aberrations. But then from time to time our democracy, too, has produced that magical illusion to induce the alienated and angry Kashmiris to come back to this side. After the Kargil War it was evident to every Kashmiri – as it was to every Pakistani – that Islamabad would never be able militarily to come to help them with the “struggle”. The so-called “struggle” project was over. All that remained was to enlarge the circle of participation and partnership between the Kashmiris and the Indian democracy, and its enormous capacity for accommodation and adjustment. We seem to have forgotten that an Indian Prime Minister had proclaimed and promised that “short of azadi, sky is the limit.”

    The only redeeming feature of the new groupthink on Kashmir is that the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, seems to be a very, very reluctant recruit. She is the only leader who appears to have the courage to contest and challenge the separatists and their arguments. Hers is perhaps the most demanding, most exacting as also the most dangerous job in India. She can, and does, question the Hurriyat’s pretensions precisely because she derives her legitimacy from a democratic mandate. Her efficacy critically hinges on her ability to showcase herself as the voice of the Kashmiris, rather than as New Delhi’s chosen nominee in Srinagar. And, if people in New Delhi and Nagpur cannot appreciate this delicate but absolutely necessary requirement, then we are in for serious trouble.

    Perhaps just to humor the high priests of the new groupthink, the Chief Minister did allow herself to suggest that if anyone can “solve” the Kashmir problem, it is Narendra Modi. We had heard the same tired mantra during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s days, as if Kashmir is the personal jagir of this or that Prime Minister.

    The new groupthink notwithstanding, there is an old contradiction at work: an “imperial” Delhi has the constitutional obligation of the Centre to control, and coerce, if necessary, a recalcitrant periphery; but the “democratic” India flashes its moral badge and flaunts its openness and inclusiveness to blunt the separatist and his secessionist message. Kashmir will continue to test the relative effectiveness of the “imperial” Delhi and the “democratic” India.

     

  • Taking the Paris process forward

    Taking the Paris process forward

    The ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change by the United States and China, which together account for 38 per cent of global greenhouse

    gas emissions, provides much-needed momentum for the global compact to be in force beyond 2020. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has emphasized, 26 countries have already acceded to the accord; to reach the target of 55 per cent emissions, 29 more must come on board.

    For the U.S., this is a landmark departure from its long-held position of not accepting a binding treaty like the Kyoto Protocol, where emerging economies heavily reliant on fossil fuels have no firm commitments.

    The Paris Agreement addressed this issue by stipulating voluntary but verifiable emissions reduction goals for all parties, within the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities that underpin the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Contrary to the belief that a requirement to cut GHGs will make economies less competitive, a major section of global industry and business has reaffirmed the potential for trillions of dollars in green investments flowing from the ratification of the Paris Agreement by the U.S. and China. This is a clear pointer for India, which is estimated to have the third highest individual country emissions as of 2014.

    There are distinct low-carbon pathways that India has outlined in its national plan submitted to the UNFCCC. Among these, the scaling up of renewable energy and non-fossil fuel sources to 40 per cent of installed power production capacity by 2030 is predicated on technology transfer and the availability of Green Climate Fund resources. Not much progress has been made in this area, and Minister of State for Environment Anil Madhav Dave confirmed recently that no contribution had been received from the Fund. Helping India lock in the right technologies in its growth trajectory is important for a global reduction in greenhouse gases. It is important for the U.S. to help accelerate this process in the area of power generation, following up on the assurances given by Secretary of State John Kerry during his recent visit on clean energy finance, technology, solar catalytic funding and help for power grid upgradation. New Delhi can, in parallel, do much more on domestic policy to achieve green and low energy intensive growth – such as taxing fossil fuels, managing emissions from waste better and making low-carbon buildings mandatory. India joined other G20 countries at Hangzhou to commit itself to addressing climate change through domestic policy measures. For that to happen, the Centre must initiate a serious discussion with the States on the national imperatives.

    (The Hindu)

  • Stop boring us, Mr. Trump

    Stop boring us, Mr. Trump

    As the sole surviving super power, the United States demands the attention of the world. And every four years it enacts a long-running circus that often entertains the universe by its weirdness, if nothing else. But the most recent extravaganza is beginning to pall because it has become plainly boring.

    Everyone knows that the contest is between Donald Trump, the billionaire realty mogul and one-time beauty pageant impresario, and Hillary Clinton, one-time First Lady, a senator from New York and Secretary of State. Trump has abundantly proved that he is a loudmouth who delights in insulting women, Muslims, Mexicans and anyone else he hates on a particular day on his way to winning his Republican Party nomination in the primaries.

    For her part, Hillary was no shoo-in for the Democratic Party’s nomination, with Bernie Sanders with his Left platform giving her a tough fight till the very end. Given the tantalizing prospect of becoming the first woman president of her country, Clinton has met with apathy, if not worse, from many women voters.

    In fact, the contest has become one between two unpopular candidates for very different reasons. Trump the showman has got thus far by treading on everyone’s toes and living to fight another day. Hillary is saddled with the sea of emails she unwisely sent on a private server while secretary of state. Trump has a legion of enemies for good reasons but Hillary has many detractors because she has a trust deficit.

    Expectedly, American newspapers and television stations and websites are giving the presidential contest acres of space and time. But why should the world be subjected to a repetitive circus that seems to have a predictable end? Every event or happening in the US is not of great import to the rest of the world unless Trump emerges as the unlikely winner with his outlandish ideas on foreign policy. Former establishment figures are reduced to writing open letters dissociating themselves from his foreign policy adventures.

    How then can the world insulate itself from a predictable tale of human folly?The French, with their nuanced view of history and social life, have made a feast of Trump’s foibles (read Le Monde Diplomatique). Others have sought to laugh off such Trumpisms as referring to a woman’s menstrual cycle or the size of his own manliness. Yet others have bemoaned the depth of depravity in American public discourse.

    Looking at it, the American political contest does not present a pretty picture. Some rough jokes and backslapping and backstabbing one can take in one’s stride but misogyny is not funny nor a taunting description of a woman’s body functions. Nothing, it seems, is out of bounds for Trump.

  • A Rejoinder to George Abraham’s article – ‘RSS, BJP and India’s independence struggle’

    A Rejoinder to George Abraham’s article – ‘RSS, BJP and India’s independence struggle’

    George ji, You have invested lot of time and energy in sharing your views through this article.

    Ashok Vyas (The author is a writer, poet and a host with ITV. He can be reached at insightashok@yahoo.com)
    Ashok Vyas (The author is a writer, poet and a host with ITV. He can be reached at insightashok@yahoo.com)

    We are gifted as human beings to seek out that, which supports our point of view, some are better at this skill than others.

    I guess, you have a sense of grudge, dissatisfaction and pain about the ways adopted by RSS and BJP towards congress and its leaders, which is understandable.

    I feel, there is much more to the whole story and you have overlooked lots of positives from RSS and BJP. There has been increase in confidence, self-esteem is enhanced, image of India on the world level has improved, economic yardsticks also present overall correct direction.

    What works for nation is more important than the claim of a particular party on ideas and ideals.

    Since, I got the link from you and it is published in the “The Indian Panorama’, after a cursory  look to get the gist of your article, when I look at it again and read your words quoted in bold letter in the newspaper. Let me take the liberty of sharing my quick response.

    If you study the history of BJP and RSS, contrary to your view ‘that the party sorely lacks icons and legacies’, there are many patriotic leaders with amazing understanding of Indian spirit.

    You are painting the party as ’embarrassed by the lack of pedigree’.

    I google the meaning of pedigree, it is a noun and two meanings that are given, one is ‘the record of descent of an animal, showing it to be purebred.’

    I am sure, you are not referring to animals here, so here is the second meaning of pedigree, it says “the recorded ancestry, especially upper-class ancestry, of a person or family.”

    Respected sir, we are working towards going beyond ‘lower and upper class’ confrontation and nowyou start ridiculing a whole party for not belonging to ‘upper-class’. What is upper class after all,going by the impressions created by Congress in India, there is only one dynasty, which has the rightful claim to belong to upper class.

    Now, history is the history of India as a nation, do you aspire to divide the nation by ascribing partof the history to one party? Now, that tells us something about congress having lived on the legacyof freedom struggle though Gandhiji wanted it to be dissolved after independence.

    If we start looking at the past and digging skeletons, it would affect the path of harmony and it would take away our focus from the development.

    I see lot of passion in these words of yours, when you write ‘with unlimited resources at their disposal,they get hold of some hired hands that are ready to scan every nook and corner to find any missing comma and invisible gaps in crumpled pieces of history to recreate a story to fit their narrative’

    Well, I don’t know how to respond, is there any fact in this sentence? It is your satire lacedperception and poetic expression of controlled anger.

    As about me, the narrative that I see, is the narrative of a nation that wants to grow.

    The narrative that I see is the eagerness of Indian youth to prove their mettle to the world.

    The narrative has to go beyond party yet party provides a structure, the structure provided by Congress has not worked, if it was working, there was no need for such a massive change in the center.

    Let us watch, how things shape up with this new promising structure.

    You belong to Congress; I don’t belong to BJP or Congress. I belong to Bharat. It is important to mentionthis because disagreeing with you need not to be seen as my support for BJP or opposition of Congress.

    We are on our quest and realization of truth with our own tools of perception.

    I haven’t bothered to respond to the whole article but the spirit of it is captured by editor Prof Indrajit Saluja jiin the lines quoted with heading.

    In the spirit of love for Bharat, I appreciate your article for stimulating my thought process and wishall of us grow in our understanding with openness.

    (The author is a writer, poet and a host with ITV. He can be reached at insightashok@yahoo.com)