WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday asked the US Supreme Court to revive his ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations after it was blocked by lower courts that found it was discriminatory.
The administration filed two emergency applications with the nine high court justices seeking to block two different lower court rulings that went against Trump’s March 6 order barring entry for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days while the US government implements stricter visa screening.
The move comes after the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals on May 25 upheld a Maryland judge’s ruling blocking the order.
The administration also filed a separate appeal in that case. “We have asked the Supreme Court to hear this important case and are confident that President Trump’s executive order is well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe and protect our communities from terrorism,” Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement.
At least five votes are needed on the nine-justice court in order to grant a stay. The court has a 5-4 conservative majority, with Justice Anthony Kennedy – a conservative who sometimes sides with the court’s four liberals – the frequent swing vote. Another of the court’s conservatives, Neil Gorsuch, was appointed by Trump this year.
If the government’s request is granted, the ban would go into effect. In its 10-3 ruling, the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said challengers of the ban, including refugee groups and others represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, were likely to succeed on their claim that the order violated the US Constitution’s bar against favoring or disfavoring a particular religion.
The March ban was Trump’s second effort to implement travel restrictions on people from several Muslim-majority countries through an executive order. The first, issued on Jan. 27, led to chaos and protests at airports and in major US cities before it was blocked by courts.
The second order was intended to overcome the legal issues posed by the original ban, but it was blocked by judges before it could go into effect on March 16. (Reuters)
KATHMANDU (TIP): A cargo plane crashed Saturday as it was trying to land at a small airport near Mount Everest, killing the pilot and seriously injuring the two other crew members on board, officials said.
All three crew members were pulled alive from the wreckage of the plane, which broke into three pieces when it crashed as it was attempting to land at Lukla airport in heavy fog. (AP)
KATHMANDU (TIP): Nepal’s mountaineering community was celebrating the first conquest of Mount Everest 64 years ago June 29, as well as this year’s climbing season during which hundreds scaled the world’s highest peak.
A ceremony later Monday marking the first successful Everest climb by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, in 1953 will also honor several others who have contributed to the climbing industry, said Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
The industry suffered back-to-back tragedies in 2014 and 2015, when deadly avalanches forced the mountain’s early closure.
This year’s season, which began in March and ends on Wednesday, saw hundreds of climbers reach the top of the 8,850- meter (29,035-foot) peak despite severe weather conditions. Last year was also considered a successful season, during which hundreds reached the top but five climbers died.
Six climbers died in the attempt this season, and all but that of American doctor Roland Yearwood had been recovered by Sunday.
The three Sherpa guides who attempted to retrieve Yearwood’s body said the location was too dangerous to reach, according to Murari Sharma of Everest Parivar Expedition agency.
On Sunday, rescuers brought down from Everest the bodies of an Indian climber who died this year and two Indians who died last year.
DHAKA (TIP): Cyclone Mora hit Bangladesh on May 29 packing winds of up to 117 kilometres per hour (73mph) after authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people from low-lying coastal villages.
The severe cyclonic storm made landfall on the coast between Cox’s Bazar and the main port city of Chittagong at 6:00 am (0000 GMT), the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said in a special weather bulletin.
Bangladesh had raised its highest number 10 weather danger alert as the storm approached with officials quickly evacuating more than 300,000 people to cyclone shelters.
“They have been evacuated to at least 400 cyclone shelters, schools and government offices in the coastal areas,” Golam Mostofa, senior government bureaucrat who is coordinating the evacuation, told AFP.
Mostofa said they had not received any reports of casualties so far but some houses have been damaged and trees uprooted.
The weather office has said the cyclone could unleash a five-foot (1.7 metre) high storm surge around Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong and several other coastal districts on the Bay of Bengal which are home to millions of people.
The local administration has called in all fishing vessels and advised them to remain anchored, while the Chittagong port authority has postponed activities. Bangladesh is routinely hit by bad storms between April and December that cause deaths and widespread property damage. In May last year, Cyclone Roanu hit the southern coast of Bangladesh leaving 20 people dead and forcing half a million to flee their homes.
Flash floods and excessive rain led to landslides in hilly areas, which caused most of the casualties.
“But this time we are more prepared,” disaster management authority spokesman Abul Hashim said. (AFP)
COLOMBO (TIP): International aid arrived into Sri Lanka on May 31 as the death toll from the island’s worst floods and landslides in well over a decade climbed to 202.
Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake said 16 countries had rushed relief supplies and medicine to assist more than 600,000 people driven from their homes following Friday’s monsoon deluge. “We also have a lot of enquiries from other countries and organisations wanting to know our immediate needs. We are moved by the spontaneous response,” Karunanayake told reporters in Colombo. (AFP)
BEIJING (TIP): India and Pakistan’s admission to the Beijing-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be formalised at the grouping’s summit in Kazakhstan next week, China said on June 1.
“The members states of the SCO are accelerating the MoU procedures with the two countries and everything is going very well,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
“We hope India and Pakistan as the full members at the Astana summit (on June 8-9). We also expect the Astana summit will complete the admission procedures for the two countries,” Hua told reporters.
Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status. (PTI)
KABUL/ISLAMABAD (TIP): The Afghan intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), said on Thursday that early findings showed the Haqqani network with the assistance of Pakistan’s ISI carried out the attack in Kabul that killed at least 90 people.
“These terrorists once again proved they don’t represent any religion and they only carry out such coward attacks to please their Pakistani masters which is against all Islamic and human rights principals,” the NDS said in a statement on Thursday.
The Haqqani network has carried out a number of kidnappings and attacks against US interests in Afghanistan.
The group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.
Afghanistan cancels Pakistan games after Kabul attack Afghanistan also cancelled proposed home and away cricket fixtures with Pakistan after the Kabul bombing.
Pakistan were set to play their first Twenty20 match in Kabul later this year in what was seen as an opportunity for the neighbours to ease tensions over border skirmishes and alleged proxy warfare.
The Kabul match, set for July or August, would have been followed by a fixture in Pakistan and a full series at an unspecified date.
But the Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a strongly worded statement late on Wednesday, cancelling the matches in light of a truck bombing in the city’s diplomatic quarter that killed at least 90 people.
No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, although the Taliban has denied involvement.
“The ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board,” the Afghan board said on its Facebook page. “No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens.” The development leaves Pakistan’s cricketers even more isolated in the region.
Pakistan rejects Afghan allegations Pakistan, however, strongly rejected as “baseless” the Afghan allegations that ISI was in any way involved in the Kabul attack. “The accusatory approach is unhelpful towards efforts to peace,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said during the weekly media briefing on Thursday. Zakaria said Pakistan suffered due to terrorism and has the highest stakes in Afghan peace and stability. “Our commitment to peace in Afghanistan is based on sincerity and is beyond any doubt,” he added. Zakaria said that it was highly disappointing that certain elements in Afghanistan were damaging relations between the two neighbours. (agencies)
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Kulbhushan Jadhav+ ‘s death sentence, Pakistan on June 1 said that the Indian national would not be executed until he has exhausted his mercy appeals.
Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria+ released a statement which he claimed was aimed at addressing “certain misrepresentations/false statements/allegations” made in the Indian media following the ICJ’s provisional measures order of May 18 in the Jadhav case. Zakaria asserted that irrespective of the ICJ’s stay, Jadhav would remain alive, until he has exhausted the right to request for clemency, initially with the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and later with the Pakistan President.
He accused the Indian government of misusing the media to create a “false impression of winning” Jadhav’s case in the ICJ+ . “Indian media, backed by the official quarters, misled people in the two countries by propagating that India has won” in Jadhav’s case, he said. “The discussions that ensued in the two countries showed a complete lack of understanding of the matter,” Zakaria said.
He said the Indian media, based on the reported briefing by official quarters, called ICJ’s letter dated May 8, 2017, the day India filed its petition, to the Pakistan government as a “stay on Jadhav’s execution”. “This is a lie. The ICJ noted that lie,” he claimed.
Jadhav, 46, was in April sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “involvement in espionage and sabotage activities” against the country. The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav. Zakaria said that the ICJ stated clearly that its decision on provisional measures was not concerned with “jurisdiction merits” and it considered that Jadhav would not be executed until the full hearing.
“This is nothing unusual,” Zakaria asserted. He said that a full hearing will take place after the court sets down a timetable on June 8 at the Hague. “We have given the court our arguments on merits and jurisdiction. It has not ruled on any of these arguments,” he said. Zakaria said that the case at the ICJ concerns whether Jadhav is entitled to consular access.
Asserting that Pakistan’s position in this matter has been made clear, Zakaria said, “We had sought information from India” on January 23, 2017, on the basis of Jadhav’s confession and statements. “India has not responded despite reminders,” he said. (PTI)
“This is a direct infringement of the fundamental right of the people as to what to consume, and this order may even have usurped the State rights in deciding vital issues that impact its citizens. The federal structure that stood the test of time since Independence may also be in the crosshairs. The socio-economic consequences from nutrition to the poor and backward in the society who rely on cheap meat as a staple food, and to the small farmers and traders who rely on these animals for their livelihood are yet to be seen”, says the author.
The long anticipated cow slaughter ban across India under the BJP rule is already here! Most observers were expecting a legislative move probably after the 2019 election when BJP could muster majorities at both houses of the parliament. However, the Modi Sarkar found an ingenious way to test these waters under the guise of the ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act’ that was enacted in 1960 to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals.
It is indeed a sinister move by the Environmental Ministry issuing new rules to regulate these animal markets with an eye towards limiting or stopping cow slaughter across the nation. The new rule states that animal markets can no longer be used to sell or purchase cattle for the purposes of slaughtering. The regulations apply to bulls, cows, buffaloes and camels. The reactions from the southern states were quick and predictable and the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarai Vijayan, took the lead in saying that “Malayali diet need not be decided by Delhi (read Union Government) or Nagpur (read RSS headquarters). Nobody can change our diet,” he said. Student organizations belonging to the Left front as well as Congress in Kerala protested the ban by organizing ‘beef fests’ across the state.
However, some of the youngsters who belong to the Youth Congress wing of the Congress Party went to the extreme in slaughtering a bull in the open and thereby eliciting strong condemnation from the national leadership in addition to receiving walking papers from the Party’s State leadership. It is regrettable that their stupefied action did cast a shadow on the merit of their arguments in defense of the constitutional protection from the onslaught of religious fundamentalism and may have negatively impacted on the seriousness of the issue at hand.
Nevertheless, what is most shocking to many of us who are living abroad is the overt and loud reaction to the slaughter of a bull in the open in comparison to the low-key responses to the ongoing lynching of human beings by the self-appointed vigilantes of cow protection. The medieval barbarism by these outlaws was on full display in 2015 when they falsely accused and then dragged Mr. Mohammed Akhlaq from his home in Dadri, U.P. to the street and lynched him before the gathering public.
On 1 April 2017, Pehlu Khan and at least four others were injured when a mob attacked them while transporting cows that were legally bought in the market. Khan in his fifties later succumbed to his injuries suffered at the hands of these vigilantes. In March 2016, two Muslim cattle traders were found hanged to death in Jharkhand’s Latehar district. Mazlum Ansari and teenager Imteyaz Khan were heading to an animal fair in a nearby district when they were allegedly lynched and hanged by a mob.
According to the report in The Indian Express, a 20-year old truck driver from Saharanpur was lynched by a village mob in Himachal Pradesh allegedly for carrying cattle from Uttar Pradesh.
Mustin Abbas, a 27-year-old father of four, was traveling back home after buying bulls from Haryana was allegedly fired upon by Gau Raksha Dal members on April 5, 2016. A month later, a probe into his murder was ordered, according to ‘The Wire.’ In an incident that went viral on the social media, on 11 July 2016 Dalit youths were beaten up outside Mota Samadhiyala village, when they were skinning a dead cow brought from Bediya village.
The victims included Vashram Sarvaiya, His brother Ramesh, and their cousins Ashok and Bechar, all residents of Mota Samadhiyala. Later the members of Gau Rakshak Dal took them to nearby Una town and again thrashed them with sticks and iron rods after tying them to a vehicle.
They were paraded half-naked on the road in full display of public view. These are few of the ongoing instances cruel justice meted out to the human beings and the country and its leadership remained largely silent.
With the issuance of this new order, the Gau Rakshak Dal will be further emboldened and will have the license to terrorize farmers and traders across the land.
If the issue is indeed borne out of cruelty to animals, why this ban only applies to cattle, camels, and buffaloes but not extended to other species like sheep, goats, and chickens. India exports about 4 Billion dollars worth of beef every year, and it looks simply duplicitous on the part of the Government to close its eyes to the so-called ‘cruelty’ by these big slaughterhouses, many of them owned and operated by the cronies of those are close to power centers.
This order may effectively cut the flow of red meat to consumers in those states where beef is consumed. All animal markets will be strictly regulated and will be brought under the control of the bureaucrats. As per the new rules, your butcher cannot buy any cattle from the market, and a declaration will have to be signed stating that ‘I promise not to resell the cattle for slaughter.’ In short, the center has made it near impossible to buy or sell cattle for meat or animal markets.
By circumventing the legislative process in this instance, BJP is busy at work promoting its saffron agenda by imposing a uniform diet code on the people of India. The reason they have rushed it through as a directive may have dual purposes. The first and foremost will be to sow the seeds of division and intolerance well before the upcoming 2019 campaign, a vital environment to profit from.
Also, this is a direct infringement of the fundamental right of the people as to what to consume, and this order may even have usurped the State rights in deciding vital issues that impact its citizens. The federal structure that stood the test of time since Independence may also be in the crosshairs. The socio-economic consequences from nutrition to the poor and backward in the society who rely on cheap meat as a staple food, and to the small farmers and traders who rely on these animals for their livelihood are yet to be seen!
However, let us not be under any illusion that all these developments are taking place in a vacuum.
But rather, it is part of a calculated plan being implemented by the Modi-Shah power structure to impose a majoritarian view and rule on the country thereby undoing the progress achieved post independence under the Nehruvian vision: respect for the minority religions and its traditions and equal protection under the law. The regressive forces that were in control of the nation in collusion with colonial powers are back indeed, and they are back with a vengeance!
Mahatma Gandhi, who was a great advocate of Ahimsa said once: “How can I force anyone not to slaughter cows unless he is himself so disposed? It is not as if there were only Hindus in the Indian Union. There are Muslims, Parsis, Christians and other religious groups here.” Will we hear such sane voices of enlightenment ever from the heartland of India again!
(The author is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA. He can be reached at gta777@gmail.com)
Putting up a brave face, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has downplayed concerns over growth slowdown. Experts commenting on the economy growing at 6.1 per cent in the January-March quarter unanimously pin the blame on demonetization. While India has lost the claim to being the world’s fastest growing economy, Jaitley asserts that “we have restored the credibility of the Indian economy through decisiveness and tough policies.” At his press conference on Thursday he went on to recall advantages of demonetization: digitization, expansion of the tax base and less use of cash in deals. He may, however, be reminded that demonetization’s original goals were a little different: end to corruption, black money and terror funding.
Growth rate slipped to 7.1 per cent in a year when monsoon was normal from 8 per cent when drought had hit large parts of the country. If calculated without indirect taxes, the GDP growth turns out to be the lowest in two years. Besides, even this dismal data does not accurately reflect the pain demonetization caused in the informal sector, where massive job losses were reported.
While admitting growth was flagging even before the “notebandi”, Jaitley proffered explanations for the less than- rosy situation that marks the Modi government’s three years in office: global trade shrank, big economies turned protectionist and geopolitical uncertainties in the last three years. It was not all that bad after all. Cheap oil provided the government a cushion. Taxes were hiked.
Instead of stimulating growth, the taxpayer’s money was put into vote-winning populist schemes.
The note ban in November 2016 had hit an economy growing steadily in a difficult environment. Instead of providing a stimulus, the government caused a self-injury with demonetization. The Finance Minister should have been honest enough to concede that something has gone wrong indeed. Jaitley mentions GST among the government’s achievements. GST would have happened long back had the BJP not scuttled the plan when the UPA proposed it. Secondly, it is too early to count GST benefits.
Oratory or rhetoric cannot replace hard data. When the third-quarter GDP numbers came, Prime Minister Modi had mocked “Harvard” economists for distrusting people’s “hard work”. It will be interesting to watch how he responds now.
LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP):It was a great gathering. Nearly 500 people from all walks of life gathered at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck to recognize 45 men from Nassau and Suffolk Counties for their exemplary work in business and the community. Ashley Edwards, who was crowned Miss Long Island 2017, was also in attendance at the event. Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos was in attendance that evening, offering his congratulations to all of the honorees.
“I would like to congratulate you for your accomplishments,” said Comptroller Maragos. “Each one of you is an incredibly accomplished, and I know you have a lot more to give.”
Dilip Chauhan was recognized as one of the most prominent and dedicated advocate for the South Asian- American community. Dilip has touched the lives of so many people through his unwavering support for those in his community. Through his “Gateway to South Asian American Community Presentation” Dilip has connected countless corporate, nonprofit, academic, faith-based, and government leaders to the South Asian-American community. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos. In his previous role as the Director of Southeast Asian Affairs for the Nassau County Comptroller’s office, he educated small business owners about govt. business opportunity available for MWBE.Dilip currently sits on the Boards of Service Now for Adult Persons (SNAP) and South Asian American Voice. In recognition of his accomplishments in his community, Congresswoman Grace Meng designated November 12th, 2016 as “Dilip Chauhan Day” within the 6th Congressional District.
More ever, Dilip’s stellar service recently earned him New York State and City Hall’s Political Rising Star “40 under 40” award among other prestigious honors.
Dilip Chauhan humbly accepted and dedicated his Award to the fast Growing South Asian American community.Said Mahatma Gandhi once said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. It is the best advice that I have received, and the best advice that I can give to anyone. Try it! We are Indian Americans, Pakistani Americans, Bangladeshi Americans, Sri Lankans, Nepalese and other South Asian Americans. Just to give you an idea of our impact: Indian American Physicians in United States are 120,000,18,000 Physicians in United States are of Pakistani Origin,90,000 Convenience Store Own and Operated by Indian American, and 22,000 Hotel/Motel Own by Indian Americans.”, Dilip said.
This event was sponsored by Flushing Bank,Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, Investors Bank, D & F Development, New York Community Bank, Contour Mortgage, AgeWell New York, Forest Hills Financial Group, Stew Leonard’s, Zwanger Pesiri Radiology, Marketing Works, Broadway Stages, EIHAB Human Services, Bethpage Best of Long Island, Georgi Vodka, Neiman Marcus and Godiva.
QUEENS, NY (TIP): More than 400 people showed up at New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Asian American and Pacific Islander event to show grassroots’ support for Indian community leader Harish Thakkar who was only Indian honoree amongst other honorees, being honored for his work in the community and got awarded from New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer at the Asian American and Pacific Islander event.
Over 400 people attended the ceremony which included Flushing Councilman Peter Koo, Flushing District Leader Dr. Neeta Jain, civic leaders, members of the South Asian community and AIA and BAPS members.
The event ceremony opened with the Keynote Speaker New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who congratulated and praised Harish Thakkar for his achievements and helping the community and said he is a strong, thoughtful voice and has been actively engaged in the service of the community and has given more than a decade to the work of community. Harish Thakkar said in his speech that he has passion for the community work and he will work hard for community. He joined the South Asian Community over 12 years ago and has a long history of serving the community both socially and politically.
He has been involved in the service of the Indian Community for many years. He is currently the Vice President of Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter – which conducts the Diwali festival @ South Street Seaport for the tri-state area (NY, NJ & CT) besides all other AIA activities during the year. Harish is involved with AIA since last 12 years. He also helps out with spreading the awareness of Diwali in NY Public Schools and has been hosting the Children’s Diwali celebration at the Queens Public Libraries since last 6 years. Harish has also been the Vice President of Lohana Samaj of tri-state, where he did lot of Indian community projects. Currently, he is working on the project of creating a healthy lifestyle for children to make healthy choices in the school lunches and as they enter their adult lives. There are thousands of children in NYC schools who are vegetarian and are facing this food restriction as they have no vegetarian choice except for the pizza on Fridays. Eating vegetarian food is a healthy choice which is a widely known fact.
NEW YORK (TIP): Nine artists from tribal regions of India are currently touring the U.S. for five months as part of a dazzling stage presentation, titled – ‘Ekal Sur, Ekal Taal’ for “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation”. It is a musical splendor of rural culture depicting epic folklore, devotional songs, and regional dances reflecting national unity. For the first time in its history, ‘Ekal’ has brought the best talent from Ekal-school alumni for fund-raising entertainment, in a series of concert, all across U.S. The main objective of this bold step is to connect with the people here to highlight the need for education in tribal India. They are all travelling by bus accompanied by Ekal’s ‘Global Coordinator’, Ramesh Shah who was recently felicitated by the President of India for his community work. The trip is partially supported by the Cultural Ministry of India. “Ekal Sur Ekal Taal” concert is on the East Coast in June (2017). They have already completed almost 50 shows out of 58 and they all have been runaway smash-hit, with audiences crazily mobbing the Artistes. In essence, this musical extravaganza highlights our traditional backwoods treasured artistry.
An impressive dance at the concert
All the artists of this year’s troupe are from very small villages of India’s tribal belt. The artists, include Dileshwar Yadav, Sumitra Kakodia, Sandip Yadav, Gitmala Boraik, Tilak Chandra, Neena Pandey, Johan Singh Markam, Radheshyam Yadav, Sampa Shill and they are being cared, stage-managed by N.P. Amoli. They all hail from remote areas of Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Sikkim, and Assam and come from economically disadvantage background where basic sustenance is a challenge.
Another folk dance
Although it is hard to tell from the artistic versatility of these artistes that they are not of professional cadre, it is, surprisingly, true. For this tour, they were trained, groomed and molded by the best professionals in ‘stage performance’, for 18 months in New Delhi.
Sampa Shillis a prime example of empowerment that Ekal has brought to women folks in villages
They not only endured rigorous coaching, but also, exhibited incredible potential of so many young dreamers of rural India. The artists also received fast-track training in ‘make-up’ and ‘costume’ designing to make them totally independent at event-preparedness while on this U.S. tour. Each one of them has unique personal story to tell which exhibit nothing but their resolve, resilience and courage to face the adversity to succeed in life. Let’s peek into senior artists Sampa Shill’s life.
Sampa Shill’s maternal and paternal grandparents were refugees from East Pakistan (modern day Bangladesh) who walked all the way to Assam with other villagers like them. A kind benefactor gave the family enough land to build a makeshift home and plant some crops. Sampa Shill is the fourth of five children. She was only 16 years old and in the 10th grade when her father died of cancer. The family struggled hard to make ends meet. Desperate to survive, Sampa’s brother left for a labor job in the neighboring state of Mizoram, leaving behind three women (mother and younger sisters) to ward off for themselves. Sampa remembers long hungry passages of life when she had to survive on only one meager meal a day, which sometimes she had to pass-on to her younger brother who was always hungry. Sampa has been involved in ‘Ekal Abhiyan’ (an umbrella Organization of ‘Ekal’) for almost a dozen years. To make the long story short, she is a prime example of empowerment that Ekal has brought to women folks in villages. She is oversees many of the schools in Silchar, Assam region and guides the unfortunates to be successful by picking up skills at ‘Ekal Centers’. She says that Ekal has expanded her horizons so much so that even if she eventually gets married, she would continue to be a part of the Ekal family and groom others.
“Ekal Sur Ekal Taal” tour finishes on the East Coast with stops in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This team has mesmerized audiences all over the country. What is equally notable is that no ethnic grass-root troupe has promoted the rustic Indian culture in U.S. so beautifully, the way this talented assemble has done. Avani Mehta from Chicago said, “Ekal Sur Ekal Taal is better than any Bollywood program, I have seen. Not only the artists have great voices, but also, there is intimate authenticity to this show which is unmatched”. For the tour and ticket information kindly refer to www.ekal.org (Roopal Shah <roopal@indicorps.org>)
NEW DELHI (TIP): An Indian American Vinay Dube has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jet Airways, according to an official press release. Dube is the Senior Vice President (Asia Pacific) with Delta Air Lines and has been associated with the US based carrier since 2007.
“As the CEO of Jet Airways, Dube will be responsible for strengthening the airline’s overall business performance and its position in the domestic and international markets,” the airline said in a release today. There has been no full-time CEO at Jet Airways since Cramer Ball quit in February 2016.
On his appointment, Dube said he is looking forward to meeting the organization’s business objectives and deepening the relationship with its strategic partner Etihad Airways.
“An Indian-American, Vinay brings an enviable combination of smart and sharp mindset with global exposure to industry best practices. I am sure Jet Airways will gain substantially from his wealth of experience and industry insight. I personally look forward to Vinay providing leadership to the entire Jet Airways team,” the airline’s chairman Naresh Goyal said.
Dube would also head the executive management team that has been tasked by the board to drive the airline’s growth and future strategy “by leveraging its enduring partnership with our equity partner Etihad Airways,” the release said. Dube’s appointment was approved by the Jet Airways’ board of directors during their meeting on Tuesday, May 30th. The appointment is subject to receipt of all requisite governmental regulatory approvals, including security clearance.
Dube helped Delta Air Lines grow one of the largest premium carriers across the Pacific, profitably expanding its Asia-Pacific business, entering new markets and restructuring its network, partner and customer base, according to the release. Dube began his career with American Airlines as an operations research analyst and later became manager of Network Forecasting Systems. Later, he moved to Sabre Inc, a global leader in technology solutions and marketing services for the travel industry.
He has a master’s degree in Operations Research. Jet Airways flies to 65 destinations and the group currently has a fleet of 113 aircraft.
NEW YORK (TIP): TWO Indian- American high school athletes Malika Jain and Puneet Kaur were among 20 athletes nationwide named as 2016-2017 ‘Foot Locker Scholar Athletes’. Both have earned a USD 20,000 scholarship each.
Malika Jain
The 20 winners were selected from among 37,000 applicants. Jain, also the captain of her school’s varsity soccer, golf and tennis teams, placed third this year in her tennis league and went to the tennis division finals. Her leadership skills are apparent in her athletics. She recruited girls to join the tennis team and supported them throughout the season and in her community involvement as student body president, president of the Key Club and a strategy member of the Robotics Club at her high school, Foot Locker said in her bio.
Jain has received several awards, including the Girl Scouts Gold Award, the President’s Award for Education and Excellence, and the Duke of Edinburgh International Gold Award for Leadership and Service. She held a 4.0 GPA in high school and will attend the University of Southern California in the fall.
Puneet Kaur
Kaur is a four-year varsity basketball and track athlete. She was the first in her family to be born in the US, and will be the second in her family to go to college, Foot Locker said.
After multiple students at her high school committed suicide, Kaur sought to create some type of support for them, starting a school-wide walk to raise awareness about mental health issues, which was featured on many national media platforms, it added. She is also the president and creator of the We’re All Human Club, which helps kids dealing with suicide and aims to decrease the stigma around mental health.
Kaur earned a 3.75 GPA in high school and plans to attend George Mason University in the fall.
ARLINGTON, VA (TIP): The Office of Naval Research’s Science and Technology Organization honored recently 34 young investigators nationwide with the 2017 Young Investigator Award.; four of them are Indian American researchers. They are:
Dr. Dhruv Batra, Dr. Pavithra Prabhakar, Dr. Padmini Rangamani and Dr. Kaushik Sengupta Batra, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, was recognized for “Explainable and Trustworthy Intelligent Systems” in the Machine Learning, Reasoning and Intelligence program.
Winner of 2017 Young Investigator Award Dr. Dhruv Batra.
Batra is an assistant professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing. The Indian American is also a visiting researcher at Facebook AI Research and was a research assistant professor at the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. In addition to the Young Investigator Award, Batra has received an Amazon Academic Research Award for Visual Dialog. Batra, who earned his master’s and doctorate at Carnegie Mellon University, and his bachelors at the Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University, has also held visiting positions at Microsoft Research, Carnegie Mellon University and MIT.
Winner of 2017 Young Investigator Award Dr. Pavithra Prabhakar.
Prabhakar of Kansas State University was chosen for “Design of High- Assurance Cyber-Physical Systems” in the Science of Autonomy program. Prabhakar is a Michelle Munson- Serban Simu Keystone Research Faculty Scholar and an associate professor with tenure in the computer science department at Kansas State University. Her research interests include cyberphysical systems, formal verification, automata theory and logic. Prior to joining Kansas State in 2015, she served as an assistant professor at IMDEA Software Institute and was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her bachelors from the National Institute of Technology Warangal, her Master’s from the Indian Institute of Science, and her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.
Winner of 2017 Young Investigator Award Dr. Padmini Rangamani.
Rangamani of U.C. San Diego was selected for “Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics of Biological Membranes” in the Undersea Medicine program. Rangamani is an assistant professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department and a faculty affiliate in the bioengineering department at U.C. San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering. Her research is focused on understanding the design principles of biological systems. Rangamani was a chancellor’s postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at U.C. Berkeley in 2013-14. The Indian American earned her Ph.D. in biological sciences in 2010 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
Winner of 2017 Young Investigator Award Dr. Kaushik Sengupta.
Sengupta of Princeton University was among the recipients for “Bit-to-THz: Universally Programmable THz Surfaces with Sub-Wavelength Field and Response Synthesis” in the Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department program. Sengupta is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Princeton. Among his research interests are Silicon based RF, mm-Wave and THz circuits and systems, on-chip active electromagnetic field synthesis and self-healing and reconfigurable integrated circuits and systems in silicon, among others. Sengupta, who earned a Bachelor’s from the Indian Institute of Technology, and a master’s and doctorate from the California Institute of Technology, was an IBM Fellow, an IEEE Fellow and Caltech Institute Fellow, as well as an IIT Kharagpur Prime Minister Gold Medal recipient.
NEW YORK (TIP): The spiritual legacy of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj continues in North America with the pending arrival of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj in Atlanta, GA on June 22, 2017. Over the next three months, he will visit mandirs and inspire thousands of devotees in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose, New Jersey (Edison and Robbinsville), and Toronto, Canada. His visit will be filled with traditional celebrations, spiritual discourses, various seminars, and special events open to the community.
Mahant Swami Maharaj imparting wisdom in Satsang Seminar
Since the earthly departure of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj now continues the lifework and legacy of Pramukh Swami Maharaj as the sixth and current spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was born in 1933 in Madhya Pradesh, India. In 1961, at the age of 28, he was ordained as a swami and given the name of Sadhu Keshavjivandas by His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj, then guru and spiritual leader of BAPS.
Yogiji Maharaj recognized his leadership abilities and bestowed upon him numerous responsibilities including appointing him as the mahant, or chief priest, of the BAPS Mandir in Mumbai, India. Thus, the name ‘Mahant Swami Maharaj.’
After Yogiji Maharaj’s earthly departure, Mahant Swami Maharaj dedicated himself totally to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth Guru of BAPS. Under his guidance, Mahant Swami Maharaj relentlessly traveled to remote areas in India and abroad to inspire moral values and enlighten countless devotees. He was also called upon to be in the forefront during major celebrations and as a trusted advisor regarding critical decisions related to the organization.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was thoroughly pleased with Mahant Swami Maharaj’s virtues and devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his gurus as well as his affection to the devotees and care for their well-being. On July 20, 2012, in Ahmedabad, India in the presence of senior swamis of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj officially appointed Mahant Swami Maharaj as his successor.
As the current Guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Mahant Swami Maharaj has led by exemplifying devotion, humility, and selflessness. He visits with devotees around the world to nurture faith in all individuals, promote family values and unity, and strengthen communities small and large. Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s vision continues to be his driving force behind guiding spiritual activities and organizational efforts as well as pursuing development projects to advance youth programs.
In the past year, he has continued his vicharan, or spiritual travels, throughout the world, and has thus far visited almost every major BAPS mandir in India and Africa. During his visit to the United States and Canada, he will attend numerous special celebrations including the ten-year anniversaries of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirs in Atlanta,Toronto, and San Jose as well as a Murti Pratishta, a ritual to sanctify the murtis, for abhishekh in Robbinsville, NJ. After his three-month journey, he will continue onwards to the United Kingdom and the Far East regions.
For more details regarding His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj’s North America visit, please visit www.baps.org/msm17na or follow #MahantSwami on social media.
(Photographs and Press release by: BAPS North American Headquarters)
EDISON, NJ (TIP): Phil Murphy, the democratic candidate for this year’s gubernatorial election in New Jersey, was praised as a friend of South Asian population of the state.
New jersey’s only Assemblyman of South Asian origin Raj Mukherjee exhorted a gathering of diverse South Asian population for actively participating in the election process of the state. He was speaking at a fund raising event held in support of Murphy at South Brunswick.
Mukherjee, who represents Jersey City in the state Assembly, regretted that only a small section of South Asian voters were exercising their rights to vote in local elections. “We should be sitting at the table, not remain as part of Menu”, he told the audience metaphorically.
Mukherjee praised the South Asian community for its remarkable contribution towards improving the US economy and said that Democratic candidate for the post of NJ Governor, Phil Murphy, was a true supporter of diversity in the state. Quoting from a book by JFK, Mukherjee made a point in favor of treating immigrants fairly, and said, “Murphy is the one who could stand up to Trump”, adding that “he will have or back as New Jerseans.”
Addressing the gathering of supporters Murphy successfully made a case in his favor at the fund raising event. He minced no words criticizing President Trump, for his ‘erratic and negative’ policies on health care, economy, environment, education and immigrants issues the nation.
The 59-year-old former banking executive told the audience that he cared for diversity. He turned to Congressman Frank Pallone proclaiming him the leader of all New Jersey residents of South Asian descents – and said that he stood for protecting the rights of all immigrants. Making a comparison with the state of Massachusetts, Murphy recounted varieties of similarities and said that New Jersey was a strong contender for a healthier economy and progressive policies. “We have all the resources that makes a state great, except the leadership”, he pointed out.
Congressman Pallone, a vicious critic of President Trump, told Indian Panorama, that he had no doubt New Jersey will have a Democrat Governor this year. “Phil talks about and believes in diversity”, he pointed out adding that he was seen as the representative of people from all states of India, who are settled in New Jersey.
Murphy served as the US Ambassador to Germany during President Obama’s tenure. “Murphy cares for nine million people of New Jersey including the working class population”, said Pallone, Jr.
The previous NJ governor, who belonged to Democratic Party, was Jon S. Corzine, another former Goldman Sachs banker, who didn’t win re-election after one term, and was succeeded by the current Governor, Chris Christie.
Murphy appears to have established himself as the front-runner to succeed Christie. Elections for Governor’s posts in two states, New Jersey and Virginia, are scheduled to take place on November 7. The Primary elections will take place on June 6, 2017.
In New Jersey only registered party members may vote in primary elections.
ST PETERSBURG (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on June 1 and the two countries concluded a much awaited agreement to build the last two units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
In St Petersburg, the Russian President’s hometown, Modi and Putin discussed ways to take their energy and strategic ties forward. Russia and India signed five pacts, reflecting the partnership between the traditional allies.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and Russia’s Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom, the regulator of Russia’s nuclear complex, will jointly build the reactors of the 6,000 megawatt plant. The final two units will have a capacity to produce 1,000MW of power.
“International relations see ups and downs, but history is witness Indo-Russia relations have not seen any ups and downs,” the Prime Minister said and thanked President Putin for playing a crucial role in getting India the SCO membership. Putin said India will become a full-fledged member of the SCO in a week.
Also, he said in an exclusive interview to PTI that Russia does not have any “tight” military relationship with Pakistan, and asserted that its close friendship with India cannot be diluted.
But he sidestepped a question on Kashmir, saying “no matter where the threat comes from, it is unacceptable and we will always support India in its fight against terrorism”. Modi, who is on a four-nation tour, will return from France on June 3. He will travel to Astana in Kazakhstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on June 8 and 9.
Modi is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on June 26 in Washington, it is learnt.
This would be a highly-anticipated first meeting between the two after Trump took office in January. Government sources said counter-terrorism, maritime security and Afghanistan will top Modi’s agenda during his two-day visit to the US from June 25.
His official functions in Washington will be confined to the first half of June 26.
The possibility of the Indian private sector’s commitment to create jobs and opportunities in the US is likely to be his agenda. That could be an attempt to bridge gaps as the latest US policies are inimical to immigrant workers following Trump’s poll promise to create and protect American jobs.
On his way to the US, Modi will stop in the Netherlands. He will visit Portugal on his return journey. (Source: PTI)
Congress leader Chidambaram says figures prove Cong right on note ban
NEW DELHI (TIP): Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said, June 1, the new GDP growth figures had proved the Congress and the opposition right about the consequences of demonetization with the growth taking a hit by 1.3 per cent. Former Finance Minister said the Indian economy was rapidly declining and unless the government took corrective measures it would decline further.
“I don’t how long the government can fool itself and the people of the country. We have warned the government and are forewarning the people unless corrective measures are taken, the economy will go down even further,” Chidambaram said after the Central Statistical Office published new GDP numbers revealing a major slowdown.
Earlier in the day, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government for sluggish economy and declining GDP. “Falling GDP, rising unemployment…Every other issue is manufactured to distract us from this fundamental failure,” Gandhi said in a veiled reference to vigilantism and cow slaughter ban debate as issues the government was using to deflect attention from its “failures”. Reacting to the CSO numbers later, Chidambaram said, “As we had predicted the economy has taken a big hit. By the new methodology of calculation, Gross Value Addition has declined from 7.9 per cent in 2015-16 to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17.”
The former FM said the economy was slowing down in the middle of 2016 and instead of taking corrective measures, the government came up with an “extraordinarily foolish measure of demonetization”.
“Demonetization set back the economy even further,” he said noting that all three indicators of a vibrant economy -investment to GDP ratio, credit growth and jobs created – were poor. Chidambaram said, “All is not well. We are not on the right course. Investments are declining. Credit growth is negative for most sectors and there are no jobs.”
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also described demonetization as a monumental failure and legalized plunder predicting a fall in GDP growth rate because of the move.
● Speaks of negotiations to re-enter green pact on terms fair to US
● Many States and Cities pledge to abide by Paris climate accord
Donald Trump on Thursday, June 1, withdrew the US from the landmark Paris climate accord which he said was not tough on India and China, and alleged that the deal was negotiated “poorly” by the Obama administration and signed out of “desperation”.
“In order to fulfil my solemn duty to protect our citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord…We are getting out and we will start to renegotiate,” Trump said at the Rose Garden of the White House.
Trump said he wants a fair deal for the American businesses to stay in the Paris agreement on climate change. Trump said the Paris agreement on climate change agreed upon by more than 190 countries was “negotiated poorly by Obama administration and signed out of desperation”. “This agreement is more about climate and more about others getting advantages. This put the US to a very very big economic disadvantage,” he said, adding that as a result of the deal, the US would not be able to compete with other countries in the world.
Trump made this announcement in front of a battery of reporters when the temperature this afternoon was reported to be around 26 degrees Celsius. By withdrawing the US from the climate deal, he fulfilled his major campaign promise and overturned the major foreign policy accomplishment of his predecessor Barack Obama.
In addition to the US, only two other countries-Syria and Nicaragua-are not part of the Paris agreement. California Governor Jerry Brown called Trump’s decision possibly “tragic” and a step “backwards” for the US. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says his state will continue to abide by the Paris climate accord regardless of President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the landmark 190-nation agreement to reduce carbon emissions.
Cuomo said that the Republican president’s decision is “reckless” and harmful for the nation and the planet. He says he will use executive orders to ensure the state does not abandon its efforts to boost renewable energy while reducing emissions tied to climate change. New York Governor Cuomo, along with California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Washington State Governor Jay R. Inslee have announced the formation of the United States Climate Alliance, a coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Accord and continuing to take action against climate change.
In the wake of that decision, 61 mayors across the U.S. announced that they would step up their cities’ own efforts to combat climate change, and adopt the Paris climate agreement on a local scale. Mayor Bill de Blasio, unsurprisingly, is among the members of the Climate Mayors, and in a statement, he denounced Trump’s move: “President Trump can turn his back on the world, but the world cannot ignore the very real threat of climate change. This decision is an immoral assault on the public health, safety and security of everyone on this planet. New Yorkers are already experiencing hotter summers, more powerful storms and rising seas, which disproportionately affect already vulnerable communities.
Democratic lawmakers have said this is retreat of American leadership and gives opportunities to countries like India, China and Germany. The US, however, will not immediately pull out of the Paris Act. He would follow the four-year rule to get out of it. This means that the US will leave the Paris Agreement in 2020.
Former Obama aide David Axelrod said, “in backing off of climate pact”, Trump “is locking arms with Syria and Nicaragua and matching confidently into the past”.
INDIA AT ADVANTAGE: US PREZ:
Trump said the deal gives advantages to countries like India and China. “India makes its participation on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries. Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the US. The current India will be allowed to double its coal production and so does China,” Trump alleged. “A sad and weak decision,” tweeted Richard Verma, former US envoy to India.
‘HISTORIC MISTAKE’, BUT CLIMATE ACTION WILL GO ON:
US President Trump’s decision will not derail action to curb one of the most serious problems facing the planet, political leaders, scientists, activists and other experts vowed on Thursday, June 1. But they warned that the decision could slow the pace of a global switch to clean energy, putting more lives and billions of dollars in investment at risk as climate change impacts pick up pace It also is likely to further erode US leadership in the world, with China and the EU expected to take the lead on global climate action, and will cost the US jobs in surging clean energy businesses, they said What remains unclear is how much influence the US will now have on how the Paris pact is put into action, starting in 2018, given that the US exit from the accord cannot be immediate, experts said.
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald Trump’s top adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, on the firing line for his reported attempt to set up a “back-channel” with Russia, has received support from US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley who was once a bitter critic of Donald Trump. “If you know Jared, he’s a very calm, stable voice,” Haley told MSNBC.
The Indian-American envoy’s defense of Kushner, 36, came after the American media reported last week that he discussed to open a secret “back-channel” between Russia and Trump’s presidential transition team in a meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, last December.
“There is not a lot that rattles him. So, I suspect that he’ll continue doing his work like he always has. He’s said that he will totally comply with the investigation and give every ounce of information that they need. And I think we can expect that,” Haley said in response to a question.
She said she did talk to Kushner often, but has not since the news came out last week that he wanted to open a secret line of communication with Russia bypassing formal channels. “Well, I haven’t talked to him since all of this came out,” Haley said.
The White House too has defended the role of Kushner, who is married to Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. “I would just say that Kushner’s attorney has said that Kushner has volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings, and he will do the same if he’s contacted and connected with any other inquiry,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters.
Both secretary of state Rex Tillerson and national security adviser Lt Gen HR McMaster have discussed that, and “in general terms, back channels are an appropriate part of diplomacy,” he said.
Yesterday Politico reported that Kushner is back in the West Wing and he continues to lead meetings despite the rising tide of Russia-related questions.
Signup to our Newsletter!
Don’t miss out on all the happenings around the world
