The Indian Panorama

Year: 2017

  • Dengue outbreak in Sri Lanka kills 225

    Dengue outbreak in Sri Lanka kills 225

    COLOMBO (TIP): Sri Lanka is suffering its worst-ever dengue outbreak, with the mosquito borne virus killed 225 people and infected more than 76,000 this year.

    Alarmed by the magnitude of the crisis, the government deployed 400 soldiers and police officers to clear away rotting garbage, stagnant water pools and other potential mosquito breeding grounds.

    Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni, Colombo’s chief medical officer, said people’s failure to clear puddles and piles of trash after last month’s heavy monsoon rains had compounded the problem. “It’s pathetic that they don’t keep clean their environment,” Wijayamuni said. “Some residents do not allow officials to inspect the houses and clean them. This is really unacceptable.”

    The number of infections nationwide is already 38 percent higher than last year, when 55,150 people were diagnosed with dengue and 97 died, according to the Health Ministry. The highest number of cases is in the region around the main city of Colombo, though cases were being reported across the tropical island nation.

    “This is mostly an urban disease” said Dr. Priscilla Samaraweera of the National Dengue Eradication Unit. Last month’s heavy rains left the cities waterlogged, with puddles and rain soaked garbage providing ideal spots for mosquitoes to breed and multiply.

    In Colombo alone, 25 teams of soldiers, police officers and public health inspectors were knocking on doors at people’s homes, advising them to clear clogged drains and empty outdoor pots that might have filled with rainwater.

    Health officials were also fumigating public spaces. This year’s strain is particularly dangerous, Samaraweera said. There is no cure for any of the four strains of the virus, which causes a high fever, weeks of exhaustion and in some cases a vicious skin rash. Patients most at risk of dying are the elderly, children or those with other medical complications.

    Hospitals were so crowded with dengue patients, the army was building two temporary wards at Negombo Base Hospital, about 38 kilometers north of Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Roshan Senevirathna said.

    President Maithripala Sirisena urged the public to cooperate with officials trying to fight the disease, saying it could affect the ” lives of all the citizens of the country.” (AP)

  • Pakistan closely watching Modi’s trip to Israel

    Pakistan closely watching Modi’s trip to Israel

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan is closely watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic trip to Israel as it can have serious implications on strategic stability in the region, a media report said on July 3.

    The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan officially does not comment on bilateral visits of other heads of governments and states, but it is closely following Modi’s trip since it can have serious implications on strategic stability in the region.

    “Israel has long been a major supplier of arms and other defence equipment to India and those deals have deliberately been kept secret by the two sides. However, the two countries are now more open and publicly talk about their deepening defence cooperation,” the daily said.

    India got access to some of the most modern defence technologies of America through Israel, defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib was quoted as saying by the daily. Gen Shoaib said India had greatly benefited from the defence and military ties with Israel.

    Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an international affairs expert, said growing defence cooperation between India and Israel would disturb strategic balance in the South Asian region.

    The Quaid-e-Azam University professor believes Israel assistance can propel India’s missile programme, something that would undermine Pakistan’s policy of maintaining credible deterrence, the daily reported.

    “One of the subjects on which the Indian media has created a lot of hype is the threat emanating from terrorism. It has worked hard to relate terrorism with Pakistan and blame it for virtually any terror incident occurring anywhere in India,” the daily said. PM Modi’s three-day visit to Israel is the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish nation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his entire cabinet went to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport to receive Modi in a rare gesture.

    Modi, before leaving for Tel Aviv, told an Israeli newspaper that terrorism was a common challenge and said New Delhi and Tel Aviv “can cooperate even more closely” in battling it.

    Former ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi believes that the Indian media is too much obsessed with Pakistan, saying: “No matter where Modi goes, India always tries to drag Pakistan along.” However, Naqvi was sceptical if Israel would go too far to appease India.

    “Pakistan is not under the immediate radar of Israel. Their (Israel) priority at the moment is Middle East.” However, Naqvi said their defence and military cooperation was something that had direct bearing on Pakistan.

    For Gen Shoaib, there is a lesson for Pakistan in the ever-growing close relationship between Israel and India.

    “If India can cement ties with Israel while at the same time maintaining diplomatic ties with its enemy Iran, why can’t Pakistan also show flexibility in its foreign policy,” Gen argued.

    “Our foreign policy should not be merely aimed at appeasing any particular country. Rather we need to follow our own national interests,” he said.

    Some analysts have advocated maintaining working relationship with Israel, if not establishing full diplomatic ties, in order to further and protect Pakistan’s interests.

    In 2005, during former president Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, Pakistan and Israel established contacts and even foreign ministers of the two countries met in Turkey. However, things could not make headway further after that. (PTI)

  • Air India Celebrates Inaugural Flight from Dulles International to Delhi

    Air India Celebrates Inaugural Flight from Dulles International to Delhi

    July 7, 2017

     Three Weekly Nonstop Flights Connect U.S. and Indian Capitals

    Washington Dulles International Airport and Air India celebrated the first-ever nonstop flight connecting the National Capital Region and Delhi, India, on Friday with delegations from the Embassy of India, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia.

    The inaugural events, which included a ceremonial water cannon salute, traditional gate-side Indian prayer ceremony, press conference, ribbon cutting and gala luncheon, commemorate Air India’s new three weekly nonstop, roundtrip flights between Indira Gandhi International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.

    Air India Inaugural at Dulles, July 7th, 2017. Photography by J. David Buerk: www.jdavidbuerk.com www.facebook.com/jdbphoto @DavidBuerkPhoto

     

    The new Air India service represents another milestone in the growing relationship between the National Capital Region and India. “Today, we celebrate an important partnership and welcome Air India’s direct air service to Dulles,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Virginia is committed to expanding and growing our relationships with the international community, especially our friends in India. We look forward to the opportunities this new route will provide for people in Virginia and India alike. This will be an important avenue for business, tourism and educational opportunities between our two great countries.”

    “This inaugural launch highlights our work with the international community to drive business and tourism to the D.C. region,” said District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Here in the nation’s capital, we are delighted to invite many more visitors from India to explore the sights and sounds that make Washington, D.C., the greatest city in the world.”

    Sabre Global Demand Data shows that for the year ending March 2016, the Washington, D.C., area welcomed more than 281,000 Indian visitors—making India the fourth largest overseas travel market for the region.

    “With international visitation between India and the Washington, D.C., area expected to double by 2025, the Airports Authority’s partnership with Air India, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia is just one way we’re working to enhance the level of service offered at Dulles International,” said Jerome L. Davis, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

    “India currently represents a 6 percent market share of all international travelers to the Commonwealth and is Virginia’s fourth largest market,” said Todd Haymore, Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “With projected growth, this new direct route to Dulles International will not only help to boost visitation from this high growth market, but also introduce the Commonwealth to new Indian audiences, including businesses, tourists and students.”

    Flight service between Dulles International and Delhi is also estimated to bring in an additional 30,000 leisure and business travelers and $30 million in total economic impact annually to the National Capital Region.

    “According to Travel Market Insights, visitation from India to D.C. has grown 40 percent since 2013, and 70 percent to the region,” said Elliott Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital. “We’re excited about the potential for even more Indian business and leisure travelers to experience Washington D.C.’s dynamic neighborhoods and free attractions as well as the diverse experiences throughout the capital region.”

    “Serving 7.5 million international travelers annually with nonstop service to more than 50 international destinations in more than 40 countries, Dulles International Airport is the region’s gateway to the world,” said Margaret McKeough, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Airports Authority. “Air India’s service launch adds our 33rd capital-to-capital connection—linking the world’s oldest democracy with the world’s largest democracy.”

    “The Washington, D.C., metro is Air India’s fifth U.S. destination after New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco, and it reinforces our commitment to providing the most convenient service between the United States and India,” commented Ashwani Lohani, chairman and managing director of Air India Limited.

    As part of an effort to stimulate travel to Virginia through Dulles International Airport, the Commonwealth of Virginia approved an incentive package over a three-year period beginning in fiscal year 2018 to support Air India. In addition, the District of Columbia plans to provide incentive funding this year to support the partnership. Tourism marketing support will be provided by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Capital Region USA and Destination DC.

    For more information on Air India’s new nonstop service from Dulles International to Delhi, visit flydulles.com.

     

    About Air India

    Air India is the flag carrier of India and a member of the Star Alliance group. Air India transports passengers, baggage and cargo across a network of 66 domestic Indian destinations and 34 international destinations in the United States, Europe, Australia, Far-East and South-East Asia and the Gulf. Air India flies one of the youngest aircraft fleets—including the wide-body Boeing B777, B747 and B787 Dreamliner, as well as the narrow body Airbus A321, A320 and A319. Air India plans to operate a Boeing 777-200LR, with eight first class, 35 business class and 195 economy seats, on service to Washington Dulles International Airport. For more information, visit airindia.in.

     About Virginia Tourism

    Tourism is an instant revenue generator in the Commonwealth. For every dollar invested in tourism marketing, Virginia Tourism returns $7 in state tax revenue. In 2016, visitors spent $24 billion, which supported 230,000 jobs and contributed $1.7 billion in state and local taxes. To learn more about Virginia Tourism Corporation, please visit virginia.org.

     About MWAA          

    The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority operates Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, the Dulles Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Toll Road and also manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail public transit system through Fairfax County and into Loudoun County, Virginia. More than 45 million passengers a year pass through the two airports. The Airports Authority generates more than 387,000 jobs in the National Capital Region.

     

  • Jawan with AK-47 rifle goes missing from Baramulla

    Jawan with AK-47 rifle goes missing from Baramulla

    In the first case of its kind, an Army jawan decamped with a service rifle and some ammunition from his unit in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, forcing the authorities to sound an alert across the Valley, especially in Army installations.

    Sepoy Zahoor Ahmad Thokar, of Sirnoo in Pulwama district, was posted with the 173 Battalion of the Territorial Army (Engineers) in Baramulla, the police said.

    “Thokar deserted the Army on July 5-6 night. He has run away with a service assault rifle and three magazines,” an official said. “All field formations have been alerted,” an official communication of the police said. A top police officer said ground intelligence suggested that he might have joined the militants. “If it is confirmed that he has joined the militants, it will be the first such case,” the officer said. “However, there is no hard evidence at this point as we are still investigating.”

  • Ahead of Burhan’s first anniv, security beefed up in Valley

    Ahead of Burhan’s first anniv, security beefed up in Valley

    SRINAGAR (TIP): Fearing trouble on the first death anniversary of Hizb-ul- Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, authorities have beefed up security across the Kashmir valley and also decided to block social media sites to prevent rumor mongering.

    Sources said more than 200 additional companies of central forces have already arrived in the Valley to ensure there is no trouble this time. With Amarnath yatra also going on, authorities don’t want to take any risk. “Police have already detained hundreds of workers of separatist organizations and seized more than 500 bikes to thwart any attempt by the Hurriyat to mobilize people on July 8,” they said.

    Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik have called for a complete shutdown on July 8 and asked people to reach Tral, the native town of Burhan, where they plan to address a huge gathering jointly.

    However, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Muneer Khan said they will leave no stone unturned to ensure that peace and law and order are maintained in the Valley. “There is no question of allowing any rally or a gathering. Primary concern for security agencies will be to ensure that there is no breach of peace anywhere,” he told reporters.

    Khan said that they were not planning a blanket ban on the Internet on Burhan’s anniversary in the valley. “There is nothing like suspending the Internet.

    Every step will be taken as per requirement and the situation will be reviewed on day-to-day basis,” he said.

    The state government has already announced a 10-day summer vacation in all educational institutions from July 6.

    The vacations coincide with a protest schedule issued by the separatists and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based United Jehad Council (UJC), an umbrella of militant organizations.

  • EXPEDITE WELFARE SCHEMES TO PREVENT FARM SUICIDES SC

    EXPEDITE WELFARE SCHEMES TO PREVENT FARM SUICIDES SC

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Questioning the Centre on lacunae in implementing various policies and programmes to prevent suicide by farmers, the Supreme Court today refused to close a PIL on the issue, even as it said the government was moving in the right direction.

    “We are not going to close it. We are just keeping ourselves in the loop. You are moving in the right direction but suicides are going up,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar said during the hearing of a PIL by Citizens Resource and Action Initiative (CRANTI), an NGO.

    “Giving compensation to the family of a farmer who kills himself is not enough. You are moving but still the suicides are increasing. There are policies but everything is on paper.

    You must move towards implementation,” it said. The top court’s comments came after Attorney General KK Venugopal explained the steps taken to deal with the agrarian crisis and tried to impress upon the Bench to leave it to the government to implement the policies which, even the petitioner admitted, were good.

    Giving details of its “multi-pronged attack” to tackle the problem, Venugopal said it was not for the court to supervise the government. But the Bench said: “There is a motive for us to hear this. We want you to soften the effect of loan on farmers.”

    Hit by consecutive droughts, India has witnessed an agrarian crisis, driving many farmers to suicide owing to failed crops and indebtedness. Suicide by farmers increased by more than 40 per cent in 2015, crossing 8,000. Most of these were from Maharashtra (more than 3,000) and Telangana (more than 1,300). Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh too have seen suicides by farmers.

    Source: The Tribune

  • UK court confirms Dec 4 as final hearing date in Mallya case

    UK court confirms Dec 4 as final hearing date in Mallya case

    LONDON/NEW DELHI (TIP): A UK court on Thursday rejected fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s request to shift the final hearing date in his extradition case to next year and fixed it for December 4.

    Mallya, who is wanted in India for Kingfisher Airlines’ default on loans worth nearly Rs 9,000 crores, has been in the UK since March 2016 and was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on April 18.

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government, told the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London that they had “excellent cooperation” with the Indian authorities in the case and now had sufficient material to establish a prima facie case for the extradition of the 61-year-old former chief of erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines.

    “We have completed a review of materials and I am happy to state that we have had excellent cooperation with the Indian authorities in this case,” CPS barrister Mark Summers told the judge.

    “We are ready and willing to proceed and would invite the court to fix a hearing date at the earliest.” “We have completed a review of materials and I am happy to state that we have had excellent cooperation with the Indian authorities in this case,” CPS barrister Mark Summers told the judge.

    “We are ready and willing to proceed and would invite the court to fix a hearing date at the earliest.”

  • PM Narendra Modi’s Israel Visit

    PM Narendra Modi’s Israel Visit

    PM Narendra Modi lays a wreath at the Indian cemetery in Haifa, Israel, on Thursday. Forty-four Indian soldiers laid down their lives during the liberation of Haifa in 1918.

  • More stones for Ram temple reach Ayodhya, Muslim outfits express concern

    More stones for Ram temple reach Ayodhya, Muslim outfits express concern

    LUCKNOW (TIP): Muslim outfits expressed serious concern as three truckloads of red stones reached the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workshop at Ramsevak Puram in Ayodhya from Rajasthan.

    According to the VHP sources over 200 tonnes of stones were unloaded from three trucks in the workshop in the early hours of Wednesday.

    Barely a fortnight back, two truckloads of stones had arrived at the VHP workshop from Rajasthan. ”More truckloads of stones are likely to reach the workshop in the days to come,” said an employee at the workshop.

    He said that the work of carving of stones was going in full swing at the workshop, which was located not very far from the VHP’s office at Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya.

    VHP spokesman Sharad Sharma said that there was no bar on bringing stones in Ayodhya.

    ”Trucks carrying stones have been arriving at Ayodhya since 1990…and they will keep on arriving in future also,” Sharma told Deccan Herald over phone from Ayodhya on Thursday.

    He said that the Akhilesh Yadav government had, under the influence of his ”advisers” had banned the transportation of stones through an ”oral order”.

    ”The Saint community of the country now expect this government (NDA) to ensure construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya through a Parliamentary legislation on the lines of Somnath Temple in Gujarat,” he added.

    Sharma said that even seven years after the Allahabad high court’s verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid Title Suits, a regular hearing had not started at the Supreme Court.

    UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had also said during an interview to a TV channel recently that the government did not intend to ban the transportation of stones as there was no legal bar on the same.

    The then Samajwadi Party (SP) government had imposed a ban on bringing the stones after Muslim outfits reacted sharply when truckloads of stones had arrived at Ayodhya from Rajasthan in 2015. The arrival of the stones assumes significance in the wake of framing of charges against senior BJP leaders L.K.Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and some VHP leaders by a special CBI court here for their role in the demolition of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

    Muslim leaders said that the government must stop the VHP from bringing stones in Ayodhya. ”The matter is in the court and all parties must wait for the court verdict…nothing should be done to vitiate the communal atmosphere in the country,” said a senior Muslim leader here.

    Source: www.deccanherald

  • Parties issuing whip to face penal action EC on Prez poll

    Parties issuing whip to face penal action EC on Prez poll

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Political parties which issue directions to their members to vote in a particular manner in presidential elections can face penal action, the Election Commission said today.

    It, however, said parties were free to canvas or seek votes of the electors for any candidate or request them or appeal to them to refrain from voting.

    Since there is no whip and the vote in presidential poll is through a secret ballot, voters are free to decide whether they want to cast vote or not.

    The set of clarifications from the commission came after it was approached by some voters who wanted to know whether a member of a political party voting in defiance of the party’s decision would attract disqualification on the ground of defection or the party would be liable to any penalty for asking their members to vote in a particular manner.

    The EC said parties which issue whip or give directions can face action under section 171C of the IPC dealing with “voluntarily interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise of any electoral right”.

    The total strength of the electoral college President’s poll comprises all elected MPs and members of legislative assemblies of all states and UTs of Delhi and Puducherry. The total comes to 10,98,903 votes with each MP carrying a vote value of 708.

    The vote weight of an MLA depends on the population of the state he or she represents. A candidate needs 50 per cent plus votes to win the poll. The halfway mark comes at 5,49,452.

  • I cared about EC’s image, not my own, during EVM controversy: Zaidi

    I cared about EC’s image, not my own, during EVM controversy: Zaidi

    NEW DELHI (TIP): It was the Election Commission’s integrity and image and not his personal reputation that he cared about during the entire EVM controversy, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi has said.

    “I was neither angry nor amused. I was very concerned about the integrity of the Commission, which it enjoys for decades. What was in my mind was how to preserve the integrity of the Commission and to retain and further enhance people’s confidence in the institution. It is not a question of me as an individual,” Zaidi told IANS in an interview when asked if he felt hurt or just laughed at the allegations during the EVM controversy.

    Zaidi, who demitted office on Wednesday, said the entire controversy was “most avoidable” as electronic voting machines (EVMs) were in use for a long time and several expert committees had vouched for their soundness. “I feel that this (EVM) controversy was most avoidable, in the sense that the EC has been a pioneer in deployment of EVMs in consultation with political parties, and with so many technical committees saying that these cannot be tampered with. By using the same EVMs we have conducted 107 assembly elections and three general elections in 2004, 2009, 2014. They have always thrown correct results. This controversy was clearly avoidable,” Zaidi said.

    He said that instead of “levelling wild allegations”, political parties could have brought up specific cases of tampering with proof or credible information. “But we haven’t had any such evidence. We are waiting for it even today,” Zaidi said with a smile.

    Zaidi said the Commission had always been open to suggestions and measures to further enhance the EVMs’ credibility. After results to the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur were declared, in which the BJP swept the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, some opposition parties raised doubts over the integrity of the EVMs. Many other parties joined the chorus that was sparked by BSP supremo Mayawati, who lost majorly in the state.

    In Punjab, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party raised the same issue, and also after his party lost the Delhi civic elections. However, the EC was prompt in issuing rebuttals every time such charges were levelled. In June, the EC threw a challenge to political parties to come and hack the machine. Only the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) showed interest in taking up the challenge. The poll panel had put in place several strictures for holding the exercise, after which most parties decided to keep away.

    Source: IANS

  • Achal Joti takes over as CEC

    Achal Joti takes over as CEC

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Achal Kumar Joti today took over as the 21st Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). After taking over, he said his focus would be to “vigorously pursue the mandate of holding free, fair, inclusive and credible polls.

    He said the poll panel’s mission of “no voter is left behind” would continue to be his priority even as the focus area would be to actively promote e-governance for holding state and LS polls. Joti, a 1975-batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, was the Chief Secretary of the state while Narendra Modi was the CM.

  • In Nitish backing Kovind, BJP sees cracks in alliance

    In Nitish backing Kovind, BJP sees cracks in alliance

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Even as the party attacks Nitish Kumar for not acting against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family in alleged graft cases, BJP sees the Bihar CM’s support to NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind as a serious division in the alliance rather than an “isolated” act.

    A senior BJP member said Kumar’s support to Kovind was reminiscent of his stance when he had supported UPA’s presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee in 2012 despite being part of NDA. Subsequently, Kumar parted ways with the NDA.

    “By support to the NDA nominee, Kumar has expressed displeasure with RJD and Congress and the ‘mahagathbandhan’ will not last six months,” he claimed. The party is keenly seeing what Kumar’s position on the vice-president’s election will be.

    BJP’s optimism is in contrast to remarks by JD(U) members like K C Tyagi, who said Kumar’s support to Kovind did not have political ramifications beyond the presidential poll. However, while reacting to RJD and Congress’s criticism of the CM, even Tyagi has recalled JD(U)’s alliance with BJP when Vajpayee was PM.

    BJP feels the CM is keen to differentiate himself from his partners. “Candidature of Meira Kumar was a known secret. Kumar could have waited for two days. But he had made up his mind and Kovind’s selection made it easy for him,” the BJP member said. He said Meira Kumar’s particular Scheduled Caste was a sizeable one in Bihar and it could have been a poll ploy to support her. “But a large section of JD(U) wanted to join hands with BJP.”

    After support for demonetisation, the latest trigger for Kumar to explore a break-up with the ‘mahagathbandhan’ is premised on several factors, including possibility of legal action against Lalu’s family members. The CM, it is felt, has also realised the futility of forging a grand national alliance against BJP since Congress is unlikely to formally back anyone for PM other than Rahul Gandhi.

    PREZ POLL FIGHT BETWEEN IDEOLOGIES, SAYS MEIRA

    PATNA (TIP): Opposition’s presidential pick Meira Kumar has described her electoral fight with NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind as a contest between two ideologies — communalism and secularism.

    The former Lok Sabha Speaker was interacting with Bihar’s ruling Congress and RJD legislators at a posh hotel in Patna on Thursday, ten days before the election is to be held on July 17. The other ruling ally, JD (U), has announced support to Kovind.

    “Our country is standing at the crossroads… There’s complete darkness on one side where people are being divided on religious and caste lines and the poor being suppressed for political advantage.

    We (read the parties supporting her) are on the other side, trying to help the suppressed sections. This is what we have been doing since ages,” she said, alleging people today were afraid of even walking beside a cow.

    Thanking RJD chief Lalu Prasad who was the first politician after Congress president Sonia Gandhi to call her, Meira said he told her about his support. “I knew he would support me for I have seen him lead the people of Bihar in stalling nefarious attempts to communalise the country in the past,” she said and hoped history would be repeated with her win.

  • CBI files case against Lalu, family after searching premises over hotel tender irregularities

    CBI files case against Lalu, family after searching premises over hotel tender irregularities

    CBI on July 7 (Friday) carried out searches at the premises of family members of former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for maintenance of hotels.

    A case has been registered against the then railway minister, his wife Rabri Devi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and his son Tejashwi, the then IRCTC MD, P K Goyal, the wife of Yadav’s confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, and others, CBI sources said. Gupta is a former Union corporate affairs minister.

    The sources said the FIR relates to allegations of irregularities in the tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri, awarded to the private Sujata Hotels in 2006.

    The BNR Hotels are heritage hotels of the Railways which were taken over by the IRCTC from the public transporter earlier in the same year.

    Searches are being conducted today at 12 locations, including Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri and Gurgaon, they said.

    Source: PTI

  • G20 HAMBURG SUMMIT

    G20 HAMBURG SUMMIT

    The G20 (or G-20 or Group of Twenty) is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies founded in 1999. The G20 aims to discuss policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability. It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.The G20 heads of government or heads of state have periodically conferred at summits since their initial meeting in 2008, and the group also hosts separate meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors.

    Membership of the G20 consists of 19 individual countries plus the European Union (EU). The EU is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank. Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85% of the gross world product (GWP), 80% of world trade (or, if excluding EU intratrade, 75%), and two-thirds of the world population.

    With the G20 growing in stature after its inaugural leaders’ summit in 2008, its leaders announced on 25 September 2009 that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations. Since its inception, the G20’s membership policies have been criticized by numerous intellectuals, and its summits have been a focus for major protests by left-wing groups and anarchists.

    The heads of the G20 nations met semiannually at G20 summits between 2009 and 2010. Since the November 2011 Cannes summit, all G20 summits have been held annually.

    History

    The G20 is the latest in a series of post-World War II initiatives aimed at international coordination of economic policy, which include institutions such as the “Bretton Woods twins”, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and what is now the World Trade Organization.

    The G20 was foreshadowed at the Cologne Summit of the G7 in June 1999, and formally established at the G7 Finance Ministers’ meeting on 26 September 1999 with an inaugural meeting on 15-16 December 1999 in Berlin. Canadian finance minister Paul Martin was chosen as the first chairman and German finance minister Hans Eichel hosted the inaugural meeting.

    The Brookings Institution claims the group was founded primarily at the initiative of Eichel, the concurrent chair of the G7. Canadian sources identify the G20 as a joint creation of Germany and the United States. The G20 membership was decided by Eichel’s deputy Caio Koch-Weser and then US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers’ deputy Timothy Geithner.

    “Geithner and Koch-Weser went down the list of countries saying, Canada in, Portugal out, South Africa in, Nigeria and Egypt out, and so on; they sent their list to the other G7 finance ministries; and the invitations to the first meeting went out.”

    Early topics

    The G20’s primary focus has been governance of the global economy, and summit themes have varied from year to year. The theme of the 2006 G20 ministerial meeting was “Building and Sustaining Prosperity”. The issues discussed included domestic reforms to achieve “sustained growth”, global energy and resource commodity markets, reform of the World Bank and IMF, and the impact of demographic changes due to an aging world population.

    In 2007, South Africa hosted the secretariat with Trevor A. Manuel, South African Minister of Finance as chairperson of the G20. In 2008, Guido Mantega, Brazil’s Minister of Finance, was the G20 chairperson and proposed dialogue on competition in financial markets, clean energy, economic development and fiscal elements of growth and development.

    On 11 October 2008 after a meeting of G7 finance ministers US President George W. Bush stated that the next meeting of the G20 would be important in finding solutions to the burgeoning economic crisis of 2008.

    WHICH COUNTRIES ARE G20 MEMBERS?

    Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America, The European Union, represented by the European Council.

    When and where is the 2017 G20 summit being held?

    This year’s main G20 forum is being held from 7-8 July in Hamburg, Germany. As well as permanent members of the committee, the leaders of Guinea, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, Spain and Vietnam will also be in attendance.

    This will be the 12th G20 summit and the first time it has been hosted by Germany. It is being hosted at the Hamburg Messe and Congress, a large convention centre which regularly hosts trade fairs.

    There were surreal scenes ahead of the event, as hundreds of activists dressed up as zombies in a “Welcome to hell” demonstration. The protests on the eve of the summit’s opening became more violent, with riot police firing water cannons at demonstrators after they pelted cops with rocks.

    What will be discussed at the G20 meeting?

    Theresa May is set to issue a rallying cry to leaders to develop technology to prevent future “lone wolf” terror attacks following the Manchester and London Bridge atrocities. The Prime Minister will call for new tools to be introduced to spot suspicious transfers of small sums of money in order to detect terrorist funding.

    She will also urge world leaders to share more intelligence on the movement of known jihadi fighters returning from battle in Syria and Iraq. Donald Trump will meet Vladimir Putin at the summit – and the US president offered rare public criticism of Russia’s “destabilising” behaviour ahead of their talks.

    Trump is also set for talks with May, who is poised to challenge him over climate change after he pulled out of the Paris Agreement in June. Their discussions will also focus on missile testing by North Korea in the face of escalating nuclear weapon development from Kim Jong-un’s state in recent months.

    Germany and the US could find themselves on collision course in Hamburg after Angela Merkel signalled that climate change, free trade and migration would be key themes of the summit.

    Summit agenda

    Apart from usual, recurring themes “relating to global economic growth, international trade and financial market regulation”,the G20 Hamburg summit is expected to focus on the following “issues of global significance”:

    More inclusive growth

    Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: In spite of the recent US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the German presidency wants to make the most of the “renewed public policy interest for environmental sustainability, gender equity and social inclusiveness, in the spirit of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” – notably through the promotion of renewable energy and further fossil fuel divestment in both industrialised and developing nations.

    Women’s rights and economic empowerment Refugees and European migrant crisis Counter-terrorism and national security

    Cross-cutting policy recommendations Wolfgang Schäuble, the veteran German Federal Minister of Finance, has insisted on the “interconnected” nature of many of the issues facing G20 nations and, thus, on the need to preserve a strong consensus in favor of concerted, crosscuting policy measures: “Globalization has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, but there is also a growing rise in frustration in some quarters Development, national security and migration are all interlinked”

  • At least 28 killed in barbaric Mexican prison fight

    At least 28 killed in barbaric Mexican prison fight

    ACAPULCO (TIP): At least 28 inmates were killed when a brutal fight broke out in a prison in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco on July 6, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country’s troubled penal system in recent years.

    Acapulco is the biggest city in Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most lawless states and a center of opium poppy production that has been a major concern to US officials. The prison carnage was particularly embarrassing to Mexico as it came the same day US Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was visiting Guerrero, in Mexico’s southwest.

    Guerrero state security official Roberto Alvarez told reporters the fight broke out between rival gangs in the maximum security wing of the prison. In addition to 28 dead, three people were injured, he said.

    Authorities found bodies throughout the wing, inside and outside the kitchen, as well as the area for conjugal visits, he said. A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, and told four of the dead were decapitated.

    Alvarez told Reuters the prison was close to 30 percent over capacity. It was built for 1,624 inmates but had 1,951 men and 110 women behind its walls, he said.

    Despite reports of gunfire in the prison, all the casualties were due to wounds from sharp instruments, such as the improvised weapons that are fashioned by inmates, Alvarez said. Violent crime in Mexico has jumped in recent months and 2017 is on track to be one of its bloodiest on record.

    The number of murder cases in the first 5 months of 2017 jumped nearly 30 percent and murder investigations hit a record high in May. Drug gangs have been battling for control amid a power vacuum following the January deportation of Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the United States.

    The United States and Mexico are discussing how to crack down on the cartels now that most of the established capos have been killed or captured in a decade long, military led campaign.

    Kelly, one of the main links between Mexico’s government and the Trump administration on migration and security cooperation, arrived in Mexico on Wednesday and has held meetings with other top officials, including President Enrique Pena Nieto. He visited a military base outside Acapulco on Thursday to meet Mexico’s army and navy chiefs. Kelly discussed the military’s efforts to battle drug traffickers and observed the deployment of troops to destroy opium poppy fields, the defense ministry said in a statement.

    Acapulco, one of Mexico’s most famous beach resorts, was once a playground for Hollywood stars but in recent years has been roiled by vicious gang warfare. It is now ranked one of the most murderous cities in the world. The past week has been particularly bloody in Mexico.

    On Wednesday, at least 14 people were killed in a shootout in the northern state of Chihuahua, while 17 suspected gang members were shot dead by police late on Friday near Mazatlan in Guzman’s home state of Sinaloa. (Reuters)

  • July 7 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F07%2FTIP-Edition-Jul-7-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”85831″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/TIP-Edition-Jul-7-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F07%2FTIP-Edition-Jul-7-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”85830″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/TIP-Edition-Jul-7-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F%20_blank|||”][td_block_5 limit=”8″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Indian American Executives Advance to EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Finals

    Indian American Executives Advance to EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Finals

    DALLAS (TIP): More than a dozen Indian American executives nationwide have been named as regional winners in the 31st annual Ernst and Young U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year competition.

    The winners were selected from countless entrepreneurs, including dozens of Indian Americans, chosen as regional finalists in 25 regions throughout the country.

    At least 13 Indian Americans were named from nine regions, including three from the Southeast region.

    Among the Southeast regional winners were Satya Tiwari, Sidd Ahmed and Asif Ramji.

    Tiwari is the president of White, Ga.-based Surya, a family-run home decor company, since April 2004. He began his career as an investment banker following his graduation from Northwestern University in 2000.

    Ahmed has been the president and CEO at VDart Inc. dating back to April 2008. Prior to that, he was vice president of sales at Systel Inc. Ahmed is a graduate of GCE and earned certificates at Northwestern University’s management school and Dartmouth’s school of business.

    Ramji is the president and CEO of Paymetric. He has held leadership roles at the Greater Atlanta, Ga.-based company since 2009. He previously held leadership roles at RBS WorldPay Inc. and Moneris Solutions. He is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

    Raghu Marwaha and Rohit Marwaha of the Marwaha Group were among the winners in the Orange County region. The family organization owns and operates multiple Subway restaurants in Southern California. Raghu serves as the CEO of the company, where he’s been since January 1994. Rohit is a managing partner at the company, which he joined in August 1994.

    Ameri100 president Giri Devanur and Azure Knowledge Corporation co-founder and executive director Jay Ruparel were among the New Jersey regional winners.

    Devanur, a graduate of the University of Mysore and Columbia University, has been with the enterprise technology management company since September 2010. He has also served as the CEO at TCG-Ivega Corporation from 1997 to 2005 and GC Advanced R&D in Bangalore from 2006 to 2010.

    Ruparel co-founded Azure Knowledge Corporation, a global market research solutions company, in April 2001. In addition to Azure, Ruparel serves in various adviser, chairperson and management roles for different companies. He is a graduate of North Gujarat University and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

    In the Mid-Atlantic region, Altruista Health CEO Ashish Kachru and Fishbowl Inc. CEO and president Dev Ganesan were named regional winners.

    Kachru has served as the CEO at Altruista Health since October 2010. He has been with the company since 2007, previously serving as its chairman and president. The Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology and University of Chicago Booth School of Business graduate has also worked at Cummins Inc., Dunrath Capital, Procter & Gamble and Americhoice.

    Ganesan has served as the president and CEO of Fishbowl since October 2014. He is a University of Mumbai graduate, and is also serving on the boards of DC Central Kitchen and Brandmuscle. He was previously president and CEO of Aptara.

    In the Greater Philadelphia region, Jagath Wanninayake of Suvoda LLC was named a winner. Wanninayake has been the co-founder, chairman and CEO at Suvoda since September 2012. He also serves as the co-founder and executive chairman at Mixette and managing partner at Serendip Ventures. A Swarthmore College graduate, Wanninayake also co-founded Jamity Records and Clarix.

    Ravi Kunduru of Ventech Solutions was named a winner in the Ohio Valley region. Kunduru serves as the president and chief innovation officer of Ventech Solutions, a Columbus, Ohio-based company he founded in 1994. He has served there for 23 years running. The Indian American earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Madras SRM College of Engineering.

    In the Gulf Coast Region, Swapnil Agarwal was chosen to represent the area as a regional winner. Agarwal serves as the CEO at the Houston-based Nitya Capital, a real estate private equity fund company, where he’s been since 2013. Also since 2013, Agarwal has served as the CEO at Karya Property Management. He has previously worked at Forum Partners, and Simmons and Company International. He earned a bachelor’s from the University of Texas at Austin.

    In the New England Region, Raj Shanmugaraj of Acacia Communications was chosen as a winner. He has been president and CEO at Acacia since February 2010. He has also served as vice president at Alcatel and chief executive at Astral Point Communications. Earlier in his career, he served as a director at Motorola. He earned a degree at the National Institute of Technology.

    SendGrid CEO Sameer Dholakia was named a regional winner in the Mountain Desert region. Dholakia has been the CEO at SendGrid since September 2014. Previously he was group vice president and general manager of cloud platforms group at Citrix Systems, the CEO of VMLogix Inc. and held various leadership roles at Trilogy. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s from Stanford University and an M.B.A. at Harvard Business School.

    In the Southwest, Dr. Sulman Ahmed of DECA Dental was named a winner. Ahmed is the CEO and founder of the DECA Dental Group, which he founded in 2008. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas and the Tufts School of Dental Medicine.

    Lalit Chordia, CEO of Thar Energy, was named a winner in the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia region. Chordia has been with Thar since January 2011. The Indian American is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Carnegie Mellon University.

    Also named a regional winner in the Greater Los Angeles region was KabaFusion Holdings LLC chief executive officer Sohail Massood, a Pakistani American.

    No Indian American or South Asian American entrepreneurs were selected from the Midwest, Central Midwest, Upper Midwest, Florida, Maryland, Michigan and Northwest Ohio, Central Texas, Northern California, Northeast Texas, New York, Utah, San Diego or Pacific Northwest regions.

    The regional winners will now head to the EY U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year national finals in Palm Springs, Calif., this November. The winner of that competition will then represent the country in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year global finals next year.

  • Indian American Comedian Nik Dodani Lands Role in Netflix Film

    Indian American Comedian Nik Dodani Lands Role in Netflix Film

    DALLAS (TIP): Indian American actor Nik Dodani will star in the Netflix film, “Alex Strangelove,” written and directed by Craig Johnson.

    The comedy, according to Deadline, follows high school senior Alex Strangelove’s quest to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, made all the more awkward by his struggle to identify and declare his sexuality.

    Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films is producing the film, in which Dodani will play Blake, a man of few words who enjoys teasing Alex.

    Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Dodani, an actor/comedian/activist, now lives in Los Angeles.

    Dodani will soon have a recurring role on “Atypical,” a new Netflix original comedy by Robia Rashid, and will also be appearing in Joshua Leonard’s indie film, “Behold My Heart,” opposite Marisa Tomei, Timothy Olyphant, Charlie Plummer, and Sakina Jaffrey.

    His other TV credits include Comedy Central’s “Idiotsitter,” FreeForm’s “Kevin From Work,” NBC’s “The Player,” and HBO’s “The Comeback.”

    Dodani can be spotted in commercials for Verizon, AT&T, Liberty Mutual, and Wendy’s.

    He is also currently a design and production activist with Art Not War, a cultural impact and PR firm. During the 2016 presidential election, Dodani was an associate producer at MoveOn.org, where he produced videos, graphics, and live events targeting millennial voters, such as the national standup comedy tour, “Laughter Trumps Hate”; a get-out-the-vote PSA called “Millennials Against Trump”; and a sketch, starring Gaby Hoffmann, called “Cash or SuperPAC?”

    Previously, he worked for Elizabeth Warren’s 2012 Senate campaign and for Alicia Keys’ HIV/AIDS awareness initiative.

     

     

     

  • Air India Delhi Washington Inaugural Flight arrives at Dulles Airport few minutes before time

    Air India Delhi Washington Inaugural Flight arrives at Dulles Airport few minutes before time

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Air India Delhi – Washington Inaugural Flight arrives at Dulles Airport few minutes before time as expected on Friday, July 7.

    Air India’s inaugural flight is the first nonstop route between the National Capital Region and New Delhi, directly connecting the world’s strongest democracy and the world’s largest democracy with three weekly round-trip flights.

    The flight received an Escorted Airside Arrival.

    The Press Conference is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m.

    Here are a few glimpses of the history in the making.

  • Narendra Dahotre Named UNT Interim Associate VP of Research

    Narendra Dahotre Named UNT Interim Associate VP of Research

    DALLAS (TIP): The University of North Texas June 20 named Narendra Dahotre its interim associate vice president of research and innovation.

    Dahotre, who serves as a distinguished research professor in materials science and engineering at the university, will serve a one-year appointment while the university conducts a nationwide search for a permanent replacement for Dave Schultz, who left for a position at Northern Arizona University.

    “I am honored to be able to join the leadership team in UNT’s Office of Research and Innovation,” the Indian American professor said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting and contributing in a positive and impactful way this next year.”

    In the interim role, Dahotre will facilitate research projects that have been funded by the federal government, including UNT’s work funded by the Army Research Lab for a Tactical Shelters project and a Ballistics project.

    Additionally, he will oversee the management of UNT’s shared instrumentation facilities across campus and work with the advisory groups and directors for each facility, as well as serve as chair of the new Research Space Adjudication Subcommittee and assist with the development, approval and implementation of partnership agreements with other universities, national labs and industry.

    “Narendra brings incredible experience and knowledge to the position, which will help guide our division and lead faculty to the next level of research enterprise at UNT,” UNT vice president for research and innovation Tom McCoy said in a university news release. “Narendra will contribute substantially because of his success as a researcher and his knowledge of UNT, and I know he will be a valuable partner to our government and university peers in helping to coordinate important research projects.”

    Dahotre is a former chairman of the UNT College of Engineering’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

    A member of the National Academy of Inventors, he is internationally known and recognized in his field for his pioneering contributions to the understanding and engineering of laser-materials in processing and manufacturing, the university said.

    The professor, who has been at UNT since 2010, has 16 U.S. patents to his name and has published nearly 300 articles in professional journals, as well as authored four books and edited 13 other books focused on laser materials processing and manufacturing and surface engineering.

    He is a fellow of nine national and international societies, including the American Society of Materials and American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and is a founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing and editor of the Journal of Lasers and Optics.

    A graduate of Michigan State University, earning his doctorate and master’s degrees, and the University of Poona in India, where he received his bachelor’s degree, Dahotre previously worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in faculty roles, as well as a director role at the University of Tennessee Space Institute-Tullahoma

  • Texas apparel firm apologizes & removes Lord Ganesha leggings after Hindus object

    Texas apparel firm apologizes & removes Lord Ganesha leggings after Hindus object

    PHARR, TX (TIP):  Texas based athletic clothing company “Miami Fitwear” apologized and removed leggings carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha from its website after Hindus objected, calling it “highly inappropriate”.

    Raquel Ponce, founder of Miami Fitwear, in emails on July five to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, wrote: “…We have removed the leggings from our website…I am truly sorry if I offended anyone with printing those leggings. That was not my intention at all… and again I apologize. The last thing I wanted is to offend anyone.”

    Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada, thanked Miami Fitwear and Ponce for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which found images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha on leggings were highly disrespectful.

    Rajan Zed suggested corporations to send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.

    Zed had said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one’s legs. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

    Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed had noted.

    Zed had stated that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

    Products of Miami Fitwear; which describes itself as “an athleisure and lifestyle company”; include leggings, capris, pants. Its Mission includes “making you feel good” and it and claims to “handcraft every legging”. The now removed “True Wisdom” Ganesha leggings were priced at $98 and its description included: “We hope our hand-drawn Ganesha leggings help you remember how beautifully strong and wise you are when you decided to use your energy in a positive way.”

    In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

  • 67 year old Sikh postmaster stabbed; turban ripped off by robber in UK

    67 year old Sikh postmaster stabbed; turban ripped off by robber in UK

    LONDON (TIP): A 67-year-old Sikh postmaster in the UK was stabbed in the neck and head and his turban ripped off by a robber during a violent knife attack. Tarsem Singh Thethy was left with stab wounds as a result of the incident, and his wife Kulwant said he is “not the same person” since the attack at the Post Office in Erdington, Birmingham.

    The incident took place in March but the shocking CCTV footage has been issued by the police now, showing the moment the man lunged at Thethy with a six-inch blade.

    “Normally when somebody comes in, I greet them and say ‘good morning’ or something like that. But before I could speak, he had got in my face and stabbed me in the neck,” Thethy was quoted as saying by Metro.co.uk.

    “It was only a small wound, about 2cm deep, but as you can imagine it was very painful. He was shouting ‘give me the money, give me the keys’. The man was crazy, he was pushing me around and wielding the knife,” he said.

    In the video footage of the incident that happened on March 17, the pair can be seen grappling after the attacker ripped the turban off Thethy’s head.

    His wife managed to trigger the panic alarm from a separate room, leading to the man rushing out of the shop.

    “He kept telling me that he would kill me, but I always believed that I would be ok. Looking back, I’m not sure if he cared about the money. I think he just wanted to kill somebody. Ever since the incident, I have felt scared every day to work in the shop,” Thethy said.

    Describing life after the attack, Kulwant told a TV show that her husband has been hit hard by the assault, “He’s been nervous, he’s not the same person.”

    Police Constable Alan Reeves of West Midlands Police, said, “This man is a particular danger to the public and needs taking off the streets. We want to identify him and arrest him for the protection of the public, given the viciousness and how frenzied the attack was.”

    (Source: PTI)

     

     

     

  • Kohli surpasses Tendulkar for most tons while chasing

    Kohli surpasses Tendulkar for most tons while chasing

    KINGSTON (TIP): India skipper Virat Kohli has broken Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most centuries in One-day Internationals while chasing. Kohli led from the front with a fluent century as India yesterday wrapped up the five-match series 3-1 with a convincing eight-wicket win over the West Indies. This was Kohli’s 28th hundred in One-day cricket, 18 of which have come while chasing. Tendulkar took 232 innings to reach 17, while Kohli has reached the milestone in only 102 innings.

  • CBP Announces Expansion of Global Entry to Indian Citizens

    CBP Announces Expansion of Global Entry to Indian Citizens

    WASHINGTON (TIP): U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 3 announced the expansion of Global Entry eligibility to citizens of India. Global Entry, a CBP Trusted Traveler Program, allows for expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Indian citizens can begin applying for Global Entry through the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) website. India becomes the 11th country overall whose citizens are eligible to enroll in Global Entry. Ambassador Navtej Sarna, India’s Ambassador
    to the U.S., was the first Indian citizen to enroll in Global Entry.

    “CBP is excited to offer our flagship Trusted Traveler Program to Indian citizens,” said Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. “By expanding Global Entry eligibility, CBP is transforming the international arrivals process, making it more secure, efficient and welcoming, for the millions of Indian citizens who visit the United States each year.”

    Currently available at 53 U.S. airports and 15 Preclearance locations, Global Entry streamlines the international arrivals process at airports for trusted travelers. The more than 4 million Global Entry members bypass traditional CBP inspection lines and use an automated kiosk to complete their admission to the United States. As an added benefit, Global Entry members are also eligible to participate in the TSA Pre✓™ expedited screening program.

    U.S. citizens, U.S nationals and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents may apply for Global Entry as well as citizens of certain countries with which CBP has trusted traveler arrangements, including Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and now India. Canadian citizens and residents enrolled in NEXUS may also use the Global Entry kiosks.

    The non-refundable application fee for a five-year Global Entry membership is $100 and applications must be submitted online. Once the applicant successfully passes a background check, a CBP officer will conduct an interview with the applicant at one of the more than 100 Global Entry Enrollment Centers located throughout the U.S., Canada, and Qatar and then make a final eligibility determination.

    While the goal of Global Entry is to speed travelers through the process, members may be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and revocation of the traveler’s membership privileges.