The decision to allow 49% foreign stake in Air India sets the stage for its privatization
The Union Cabinet has approved a series of changes in foreign direct investment norms as the government prepares to enter the last lap of its economic policy-setting phase ahead of the 2019 election. Key among these was the decision to allow up to 49% overseas ownership, including by a foreign airline, in Air India. This comes just a little more than six months after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its nod for a strategic disinvestment of the airline. The relaxation in ownership norms clears the decks for possible bidders such as the Singapore Airlines-Tata combine and Jet Airways — with its overseas equity and route partners — to make a more detailed commercial assessment of the investment opportunity the state-owned flag carrier presents. For the fiscally constrained government, the decision couldn’t have come sooner. With the Union Budget due soon and the government woefully short of its budgeted strategic disinvestment goal for the current financial year — as of end-November, only 28% of the targeted ₹15,000 crore had been realized — the hope must be for an accelerated timetable for the stake sale. Still, the fulfilment of a necessary condition for a strategic sale doesn’t automatically become sufficient grounds for a successful privatization. Given the carrier’s accumulated debt of about ₹50,000 crore and the fact that the interest of potential investors is likely to be focused on Air India’s lucrative long-haul international routes and its fleet of more than 40 wide-bodied aircraft, disinvestment will be neither easy nor guaranteed. At the very least, the government needs to set a clear, unambiguous road map for the sale process.
The other reform cleared by the Cabinet was the crucial decision to put 100% FDI in Single Brand Retail Trading under the ‘automatic’ route, accompanied by the long-sought relaxation of mandatory local sourcing norms. This had been a major issue with potential investors including Apple, which had repeatedly urged the government to take a more benign view given the level of technological advancement incorporated in its products and the difficulty in finding local sources of supply at the requisite scale. The five-year holiday on the 30% local-sourcing requirement is expected to give companies setting up shop here adequate time to identify, train and even technologically assist in the creation of local supply chains. If this decision was going to be made, it is surprising it was not done in November 2015, when the Centre changed tack and opened up single brand retail to 100% FDI. An early decision would have helped, given the sector’s potential for job-creation and technology upgradation. Still, better late than never.
“As a society, it is our responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. Pluralism is a development of an attitude of respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us. You are who you are, and I am who I am; let’s figure it out how to make life easy for both of us”, says the author.
President Trump does not care about anyone but himself; he is reckless and insensitive with his words which cause unwanted social hostility between people and nations. He will be gone when his term ends, but we the people will have to live with the consequences of his words and actions.
I stumbled across an article in Times of Israel with the actual title, “When Jews came from ‘shithole’ countries.” What caught my attention was the following sentence, “Sarna and Diner both said that similar fears animated the nativism of the 1920’s and today. In both cases, they said, these derogatory comments were based on a few of the other from a foreign culture, who will disrupt white American society.”
Teresa May, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom expressed the same fear in her speech in Philadelphia to Republicans upon her visit a year ago. She said, “I believe it is in our national interest to do so. Because the world is increasingly marked by instability and threats that threaten to undermine our way of life and the very things that we hold dear.”
Times of Israel wrote, “While congressmen in the 1920s may not have used Trump’s language, they were also opposed to letting in people from so-called undesirable countries — like Italians, Slavs and Jews from Eastern Europe. Chinese immigrants were banned altogether. Senator David Reed, for whom the 1924 law was named, also wanted to let in more immigrants from “Nordic” countries.”
“This prejudice had been around for decades before the 1924 law. A report from 1891 prepared by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge lumped Jews, Italians, Poles, and others into “races most alien to the body of the American people.” Times of Israel.
Recognizing this inherent phobia of a group of people from among the majority of the population, any population for that matter, we wrote at the Center for Pluralism, “The Center is committed to reassuring each other, including the disconnected ones among the White Americans, that together as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. As Americans, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution.
Although no minorities have made any attempt to change the way of life of the majorities, they need to make extra efforts to reassure the concerned group within the majority that they live their lives, and have not, and will not make any attempt to change the Majoritarian lives. Together let’s preserve America’s greatness that we all cherish.
The following speech was written for Hillary Clinton hoping she would deliver it; the full speech is at Huffington Post dated November 6, 2016, two days before the elections.
My priority is to reach out to my fellow Americans who had it good until the disaster from wars brought misery to them; the white Americans. We are going to find ways and means for them to recover from the difficult times they have endured while other Americans have prospered.
You have two stark choices in front of you; one makes the decisions from the seat of his pants. He does not listen to anyone, does not have the support of a single former President nor does he have the advisement of the sane voices. He can bankrupt the nation and walk away with no consequences, but you may be the one who gets stiffed. Your job and your life is an experiment to him, and the safety of our nation will be subjected to his whims.
Believe me, the Black Americans, Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans, immigrant Americans, and all other Americans want each one of us to prosper, particularly the disaffected White Americans. Our prosperity hinges on the prosperity of people around us and prosperity of nations around us. None of us will succeed if some of us are left behind.
I am committed to restoring justice to my fellow Americans who lost their jobs in manufacturing, Americans who live on farms, Americans who do not have an education or technical skills, men and women who are plumbers, electricians, repairmen, drivers, janitors and small business owners, and taking care of them is a priority of my administration. We will restore our glory days, and in the end, no American will be left out.
Pluralism is the panacea
As a society, it is our responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. Pluralism is a development of an attitude of respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us. You are who you are, and I am who I am; let’s figure it out how to make life easy for both of us.
The Center for Pluralism will become the energy to give a solid cohesive social structure to our nation. By the year 2025, there will not be an office, school, playground, college, restaurant, theater, train, bus or a workplace where people of different faiths, races, ethnicities, and national origins do not work, interact, play, live and marry together. This is bound to create conflicts in airports, public spaces, boardrooms, and in bedrooms as well as places of worship, workplaces, politics, eateries, and schools.
We have a responsibility to shape the future of our society, and we will continue to focus our energies on ensuring a safe America, where no one including your kids, grandkids or yourselves has to worry about his/her faith, ethnicity, race, gender or other God-given uniqueness and live his or her life without apprehensions.
The Center for Pluralism will be an antidote to Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racism, Homophobia, Hindu phobia, Xenophobia, Misogyny and other phobias. Through research and activism, we are establishing a respectful space for the ideals of pluralism with the policymakers, interfaith groups, Republicans and Democrats and of course the media and you!
(The Washington based author is an Indian American, committed to building cohesive work places, societies and communities and offers pluralistic solutions. He is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He can be reached at mikeghouse@gmail.com)
‘No Your Honour!’: An earnest plea to save India’s faltering democracy
By George Abraham
“Many of these actions by CJI have created dissension in the ranks that may point to not only selective justice for the powerful and well-connected, but are instances when the very lives of justices are placed on line. Although some may question the rationale for an open news conference, these four judges are known for their impeccable integrity and impartial judgments. It is also apparent that the Supreme Court is currently lacking any mechanism to evaluate the inner workings of the court or streamline the process to resolve deficiencies resulting from wrong decision making”, says the author.
Many newspapers in India on Saturday, January 13th carried the story of disarray in the Supreme court of India with a beaming headline ‘No, Your honour!’. India has indeed witnessed an extraordinary news conference by four members of the Collegium revealing the skew in the allocation of work and lack of transparency by Dipak Misra, the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
It has been reported that this is the first time in history that four senior judges – Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan B. Lokur brought the inner workings of this revered institution to the forefront of the public debate. The most notable aspect of this development is that these four judges have asserted that they have done this to preserve democracy for India.
According to Justice Chelameswar, the second senior most judge, “we tried to persuade the CJI to take steps but failed. Unless the Institution of Supreme Court is preserved, democracy won’t survive in this country”. He also added that they were left with no choice and did not want people to accuse those 20 years later that they did not take care of the Institution.
To the keen observers of the recent political dynamics in the country, this development may not come as a huge surprise. The traditions and protocols that preserved the independence of the Supreme Court have been under siege lately like many other Institutions in the country. For those who are concerned about the very concept of equal justice under law, the Supreme Court in India is found to be their last refuge. If that Institution is also interfered with or politicized, India would join the ranks of banana republics and would effectively cease to be a constitutional democracy.
The recent turn of events was triggered by the actions of the Chief Justice who started allocating cases of far-reaching consequences without transparency, indicating selective assignment of cases to preferred judges. One of those cases involved the murder of CBI judge B H Loya who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh Murder trial in which BJP President Amit Shah was accused. He appeared to have mysteriously died in 2014. CJI on Friday allotted a petition seeking independent inquiry into the death to Justice Arun Mishra who is 10th in seniority.
Then there was the medical admission scam involving sitting and retired High Court judges. They permitted private medical colleges to admit students to MBBS despite Supreme Court bar. Justice Chelameswar set up a bench to hear it, but CJI sent that to another bench saying he alone has the right to draw up the roster. There was also a procedural fight over the norms to appoint HC and SC judges, and CJI sidelined the five-member constitutional bench from such a critical decision making by selecting a small three-judge bench headed by himself.
Many of these actions by CJI have created dissension in the ranks that may point to not only selective justice for the powerful and well-connected, but are instances when the very lives of justices are placed on line. Although some may question the rationale for an open news conference, these four judges are known for their impeccable integrity and impartial judgments. It is also apparent that the Supreme Court is currently lacking any mechanism to evaluate the inner workings of the court or streamline the process to resolve deficiencies resulting from wrong decision making.
Although the Modi Government at first declared that the crisis in the Judiciary is an internal problem for their own to resolve, on the following day, the media got the glimpse of Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra at the residence of the Chief Justice Misra. However, the report also stated that the gates were not opened. At this point, one can only speculate the role the Government has played muddying the water that could pose a higher risk to the integrity and the independence of the Judiciary.
It has been quite evident from the recent pronouncements by various BJP/RSS leaders that they are quite unhappy with the current constitution that identifies itself as secular. The Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde speaking at the meeting of Yuva Parishad said: “I will be happy if someone identifies as Muslim, Christian, Brahmin, Lingayat or Hindu, but trouble will arise if they say they are secular”. Although he later offered a reluctant apology for strategic reasons, he may have been speaking from the mindset of those who are in power today. They are very well aware of the reality that not only they would require 2/3 majority to change the constitution but also a friendly Supreme Court in case of a judicial review.
There are growing indications that the Modi government which came to power under the guise of a development agenda is busy laying the foundation for a transformed India based on Hindutva ideology. To accomplish their long-cherished goal of total transformation, they either have to change the Institutions that stand in their way or entirely wreck it.
Supreme Court is not the only the Institution that is under siege in today’s India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ill-advised demonetization program shed light on the stress and strain that the Reserve Bank of India was placed under along with its Governor Urjit Patel. At one point, tensions have boiled over between India’s central bank and the government over the monetary policy as the country was facing its weakest growth after its much-heralded demonetization policy. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has often pointed out about the danger to the Banking System due to its constant modification of policies and procedures.
Another Institution that has come under considerable scrutiny is the Election Commission of India. The so-called delay to hold the election in Gujarat on time appeared to have given a lot of flexibility to BJP to suit its political ends. The ongoing complaints about the EVM machines, though not substantiated, have cast a pall over the integrity of the voting system and the legitimacy of the election itself.
There are those who fear that the freedom of expression itself is in danger as many in the top leadership of the BJP seem to de-emphasize its importance. Arun Jaitley, the Union minister, is on record saying that freedom of expression should be subordinate to upholding the sovereignty of the nation. There is little doubt that threats to freedom of speech have intensified as right-wing student unions associated with BJP started attacking student assemblies on campuses and supporting the government’s effort to criminalize normal political activity as seditious. The independent media has taken a share of hits as well as in the case of NDTV which was raided in an investigation over bank fraud charges by CBI.
If democracy has to survive the public has to gain a better understanding of the importance of an independent judiciary, impartial prosecutors and unbiased law enforce enforcement system that can ensure the rule of law and effective protection of fundamental rights and freedoms for every citizen regardless of color, caste, creed or religious affiliations.
Undoubtedly, Jawaharlal Nehru with the help of other eminent leaders of the independence movement built many of these institutions that stood the test of time. The emerging nations during that period such as Yugoslavia, Egypt, and Ghana failed in this regard, and results are quite evident for all of us to see. Nehru’s vision and leadership were critical in shaping India as we know it today. For BJP, many of these independent institutions remain as stumbling blocks in pushing their agenda through. Only time will tell the fate of many of those revered institutions which form the edifice upon which India stands. In the meantime, I pay homage to those four Jurists whose courage and commitment to preserve our venerable institutions may have given us a ray of hope and probably, few reasons to cheer!
(The author is the vice-chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA. He can be reached at gta777@gmail.com)
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Dallas Mayor Rawlings is keen to have Amazon set up its HQ 2 in Dallas. He thinks I will be a game changer for Dallas.
“We’re going to be as aggressive as the next guy in the city of Dallas,” Rawlings said. However, in a conversation with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith during The Texas Tribune Festival, he declined to put a dollar figure on the proposal. Rawlings also expects the state will pitch in with a check of its own, but also lamented that he believes the state Legislature has become less business-friendly and incentive-averse in recent years.
“Fundamentally, you’ve got to decide, are you going to grow, or not?” he said. “If a company says, ‘I’m going to bring 50,000 employees, what are you going to do for me,’ that’s a fair transaction.”
Amazon’s request for proposals states that state and local incentives to help offset capital costs are “significant factors” in their decision. It’s unclear where that money will come from, but the city could use Chapter 380 grants and has millions in bond money for economic development on the November ballot. But he would need City Council support.
The mayor said Dallas is “a legitimate contender” for Amazon. He touted the region’s tech workforce, its airports and its diverse and growing economy as ideal for the online retail giant.
Rawlings threw out as potential landing sites the midtown project on the former Valley View mall site and an area southwest of downtown along Riverfront Boulevard that is earmarked for development.
But first, he said, the city will join up with other North Texas areas. He said he spoke on Friday with more than a dozen other mayors in the area to team up on a pitch.
“Options are going to be very important to them, and if you look at DFW, I think we’re going to have more options than anybody,” he said.
After they draw Amazon to North Texas, the cities will then fight it out to win the corporate campus, he said.
It’s a strategy that Rawlings has used frequently in recent years during international trips with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. But often, the businesses the tandem hooks land in other North Texas cities.
But Amazon, which is based in downtown Seattle, lists as important factors direct transit access and other factors that some suburbs, such as Frisco, currently lack. Rawlings said he will fight hard for Dallas when the time comes.
“We’re going to be as aggressive as the next guy in the city of Dallas,” Rawlings said. “This is a game-changer.”
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC)- First Telugu association in North America- celebrated Makara Sankranti and India Republic Day with Chicago land area Telugu families at the HTGC Rama Temple Auditorium, Lemont IL. The event was a grand success with overwhelming response from the Telugu community with over 1000 guests in attendance. The event was conducted on 13th January 2018 from 3:00 PM to 10PM. TAGC Board has decided to do this event with all local talent promoting the Telugu culture, traditions and encouraged youth to preserve traditions. As per Membership committee chair Praveen Vemulapalli more than 1000 guests were attending the event even during the Cold weather in Chicago.
The cultural programs included more than 30 events with 330 local talents, and Chicago’s famous singers Praveen Jaligama garu, Sailaja garu and Madhavi Merugu garu who entertained audiences with movie songs.
Participants of Peacock dance
TAGC President-elect Ramu Billakanti garu welcomed and wished good health, prosperity and wealth to all the guests on behalf of President Jyothi Chintalapani garu. President garu thanked all Sponsors, Volunteers and encouraged to take membership by all attendees.
The program started with Lord Ganesha prayer along with the cultural team and Board of Directors. In the Sankranti and India Republic cultural event 330 participants performed a variety of programs and shows keeping the audience entertained and involved. The program highlight was Men’s skit “Pandu gadi Kotu Gola” and Women’s skit “Mahillallu – Maharanulu”
TAGC President elect thanked and congratulated Cultural Committee Chair Ranga Reddy Lenkala Co- chair Swetha Janamanchi and Uma Avadhuta team members and volunteers who worked for more than 8 weeks to make the event grand success.
Audience was enthusiastic to see all decorations throughout the Auditorium. Bommalla Koluvu, Kite decoration, Harvest Crop themes was a special attraction according to Decorations Committee Chair Mrs. Vani Yetrintala. There were also competitions on Sankranthi theme and Muggulu potti. Gifts were distributed for the Competition winners by Sponsors along with on-spot gift cards for kids who answered correctly about Sankranti and Telugu culture.
TAGC Sankranthi cultural Celebration also included a delicious dinner served by volunteers.
(Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA)
SEATTLE (TIP): More than 40 per cent of the foreign-born tech workers in Seattle — which is home to Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing — are from India, according to a media report. Silicon Valley is overly dependent (70 per cent) on foreign tech workers in IT occupation, it said.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The House, on Thursday, January 18 night, approved, 230 to 197, a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open past Friday, but “Senate Democrats — angered by President Trump’s vulgar aspersions and a lack of progress on a broader budget and immigration deal — appeared ready to block the measure”, said a New York Times report.
In the Senate, at least about a dozen Democratic votes would be needed to approve the measure, and there was little chance that those would materialize. Democrats are intent on securing concessions that would, among other things, protect from deportation young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, increase domestic spending, aid Puerto Rico and bolster the government’s response to the opioid crisis.
The Senate held only a procedural vote on the stopgap bill late Thursday night, leaving for Friday a more consequential vote when Democrats are expected to block the measure.
LONDON (TIP): British MPs gave the green light, on January 18, to a landmark Brexit Bill, after weeks of debate and a damaging government defeat, but the legislation now faces a battle in the House of Lords.
The House of Commons voted by a majority of 29 to approve the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which repeals the 1972 law that made Britain a member of theEuropean Union.
“This bill is essential for preparing the country for the historic milestone of withdrawing from the European Union,” Brexit Secretary David Davis said.
“We’ll have a statue book that works, delivering a smooth and orderly exit desired by people, businesses across the UK and being delivered by this government.”
The Bill is only one of several that Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government must pass to prepare Britain for its withdrawal from the EU in March 2019.
MPs had tabled more than 500 amendments and spent more than 80 hours in debate, and Brexit Secretary David Davis said the Bill was heading to the Lords in an ‘improved’ state
The unelected House of Lords may insist on further changes when peers begin their scrutiny on January 30, while ministers still face opposition from Scottish and Welsh administrations.
The 38-year-old daughter of Canada’s first turbaned MP Gurbax Singh Malhi was sworn in as Minister of the Status of Women on Thursday, January 18.
TORONTO (TIP): Harinder Malhi, the Indo-Canadian member of the Ontario provincial parliament and the mover of the 1984 genocide motion in the House last April, has been given a cabinet berth in the Ontario cabinet, making her the first-ever Sikh cabinet minister in the Canadian province.
The 38-year-old daughter of Canada’s first turbaned MP Gurbax Singh Malhi was sworn in as Minister of the Status of Women on Thursday, January 18.
The decision by Premier Kathleen Wynne to elevate Malhi seems to have been taken with an eye to Sikh votes as Ontario goes to the polls in June.
Ms Malhi represents the Punjabi-dominated ‘riding’ (or constituency) of Brampton-Springdale in the Ontario assembly, whose members are called MPPs or members of provincial parliament.
She joins another Indo-Canadian woman minister Dipika Damerla in the Ontario cabinet.
Interestingly, her elevation to the cabinet comes when two senior Sikh MPPs Amrit Mangat and Vic Dhillon have been ignored.
It is being speculated that because of her 1984 genocide motion, Ms Malhi can help her Liberal Party retain Sikhs votes which may drift to the New Democratic Party (NDP) which has just elected Jagmeet Singh as its national leader. After her genocide resolution, many in the Sikh community view her as the champion of the cause in the community.
Her party may also benefit from her father and former MP’s huge hold over Sikh voters.
Interestingly, as a member of the Ontario assembly, Jagmeet Singh too had introduced a similar motion on the anti-Sikh riots, but his motion failed. He was also denied a visa to India in 2013.
Brampton, on the outskirts of Toronto, has the second largest concentration of the Sikh community in Canada after Surrey in British Columbia.
Ms Malhi’s genocide motion in the Ontario assembly in April 2017 read: “That, in the opinion of this House… should reaffirm our commitment to the values we cherish — justice, human rights and fairness — and condemn all forms of communal violence, hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance in India and anywhere else in the world, including the 1984 genocide perpetrated against the Sikhs throughout India, and call on all sides to embrace truth, justice and reconciliation.”
The motion was passed 34-5 votes in a House of 107 members.
Reacting strongly to it, India rejected it calling it a “misguided motion which is based on a limited understanding of India, its constitution, society, ethos, rule of law and the judicial process”.
CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post, Time among the awardees
WASHINGTON (TIP): Announcing the much-awaited Fake News Awards, US President Donald Trump declared ‘The New York Times’ as the winner of the ‘Fake News Award’. Others in Trump’s unique award were ‘ABC News’, ‘CNN’, ‘Time’ and ‘The Washington Post’. Trump announced the award in a tweet January 17 night.
The website GOP.Com where the winners were listed crashed soon after Trump announced the awards.
“2017 was a year of unrelenting bias, unfair news coverage, and even downright fake news. Studies have shown that over 90 per cent of the media’s coverage of President Trump is negative,” it said.
Topping the list was The New York Times’ Paul Krugman story which claimed on the day of Trump’s historic, landslide victory that the economy would never recover.
ABC News’ Brian Ross was positioned second. It “CHOKES and sends markets in a downward spiral with false report,” the website said.
‘CNN’ received the third prize for reporting that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J Trump Jr had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks.
Time was placed fourth for reporting that Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office.
The Washington Post was laced last for reporting Trump’s massive sold-out rally in Pensacola, Florida was empty.
Below is the full list of winners of the 2017 Fake News Awards.
1) The New York Times’ Paul Krugman claiming markets would ‘never’ recover from a Trump presidency
2) ABC News’ Brian Ross’ bungled report on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn
3) CNN falsely reporting the Trump campaign had early access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks
4) TIME report that Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office
5) The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel tweeting that Trump’s December rally in Pensacola, Fla., wasn’t packed with supporters
6) CNN’s video suggesting Trump overfed fish during a visit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
7) CNN’s retracted report claiming Anthony Scaramucci-Russia ties
8) Newsweek report that Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda did not shake Trump’s hand
9) CNN report that former FBI Director James Comey would dispute President Trump’s claim he was told he was not under investigation
10) The New York Times report that the Trump administration had hidden a climate-change study
11) In Trump’s words, “‘RUSSIA COLLUSION!’ Russian collusion is perhaps the greatest hoax perpetrated on the American people. THERE IS NO COLLUSION.
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court, on January 18, paved the way for the nationwide release of ‘Padmaavat’on January 25, as it stayed orders issued by the Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat governments banning the screening of Deepika Padukone-starrer film.
Noting that maintenance of law and order was the duty of state governments, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked states to provide the security needed for the film’s peaceful screening.
The Supreme Court also restrained other states from similar ban notifications. It sought to emphasize that theatre and cinema were a part of right to freedom of speech and expression. “Let it be released… a movie might not be so successful at the box office and people might not go to watch it, but its exhibition cannot be prohibited like this,” it said.
Based on the saga of the historic battle of 13th century between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, the film has been opposed by Rajputs for alleged character assassination of Padmavati.
On behalf of producers Viacom 18, Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi contended that once the Central Board of Film Certification had cleared a movie, states could not interfere with it. CBFC was “extra cautious” and it issued a certificate after a few cuts suggested by an expert committee were carried out, they said. They cited the top court’s 2011 ruling in the case of Prakash Jha’s film ‘Aarakshan’, which was banned by some states for a certain period.
“Once the parliamentary legislation confers the responsibility and power on a statutory board and the board grants certificate, non-exhibition of it by states will be contrary to statutory provisions,” the court said.
On behalf of the BJP-ruled states, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there were intelligence reports regarding law and order problem. “If you go by this, 60 per cent of literature, even classical literature of India, cannot be read,” the CJI said.
The Bench fixed March 26 for further hearing.
Meanwhile, while there is excitement among moviegoers for watching the much-awaited movie, there is also tension in the air with regard to some taking to streets and try blocking the movie’s screening. The BJP ruled states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat may have to deal with law and order problem which they seem to have invited themselves. Politicians opposed to BJP are hinting at State sponsored demonstrations and disturbances in these states to block the screening of the movie. Only January 25 will tell what happens.
New York entrepreneur and lawyer aims to represent the wishes of New Yorkers in Congress
NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Indian American Suraj Patel has announced his candidacy for US Congress in New York’s 12th Congressional district.
“I didn’t plan to enter the political arena myself until after this last Presidential Election when many of us realized we can’t sit on the sidelines anymore,” said Patel.
‘My family moved here from India searching for opportunity, and they seized it when they got here. They worked their way up from security guards and store clerks to building a business and raising four unruly boys to adulthood. Their story and our stories need to be told so that we all remember how wonderful this country already is and what truly makes it great. So much about this country is inspiring except for its politics right now, and we have an obligation to change that.”
Patel hopes to make voices from all over New York heard. “We need to fight to make our people’s lives better, to push for what’s possible, to elevate voices that have been ignored, and to finally give people a choice for who represents them.”
Patel and the Committee to Elect Suraj Patel hope to encourage fellow New Yorkers to take initiative and vote for one of their own. It has been 8 years since the last serious Democratic challenger ran for Congress in NY-12, and Patel aims to break this streak while aiming to raise the number of total voters. With strict voting laws, turnout in New York City is among the lowest in the nation, with only 8% of voters participating in the 2016 congressional primary.
With new voices, ideas, and energy, Patel aims to reach New Yorkers who want to make a difference and build a new electorate.
Through his website, visitors can make their voices heard by completing a brief survey to tell Patel’s team what matters to them. The website also offers a link where New York residents can register as Democrats.
Patel is a New York entrepreneur, lawyer, activist, and ethics lecturer at NYU Stern. He is also a founding team member of The Arena and the founder of Creative Caucus, working to find and support great new candidates in their run for office. Patel is a board member at Atlas: DIY and served on the Obama White House Advance Team.
NEW YORK (TIP): Chintu Patel and Chirag Patel, Co-Chairmen of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, were honored as Persons of the Year 2017 for their monumental corporate success and philanthropy by The South Asian Times on Jan 13, 2018 at a gala reception in Syosset, NY.
Joining in presenting the plaques to the duo were Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Congressman Steve Israel, and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.
Chintu and Chirag Patel have taken Amneal in 15 years from a family business to 5th largest generics drug company in the USA with $2 billion revenue expected in 2018. They have also set up family foundations called Niswarth and Irada with large humanitarian projects in India.
They were featured as cover story in The South Times New Year Special issue of January 6-19, 2018. At the event last weekend at the North Shore Synagogue’s grand ballroom, the two Patel brothers were introduced by Kamlesh Mehta, Publisher and Chairman of The South Asian Times.
Assembled at the reception to cheer the honorees as well as celebrate the remarkable success and contributions of the Indian American community were numerous community leaders, entrepreneurs, publishers and officials. Notable was the presence of two Padma Shri honorees Dr Dattatreyudu Nori and Dr Sudhir Parikh.
Congressmen Israel and Suffolk County Executive Bellone, while congratulating Chintu and Chirag, who they have known personally, praised the Indian American community’s role in bringing the two great democracies of India and US closer. Amb. Sandeep Chakravorty echoed their thoughts. Steve Israel said “Chintu and Chirag have not forgotten the past while keeping an eye on the future,” reflecting on how they have retained the best of Indian culture and family values while having a long time vision to serve humanity.
Chirag Patel in his acceptance speech talked about the infinite human potential, adding “One side is business success, but the same thing applies to greater purpose in life.” Tremendous growth of Amneal notwithstanding, he said, “We are not stopping, we have multiple projects in bio-technology.”
Chintu Patel said so far they had kept a low profile but a persistent Kamlesh Mehta convinced them to agree to be Persons of the Year 2017 arguing that their story will be inspirational for the community and it also conveys the importance of family values. Chintu said their father, Kanu Patel, is their inspiration who is still active at 75. He also thanked his team at Amneal, which employs more than 5,000 people.
(Source: Based on a Press Release /Parveen Chopra)
WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): Following historic wins at the ballot box in November 2017, a group of Indian American philanthropists, community leaders, and political operatives have come together to formally launch the Indian American Impact Project (“Impact Project”) and Indian American Impact Fund (“Impact Fund”), collectively known as “Impact.”
Co-founded by Raj Goyle, CEO of Bodhala and former member of the Kansas State House, and Deepak Raj, Chairman of Pratham USA and founder of the Raj Center on Indian Economic Policies at Columbia University, these bold new initiatives will help talented and patriotic Indian Americans run for office, win, and lead. Raj Goyle will chair the Impact Project, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on leadership development and training, while Deepak Raj will chair the Impact Fund, a political action committee that will endorse and support viable candidates who reflect the Indian American community’s values.
“Despite rapid growth and professional success, for too long Indian Americans have been underrepresented in elected office from state capitols to the U.S. Congress,” said Goyle. “As a result, our needs, concerns, and priorities often go unheard in the halls of power. At a time when our community and our values are under attack by xenophobic rhetoric and regressive policies, it is more critical than ever that Indian Americans build and wield political power to fight back.”
“This is our time,” added Raj. “Across the country, a record number of Indian Americans are running for office. We can’t leave it to chance that they will win on their own. We owe them our support — and we have a plan to help them run, win, and lead.”
As of January 2018, five Indian Americans currently serve in the United States Congress: Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-CA). Impact is also tracking an additional 60 Indian Americans currently serving in state and local office as state legislators, mayors, city council members, judges, and other elected positions.
The Impact Project Board of Directors includes Priya Dayananda, Managing Director of Federal Government Affairs for KPMG LLP, Vinai Thummalapally, former U.S. Ambassador to Belize and former Executive Director of SelectUSA, and Mini Timmaraju, Executive Director of External Affairs at Comcast and former National Women’s Vote Director for Hillary for America. The Impact Fund Board of Directors includes Ravi Akhoury, former Chairman and CEO of MacKay Shields LLC, and Raghu Devaguptapu, Partner at Left Hook Strategies and former Political Director for the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC). Vikas Raj, Managing Director of Accion Venture Lab, will serve as a non-voting observer on both boards.
Both initiatives are led by Gautam Raghavan, who previously served as Vice President of Policy for the Gill Foundation, as an Advisor in the Obama White House, and in various roles for the 2008 Obama campaign and Democratic National Committee.
TRENTON, NJ (TIP): Gurbir S Grewal, a prominent Indian-American lawyer has become the first Sikh attorney general of the US State of New Jersey after the State Senate approved his nomination unanimously.
“I never imagined that my life’s journey could bring me here today,” Grewal, 44, said during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, January 16. “I’m extremely humbled, and I’m looking forward to getting started,” he said. “My first order of business is to introduce myself and get up to speed.”
Grewal, became the nation’s first Sikh state attorney general after the Senate approved his nomination with a vote of 29-0. He was later sworn into office at a private ceremony, NJ.com reported. Grewal, a registered Democrat, was made Bergen County’s top law enforcement official by Governor Chris Christie in 2016.
Before that, he worked as chief of the economic crimes unit at the US Attorney’s Office under former federal prosecutor Paul Fishman, the report said. Grewal told lawmakers he would continue the Attorney General’s Office’s efforts to stem the opioid crisis and improve relationships between police and the communities they serve. He said he would direct the Division of Criminal Justice, the office’s prosecuting arm, to work with prosecutors in the state’s 21 counties to coordinate response to the heroin epidemic.
He has run the 265-employee Prosecutor’s Office since January 2016, working to combat opioid abuse with strategies such as pairing recently hospitalized or arrested suspects with addiction counselors. He also focused on improving relationships between police and the community. Grewal was nominated in December to serve as the next attorney general of the US state of New Jersey. He was named by New Jersey Governor-elect Phil Murphy.
The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior parliamentarians chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government
LONDON (TIP): Preet Kaur Gill, Britain’s first woman Sikh Member of Parliament (MP) has been promoted to the Shadow Cabinet by the Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior parliamentarians chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Cabinet in Government.
Each member is appointed to lead on a specific policy area for their party and to question and challenge their counterpart in the Cabinet. In this way, the Opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting.
Ms. Gill, 44, won her Birmingham Edgbaston seat for the Labour party in the June 8 snap polls last year.
In July, she was elected to the Home Affairs Select Committee in the British Parliament.
She was promoted to the post of shadow minister for international development in Mr Corbyn’s New Year reshuffle of what he brands as a “government-in-waiting”.
“We had no Sikh MPs prior to this election. So, Sikhs had no representation and we had no female Sikh representation. Parliament must reflect the people it serves,” Ms. Gill had said at the time of her election.
Since then, she has a busy tenure, being elected to the influential Home Affairs Select Committee – the cross-party parliamentary panel that examines the workings of the UK Home Office. Ms. Gill is also the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs.
Her appointment was announced alongside that of Clive Lewis as shadow treasury minister. Mr. Lewis had resigned as the shadow business minister in February last year over wanting a vote against the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill and was one of 52 rebel MPs to defy Labour party orders to back the bill in a Parliament vote.
He was also accused in a sexual harassment scandal but cleared of wrongdoing by the party late last year.
Others who moved up to the frontbenches of the Opposition include Jack Dromey as the shadow minister for pensions and Karen Lee as shadow minister for fire.
“Pleased to make appointments to strengthen Labour’s frontbench which is a government-in-waiting. I look forward to working with them holding the Tories to account, developing our policies to transform our country and preparing to form a government for the many, not the few,” Mr Corbyn said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Theresa May had announced a reshuffle of her top team earlier this year, leading to the appointment of three new Indian-origin MPs — Rishi Sunak, Suella Fernandes and Shailesh Vara — to junior ministerial posts.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has announced that she would skip President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, in protest against his policies and rhetoric against immigrants. Jayapal, 52, joins more than half a dozen Democratic lawmakers, including the legendary Congressman John Lewis, who will give a miss to the January 30 event.
Other lawmakers who have announced to boycott the event include Frederica Wilson, Maxine Waters, and Earl Blumenauer.
“I would not be attending the State of the Union this year. I join other distinguished members, including Rep John Lewis, in refusing to dignify a president who has used the platform of the Oval Office to fan the flames of racism, sexism and hatred—most recently with his vulgar condemnation of Haiti and other African countries,” Jayapal said in a statement.
Jayapal said she disagrees with Trump’s approach which is “narrow and self-serving”.
“This president has consistently indicated that he has no interest in leading a unified country. He has gone out of his way to play to a small and shrinking base of voters by using language that diminishes and demeans vast swaths of people in our own country and around the world,” Jayapal said.
“His path is dangerous. His path is destructive. His path cannot be normalized. I will not normalize it. This is our own form of non-violent resistance,” she said.
According to Jayapal, her constituents and people across the country are “heartbroken, terrified and demoralized”.
“He does and says things that none of us, as parents, would condone for our children. He consistently uses language that is outright racist. He actively uses the highest office of the land to promote hatred as a political tool for his own benefit,” said Jayapal.
“As a brown immigrant female member of Congress, I feel the impact of these words personally, as well as collectively,” she said.
Jayapal is the only Indian American lawmaker to have announced boycotting Trump’s State of the Union Address, which is a customary annual address of the US President to a joint session of the Congress.
Other Indian American Congressmen are Dr. Ami Bera, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi. Senator Kamala Harris from California is of mixed African and American heritage.
WASHINGTON (TIP): An Indian American educator has announced to run for the US House of Representatives. Deep Saran, 45, is one of almost a dozen Democrats in the fray for the primary to earn the right to challenge the two-term GOP congresswoman Barbara Comstock from the 10th Congressional District of Virginia.
“I’m a teacher, school founder, technology entrepreneur, lawyer, and child of immigrants from India,” Saran says on his campaign website. Saran said he would champion a national commitment for improved quality of public education both in terms of accessibility and affordability.
“As the child of immigrants, I would push back against intolerance and hatred,” Saran said. Saran’s parents emigrated from India over 50 years ago. His father was a refugee during India’s partition. He founded and runs a school, ‘Loudoun School for the Gifted’
Saran holds a degree in political science from the University of Maryland and attended law school at Georgetown University. He was previously a corporate attorney for large firms in Baltimore and Chicago but left private legal practice to study how children learn and to work on a Ph.D. in Human Development at the University of Maryland.
MANSFIELD (TIP): Former Ohio State Rep. Jay Goyal of Mansfield, has decided he will not run for the U.S. Congress. He announced his decision after some leading Democrats pressed him to consider doing so. The Columbus Dispatch reported Jan. 17, that Goyal had ruled out the run.
“Public service is something that has always been important to me. However, I have certain commitments that I’ve made to my family business and I need to make sure I’m fulfilling those commitments,” Goyal is quoted saying in the Dispatch.
According to the Dispatch, U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, Ohio, from Jefferson Township, and Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady had approached Goyal and urged him to run in a bid to send a Democrat to Congress. They hoped that Goyal, 37, could help their party turn a red seat into blue as the district comprises of areas where Goyal had name-recognition from the time he served in the State House. Republicans have held the seat on Capitol Hill since 1982.
Goyal was just 26 when he was first elected in 2006 and served three terms from 2007-2013, in the State House, including some of those years as Majority Leader.
He left the political arena in 2012 to help run the family business, Goyal Industries, a manufacturing concern that produces metal fabrications. He has been leading the company for several years now.
Goyal graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University, he also has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Anish Kapoor dubbed the Jewish Nobel – last year, for his commitment to Jewish values
LONDON (TIP): British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor donated $1 million to five charities working with refugees worldwide on Jan 17, in a bid to alleviate a record-breaking global displacement crisis.
Kapoor, who was born to an Indian father and Iraqi Jewish mother, won the Genesis Prize – dubbed the Jewish Nobel – last year, for his commitment to Jewish values.
“Like many Jews, I do not have to go far back in my family history to find people who were refugees,” he said in a statement.
“Directing Genesis Prize funds to this cause is a way of helping people who, like my forebears not too long before them, are fleeing persecution.”
The United Nations (U.N.) says the world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, with more than 65 million people forced to flee their homes, surpassing numbers after the Second World War more than 70 years ago.
U.N. efforts to agree a voluntary pact on safe, orderly and regular migration suffered a setback in December when the United States quit the negotiations.
“In recent months, awareness of the plight faced by tens of millions of refugees and displaced persons worldwide has fallen significantly while the refugee crisis continues unabated,” said Kapoor, a longtime social activist.
Kapoor, who lived in Israel briefly before settling in Britain in the 1970s, won the Turner Prize in 1991 and created a Holocaust memorial for London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue.
Winners of the Genesis Prize, which is granted by the Israeli government, award $1 million to charities of their choice, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of Jews.
One of Kapoor’s grantees is the International Rescue Committee, which is working with refugees in Uganda – home to more than 1 million people who have fled war in South Sudan – and with stateless Rohingya in Myanmar.
He is also providing food for refugees in Greece and France and medical care for Syrian refugees.
Previous winners include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the actor Michael Douglas. The 2018 winner, the Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, plans to focus her award funds on promoting women’s equality.
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): A certified public accountant and a leading Indian American tax consultant, Neeraj Bhatia has been honored with the prestigious Hind Rattan Award 2018, which is one of the highest Indian diaspora awards granted annually to non-resident persons of Indian-origin by the NRI Welfare Society of India.
Bhatia is a sought-after tax professional who has offered extensive commentary on US and India tax issues over the years.
An accomplished accounting professional with over 30 years of practice in international and domestic tax planning and compliance for start-ups and multinational entities, Bhatia runs a successful tax and accountancy firm in the heart of Silicon Valley with offices in New Delhi as well.
“With India-US trade, corporate and economic relations booming, companies on both sides of the world are always looking for professionals who have expertise in tax and corporate laws of America and India,” Bhatia said.
“My firm has the advantage of having accounting professionals who have decades of experience navigating tax laws in the two countries,” he said.
He has helped around 1,000 startups get off the ground during the past two decades of practice in Silicon Valley. It was his insights into the IT sector that led him to be associated closely with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) – an Indian government undertaking – in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bhatia has also kept his focus on helping several Indian-American organizations representing half a dozen Indian states engaged in charitable causes. He assists them in maintaining their charitable status through strict regulatory compliance.
Bhatia has a degree in chartered accountancy from India and holds an LLM in international taxation from the US. He is vice president and director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce and is also on the Board of the University of Silicon Andhra, a newly-formed university imparting post-graduate degree programs in Indian languages, literature and arts.
He was awarded a gold medal and monthly scholarship for three years by India’s Central Board of Secondary Education for securing the first rank in India in the Board exam. He was also awarded a gold medal by Institute of Cost & Works (Management) Accountants of India for securing the first rank in north India. He is vice president and director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce and is also on the Board of the University of Silicon Andhra, a newly-formed university imparting post-graduate degree programs in Indian languages, literature and arts.
The Hind Rattan, which means ‘Jewel of India’ in English, is one of the highest Indian diaspora awards. The award is granted at the Society’s annual Congress on the eve of India’s Republic Day, in conjunction with national Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations.
The award ceremony is attended by senior members of the Government of India and of the Supreme Court of India. The number of awardees varies each year, but is generally about 25 to 30. Criteria for award selection are not published by the Society; award selections are made among the Society leadership and awardees are invited to attend the conference in New Delhi to accept their awards.
The NRI Welfare Society has been operating over the past 37 years, connecting people of Indian origin with their motherland.
HEMPSTEAD, NY(TIP): A non-profit organization that promotes religious understanding in schools, workplaces, health care settings and regions of armed conflict across the globe has been awarded Hofstra University’s 2018 Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz announced, January 18.
The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, founded 25 years ago and based in Lower Manhattan, offers programs and resources providing educators, physicians and corporate leaders with practical tools for addressing religious differences and creating cultures that respect religious diversity. It was founded in 1992 by Dr. Georgette F. Bennett, in memory of her late husband, Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, a humanitarian interfaith leader.
Through its Peacemakers in Action Network, Tanenbaum also facilitates and supports collaborations by a network of individuals from varied religious traditions who promote grassroots and interfaith peacebuilding efforts in armed conflicts around the world. The Network currently consists of 28 individuals from 23 regions.
“Tanenbaum is an extraordinary organization that embodies the principles of Guru Nanak,” said President Rabinowitz. “Tanenbaum empowers people with concrete strategies that lead to greater religious understanding and inclusion in societal institutions.”
Tanenbaum is also an inaugural member of the now 330+ participant CEO Action Diversity and Inclusion movement, and is in the third year of its public education campaign Combating Extremism, which aims to dispel stereotypes, inspire interreligious respect, and provide trustworthy information about current religion-related issues.
Said Dean Benjamin Rifkin of Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: “Tanenbaum’s accomplishments and mission are a perfect manifestation of the vision for this award, which is based on the conviction that we have much to learn from the traditions of others.”
The $50,000 Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is bestowed every two years to recognize significant work to increase interfaith understanding. The award will be formally presented to the Tanenbaum Center at a banquet in April 2018.
The first Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was awarded in 2008 to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Since then, eight individuals and organizations have been recognized with the Guru Nanak prize.
“Receiving the Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is an honor of the highest order,” said Tanenbaum CEO Joyce S. Dubensky. “To be recognized as an advocate for the same values embodied by Guru Nanak—justice, equality, respect and compassion—is an affirmation of everything Tanenbaum seeks to achieve.”
The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was established in 2006 by Ishar Bindra and family and named for the founder of the Sikh religion. It is meant to encourage understanding of various religions and encourage cooperation between faith communities. Guru Nanak believed that all humans are equal, regardless of color, ethnicity, nationality or gender.
In September 2000, the Bindra family endowed the Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Chair in Sikh Studies at Hofstra University in honor of the family’s matriarch.
Tejinder Bindra, speaking on behalf of the Bindra Family, noted when the award was inaugurated that Guru Nanak espoused a message of universal brotherhood at a time of increasing religious intolerance during 15th and 16th century India.
“It is in this spirit that the Guru Nanak Prize was initiated,” Bindra said. “If one can experience that universality then there is absolutely no room left for differences in race, color, caste, creed, religion or gender, and then as the Sikh scripture tells us ‘I see no stranger’.”
“The awardees may or may not be Sikh and may represent any of the multitudes of faiths or, for that matter, even no particular faith at all,” he said. “It is their dedication that brings humankind to their shared destiny, common purpose and roots that they honor.”
Indian techies to benefit if ‘Securing America’s Future Act’ is signed into law by Trump administration
WASHINGTON (TIP): A legislation backed by the Trump administration pushing for merit-based immigration and increasing the allotment of Green Cards by a hefty 45 per cent annually has been introduced in the House of Representatives, a move that could benefit Indian techies if signed into law.
500,000 Indians have been waiting in queue for Green Cards
120,000 of these cards are available annually at present in the US
175,000 will be the count after 45% raise if Bill is signed as law
The legislation ‘Securing America’s Future Act’, if passed by Congress and signed into law by US President Donald Trump, will end the diversity visa program and reduce the overall immigration levels from currently averaging 1.05 million to 260,000 a year.
Indian-American technology professionals, who come to the US mainly on H-1B visas and opt for Green Cards or legal permanent residence status, are expected to be a major beneficiary of the ‘Securing America’s Futures Act’. As per unofficial estimate, there are nearly 500,000 Indians waiting in the queue for Green Cards and have to seek annual extensions of their H-1B visas. Many wait for decades to get Green Cards. The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.
The increase in the number of Green Cards per annum is likely to reduce their wait period drastically. Having a Green Card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows a person to live and work permanently in the US. However, the elimination of chain migration is likely to badly affect those Indian-Americans who are planning to bring their other family members to the US.
Securing America’s Future Act eliminates Green Card program for relatives, other than spouses and minor children.
A merit-based immigration system, the Trump administration feels would admit the best and the brightest around the world while making it harder for people to come to the country illegally.
Observers say this could benefit technically-qualified people from countries like India and China.
The legislation creates a workable agricultural guest worker program to grow the US economy, authors of the legislation said. In a late-night statement, the White House said the legislation “would accomplish the President’s core priorities for the American people”.
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald Trump said, January 11, his primary concern with the Paris climate accord was that it treated the United States unfairly and that if a better deal could be reached, Washington might be persuaded to rejoin the agreement.
“It treated the US very unfairly,” Trump said during a news conference with Norwegian PM Erna Solberg. He said he had no problem with agreeing to a climate deal, but the Paris accord was “a bad deal. So, we could conceivably go back in.” However, he did not indicate any move in that direction.
In June, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and decided to renegotiate the deal that was agreed upon by over 190 countries during the previous Obama administration.
Defending his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Trump said: “The Paris Agreement as drawn and as we signed was very unfair to the United States. It put great penalties on us. It made it very difficult for us to deal in terms of business. It took away a lot of our asset values.” “Frankly, it’s an agreement that I have no problem with, but I had a problem with the agreement that they signed, because, as usual, they made a bad deal,” Trump told a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
“So, we could conceivably go back in,” Trump said, stressing his administration’s commitment to environmental issues, “clean water, clean air”, but added “we also want businesses that can compete”.
Trump justified his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate accord, saying there was a “tremendous” penalty for using the country’s rich in gas and coal and oil and that hurt American businesses.
The US has appeared to be so far globally isolated on this issue, but Trump strongly defended his decision. Trump insisted that his administration feels very strongly about the environment.
“I feel very strongly about the environment. Our EPA (environment protection agency) and our EPA commissioners are very, very powerful, in the sense that they want to have clean water, clean air, but we also want businesses that can compete,” he said.
“The Paris Accord really would have taken away our competitive edge, and we’re not going to let that happen. I’m not going to let that happen,” Trump asserted. — PTI
Climate accord goals
The Paris agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise in this century well below 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5° Celsius
The landmark agreement, which entered into force last November, calls on countries to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future, and to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.
“For of those to whom much is given, much is required.”-President John F. Kennedy
Congratulations on your elevation as the second most powerful person in NYC government! Indeed, the discrimination you overcome for being openly gay and HIV-positive has fortified you for the fights ahead. Your history and the issues that you have worked have stood in solidarity with communities of color, the marginalized and the vulnerable. Like you said, “That is where you come from. That is what my life’s work has been about.”
We also applaud your statement that, “The problems and challenges we continue to face are of historic proportions. Overflowing homeless shelters, mom and pops unable to compete with deep-pocketed chain stores and a failing transit system are just three of our problems.”
You should put a stop to the over criminalization of New Yorkers, like stop making criminals of poor people who cannot afford the fare to travel to work on the trains. You should roll back the senseless e-bike ban because it helps immigrant workers get by. Transform this city into a beacon that’s in solidarity with poor and working-class New Yorkers, including increasing your audit and scrutiny of the many failing city agencies that routinely waste and abuse our tax dollars, while preserving it as a “sanctuary city.”
The mayor has promised us more senior centers, better schools, hospitals, city services and personnel and transparency in how benefits are awarded. Hold his feet to the fire.
You also said that, “I would support us putting up a significant amount of money,” referring to city funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a stance that Mayor Bill de Blasio has resisted. “But there needs to be accountability involved so we know how that money is being spent, and that it’s being spent wisely and that the projects remain on time.” (NY Times 2/2/18).
Mr. Speaker, we urge you to address these and other issues speedily, not least here in Queens. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is in breach of their public commitment and obligation to complete the wheelchair-accessible elevator in the Richmond Hill/Ozone Park community at the fulcrum Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue subway stop. This $29 million project, commenced since 2014, was scheduled to be finished since the end of 2016, but unpalatable excuses abound each time we enquire about the constantly deferred completion date, making it a virtual “pie in the sky!”
MTA will also benefit from increased revenues, and its procrastination raises serious concerns, including the forced closure of the adjacent main stairway, affects businesses, the local economy, and congests traffic. Seniors, pregnant mothers, kids, the physically challenged, students, workers, indeed, everyone in our tax paying community would benefit greatly from this elevator which makes mobility and travel easier.
Affected communities deserve to have this project completed. Moreover, the fencing, construction and accumulating garbage are an eye sore, and a danger to public safety. This delinquent entity must recognize that it is failing in its duty to make access easier for residents with disabilities, contrary to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Indeed, the nonprofit Center for Independence of the Disabled New York just filed a lawsuit against the MTA for lack of elevator access citywide. Why must Richmond Hill/Ozone Park residents be forced to expend resources and bring a class action law suit against the MTA when it feeds off the public trough of our taxes?
As a matter of customer obligation and due compliance with our laws, this project is long overdue, and must be completed now!
(Albert Baldeo is a civil rights activist and community advocate, As the President of the Baldeo Foundation and Queens Justice Center, he has continued to fight for equal rights, dignity and inclusion in the decision-making process. He can be contacted at the Baldeo Foundation: AlBaldeo@aol.com or (718) 529-2300)
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