WASHINGTON(TIP): The US Senate voted on Thursday, April 26 to approve former CIA director Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State after a bruising battle by Democrats against President Donald Trump’s nominee.
Pompeo, who was confirmed on a 57-42 vote, was sworn in early Thursday afternoon by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, according to State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.
Trump applauded Pompeo’s confirmation, hailing him as a “patriot” with “immense talent, energy and intellect” who will be an asset for the United States.
Pompeo, who has earned Trump’s confidence after a year at the CIA, was accused by Democrats as being too bellicose and harboring deep anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ sentiments.
The approval came in time for Pompeo to arrange a summit between Trump and Kim in the coming months.
This the first time one of the ruling leaders has crossed over the Demilitarized Zone since the Korean War ended in 1953.
GAYANG, SOUTH KOREA(TIP): With a single step over a weathered, cracked slab of concrete, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history on Friday, April 27, by crossing over the world’s most heavily armed border to greet his rival, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, for talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Mr. Kim then invited Mr. Moon to cross briefly north with him before they returned to the southern side.
It was all smiles as Mr. Moon grasped Mr. Kim’s hand and led him along a red carpet into South Korean territory, where school children placed flowers and an honor guard stood at attention for inspection.
Mr. Kim’s news agency said that the leader would “open-heartedly” discuss “all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula” in a “historic” summit. It’s the first time one of the ruling leaders has crossed over to the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone since the Korean War ended in 1953.
The greeting of the two leaders was planned to the last detail. Thousands of journalists were kept in a huge conference center well away from the summit, except for a small group of tightly-controlled pool reporters at the border. Mr. Moon stood near the Koreas’ dividing line, moving forward the moment he glimpsed Kim appearing in front of a building on the northern side. They shook hands with the border line between them. Mr. Moon then invited Mr. Kim to cross into the South; Mr. Kim invited Mr. Moon into the North, and they then took a ceremonial photo facing the North and then another photo facing the South.
Two fifth-grade students from the Daesongdong Elementary School, the only South Korean school within the DMZ, greeted the leaders and gave them flowers. The leaders then saluted an honor guard and military band, and Mr. Kim was introduced to South Korean government officials. They were to take a photo inside the Peace House, where the summit was to take place, in front of a painting of South Korea’s Bukhan Mountain, which towers over the South Korean Blue House presidential mansion.
Nuclear weapons will top the agenda, and Friday’s summit will be the clearest sign yet of whether it’s possible to peacefully negotiate those weapons away from a country that has spent decades doggedly building its bombs despite crippling sanctions and near-constant international opprobrium.
Expectations are generally low, given that past so-called breakthroughs on North Korea’s weapons have collapsed amid acrimonious charges of cheating and bad faith.
NEW YORK(TIP): The Queens Tribune and PRESS of Southeast Queens held the annual Glass Ceiling Awards on Tuesday, April 17 night, honoring eight women who have risen through the ranks in their fields and displayed vision and courage in their workplace.
The theme for the awards ceremony—which was held at Douglaston Manor—was enhancing women’s rights and promoting gender equality. Each of the event’s speakers and nominees spoke about the challenges that women have faced along the road toward equality and the next steps in that struggle.
Honorees with organizers. Vandana Sharma is seen on extreme left
The eight honorees included New York’s Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul; Tonya Boyd, the deputy chief of the city’s Fire Department; Susan Browning, the executive di- rector of Long Island Jewish Forest Hills; Lidija Nikolic, CTP, the senior vice president of global commercial banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch; Merle Hoffman, the president and CEO of Choices Medical Center for Women; Rhonda Nelson, the recorder for UFCW Local 1500; Lori Vavrinec, the di- rector of marketing for Fidelis Care New York; and Vandana Sharma, the regional manager for Americas, Air India.
Hochul, who was also the evening’s keynote speaker, noted while women have made great strides in the workplace, citing New York as having closed the pay gap more so than any other state. However, she pointed out that white women in the Empire State still only make 89 cents for every $1 that a man makes, while African American women earn 66 cents and Latina women take home 54 cents. “There are obstacles; God there are obstacles,” Hochul said. “I wear a necklace with broken glass that reminds me of glass ceilings that have been broken, but also the ones that have yet to be crushed. I’m sick and tired of seeing statistics that today’s women don’t make what men do. In 100 years from now when people look back at us, I want our story to be just as powerful, bold and audacious as the suffragettes’. I want people to say, ‘They changed the world.’”
Hochul told the Queens Tribune that she believed the election of President Donald Trump and the rise of the #MeToo movement have pushed women to take leadership roles. She also noted that there has been a rising tide of women in politics. “It’s stronger than it’s been in decades,” she said. “Their voices are sorely needed in the corridors of power.”
Boyd said that while working in a predominantly male organization poses challenges, women in the FDNY “have a very prominent future.” “You need a tough skin. That’s the most important thing—and you need to be dedicated to your job,” Boyd said. “There is an enormous amount of room for growth. In five to 10 years, I see us having our first female commissioner.”
Nelson said that in unions the leadership is still predominantly male, but that women are fighting for greater roles in such organizations.
“Women are moving more and more into leadership positions,” she said. “When I came on 40 years ago, there were not that many women in leadership positions. We need more women in staff positions and a little more diversity. Women need to see role models they can look up to. “Browning said that her field— healthcare administration—is one in which women have made strides in recent years.
“Northwell has set as a priority that we have diverse leadership and staff,” she said. “Having a diverse team brings to the table a diversity of thought. When we have that, we build stronger companies. At the executive level, there’s a recent turn of events that women are starting to be the majority in these positions.”
Nikolic referenced a joke she had heard that if “Lehman Brothers had been Lehman Sisters, the financial crisis would have looked different.”
“Despite that half of the professional positions in the financial industry are held by women, proving yourself is harder,” Nikolic said. “If a woman looks at the top and never sees women, she wonders if she can succeed. I view it as my legacy to support women on their path to empowerment.”
Hoffman noted that she believes the world is moving toward equality not just in the workplace, but “in every place,” but added that women should be prepared for a long fight. “It’s a struggle for women to have equality in all spheres,” she said. “I have been on the frontline for women’s reproductive rights for 47 years. I opened the first women’s abortion clinic in 1971 before Roe v. Wade. It’s even more in- tense now with you-know-who in the White House. I see an administration that is pushing back against women’s rights.”
Vavrinec said that one sign of women’s growing equality in the workplace is that her young sons do not find it surprising to see women in positions of power. “They don’t know any differently,” she said. “They have female doctors and dentists and see that their mom is a female executive. For this current generation, it’s not an issue.
The pay situation still needs to be addressed. In the healthcare industry, it’s gotten better.” Sharma said that the airline for which she works has long been a leader in gender equality. “At my company, there are the same opportunities for men and women,” she said. “Air India has the highest number of women pilots in the world, but also women in senior executive positions and women as engineers—in every position.” Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) both dropped by the awards ceremony. Katz said she believed that the election of women in Queens is a sign that women can break the glass ceiling.
“I’m the third woman in a row to be borough president in Queens— we like to elect women here,” she said. “If you want to serve the public, start in your communities, your neighborhoods. Look around you— there are role models to look up to.”
NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): India and the US need a “full scale relationship” that encompasses defense, strategic and economic ties, former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said stressing that the two countries cannot be “fighting every day on trade” while cooperating on defense. They need to fire on all cylinders to achieve their ambitious relationship.
“We need a full-scale relationship, not just the defense relationship, not just the strategic relationship. We need to focus on the economic side too. We somehow need to navigate America First with Make in India,” Verma said, speaking at the third New India Lecture at Indian Consulate, April 23.
Verma said Washington and New Delhi want an “ambitious relationship” and to become natural allies for that they need to be “firing on all cylinders”, including economic and military.
“We can’t be fighting every day on trade, cooperating on defense and think we are just going to have a great relationship. We need to be firing on all cylinders, that means economic, that means military,” he said. He further stressed that the US needs to take its defense relationship with India to the next level. “That means we ought to be providing India with the most advanced technology, we ought to make sure that if India is in trouble they have the means to win, if they are challenged,” he said.
Verma spoke at length on a wide range of topics pertaining to India-US relations, including H1B work visas, immigration as well as geo-political issues relating to China and Pakistan.
Verma, Vice Chairman and Partner at the Asia Group and a board member of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), said the India-US relationship has been a “slightly underperforming” one for decades. “We have got some history that weighs us down. We still have some trust issues and neither side wants to be in an alliance,” he said in his address on ‘US-India: Natural Allies — Absent the Alliance.’
Responding to a question on concerns among Indian workers over H1B visas, Verma said last year about 1.1 million visas were issued to Indian nationals to come to the US in every category and out of these, about 50,000-60,000 were H1B visas. “A very small percentage of the visa pool is for H1 B visas,” he said.
Verma, who had served as the US Ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017, said he had conveyed to Indian CEOs and software companies that they have to be aware of the “political realities” in the US. While they should pay their employees in the US competitive wages, they also need to be “sensitive” towards people’s fear of losing jobs in an era of globalization.
“If your consultants are coming here and advising about downsizing or scaling back and then that operation or function ends up in India, people are not going to be necessarily happy,” he said.
“You have to understand the political realities that people are facing here, fear about globalization. I think we are getting to a better understanding. I hope we don’t run into a huge fight on H1B,” he said.
Verma, who has previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, noted that “some reforms are probably necessary”, adding that the H1B visas are an important but “small part” of the overall people-to-people relationship between India and the US.
“I think US-India trade relationship is one relationship where you can get distinct wins on both sides,” he said.
Highlighting the critical role of the diaspora in strengthening relations between India and the US, Verma said “we have to increase our people-to-people connections and we should be celebrating and standing up for the immigrants who come into this country and not looking at ways to shrink the pool of people coming here.”
On the trajectory of India-US relations under the Trump administration, Verma said looking at Washington’s all other bilateral relations, the one with India is “still on a pretty good trajectory.”
While things have been moving along on the strategic side, on the economic side there are some growing pains. However, he said he is “more concerned about how we treat people who may not necessarily look like and sound like the rest of middle America and that’s the part I keep the most eye out for in this environment.”
Recalling the journey of his parents from India to the US, Verma said that immigrants and immigration have played a hugely important role in America. “It is not just one group of immigrants or immigrants who look a certain way but immigrants from all over the world and it’s really important that we stand up for that group of people.”
On ties with Pakistan, Verma said the US has made the message quite clear to Pakistani leaders that “this continuing support and facilitation” of terrorist groups along the border to create a “perpetual state of conflict” with India is “not sustainable.
“It’s not in their interest, and it’s not the way to have that goal of a functioning normal state in the international system,” he said.
He stressed that the US can’t lose the connections to all the people and moderate voices in Pakistan that want peace with India and a better future for their children.
“It’s a very difficult situation but we have to get there with a variety of economic and political tools,” he said.
Responding to a question on relations with China, Verma said India and the US have remarkably similar situations with regard to China, including economic inter-dependencies, trade and commercial activities.
“But we also have security concerns. We have concerns about what China is doing in the international systems, we have concerns about their failure to adhere to rules and norms, we have concerns about the Belt and Road Initiative and what they are doing in the South China Seas,” he said.
Verma stressed on the need to be able to balance some of these concerns.
“No one wants to see a conflict with China. But we also have to be able to stand up for our basic values,” he added.
He further noted that in India-China and US-China relations, there is a lot of dialogue at all levels.
However, “it is a very difficult, complicated and contentious relationship but I don’t think anyone wants to see the spark that leads to an actual conflict,” he said.
Verma emphasized that there is need for an international system that reflects India’s role in the world today. He lamented that India is not on the UN Security Council, is not a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and doesn’t play the kind of role that it probably should on the G-20 bloc of nations or in other international Institutions.
“The US needs to pave the way forward for India so that it actually has the seat at the table in this century, a seat that is appropriate for a country of the size and stature of India. We have to be working very hard for that,” he said.
Ambassador Verma, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Vaidyanathan Aiyer, and Air India Regional Manager Vandana Sharma pose for a photograph with the young students from Bangalore Engineering College Photos- Jay Mandal/On Assignment
A group of students from a Bangalore Engineering College, who were on way to Boston to take part in an auto engineering fair also attended the lecture.
Ambassador Verma, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Vaidyanathan Aiyer, and Air India Regional Manager Vandana Sharma posed for a photograph with the young students.
Both leaders are expected to define a pathway that could transform India-China ties into a major force for tackling global problems.
WUHAN(TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Wuhan late Thursday, April 26 night for a two-day informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He is due to hold one-to-one talks with Xi.
“A special moment past midnight as PM @narendramodi was warmly welcomed in Wuhan for the 1st Informal Summit with Chinese President Xi. The two leaders will review the developments in our bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Both leaders are expected to define a pathway that could transform India-China ties into a major force for tackling global problems.
The ambitious undertaking hopes to realign the underlying premises of India-China ties, so that festering irritants are removed, and the two countries can work together to fulfill common global aspirations.
They will meet in the famous villa, which was once Mao Zedong’s retreat. The property — a total of three buildings–at the bank of the East Lake of Wuchang– is set amid pine, bamboo and plum trees. A boat ride by the two principals or a walk among the pines is expected during the two-day event.
In a statement released ahead of his departure to Wuhan, Mr. Modi underscored that both leaders, during their upcoming dialogue, would be looking at the big picture.
Discussions on “a range of issues of bilateral and global importance,” would be shaped by the “visions and priorities for national development, particularly in the context of the current and future international situation,” the dense statement said.
It also highlighted that during the talks, both countries would take a long view of their ties. “We will also review the developments in the India-China relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.”
Diplomatic sources said that the two leaders, in their free-wheeling dialogue, would discuss the border row, and look for underlying principles to resolve it.
“This time the two sides have decided to hold the informal summit between the two leaders. This is because both our countries attach great importance to each other on external strategy and not because of boundary question that still remains unresolved, and we need talk about it during the informal summit,” Chinese vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said during a media briefing on Tuesday.
Analysts say that China may be gradually shifting its position from “managing” and shelving the border issue, to a fledgling stance of resolving the China-India border dispute. Such a position would align well with Prime Minister Modi’s approach of seeking a final resolution of the boundary dispute.
JODHPUR(TIP): A special trial court set up at the heavily fortified Jodhpur Central Jail on Wednesday, April 25, sentenced self-styled godman Asaram Bapu to jail till death, finding him guilty of raping a teenaged girl in his ashram in August 2013.
This is the second conviction in a high-profile sexual offence case involving a self-styled guru after Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sent to jail for 20 years last August.
Special Judge Madhusudhan Sharma sentenced co-accused Shilpi and Sharad to 20 years’ jail each and acquitted two others, Prakash and Shiva. Besides, the court slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Asaram and Rs 50,000 each on the other convicts, public prosecutor Pokhar Ram Vishnoi said.
“Soon after the verdict, 77-year-old Asaram and other convicts broke down. The court considered Asaram’s act under the heinous crime category,” victim-family’s counsel Rajendra Singh told media persons.
“A self-claimed spiritual guru has done the disgusting act of sexual exploitation with his teenaged disciple who had full faith on him. The convict should not be spared, and the maximum punishment be awarded, lifer to Asaram till natural life time, and 20 years each to his assistants who felicitated him in the act,” Singh said, quoting from the 453-page verdict.
“We had complete faith in the judiciary and are happy that we got justice,” the victim’s father said, adding that the family had been living in constant fear and their business had been hit.
Asaram sexually exploited a 16-year-old girl from UP’s Shahjahanpur in his Manal ashram near Jodhpur on the intervening night of August 15-16, 2013. The charge sheet against Asaram and the four co-accused was filed by the police on November 6, 2013, under various Sections of the POSCO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code.
But rape is not the only charge against Asaram. He is also facing prosecution in a Rs 700-crore land grab case of 2000 in Madhya Pradesh. The case pertains to 200 acres of land in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.
Arrested in Indore and brought to Jodhpur on September 1, 2013, Asaram was under judicial custody since September 2, 2013. He also faces a rape case in Surat in which the Supreme Court earlier this month gave five weeks to the prosecution to complete the trial.
Asaram unsuccessfully moved 12 bail applications, of which six were rejected by the trial court, three each by the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court in the last 56 months.
The city of Jodhpur on Wednesday turned into a fortress with the deployment of the RAC, RPF and the state police in strength. Also, flag marches were held throughout the city, DCP-East Aman Deep Singh said.
Several die-hard Asaram followers were detained early this morning from the railway station, bus terminals and in the vicinity of the jail. The Union Home Ministry had issued an advisory to Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana to remain alert.
SAINT TO SINNER
Aug 15, 2013: A 16-year-old girl accuses Asaram of raping her in his Jodhpur ashram
Sept 1:Asaram brought to Jodhpur, remanded in custody
October:Three women accuse Asaram and his son Narayan Sai of rape in Surat, Gujarat
June 11:Surat case witness dies after being shot at in Rajkot hospital
January 2015:Asaram’s cook Akhil Gupta, another witness, shot in Muzaffarnagar
May 13:Mahendra Chawla, prime witness in case against Sai, shot at in Panipat
March 14, 2016:Accused of killing Akhil Gupta, Asaram’s henchman Kartik Haldar held
Nov 6: Charge sheet against Asaram and four co-accused
March 19, 2017:Trial begins against Asaram in Jodhpur
April 7, 2018:Special court hears final arguments
April 17:Rajasthan High Court orders the special court to deliver verdict in Jodhpur Central Jail
April 25:Special Judge Madhusudhan Sharma sentences co-accused Shilpi and Sharad to 20 years’ jail each and acquits two others, Prakash and Shiva. The court also slaps a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Asaram and Rs 50,000 each on the other convicts.
JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY(TIP): House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) is urging the MTA to prioritize expansion of the Metro-North Railroad into the East Bronx as part of the authority’s upcoming five-year plan.
In a letter sent to MTA Chairman and CEO Joe Lhota, Chairman Crowley said bringing new transportation options to underserved communities in the East Bronx would significantly improve the lives of commuters and residents as they travel for work and leisure.
As part of his Better Deal plan for Queens and the Bronx, Chairman Crowley has proposed a slate of policies designed to improve transportation options across his district. A major plank of Chairman Crowley’s Better Deal plan is working with the MTA and state lawmakers to establish an explicit timeline for Metro-North’s expansion into the easternmost section of the Bronx. As part of this effort, Chairman Crowley’s letter to MTA Chairman Lhota reiterates that residents in the East Bronx have been forced to settle for insufficient transit options for far too long.
“Despite the many benefits of bringing Metro-North to the East Bronx, the project has languished for more than a decade,” wrote Chairman Crowley. “It is time to take concrete steps toward making this new service a reality. It’s continued inclusion in the MTA’s Capital Program is critical, as is an accelerated timeline for construction and completion. The residents of the Bronx have waited far too long.”
For more than a decade, Chairman Crowley has been fighting to bring Metro-North to the East Bronx, which would vastly improve transportation options in the area and boost the local economy. The benefits of expanded service would be immense. Currently, residents can only access a single, overcrowded subway line with exceedingly long travel times. Demand for alternative transit options is on the rise in the Bronx, demonstrated by the fact that the borough saw an increase of nearly 800,000 subway riders between 2015 and 2016.
BADUMBAA IS OUT NOW! AMITABH BACHCHAN & RISHI KAPOOR SHOW OFF THEIR DANCE MOVES IN 102 NOT OUT’S LATEST SONG!
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Get ready to dance! The latest song from the upcoming film 102 Not Out has been released – the high energy number ‘Badumbaa’.
The vibrant song is composed by the inimitable Amitabh Bachchan himself and sung by Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. The video sees the energetic 102-year-old Dattatraya (Bachchan) dancing in the streets as a carnival takes place and encouraging his grumpy 75-year-old son Babulal (played by Kapoor) to join in the festivities.
The quirky song is a fun filled ride full of music and dance, with the video featuring a dynamic collection of festival colors and grooving dance moves. Both Bachchan and Kapoor show that they are more than able to keep up with their animated surroundings.
The song was launched at a special event which saw Bachchan and Kapoor joined by fellow 102 Not Out actor Jimit Trivedi and director Umlesh Shukla.
102 Not Out is a comedy-drama produced by Treetop Entertainment and directed by Umesh Shukla. 102 years young Dattatraya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) lives life to the fullest and wants to break the record of oldest living man- that’s held by a 118 years old Chinese. Dattatraya wants to live a stress-free life in order to become the oldest living man. However, there is only one hinderance- his 75-year-old son Babulal (Rishi Kapoor) who has resigned himself to a life of old age stuck in drudgery.
Dattatraya now must find means and ways to change Babulal’s sad and grumpy demeanor so that he doesn’t become a deterrent in breaking the record.
WASHINGTON(TIP): The members of the Indian American community turned up for the protest in large numbers in total dismay after knowing the heart-wrenching details of gang rape and murder of Asifa in Jammu and Kashmir, killing of Unnao rape victim’s father, and the rape and killing of a juvenile in Surat.
The protest organized by Alliance for Justice and Accountability saw women and children protesting in front of the Indian embassy raising slogans such as “Hate Murder, hate Crime: No more. No More.”
The protesters who gathered near the Gandhi statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington had banners and placards that sought swift justice for the victims and their families.
“Friends in DC, plz join a protest in front of Indian Embassy, Wednesday Apr 18 from 4 pm to 7 pm called by Alliance for Justice and Accountability to demand #JusticeForAsifa,” tweeted Shehla Rashid, former vice-president, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s students’ union, Delhi.
The Indian American Muslim Council, an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has announced that it will hold a candlelight vigil in Seattle on April 21 to express its outrage and disgust, not only over the gang-rape and murder of 8-year old Asifa Bano in January, but also over the rape of 17-year-old girl in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. In addition to this, the organization also submitted a memorandum to the Indian Ambassador over the recent atrocities against women and children.
“The details of rape and sexual assault cases being reported in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir which saw the 7-year-old Muslim girl brutally raped and killed, and Unnao, Uttar Pradesh where the victim was a teenager preyed upon by a state legislator, are shocking,” the Hindu American Foundation said in a statement. “Rape flies in the face of Hindu values, and thus compels us to offer condolences and compassion to victims and their families, and simultaneously work to ensure that the law and law enforcement work impartially and efficiently to deliver justice.”
Members of Sadhana, a New York City-based Hindu organization that aims at building a peaceful and tolerant Hindu society, on April 16 marched to Union Square, New York, demanding justice for the rape victims of Kathua, Unnao, and Surat.
“We are deeply disturbed that a group called the Hindu Ekta Manch was formed to defend and advocate rapists. Ekta is a word that is very important to us as Hindus — it means oneness and unity. And we will not let such words be co-opted by hatemongers and rapists,” read a post on Sadhana’s Facebook page.
NEW YORK (TIP): An Indian origin investment adviser has been charged by US federal authorities for orchestrating a fraudulent million dollar investment scheme over several years.
Amrit JS Chahal, 30, of Fairfax, Virginia has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia also announced criminal charges against Mr Chahal. The Commodities Futures Trading Commission also charged him.
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s complaint alleges that, from at least February 2015, Mr Chahal used his company, Kane Capital Investment Group to fraudulently solicit approximately $1.4 million from about 50 individuals, including friends and family members.
Mr Chahal is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and sole employee of Kane Capital. He has never held any securities licenses, nor has he ever been associated with a registered broker-dealer or investment adviser other than Kane Capital.
According to the complaint, Mr Chahal lured investors by falsely claiming to be an experienced and successful trader who could generate above-market returns for clients through a low-risk trading strategy.
The Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that Mr Chahal had substantially no experience working in the financial or securities industry or trading securities on behalf of clients. The complaint further alleges that Mr Chahal initially invested client funds in a variety of investments, but suffered significant trading losses.
According to the complaint, instead of disclosing the losses, Mr Chahal lied to his clients about their investment returns, continued raising funds, then used the money for his personal benefit, including to pay for his luxury car, rent, travel, dining, and other living expenses, and to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors.
NEW JERSEY(TIP): Indian American, New Jersey-based Navrang Dance Academy, in association with TV Asia, organized the first dance workshop conducted by ABCD-fame Dharmesh Yelande in New Jersey.
“Dance with Dharmesh” workshop was held in the TV Asia auditorium. Padmashri H. R. Shah, CEO and chairman of TV Asia, who was present during the workshop said he was mesmerized by Yelande’s talent.
Shah honored Yelande with an award and said New Jersey is booming with talent, and his effort is to encourage people of all ages to come out and show their talents. He also asked the community to come together and support Varsha Naik of Navrang Dance Academy in all her efforts to encourage young and budding artist and talents.
Yelande led a three-hour workshop and taught 60 young and talented individuals of New Jersey. The artist showcased his unique dancing style and acting and inspired the dancers to achieve new heights.
Impressed by the talent in New Jersey, Yelande said, “Everyone in the room understood the magic of dancing.” At the event, Yelande also shared a glimpse of his journey and what motivates him to keep dancing.
Yelande was the winner on the dance show in India named Boogie Woogie (TV series) and was first runner-up on Dance India Dance (season 2). He has starred in the Hindi movies ABCD: AnyBody Can Dance, and ABCD 2. He has also choreographed for the movie Tees Maar Khan.
Naik acknowledged and thanked the entire staff of TV Asia and Radio Chai for helping her promote this event. She also thanked her team from Navrang Dance Academy for making arrangements for the event, which was managed in a smooth manner. Naik has had several workshops to her credit including those with Master Saroj Khan, Sandip Soparrkar, Master Satya and kathak guru Nishi Singh.
“This event was another great opportunity for young and talented dancers to come and learn the unique techniques from a star dancer and choreographer like Dharmesh,” Naik said. The workshop provided the local talent an opportunity to learn from the best in the industry.
The event received a lot of community support from various businesses and volunteers. The participants of the workshop also received a certificate from Yelande.
“We would love to have Dharmesh sir come back for another session soon,” said one of the participants.
Yelande encouraged all the participants to pursue their passion and ended the session with a message for all the budding artists saying that they should “keep dancing.”
ORLANDO(TIP): Orlando based Indian American singer Alyssa Raghu’s run on “American Idol” has ended.
The 16-year-old, a sophomore at Lake Nona High School, made it to the Top 24. But she was not among the singers who advanced to the Top 14 on April 16 episode.
Raghu had done well in the previous episode with her version of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Judge Katy Perry had championed Raghu and praised the teen’s tone. But Raghu’s duet with Banners on Coldplay’s “Yellow” underwhelmed the judges on April 16thtelecast.
In an interview last week, Raghu appreciated the experience of being on the show.
“They’ve just helped me grow as an artist. I really can’t ask for much more,” she said. “They helped me grow and get exposure. I have to thank ‘American Idol’ for that. I’m doing what I love every single day. I really can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
SAN JOSE (TIP): The hopes of finding the Thottapilly family alive have ended as the investigators on April 16 announced that they have found the bodies of all four members of the Indian American family that went missing while on a road trip to San Jose.
After a week of thorough search and rescue operation undertaken by the California Highway Patrol, the authorities found the Honda Pilot car that the family was traveling submerged in the Eel River. An eyewitness in Mendocino County had reportedly seen an SUV being swept away in Eel River.
According to the latest release from the Mendocino Sheriff, they found the SUV that met with the fatal accident submerged under Eel River, half a mile away from the location where they believe the car plunged into the river.
“Search divers entered the water and were able to feel what they believed to be a person inside of the vehicle. Visibility was extremely poor and divers noted the vehicle was encased in a large amount of sediment from the river current,” said the press statement from the Sheriff’s office.
“Recovery efforts continued for several hours and at approximately 6:30 PM the vehicle was partially removed from the Eel River by use of a tow truck. This provided searchers the ability to conduct a visual inspection of the inside of the vehicle. Searchers subsequently recovered the bodies of Sandeep Thottapilly and Saachi Thottapilly from inside the vehicle,” the press release added
The authorities had earlier found the body of Soumya Thottapilly, 7 miles away from the crash site.
On April 16, CNN reported that the body of the 12-year-old boy, Siddhant Thottapilly, was found in 6 miles away from where the rest of his family was found dead.
Sandeep Thottapilly (42), his wife, Soumya (38), and their two children Siddhant (12) and Saachi (9) had been missing since April 5. They had left for a road trip from Portland, Oregon, to San Jose, California, last month.
FLORAL PARK, NY(TIP): ‘You are doing a valuable service with your social work within the Kerala Community, and I urge you to expand your horizon to include others,’ said Mr. Devadasan Nair, Consul for the Community Relations, Indian Consulate, New York. Mr. Nair was speaking at the annual dinner of the Pioneer Club of Keralites at Heritage India Restaurant, New Hyde Park New York. Mr. Jacob George, General Secretary of the Club, welcomed the guests.
Pioneer Club of the Keralites consists of members who have come to the United States in the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s. The club is also engaged in providing social services to the senior members of the Kerala Community who may be homebound or require other assistance.
George Abraham, President of the Pioneer Club, urged the members to keep their pioneering spirit high as they are special people who are dissatisfied with the status quo and have a vision of something better beyond their immediate world and ways. “It is not only about the camaraderie within the group but what we can collectively sacrifice to help those who are in dire need” he stated.
Rev. Achoy Mathews, one of the founders of the organization, spoke about the origins of the Pioneer Club and expressed his satisfaction on the level of work undertaken by the organization. Professor Joseph Cheruvelil reminded the audience how profoundly grateful he is to the United States for the opportunities it has provided to him and his community and yet he holds a special place in his heart for his motherland.
Mr. Ven Parameswaran, who came to the United States in 1954, spoke at length about his experience working with late V. K. Krishna Menon, at the United Nations. He urged the Pioneers to get involved with the mainstream politics in the U.S. and reiterated his support to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
Professor Indrajit Saluja, Editor of The Indian Panorama lauded the work of the Pioneer Club and urged its members not to slacken off in the sunset of their life. “Sunset is more colorful, and the view from certain vantage point can be truly inspirational” he added.
Mr. George Thaila submitted the report on the social work and requested for additional volunteers for increasing demand for their services.
Mr. VM. Chacko, Mr. Thomas T.Oommen, Ms. Leela Maret and Priscilla Parameswaran spoke on occasion. Mr. Mathew Zachariah entertained the guests with favorite melodies from the 60’s and 70’s.
The annual meeting also elected the new leadership for the 2018-19 periods:
NEW YORK(TIP): Gift of Life USA, a 501 (C) (3) non-profit special needs organization, founded by President Flora Parekh & Chairman Paresh Parekh, hosted their Annual Fund-Raising Gala this in New York, to raise funds for education scholarship support for autistic / special needs students pursuing higher education. The organization aims at helping the specially-abled in the areas of health, education and social awareness. Emceed, by Harshil Parekh, the young CFO of the organization, the Gala was a unique flow of inspirational performances by beneficiary special needs performers and motivational speeches by renowned special needs entrepreneurs and speakers.
“We are not all born the same, we are different, not limited. The key is when we turn this special ability in our favor and get inspired by very talented who have come a long way, overcoming all the limitations and stigma. The most beautiful day is the one when we put a smile on someone’s face!” Says CFO Harshil Parekh.
Included in the performers were several special needs individuals like Rachel Barcellona (Miss SouthEastern USA Ambassador 2018 & Miss SouthEast International 2017 – Diagnosis: Autism/Asperger’s & Epilepsy) pursuing higher college education, FREE Drum & Bugle Corps (A Special Needs Band Competing for World Championship), Special Needs Entrepreneurs John Cronin of John’s Crazy Socks (Down Syndrome) & Brittany Schiavone of Brittany’s Baskets Of Hope ((Down Syndrome), Motivational special needs speaker, author & TV Show Host Kerry Magro (Autism Spectrum), Andrea Matteo ( Young Jumba Dancer with Down Syndrome).
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart!” Says Founder & President, Flora Parekh.
“With the Mission to Generate Efficient Resources to Support the Specially-Abled through Advocacy & Education, the organization conducts various programs and activities in benefit of the differently abled community namely “Save a Child” Support, We are Special” Talent & Skill Recognition, “Health & Education”, “Awareness” and many more” says Chairman, Paresh Parekh.
Comptroller Stringer welcomes Inclusion of NYC Citizenship Fund in the City Council Budget Response
NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): In an exclusive telephonic interview, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, said the City was concerned that a large number of City’s residents could not afford to pay for applying for citizenship for want of resources.
Mr. Stringer who in May 2017 moved for NYC Citizenship Fund to help such people apply for citizenship welcomed the inclusion of his NYC Citizenship Fund in its Budget Response. “It would subsidize citizenship applications for thousands of immigrants in New York City”, he said.
The Comptroller added that the need is large: More than 670,000 New Yorkers – over 20 percent of the city’s immigrant population – are eligible for naturalization but have not taken the final step to citizenship.
Costs are soaring: The fees associated with the naturalization form have increased from $60 in 1989 to $725 today, an increase of 500 percent when adjusted for inflation.
Price matters: After it was announced that the form-filing fee would be increased from $400 to $675 at the beginning of FY2008, the number of citizenship applications surged 89 percent from the year prior. After that price increase took effect, applications plummeted by more than half.
“When we first proposed this idea last year, we knew it would be a big, bold concept at a time when immigrants are under attack from the White House. Today, our proposal is taking a step forward. No family should have to choose between applying for citizenship and putting food on the table. But with the costs of the citizenship application rising, and with English classes, attorney’s fees, and more, that’s just what’s happening. We, in America, have put up arbitrary financial barriers to taking the final step towards citizenship. That’s why this is a smart, commonsense, policy-driven strategy that all New Yorkers can help support. Now, the idea is gaining real momentum. I would like to thank Speaker Johnson, Councilmember Dromm, and Councilmember Menchaca for fighting for this initiative. We are a city of immigrants — and we always will be,” Comptroller Stringer said.
NEW YORK(TIP): Join the Eye Foundation of America for an evening of music by Prasanna in support of its work fighting childhood blindness around the world.
The Eye Foundation of America has worked towards eliminating avoidable blindness for 40 years, especially among children. Alongside our international partners, we’re bringing eye care to those in the greatest need in an affordable, accessible manner.
That’s why we need your help to reach our fundraising goal of $500,000. Event proceeds will support several programs, including: eye screening for premature babies, providing glasses for school children, and developing a new children’s eye hospital that will provide state of the art care for all children, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Our musical guest, Prasanna, is a world-renowned guitarist whose repertoire includes Indian Carnatic music, jazz, metal, and more. An acclaimed composer for Oscar-winning films like “Smile Pinki,” Prasanna is a longtime co-collaborator with A.R. Rahman on films such as “Lagaan,” continues to record solo and collaborative studio albums, and serves as educator and founder of the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music.
Join Our Vision on May 23, 2018 for this memorable evening at Joe’s Pub at The Public
Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003.
Tickets $300. Early Bird $250. Through April 25. Available online at https://bit.ly/2Go1G0m .
PM launches US$50 million dedicated Commonwealth window to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund
NEW YORK(TIP): At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 in London, April 19, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced the launch of a US$50 Million Commonwealth window to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. This contribution is in addition to US$100 million pledged in 2017 for the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, thereby increasing India’s multi-year contribution to US$150 million. The India-UN Development Partnership Fund is managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
The new Commonwealth window of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund aims to catalyze the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries of the Commonwealth. The countries supported by this fund are located in various parts of the world and include some of the most vulnerable Member States of the Commonwealth.
Grenada, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are the first three development partners engaged under this newly created Commonwealth window.
The India-UN Development Partnership Fund Commonwealth window supports demand-driven, country-owned, and concrete initiatives that focus on the implementation of 17 SDGs.
The establishment of the Fund and the dedicated Commonwealth window has been widely welcomed. Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary of the United Nations stated, “South-South cooperation is one of the world’s most important pathways to prosperity. I am therefore delighted that India is demonstrating such strong leadership to helping others through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. India’s commitment is also timely, as the world strives to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. India’s focus on multilateral action generates genuine hope that we can build a world where no one is left behind.”
Ms. Fekita Utoikaman, United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Secretary-General’s High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States stated, “India’s leadership and dedication to improve the living conditions of people living in the countries that are most affected by poverty, hunger, and impacts of climate change, bring us closer to achieving the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals. I am pleased to work together with India in advancing sustainable solutions in the countries of the Global south and in enhancing the opportunities for a prosperous and sustainable future for all.”
Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations stated, “The establishment of a dedicated Commonwealth window of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund is a unique model of South-South Development Cooperation. The Commonwealth membership is built on a shared past, respect for common values, broadly similar government structures, and institutions. We are, therefore, excited to initiate this partnership to contribute to our collective efforts to implement Sustainable Development Goals.”
“Over the past two decades, India has made huge economic strides and lifted millions out of poverty,” said UNDP Administrator, Mr. Achim Steiner. “It has shown itself again to be a leader in South-South cooperation with this new opportunity to support vulnerable countries in the Commonwealth achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfill the central promise of Agenda 2030 to leave no one behind.”
“The Commonwealth Window of India-UN Development Fund is an admirable example of South-South cooperation,” said Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation, and Director, UNOSSC. “UNOSSC is pleased and gratified to collaborate with the Government of India in bringing this initiative to fruition.”
“Whenever adharma takes over a nation, it needs a Krishna to restore faith and trust in the society, and that Krishna is the collective consciousness of Indians resting in women, businessmen, and young men. They have to take their nation back from irresponsible chaotic governance and restore the good old days of the past where people were not afraid of each other and lived their lives instead of battling their lives.”
The brutal rape of an 8-year old and the 4 –year-old is beyond anyone’s understanding. It was a brutal rape and murder. I hope as a nation we condemn what is bad and encourage what is good regardless of the politics or religion of the individual.
This tragedy has united most of the Indians except a few party members of Mr. Modi and Mr. Yogi who are defending the rapists. What is disgusting is even women members of the party like Kirron Kher are discounting it by saying that the rape culture is not new in India. With friends like her, BJP does not need enemies.
My first response was apprehension. How difficult must it have been for the child to endure the last few minutes of her life? Several images of 8-year-olds ran through my mind and could not help feel the anguish and anger. How must mothers and fathers feel if their daughter is out on her way to school?
My second response was, punish the criminals swiftly and restore the trust in society.
I hoped the Prime Minister, and each Chief Minister with the State Police commissioners will jointly announce zero tolerance and severe punishment to criminals who hurt innocent people. If they don’t, we the people need to harass them to do it. At last, we the people have a right to decide whom we appoint to govern us, and how they are accountable to us.
A Bill must be introduced in the Parliament that would require “married men and women” to run the public office, preference must be given to those candidates who have daughters. It is not to discriminate against single people but to ensure the men and women who are responsible for public safety have the heart to empathize with the pain of mothers.
I urge Modi and Yogi to get married, and I am sure they are potent enough for God to bless them with a daughter each to understand at least the anguish of fathers, if not mothers. Sloganeering is good, but their actions determine if they are shooting their mouth off, or if they respect every man and woman of India.
I would appeal to the moderate members of the BJP to take bold steps and correct the mistakes and restore justice and the rule of law in India.
Ms. Prathiba Prahlad from New Delhi was one of the first few individuals in the nation to express her outrage well, and it reflects the sentiments of most mothers of India. Prathiba is a Dancer, Scholar, Culture Specialist, Festival Director at DIAF, Padma & Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee.
“I’m sick in the pit of my stomach & in deep, deep anguish! Just imagine what horrendous pain, fright & brutality little baby Asifa would have gone through! I’m ashamed of our politicians, I’m ashamed of our society, I’m ashamed of myself & my helplessness! I wish I didn’t live to see this day! India – hang your head in shame … so many of our children, adolescents & youngsters are brutalized every other day! And we call our land a holy land??? A holy land filled with ugly, twisted, violent, brutal, heartless, soulless psychos who commit beastly crimes in the name of religion, caste, honour or just because they view the innocent & the vulnerable an easy prey ??? This land can never be holy unless justice is done to these innocents – unless laws are amended, justice is fast-tracked & the guilty are castrated, tortured & publicly killed … they don’t deserve a trial for god’s sake – even at the risk of being termed undemocratic!”
Whenever adharma takes over a nation, it needs a Krishna to restore faith and trust in the society, and that Krishna is the collective consciousness of Indians resting in women, businessmen, and young men. They have to take their nation back from irresponsible chaotic governance and restore the good old days of the past where people were not afraid of each other and lived their lives instead of battling their lives. We did not have the lynchings, harassments, and murdering of people who differed with us. We did not regulate what one should eat, and that freedom had offered relative peace.
Why should a mother support BJP? What security she has for her daughter if these men don’t feel the pain of the mothers? Women tourists are scared to go to Modi’s India and Yogi’s Taj Mahal for fear of being raped. Is this the India we want?
Ban those lawyers from practicing the law for defending the rapists, and ban the politicians from holding public office if they support and abet rapists.
I am not sure if Modi has the guts to do it, but I urge him to take action before people completely write him off.
I urge Hindus and Muslims to feel the pain together and never let the divisive men pit Hindus against Muslims or vice versa. Let them be the losers and not the general public.
What we need is sane voices – and not a Hindu Muslim conflict which the politicians would love it, but you and I will lose it. In the last two months, we had two fathers; a Hindu and a Muslim; two great heroic fathers in India. Each one of them lost their sons to hate by Muslim and Hindus each, but the patriotic fathers urged the politicians keep calm and not allow them to pit one group of Indians against the other. It must have been painful for them not to seek revenge. I hope Mr. Modi honors them as heroes of India. More at http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-way-out-of-hell-forgive-them-for-they.html
Warning to Indians
Let this be a warning to Indian businessmen, Indian women, and all the young people who are enjoying a good life at this time. All of this will come to an end if Law and Order are not restored.
Modi and Yogi have nothing to lose, but ordinary people do, it is their livelihood. Much of our prosperity hinges on foreign direct investments, export of software and contracting work and tourism including medical tourism.
If the investors continue to see the chaos, rape, communal strife, lynching, harassment, and restrictions on what one eats and who he or she marries, they will pull out of India. Who wants to invest in a place where their investment is not secure? Would you invest in Burma, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Ethiopia and even Pakistan?
(The author is the president of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.)
Indian Overseas Congress, USA joins millions of non-resident Indians across the globe in condemning the horrific rape and murder of an eight-year-old child Asifa Bano in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua. The barbarity and the bestiality involved in the killing of this little girl show the depraved and criminal mindsets of those who perpetrated such heinous acts. The ghastly way this girl was raped and murdered has indeed shaken the nation to its core and terrorized the people of conscience across the world.
Asifa Bano, belonging to the Bakarwal community in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was kidnapped, drugged and brutally gang-raped for three days. Her strangled body that was found on January 17, 2018, bore mute testimony to the inhumanity of her tormentors.
Police reports indicate Asifa was locked inside a temple and repeatedly raped for three days and finally strangled to death. A police charge sheet also said before her head was bashed with a stone, one of the assailants – a police officer – had asked the killer to wait so he could rape the child for one last time.
Days before this horrific murder was reported, another young girl from Unnao in U.P. had tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s house. She said she had been raped by BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sehgar and his brother a year ago. A day later, her father, who had been mercilessly thrashed for his refusal to withdraw the case, died.
Holding him responsible for the “terrifying state of affairs,” 49 retired civil servants, in an open letter urged Prime Minister Modi to reach out to the families of the Kathua and Unnao rape victims to “seek their forgiveness.” Part of the statement reads as follows:
“Prime Minister, it is your party which is in power. Given your supremacy within the party and the centralized control you and your party president exercise, you more than anyone else, have to be held responsible for this terrifying state of affairs. Instead of owning up and making reparations, however, you had until yesterday chosen to remain silent, breaking your silence only when public outage both in India and internationally reached a point when you could no longer ignore it.”
“And even then, while you have condemned the act and expressed a sense of shame, you have not condemned the communal pathology behind the act nor shown the resolve to change the social, political and administrative conditions under which such communal hate is bred. We have had enough of these belated remonstrations and promises to bring justice when the communal cauldron is forever kept boiling by forces nested within the Sangh Parivar” the statement added.
It is believed that this was done as part of a deliberate terror tactic to drive out a Muslim nomad community to which Asifa belonged. Different arms of the local government and political groups conspired to subvert the initial investigation and are using extrajudicial means to protect the accused.
The United Nations on Friday termed the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district as horrific, PTI reported.
“I think we have seen the media reports of this horrific case, of the abuse and the murder of a young girl,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric told reporters. “We very much hope that the authorities will bring the perpetrators to justice, so they can be held accountable for the murder of this young girl.”
“It is indeed the growing culture of violence emanating out of the wrong-headed sense of ultra-nationalism and majoritarian arrogance that is polarizing the communities and dividing the nation,” said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman for the Indian Overseas Congress, USA. “We call upon the Modi Government to stop paying lip service with slogans like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” and provide true leadership in bringing perpetrators of this pervasive rape and abuse of women culture across the country to justice regardless of their party affiliations and oust any government official who remain stumbling blocks to that effort” Abraham added.
“Given the bitter rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the likelihood of the Trump administration reimposing sanctions on Iran, India will have to navigate its path through its western neighborhood with dexterity. Our primary interests lie in the safety and welfare of the over 7 million Indians living in Arab Gulf countries. These countries together with Iraq, which can remain our largest supplier of oil, should remain the focal point of our attention, even as we make every effort to sustain economic cooperation with Iran, especially on issues of connectivity”, says the author.
As sectarian Shia-Sunni and civilizational Arab-Persian-Israeli rivalries dominate the geopolitics of our western neighborhood today, India faces a very different situation from what it confronted four decades ago, when the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict flared up. The Organisation of Arab Petroleum Oil Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, announced an oil boycott of countries like Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the US and the UK, considered to be pro-Israeli. They found themselves squeezed by an Arab embargo on oil supplies. A cash-strapped India found itself in a desperate economic situation, as oil prices rose rapidly from $3 to $43 per barrel. Saudi Arabia demanded that New Delhi should close the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai or face an Arab oil boycott. An enraged Prime Minister Indira Gandhi refused to comply. India emerged relatively unscathed, thanks to developments like oil supplies from the Soviet Union, the discovery of Bombay High oil and gas and “assistance” by the Shah of Iran, who enjoyed a cozy relationship with Israel.
Four decades later, the global energy and geopolitical scenario stands drastically changed. With the discovery of shale oil/gas in the US and Canada and huge oil reserves in Venezuela, untapped shale gas reserves in Argentina, and with Mexico adding to world oil supplies, North America and parts of Europe are relatively immune to blackmail. This is more so as Russian oil and gas contribute to meeting energy demands in Europe and across Eurasia. Saudi Arabia is now forced to seek Russian cooperation in regulating world energy supplies. Oil prices once at $130 a barrel slumped to $30 and now hover around $60-70 per barrel. The major markets for oil supplies from the Arab/Persian Gulf countries are China (8.4 million barrels per day, bpd), India (4.4 million bpd) and Japan (3.4 million bpd). In the meantime, the oil producing Gulf monarchies, who are major suppliers of oil, are today preoccupied in dealing with a resurgent Iran, which is presently free from Western-led international sanctions. Iran is evidently seeking to become the dominant power in the energy-rich Gulf region.
The strategic scenario in our oil-rich West is now very different from what it was earlier. The advent of the Islamic Republic in Iran has led to a drastic downturn in Iran’s relations with Israel. Tel Aviv has fomented the hostility to Iran across the world. Iran, in turn, has behaved irresponsibly towards Israel, backing the radical Palestinian group Hamas and even calling for the destruction of Israel. Iran has also sought to change the balance of power in the Arab world, challenging Saudi pre-eminence, provoking former Saudi king Abdullah to ask American military Commander Petraeus to “cut off the head of the snake”. With the ambitious and impetuous Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman now urging an all too willing President Trump to reimpose crippling economic sanctions on Iran, tensions are set to escalate in our western neighborhood. With some deft handling by Prime Minister Modi, our relations with the Arab Gulf states, notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have improved significantly, with the Saudis reaching out to us, to permit Air India over-flights to Israel.
Despite these developments, the Gulf region is tense, given the Saudi intervention in neighboring Yemen, where thousands of innocents have perished amidst a bitter conflict with Iran-backed Yemeni rebels. There is today a significant Shia-Sunni dimension in rivalries across the Islamic world. With the American intervention in Iraq leading to majority Shia rule there, its effect is being inevitably felt in Shia-ruled, Sunni-majority Syria, where the Russians have intervened decisively in favor of the Iran-backed Assad regime, forcing the Americans on the back foot. India has wisely stayed away from any participation in this rivalry. Iraq is now our largest supplier of oil, overtaking Iran and even Saudi Arabia.
Given the bitter rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the likelihood of the Trump administration reimposing sanctions on Iran, India will have to navigate its path through its western neighborhood with dexterity. Our primary interests lie in the safety and welfare of the over 7 million Indians living in Arab Gulf countries. These countries together with Iraq, which can remain our largest supplier of oil, should remain the focal point of our attention, even as we make every effort to sustain economic cooperation with Iran, especially on issues of connectivity. India should continue its emphasis on ties with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman. While Iran remains the third largest supplier of oil to India, imports from Iran are showing signs of decline. Iran has notably been less than forthcoming, or transparent in dealing with projects for oil and gas exploration by India. We would, however, have to reassess the global energy scenario if, as appears likely, American sanctions are reimposed on Iran by the Trump administration, in coming months, though given the glut in global oil supplies, the effect on global oil prices would be manageable.
Venezuela now has an important role to play in India’s oil imports. The new entrant is the US, where Indian companies have invested significantly in the exploration of shale gas, like they have done for oil and gas in Russia. The US will soon become the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. Gas supplies from the US have now commenced and are set to grow significantly. Thus India, which is today the third largest consumer of oil in the world, after the US and China, has wisely cast its net far and wide to meet its energy needs. We have learnt lessons from the past and are not over-dependent on any single country. While doing so, we have avoided getting involved in regional rivalries, tensions and conflicts in the Islamic world. We must always be prepared for crises in Islamic oil supplying countries, which may necessitate the use of our naval and air assets for evacuation and ensuring the safety and security of Indians living there. We are preparing to develop a significant storage capacity of petroleum in the event of any cut off of oil supplies because of regional tensions. We are also, wisely, placing greater emphasis on the country’s energy security. We are today, a significant exporter of refined petroleum products, estimated at $35.9 billion in 2017.
For the first time in 40 years, a British Prime Minister met her Indian counterpart without the overhang, obligations and requirements of the European Union. The Skripal poisoning episode has detracted British domestic attention and muted criticism of their PM Theresa May’s inept handling of Brexit. But there is obviously a different approach. Britain has closed its doors to the kind of liberal immigration Indians have availed of in the past. Instead, Britain seeks improved accessibility of its businesses in India, a copy-paste of the UK-Israel model of tech partnership, lower barriers to commerce in IT, food and drink and life science, and a massive overlay in India of the British National Health Service (NHS) along with its attendant equipment supplier companies.
While the British wait for the barriers to come down or consensus to develop, there is a conscious effort to handhold India’s quest to blend technology with agriculture and medicine. Essentially, London wants to retain its recent trade advantage: the 15 per cent rise in bilateral trade in 2017 was all accounted for by Britain. Clearly, there is a huge dollop of self-interest guiding Britain as it seeks to mould the Commonwealth into a primary tool for engaging with the non-European world. And it doesn’t end at trade. Britain has thrown the baits of a security relationship with a focus on “ensuring freedom of navigation” (the code for anti-China grouping in South China Sea) and assistance in cyber security.
Most of the focus on R&D is ostensibly in keeping with Britain’s claim as India’s second largest research partner. But a closer look shows the plans to invest £400 million by 2021 are spread too thin. London will retain its salience as a global hub of finance but impetus to other ties will rest on British strategic assistance to India as a UNSC member and incubator of high technology. There has been little cause for cheer on those fronts. Britain is attempting a new turn with India. But it needs to be more proactive and less expectant considering that other competing countries can easily top most of these offers.
Aries:Ganesha says you will be meeting many people from different walks of life and, possibly, from different countries and cultures too. There will be a lot of interaction, ideas and energy exchange at all levels, and you will gain tremendously from it. You will also run strong feelings as you reach out and make contact. There may be mood swings and several periods of depression and elation which follow you throughout the period.
Taurus:Since many different moods nestle in you and emerge as and when they feel like it, it is important which mood and which aspect of your diverse personality you take out of the bag. At so many levels, you do not belong to the real world and its mundane demands. You like to live free and fly like a bird. You can be a creative genius or a social worker or someone who scales the peaks of fiscal triumph. You must remember that you have many support systems and will always be bailed out in times of need.
Gemini:You are filled with love and care for those close to you and even for the large mass of humanity. You spend time and money indulging others. Some may feel that you have no respect for your time and that people take advantage of you but that is the way you are and there is no escaping it unless you very badly want to. All this could lead to hurt and disappointment and even a feeling of exploitation and resignation.
Cancer:Many dark thoughts float through your mind. There will be changes in your interests and there will be new ideas and ingenuity at work. You are attracted to the mysterious and to deep secrets. You will also get into the swing of hard work and apply all your ideas to the issues at hand. You are embarking on a new phase of achievement and hard work and you will brace yourself for it. You know that there is no free lunch in the world and you will have to more than sing for your supper.
Leo:This is a very significant period with many far-reaching consequences. Every aspect of your life gets heightened. You excel at work and play and are in great demand even to resolve domestic issues. You are a great solution provider and seem to have answers to all ticklish psychological issues. Listen to your inner voice for guidance. There will be prestige, social status, promotion, triumphs, awards and rewards. You have a large social circle and the rewards for your efforts will be seen by all.
Virgo:You are moving from strength to strength and this is a period of consolidation. You make great strides at work and make money and do the necessary investments. There is buying and selling and speculation in the stock and realty sectors. Your knowledge grows and several work-related avenues open up. You carry through demanding and far-fetched schemes as you begin to exploit your potential to the fullest. It is the start of a wonderful phase and you move ahead with Ganesha’s blessings!
Libra:There is very little to stop you or halt you in your tracks. You are filled with confidence and begin to think really big. You pursue serious issues and also are in a celebratory mood and there is fun and festivity in your life with a series of parties and get-togethers. Your mood is uplifted and all the gloominess which you were associated with is ancient history. You examine uncharted areas like discoveries, inventions, research, astrology, auras, magnets, numerology, new diets, macro food and probiotics.
Scorpio:You are expanding at a rapid pace and meeting all sorts of people. You are signing the dotted line in a series of profitable collaborations. Finances will dominate the period be it investments, buying / selling, and new acquisitions for yourself, the home and the office. There is money flowing and you use it well too. You are not the type who generally hoards and you like to share your earnings. You get yourself a new wardrobe and ad your personal signature to it. You look like a dandy this period.
Sagittarius:You need to work hard to take a grip on your emotions this period. You will be very sensitive about something and overtly emotional and all this will set you back. You also look at tantra and mantra and spend time in esoteric and spiritual pursuits. You will have close associations and, possibly, the kindling of a new romance. Your sensitivity draws many admirers, and this could well be a time for distraction and a rustle with the opposite sex.
Capricorn:You are distracted by your many associations and spend a good portion of the period at meetings and with friends that, I dare say, will not be hugely profitable. People come to you with their problems and you love solving them. As a result, a lot of time is wasted more serious work piles up. Domestic affairs also come into sharp focus and you will be attending to the home and family needs. There may be illness and unwanted expenses. Be prepared for all that. As we know, being forewarned is forearmed.
Aquarius:There is a lot of stability in your dealings and you settle down to the grind. You work hard and see the results easily. You move fast, solve pending issues and lay solid foundations for expansion. Your efforts and endeavors are energized, and you are duly rewarded. There is promotion, perks and progress. You are not one to be moved by all this and you take it in your stride. Money certainly buys goodies but it doesn’t find a place in your shrine. You live in a world of ideas and dreams, and money, at best, fuels them.
Pisces:The concrete and sustained work phase continues. You make steady progress and start new collaborations / ventures / offices. There will be travel and some expenses too. But this is a phase of consolidation and you will be covering a lot of ground. Children will bring joy and there could be happy moments like a child doing well in studies, sports or in extra-curricular activities. There will be family outings, possibly a holiday together. There is all-round growth in this period and you are in harmony and sing a happy tune.
DALLAS(TIP): The Office of George H. W. Bush confirmed the death of Barbara Bush on Tuesday, April 17, saying in a statement, “A former First Lady of the United States of America and relentless proponent of family literacy, Barbara Pierce Bush passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 92.
“She is survived by her husband of 73 years, President George H. W. Bush; five children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, seven great grandchildren; and her brother Scott Pierce. She was preceded in death by her second child, Pauline ‘Robin’ Bush, and her siblings Martha Rafferty and James R. Pierce.”
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