The Indian Panorama

Month: May 2018

  • Fort Worth Gas Leak Leads to Recommended Evacuation

    Fort Worth Gas Leak Leads to Recommended Evacuation

    FORT WORTH, TX (TIP): Residents in North Fort Worth were asked to evacuate their homes due to a gas leak Thursday, May 17 afternoon, officials say.

    In a tweet at 5:15 p.m., the Fort Worth Fire Department asked that residents on Los Padres Court between Basswood Boulevard and Arcadia Trail evacuate north of Arcadia.

    The department recommended evacuations for residents on Los Padres Court, Catlow Court and San Isabel Court.

    A contractor for AT&T struck the gas line when a crew was putting in cable, a spokesman for the Dallas-based company said. The leak seeped into the sanitary sewer system, causing gas to bubble up in homes through sinks and toilets.

    Residents were allowed back into their homes around 7:30 p.m.

  • A time to think fast: on the US exit from the Iran deal

    A time to think fast: on the US exit from the Iran deal

    The U.S.’s exit from the Iran nuclear deal puts India in a spot on many counts

    By Happymon Jacob
    The global non-proliferation regime has taken a direct hit from the U.S.’s decision to renege on the Iran deal. It is important to understand that norms, rules, persuasion and good faith make up the moral foundation of the non-proliferation regime, and the inability of the great powers to abide by them will dissuade non-nuclear weapons states from signing on to or abiding by new or existing agreements, protocols or regimes

    American President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), popularly called the Iran nuclear deal, is bound to have serious implications for the international system, and for India. To be sure, the least affected will be the U.S.; European Union countries will be moderately affected due to the business ties with Iran; and the most affected will be countries closer to the region, in particular India. Moreover, for a U.S. administration that has made it a habit of accusing other countries of “undermining the rules-based order”, this action has severely undermined the rules-based global order.

    Unreasonable act

    Washington’s decision is unjustified and unreasonable for several reasons. For one, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has consistently maintained that Tehran has complied with the strictures of the JCPOA without fail. Moreover, Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which prohibits it from developing nuclear weapons and has agreed to ratify the IAEA’s Additional Protocol five years from now which will grant IAEA inspectors wide-ranging access to monitor nuclear-related activities in Iran. And yet Mr. Trump has thoughtlessly undone the outcome of negotiations that went on for close to two years.

    Second, the argument that since the provisions of the JCPOA will become less strict over the years enabling Iran to move towards nuclear-weapon capability is not a credible rationale for undoing the deal. In fact, if indeed there are concerns about Iran potentially moving towards a nuclear option, efforts should be made to engage Tehran in negotiations rather than undo what has already been achieved. This is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

    With regard to Iran’s involvement in the various West Asian conflicts and “promotion of terrorism”, Iran is not the only country engaging in them. And in any case the way out, again, is diplomatic engagement rather than further unsettle an already volatile region.

    The implications

    The global non-proliferation regime has taken a direct hit from the U.S.’s decision to renege on the Iran deal. It is important to understand that norms, rules, persuasion and good faith make up the moral foundation of the non-proliferation regime, and the inability of the great powers to abide by them will dissuade non-nuclear weapons states from signing on to or abiding by new or existing agreements, protocols or regimes. Second, even though Mr. Trump might think that playing hardball with Tehran will help him to extract concessions from Pyongyang, it is equally possible that the North Koreans will think twice before entering into any agreement with the untrustworthy Trump administration.

    Third, Washington’s unilateral and dictatorial withdrawal from the deal would create deep fissures in the time-tested but increasingly shaky trans-Atlantic security partnership. Not least because it implies potential secondary sanctions against those European companies which are engaged in business deals with Iran. Here again, the U.S. does not have much to lose given its almost non-existent business contacts with Iran.

    Besides, Mr. Trump’s Iran decision follows a pattern of similar unilateral steps — such as the withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and formal recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Let alone the loss of face suffered by European leaders and the financial losses by their countries’ firms, U.S. unilateralism has deep-running implications for the global security and governance architecture, and other multilateral arrangements and regimes. It is in this context that what French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said becomes significant: “The deal is not dead. There’s an American withdrawal from the deal, but the deal is still there.” The argument has found support in several global capitals.

    Hassan Rouhani, the moderate President of Iran, who negotiated the nuclear deal, might lose his standing in the country as hardliners pitch for more aggressive steps, including developing a nuclear weapon capability and more military engagement in the neighborhood. The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, has said that the “Iranian people never favored the nuclear deal”. This is an indication of the hardline Iranian responses in the offing as and when sanctions are reimposed.

    Iran’s refusal to fall in line might prompt Israel and the U.S. to carry out attacks against Iran leading to Iranian counter-strikes against American allies in the region, or even Israel. This would further destabilize a region already reeling under terrorism, wars and internal conflicts. Americans, and the international community, should remember how the misguided military campaign against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq turned out to be a huge geopolitical disaster.

    India’s Persian dilemmas

    While the U.S. has almost nothing to lose in reneging on the JCPOA, India has a lot to lose both economically and geopolitically, and it will take deft diplomacy to adapt to the changing alignments. A more unstable West Asia would ipso facto mean more difficult choices for New Delhi. More conflict in the region would adversely impact the welfare and safety of Indian expatriates in West Asia, leading to a sharp decline in the remittances they send home, and an assured hike in oil prices. Low crude oil prices had given India the much-needed economic cushion in the past few years — that phase of cheaper oil has now ended. Recall how the U.S. war on Iraq had a debilitating impact on Indian workers and the West Asian remittances. India also had to abandon the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline in 2008 thanks to U.S. sanctions against Iran.

    The Narendra Modi government’s efforts to maintain a fine balance between India’s relations with Iran on the one hand and with the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia on the other will be seriously tested in the days ahead. The new warmth between Iran and India could attract American ire. What is even more worrying is that unlike the last time when the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran, and India had to choose the U.S. over Iran, the geopolitical realities are starkly different this time. Not only are the Americans going it alone this time, but the regional ganging-up against the U.S. and in support of Iran will be more pronounced this time around, making India’s ability to make a clear choice more difficult.

    India’s dreams of accessing Central Asia via Iran could also be dashed with the return of American sanctions against Iran. India’s projects in Iran’s Chabahar port have been widely viewed in New Delhi as a crucial plank of its Iran-Afghanistan-Central Asia strategy. With U.S. sanctions again tightening around Tehran, New Delhi may find it hard to continue with this project. As a matter of fact, thanks partly to India’s dilly-dallying on Chabahar during the previous round of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Iran had invited Pakistan to the Chabahar project. Some have even suggested a potential link between Chabahar and Gwadar in Pakistan.

    Given that there is little consensus around Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, several of the dissenting parties might look for ways of thwarting U.S. efforts at isolating Iran. Such efforts, especially those led by China and Russia, both parties to the JCOPA, would have implications for the Southern Asian region as well. If indeed China manages to bring together a group of regional powers, including Russia, Iran, Pakistan and interested others, to counter Washington’s influence in the region, New Delhi might find itself in a corner.

    (The author is Associate Professor of Disarmament Studies, Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University)

  • Architecture of the Mandate

    Architecture of the Mandate

    The lesson from Karnataka: the parties opposed to the BJP must work together from the word go

    By Gopalkrishna Gandhi
    With the two parties having come together, and out-numbering the BJP MLAs, the real test of their political integrity lies in their staying together and defeating the Yeddyurappa government in the first confidence vote. There is only one way in which they can do that. And that is by staying together, staying determined, and voting on vote day unitedly. Will they let their unity and determination, numerical strength, numerical integrity be diminished?  How may that be done? We know the way that happens.

    Mathematics is about numbers, and mathematics is an exact science. The addition, subtraction, division and multiplication of numbers in ganita is about getting problems right. Just that. Right. And a satisfaction is derived, both mathematical and aesthetic, in getting the exercise right. Precision is its sole dharma. Numbers, after a problem is done, stand still. They do not pull at each other, jumping from a plus to a minus, from the times or multiplication sign into an obelus or division sign. A sum does not try to or want to alter itself. The problem-solver or sum-beholder derives satisfaction from the purity of its precision.

    Integrity of the arithmetic

    Elections too are about numbers and are an exact exercise. But only until the sum is reached. That is, until the Election Commission finishes its calculations and declares the ‘sum’. The Election Commission counts and then announces the counts, and once it has done that, retires. After that has been done, the President in the case of Lok Sabha elections or the Governor in the case of Vidhan Sabha elections takes over. It is in their hands that the result of the counting converts itself into the pattern of seats in the elected House. The President or Governor then becomes the keeper of the sum’s integrity and has to see that the pattern of the sum is honored by the pattern of the seats. In other words, the architecture of the sum is retained by the architecture of their power. The keeper has to see that the integrity of that architecture is not garbled to create a house different in shape from the blueprint of the sum’s design.

    What was the blueprint of the design that the people of Karnataka drew? The blueprint came in four folds. All of us know them now only too well.

    The first fold for the single largest party was the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP’s.

    The second fold for the second largest party was the Congress’s.

    The third fold for the third largest party was that of the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S).

    The fourth fold, which showed the first three in a pie, gave their relative shares: the first was smaller, if only slightly, than the second and third seen together.

    We have to switch now from designs, graphs, squares and pies to what the Governor had to make of this four-fold design. We have to switch from arithmetic and geometry to a kind of algebra, the study of mathematical symbols, the rules for their handling, their groups, rings, fields. In other words, we have to switch now from how to move from the numbers to their mandate and see how a House is to be made from out of its mandate, a House for the mandate of the gana to dwell in. In this task, though working on and with numbers, a President or a Governor cannot function like a calculator. His task is mathematics plus ethics.

    The Governor’s options

    The Governor of Karnataka saw and may well have felt somewhat like this: If only Party One had just crossed the halfway mark and got a simple majority, his task would have been simple. He would have called its leader to form the government. But that did not happen. The people of Karnataka voted in greater strength against Party Number One than for it.

    If only Party Two and Party Three had entered the election as a joint team, in what is called a pre-poll alliance, his work would again have been simple. He would have had to call that two-colored rainbow to name its leader and invite him to take the oaths of office. But that too did not happen. The majority of the people of Karnataka voted against the BJP but they did not vote cohesively for the Congress-JD(S) combine.

    So, the Governor did not get it all that simple. But was what he did get all that complicated? Not really.

    Though not a pre-poll alliance, Parties Two and Three did get together with a verve and vim they did not show before the elections to become one, and not only drew up a joint list of the newly elected MLAs to be but also chose a joint leader, unconditionally. There is nothing in any electoral law or court verdict to say that a post-poll alliance is ab initio null, void and to be disregarded. True, a pre-poll alliance is a neater, more up-front arrangement, but a post-poll one is not out of order.

    The numbers in Karnataka were clear. They showed the people’s integrated will, albeit in two frames hinged together requiring Parties Two and Three to be asked to form the government and seek the approval of the House by its users on its floor. If defeated, then ask Party One to try its luck.

    That has not happened.

    Had Party Two and Party Three not come together post-poll, Governor Vajubhai Vala could have ignored the fact that the non-BJP MLAs outnumber the BJP MLAs — and left it to the Chief Minister or the putative leader of the House to navigate his majority through the first confidence vote. But he has decided and that is that.

    What now? With the two parties having come together, and out-numbering the BJP MLAs, the real test of their political integrity lies in their staying together and defeating the Yeddyurappa government in the first confidence vote. There is only one way in which they can do that. And that is by staying together, staying determined, and voting on vote day unitedly. Will they let their unity and determination, numerical strength, numerical integrity be diminished? How may that be done? We know the way that happens.

    The principle of it

    With millions of other Indians I have a political position that opposes the ideology of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). But I also have a sense, again with millions of others, of a political ethics that tells me if the Congress had been in the position of single largest party in Karnataka as the BJP is in, and if the BJP and the JD(S) had got together post-poll as the single largest group, and if Governor Vala, citing the single largest party line, had called the Congress to form the government, I would have said exactly the same thing I have said here – in the reverse.

    The lesson of the Karnataka Kanda is this: the parties opposed to the BJP and RSS’s ideology must work together from the word go, and not let the imponderables of post-election decision-making imperil the will of the people.

    (The author is a former Governor of West Bengal)

  • Arbitrary, capricious: on Karnataka mandate

    Arbitrary, capricious: on Karnataka mandate

    The Governor has banked not so much on the count the BJP had, as on what it could engineer

    In summarily ignoring the claim of H.D. Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala abandoned both propriety and common sense, acting in a politically partisan manner unbecoming of his office. Mr. Kumaraswamy was elected leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) Legislature Party and, with the declared support of the Congress, had the backing of a majority in the newly elected Assembly. The leader of the BJP Legislature Party, B.S. Yeddyurappa, offered no demonstrable proof of majority, but was invited to form the government, and given all of 15 days to prove he had the confidence of the House, solely on the basis of being the leader of the single largest party. Far from ushering in a stable government, the Governor unbolted the doors to allow room for the BJP to try to engineer defections. In situations such as these, the Constitution allows an element of discretion to the Governor, but this power was never meant to be used arbitrarily and capriciously. In defense of the Governor’s action, BJP leaders have cited the Bommai judgment, which ruled on the course open for the Governor in the event of a Chief Minister losing majority in the House, but offered no opinion on a post-poll situation, where it said the Governor had to “invite the leader of the party commanding majority in the House or the single largest party/group to form the government.” Nothing in the judgment privileges the single largest party over the largest group when it comes to being given the first shot at forming a government.

    The BJP leaders have now staked out positions that are at odds with those they adopted after the Assembly elections in Manipur and Goa, when the single largest party, the Congress, was denied a chance to form the government. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had a weak defense on this turnaround: the Congress, he claimed, had not staked a claim in those two States. The Congress has taken the fight to the Supreme Court, which has asked the Attorney General to produce the letters written by Mr. Yeddyurappa to the Governor in support of his claim. When the members of the Congress and the JD(S) together constitute a majority in the House, it is unclear what letters Mr. Yeddyurappa could have presented to the Governor. No matter how things turn out from here on, the BJP has emerged as a bad loser. The party played a smart hand in Goa and Manipur to deny the Congress but is unable to accept defeat in Karnataka when beaten at its own game. Politics is not always about reaching for power; sometimes it is also about learning to sit in the Opposition. After all, power is only one of the means of politics, not one of its ends. The BJP may have bested the Congress in Karnataka, but it may not have paid the price for this victory yet.

    (The Hindu)

  • May 18 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    May 18 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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  • Senate Confirms Gina Haspel as First Female director of CIA

    Senate Confirms Gina Haspel as First Female director of CIA

    WASHINGTON(TIP): History was made on May 17   when US Senate confirmed Gina Haspel as the first female director of CIA.

    After a protracted confirmation battle that resurrected a nationwide debate about the agency’s post-9/11 use of enhanced interrogation techniques — thought by many to have constituted torture — Gina Haspel will officially become director of the Central Intelligence Agency. She is the first operations officer in more than five decades – and the first-ever woman – to be named to the role. On Thursday, May 17, the Senate voted, 54-45, to confirm Haspel, one day after the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a 10-5 vote, reported her nomination favorably. Overall, six Democrats voted in support of her candidacy; two Republicans, Sens. Flake and Paul opposed it.

    President Trump nominated Haspel to the post in March, in a tweet, while announcing that her predecessor, former CIA director Mike Pompeo, was being tapped to lead the State Department.

    Much of Haspel’s 30-year career at CIA was spent in the clandestine service and remains classified. Her reported oversight, in 2002, of a secret “black site” in Thailand — where detainees were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding — generated widespread controversy and ardent condemnation from civil rights groups. Her involvement in ordering the destruction, in 2005, of 92 videotapes – some of which documented the interrogations — while serving as chief of staff to then-Director of the clandestine service Jose Rodriguez was also roundly criticized.

    Among those opposed was Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who survived years of torture as a POW in Vietnam, and who, as he undergoes treatment for brain cancer, was not present for the floor vote. Last week McCain issued a powerful statement opposing Haspel’s candidacy, calling her role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans “disturbing.”

  • United Nations Hails Jaipur Foot

    United Nations Hails Jaipur Foot

    NEW YORK (TIP):  India’s longstanding innovation, the Jaipur Foot project, is being hailed as an “excellent” example of South-South cooperation and multi-stake holder collaboration as it has helped over 1.7 million persons with disabilities gain mobility in 34 countries.

    India’s Permanent Mission to the UN along with the Jaipur based Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) organized a panel discussion here Tuesday, May 15, on the Jaipur Foot’s 50-year journey of helping people with disabilities across the world. Following the panel discussion, an exhibition on Jaipur Foot was also inaugurated in the UN Secretariat Building. The exhibition which would be there till May 18 displays the Jaipur Foot making the beneficiaries.

    In India, a longstanding innovation has been the ‘Jaipur Foot’, popularized by Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) and the organization has worked with over 1.7 million persons with disabilities in 34 countries across the world, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at the discussion.

    “The organization has now worked for half a century for this noble cause. While the technology behind such innovations has continued to improve, the ‘Jaipur Foot’ has provided much needed assistance to those who are among the most affected and those who have very limited resources to seek the kind of assistance that is needed by them. They truly are working to ensure no one is left behind,” Akbaruddin said.

    Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul, Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN, said that his country is proud to be associated with the work of Jaipur Foot in Mauritius and in the Indian Ocean Region.

    “In 2014, the Jaipur Foot Project, which represents an excellent template for South-South cooperation and South-North cooperation was launched in Mauritius to service the countries in the region,” he said.

    Koonjul stressed that the Jaipur Foot Project is a fine example of multi-stakeholder partnerships involving governments, civil society and the private sector to realize the Sustainable Development Goals in Mauritius.

    “Besides ensuring the transfer of much needed technology in the field, the project has fostered a strong partnership with local and international organizations and in the development of capacity building programs in education, health, social and economic integration and rehabilitation,” he said.

    Koonjul told the audience at the panel discussion that in the Indian Ocean region, Jaipur Foot Mauritius has provided prosthesis free of cost to 1200 persons. In 2015, a 15-month old boy from Seychelles, Brendon became the youngest beneficiary of the Jaipur Foot.

    “We are proud of the journey covered by Jaipur Foot in Mauritius by giving a much-needed boost to the self-esteem of people and improving the quality of life of the differently abled persons. Jaipur Foot has empowered them to lead an independent and productive life,” he said.

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Vice President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said that in today’s changing global circumstances, India is playing a very crucial and leading role, including in the rehabilitation of the different-abled people.

    “Jaipur Foot has become a symbol of Indian society’s ability to empathize. Indian society definitely provides several avenues for the cultivation of more empathic and sensitivity-oriented initiatives and Jaipur Foot is one of them,” Sahasrabuddhe said.

    He said that it is a “great honor” for India to be taking a lead and initiative and to be seen as a nation that is working for the rescue and rehabilitation of those who are different-abled.

    Founder and Chief Patron of BMVSS Devendra Raj Mehta said Jaipur Foot is the “epitome of frugal” or Gandhian engineering, which involves doing the maximum with the minimum.

     He said that while the Jaipur Foot costs $ 70, a similar western prosthetic costs $ 15,000.

    Mehta said that the BMVSS in association with the ministry of external affairs will hold on the site fitment camps in Vietnam, Myanmar, Iraq, Nepal and Bangladesh in the coming months. These camps will ensure that 5000 persons get mobility and dignity. He said that now a Jaipur hand is being developed in association with a US university

    Prem Bhandari, the chairman of the Jaipur Foot USA, said that the Jaipur Foot USA took the initiative of creating awareness by holding a seminar on disability with the association of India’s permanent mission in the United Nations. He said the Indian Americans are helping in popularizing the low-cost Jaipur Foot in the United States.

    An Indian businessman based in Houston Rajiv Daga and his wife Neeta Daga donated Rs 1.35 crore to the Jaipur Foot. During the seminar in the United Nation, a Nigerian citizen John Mattes, who is a handicap was shown walking on the Jaipur Foot. John was flown at the initiative of the Jaipur foot to Jaipur where he was provided the Jaipur Foot within two days. Now he is able to walk.

  • British Prime Minister May agrees with France, Germany on upholding N-pact with Iran

    British Prime Minister May agrees with France, Germany on upholding N-pact with Iran

    LONDON(TIP): In sharp variance to US position on Iran Nuclear deal, British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed with the leaders of Germany and France on Thursday, May 17 to uphold the Iran nuclear deal after meeting on the sidelines of an EU summit in Bulgaria, May’s spokeswoman said.

    May met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. Trump has since imposed new sanctions.

    “The leaders reiterated their firm commitment to ensuring the deal is upheld, stressing that it is important for our shared security,” the spokeswoman said.

    “They pledged to work with the many parties to the deal to this end. The leaders stressed that Iran must continue to meet its own obligations under the deal.”

    Merkel said EU countries agreed the Iran nuclear deal was “not perfect” but insisted it should be preserved, after the US withdrawal threw the accord into doubt.

    “Everyone in the European Union shares the view that the agreement is not perfect, but that we should remain in this agreement and conduct further negotiations with Iran on the basis of other issues such as the ballistic missile program,” Merkel said as she arrived for the summit.

    Macron said the bloc was working to keep the existing agreement alive “so that our businesses can remain” in Iran. This effort would run alongside work to “pursue negotiations on a vital broader agreement,” Macron said.

    “The 2015 agreement needs to be completed by a nuclear agreement beyond 2025, an agreement on ballistic activities and (Iran’s) regional presence,” Macron said.

    Meanwhile, the European Commission will launch on Friday, May 18 the process of activating a law that bans European companies from complying with US sanctions against Iran and does not recognize any court rulings that enforce American penalties.

    “As the European Commission we have the duty to protect European companies. We now need to act, and this is why we are launching the process to activate the ‘blocking statute’ from 1996. We will do that tomorrow morning at 1030,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.

    “We also decided to allow the European Investment Bank to facilitate European companies’ investment in Iran. The Commission itself will maintain its cooperation will Iran,” Juncker told a news conference after a meeting of EU leaders. (Source: Agencies)

  • Vaisakhi Celebrated at the Indian Consulate, New York

    Vaisakhi Celebrated at the Indian Consulate, New York

    Punjab’s history and rich culture presented in talk, film, music and dance

    Bidisha Roy

    NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): The Consulate General of India New York and The English language weekly newspaper The Indian Panorama teamed up to organize Vaisakhi celebrations at the consulate on May 11.

    The month of Vaisakh in India which corresponds roughly to mid-April to mid-May is full of celebrations in India. it is a harvest period in India which is celebrated widely with a lot of enthusiasm. In some parts of India, it is celebrated as the beginning of a new year.

    For the people of Punjab, and the Sikhs in particular, Vaisakhi holds a very significant and historic importance. Besides being Punjab’s foremost social festival to celebrate good crop, Vaisakhi came to acquire an importance as a historic day when in 1699 the tenth Master of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh created the order of the Khalsa. His followers, 25 million upwards today, are known as Sikhs and are easily distinguishable because of their appearance, the most distinguishable being the turban (the headgear). Sikhism is the youngest and the fifth largest religion in the world.

    Vaisakhi celebration at the Consulate was unique in more than one way. First, the gathering included not only the Sikhs and Punjabis but people hailing from many parts of India and adhering to different religions. Then there was a mix of non-Indians. Also present at the celebrations which lasted almost 2 hours were a few diplomats. A famous Indian classical dance guru Padma Shri Pratap Pawar from London who was in town also graced the occasion on an invitation routed through Malini Shah. Members of management from a number of gurdwaras which included gurdwara Nanak Naam Jahaj in Jersey City, gurdwara Nanak Darbar in Hicksville, and gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana in Richmond Hill participated.

    Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty spoke highly of the Sikh community’s contribution to making India a great nation and congratulated them on their achievements abroad

    Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty, the Consul General of India in New York who began with the Sikh greeting of Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh, described Guru Gobind Singh as a great person who changed the course of history. He praised the Sikhs for their valor and their charitable disposition. Expressing his happiness with the presence of the Sikh community to celebrate Vaisakhi, he said the Consulate’s door were open to all to come and celebrate their festivals. He congratulated Sikhs on their birthday.

    Jakiran Saluja Beri and her son Kabir Raj Beri welcomed Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty with a bouquet

    Ambassador Chakraborty was welcomed with a bouquet presented by Prof. Saluja’s daughter Jaskiran Saluja Beri and her son Kabir Raj Beri.

    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja in his welcome address, described Vaisakhi as the most important festival of Punjab which is also the birthday of the Khalsa, the modern-day Sikhs.

    Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, publisher and editor of The Indian Panorama described Vaisakhi as the most important festival of Punjab which is also the birthday of the Khalsa, the modern-day Sikhs. He called upon the gathering to celebrate the birthday of the Khalsa in a befitting manner.

    Dr. Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh makes a point

    The guest speaker, Dr. Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh, head of the Department of Religious Studies at Colby College, Waterville, a great scholar who has authored dozens of books and contributed hundreds of papers/ articles on religion and Sikhism, mesmerized the gathering with her profound knowledge of the subject and her forceful delivery. She spoke about the values held dear in Sikhism and mentioned that the Sikh Gurus were precursors of modern pluralism.

    Dr. Taruna Chakraborty greeted Dr. Nikky with a bouquet

    Dr. Taruna Chakraborty, the First Lady of Indian Consulate greeted Dr. Nikky with a bouquet.

    Prachi Makkar and Surya Makkar initiated Vaisakhi celebrations with a shabad “Deh Shiva Bar mohe ihe….”

    Prachi Makkar, a brilliant scholar and well known for her melodious shabad kirtan and Mata ki Bheta and her equally gifted brother Surya Makkar recited Mool Mantra and sang the shabad “Deh Shiva bar mohe ihe” which had the gathering spellbound.

    Glimpses of Gatka, Sikh martial art. Members of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Richmond Hill, New York presented a thrilling display of Gatka
    Glimpses of Gatka, Sikh martial art. Members of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Richmond Hill, New York presented a thrilling display of Gatka
    Glimpses of Gatka, Sikh martial art. Members of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Richmond Hill, New York presented a thrilling display of Gatka
    Gatka team with Consul General, guests of honor, and organizers

    Children from Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana gave an electrifying display of the Sikh traditional martial art called Gatka. This warfare involves use of various weapons, including sticks and swords. Going by the comments of the audience, Gatka performance impressed people the most. Mr. Daler Singh who is the senior most member of the Gatka Club also displayed his skill as did the coach

    Another attraction was a documentary on Vaisakhi produced and directed by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja. The 17-minute documentary traced briefly the 5000-year-old history and civilization of Punjab. It described creation of Khalsa and the celebration of Vaisakhi and finally listed the great Punjabis and their contribution in various fields. The documentary received much appreciation.

    On this occasion, Balwant Hothi who made a major contribution to making of the documentary was recognized.

    Soormay gave a scintillating Bhangra performance

    How can a Punjabi celebration be complete without Giddha or Bhangra? So, to cap it all, there was a thrilling Bhangra performance by the famous Bhangra group Soormay.

    One of the paintings Manoj Vyas exhibited

    Manoj Vyas exhibited his paintings on the occasion.

    Sikhs of the Tri-State are contributed hugely to the successful celebrations of Vaisakhi. Royal Indian Banquet and Restaurant (Mr. Himat S Sarpanch, Mr. Raghbir Singh Subhanpur, Mr. Balbir Singh Pahalwan, Mr. Pritam Singh Gilzian); Singh & Singh Distributors (Mr. Jatinder Singh Bakshi), and Richie Rich Palace (Mr. Jarnail Singh Gilzian) sponsored food and drinks. Pleased with the effort of Prof. Indrajit S Saluja in organizing Vaisakhi celebrations at the Consulate, Mr. Hardeep Singh Goldie, President of Akali Dal, New Jersey donated a sum of $1000.00.

    Mr. Himat Singh Sarpanch was recognized for his cooperation in organizing the Vaisakhi festival. Seen from L to R: Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty, Himat Singh Sarpanch, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja

    Mr. Himat Singh Sarpanch was recognized for his cooperation in organizing the Vaisakhi festival.

    Mr. Jatinder Singh Bakshi who lent great support in organizing the event (fourth from left), joined the celebrations with his friends. They are seen here with the Consul General (fifth from left).

    While Mr. Himat Singh Sarpanch, a former President of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah and his colleagues, Master Mohinder Singh ( founder President), Mr. Raghbir Singh Subhanpur (former President) , Mr. Raghbir Singh Babby, President, Mr. Gurmej Singh (former President) Mr. Dilbagh Singh (former Vice President), with Sikh leaders from New York and New Jersey joining them, presented Shawls to the guest speaker Dr. Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh, Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty and Mrs. Taruna Chakraborty, Malini Shah, Community liaison to New York City Council Member Paul Vallone presented on behalf of the Council Member, citations from New York City Council to Dr. Nikky and Ambassador Chakraborty. Malini also presented citations to the classical dance guru from London Padma Shri Pratap Pawar, and Prof. Indrajit S Saluja.

    Malini Shah presenting New York City Council Citation to Prof. Indrajit S Saluja

    In his thank you remarks, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja expressed his gratitude to all present. The Fourth Estate -Media which was present in great strength, earned special appreciation and gratitude of the organizers. Those present included Bidisha Roy from The Indian Panorama, Parveen Chopra from the South Asian Times; Sonia Lalwani, Harvinder Singh and Peter from Parikh Worldwide; freelancer Anjali Sharma, Brahm Kanchibhotla; Renee Mehrra and Ashok Vyas from ITV; Jaya Sharma, Davender Singh and Balwant Hothi from PTC TV; Atma Singh from Car Studio; Jus Punjabi TV, TV Asia, and Global Punjab.

  • Karnataka floor test at 4 pm on May 19th: Supreme Court of India Order

    Karnataka floor test at 4 pm on May 19th: Supreme Court of India Order

    NEW DELHI(TIP): The Supreme Court on May 18thordered that the Yeddyurappa government seek majority on the floor of the House at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19th.

    Earlier, Yeddyurappa had been given 15 days’ time, but then the Congress-JDS leaders challenged the decision.

    BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa placed before the Supreme Court the letters he had sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala in which he had staked claim to form the government in Karnataka.

    The Supreme Court was hearing a petition moved by the Congress-JDS combine challenging the governor’s decision to invite the BJP to form the government.

    Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday, May 17, told a special bench headed by Justice AK Sikri that being the single largest party the BJP had the “mandate of people” of the state who had thrown out the Congress.

    Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Yeddyurappa, told the bench that there was no pre-poll alliance between the Congress and JDS and they had formed an “unholy alliance” after the elections.

    In the May 12 polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 members, while Congress secured 78, the JD(S) 37 and others three.

    (Agencies)

     

  • Himesh Gandhi Formally Claims Sugar Land Council Seat in Texas

    Himesh Gandhi Formally Claims Sugar Land Council Seat in Texas

    HOUSTON(TIP): A well-known Indian American community leader and a politician, Himesh Gandhi, formally won council seat in Sugar Land, Texas on May 5.

    The win is Gandhi’s fourth and final term. He received 100 percent of the 4,353 votes.

    “Thank you to the citizens of Sugar Land for your trust and confidence as I serve my fourth and final term. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve!” Gandhi wrote on Facebook.

    Gandhi was first elected in 2012, when he was 35, the youngest councilman to be elected in a citywide vote.

    He has served on numerous city council committees and was also a member of the task force that spearheaded development of the Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land—an iconic concert and performance hall that opened last year.

    Other successes and projects launched by the city during Gandhi’s previous term include the successful annexations of Greatwood and New Territory, the acquisition of a former prison site for redevelopment, the completion of drainage projects, and the return to normal operations after the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey.

    In 2015, Gandhi was honored by the Houston Business Journal as one of the region’s 40 under 40 young leaders. The Indian Panorama had carried the news then.

    Gandhi earned a B.B.A. from Houston Baptist University and his law degree from the South Texas College of Law Houston. He, his wife Farrah and their son Jaiden live in the Telfair neighborhood.

  • Suspect in fatal shooting at Dickerson Pike liquor store arrested in Texas

    Suspect in fatal shooting at Dickerson Pike liquor store arrested in Texas

    DALLAS (TIP): A man wanted in the killing of a woman outside a Nashville liquor store Friday, May 4, was arrested Tuesday, May 8 in Texas.

    Kevin Newson, 33, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force Tuesday, May 8 afternoon.

    Newson is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Jacqueline Johnson.

    He will be returned to Nashville in coming days, Metro police reported Tuesday night.

    Police said gunfire erupted around 8:45 p.m. Friday after an altercation at Firehouse Discount Liquor on Dickerson Pike near Broadmoor Drive.

    Johnson was hit in the neck and transported to Skyline Medical Center, where she died after surgery, the department said early Saturday.

    At the time, police said the shooting suspect, who they hadn’t immediately identified, was the passenger in a black sedan that fled eastbound on Broadmoor from Dickerson.

    Authorities haven’t said what the altercation was about or given a possible motive in the fatal shooting.

     

  • TechnoQueens win the world championship

    TechnoQueens win the world championship

    JERICHO, NY (TIP): TechnoQueens’ – a Jr. First Lego League team comprised of six young and bright girls from Elementary Schools in Jericho, NY – goes on to win the Top Award in FIRST World Championship held in Detroit, Michigan in the week of April 27th. TechnoQueens represented Long Island in this World Expo with 55+ teams from other participating countries and across the USA. This Rookie team won many hearts with their prominent presentation skills, impressing the judges with their sound research and engaged kids, families of other participating teams with their innovative model design. The team received the most coveted and voted upon ‘Team Choice’ Award, with each of the participating team casting their ballots on key aspects for their favorite team in the Expo. At the end of the first day of the Expo, Top 3 teams were chosen for the top spot and on another round of secret ballot votes – the winner was announced at the Awards Ceremony. Other 2 competing teams were from China and Taiwan. TechnoQueens exhibited all Core values of the program, creativity of their solution, outstanding Lego Model and ‘ShowMe’ team Poster.

    TechnoQueens won the ‘Research & Discovery’ Award for their Learning journey around Project Solution ‘VillAquaTech’ – bringing clean water to ideal and remote Village communities in the world. As part of the People Pipeline Campaign with WaterAid, the girls raised around 3000$ and were able to bring Clean water and Toilets to kids in school in Nicaragua. Helping Community and making an impact to the world, even if it’s small, is a key proud part of TechnoQueens journey in this year’s Aqua Adventure program.

    All this started in September 2017, when the girls started to come together through common friends and families from nearby schools in Jericho and decided to form their own team. Coach, Rohit Bhatia, father of one of the girls put the team together (Ria Bhatia, Amneet Kaur, Aarna Tyagi, Falak Doshi, Risha Bansal and Sahana Patel) and there’s never been looking back since. Girls named their team as they believe Queens rule the world and so do they in this Technological-driven modern world!  The girls put their own team Slogan – ‘Teamwork is Dreamwork’ as they believe doing things together as a team is better than doing things by yourself. Girls designed their own logo and decided to use Pink as their team color – and are very excited to see their Coach wear it proudly.

    The team met at least once a week throughout the year to brainstorm on their project ideas; discussed and voted on the solutions. Each girl would work hands-on learning to program their robot and do different missions and then share with rest of the team. To learn and explore the world of water as part of this year’s Aqua Adventure theme, the girls visited various Water authorities in Long Island to learn about water transportation and, filtration processes. Girls also met various water experts including Water Engineers, Hydrologists, CEO, R&D experts in the field of Water. They also enjoyed presenting their solutions to Schools, local University, Museums and Water Experts.

    Over this journey since last year, TechnoQueens have become best friends, celebrate various festivals, events, Birthday parties together. They take pride in watching out for each other and demonstrate their Core values in their day to day lives.

    It’s of paramount importance in this world to promote our young girls from diverse communities and encourage them to embrace STEM programs and get exposed to science and engineering in their early phases of life. TechnoQueens have embraced the opportunity offered to them and are now looking forward to taking the leap to next level of FIRST Lego League program aimed at kids 10-14 years old. They are eager to learn and are already exploring the world of Space as part of next year’s FLL ‘Into the Orbit’ theme.  Let’s go TechnoQueens – Sky is the Limit!

     

  • Gujarat Day Celebrated

    Gujarat Day Celebrated

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): ​On May 2, the Federation of Indian Association of Tri-State and Gujarati Associations from various states in the U.S. organized an evening to celebrate 58th Gujarat Din at the Consulate General of India in New York.   This was the second year where this group celebrated Gujarat Din at the Consulate General which was attended by more than 175 invited guests, dignitaries and the leaders of community organizations from the tristate area, Philadelphia and Baltimore.   Honorable Consul General of India in New York, Mr. Sandeep Chakraborty was the Guest of Honor for the evening.

    FIA President Srujal Parikh welcomed speech and introduced Consul General Sandeep Chakraborty and felicitated him with a memento of Gujarat.

    In his address, Consul General Chakraborty welcomed and congratulated everyone on Gujarat Sthapana Divas and stated that “it is a proud moment that all organizations from the nearby states are here under one roof which is a biggest achievement and our endeavor should be a model and principles of our Government to be inclusive and you all are the best carriers of this message.  Gujarat inspires our country with richness of its culture, diversity, architectural history and many other areas”.  Furthermore, he urged everyone to be a part of the biggest India Day Parade organized by FIA-Tri-State on August 19, 2018 at Madison Avenue in New York.

    An inspirational written message from Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Vijay Rupani was very well received by the audience.  The Chief Minister congratulated various organizations from Gujarati communities and appreciated to celebrate Gujarat Divas under one roof by these organizations.

    Mr. Yogesh Patel, MLA from Gujarat attended the event as a special guest and addressed the audience by congratulating everyone and described the progress of Gujarat.  Radhika Meganathan, author of “The Gurukul Chronicles” book was launched by the dignitaries including the Consul General.  Ramesh Patel, Chairman of FIA, Dr. Sudhir Parikh from Parikh World-wide media, Pinakin Pathak, Chairman of Ohmkara, Vishnu Patel of Gujarati Samaj of New York, Rupal Shah, Gujarati Samaj of Baltimore, Bhupesh Shah, Gujarati Samaj of Delaware Valley in Philadelphia, Rajeev Desai, Vaishnav Parivar of Connecticut, Smita (Miki) Patel of India Performing Arts Center and Arvind Patel of Rajbhog Foods were among the supporting organizations who addressed the audience and felicitated by the  Consul General Mr. Chakraborty.

    The master of ceremonies Nishi Parikh, member of the Gujarat Sthapana Divas Committee did a marvelous job. Local singers Umesh Patel and Foram Shah sang famous Gujarati songs in their melodious voice which was applauded by all.  Traditional Gujarati folk performances in colorful costumes were wonderfully choreographed by Smita (Miki) Patel of India Performing arts center and Priya of SBU Raas group in New York were among the highlights of the evening.

    Event concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. Tushar Patel, committee member of Gujarat Sthapana Divas who extended his sincere appreciation to all supporters and community organizations for their help and support to make Gujarat Sthapana Divas a huge success.   A delicious and mouth-watering authentic Gujarati food was provided by Arvind Patel of Rajbhog Foods which was enjoyed by all.

    (Based on a Press Release)

  • New York’s attorney general Eric Schneiderman who was pursuing Donald Trump, resigns in the face of a scandal

    New York’s attorney general Eric Schneiderman who was pursuing Donald Trump, resigns in the face of a scandal

    NEW YORK(TIP): New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman abruptly resigned on Monday, May 7 night just hours after the New Yorker published a bombshell report about his personal life alleging he was violent toward four different women. Schneiderman, who did not respond to a request for comment on this story, issued a statement saying he had merely engaged in sexual “role-playing.”

    Schneiderman, who was elected in 2010, had been pursuing Trump on several fronts — his personal business, the special counsel investigation into the 2016 election and on behalf of New York state against actions taken by the Trump administration.

    Trump allies — including his son Donald Trump Jr. and counselor Kellyanne Conway — celebrated the news of Schneiderman’s downfall.

    “Gotcha,” Conway tweeted.

    Schneiderman’s perch in the Empire State gave him jurisdiction over Trump’s company. He first took on Donald Trump in August 2013 when he sued Trump for fraud in conjunction with Trump University, a seminar series that the former attorney general called a “sham.”  Trump agreed to pay a $25 million settlement to students of the program who had brought their own lawsuit, claiming they had been misled with false claims that the costly courses would guarantee success in the real estate business.

    Since Trump took office, Schneiderman has been cooperating with Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia’s role in Trump’s election. That was a threat to Trump because the president could pardon anyone indicted by Mueller but has no pardon power over state charges. In Albany, N.Y., Schneiderman had been pushing to change New York law to close a double-jeopardy loophole that might have prevented him from bringing charges in that situation.

    Along with his work with Mueller, Schneiderman has filed a flurry of lawsuits against the Trump administration. This blitz included suits against each iteration of Trump’s travel ban, the repeal of DACA and rollbacks in emissions standards. Schneiderman’s office filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court in cases involving the travel ban and LGBT discrimination. Other states also joined many of these suits, but Schneiderman often led the coalitions.

    It’s not known if Schneiderman has been conducting its own investigations into Trump’s affairs. His office has not commented.

    With Schneiderman stepping down, the solicitor general, Barbara Underwood, becomes acting attorney general. A new attorney general could be chosen by the state Legislature, with both houses meeting in joint session. Democrats, led by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, have the majority and would be able to pick Schneiderman’s replacement. Multiple sources have told Yahoo News that the leading contenders include New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Kathleen Rice, state Sen. Michael Gianaris and state Sen. Jeffrey Klein. Heastie did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

    On Tuesday, the political buzz centered on James, who is known to be interested in the office and previously worked as an assistant attorney general. As public advocate, a nebulous position, she is New York City’s second-highest elected official and one of the state’s most prominent African-American women in office. A source familiar with the workings of the attorney general’s office predicted James would be a vocal opponent of Trump if she’s tapped for the job.

    “I think she would be aggressive and political in terms of going after Trump,” the source said.

    But any replacement picked by the Legislature will serve out only the remainder of Schneiderman’s term, which ends in December, unless that replacement runs for a full four-year term in November. Party primaries are on Sept. 13.

    A well-connected New York politico said legislators may forego naming a temporary replacement, leaving Underwood in the job and allowing voters to decide who should fill the office. Although there is already political pressure for the Legislature to choose this option, it would deprive legislators of the opportunity to reward a favorite and affect the shape of multiple upcoming races.

    The source familiar with the workings of the attorney general’s office predicted that, if Underwood remains in place, she would continue Schneiderman’s existing work.

    “If it’s Barbara Underwood, she’s like a lawyer’s lawyer,” the source said, noting she has argued before the Supreme Court.

    “I imagine she would continue all the Supreme Court actions, but I don’t know how aggressive she’d be in terms of going after new actions,” the source said.

    As for the election, New York’s statewide races generally lean Democratic, but Republicans are hoping Schneiderman’s woes could give them an opening. Republican Manny Alicandro, a corporate lawyer, launched a campaign shortly before the news broke. With Schneiderman out of the picture, more high-profile GOP candidates could also enter the fray. A Republican victory would be a major boon to Trump. Alicandro has criticized Schneiderman’s attacks on the White House as attention-seeking gamesmanship.

    There are at least two Democratic prospects eyeing that race who aren’t on the Legislature’s shortlist — former gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout and ex-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

    Teachout gained notoriety in the state by mounting a surprisingly successful progressive challenge to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014. In a tweet on Tuesday, Teachout said she is “seriously considering running for Attorney General.” Bharara was fired by Trump last year and has since emerged as a major critic of the White House on Twitter and in a popular podcast.

    If Schneiderman’s successor takes on Trump, that person may have the advantage of putting in a full day at the office. The report detailing the abuse allegations also claimed Schneiderman drank heavily and used prescription drugs. Although all of the insiders who spoke to Yahoo News said they were stunned by the allegations, multiple sources who worked with Schneiderman said he regularly showed up to work several hours late.

    “We just thought he was lazy,” a source said.

    (Source: Yahoo)

  • A Lesson in Wisdom

    A Lesson in Wisdom

    By Rishi Singh

    After a long journey, Sri Ramchandra with his Vanara Sena, reached the southern coast of our vast land and beheld the expanse of water separating them from Sri Lanka. The search for Sita was over; Rama now knew where she was; it only remained to redeem her from Ravana, by peaceful persuasion if possible or by war, if necessary. In line with our tradition of seeking Divine help, before commencing any work, Sri Ram desired to consecrate and offer worship to Shiva. Arrangements were soon completed, except finding a suitable priest to guide the function. Sri Ram thought for a while and then decided on the best person available nearby – Ravana the king of Sri Lanka. Without hesitation he asked Hanuman to fly to Ravana’s palace and request him to conduct the pooja.

    There was considerable shock and dismay among the assembly; to invite an enemy to conduct a pooja, specially meant to conquer and destroy him! Will Ravana accept such a preposterous invitation?

    But Hanuman as a loyal soldier implicitly obeyed the royal command and flew to Sri Lanka to convey the message to Ravana.

    Men and women around him were also deeply shocked, surprised and mystified at this strange invitation from the prince of Ayodhya. Ravana, true to his stature as a great pundit in Vedic literature, true to the tradition that as a Brahman, he should never decline an invitation to organize Divine worship, and true to his intense devotion to Lord Shiva accepted the invitation. He came with Hanuman to Sri Ram’s place, much to the consternation of everyone.

    Soon the king of Sri Lanka made an inspection of all arrangements, and turning to Sri Rama, said, “O prince of Ayodhya, though you have made very satisfactory arrangements, you are not qualified to install the idol of Lord Shiva in the absence of your wife. Our edicts declare that no person, however high, can perform such ceremonies without his consort nearby”.

    The mood of the entire assembly now changed from confusion to curiosity – how would Sri Rama react? The noble prince smiled and calmly replied,

    “We have invited you for the flawless performance of the ceremony. You have pointed out a flaw in tune with your duty as a pundit; I thank you for it. I now invite you to provide a solution, which also forms part of your duty.”

    This exposition of Dharmic postures and privileges between the greatest of kings and the noblest of men, was becoming even a treat for the Gods!

    The king of Sri Lanka was not only a great ruler but also a great scholar. The scholar in him rose to the occasion now and Ravana said, “O Rama, I can and shall provide a solution, since I do not wish to bear the blame for non-performance of Divine worship, but on one condition. I shall arrange to bring Sita here for the pooja, but you should permit her to return to my place after the function”.

    All around, were astounded and speechless at the clash of wit and fantastic words between the two great men and waited with bated breath for Sri Rama’s rejoinder.

    The noblest of men, simply and cheerfully accepted the offer, and the ceremony was completed in all solemnity. As per Indian customs and traditions, after viewing the couple, Ravana said “Let victory be yours!” though he knew well, those words meant his own destruction.

    Here was human values surpassing all constraints of Self. Only one more formality remained, that of honoring the priest. Sri Rama invited Ravana himself to suggest the fees for the function. It was at this moment that the greatest and the most crucial episode of Ramayana unfolded before an unbelieving audience.

    Ravana, the king would not take any fees, not even from Sri Rama, as he was always at the giving, and not the receiving end of fees or favors.

    But again, the Vedic pundit in him came to the fore. He said, “Sri Rama, knowing you very well, the only fees I solicit is that you stand by me when my life departs”.

    And thus it came to pass, that when Ravana lay in his last moments Sri Rama was near him. It only reveals that ultimate comfort for everyone high or low is to have Divinity nearby at the moment of death.

    May old people instruct their family and friends to put a few droplets of Holy Ganga water on their dying lips towards divine salvation.  As legend has it, the Holy Ganga descended from heaven upon prolonged and deep penance of Maharishi Dadhich to revive his ancestors by leading the Holy Ganga over their ashes.

    Lord Shiva had to be prayed for by Maharishi Dadhich to break the fall of Ganga from the heavens as it would wash away the very Earth where it descended.

    Lord Shiva the benevolent then agreed to catch the Holy Ganga in his locks before she flowed down onto land.

    The above has multiple lessons for all of us, few being persistence, perseverance, education, learning, contemplation, mutual respect, duty, wit, honor, morality, divinity.

  • Modi on Jinnah

    Modi on Jinnah

    By Mike Ghouse

    Prime Minister Modi has missed many opportunities to show his goodwill; he is yet to translate his ‘good’ intentions into ‘outcomes.’ The troublemakers from his party have presented him another opportunity to show his mettle and stop them from tearing the society apart. All he has to do is speak up about Jinnah’s picture at Aligarh Muslim University.

    Whether it is good, bad or ugly, we have to have to preserve our history as a reference. Every society has portrayed evil and good simultaneously, and religious scriptures are full of such stories. Not a single religion has wiped the wicked men in their narration.

    Ravan is a part of our story. Should the man who abducted Ma Sita be removed from Ramayana?

    Hitler is one of the evilest men in human history for attempting to annihilate a whole race. How can such a man be a hero to Modi’s organization, the RSS?

    Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi, and Godse’s picture adorns the sacred halls of the parliament; does it mean Modi would have approved Godse to kill Gandhi?

    No, we cannot change or alter history, it is what it is, and we have to live with it.

    The rogues among us, the Indians are continually looking to brew trouble, while the Prime Minister remains silent or tacitly approves the agitation.

    Sometimes I wonder, why didn’t we heed Sanjeev Bhatt? When the Gujarat riots broke out, Mr. Bhatt said, Modi chose to remain silent for three days and hinted to his men to go ahead and do all the damage they can until he is forced to stop it.

    Do you see a pattern here? When Dalit girls were raped and hung on the tree, Modi did not say a word. When Kalburge, Gauri Lankesh, and others were killed in broad daylight, Modi did not say a word.  When Akhlaq was lynched and murdered, Modi did not say a word. The list is quite long, but the pinnacle of his silence came when the six-year-old Asifa and a four-year-old girl were raped, he did not say a word for two days until the entire nation came together to compel him to speak.

    Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, in one of his books Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History clearly explains why raping of Muslim women is justifiable and not to do so when the occasion permits is not virtuous or chivalrous but cowardly. This idea is repulsive to the moderate majority of Hindus, but that is Modi’s indoctrination as a pracharak of the RSS. Is that the reason he chooses to remain silent when rapes tear up the nation?

    If Modi were dumb, I would not complain, but he is not.

    If Modi were deaf, I would not complain, but he hears everything.

    Some of his party members are raising hell over Jinnah’s photo at the Aligarh Muslim University. As head of the most important democracy in the world, his role is to build cohesive societies and not allow destruction and chaos. It will damage India in the long haul.

    All Modi has to do is a tweet or hold a press conference immediately after the incident- and say that he will not tolerate anyone messing with law and order, even if it were his ministers. If this man has good intentions, it is time to prove it.  He should try this method at least five times and see how quickly things will stop from spreading.

    No Indian should live in fear of the other; it is not good for the county, we should not be spending our time battling out on what you wear, eat, drink or believe. We should be spending time on how to save farmers, create jobs so fellow Indians can have three healthy meals.

    India’s prosperity is partially driven by foreign direct investment and trade.  If Modi does not control and puts a stop to harassment, lynching, rapes and chaotic situations, India may face what apartheid South Africa faced once. There is no incentive for the investors to feel safe with their investments in India. Modi’s friends will run away with money; the average Indian will lose.

    If Modi does not reign on these, he will sink India. https://www.theindianpanorama.news/featured/modi-will-sink-india-if-he-does-not-rein-in-the-rapists/

    There are many Indians who have left India and gone on to become Citizens of other nations.  Let’s say if America and India are at odds, the American Indians will stand with the US, they have to prove their loyalty to America and will go against India.  Should India strip all the civilian awards given to them because they are with the enemy now? I say no, what was done with good intentions should remain intact.

    Jinnah was a part of our independence movement, together, we got the freedom. As Indians, we generally disagree with the partition, and Muslim Indians in particular, feel betrayed. That is a part of our history, and we have to live with it.

    As a civilized nation, we cannot remove Jinnah’s picture. Jinnah is part of India’s history and will remain one. Will Modi speak up and put an end to the chaos or does it help him to play dirty and stay silent?

    A few good videos:

    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R-uF_T0sgw&feature=share
    2. https://www.facebook.com/NationalMirror1/videos/2009302016002489/

    (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).

  • Weekly Horoscope May 14 – May 20, 2018

    Weekly Horoscope May 14 – May 20, 2018

    By Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla
    Contact: +91 8141234275
    Aries: Ganesha says you rod the crest of achievements and glory and now your attention shifts to the needs of the family. Children will bring happiness and parents, in-laws, extended family, siblings call for your time. You also retreat from the cares of the world into your private shell. It could be a farm house, country home or even a quiet corner of seclusion. But you need to get away and be by yourself. You need to think things over as they have all been moving as fast as a Hollywood thriller.

    Taurus: You make big purchases and fill your office and home with works of art. You feel like doing up your place tastefully and that costs money which you don’t mind spending. You have new perspectives to life and are faced with a string of possibilities. You have many options and worry which to choose from; this is, of course, a good problem to have. Exert caution against overindulgence and try to maintain a sense of proportion, and balance.

    Gemini: You need to make strong decisions and steer the boat in the right direction. You are energized and enthused to steer full steam direction. You achieve a lot and are single-minded and focused. The results are spectacular. You win applause and grow in several ways. There will also be happy times with friends and family. You should, once again, watch your temperament closely. Try not to slip into your dark moods.

    Cancer: There is substantial growth in the last period. You have reached a point in your life and in your career where what you say is of consequence and you are listened to with care. Your innovative schemes and ideas win many admirers and you also make money. There are meetings, collaborations and all types of expenses too. You spend time with the family and there may be minor hospital expenses. But, once again, luck is on your side and all is well that ends well.

    Leo: This is a formidable phase in which you push ahead hard and true. You are all fired up to make inroads and are greeted with success in all your activities. You spend on luxuries like there was no tomorrow; home and wardrobe renovation take a lot of your time. You also make sensible investments and may buy property. There is money to be made on the markets too. It will be in your interest if you can guard against overindulgence in this period.

    Virgo: The bull – run in your life continues. There are new associations and, possibly, steaming sex. It may not last but will be well worth it while it does. You spend large sums on the object of your affections and, for a while at least, lose all balance and sense of direction. You throw caution to the winds and immerse yourself in your pet indulgence. Money and emotions remain in sharp focus this period and you also move up the ladder of success and fame.

    Libra: There are many possibilities now, but it also depends on how you tweak them. This period is full of hope and promise. There may be an end to your struggles and mental confusion or they will just increase and blow up in your face. It depends on you in many and be healthy and more productive or get into needless emotional and psychic dilemmas and drown in their turbid waters.

    Scorpio: Luckily, you are brought back to the real world just in time. Several domestic and work pressures mount and you are pressed to solve them and sort out your affairs. You will have to deal with finance, settlements and legal matters. You have the necessary negotiating skills, but all this is a waste of time and a detour from what you really want to do which is to ideate. There are expenses and pressures of all types and you are pushed to find answers.

    Sagittarius: You continue on the practical plank and settle down to working hard. There are a lot of finer details that need your attention both at home and at work and there is no time for fanciful thinking. There are appraisals at work and several key decisions to be taken if self-employed. This is a valuable time and you can’t squander it. Monies will have to be looked into, children’s schooling, parents’ and spouse’s medical issues and several such matters hog your time and attention.

    Capricorn: You will be relating better to people and will be making several long-term plans. There are indications of travel, and conferences, gathering and conventions to attend. All this will go a long way in bolstering your career. You meet up with associates and party. There is the danger of spiraling expenses and some ill-health too. You may get into arguments, altercations and unnecessary disagreements and could lose your temper and say things you would be better off not saying.

    Aquarius: In many ways, this can be a beautiful period. There will be better health, better prospects and better income, and you will cool off and not enter unnecessary argumentation. There is a lot of entertainment on your plate including a dash or romance. You are in love with love and so any person or thing that suits the mood will become the object of your affections. You will pass through moments of heightened emotions and this can be very beautiful if you dare to share it with someone close.

    Pisces: You decide to take the family out and have some truly wonderful moments. If intellectually inclined, you do exceptionally well. There will be several visitors and some even from overseas. So, a lot of your time will be spend socializing and travelling to tourist spots. Creative pursuits will be highlighted. It is a happy period with no particular accomplishment or achievement but nothing, also, to complain about.

     

     

     

  • 2018 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF)

    2018 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF)

    By Mabel Pais

    “NYIFF is known around the world for its top-notch, out-of-the-box programming, and this year is no different.

    The New York audience is sophisticated, well-traveled, educated and discerning; as such, our content reflects what we think will resonate with the cinephiles of this cosmopolitan city and will keep them coming back for more.” –  Aroon Shivdasani, Founder-Executive & Artistic Director, IAAC.
    “We had to make some tough choices but I’m thrilled with our selections representing new independent Indian and South Asian cinema, as well works from the South Asian Diaspora”  –  Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Director

    About NYIFF

    The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premiere of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the Independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Six days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremony, special events, nightly networking parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain & educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City.

    For further information, visit www.iaac.us/NYIFF2018/index.htm

    About IAAC

    The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) is a not-for-profit, secular service and resource arts organization charged with the mission of promoting and building the awareness, creation, production, exhibition, publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art forms in North America. The IAAC supports all artistic disciplines in the classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India.  IAAC works cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden their collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding.

    Its focus is to work with artists and arts organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists and arts organizations from India to exhibit, perform and produce their works here.

    For further information, visit  www.iaac.us

     About Qube Cinema,Inc.
    Qube Cinema, Inc., a provider of end-to-end digital cinema technology and solutions, is the distribution partner for the festival.  The company draws on decades of experience in cinema and provides a seamless digital environment for exhibitors, filmmakers and post-production companies with DCI compliant products that are flexible, reliable and cost-effective.

    For further information, visit www.qubecinema.com

    About Qube Wire

    Filmmakers increasingly rely on Qube Wire for secure and reliable movie content delivery to the festival.

    To sign up for Qube Wire service, visit www.qubewire.com

     The longest-running, most prestigious South Asian Film Festival in North America,NYIFF, kicked off on May 7 at the Village East Cinemas in the lower east side of Manhattan at 181-189, 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003.

    The Festival continues until May 12 at the location.

    The Festival boasts 78 shorts, documentaries and feature filmsscreened over the period of 6 days.

    Festival Highlights:

    The opening night red carpet took place on Monday, May 7th from 6 pm to 7 p.m. outside the Village East Cinemas, preceding the U.S. premiere of Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi language film NUDE(with English subtitles).

    Opening night movie, Nude

    The closing night red carpet will take place from 5-6 p.m., May 12, once again outside the Village East Cinemas, preceding the New York premiere of veteran NYIFF director Hansal Mehta’s biopic on Islamic fundamentalist Omar Saeed Sheikh, OMERTA, at 6 p.m.

    Closing night movie, Omerta

    The centerpiece slot was occupied by Miransha Naik’s Konkani language film JUZE(with English subtitles), making its North American premiere at NYIFF on May 10.

    Centerpiece, Juze

    The entire festival schedule comprising of 78 films in 11 languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Bengali & Assamese), is available on the festival’s website.  The programming boasts four world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres, one U.S. premiere and 11 New York premieres from four South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka), as well as North America and the United Kingdom.

    NYIFF 2018 paid tribute to two Indian film industry icons who passed away in the last four months: Hollywood/Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor and the India’s first female superstar Sridevi. Kapoor’s tribute comprised of two masterpieces Academy Award winner James Ivory’s: SHAKESPEARE WALLAHand HEAT AND DUST. The festival also screened AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PRINCESS, starring New York author and chef Madhur Jaffrey, as part of its Merchant-Ivory Retrospective. To honor Sridevi’s memory, NYIFF showcased the actress’ 2012 return to Bollywood in ENGLISH VINGLISH, shot primarily in New York City.

    Heat And Dust
    Photos / Courtesy NYIFF
    English Vinglish
    Photos / Courtesy NYIFF
    Additional highlights at the festival included:

    Discovering the Film and Television Market in India Panel Discussion

    Shooting films in New York State Panel Discussion

    The Inclusion Rider’s Role in Diversifying Hollywood Panel Discussion

    Networking events and nightly parties

    The NYIFF 2018 winners will be announced at the awards night ceremony on May 12 from a list of nominated films for

    Best Film:

    BALEKEMPA

    JUZE

    LIGHT IN THE ROOM

    NUDE

    TAKE OFF

    Best Director:

    Atanu Ghosh (MAYURAKSHI)

    Ere Gowda (BALEKEMPA)

    Rahul Nair (LIGHT IN THE ROOM)

    Chezhian Ra (TO-LET)

    Nishil Sheth (BHASMASUR)

    Best Screenplay:

    CHUMBAK

    CRD

    HER, HIM, THE OTHER

    THE HUNGRY

    JUZE

    Best Actress:

    Sushama Deshpande (AJJI)

    Vinitha Koshy (LIGHT IN THE ROOM)

    Kalyani Mulay (NUDE)

    Parvathy (TAKE OFF)

    Bindu Raxidi (PADDAYI)

    Best Child Actor:

    Mittal Chouhan (BHASMASUR)

    Kapil Garo (ISHU)

    Chandra Kiran GK (SUMMER OF MIRACLES)

    Ali Halji (NOBLEMEN)

    Rushikesh Naik (JUZE)

    Best Short:

    AL-WAR

    HUMMINGBIRD

    MAACHER JHOL (The Fish Curry)

    JAAN JIGAR

    MANDI (The Market)

    Best Documentary:

    ABU

    BIRD OF DUSK

    CHILDREN PLAYING GOD

    LIMITLESS

    NAKED WHEELS

    On a par with the procedures of the Oscars and Golden Globes, the jurors send their decisions directly to KPMG, who bring the envelopes for the winning films and filmmakers to the awards ceremony on May 12, immediately following the closing night film.

    (Mabel Pais writes on the Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health and Wellness, and Spirituality)

     

  • Can the BJP wrest Karnataka from the Congress?

    Can the BJP wrest Karnataka from the Congress?

    “Yes”, says Muralidhar Rao; Rajeev Gowda says “No”; For Sandeep Shastri, “It’s Complicated”

    Yes | Muralidhar Rao

    The JD(S) and the Congress are two faces of the same coin. The BJP will win with a majority

    Yes, we will definitely wrest power from the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s preparation, both organizationally and politically, points to a victory for the party. We can also sense that the mood of the people in Karnataka has changed. People have problems, which the State government has failed to address. Whether it is in the agricultural sector, infrastructure, or urban management, mismanagement has become a major issue. People have been agitating for quite some time and their disillusionment with the ruling Congress is complete. The BJP leadership has worked hard to mobilize public opinion against the ruling party. The BJP will continue to do what it has been doing in the rest of the country, which is to fight against the Congress.

    Issues in Karnataka

    As far as the issues in the campaign are concerned, in the last two years, the farm sector has been in the grip of an acute crisis and the government has been unable to address and arrest the problem of farmers’ suicides. Close to 3,800 farmers have committed suicide in the last five years. The government has been insensitive to the issue. Even before the elections, we organized a special campaign for farmers, collected grains from them, and pledged to put an end to the crisis.

    Look at Bengaluru. It has become a city of crime. It is full of potholes. It faced floods. Even the Lokayukta, P. Vishwanath Shetty, is not safe in his office and the attack on him demonstrated how law and order has deteriorated in the State. Corruption, scams and scandals have added to people’s restlessness with the ruling party. The attitude of the State government to terror groups, particularly in coastal areas, is appalling. More than 24 activists have been killed by extremists. Not a single case has been pursued; arrests have not been made. The Congress’s silence on the Popular Front of India, which should have been banned a long time ago, appears to indicate that the PFI enjoys protection from the government.

    We have been accused of associating ourselves with the Bellary brothers. This has been completely misrepresented. Janardhana Reddy, who has been named in the FIR, has not been given a ticket and we have not used him in the campaign. His brother is a sitting MLA. There is no case against him. Also, don’t you think Chief Minister Siddaramaiah could have taken action against the two brothers? Why didn’t he?

    The BJP’s promises

    I think the promises made in our manifesto will persuade people to vote for us. In the farming sector, we have spelt out the issues we are going to pursue. For instance, to address the debt crisis, we have declared a ₹1 lakh loan waiver for farmers rom nationalized banks and co-operative banks.

    Bengaluru is a hub for translating the global ambitions of India. Instead, we now see the city being associated with crime and corruption. On the welfare front, we have conceptualized many programs for the people of Karnataka: free education for all students in government colleges, for BPL families, smartphones for women. We are working on a growth-centric plan and that’s our promise to the people of Karnataka. We will get more than 150 seats. I have no doubt that a massive majority will come to the BJP. The Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress are two faces of the same coin. Both are pursuing vote-bank politics and are family-driven parties. We will win on the promise of development alone.

    (Muralidhar Rao is a national general secretary of the BJP)

    (As told to Anuradha Raman)

     NO | Rajeev Gowda

    The voters prefer a stable government that has ensured inclusive growth

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi belatedly descended on Karnataka in a desperate attempt to revive the BJP’s collapsing campaign. Unfortunately for him, the ground reality will demonstrate that Karnataka is not Gujarat. Mr. Siddaramaiah’s inclusive welfare programs have ensured that voters remain steadfastly with the Congress.

    Achievements of the Congress

    Hunger will soon be history due to the Anna Bhagya scheme. Mathru Poorna is transforming the health of women, during and after pregnancy, while ensuring healthier children. Indira canteens help the urban poor access a nutritious meal at low cost. Dairy farmers received higher prices and children get milk in schools. Farmers gained from a loan waiver, subsidized rental equipment, and farm ponds. An integrated e-market increased farmer’s income by 38% in 2015-16, according to a Niti Aayog report.

    Karnataka leads India in investment intentions and follow through. The youth flock to Bengaluru, India’s start-up capital. A quarter of jobs created in India were in Karnataka, as reported in April 2016. Mainstays like IT and biotechnology crossed revenues of $50 billion. With an average GSDP growth of 8% over five years, people will be happy to stay with a government that works.

    Nightmare years of the BJP

    Voters have not forgotten the five nightmare years, which were marked by incompetence and instability, when the BJP ran Karnataka. Three Chief Ministers took turns to defend corruption on a scale that shamed the State. B.S. Yeddyurappa led his Cabinet colleagues, the Reddy brothers, Katta Jagadish, Krishnaiah Setty, Harta Halappa, etc. to jail. Mr. Modi’s rhetoric and flood of falsehoods cannot cover up that sorry track record, especially when the same crew is back helming the BJP’s election campaign.

    A track record in abetting instability is also true for the JD(S). Widely regarded as untrustworthy, it is now confined to the Old Mysore region. It will garner at least 10 seats less than its 40 in 2013. However, it has kept the BJP from gaining a foothold in Old Mysore. The BJP’s absence in Old Mysore means that in 10 of Karnataka’s 30 districts, it is likely to win only a handful of seats. Its old Hindutva laboratory, the coast, rejected it in 2013, and will do so again, turned off by polarization. The BJP won nearly half of Bengaluru Urban last time but will do worse now. It is in closely fought Mumbai-Karnataka and Central Karnataka that the BJP is hoping to gain seats. While it may be aided here by the Karnataka Janata Paksha and the Badavara Shramikara Raithara Congress coming back to the BJP fold, the chemistry has gone all awry owing to competing factions. In Hyderabad-Karnataka, it is counting on the eight seats given to the Reddy family to help it, but the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and the fact that the United Progressive Alliance granted 371(J) status to this region will ensure that the Congress stays ahead. Dalit anger at the BJP’s injustice nationwide is reflecting across Karnataka. In contrast, Mr. Siddaramaiah has allocated budgets in proportion to the population percentage of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

    Opinion polls show that Mr. Siddaramaiah remains the number one choice for Chief Minister. According to polls, voters consider the BJP to be the most corrupt party. A section of the Lingayats is expected to quietly vote for the party that responded to their aspirations. The Supreme Court awarding a larger share of Cauvery water to Karnataka has marked Mr. Siddaramaiah as a champion of the State’s interests. He has also highlighted Kannada pride. A stable government which has delivered to all sections and ensured inclusive growth is what the voters prefer. On May 15, the Congress will be back with a bang, setting the trend for 2019.

    (Rajeev Gowda is a Congress MP and chairman of the AICC’s research department)

     It’s Complicated | Sandeep Shastri

    In several constituencies, the BJP, JD(S) and the Congress are engaged in a three-way fight

    The Karnataka electoral contest seems to be heading for a photo finish and is fascinatingly complex and suspense-filled.

    Contradictory trends

    For the last three decades, Karnataka has never given a clear majority to the ruling party. This should make it easier to make predictions. The BJP could argue that it is the natural alternative to the Congress. Yet politics often defies logic. Karnataka was also witness to another trend during the same period: it has almost always gone against the national trend during Assembly elections. Karnataka seems set to negate one of these two trends, but the question is which one.

    The BJP is convinced that it will wrest Karnataka from the Congress and make a grand entry in the south on the strength of what it will term as an anti-incumbency vote. Even if one were to assume that there is anti-incumbency, the BJP does not become the natural beneficiary of that. Opinion polls have pointed to the split of the anti-Congress vote between the BJP and the JD(S). The BJP is also heavily banking on its star campaigner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to help it. The dependence of the party on the Prime Minister was evident in the last-minute increase in the number of rallies that Mr. Modi was scheduled to address. Yet, the impact of his campaign is still a matter of debate.

    This is the first major test of Mr. Modi’s capacity to sway an electorate in a State Assembly poll south of the Vindhyas. But can the faction-ridden State unit of the BJP and an increasingly sidelined chief ministerial candidate take the possible momentum generated by the Prime Minister’s whirlwind campaign to the ground and translate that into votes? More importantly, has the BJP pitched its campaign on appropriate and relevant State-level issues and has its chief ministerial candidate inspired the electorate to favor the party?

    The ruling Congress has its visible strengths but could well have peaked too early and lost the momentum in the crucial final week of the campaign. In the run-up to the campaign, it was clearly setting the agenda, pushing the BJP on the defensive. In its Chief Minister, the party found a campaigner who could bring together the diverse elements within the party to take on the opposition with a conscious focus on the local. Yet, there are factors that could halt this movement. The responsibility of defending the State government has virtually been left to the Chief Minister, with other Ministers busy managing their own small constituencies and contributing very little to the State-wide campaign.

    The JD(S) question

    Further, the unhappiness of the electorate with the track record of the State government on the key issues of tackling price rise, generating employment, and controlling corruption is visible. A key strategy of the Congress to win over the Lingayats by recommending them a minority religion status appears to have backfired.

    The presence of the JD(S) as a key player in select regions has converted the electoral battle in several constituencies into a three-way fight. By carving out for itself a segment of the anti-Congress vote, the JD(S) is surely eating into the BJP vote. Yet, the same could be said about the anti-BJP vote, which, especially in communally sensitive areas, could be split between the JD (S) and the Congress. The JD(S)’s efforts to be king-maker has led to a debate on whether Karnataka is once again heading for an Assembly with no party securing a clear majority.

    (Sandeep Shastri is a political scientist and the national coordinator of the Lokniti network)

    (Source: The Hindu)

     

     

  • It’s not about the nuclear deal

    It’s not about the nuclear deal

    The U.S. won’t ease the terms of sanctions on Iran, as the goal is regime change in Tehran

    By Chinmaya R. Gharekhan
    “The impact on India will be severe. The price of crude is already close to $80. Energy imports from Iran will become difficult and expensive. Fuel prices will go up. The Reserve Bank of India might have to increase interest rates to contain inflation and step in to check the fall in the rupee’s value. All this might have a direct bearing on politics, given the fact that the government was the beneficiary of low crude price for the first four years but may have to face consequences of inflation and attendant factors in its fifth”, says the author.

    If — and that’s a big if — the leaders of the U.S., China, South Korea and North Korea succeed in concluding a deal on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula as well as on a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War, they would be front runners for the Nobel Peace Prize. That deal could appropriately be called a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if it lays down a detailed blueprint for denuclearization, with provisions of intrusive inspections. The only thing that could stand in their way is Iran.

    There should be little doubt that U.S. President Donald Trump’s real, but of necessity undeclared, objective in withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal is a regime change in Tehran. This goal is even more ardently desired by Israel and Saudi Arabia. Ever since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made particularly provocative statements about Israel, Israelis of all political persuasions have wanted to get rid of the regime in Iran. The Saudis have openly called for cutting off the head of the (Iranian) snake. Thus, three important and powerful states have a congruence of interests seldom seen in recent times.

    Iranian discontent

    There have been frequent and persistent reports in the Western media for several months about large-scale demonstrations and protests by Iranian people against the regime. Living conditions are difficult. Iran did not get the goodies that it expected after signing the JCPOA. Inflation is high. The Iranian rial is trading at 75,000 to the dollar. People are angry with the government. According to the well-researched work Democracy in Iran: Why It Failed and How It Might Succeed by American academic Misagh Parsa, disaffection among the people has manifested itself in several forms. Hundreds of mosques do not have imams and the attendance at Friday prayers has dwindled dramatically. Some are converting to Christianity and, according to Professor Parsa, even to the Baha’i faith, which is the largest non-Muslim community in Iran. Professor Parsa states that there is massive corruption as well as economic inequality in Iran. All in all, he suggests that it is quite likely that there might be a revolutionary upsurge, though he is careful not to indicate any timeline for it.

    A different calculation

    It is this discontent that Mr. Trump might be counting on tapping. His calculation seems to be that the reimposition of severe sanctions would render life very difficult, almost unbearable, for the populace who might, in the absence of other avenues, take to the streets, as they did in 1979 to overthrow the Shah’s regime which too, like the present one, had strong military and oppressive secret services such as the Savak but which could not defeat public anger, frustration and rage. For these reasons, Mr. Trump is unlikely to listen to voices of reason or to appeals from his Western allies. He is equally not likely to grant exemptions from sanctions to any country engaging in any form of trade and other transactions with Iran. His administration will follow strict interpretation of the guidelines regarding the sanctions regime.

    Iranian restraint

    Iran has shown restraint, forsaking knee-jerk reaction. It did not declare that the deal was dead, as it might well have done. It did not announce immediate resumption of uranium enrichment, which it emphasized will be at the industrial level. It has so far not called off International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. Iran will consult with the other signatories to the JCPOA for several weeks before taking any further action. This shows the maturity of Iranian diplomacy. It remains to be seen how long France and others will stick to their position of continuing to adhere to the deal; they will eventually have to fall in line in some way with the Americans, if not for political then for economic considerations. For Mr. Trump, the Republicans are fully with him and the Democrats will be too eventually.

    Will Iran live up to the American calculation? For the present, Mr. Trump’s decision has strengthened the hardliners. President Hassan Rouhani, regarded as a moderate, has no option but to take a defiant stance. The Iranian people, proud as they are of their heritage, will stand behind their regime. But there may come a time when their hardships reach a stage when they might feel compelled to take to the streets.

    In the meanwhile, Iran will even more vigorously support the Bashar al-Assad regime in Damascus, in which it will be joined by Russia and Hezbollah, which has done very well in the parliamentary elections in Lebanon this month. The Houthi rebels in Yemen will feel more emboldened to take on the Saudi-led coalition; of course, the Yemeni people will continue to suffer, as will the Syrian people, for years to come. Iran will more directly intervene in Iraq and render the possibility of progress in the non-existent peace effort in Afghanistan even more difficult.

    If the regime in Tehran does not collapse, the Washington-Jerusalem-Riyadh axis might look for an alternative course of action, not excluding military. In that case, the Nobel Peace Prize will elude Mr. Trump.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established special relationship with Israel and its present Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also made efforts to forge intimate relations with the U.S. With both India has the upper hand, since it is they who want to sell expensive military hardware to India. Under the circumstances, India has made a well-drafted two-sentence statement on the Trump decision. The first strikes a balance between Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as also the international community’s concern to ensure that its nuclear program remains strictly peaceful. The second sentence contains implicit disapproval of the American decision and warns, again implicitly, against any strong military action. For India, the question will also be: can it rely on the U.S. to honor even its written word embodied in international agreements? Mr. Trump wants to annul every single achievement of his predecessor — Obamacare, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Paris Agreement, and now JCPOA. India will have to remain vigilant in dealing with this administration; it would not be prudent to assume that it is a special case.

    Fallout for India

    The impact on India will be severe. The price of crude is already close to $80. Energy imports from Iran will become difficult and expensive. Fuel prices will go up. The Reserve Bank of India might have to increase interest rates to contain inflation and step in to check the fall in the rupee’s value. All this might have a direct bearing on politics, given the fact that the government was the beneficiary of low crude price for the first four years but may have to face consequences of inflation and attendant factors in its fifth.

    (The author is a former Indian Ambassador to the United Nations, was Special Envoy for West Asia in the Manmohan Singh government)

  • Trump’s Iran walk-back: Double whammy for India after CATSA

    Trump’s Iran walk-back: Double whammy for India after CATSA

    Just when Indian diplomats were figuring out how to mitigate the impact of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CATSA) on its arms and oil trade with Russia, South Block has another reason to burn the midnight oil. US President Donald Trump’s intention to exit the Iran deal, and reimpose sanctions if Tehran declines to renegotiate, could send India’s plans for the region in smoke. The sanctions will pretty much cover all areas of interest to India vis-a-vis Iran: petroleum, ports, shipping and banking. The bright side is that except for Saudi Arabia and Israel, pretty much the rest of the world has not taken kindly to Trump’s attempt to redefine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to cover “responsible” behavior by Iran both externally and domestically.

    The world can be grateful that Tehran doesn’t have an impetuous leader like Trump. Javed Zarif, Iran’s chief negotiator for the deal, has resolved to diplomatically lobby with the other parties to the agreement. Yet, Trump’s explanation that Iran could emulate North Korea by negotiating denuclearization will find few takers for it is widely realized that Tehran would have to be suicidal if it were to show signs of weakness. On the contrary, the US may have lost North Korea’s trust by going back on the Iran deal just as it lost Palestinian support after Trump announced the shifting of the US embassy to East Jerusalem.

    India needs to work with countries with a shared interest in the JCPOA to ensure that Trump’s exit from the Iran deal does not harm its investments and plans for the region. India and other countries on the same page must also engage with Iran to discourage it from retaliatory malign behavior that may further muddy the waters. PM Modi will get the opportunity to discuss the issue with like-minded leaders when he meets them for two multilateral summits later this year. The problem for India is it has no company like the Chinese Sinopec which has no business interests with a US company and can thus escape sanctions. India will first have to make common cause with countries in the same Iranian boat.

    (Tribune, India)

  • May 11 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    May 11 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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  • Trump: Will meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore

    Trump: Will meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore

    Meeting with Trump will be positive for Koreas, says Kim Jong- un

    WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump today, May 10, announced that he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore for a historic meeting to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

    Trump’s announcement came hours after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo returned home from North Korea with three detained Americans.

    Trump, who personally greeted the trio at the Andrews Air Force Base, praised Kim for their release ahead of their summit.

    “The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!,” Trump tweeted.

    Trump has struck a cautiously optimistic tone in discussing the prospects of reaching a deal during his upcoming summit with Kim, saying he is hopeful a historic agreement can be brokered while also warning the talks could prove unfruitful.

    But the President saw the release of the three Americans as yet another reason for optimism as he prepares for the summit. “We are starting off on a new footing-I really think we have a very good chance of doing something very meaningful. A lot of very good things have happened,” Trump said as he greeted the three former prisoners.

    The Americans-Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk, also known as Tony Kim-were freed yesterday by North Korea while Pompeo was on a visit to Pyongyang to finalize the details of the Trump-Kim summit.

    The summit, which has been in the works since Trump accepted Kim’s invitation to meet in March, will be the first ever meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader.

    US officials had also considered holding the summit at the Korean demilitarized zone or in Mongolia, but ultimately settled on the city-state of Singapore as the location.

    Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un has said that the meeting with Trump will be positive towards easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang state media reported on Thursday, May 10.

    Kim made the remark to visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, May 9 the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

    During the meeting with Pompeo, Kim described the planned summit as “historic” and “the excellent first step towards promotion of the positive situation development in the Korean peninsula and building of a good future”.

    This was Pompeo’s second visit to the Asian country after his secret trip over Easter, when he also met with Kim, to finalize preparations for the summit, reports Efe news.

    “At the meeting, an in-depth discussion was made on the practical matters for holding the North Korea-US summit and its procedure and ways. Kim Jong-un reached a satisfactory consensus on the issues discussed with the US state secretary,” Yonhap News Agency quoted KCNA as saying.

    This is the first time that the North Korean leader officially spoke of the meeting with Trump, which has been scheduled for the end of May or the beginning of June and will be the first meeting in history between the heads of government of the two countries.

    KCNA said Kim also “accepted an official suggestion of the US President for the release of Americans who have been detained” and gave an order “on granting amnesty to them for their repatriation”.

    The three Americans–Kim Dong-chul, 64, Kim Sang-duk, 58, and Kim Hak-song, around 60–who had been held prisoners in North Korea, were all born in South Korea but later acquired the US citizenship.

    Pompeo also delivered Kim a “verbal message” from Trump, adding Kim highly appreciated that the US President had shown “deep interest in settling the issue through dialogue”.

    Details of Trump’s message were not disclosed.

    The North’s media covered Wednesday’s meeting extensively.

    The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, devoted the front page to the Kim-Pompeo meeting, with relevant photos, including those showing the two shaking hands.

    (Source: PTI / IANS)

     

  • Ritzy Glitzy New York Indian Film Festival kicks off, with celebrities in attendance

    Ritzy Glitzy New York Indian Film Festival kicks off, with celebrities in attendance

    Mabel Pais/ Bidisha Roy

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): The longest-running, most prestigious South Asian Film Festival in North America, NYIFF, kicked off on May 7 at the Village East Cinemas in the lower east side of Manhattan at 181-189, 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003.

    The Festival boasts 78 shorts, documentaries and feature films screened over the period of 6 days.

    The Festival continues until May 12 at the location.