The Indian Panorama

Month: July 2018

  • Prime Minister Imran Khan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan

    Can he mature fast enough for the requirements of his new office or will he need guidance?

    By S. Akbar Zaidi

    “Mr. Khan, till now the vitriolic candidate and opposition leader, will have to mature to be a more sobering influence on government and on his many first-time, overly enthusiastic Ministers who are inexperienced in governance, much like himself. Probably the considerable influence of the military and the judiciary on him will go a long way in helping this. Or, perhaps, the current Mrs. Khan’s visions will now guide his and the country’s future”,says the author.

    While Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were fairly confident that they would emerge as the largest party in July 25 elections, they could not have imagined that they would make such a strong showing, resulting in Mr. Khan becoming Pakistan’s next Prime Minister. Even some academics, supposedly looking at empirical data, got it very wrong. Although all the results have been neither verified nor notified, and many seats will have to be given up since many contenders, including Mr. Khan who had been leading in all his five constituencies, contested and won from more than one seat, no one is going to dare stand in the way of his greatest, crowning moment.

    In many cases, the victory margins of the PTI are huge and impressive. The party has even made considerable inroads into former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif’s fortress of the Punjab, coming a near second. It will probably form government there as well, with many of the Independents and breakaway members. Many key members of the PML(N), including former national and provincial ministers, have been defeated, including in the party’s core constituencies such as Lahore and Faisalabad. The PTI is the first party to be re-elected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, increasing its seats. Perhaps the biggest shock has been the rout of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in its perceived stronghold, Karachi, where again the PTI has made significant gains.

    The establishment’s man

    There are a number of reasons why the PTI has won. Some of these are part of Pakistan’s perpetual political economy and are more standard, and there is one possible explanation which is particularly bizarre. It has been clear for many months now that Pakistan’s military establishment, with support from the superior judiciary, did not under any circumstances want Mr. Sharif’s party to win. This establishment went out of its way to ensure that he was disqualified and imprisoned, and that many of his former allies and comrades either joined the PTI or contested as Independents. In southern Punjab, several of Mr. Sharif’s allies abandoned him en masse. Furthermore, the MQM in Karachi was broken up into many groups. There was much prepoll rigging by the military. Independent commentary in the media was controlled and censored and many journalists and media houses were threatened and shut down. Open discussion and those dissenting were threatened in unprecedented ways, reminiscent of Pakistan’s many martial laws.

    Despite being the military’s favorite representative, Mr. Khan must also be given credit for a forceful campaign. He could not have won without believing that he would. He traversed the country, speaking at multiple events on the same day in different cities. While the leaders of other parties did the same, he was more visible on electronic media and had a huge presence on social media. He was also told that it was important to have winnable candidates and advised to take many dubious candidates into his party who were considered electable. Pakistan’s demography — with a large proportion of young and first-time voters, called ‘youthias’, supporting the PTI — is also likely to have worked in Mr. Khan’s favor this time more than in 2013, given a considerably mauled PML(N).

    Another explanation?

    There is yet another reason being given for why Mr. Khan won so convincingly. Many months ago, a married woman and a mother of five, Bushra Riaz Wattoo, had a dream. A resident of Pakpattan in the Punjab, Ms. Wattoo was considered to be a pirni (female spiritual guide). She was believed to have been a ‘modern’ woman once who then turned to Sufism. She told her husband that Prophet Muhammad appeared in her dream one day and asked her to get married to Mr. Khan. This would not only remove all the hurdles in Mr. Khan’s way to become Prime Minister but would also eventually usher in a golden era for Pakistan, she said. It was reported in different newspapers at the beginning of this year that Ms. Wattoo met and told Mr. Khan that he would become Prime Minister only if he got married before January 5. It was later disclosed that having divorced her husband, she married Mr. Khan on or around January 1 this year, and by all accounts her prophecy has come through.

    Mr. Khan has shown himself to be abusive, derogatory, misogynistic, arrogant and dictatorial, all within a few weeks. He has said that feminism degrades motherhood and that liberals ‘seek blood’ and are the most dangerous constituency in Pakistan. At the same time, he has been soft on the Taliban. During his campaign, he stated that he would have a nationalist, anti-U.S. and anti-India foreign policy. He is a born-again Muslim now with a Tasbeeh (rosary) in his hands, a conservative Muslim nationalist who believes in neoliberal economic policies. Since his party has not won a complete majority, he will have to be conciliatory and show a far more inclusive attitude towards other groups in Parliament than he has during his vile campaign.

    On the day after the elections, seven losing parties called the elections rigged. One senior leader called them “the dirtiest polls in the history of Pakistan”, and the PML(N) rejected the results outright. An all-party conference to discuss the results as well as the next step has been called for Friday. It is possible that the opposition parties may have learnt from the tactics of Mr. Khan in the previous Parliament. First, he did not accept the results, and as the enfant terrible, made much of the claim that the 2013 elections were completely rigged. He took his case to the streets in his famous dharna of 2014, and to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The ECP found almost no rigging during the 2013 elections, and he had to reluctantly accept the results.

    In Naya Pakistan

    The elections might be over — sordid, controversial and rigged as they have been. It is also very clear that Imran Khan is Pakistan’s next Prime Minister. Whether his wife’s prophecy of Pakistan entering a golden era will come true or not in Naya Pakistan will depend, to start with, on how the Prime Minister-designate handles the immediate expected backlash from the political parties which have lost. Mr. Khan, till now the vitriolic candidate and opposition leader, will have to mature to be a more sobering influence on government and on his many first-time, overly enthusiastic Ministers who are inexperienced in governance, much like himself. Probably the considerable influence of the military and the judiciary on him will go a long way in helping this. Or, perhaps, the current Mrs. Khan’s visions will now guide his and the country’s future.

    (The author is a political economist based in Karachi. He teaches at Columbia University in New York, and at the IBA in Karachi)

  • Prime Minister Imran Khan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan

    Can he mature fast enough for the requirements of his new office or will he need guidance?

    By S. Akbar Zaidi
    “Mr. Khan, till now the vitriolic candidate and opposition leader, will have to mature to be a more sobering influence on government and on his many first-time, overly enthusiastic Ministers who are inexperienced in governance, much like himself. Probably the considerable influence of the military and the judiciary on him will go a long way in helping this. Or, perhaps, the current Mrs. Khan’s visions will now guide his and the country’s future”,says the author.

    While Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were fairly confident that they would emerge as the largest party in July 25 elections, they could not have imagined that they would make such a strong showing, resulting in Mr. Khan becoming Pakistan’s next Prime Minister. Even some academics, supposedly looking at empirical data, got it very wrong. Although all the results have been neither verified nor notified, and many seats will have to be given up since many contenders, including Mr. Khan who had been leading in all his five constituencies, contested and won from more than one seat, no one is going to dare stand in the way of his greatest, crowning moment.

    In many cases, the victory margins of the PTI are huge and impressive. The party has even made considerable inroads into former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif’s fortress of the Punjab, coming a near second. It will probably form government there as well, with many of the Independents and breakaway members. Many key members of the PML(N), including former national and provincial ministers, have been defeated, including in the party’s core constituencies such as Lahore and Faisalabad. The PTI is the first party to be re-elected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, increasing its seats. Perhaps the biggest shock has been the rout of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in its perceived stronghold, Karachi, where again the PTI has made significant gains.

    The establishment’s man

    There are a number of reasons why the PTI has won. Some of these are part of Pakistan’s perpetual political economy and are more standard, and there is one possible explanation which is particularly bizarre. It has been clear for many months now that Pakistan’s military establishment, with support from the superior judiciary, did not under any circumstances want Mr. Sharif’s party to win. This establishment went out of its way to ensure that he was disqualified and imprisoned, and that many of his former allies and comrades either joined the PTI or contested as Independents. In southern Punjab, several of Mr. Sharif’s allies abandoned him en masse. Furthermore, the MQM in Karachi was broken up into many groups. There was much prepoll rigging by the military. Independent commentary in the media was controlled and censored and many journalists and media houses were threatened and shut down. Open discussion and those dissenting were threatened in unprecedented ways, reminiscent of Pakistan’s many martial laws.

    Despite being the military’s favorite representative, Mr. Khan must also be given credit for a forceful campaign. He could not have won without believing that he would. He traversed the country, speaking at multiple events on the same day in different cities. While the leaders of other parties did the same, he was more visible on electronic media and had a huge presence on social media. He was also told that it was important to have winnable candidates and advised to take many dubious candidates into his party who were considered electable. Pakistan’s demography — with a large proportion of young and first-time voters, called ‘youthias’, supporting the PTI — is also likely to have worked in Mr. Khan’s favor this time more than in 2013, given a considerably mauled PML(N).

    Another explanation?

    There is yet another reason being given for why Mr. Khan won so convincingly. Many months ago, a married woman and a mother of five, Bushra Riaz Wattoo, had a dream. A resident of Pakpattan in the Punjab, Ms. Wattoo was considered to be a pirni (female spiritual guide). She was believed to have been a ‘modern’ woman once who then turned to Sufism. She told her husband that Prophet Muhammad appeared in her dream one day and asked her to get married to Mr. Khan. This would not only remove all the hurdles in Mr. Khan’s way to become Prime Minister but would also eventually usher in a golden era for Pakistan, she said. It was reported in different newspapers at the beginning of this year that Ms. Wattoo met and told Mr. Khan that he would become Prime Minister only if he got married before January 5. It was later disclosed that having divorced her husband, she married Mr. Khan on or around January 1 this year, and by all accounts her prophecy has come through.

    Mr. Khan has shown himself to be abusive, derogatory, misogynistic, arrogant and dictatorial, all within a few weeks. He has said that feminism degrades motherhood and that liberals ‘seek blood’ and are the most dangerous constituency in Pakistan. At the same time, he has been soft on the Taliban. During his campaign, he stated that he would have a nationalist, anti-U.S. and anti-India foreign policy. He is a born-again Muslim now with a Tasbeeh (rosary) in his hands, a conservative Muslim nationalist who believes in neoliberal economic policies. Since his party has not won a complete majority, he will have to be conciliatory and show a far more inclusive attitude towards other groups in Parliament than he has during his vile campaign.

    On the day after the elections, seven losing parties called the elections rigged. One senior leader called them “the dirtiest polls in the history of Pakistan”, and the PML(N) rejected the results outright. An all-party conference to discuss the results as well as the next step has been called for Friday. It is possible that the opposition parties may have learnt from the tactics of Mr. Khan in the previous Parliament. First, he did not accept the results, and as the enfant terrible, made much of the claim that the 2013 elections were completely rigged. He took his case to the streets in his famous dharna of 2014, and to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The ECP found almost no rigging during the 2013 elections, and he had to reluctantly accept the results.

    In Naya Pakistan

    The elections might be over — sordid, controversial and rigged as they have been. It is also very clear that Imran Khan is Pakistan’s next Prime Minister. Whether his wife’s prophecy of Pakistan entering a golden era will come true or not in Naya Pakistan will depend, to start with, on how the Prime Minister-designate handles the immediate expected backlash from the political parties which have lost. Mr. Khan, till now the vitriolic candidate and opposition leader, will have to mature to be a more sobering influence on government and on his many first-time, overly enthusiastic Ministers who are inexperienced in governance, much like himself. Probably the considerable influence of the military and the judiciary on him will go a long way in helping this. Or, perhaps, the current Mrs. Khan’s visions will now guide his and the country’s future.

    (The author is a political economist based in Karachi. He teaches at Columbia University in New York, and at the IBA in Karachi)

     

  • Trump’s performance could help Republicans win the mid-term election

    Trump’s performance could help Republicans win the mid-term election

    By Ven Parameswaran
    “If the U.S. economy grew @ 4%, this will make a big headline not only in the USA but the entire world.  U.S. economy is the engine that drives the global economy. President Trump, of course, will take full credit.  He would argue that his economic policies have started finally working for the benefit of America and the world.  Trump’s massive historic tax cuts, deregulations, America first and better terms of trade, and running a lean government are having the positive impact on the economy.”

    The government will release the 2nd quarter GDP on Friday, July 27th.  According to the Conference Board, Federal Reserve and the IMF, the GDP growth for the second quarter will be between 4 and 5 per cent. For my analysis, let me take the lowest and the most conservative figure of 4%.  If the U.S. economy grew @ 4%, this will make a big headline not only in the USA but the entire world.  U.S. economy is the engine that drives the global economy.

    President Trump, of course, will take full credit for the robust economy.  He would argue that his economic policies have started finally working for the benefit of America and the world.  Trump’s massive historic tax cuts, deregulations, America first and better terms of trade, and running a lean government are having the positive impact on the economy.

    It is true that the unemployment hit 3.8% in June.  Unemployment amongst the Blacks, Latinos and Women is also the lowest recorded.  Wages have been rising.  The frustrated unemployed who stopped looking for jobs are back now, and the unemployment went up to 4% in July.  Corporate earnings are going up substantially, thanks to the tax cut. Profits accumulated abroad have started coming back because of the tax incentives.  The DOW Jone’s average is up 38% since Trump’s election.

    TRUMP’S NEW WORLD ORDER

    Trump has challenged foreign countries without discrimination.  He has been tough on our closest allies – Canada, U.K., France, South Korea, and Germany.  He has questioned the effectiveness of NATO without strong defense.  He has admonished our allies and members of the NATO for not paying their share of 2% of their GDP.  He was even critical of Germany depending on Russia for importing $600 billion of gas yearly.  He said that Germany as our ally should be buying gas from us.   I must point out that ever since NATO was created in 1949, it has not been able to defend one inch of European territory encroached by the Soviet Union or Russia.  If the Europe had invested in strong defense, the NATO could have been a real tiger, not a paper tiger as now.

    SYRIA:  Trump used the military force twice to punish Syria, whereas Obama failed.   Trump can take credit for defeating the ISIS.  We do not see any more horrible pictures of Americans being killed and hung publicly.

    ISRAEL: Israel was created in 1948.  Trump is the first President to make Jerusalem its capital.  The majority of the UN General Assembly voted against and the fake media warned of crisis.  Trump’s courageous action stands, and Israel is more secure.

    NORTH KOREA:  Trump is the first President to have a summit meeting with the North Korean leader in Singapore.  Trump claims that the denuclearization process has started and could end within a year.  What a change?

    RUSSIA: Trump claims that his summit with Putin has contributed to better relations.  The relationship was almost frozen during Obama’s time.

    PAKISTAN: Trump is the first President to punish Pakistan for encouraging terrorism in Afghanistan.  Pakistan has behaved and for the first time, there is relative peace in Afghanistan.  Trump has also demanded that Pakistan to rid of all terrorists from Pakistan.  Trump is the first President to withdraw military aid to Pakistan.

    INTERNATIONAL TRADE:  Trump has started a revolution in international trade.  He campaigned against all trade pacts including NAFTA, LAFTA, and others.  He believes in America First.  He has been a tough negotiator and if the economy is the mirror, once could say his policy is working.  Today, the visiting Head of the European Union and Trump agreed to the goal of zero tariff.

    MIDTERM ELECTIONS: WHO WILL WIN?

    Trump is the most unpredictable in the world.  All the so-called pundits, mass media, pollsters, politicians all have failed so far. I hate to predict.  But, I can predict they will continue to predict and they will be again proven wrong.  This, however, does not disallow me from making some calculated speculations.  The elites and the coastal States are not going to decide the elections.  Once again, the Middle America and the South will decide.

    Senator Sanders of Vermont, who was stopped by Hillary Clinton, is now emerging as the leader of the Democrats and also attracting Independents.  The party has been going from the left to the left.  The defeat of the old horse, Congressman Crowley in NY, who was in line to become the Speaker, by a newcomer, a Socialist has given a wakeup call to the establishment.  This means, Nancy Pelosi and her old leadership, aging over 70 are dead horses.  Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Corker of NJ cannot compete with Sanders and Socialism.  The transformation in the Democratic party has weakened the establishment and it has no place.   We saw the Democrats got elected in Pennsylvania supporting Trump policies. The Independents are looking for the best choice.  THERE IS AN OLD SAYING, THE POCKET BOOK WILL DECIDE THE ELECTION.  If so, the pocket book is the common denominator of winning ticket.  Trump wins.

    Targeting Trump for 24/7 by the mass media and the anti Trumpsters will not help them.  Everybody knew Trump was a playboy and it is not news. Hillary Clinton tried the dirty politics, but Trump blasted her in the debates.  Therefore, no tapes or videos are going to kill the ROBUST ECONOMY. Trump’s popularity, even before the release of 2nd quarter GDP is 48%, higher than that of Obama’s or Bush’s at the same period.  When Trump was elected it was 37%.    But for the fake media, his popularity could have been 65%.  In addition to the Robust Economy and the New World Order, Trump will be credited for nominating two judges to the Supreme Court.  I am confident that Trump’s second nominee for the Court will be approved before the midterm election.  90% of the Republicans approve Trump as of now.  The GOP is most likely to add a couple of more senators and the House will be 50:50, meaning the GOP could end with a narrow lead of one!

    Mueller investigation is a hoax as there is absolutely no evidence of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign.  Professor Allan Dershowitz reputed legal scholar and attorney has written a book on AGAINST IMPEACHING TRUMP and has concluded that Mueller may have no choice but to write a narrative report.

    QUESTIONS DIFFICULT TO ANSWER:

    1. How did Trump give leadership to the U.S. economy?
    2. How Trump, despite challenging all leaders of the world, came out victorious in creating a NEW WORLD ORDER.
    3. What is Trump’s mantra or magic?

     

    (The author, Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee founded in 1988 came to the USA 64 years ago and lives in Scarsdale, New York. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)

     

     

     

     

     

  • Indian Lawmakers Modern Day Princes

    Indian Lawmakers Modern Day Princes

    By Prof. I.S. Saluja

    I was going through a report on the security cover provided in India to thousands of designated VIPs and hundreds of thousands of lesser privileged people. One shudders to imagine the cost of providing security, and more than that, the dangerous consequences of the VIP culture for the country.

    It also reminds me of the princely living of Indian lawmakers. Imagine the cost per MP or MLA who is provided free housing, free travel (not only for himself but for the family and the staff), free transportation, free phones, and, on top, free security.

    I look at the lawmakers here in the US and in neighboring Canada and wonder why India which takes pride in adopting everything Western – economy, technology, fashion- can’t think of adopting the simple wage structure for lawmakers in the US and Canada.

    In 1998, I was visiting Canada for the first time at the invitation of Hon Gurbax Singh Malhi, then a Member of Canadian Parliament (he later became a federal minister). I was surprised to find that that he was not provided a free house, or a chauffeur driven car. There was no security guard. I learnt, members of parliament got salary; and a room and secretarial assistance in the Parliament House only, not at their residence.

    But look at our Indian princes whose number at the time of India’s partition may have been a couple of hundreds in around 500 princely states, has grown to a couple of thousands in the parliament (545 in Lok Sabha & 245 in Rajya Sabha); and in 29 legislative assemblies (the total will be roughly around 5000).

    A report published in The Hindu in March 2016 said government paid 2.7 lakh per month for a member of parliament. Travel and some other freebies are not included. And recently there have been upward revisions in salaries and allowances. I will leave it to readers to calculate the total financial burden on the people of India.

    If you feel concerned at this unjust self-aggrandizement by Indian lawmakers, share this note, for the sake of India and Indians.

     

  • 2 Indians held in Washington State for staying illegally: Officials

    2 Indians held in Washington State for staying illegally: Officials

    WASHINGTON(TIP): US border patrol agents have arrested two Indian nationals on charges of illegally staying in the country, the law enforcement agency said on Wednesday, July 25.

    The two persons, arrested over the weekend, are now being processed for removal, the agency said in a media release.

    The US Border Patrol said they encountered the Indian nationals during a routine immigration check operations of all passengers at a bus terminal in Spokane, Washington.

    Agents spoke with one individual who presented an expired B-2 tourist visa issued more than a year ago. They took the man into custody due to his expired visa, the release stated.

    The B-2 visa is issued for short visits to the US for vacation or medical treatment.

    Agents determined the other individual illegally crossed into the US from Mexico in May 2011. Investigation revealed he was also in possession of a fraudulent social security card.

    Both individuals were processed for removal and transported to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma to await their immigration hearing.

    “The use of fake documents, while commonly used, is often difficult to detect due to the limited amount of interaction that our agents have with the public while conducting enforcement operations at the transportation facility,” patrol agent in-charge Zach Crosson said.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Indian-Origin Pennsylvania Physician Madhu Aggarwal Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud

    Indian-Origin Pennsylvania Physician Madhu Aggarwal Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud

    NEW YORK(TIP): Indian-origin Pennsylvania physician Madhu Aggarwal has pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully distributing controlled substances and healthcare fraud, US Attorney Scott Brady said.

    Ms Aggarwal, who practiced at a clinic in Pennsylvania, and others conspired together to create and submit unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances such as buprenorphine and then unlawfully dispensed those substances to other persons.

    Ms Aggarwal is also charged with healthcare fraud for allegedly causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to federal insurance program. Medicare for payments to cover the costs of the unlawfully prescribed buprenorphine.

    Mr Schwab scheduled the sentencing for November, when she will face a sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of USD 500,000 for the controlled substances offenses.

    Ms Madhu Aggarwal faces an additional maximum imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of USD 250,000 for the healthcare fraud charge.

  • Indian-Origin People Sentenced in Massive US Call Centre Scam

    Indian-Origin People Sentenced in Massive US Call Centre Scam

    NEW YORK(TIP): Indian-origin people have been sentenced for up to 20 years in prison in the United States for their involvement in a multimillion-dollar India-based call center scam which defrauded thousands of US citizens of hundreds of millions of dollars.

    The prison sentences for the 21 people convicted this week ranges from 4 to 20 years. “The stiff sentences imposed represent the culmination of the first-ever large scale, multi-jurisdiction prosecution targeting the India call center scam industry,” US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

    Several of the convicted will be deported to India after the completion of their sentence.

    This case represents one of the most significant victories to date in our continuing efforts to combat elder fraud and the victimization of the most vulnerable members of the US public.

    “The transnational criminal ring of fraudsters and money launderers who conspired to bilk older Americans, legal immigrants and many others out of their life savings through their lies, threats and financial schemes must recognize that all resources at the Department’s disposal will be deployed to shut down these tele fraud schemes, put those responsible in jail, and bring a measure of justice to the victims,” Mr Sessions said.

    According to US officials, the call center scam defrauded thousands of US residents of hundreds of millions of dollars.

    Prosecutors said the Indian call centers used various telephone fraud schemes to defraud mainly vulnerable Americans, including the elderly and legal immigrants.

    According to various admissions made in connection with the guilty pleas, between 2012 and 2016, the defendants and their conspirators perpetrated a complex fraud and money laundering scheme in which individuals from call centers located in Ahmedabad frequently impersonated officials from the Internal Revenue Service or US Citizenship and Immigration Services in a ruse designed to defraud victims located throughout America.

    Using information obtained from data brokers and other sources, call center operators targeted US victims who were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines or deportation if they did not pay the alleged money owed to the government.

    Victims who agreed to pay the scammers were instructed how to make a payment, including by purchasing stored value cards or wiring money.

    Once the payment was done, the call centers turned to a network of runners based in the US to liquidate and launder the extorted funds as quickly as possible by purchasing reloadable cards or retrieving wire transfers, the Justice Department said.

    In a typical scenario, call centers directed runners to purchase these stored value reloadable cards and transmit the unique card number to India-based co-conspirators who registered the cards using the misappropriated personal identifying information of the US citizens.

    The India-based co-conspirators then loaded these cards with scam funds obtained from the victims.

    The runners used the stored value cards to purchase money orders that they deposited into the bank account of another person.

    The indictment for the case also charged 32 India-based conspirators and five India-based call centers with general conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. These defendants have not yet been arraigned.

    Earlier, three other Indians were sentenced for their involvement in the same fraud and money laundering scheme.

  • Indian American World Bank Economist drowns at Bali Beach

    Indian American World Bank Economist drowns at Bali Beach

    JAKARTA(TIP): Indian-origin 37-year-old, Aakansha Pande, senior economist working with the World Bank drowned after strong currents pulled her away while she was swimming in a restricted area at a beach in Bali, the Indonesian media reported.

    The beach lifeguard tried to save the lady who resided in Singapore and took her to Siloam Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival, the media reported.

    Ms Pande, a US citizen, was Senior Health Economist at the World Bank where she focused on countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

    She died after being swept away by strong waves while swimming in the evening at the beach in front of Double Six Hotel in Seminyak, Bali on June 21, the report said.

    Quoting lifeguard officials, it said before the incident, Ms Pande had been warned twice by the beach lifeguard as she was swimming in an area where swimming was banned due to strong currents.

    “We have put (no swimming signs) in the area. But she kept swimming,” the official was quoted as saying.

    Earlier, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had warned that high waves would hit Bali.

  • Indian-Origin City Council Member gets a Proposal by a Special Speaker

    Indian-Origin City Council Member gets a Proposal by a Special Speaker

    WASHINGTON(TIP): A City Council meeting turned out to be a memorable one after the Indian-origin Charlotte council member was proposed to by a special speaker.

    Mr Vaibhav Bajaj was asked to address at the end of City Council meeting. While addressing, he asked council member Dimple Ajmera to marry him, and then walked behind the dais, stood on one knee and gave her a ring, media report said.

    In a council vote marked by 10 abstentions, Ms Ajmera singlehandedly passed the motion.

    She later wrote on Twitter: “Any objections colleagues with this motion? Because Vaibhav Bajaj believes in bipartisan agreement. On a serious note, I’m grateful for a life partner who is family oriented, loving and compassionate.”

    Ms Ajmera came to the US from India when she was in high school, knowing little English. She graduated from the University of Southern California and moved to Charlotte eight years ago to take a financial services job with TIAA. She previously worked as a CPA in Los Angeles.

    She was appointed to the District 5 seat in January 2017. She was elected to a City Council at-large seat in November.

     

  • UK Based Indian Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Set to Combat Fake News

    UK Based Indian Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Set to Combat Fake News

    LONDON (TIP):  UK based entrepreneur Lyric Jain, a Cambridge University engineering student originally from Mysore, developed the start-up that uses a machine-learning algorithm to sift fact from fiction is set to combat fake news around the world, including plans for a project specifically targeted at India.

    The platform, which is currently going through technology trials with partners and advisors, will have its full public launch in September for the UK and the US, and hit India by October.

    The aim is for the service to work as a news aggregator as well as an indicator of factual accuracy.

    “The Logically platform gathers the biggest news stories from over 70,000 domains and determines the credibility of the claims across each article. It does this by using a machine learning algorithm that is designed to detect logical fallacy, political bias, and incorrect statistics,” the 21-year-old techie explains.

    “By illuminating the quality of information across these articles, logically provides users with a transparent and insightful view that allows them to determine how trustworthy the news they read really is,” he said.

    With a growing number of cases of fake news being exchanged over the WhatsApp messaging service in India, his start-up is exploring ways for artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately assess the validity of information faster than any human can.

    India has over 200 million WhatsApp users and with the system being encrypted, it becomes extremely difficult for law enforcement to intervene and stop fake stories from spreading.

    “Because of the highly emotive nature of these stories, people are quick to react. This means the time it takes to disprove compelling fake news stories is often too long to prevent action being taken,” Mr Jain said.

    “We are still exploring options such as an instant verification chatbot on WhatsApp and will announce our plans by the end of the year,” he said.

    Logically has a board of advisers made up of alumni from both Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and Cambridge University in the UK and has raised 1 million pounds in funding. It employs 38 people across the UK, India and the US and is planning to almost double that figure.

    Mr Jain believes there is an urgent need for greater education around the issue of fake news and misinformation being spread, largely via online networks.

    “The technology we are developing will equip people with the tools they need in order to navigate a complex and confusing information landscape better than before, but governments still need to do a better job educating people on the real dangers of interacting with misinformation,” he said.

    His platform, which combines AI and human intelligence as well as complex analytics, is planned as a first-of-its-kind “intelligent news feed” that he believes may prove to be the future of journalism.

  • Radio hosts call New Jersey’s Sikh Attorney ‘turban man’; face backlash

    Radio hosts call New Jersey’s Sikh Attorney ‘turban man’; face backlash

    NEW YORK(TIP): America’s first Sikh-American Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has been racially targeted by two radio hosts who repeatedly called him the “turban man” on air, drawing severe criticism from politicians and netizens over their “xenophobic and racist” comments.

    Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco, who host the “Dennis and Judi Show” on the radio show NJ 101.5FM, were talking about Grewal’s decision to suspend marijuana prosecutions in New Jersey when they began calling him the “turban man”.

    “You know the attorney general guy? I’m never going to know his name, I’m just gonna say the guy with the turban,” Malloy said.

    “Turban man!” Franco repeated in a sing-song tone. “If it offends you, then don’t wear the turban, man, and I’ll remember your name,” Malloy said, as both the hosts laughed.

    “But Turban Man — is that highly offensive?” “To me? No. To people who wear turbans, could be,” said Franco.

    “Could be. But if you called me Baseball Hat Man and I was in a culture where no one wears baseball hats, should I be offended?” Malloy said.

    “Uh, no. I would say no,” Franco replied.

    “So, anyway. The attorney general — Turban Man — says he’s not going to prosecute pot things until September,” Malloy said, laughing during the conversation.

    Grewal, 44, however, retorted sharply and said he is the 61st Attorney General of New Jersey.

    “I’m a Sikh American. I have 3 daughters. And yesterday, I told them to turn off the radio,” he tweeted.

    “This is not the first indignity I’ve faced, and it probably won’t be the last. Sometimes, I endure it alone.  Yesterday, all of New Jersey heard it. It’s time to end small-minded intolerance,” Grewal tweeted from his personal twitter account.

    He also posted a link to an address he gave in May at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies   conference, where he talked about issues of hate and intolerance.

    In his speech, he had said that comments targeting him on social media have been “stomach-turning” as he shared with the audience that he has been called racist words like “towel-head” and “terrorist”.

    He recalled the day he was nominated to become the 61st Attorney General of New Jersey, a commentator had asked where will Grewal “park” his “elephant.”

    New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who had appointed Grewal to his post, strongly condemned the language of the radio hosts, demanding action by the station.

    “Outraged by the abhorrent and xenophobic comments mocking @NewJerseyOAG on The @DennisandJudi Show on @nj1015. Hate speech has no place in NJ and does not belong on our airwaves. Station management must hold the hosts accountable for these intolerant and racist comments,” Murphy tweeted.

    The radio station later tweeted that it is aware of the “offensive comments” made by Malloy and Franco during the broadcast.

    “We have taken immediate action and have taken them off the air until further notice.  We are investigating the matter and will have further comment shortly,” it said in the tweet.

    Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, also a Sikh-American who wears the turban, tweeted, “Hey “Racist Man” @DennisandJudi : I’m a Jersey guy, born & raised, and so is NewJerseyOAG Grewal – this type of racist garbage has no place in Jersey. Get with the program! #RacistManDennis #jerseypride #educateyourself.”

    Bhalla also thanked Murphy for “standing up and speaking out” in support of Grewal.

    Grewal, who was previously Bergen County Prosecutor, became the nation’s first Sikh state attorney general after the state Senate approved his nomination this year. Grewal is born to Indian immigrant parents in Jersey City and was raised in the state’s Hudson and Bergen counties.

    The clip quickly garnered attention on Twitter and civil rights advocacy group ACLU of New Jersey tweeted a link with an audio pronunciation of Grewal’s name, saying “Turban man? Is that offensive?’ Yep. (If you have to ask…). Racism isn’t cute. It’s just racist.”       Twitter users too slammed the racist remarks saying there is no place for such language. Amardeep Singh, ACLU NJ Board Member and co-founder of rights group Sikh Coalition tweeted “let’s go after the advertisers of the show as well.”

    City of Hoboken’s Deputy Chief of Staff Jason Freeman tweeted that racism has no place in the “New Jersey that we live in.”

    “No person should ever be judged by their Turban, Kippah, Cross, Hijab, or anything else that represents their faith. @DennisandJudi needs a lesson in the kind of NJ that we all want to live in,” he added.

    (Source:  PTI)

  • Facebook loses $123 billion in value in a single day

    Facebook loses $123 billion in value in a single day

    NEW YORK(TIP): In possibly the biggest one-day drop of all time, Facebook shares, on July 26, opened at $174.89, down 19.6 percent compared to yesterday’s closing price of $217.50 (NASDAQ: FB).

    When it comes to market capitalization, Facebook was worth $629.6 billion yesterday. The company is now worth $506.2. In other words, Facebook has lost $123.4 billion in value overnight.

    Today’s performance isn’t due to yet another data misuse or election interfering scandal. The company has reported disappointing earnings. For the first time, Facebook’s growth is stalling.

    There are barely more people checking Facebook every day compared to previous quarter. Even worse, Facebook’s user base shrank in Europe. Facebook is still growing, but it’s clear that GDPR combined with a saturated market aren’t helping the company.

    That’s why Facebook is trying to change the narrative. For the first time, the company shared a new “family of apps audience” metric. There are 2.5 billion people using at least one of the company’s app — Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.

    It’s clear that Facebook thinks Instagram and ephemeral stories represent the future of the company. But this is going to be a question mark in the coming months as it’s unclear if Instagram can generate as much money as Facebook’s main app.

    Most people have been focused on Facebook’s losses for now. It’s a staggering event. But it’s now time to look at Facebook’s business model and understand what’s happening.

    Facebook is an incredible success story. It became a massive business in just a few years. But the company has a dangerous business model. Thousands of employees are looking for ways to collect more data. Business teams can then sell expensive ads because they’re perfectly targeted.

    And the best way to optimize those efficient ads is by making addictive products. If you spend more time looking at stories, you’re going to be exposed to more ads.

    That’s why Facebook optimizes for engagement. You get outraged, you become sad, you like and you share. And Facebook makes money.

    This year is a turning point for Facebook. People will look back at this moment as an inflection point in the company’s trajectory. But it’s still unclear if Facebook has the answer to its structural issues.

    (Source: Queens Daily News Ticker)

  • H-1B issue to figure in ‘2+2’ talks, says India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

    H-1B issue to figure in ‘2+2’ talks, says India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

    NEW DELHI(TIP):  Replying to queries in the Rajya Sabha, on July 26, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said: “I would like to state that so far there is no significant change with regard to H-1B Visas. Changes have taken place, but no significant changes are there so far”.

    However, the “danger” (of change in rules) persisted and there are concerns over the tightening of the visa regime in the US following President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” policy which India will effectively raise at the ‘2 plus 2’ dialogue on September 6.

    In fact, the number of H-1B visas had gone up from over 1.08 lakh in 2014 to 1.29 lakh visas now. As many as 1,08,817 H-1B visas were issued in 2014 and 1,19,952 in the following year, she said.

    Though as per Congress’ Anand Sharma there was “42 per cent increase in the proportion of H-1B petitions denied for Indian professionals from the third to the fourth quarter of the financial year 2017”.

    “Yesterday, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) has released the report. I will share it with the minister,” he added. However, as per Swaraj, it was not a government report and that her figures came from the government records.

    India, she said, had already taken up the issue with the US on relevant platforms and would further discuss it at the inaugural ‘2 plus 2’ dialogue between the two countries in New Delhi on September 6.

    “I assure you that in the ‘2 plus 2’ dialogue, we will certainly and forcefully raise this issue also,” she said.

    (Source: PTI)

  • At BRICS summit, India’s PM Modi calls for tech revolution; reaffirms India’s commitment to multilateralism

    At BRICS summit, India’s PM Modi calls for tech revolution; reaffirms India’s commitment to multilateralism

    JOHANNESBURG(TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, July 26, highlighted the importance of industrial technology, skill development and multilateral cooperation in creating a better world as he attended the BRICS Summit here.

    Modi said the new industrial technology and digital interface that the world is building is an opportunity and also a challenge.

    Prime Minister also reaffirmed India’s commitment to multilateralism, international trade and rules-based world order.

    Mr. Modi is expected to meet BRICS leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Originally, the first four countries were grouped as “BRIC” before the induction of South Africa in 2010.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Set to be Pakistan’s PM, Imran Khan pitches for peace; says “Blame game hurting both nations”

    Set to be Pakistan’s PM, Imran Khan pitches for peace; says “Blame game hurting both nations”

    Ready to resolve all issues with India, including J&K

    ISLAMABAD(TIP): Pakistan is ready to improve its ties with India and his government would like the leaders of the two sides to resolve all disputes, including the “core issue” of Kashmir, through talks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said on Thursday, July 26, asserting that the blame game between the two neighbors, detrimental to the sub-continent, should stop.

    “If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least (we) need a start,” 65-year-old Khan said at his first public address after leading his party to victory in the general elections held on Wednesday. His party emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly elections, amid rival parties’ claim of “blatant” rigging by the army in Khan’s favor.

    Khan, who is set to be the next Pakistan PM, said Kashmir was the “core” issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.

    “I am a person who arguably knows most people in India because of my days in cricket. We can resolve the poverty crisis in S-E Asia. The biggest problem is Kashmir,” he said, suggesting that the two sides should come to the table.

    “We want to improve our ties with India, if their leadership wants it too. This blame game that whatever goes wrong in Pakistan’s Balochistan is because of India and vice versa brings us back to square one,” he said. He said good India-Pakistan relations would be beneficial for the entire region and suggested increased trade ties between the two neighbors.  Ties deteriorated after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016 and India’s surgical strikes in PoK.

  • July 27 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    July 27 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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  • MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LARGEST EVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION IN CITY’S HISTORY

    MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LARGEST EVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION IN CITY’S HISTORY

    New Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit will be dedicated to responding to tenant complaints of harassment in buildings across the city

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Mayor de Blasio announced, July 19, that his administration financed 32,116 affordable homes last year, breaking the all-time record previously set by former Mayor Ed Koch in 1989 of 25,243 units. The City also broke the record for the most new construction with 9,140 affordable homes; almost 60 percent of all homes financed will serve New Yorkers making less than $47,000 for a family of three. Additionally, the Mayor announced the formation of the Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit that will be dedicated to pursuing potential cases of maintenance harassment in multi-family residential buildings and connecting tenants to legal services resources, a complement to the City’s efforts against construction as harassment.

    “This Administration has used every tool available to fight the affordability crisis in New York City. It is paying off – we have created more affordable housing than any other time in our City’s history,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We will not grow complacent. My Administration is forging ahead with new tools like the Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit to help investigate harassment and hold bad landlords accountable. We have the backs of tenants as we continue to ensure that New York City is the fairest city in America.”

    “We have established a blueprint for building, for preservation – for overall affordability. We’re keeping people in their houses, never giving up a square foot of affordable housing, and increasing the supply of new homes. As neighborhoods grow and change, our work ensures that affordable housing will always be a part of our city,” said Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development.

    To celebrate this historic milestone, the Mayor handed Destiny Armstead the keys to her new home at 1561 Walton, a new 60-unit building near the Jerome Avenue area in the Bronx, one of several neighborhoods that was recently rezoned to apply the City’s new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy. The Mayor was joined by Council Members Fernando Cabrera, Vanessa Gibson, and Ydanis Rodriguez, who have been working closely with the administration to develop comprehensive plans for their communities. Developed by non-profit Settlement Housing Fund, 1561 Walton was part of a major wave of construction financed early in the de Blasio administration that has now rented up.

    Built on City-owned land and a former parking lot, the project is adjacent to New Settlement Apartments, a signature Koch-era portfolio with 900 homes in 14 buildings that was recently preserved by HPD. Renovations, including the installation of solar panels that will help ensure the long-term affordability and sustainability of the building, were recently completed. Settlement Housing Fund also financed the renovation of the beautiful children’s playground across the street.

    “Making good on the promises of Housing New York, we set an all-time record for affordable housing production in New York City,” said Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “With 32,116 affordable homes, 2018 also marks the most new construction in history. A full 57 percent of those homes will serve some of the city’s lowest income families. By advancing developments on large public sites, implementing policies to require more affordable housing on private sites, pushing to secure the affordability of large Mitchell-Lamas, and seeing new programs to reach small buildings take hold, among other initiatives, we surpassed the new baseline established in HNY 2.0. Our work is far from done. That is why today we also launch a new Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit at HPD to expand our efforts to combat harassment and displacement. All of these results are a testament to our partners and the devoted HPD and HDC teams. I want to thank them and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for their vision and ongoing commitment to a building a fairer, more affordable city.”

    “HDC is proud to have contributed more than $1.6 billion in bond financing towards this year’s historic housing production, and more than $7.1 billion since the start of Housing New York,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “Our success under the housing plan has been made possible thanks to the exceptional efforts of our City-wide team and valued public and private partners who have worked around the clock to ensure our limited affordable housing resources are deployed with the greatest impact. The affordable housing the City has created and preserved to date will provide greater opportunity to some of our most vulnerable households as well as our more moderate income New Yorkers, reflecting our commitment to ensure New York is a city for everyone.”

    “Like so many New Yorkers, finding affordable housing remains a primary concern for older adults living on limited incomes. Preserving affordable housing helps more seniors remain in the communities where they raised their families and have a network of formal and informal supports, which are essential for them to age in place,” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Donna Corrado.

    “As we plan for the future of New York City, it is vital that we remain a city for all. Through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and other programs, we are creating unprecedented levels of affordable housing for today and tomorrow’s New Yorkers,” said Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago.

    “This Administration has proudly fought to make New York City a more equitable place to live,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “This is a historic milestone and we’re proud to have worked side by side with our sister agencies to help raise the floor for New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”

    The cornerstone of the Mayor’s housing plan continues to be the preservation of affordability in existing buildings, many of which are in need of physical and financial assistance or face expiring protections. Last year, the City used a wide array of programs and tools to extend affordability and finance needed improvements in 22,976 homes. This preservation work is key to keeping people in their homes and neighborhoods and accompanies a robust set of strategies to combat displacement, including a new citywide Certification of No Harassment Program, a Speculation Watch List, and now a new HPD Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit.

    The newly established Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit will have ten dedicated staff, including two attorneys to initiate litigation against unscrupulous owners and landlords. The new Unit will use data analysis to identify potential buildings and portfolios where harassment is occurring; respond to emergency complaints; partner closely with the Department of Buildings and other agencies to address issues in buildings where maintenance as harassment has been identified; and connect tenants with legal services resources.

    The new Unit will enable HPD to increase the number of buildings with potential construction or maintenance harassment that HPD can inspect from 200 buildings annually to approximately 1,500 buildings. HPD will also seek civil penalties for harassment where warranted.

    The record-breaking progress of the last fiscal year brings the total number of homes financed under HNY to date to 109,767, exceeding the original goal established in Housing New York, and the new target set last year in Housing New York 2.0. Through HNY 2.0, the Mayor committed to accelerate and expand the pace of Housing New York to achieve 300,000 affordable apartments by 2026 – 100,000 more than initially planned. Already the City had ramped up to produce more than 20,000 affordable homes a year, and now, has achieved a new baseline of 25,000 affordable apartments a year, ahead of schedule.

    The total direct City investment under the Mayor’s housing plan last year was $1.582 billion, and the total bond financing issued by the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) was over $1.6 billion in bonds. To date, the City has spent $4.375 billion in City subsidy, which includes City capital, HDC Corporate Reserves, and Reso-A. In total, HDC issued bonds worth more than $7.1 billion since the start of the plan.

    Affordable housing numbers are available here.

    The plan continues to live up to its initial promises:

    Rezoning Areas / City Owned Land: Made progress on large public sites in rezoning and urban renewal areas like Coney Island, East New York, Far Rockaway, and Downtown Jamaica, financing 1,390 new homes. These are some of the 2,513 newly constructed units financed on public land last year; bringing the total under HNY to 8,844 homes.

    421a: Produced 760 affordable apartments across 64 projects through 421a with no additional City funding. This doubles the number of stand-alone units created, most of which are in high-cost neighborhoods.

    Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH): Doubled the production created through MIH to 805 permanently affordable homes. The City is tracking 8,500 MIH units through rezoning applications; including 4,900 MIH apartments in 51 projects approved by Council that have not yet closed.

    Seniors: Launched Aging in Place, part of our new Seniors First program, and closed the first project to ensure seniors in preservation projects get the improvements they need to stay in their apartments and age in place. Last year saw the most senior housing with 1,888 apartments; bringing the total number of senior homes produced under HNY to 6,507.

    Homeownership: Financed the first Open Door homeownership project that will create 56 new affordable coops. This is among the 7,203 affordable homeownership opportunities created or preserved last year for a total of 18,147 under the plan.

    Mitchell-Lamas: Secured the continued affordability of 13,137 coops and apartments in Mitchell-Lama developments, including Masyrk Towers, Ruppert House, Franklin Plaza Apartments, and Starrett City, the largest federally subsidized development in the nation. This brings the total of Mitchell-Lama homes and apartments preserved under HNY to 29,356.

    Landlord Ambassador Program: Closed the first three projects with 100 units through the new Landlord Ambassador Program, created with community-based non-profits to help small building owners stabilize and upgrade their properties and ensure future affordability.

    Green Housing Preservation Program: Financed much needed energy efficiency improvements to shore up the affordability of 1,262 apartments, representing a 760% increase in the program’s production from last year.

    M/WBE Build Up: Program spurred 61 projects with 10,155 apartments to set and meet M/WBE participation goals that are expected to generate over $275 million in spending. To date, 81 projects have been required to participate in the program for a combined expected spending amount of $344 million.

    Housing Connect: HPD and HDC marketed 16,279 HNY affordable apartments through Housing Connect, connecting 41,000 New Yorkers to a new home. In total, HPD and HDC marketed 7,834 apartments last year, a 700% increase compared to 2014, and updated its guidelines to speed up the delivery of affordable housing and ensure those homes serve the New Yorkers who need them most.

    Homeless and Supportive Housing: The agencies revamped virtually all of their development programs to include homeless set-asides, and as a result financed 2,318 affordable homes for the homeless last year, bringing the total to 8,948 under the plan. In part, this includes the 1,145 supportive housing apartments financed last year, including 500 congregate apartments towards the Mayor’s commitment through New York 15/15 to create 15,000 supportive homes in 15 years. In total, the City has financed 4,094 supportive housing apartments.

    To learn more about how New Yorkers can apply for affordable housing, fight eviction, and freeze their rent, visit the City’s new housing web portal at nyc.gov/housing.

    “Today’s announcement of record breaking affordable housing is a significant win for low-income New Yorkers,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “Accessibility to affordable housing in New York City is the key to a fair and thriving City. I also commend the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for the implementation of the tenant anti-harassment unit, which will be critical in rooting out unjust landlord practices and allow families to live in peace.”

    “Access to affordable housing continues to be a challenge for the residents of the Bronx and the rest of New York City. Today’s announcement of record breaking affordable housing production will bring relief to thousands of New Yorkers. Thanks to Mayor de Blasio and his administration, New York City is closer to meeting the goal of building or preserving 300,000 much needed affordable housing units by 2026,” said Congressman José E. Serrano.

    “Affordable housing is a critical asset to our community and the nation,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “It remains critical that we continue our efforts to ensure safe, decent, and affordable housing is accessible for all New York City residents and families.”

    “Tenant harassment is 100% illegal, but for years it’s been obvious that we need to find new models to prevent and prosecute it,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “This HPD enforcement unit could be that model, and I look forward to seeing how it helps in the fight to protect tenants and preserve affordable housing. I thank the Administration for its continued focus on tenants and affordable housing.”

    “Housing is fundamental to our daily lives, and every person deserves an equal opportunity to have safe, quality and affordable housing,” said Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz, Chair of the Committee on Housing. “Turning this hope into reality requires ambitious partners. I’m pleased that the Mayor’s office and City agencies have been working with us to advance this vision and provide so many New Yorkers with a foundation on which to build a solid, hopeful future.”

    “Preserving affordable housing options for New Yorkers feeling the crunch of an increased cost of living is essential to maintaining the quality and character of the many neighborhoods that make up this diverse city. I commend Commissioner Torres-Springer and Mayor de Blasio for their commitment to preserving affordable units and for allocating the resources necessary to make sure more New Yorkers than ever can afford to stay in their homes,” said Council Member Robert Cornegy, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings.

    “Affordable housing is one of the most critical issues in my district. More than 70% of the constituents who come to my district office are there for help because they need safe, decent and affordable housing. Preservation of existing affordable units and creation of new affordable units is absolutely necessary in order to meet the overwhelming housing need in New York City,” said Council Member Fernando Cabrera. “The Housing New York 2.0 goal of 300,000 units built and preserved by 2026 is very ambitious. But I’m proud that we made great progress in 2018 with the creation and preservation of the most affordable units in the history of New York City, including 1561 Walton Avenue.”

    “I’m thrilled to join the Mayor to announce this year’s unprecedented levels of affordable housing creation and preservation. This work is critical to keeping our neighborhoods vibrant and strong. I worked hard to achieve a balanced Jerome Avenue neighborhood plan with my community, the administration, and colleague Council Member Cabrera so that we could ensure the creation of permanently affordable housing in our neighborhood for generations to come. And with tools like certificate of no harassment, access to counsel, and now the new anti-tenant harassment unit, we can protect and preserve the housing we have,” said Council Member Vanessa Gibson.

    “As our population continues to grow, so must our affordable housing stock. The tens of thousands of affordable housing units that will be created by this administration are sure to have a lasting impact on the working families of New York City,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “I look forward to continue working with Mayor de Blasio and his administration on creating affordable housing for the residents of my district as well as expanding anti-harassment efforts for tenants citywide.”

    “The City is in dire need of more affordable housing and today’s announcement that we’re on track to hit 300,000 new and preserved homes by 2026 is a reassuring sign that low-income New Yorkers can still live here despite rising costs,” said Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. “Since I became Council Member, I’ve voted to approve 4,500 affordable units in my district and will continue to fight for more and encourage my colleagues around all boroughs to do the same.”

    “It is more important than ever to expand on the city’s tools to protect tenants as bad landlords constantly try to displace tenants in order to raise rents. This new unit is a step in the right direction that can ensure tenants are able to stay in their home and are protected from harassment and displacement,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres.

    “At a time when we are facing a severe housing crisis in the City of New York, it is more important than ever that we double down on our efforts to create and preserve affordable housing” said Council Member Antonio Reynoso. “I applaud HPD for working to not only meet but exceed their goals for 2018. I am proud to have contributed to these historic numbers through the preservation of a project-based Section 8 project in my district, La Cabana. I look forward to working with HPD in the coming year to explore further opportunities for the preservation and creation of affordable housing in my district.”

    “Addressing the citywide housing crisis requires a sustained, long-term commitment to create and preserve affordable housing, engage in proactive outreach to help families in danger of eviction stay in their homes, and ensure that every resident feels safe and secure at home. As we celebrate a new milestone in the City’s efforts to achieve these goals, I am thrilled that HPD is taking additional action to invest in more resources to put an end to tenant harassment,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “As the Council Member representing historically diverse and affordable neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan, I look forward to continuing working with Mayor De Blasio, Commissioner Torres-Springer and residents to ensure that our shared vision for a more affordable city becomes a reality.”

    “The only real solution to the city’s housing crisis is to build permanent, affordable housing, and I commend the mayor’s efforts. As we continue to inch closer to the City’s 300,000 unit goal, I look forward to seeing what new and innovative programs the Mayor’s Office can implement to increase the density and depth of affordability throughout the five boroughs,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera.

    “As our City works to combat a dire affordable housing crisis, we must make sure that we are fully utilizing all of the tools available to us to not only build but protect our affordable housing stock and the individuals and families who reside in those homes,” said Council Majority Leader, Laurie A. Cumbo. “We must be bold in our leadership and send a clear message that residing in an affordable housing unit does not make you a target for bullying and harassment. I applaud the Mayor for the launch of the Anti-Tenant Harassment Unit, which is a significant step forward in protecting the housing rights and dignity of New York City’s families and communities.”

    “The City’s continuing progress in creating and maintaining affordable housing demonstrates sustained commitment to an important goal,” said Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik. “While the housing shortage continues, New Yorkers should know that City government is consistently working to address the issue.”

    “Every single unit of affordable housing that is created or preserved is a victory for New Yorkers,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “We are making historic strides in the creation and preservation of affordable housing for our residents. Thank you to Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer for their laser-like focus on this very important issue and for always working hard toward reaching – and exceeding – the goal.”

    “My work in housing and tenants’ rights, both as an organizer and since I took office, has focused largely on fighting back against tenant harassment and unscrupulous landlords who put profit ahead of people. This new Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit is a vital addition to HPD- a focus on enforcement against tenant harassment, in combination with the package of legislation that I recently passed with my colleagues, will help to meaningfully combat the rampant harassment that we see. Preventing such harassment, and holding accountable those perpetrate it, is essential to creating an environment in which tenants are safe and secure in their homes. I thank the administration for creating this entity and look forward to working with it to protect tenants across the city,” said Council Member Jumaane Williams.

    “With more than 60,000 people experiencing homelessness and millions of families paying more than they can afford in rent each month, our city needs a smart, ambitious plan like Housing New York 2.0. The plan employs a wide range of strategies to support senior housing, homeownership, supportive housing, and more to ensure we are meeting the diverse needs of New Yorkers at all income levels,” said Judi Kende, Vice President and New York Market Leader of Enterprise Community Partners. “We commend HPD for keeping the city on track to meet its goal and look forward to continuing to work together to create and preserve quality affordable homes for all New Yorkers.”

    “This is a great achievement accomplished by the dedicated staff at HPD and HDC, public servants who work tirelessly to move the needle on housing affordability,” said Rachel Fee, Executive Director of New York Housing Conference. “New York Housing Conference congratulates the agency leaders and their staff.”

    “Mayor de Blasio’s robust and collaborative approach to addressing the housing crisis continues to have life-changing impacts for tens of thousands of families across the five boroughs,” said Jolie Milstein, president and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH). “It’s crucial to continue working with all stakeholders to maximize production of the affordable homes that New Yorkers need – and NYSAFAH members remain committed to doing their part every day.”

    “Habitat for Humanity New York City is proud to have contributed to this historic year of affordable housing development by breaking ground on Sydney House, the largest Habitat for Humanity multi-family building in the world, and the first low-income cooperative homeownership project under the Mayor’s new Open Door program,” said Karen Haycox, CEO of Habitat NYC. “Housing New York 2.0 deepened its dedication to homeownership through the expansion of new construction, down-payment assistance, home repairs, and community land trust partnerships. This is a huge step forward in creating a more equitable city, and Habitat NYC looks forward to building on this foundation in partnership with the Mayor and HPD in our shared mission to ensure future generations of New Yorkers have a safe, quality, and affordable place to call home.”

    “Kudos to Mayor de Blasio and his housing team on reaching this milestone! We’re thrilled that the City’s achievements this year include creating significant new opportunities for affordable homeownership, such as its Open Door initiative and an expanded down payment assistance program,” said Christie Peale, CEO and Executive Director of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods. “So many New Yorkers want to share in the economic opportunities of our city, and the Mayor’s vision and commitment to Housing New York 2.0 is critical to making those dreams come true.”

    “The Network is grateful to see the City’s strong commitment to supportive housing as part of the Housing New York plan. At a time when we need to deploy all the available tools to address the homelessness crisis, we applaud the acceleration of capital funding in the budget to increase development of supportive housing from 500 to 700 units per year,” said Laura Mascuch, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York.

    “There is much more to do, but we are seeing progress,” said Kristin Miller, Director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing Metro Team based in New York City. “What the Mayor’s plan recognizes is that homelessness in our City is directly linked to an affordable housing crisis, and we cannot effectively address for former without creating much more of the latter. That’s why we should mark these milestones and congratulate the administration for its commitment and, just as importantly, reaffirm efforts to keep the momentum going.”

    “SAGE congratulates Mayor de Blasio and the NYC Housing and Preservation Department (HPD) on this achievement,” says SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “We are excited to continue our partnership with HPD in creating affordable senior housing that is LGBT-friendly in both Brooklyn and the Bronx, opening in 2019.”

    “LiveOn NY commends Mayor Bill de Blasio, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, and Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer for their dedication to the historic production and preservation of affordable housing,” states Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY. “LiveOn NY is appreciative of the monumental effort that goes into every unit of affordable housing and we are heartened by the impact that these homes will have, particularly on the lives of New York’s older adults. As the population of seniors continues to increase, we look forward to continuing to work with the city to build upon the progress made and to our overall commitment to making New York a better place age.”

    “As a nonprofit property owner and developer, MBD Community Housing Corp. stands proud in support of the City in its efforts to provide safe, clean and affordable housing to its residents,” said Derrick Lovett, President and CEO of MBD Community Housing Corporation.

  • Celebration of National “Bastille” Day 2018 in France

    Celebration of National “Bastille” Day 2018 in France

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC) congratulates the people of France on the 229th anniversary of Bastille Day, the La Fête Nationale, commemorating the day in 1789 when crowds stormed the Bastille, a fortress used as a prison in Paris. The event marks the beginning of the French Revolution and honors democracy and equality in France.

    The storming of Bastille on 14th July 1978 sent a signal to the French monarchy that the French people were embracing the revolution’s motto, liberté, égalité, fraternité, or liberty, equality and brotherhood. The riot was a call for the establishment of a republic in France in the face of an oppressive regime and food shortages that spurred on the revolution.

    “Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.” ~ Blaise Pascal

    Prejudices are what fools use for reason” – Voltaire

    IDC also recognizes the sizeable population of persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and non-resident Indians (NRIs) in France, with roots in Mauritius, Reunion Island and territories of the French Caribbean as well as India. PIOs in France and Francophone Territories contribute significantly to France and Francophone Territories, achieving prominent positions in all segments of French society including businesses, academia, politics, media and sciences.

    IDC conveys its best wishes to the people of France for continuing progress in championing the cause of freedom, justice, human rights and liberty throughout the world.

    In addition, Congratulation, France! The day after Bastille Day 2018, France are World Cup 2018 champions and deservedly so after a breathless six-goal thriller against Croatia.

    For more information contact: Ashook Ramsaran at AshookRamsaran@gmail.com        Mobile (USA) +1 917 519 5783

  • Hicksville Attorney from Colombia Isabel C. Mira joins the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC

    Hicksville Attorney from Colombia Isabel C. Mira joins the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC

    NEW HYDE PARK, NY(TIP): The law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLCC announced, July19, that attorney Isabel C. Mira has joined the Firm. Ms. Mira has been a distinguished advocate for plaintiffs’ rights for more than 16 years in the United States and in South America. At Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, she conducts pre-trial litigation representing patients in medical malpractice actions.

    Previously, she advocated for clients with disabilities in administrative court proceedings including court hearings and appeals. Although already an attorney when she first arrived in the U.S., she began working as a legal assistant in a plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm. Ms. Mira gained experience in debt collection rights when she negotiated plaintiff’s settlements and managed pre-trial litigation including motions and pleadings. She enjoyed a mid- career opportunity to intern at Glen Cove, NY, City Court assisting the Honorable Joseph McCain with legal research and decision drafting. In her native country of Colombia, South America, Ms. Mira represented clients in civil litigation matters, as a solo practitioner. In addition, she practiced law for a government agency that enforced environmental policy, preparing legal responses to public petitions, administrative decisions, and official documents on environmental regulations.

    Ms. Mira is a member of the Nassau Suffolk Trial Lawyers Association, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, the Nassau County Bar Association, the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association, and the Nassau County Women’s Bar Association. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Colombia, as well as in the Federal Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. She obtained her law degree from Universidad de Medellín, Colombia. She graduated with a Master of Laws degree from St. John’s University School of Law. Isabel C. Mira can be reached at Imira@pegalisanderickson.com

    Pegalis & Erickson, LLC is a New York law firm for those suffering as a result of medical errors and personal injury. We are advocates who obtain justice for our clients after hospitals, doctors, medical personnel, construction companies, or motor vehicle drivers commit avoidable errors that cause our clients life-altering harm. In our 46 years of practice, we have won some of the largest verdicts in New York State history and strive for medical accountability to ensure safer medical practices for better patient care. Visit us at www.pegalisanderickson.com.

    (Based on a press release issued by Ellen Christie (516) 684-2900)

  • Indian Consulate with Shradhaa Foundation Celebrates Vijay Diwas

    Indian Consulate with Shradhaa Foundation Celebrates Vijay Diwas

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Indian Consulate along with Shradhaa Foundation celebrated the Vijay Diwas at Indian Consulate in NY on 18thJuly 2018. It is the first time an event of this nature has been celebrated. The Victory at Kargil in 1999 was celebrated and all those who laid down their life in the service to nation were remembered.

    Seema Jagtiani, co-founder of Shradha Foundation welcoming and speaking about the event

    The event started with the Indian National anthem by Col (Ret.) Virendra Tavathia. Ms. Seema Jagtiani introduced the Shradhaa Foundation to the audience.  A comprehensive presentation of the Kargil war in general and battle of Tololing and Tiger Hill was made by Col Tavathia. Entire audience was moved by the sacrifice made by the gallant soldiers of Indian Army fighting at the highest battlefield. The actions of Indian Air Force and Navy were appreciated. The audience was overwhelmed by the courage, determination and will power of our Infantry Soldiers who defied all odds to achieve impossible victory. Some soldiers who actually participated in the Kargil war were also present.

    Col Virendra Tavathia, co-founder of Shradha Foundation, speaking about the Kargil operation

    Shradhaa Foundation, a New Jersey Non-Profit Organization is committed to support the families and children of our martyrs organized the event in the true traditions of Indian Army. The Foundation has been helping the families of our martyrs since 2011. The efforts and support received from Tri Service Ex-servicemen Welfare Organization was well recognized. Major Krishna Chari gave a detailed account of the activities of Shradhaa Foundation.

    Consul General Sandeep Chakravarti appreciated the efforts and sacrifices of the Indian soldiers in his emotional address to the audience. He appreciated the efforts of Shradhaa Foundation and announced that the Victory Diwas will be celebrated annually at the Indian Consulate.

    On behalf of Shradhaa Foundation, Ratilal Patel, trustee, Dr Avtar Ganju and Lt Col Suresh Mehra, current President presented the painting of Major Vivek Gupta, Mahavir Chakra (Posthumous) to Consul General of India. Consul General thanked the office bearers of Foundation and said that this painting will find most appropriate place in the Indian Consulate. Young Yash Kansara and Vicky Kohli presented the emotional patriotic songs with perfection to bring tears in the eyes of listeners.

    The entire Shradhaa Team including the volunteers Dhara Desai (Editor of the Video Presentation), Rajnish Balyan and Rajeev Chaudhary worked very hard to make the entire arena like a battle field. The delicious food was provided by Deewan Banquet Hall, Piscataway, NJ. Ms. Seema Jagtiani thanked Mr. Harpal Singh Obhan of Deewan Banquet Hall, and all the volunteers who helped in putting up this memorable event. The event culminated with the thank you note by the President.

    A View of the audience

    Shradhaa Foundation will be hosting their annual fund raiser on 03rdAugust at Akbar Banquet Hall in Edison, NJ. The stories of some unsung heroes will be presented to the community. An educational entertainment is in offing in honor of those who gave their TODAY for our TOMORROW.

    (Based on a press release)

     

  • NJ Native M.D. Returns After Success With Houston Texans, Rockets, Astros and Dynamo

    NJ Native M.D. Returns After Success With Houston Texans, Rockets, Astros and Dynamo

    By Mabel Pais

    “(What) makes me most excited about going to work everyday is that I have the ability to truly help people get back to the activities and things that they love to do in their life.”-Arun Rajaram, M.D.

    Dr. Arun Rajaram, M.D. is a New Jersey native, born and brought up in Morris County, New Jersey.

    Dr. Rajaram completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Yale University. He completed his orthopedic sports medicine fellowship through the Baylor College of Medicine at the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. During his fellowship, he gained phenomenal experience while serving as an assistant team physician for multiple professional teams, including the Houston Texans, Rockets, Astros and Dynamo. He received his medical degree (with distinction) and bachelor’s degree in computer science from The George Washington University.

    An orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery, Dr. Arun Rajaram uses the most advanced techniques available to surgeons.

    Dr. Rajaram chatted with Mabel Pais about his work as an Orthopaedic surgeon.

    What is your specialty?

    I’m a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with a specialty in Sports Medicine andarthroscopic surgery, using the most advanced techniques.  I’m from the IGEADivision of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.  Prior to returning home to practice in New Jersey, I was anassistant team physician for multiple professional teams, including the Houston Texans, Rockets, Astros and Dynamo.

    What are some of the most common causes of back issues?  Are there preventive measures?

    Some of the most common causes of back issues can come from traumatic injuries, overuse injuries or postural imbalance.

    Many of these injuries can be prevented by strengthening the lumbar muscles and the core muscles of our body.

    What are some of the common problems you have found in your patients?

    When you are sitting at a desk for several hours a day, a lot of your muscles tend to develop tightness and weakness.  We see a lot of patients develop shoulder problems such as rotator cuff tendonitis and shoulder pain because of their position on the keyboard, the position at their desk.  We also see people develop knee pain issues from their position at the desk or sitting in their vehicle for long periods of time.  This puts a lot of pressure on the inside of the knee and causes knee symptoms.  The problems we see in a lot of athletes, we also see in a lot of professionals working at the desk.

    Do you use holistic approaches to treatment?  Explain.

    As a result of the experience I gained working with professional athletes, I have incorporated many biologic treatment options into my practice.  Working in that world of orthopaedics, I have included alternative methods, therapies in my practice.  Many of these treatments help the body repair and recover from a variety of athletic, work related, and day to day activities.  As a result, in addition to surgical options, biologic therapies are also available for my patients.

    Ortho-Biologics such as Platelet Rich Plasma is an alternative therapy where we draw blood from the patient’s arm and then the blood is placed in a centrifuge.  It is then spun for 5 minutes in the centrifuge, which then separates the blood from the plasma layer.  We then extract the plasma layer with all of the platelets.  Then we inject the platelet-rich plasma back into the site of the injury.  This is a common form of biologic cell therapy.

    It has been very successful.  The 4 most common joints that we use this therapy for are the knee, elbow, hip and shoulder.  We have many other treatments whereby we are able to optimize the patient’s recovery and healing and enable them to return to their normal activities.

    What is the connection between the brain, spine, and sports medicine?

    The most common brain injury we see in sports medicine is concussions.  Spine injuries can also occur in sporting activities.  The brain and spine injuries must be taken very seriously and cared for by the appropriate team of specialists.

    Explain the use of the Stability Ball?

    The stability ball helps to strengthen and stabilize the core muscles of our body which help improve and prevent a lot of injuries.  The two most important core muscles are the abdominal muscles and the lumbar muscles.  These muscles stabilize your core, whether you’re standing, walking or sitting. These muscles stabilize the central portion of the body in all activities.

    What self-help or healing modalities do you recommend to your patients?

    We absolutely recommend exercises on quadriceps-strengthening to help improve the function of the knees.  I demonstrate these exercises to the patients in our office.  I also work closely with many physical therapists to continue our patient’s treatment plans outside of the office.

    Do you incorporate exercise and nutrition in your therapy?

    I spend a lot of time on nutrition.  Protein in the diet will help with muscle healing and growth.  We discuss the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet, and Vitamin D for the need for strong bones, and overall a well- balanced diet to fuel the body.

    I’ve been in practice with IGEA since December 2017 and in Sports Medicine since 2014.

    Why choose to practice in IgeaNeuro?

    What I like about IGEA is that we are a multi-specialty practice that is able to help patients from head to toe and we’re able to provide world-class care in a comforting private practice setting.  We strive to provide excellent care and create great relationships with our patients in the IGEA.

    Why do you love your job?

    One of the things that makes me most excited about going to work everyday is that I have the ability to truly help people get back to the activities and things that they love to do in their life.

    The entire mission of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine is to help people get back to doing everything they want to do in life.

    At which locations do you practice? 

    I practice at the following locations:  Union, Florham Park, and Hazlet in New Jersey; and New York City at 86thStreet & Park Avenue and Broad Street in the Financial District.

    For more information on Arun Rajaram, M.D. and IGEA, visit

    https://youtu.be/yOaMptTNr3w

    https://www.igeaneuro.com/nj-neurosurgeons-physicians/arun-rajaram-md/

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

  • Over 400,000 people living in ‘modern slavery’ in US, report finds

    Over 400,000 people living in ‘modern slavery’ in US, report finds

    The report, by the Global Slavery Index, also estimates 40.3 million globally, with most victims living in Asia, North Korea topping the list.

    WASHINGTON(TIP): More than 400,000 people could be living in “modern slavery” in the US, a condition of servitude broadly defined in a new study as forced and state-imposed labor, sexual servitude and forced marriage.

    The Global Slavery Index, published on Thursday, July 19, by Walk Free Foundation, describes modern slavery as a complex and often hidden crime that crosses borders, sectors and jurisdictions. The US number, the study estimates, is almost one hundredth of the estimated 40.3 million global total number of people it defines as being enslaved.

    “The United States is one of the most advanced countries in the world yet has more than 400,000 modern slaves working under forced labor conditions,” said the group’s founder, Andrew Forrest, in a news release.

    “This is a truly staggering statistic and demonstrates just how substantial this issue is globally. This is only possible through a tolerance of exploitation,” Forrest added.

    The report estimates most victims of modern slavery live in Asia. North Korea has the highest prevalence of modern slavery globally, with one in 10 of the population, or 2.6 million people, victims of modern slavery.

    A third, or 15 million, of victims of modern slavery enter through forced marriage, an issue that disproportionately affects women and girls. “Overall, the cultural practice of forced marriage places women at greater risk of exploitation, and the potential subjection to a life of servitude, financial bondage and sexual exploitation that comes with modern slavery,” the report said.

    The report also argues the US figures are in themselves deceptive because the US exacerbates the global slavery problem by importing products, including laptops, computers, mobile phones, garments, fish, cocoa and timber, at risk of being produced through forced labor.

    The group recommends making forced marriage illegal, creating a minimum marriage age of 18, a national database of trafficking and forced labor cases, and working to improve supply-chain transparency to help bring the US numbers down.

    It estimates China is by far the largest source of at-risk goods, with the United States importing $122bn of electronics and clothing from the country. Vietnam was the second largest source with $11.2bn, and India third with $3.8bn.

    Smaller values of goods were also sourced from Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Peru.

    “There is no quick solution to this and governments, businesses, and consumers alike must wake up to the fact that they must change their behavior if they wish to tackle this abhorrent issue, both at home and abroad,” Forrest wrote.

    The Walk Free Foundation, a global human rights organization with a mission to end modern slavery in a generation, was founded by Australian philanthropists, Andrew and Nicola Forrest.

    Some have criticized the methodology behind the Index, which extrapolates its figures based on various risk factors and a “Vulnerability Model.”

    Walk Free notes that, because of the changes to its methodology, the national slavery figures are not comparable with previous editions of the Global Slavery Index.

    It says: “As such, while comparability from previous years is lost, the changes are justified by the need to continually improve our knowledge base.”

     

     

  • Weekly Horoscope July 23-29, 2018

    Weekly Horoscope July 23-29, 2018

    By Bejan Daruwalla

    Aries: Ganesha says there is a semblance of stability. You have emerged from the maze of the mind. You realize that a lot of time has been wasted in your shenanigans and you need to get cracking. ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,’ noted Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer. You now work with whatever remains. You get down to the hard slog of making a living.

    Taurus: The heat is on in more ways than one. There is fire in your belly and you are steaming away. There could be travel, and new vistas opening. You may meet with someone from an entirely different culture and form a profound bond. ‘People don’t notice whether it is winter or summer when they are happy,’ said Anton Chekov. Right on! The subcontinent is heating like an oven, but this doesn’t get to you even if you live in my backyard.

    Gemini: You are busy with domestic issues. The health of elders could be a cause of concern. If you are living with an elderly parent, hospitalization may be necessary. Your health too may need to be scanned. You meet up with friends and loved ones and bask in the comfort of familiarity. I must mention here that all influences have many sides to them. What manifests depends on the personal horoscope. These are mere indicators. I wish you well. So, does Ganesha.

    Cancer: You are bogged down by life. Yes, life can be tough, even cruel. You want excitement in your life. You want to do new things, live and love large. There could be foreign travel. Some of you may even seriously consider emigration. A new breeze flows in through the windows left open. There are many options. Use your free will and instinct to choose the right one. Ganesha is pleased.

    Leo: This is a profitable phase for creative pursuits. Those in the media are crowned with success. Your mind plays tricks, but if you use its offbeat aroma, miracles may happen. This is a great chance to step out of your comfort zone and chase new trails. You could go backpacking to unusual locales and check out the many wonders of the world you inhabit. You also lend a shoulder to others to lean on. People come to you with their sob stories and you patiently hear them out.

    Virgo: This period is ripe with opportunities. Make the most of it. Like the Bard said, ‘Take the tide at the flood.’ There are expenses and heightened passions. Someone you meet at a party or gatherings leaves you breathless and panting. This may not be love and shouldn’t be confused with a normal longing of the flesh. Ask me. I know, having lived over eight decades on this planet. This is a great period for those in realty and stocks.

    Libra: You are high on energy. You also display your charm and captivate one and all. You are at your irresistible best. You dazzle. There are love and longing and you play the field. There are fun times and festivities, possibly an addition to the family. Pet lovers may bring home an exotic creature. There could be engagements and weddings, fun, frolic and festivities. You live in the ‘now’ and that is the key. Enjoy, says Ganesha.

    Scorpio: You broaden your scope of work. There are new ventures in the offing. You sign on the dotted line. Money flows through your fingers as silky smooth as water in the desert. But it is not money wasted. You are savvy and crafty and negotiate giant deals in your favor. You look through every detail with a magnifying glass, armed with a team of legal and fiscal experts. You cannot go wrong. There are powerful ego drives too but remember that life can turn on its head in a jiffy.

    Sagittarius: Expenses continue. You may purchase exquisite works of art. You may even invest in a country home. You are in full flow, like a flamingo in flight across the blue yonder. Your actions are also tempered by kindness. You help out the less fortunate and volunteer in hospices and halfway houses. The universe has sent you the message of humility. You touch all your ventures with it, along with the sweet aroma of gratitude.

    Capricorn: You are networking like there is no tomorrow. You reach out to people and places. Even elders play with the modern marvels of communication. There are gatherings, festive times and travel. You may go solo just to test the waters. You are filled with bravado and will attempt anything. You are warned that you may get scorched by newness but that doesn’t deter you.

    Aquarius: There is more stability now, though I must warn you that tendencies from one period often spill over into the next. You get down to the hard slog. There is work, and money to be made and you sense the opportunities. You may also go in for a complete sartorial makeover. You could also get a new hairdo and simply transform yourself. You want to reinvent yourself and do the tango with life. The home and heart are also calling. And you are not one to shirk from responsibilities. Ganesha applauds.

    Pisces: You could well be in for a new job, business expansion and more money and perks. On the personal front, you could take your love to the altar. There could be indulgences, and a roll of fat around your waist. Need I say more? The compatibility of partners and also the type of life the individual will lead are judged from the placement of stars in the horoscope. In human beings, this attractive force manifests as love and beauty.

     

     

  • DETAINED INDIAN IMMIGRANTS BEING TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS: TURBANS OF SIKHS TAKEN AWAY IN US JAIL

    DETAINED INDIAN IMMIGRANTS BEING TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS: TURBANS OF SIKHS TAKEN AWAY IN US JAIL

    (TIP): The detained Indian immigrants, mostly Sikhs, seeking asylum in the US are being treated like criminals with their turbans taken away in a federal prison in Oregon after getting caught up in the Trump administration’s controversial “zero-tolerance” policy, according to volunteers from legal advocacy groups.

    President Donald Trump’s tough immigration policy has separated nearly 2,000 children from their parents and guardians and placed into holding facilities between April 19 and May 31 of this year.

    The controversial decision however has been reversed by Trump through an executive order following widespread protests against the move.

    “It’s heartbreaking when you go in there and you see the young kids like the ages are close to starting from 18 onwards, 22 to 24 in those jumpsuits…And you wonder how they ended up being treated as criminals. They’ve not committed a crime, they have crossed the border and they have asked for a refugee or asylum and that is a law of this land,” Navneet Kaur, a community college professor, told the media.

    Over the past several weeks, Navneet has interacted with most of the 52 Indian inmates in the federal prison at Sheridan in Oregon. She has volunteered to work as a Punjabi translator for the non-profit legal firm Innovation Law lab, which is providing legal assistance to the illegal immigrants in jail.

    The Indians form the largest group of detainees in the total 123 illegal immigrants being held at a facility in Sheridan.

    “Right now, they are (in) a miserable (condition),” she said.

    Of the 52 Indians, a majority of them are Punjabi speaking and are Sikhs. When they were arrested, Navneet said, the Indian asylum seekers were chained.

    “When they were in handcuffs and chains for 24 hours they ate with their handcuffs on. Even the hardcore criminals are not treated like that. Then they were kept for 22 hours a day in a cell with the people who did not speak the language,” she said. “It’s inhuman,” she said.

    The situation is worse for the Sikh inmates as their turbans have been taken away in the jail.

    “Their turbans have been taken away. In a country where everyone has right to practice their own religion these men there don’t have turbans to cover (their head). Not even a piece of cloth to cover their heads,” Navneet said.

    During the last few days the local community leaders have managed to give beanies to a few of the Sikh inmates so that they can cover their head.

    “They (Indian inmates) are in a state of shock,” she said, adding but none of these Indian asylum seekers want to go back home. All of them are seeking asylum in the US on the grounds that they fear for their life in India and that they are subject to political and religious persecution, she added.

    “They are feeling very shocked… They are probably all wondering like, is this worth it if I’m going to be treated this way,” Victoria Bejarano Muirhead, development director at the non-profit Innovation Law lab, told the media.

    The Innovation Law lab has filed a lawsuit to seek access to these inmates and have been providing legal assistance to all the Indian asylum seekers who want one.

    Some of the Indian asylum seekers have hired their own attorney. As a result of the intervention of the Innovation Law Lab the condition of these inmates has improved, and they are being allowed to make calls both domestic and internationally.

    Innovation Law Lab has been sending its legal team of volunteers accompanied with translators like Navneet to the Sheridan jail on a daily basis.

    “I am horrified at how the US is treating people who are seeking asylum. I’m horrified at how they’re treating immigrants just in general,” Muirhead said.

    “Right now, there’s so much public attention on this issue, but in reality, many of these issues that we have now are just getting worse, but they were already there even before Trump was elected as president,” she said.

    “For example, the mass detention of immigrants, the mass deportation of immigrants, those were issues that were already ongoing before Trump was elected. But I think since his election, it’s just gotten to the next level. We already were detaining families, but now Trump is saying let’s detain them indefinitely. That’s taking it to the next level. So, it was, it’s very concerning,” Muirhead said.

    Despite the inhuman conditions these inmates are living in, none of them are willing to go back home, both Navneet and Muirhead said.

    The Indian Consulate in San Francisco had recently sent its officials to meet these inmates. But it is not clear if these Indian citizens accepted the offer of the Indian government to help them go back home.

    The next step for those who wish to seek asylum is to have a credible fear interview, which takes place with an asylum officer and with the individual during which the official will try to assess whether or not they have been actually persecuted or have a reasonable fear of persecution, Muirhead said.

    Secondly, they will try to assess whether or not that persecution is related to a reason for having asylum, she added.

    The Innovation Lab law has put in a formal notice to the government that it is providing legal counsel for a certain number of individuals. Then the government is required to tell them when they have scheduled to that interview so that the they can assure they’re prepared and accompany them to the interview.

    (Source: PTI)

     

     

  • Indian American Pilot among 3 dead in mid-air collision

    Indian American Pilot among 3 dead in mid-air collision

    WASHINGTON(TIP): An Indian American is one among two other persons after two small planes collided mid-air in the US state of Florida, aviation authorities said.

    Nisha Sejwal, 19, was killed in the accident on July 17, Tuesday along with Jorge Sanchez, 22, and Ralph Knight, 72, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

    The police said they were trying to trace the whereabouts of a possible fourth passenger after both planes belonging to the Dean International flight school crashed mid-air.

    The search and rescue effort that were suspended due to low visibility late on Tuesday, would resume on Wednesday, an officer said.

    The police established the identity of Nisha Sejwal from her social media page, while Jorge Sanchez was found to be a resident from the area.

    The debris of the crashed planes was located in a region only accessible by airboats. Photos circulating online showed the wreckage resting on top of a swampy terrain covered by long grass.

    Miami Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez told the media that the flight school has a history of more than two dozen incidents and accidents between 2007 and 2017.