The Indian Panorama

Year: 2018

  • Indian American Pediatrician named to Wisconsin Governor Elect’s Health Policy Advisory Council

    Indian American Pediatrician named to Wisconsin Governor Elect’s Health Policy Advisory Council

    WISCONSIN(TIP): Indian American Dr. Dipesh Navsaria has been named by Wisconsin Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Lt. Gov.-elect Mandela Barnes to their Health Policy Advisory Council, among others.

    Navsaria is a pediatrician at UW Health, as well as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

    He earned his medical degree at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed his residency at UW Hospitals and Clinics in Madison, Wisconsin.

    On Twitter, Navsaria said that he was honored “to be asked to serve the people of Wisconsin” and that this is just “a short-term, volunteer, advisory role.”

    According to a press release, the council will bring experienced voices from around the state to work with the transition team on health care issues, advising them on policy matters relating to the Department of Health Services, Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, the Department of Employee Trust Funds, and numerous state boards focused on health care.

  • Indian American Dr. Sumanta Chaudhuri Named Chief Medical Officer of KPC’s Hemet and Menifee Hospitals

    Indian American Dr. Sumanta Chaudhuri Named Chief Medical Officer of KPC’s Hemet and Menifee Hospitals

    HEMET, CA (TIP) : Indian American Dr. Sumanta Chaudhuri has been appointed as Chief Medical Officer for Hemet Valley Medical Center and Menifee Valley Medical Center according to KPC’s official announcement. Hemet Valley Medical Center and Menifee Valley Medical Center are two of seven hospitals affiliated with KPC’s southern California-based health system.

    A graduate of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Sumanta Chaudhuri most recently served as Program Director of the Transitional Year Internship for graduate medical residents at Hemet Valley Medical Center.

    In addition, Dr. Chaudhuri served as the Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and Director of the Peri-Operative Clinic of the Eye Institute at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Was selected as the Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Riverside Community Hospital and served as Medical Director for local Independent Physician Associations and Hospitalist groups.

    “Dr. Sumanta Chaudhuri brings with her a demonstrated track record of success, skill, passion, and expertise in healthcare through her clinical and academic credentials that are a tremendous benefit to the KPC health system and the communities we serve,” said Peter Baronoff, CEO of KPC Health.

    “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve as Chief Medical Officer for Hemet Valley Medical Center and Menifee Valley Medical Center and will continue to pursue my lifelong goal of supporting high quality and accessible healthcare for our patients and their families,” said Dr. Chaudhuri.

    KPC operates a group of integrated healthcare delivery systems consisting of acute care hospitals, Independent Physician Associations, medical groups, urgent care facilities, and various fully integrated multi-specialty medical facilities throughout the western United States.

     

  • IRS sees surge in email phishing scams; Summit Partners urge taxpayers: ‘Don’t Take the Bait’

    IRS sees surge in email phishing scams; Summit Partners urge taxpayers: ‘Don’t Take the Bait’

    WASHINGTON(TIP): With the approach of the holidays and the 2019 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry warned people to be on the lookout following a surge of new, sophisticated email phishing scams.

    Taxpayers saw many more phishing scams in 2018 as the IRS recorded a 60 percent increase in bogus email schemes that seek to steal money or tax data. These schemes can endanger a taxpayer’s financial and tax data, allowing identity thieves a chance to try stealing a tax refund.

    The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the tax community, partners in the Security Summit, are marking “National Tax Security Awareness Week” Dec. 3 -7, with a series of reminders to taxpayers and tax professionals. In part two, the topic is email phishing scams.

    “The holidays and tax season present great opportunities for scam artists to try stealing valuable information through fake emails,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Watch your inbox for these sophisticated schemes that try to fool you into thinking they’re from the IRS or our partners in the tax community. Taking a few simple steps can protect yourself during the holiday season and at tax time.”

    In the second part of this week’s National Tax Security Awareness Week series, the IRS and Summit partners warned against a new influx of phishing scams.

    Tax-related phishing scams reported to the IRS declined for the prior three years until a surge in 2018. More than 2,000 tax-related scam incidents were reported to the IRS from January through October, compared to approximately 1,200 incidents in all of 2017.

    One recent malware campaign used a variety of subjects like “IRS Important Notice,” “IRS Taxpayer Notice” and other variations. The phishing emails, which use varying language, demands a payment or threatens to seize the recipient’s tax refund.

    Taxpayers can help spot these schemes by examples of misspelling and bad grammar. Taxpayers can forward these email schemes to phishing@irs.gov.

    The most common way for cybercriminals to steal money, bank account information, passwords, credit cards or Social Security numbers is to simply ask for them. Every day, people fall victim to phishing scams or phone scams that cost them their time and their cash.

    Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal, tax or financial information by posing as a trustworthy organization. Often, recipients are fooled into believing the phishing communication is from someone they trust. A scam artist may take advantage of knowledge gained from online research and earlier attempts to masquerade as a legitimate source, including presenting the look and feel of authentic communications, such as using an official logo. These targeted messages can trick even the most cautious person into taking action that may compromise sensitive data.

    The scams may contain emails with hyperlinks that take users to a fake site. Other versions contain PDF attachments that may download malware or viruses.

    Some phishing emails will appear to come from a business colleague, friend or relative. These emails might be an email account compromise. Remember, criminals may have compromised your friend’s email account and begin using their email contacts to send phishing emails.

    Not all phishing attempts are emails – some are phone scams. One of the most common phone scams is the caller pretending to be from the IRS and threatening the taxpayer with a lawsuit or with arrest if payment is not made immediately, usually through a debit card.

    In addition, phishing@irs.gov continues to receive a large volume of IRS telephone scam complaints. These phone scams increased again in 2018 with reports to phishing@irs.gov recording thousands of telephone numbers from email complaints each week.

    Phishing attacks, especially online phishing scams, are popular with criminals because there is no fool-proof technology to defend against them. Users are the main defense. When users see a phishing scam, they should ensure they don’t take the bait.

    Here are a few steps to take to protect against phishing and other tax-related schemes:

    Be vigilant; be skeptical. Never open a link or attachment from an unknown or suspicious source. Even if the email is from a known source, approach with caution. Cybercrooks are adept at mimicking trusted businesses, friends and family — including the IRS and others in the tax business. Thieves may have compromised a friend’s email address, or they may be spoofing the address with a slight change in text, such as name@example.com vs narne@example.com. In the latter, merely changing the “m” to an “r” and “n” can trick people.

    Remember, the IRS doesn’t initiate spontaneous contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes asking for information via text messages and social media channels. The IRS does not call taxpayers with aggressive threats of lawsuits or arrests.

    Phishing schemes thrive on people opening the message and clicking on hyperlinks. When in doubt, don’t use hyperlinks and go directly to the source’s main web page. Remember, no legitimate business or organization will ask for sensitive financial information via email.

    Use security software to protect against malware and viruses found in phishing emails. Some security software can help identify suspicious websites that are used by cybercriminals.

    Use strong passwords to protect online accounts. Each account should have a unique password. Use a password manager if necessary. Criminals count on people using the same password repeatedly, giving crooks access to multiple accounts if they steal a password – creating opportunities to build phishing schemes. Experts recommend the use of a passphrase, instead of a password, use a minimum of 10 digits, including letters, numbers and special characters. Longer is better.

    Use multi-factor authentication when offered. Some online financial institutions, email providers and social media sites offer multi-factor protection for customers. Two-factor authentication means that in addition to entering your username and password, you must enter a security code generally sent as a text to your mobile phone. Even if a thief manages to steal usernames and passwords, it’s unlikely the crook would also have a victim’s phone.

    The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry are working together to fight against tax-related identity theft and to protect taxpayers. Everyone can help. Visit the “Taxes. Security. Together.” awareness campaign or review IRS Publication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers, to learn more. Tax professionals can also get more information through the Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself campaign as well as the Tax Security 101 series.

    (Press Release)

  • The Chatwal Lodge Commences Construction with Ceremonial Groundbreaking in Rural Bethel, NY

    The Chatwal Lodge Commences Construction with Ceremonial Groundbreaking in Rural Bethel, NY

    Five-star luxury resort to anchor revitalization of iconic Catskill Mountains; opening 2020

    BETHEL, NY (December 6, 2018) – Developed by Dream Hotel Group and designed by Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects, The Chatwal Lodge will be a driving force in the ongoing restoration and revitalization of New York’s famed Catskill Mountains.

    Nestled among 26 acres along the wooded shores of the 1,000-acre Toronto Reservoir, the five-star luxury retreat is expected to open in spring 2020 with 34 private villas and suite accommodations, refined rustic design and world-class, farm-to-table culinary experiences by DUCASSE Paris, founded by multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.

    Sant Chatwal speaking at the Groundbreaking
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

    The groundbreaking ceremony for this exciting development took place  Wednesday, December 5, 2018, at 11:00am, and featured New York State Assembly Member Aileen M. Gunther and Bethel Town Supervisor Dan Sturm as keynote speakers, leading members of the Dream Hotel Group team: Chairman Sant Singh Chatwal, CEO Jay Stein, and Vice President of Operations, Luxury Division Ashish Verma, as well as Chapin Estate Developer Steve Dubrovsky, Architect Nunzio DeSantis, and Granite Associates Chairman & CEO Alan Gerry, among others.

    Alan Gerry, an American billionaire and founder of Cablevision Industries, congratulating Sant Chatwal
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
    Chatwal Lodge mainstays. L to R: Steve Dubrovsky, Developer, Chapin Estate; Alan Gerry, Chairman & CEO Granite Associates, L.P. ; Sant Chatwal, Chairman Dream Hotel Group; and Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
    Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group outlining the ambitious project
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

    “We’re grateful for Mr. Sant Chatwal and his Dream Hotel Group team bringing The Chatwal Lodge to the region. The caliber of this project is remarkable, and, once open, will become a world-class destination and an extraordinary addition to both New York State and Sullivan County,” said New York State Assembly Member Aileen M. Gunther.

    “The Chatwal Lodge will bring full- and part-time jobs, both during construction and after it opens,” said Bethel Town Supervisor Dan Sturm. “The new tourists and visitors that will come to Bethel will also bring new commerce and better economic opportunity for all the businesses already located here.”

    President and CEO of Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association Roberta Byron-Lockwood added, “The Catskills is a picturesque mountainous region that has been long known as a popular getaway since the beginning of the twentieth century. The Chatwal Lodge will help solidify its reputation as a global destination for years to come.”

    Rustic and refined, The Chatwal Lodge offers an elegant and charming play of details literally carved straight out of the woods from which it stands. The luxurious hideaway features hand-hewn timbers, oversized stone fireplaces and mighty trunks of 40-foot white pine trees towering from floor to ceiling in the Main Lodge. Luxurious meeting and event venues located at water’s edge are ideal for corporate retreats, social events and lavish destination weddings. Harmonizing with nature, its serene spa offerings will also include some of the most desirable wellness services.

    The opening of The Chatwal Lodge is part of a larger economic development plan for the town of Bethel, New York. Within this beautiful swath of the Catskills, located just 90 miles from midtown Manhattan, the wilds of nature are discovered in everyday life. The Chatwal Lodge is located within The Chapin Estate along the shores of Sullivan Country’s two largest lakes. Named as one of the ‘top 10 regions to visit in 2019’ by Lonely Planet, the Catskills and Sullivan County have seen an increasing number of visitors due to its vast recreational activities, as well as growing arts and culture community. The Chatwal Lodge is expected to generate tax revenue and create new jobs, while also offering the growing residential and business communities a new reason to work and play in the countryside destination.

    Siddhartha Pahwa, CEO Yo1 Luxury Nature Cure outlined the services his company will provide to rejuvenate the visitors to the Lodge
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
    Alleen M. Gunther , Assembly Member, New York State Assembly sharing her thoughts Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Chief Editor and Publisher of The Indian Panorama
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
    Ashish Verma, Vice President, Luxury Division, Dream Hotel Group, and Riyaz Akhtar, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Dream Hotel Group spoke with The Indian Panorama about various aspects of the project
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

    “We are delighted to finally commence construction on this iconic project,” said Developer Steve Dubrovsky. “We greatly appreciate the patience and guidance of everyone involved as we carefully design and connect this new, five-star retreat within the expanse of Chapin Estate, one of the Catskills’ most serene and beautiful natural landscapes.”

    “The Chatwal Lodge is born from our signature New York City location and five-star luxury brand The Chatwal,” said Sant Singh Chatwal, Chairman, Dream Hotel Group. “Within this decadent and simply unprecedented country retreat, The Chatwal Lodge is a magical destination where luxury meets nature, and we are committed to embracing the natural resources of the area to create an enterprise that truly redefines the town and country luxury living experience.”

    “All of us at Dream Hotel Group are proud to play a role in creating what will be one of the most spectacular destinations in Sullivan County,” remarked Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group. “Drawing inspiration from the Catskills’ rich history, rustic architecture and breathtaking natural setting, The Chatwal Lodge will be the star of Sullivan County and a critical addition to our growing global portfolio.”

    With 18 hotels open today and 20 new locations currently in development worldwide, Dream Hotel Group is on track to triple its existing portfolio by 2022. The groundbreaking of The Chatwal Lodge signals another exciting milestone in the continued growth and evolution of the company and its portfolio of lifestyle brands.

    Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal voiced confidence in the county at a groundbreaking for The Chatwal Lodge. The hospitality mogul’s company, the Dream Hotel Group, plans to build the 50-room, $50 million, five-star luxury retreat inside The Chapin Estate, an elite residential community.

    Up to $100 million could eventually be invested, depending on the project’s success, Dream Hotel Group CEO Jay Stein told the Times Herald-Record last year.

    The Old World Charm of the location
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
    The Old World Charm of the location
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
    The Old World Charm of the location
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

    “Sullivan County has very great potential, just go back to the history of this area, and how it was number one for tourism in the tri-state area,” Chatwal said Wednesday. “Now, it’s time to bring it back.”

    “Look at Manhattan, and how no one wanted to go to Times Square,” and how it was redeveloped, Chatwal added. “This is the same story that should happen here” in Sullivan County.

    Dream Hotel Group operates 20 hotels, including the Chatwal New York and Time Hotels, and more than 50 restaurants and bars worldwide. The company has another 20 hotels under construction.

    Now, Chatwal is betting on the Catskills, after three decades of running uber-trendy, high-end urban hotels with long lines for attractions like rooftop bars.

    The Chatwal Lodge’s first 25 rooms at Chapin are due by the second half of 2020, followed by another 25 rooms. If they’re a hit, the 26-acre site has space for 50 more rooms, Stein said on Wednesday.

    Accommodations will cost between $500 and $5,000 per night. Some will be beside the Toronto Reservoir. The Nunzio Marc DeSantis-designed complex will include:

    ‒ 34 luxury villas with 50 total rooms. The rooms will be spread among accommodations such as eight one- and two-bedroom luxury cabins; three or four glamor-camping tents; a guest home with a presidential suite, and a handful of large, ultra-luxe, glass-roofed treehouses;

    a restaurant and catering by chef Alain Ducasse, and the Ducasse Paris company, which operates three restaurants that have each earned a coveted three-star Michelin rating;

    ‒ a pool, a fitness center, a wedding area and cabin amenities ranging from fire pits to decks to golf carts and kayaks; some spa elements on site and others at the YO1 Luxury Nature Cure center in the Town of Thompson;

    ‒ and a main lodge, created from Chapin Estate co-founder Steve Dubrovsky’s 13,000-square-foot home.

    Dubrovsky, Howard Schoor and Dan Silna began building The Chapin Estate in 2000. Residences sell for between $500,000 and $15 million. In July 2017, Chatwal took the leading stake in the community’s roughly 2,500 undeveloped acres, which amount to about 280 unsold lots.

    Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez and other local leaders cheered Chatwal’s hotel plans on Wednesday.

    “Sullivan County is not standing behind on development,” Alvarez said. “We’re in the front again as a family destination.”

    Hal Teitelbaum, a Chapin Estate resident and Crystal Run Healthcare CEO, said he’s uncertain what the Dream Hotel Group’s project will bring to Bethel.

    “If they provide amenities, and if they’re good stewards of the environment, it could be a fantastic thing both for the Chapin community and for Sullivan County,” Teitelbaum said.

  • A Relationship Under Stress

    A Relationship Under Stress

    By Stanly Johny

    “Mr. Trump, wary of not disrupting his West Asia policy, may stay the course on Saudi Arabia for now. But the growing criticisms of the partnership on Capitol Hill can’t be ignored. The Senate has already voted with a huge majority to move forward legislation to end the U.S. involvement in the Yemen war.”

    The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly concluded that Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, personally ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The murder of the Saudi dissident journalist at the Kingdom’s Istanbul consulate on October 2 has already triggered a global outrage against MBS, as the Crown Prince is known. But U.S. President Donald Trump seems unfazed by both the findings of his spy agency as well as the mounting global outcry. He called the CIA assessment “very premature”, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S.’s “historic commitment” to Saudi Arabia is “absolutely vital to America’s security” and its “interests in the Middle East”.

    Thinking like realists

    This is a popular argument in Washington. Realists would say the relationship with Saudi Arabia is so vital for American national interests that the U.S. should overlook certain aspects of Saudi behavior. The Trump administration repeats this argument to justify its lack of action against Riyadh in the wake of the murder of Khashoggi. But does Saudi Arabia actually have such leverage over America?

    The Saudi-U.S. partnership can be dated back to the 1945 meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Saudi King Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia and father of current monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz. In the meeting, held on board the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal, both leaders came to a two-way agreement: the U.S. would support and provide military training for Saudi Arabia, while the Kingdom would provide oil and political backing in return. This alliance made sense for both countries during the Cold War. The Saudis were anxious about communist expansion into the Arab/Muslim world. Half of Yemen fell into the hands of Marxists in 1967, and in 1978 communists took power in Afghanistan. And the U.S. wanted uninterrupted flow of oil for its own economic expansion and the post-war reconstruction of Europe. It also wanted a political ally in West Asia.

    But the conditions that laid the foundation of this partnership have changed. The Soviet Union fell apart almost three decades ago. America’s dependency on Saudi Arabia for oil has also decreased over the years. True, Saudi Arabia remains a major supplier of oil to the U.S. But it doesn’t have the leverage over the American economy as it had in 1973 when Arab countries imposed an embargo on mostly Western nations in protest against their support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War with Egypt. The U.S. is now one of the top three crude producers, along with Russia and Saudi Arabia.

    Other arguments in favor of stronger partnership cite the massive Saudi investments in the U.S., both treasury securities and private businesses. But Saudi Arabia acts in its interest, not with the goal of helping the U.S. economy. If it sells its U.S. assets, that would also hurt the Saudi economy badly. After all, from economic diversification at home to security guarantees, Saudi Arabia needs the U.S. more than the other way around, which offers Washington room for strategic man oeuvre.

    While the strategic potential of the partnership has been shrinking, the U.S. has come under greater scrutiny, especially in the post-9/11 world, for its support for Saudi Arabia, the Wahhabi kingdom that stands opposed to everything the U.S. preaches on global stages — from democracy and respecting human rights to religious freedom and independent media. It was this broad context that allowed former U.S. President Barack Obama to take a different approach towards Saudi Arabia. He retained the fundamental elements of the partnership, including trade and economic ties, arms sales and security guarantees, while refusing to act in Syria on the Saudis’ behalf and moving further ahead to strike a nuclear deal with Iran. He even asked the Saudis and the Iranians to share West Asia and institute a “Cold Peace” in the region.

    Back to square one

    But President Trump has reversed this approach and rebuilt the administration’s West Asia policy, making Saudi Arabia its centerpiece. The twin objectives of the Trump policy are to ensure Israel’s security and roll back Iranian influence. It’s this tilt that is now stopping him from moving against the Saudis. The administration has already declared what its Iran policy is. It has already pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal. And the Americans need Saudi support in their effort to isolate and weaken Iran, something Israel too has been demanding for years. But this is not a larger national security argument, nor is it a realistic one. When the fundamentals of a partnership get weakened and the region undergoes major changes, how long can the U.S. allow its Iran obsession to dictate its policies towards West Asia?

    From the realpolitik point, even if the U.S. wants to limit Iranian influence, Saudi Arabia under MBS is not helping the cause. It lost the Syria war. Its intervention in Yemen drove the Houthis further into Iran’s embrace. The Qatar blockade has divided the Arab world (Qatar has now quit OPEC as well). The detention of the Lebanese Prime Minister last year has played Lebanese politics into the hands of Hezbollah, the Iran ally.

    Mr. Trump, wary of not disrupting his West Asia policy, may stay the course on Saudi Arabia for now. But the growing criticisms of the partnership on Capitol Hill can’t be ignored. The Senate has already voted with a huge majority to move forward legislation to end the U.S. involvement in the Yemen war. Republican Senator Bob Corker accused the White House of “moonlighting as a public relations firm for the Crown Prince”. Rand Paul, another Republican Senator, says it’s time for America to stand up and tell Saudi Arabia, “enough”. These are not isolated moral outbursts; they suggest changing undercurrents. There is a growing realization in Washington that the Saudi pillar of its West Asia policy is getting weak. Mr. Trump, driven by his own notional obsessions, might overlook it. But future American Presidents can’t. They may have to start from where Mr. Obama stopped.

    (Source: The Hindu. The author is a columnist. He can be reached at stanly.johny@thehindu.co.in)

     

     

  • Two Punjabs, one South Asia

    Two Punjabs, one South Asia

    By Kanak Mani Dixit

    “Nothing has worked, and we are today in suspended animation between Mr. Modi’s India-centric vision of the region and the Pakistani military’s control of the geopolitical discourse in Islamabad. At such a time comes the possibility held out by the Kartarpur Corridor.”

    For a flickering moment in the last week of November, it seemed as if Congress provocateur and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu might set the geopolitical agenda, when he unabashedly spoke of the need for India and Pakistan to mend fences. He was in Lahore on the occasion of the start of work on the Kartarpur Corridor, meant to ease the travel of Sikh pilgrims to the resting place of Guru Nanak.

    Unfazed by ridicule on Indian television, the cricketer-turned-politician spoke of peace, trade and people-to-people contact, all of them lost causes of the ‘track two’ dialogues of past decades. His confidence seemed to emanate from being a Sikh and Punjabi reaching out to Pakistani Punjab, and in his wordy sermons one actually detected the formula for India-Pakistan cohabitation, which would also catalyze cooperation in the larger South Asian region.

    Ultra-nationalist fog

    Peace in the Subcontinent presupposes amity between India and Pakistan, and more than 40 years of efforts at regionalism has been held hostage by hostility of the two, with the other countries watching askance.

    The abuse hurled by the state establishments of each side is a populist political tool that distracts the public from pressing matters of growth, equity, democracy and accountability. That the cost of maintaining massive militaries in each country drags down efforts at social justice is lost in the fog of ultra-nationalism.

    India, as the more stable democracy, should inculcate empathy for the neighbor, but the New Delhi commentariat tends not to recognize the difference between the Pakistani state and its people, the latter struggling against extremism, military supremacy and state-centralism all at one go.

    Indian media by and large is not bothered by the travails of Pakistanis, as right-wing trolls rule the airwaves and social media. Similar to how dissent is sought to be silenced with the ‘Urban Naxal’ tag, since long those seeking India-Pakistan amity and South Asian regionalism are rejected as romantic peaceniks lighting meaningless candles at Wagah-Atari.

    The trolling and abuse on all matters related to Pakistan can be expected to peak as India’s general election of 2019 draws near, which will only help Islamabad’s military-intelligence complex tighten its grip on the society. It is high time to try once again for a plan for South Asian regionalism.

    Opportunity costs

    The potential of South Asia for sustained high growth has been blocked by the tightened national borders, with India playing its part by building barbed wire fences on the Pakistan and Bangladesh frontiers. In all of seven decades, the economic history of the Subcontinent has been forgotten, with the ultra-nationalist narrative having us believe that this separate living is how it has always been.

    Until Cyril Radcliffe drew the map of Partition, the economic synergy across the different parts of the Subcontinent was an unquestioned historical reality. There is no one to remember or remind that this reality of sealed borders was set only in 1947 for most parts of the Subcontinent, or that the door actually slammed shut only after the India-Pakistan war of 1965.

    As the historical ‘connectivity’ of the Subcontinent crumbled, it created massive dysfunction as economies of scale and production chains were disrupted. The opportunity costs have been incalculable in terms of infrastructure, production and commerce, and the loss in livelihoods would be heart-rending if only we cared to calculate.

    The present-day failure of South Asian academia is its unwillingness to theorize on the promise of economic growth and social justice that regionalism holds, through soft/open borders. Of the Indian intelligentsia, the failure is also in seeing economic geography through the New Delhi lens rather than those of the ‘peripheral’ regions, from Rajasthan to the Northeast.

    ‘South Asia’ must be understood as a project for social justice, to be achieved through economic rationalization, sub-regional interactions and reduced military budgets – and open borders such as exists between Nepal and India.

    Counter-populism

    The goal of the future should be to learn to compartmentalize one’s perceptions of the ‘other’, that Pakistan is made up of its state and its people just as India too is made up of its state and its people. The mutual demonization has to do with conflating the two, state apparatus and citizenry, as one.

    While the Pakistani state is rightfully critiqued for the way the military/intelligence calls the shots — from the Kargil misadventure to cross-border militancy, to even denying Punjab province the right to import energy from India — the self-perception of India as ‘good’ and Pakistan as ‘bad’ should have been abandoned long ago.

    In Pakistan, the space of the public intellectual is circumscribed by the jihadists, the army and the military intelligence. In India, a much freer country no doubt, there is the rise of pernicious ultra-populism that keeps public figures from speaking up.

    In the age of Narendra Modi, proposing South Asian solidarity is frowned upon to such an extent that academics and opinion makers, not to mention bureaucracy and even international funding agencies, all think it is better to keep aloof of the concept. Since 2016, the Prime Minister has been consistent in his refusal to attend the 19th SAARC Summit slated for Islamabad, which has rendered the regional organization comatose. His vision of South Asian regionalism is where the neighbors dance to India’s tune.

    The fear that South Asia as a concept heralds some kind of supra-sovereignty is misplaced, for there is no plan afoot for supplanting of the nation-state and associated group privileges. No, the capitals are not being asked to relinquish their powers to a Subcontinental center.

    Instead, a realistic formula for South Asian regionalism lies in allowing the federal units of the two largest countries — the provinces of Pakistan and the states of India — autonomy, which today exists only on paper. This is where the Punjab-Punjab formula comes in.

    Even as television sought to lampoon Mr. Sidhu, we saw what was required to push for peace in South Asia — chutzpah. The Yiddish word implies the gall or audacity of a showman, and the gift of repartee to challenge the harshest of televangelist anchors.

    It does seem that ultranationalist populism can only be cut by counter-populist hyperbole. Responding to the Pakistan Foreign Minister’s invitation to the Kartarpur Corridor ground-breaking, the Punjab Minister replied in a letter: “As our nations take this first step, the Kartarpur Spirit can make pilgrims of us all, venturing out on a journey that breaks the barriers of history and opens the borders of hearts and the mind, a journey that our people can walk together towards a future of shared peace and prosperity for India and Pakistan.”

    If you read the words and not the perception some have of the gentleman, the future of Punjab-Punjab, India-Pakistan and South Asia as a whole can be found in the paragraph.

    Punjabiyat

    Nothing has been left untried in the effort to ease India-Pakistan tensions — Atal Behari Vajpayee visiting Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore; Mr. Modi flying in for Nawaz Sharif’s birthday; secret emissaries rushing hither and yon; and ‘track two’ and ‘track three’ events of every kind.

    Nothing has worked, and we are today in suspended animation between Mr. Modi’s India-centric vision of the region and the Pakistani military’s control of the geopolitical discourse in Islamabad. At such a time comes the possibility held out by the Kartarpur Corridor.

    Punjab province is by far the most powerful sub-national unit of Pakistan. The Indian Punjab may not be as powerful within India in relative terms, but it is no pushover either. The two Punjabs have one history, as the stepping stone for invaders, battlegrounds that go back millennia, the shared tragedy of Partition, and the shared culture and language of Punjabiyat.

    Given that South Asian regionalism can only come from a turn towards genuine federalism in India and Pakistan, Punjab Province and Punjab State are the places to start anew. It may just be Punjabiyat is the concept which will help bring India and Pakistan closer to peace, and make South Asia a safer and more prosperous place.

    (Source: Tribune.. The author, a  writer and journalist based in Kathmandu, is the founding editor of the magazine, ‘Himal Southasian’)

  • AgustaWestland bribery: Can CBI make the rare catch sing?

    Christian Michel fought long and hard to avoid a deportation to India. He was earlier successful in preventing a court appearance in Italy where the case against the chief of AgustaWestland for bribing Indian officials and politicians fell through for want of sufficient proof. Significantly, the then UPA government had moved the Italian court as a civil party. The die was cast for the extradition of Michel from Dubai in July last year when the Enforcement Directorate arrested Shivani Saxena for routing money on his behalf. The claim then, as it is now, was that Saxena will lay out the money trail, especially to politicians, since she herself was a conduit.

    Little has been heard of that case. Even in the first CBI charge-sheet, except for former IAF chief SP Tyagi and his kin, no other bureaucrat felt the heat. Indeed, probe into defense deals worldwide is like entering the Bermuda Triangle. Investigations generally run into lack of response from countries and companies involved in the case. The massive financial muscle of the worldwide military industrial complex is generally successful in ensuring that cases where graft is alleged are brushed under the carpet. Against that backdrop it is gratifying that India has bagged a foreigner middleman, an  elusive species in all past instances of corrupt defense deals.

    The BJP has hoisted Michel’s arrest into a poll issue even though two middlemen remain out of India’s grasp. The CBI also requires considerable legwork to prove that the alleged money trail went to highly placed political beneficiaries. The issue of middlemen infiltrating the IAF, the Defense Ministry and the higher political echelons needs sincerity of purpose rather than political grandstanding. The ball is in now in the legal domain and will be argued on merits. But there is also a gaping lacuna in the Indian defense acquisition process — onerous conditions have caused a paucity of authorized liaison persons to navigate foreign companies through the shoals of Indian babudom. This gives space for shadowy operators to ply their trade.

    (Tribune, India)

  • Dalit MP Savitri Phule quits BJP, says country needs ‘Constitution not temple’

    Dalit MP Savitri Phule quits BJP, says country needs ‘Constitution not temple’

    LUCKNOW(TIP): Accusing the BJP of dividing society, disgruntled party MP from Bahraich Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phule on Thursday, December 6  resigned from the saffron party.

    Speaking to reporters in Bahraich, Dalit leader said upholding the Constitution and the rights it guarantees to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is her duty for which she is resigning.

    Phule announced to hold a massive rally at Ramabai Ambedkar maidan in Lucknow on December 23. She promised to make an “explosive announcement” at the rally.

    “I have resigned from the party. But I will continue as a Lok Sabha member till the end of my tenure,” she said.

    She has also accused the BJP of dividing society and often the party over its Hindutva plank.

    The Dalit MP, who has long been critical of the party’s leadership and resigned from the party on the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, said she wants to get the Constitution implemented in letter and spirit.

    “Desh ke chowikdar ki pehredari mein, sansadhono ki chori karai ja rahi hai (the country’s resources are being looted under the watch of the country’s gateman),” she said in a derisive reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Slamming the BJP, she said people did not get Rs 15 lakh as promised but money was being misused in the construction of statues and temples.

    “It (BJP) is spreading hatred by raking up Hindu-Muslim, India-Pakistan issues and doing nothing to bring back those who fled with our money,” the 37-year-old MP said.

    Ministers, she added, were making statements against the spirit of the Constitution “It seems the BJP wants to run the country from Manusmriti and not from the Constitution,” Phule asserted, referring to the ancient Hindu code.

    “I am resigning on the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar as Manuwadi mentality is being promoted and the RSS, the VHP and the BJP are hurting the sentiments of Dalits and Muslims by creating a 1992 like situation. They are playing divisive politics and vitiating the communal atmosphere…,” she said.

    Phule also said she wanted to draw the country’s attention towards the issue of reservations in promotion.

    Reacting to her resignation, BJP spokesperson Harishchandra Srivsatava said Phule was trying to hide her failures as she had failed to meet the expectations of the people of Bahraich.

    “From today onwards, I have nothing to do with the BJP. My voice was being ignored in the party as I am a Dalit. There is a great conspiracy against Dalits and their rights. Reservation for Dalits and backwards is also being slowly taken away,” she said.

    Known for her controversial statements, Phule has been attacking the BJP and its governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged indifference to the concerns of Scheduled Castes.

    On Tuesday, Phule said Lord Hanuman was “a Dalit and a slave of ‘Manuwadi’ people”, adding her voice to the row which erupted over UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement that the deity was a Dalit.

    Asked about the Ram temple issue, pending in the Supreme Court, Phule said the BJP is raking up the matter as it has no other issues.

    “The country does not need a temple. Will it end unemployment and other problems of Dalits and backwards? The temple will benefit Brahmins, who are only 3 per cent. The money offered in temples are used by them for their gains and make our community (Dalit) their slave,” she had said.

    Phule earlier also raised questions on BJP leaders dining at Dalit homes and termed Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, “a mahapurush” (great personality), causing embarrassment to her party.

    (With inputs from PTI and Tribune)

  • Manjit Singh GK resigns as DSGMC president

    Manjit Singh GK resigns as DSGMC president

    NEW DELHI(TIP): Under fire over corruption allegations, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh GK resigned from the post on Thursday, December 6. Other members of the executive committee, including general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, have also resigned and sent their resignations to Akali Dal president Sukhbir Sigh Badal.

    Earlier, Manjit Sigh GK announced elections to the executive committee three months before the due date of March 29. The announcement was made after a meeting of the executive board called by general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa following the directions of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

    After heated arguments in the meeting between members, Manjit Singh GK announced that the elections will be held either on December 28 or December 29.

    A proposal for the elections would be sent to the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, Delhi government, for the exact date.

    (Source: Tribune)

  • George H.W. Bush Laid to Rest Next to Wife Barbara and Daughter Robin at his Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas

    George H.W. Bush Laid to Rest Next to Wife Barbara and Daughter Robin at his Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas

    HOUSTON(TIP): Following his second funeral service on Thursday, December 6 morning, the former president was buried at the family gravesite beside his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush, who died in April at the age of 92, and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953 when she was only three.

    After a state funeral on Wednesday in Washington that was attended by the country’s five living presidents and foreign dignitaries, Bush’s flag-draped coffin was flown to Houston.

    Located on the campus of Texas A&M University, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum houses Bush’s presidential archives and is also home to exhibitions dedicated to him and the former first lady.

    Bush’s granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager takes comfort in the fact that the three of them have finally been reunited. “I had the opportunity to talk with my grandpa about the afterlife,” the Today show star, 37, captioned a touching tribute on Instagram. “This is what he said: He answered without any hesitation. ‘Yes, I think about it. I used to be afraid. I used to be afraid of dying. I used to worry about death. But now in some ways I look forward to it.’ And I started crying. I managed to choke out, ‘Well, why? What do you look forward to?’ “

    In response, he said: “‘Well, when I die, I’m going to be reunited with these people that I’ve lost.’ And I asked who he hoped to see. He replied, ‘I hope I see Robin, and I hope I see my mom.’”

    Her grandfather went on to share that he didn’t know whether his daughter would still look like “the 3-year-old that she was, this chubby, vivacious child,” when they saw each other again, or whether she would be all grown up.

    George W. Bush expressed the same gratitude for their reunion during the emotional eulogy he delivered at his father’s state funeral on Wednesday. “Every day of his 73 years of marriage, dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband … He was dedicated to her totally,” the 43rd president reflected on his parents’ relationship.

    Following the death of wife Barbara on April 17, Bush 41 remained devoted to his bride, sitting beside her casket for hours in his wheelchair as mourners paid their respects while she laid in repose one day before her invitation-only funeral.

    But the weight of her passing clearly took a toll on Bush, who was hospitalized less than 24 hours after burying his wife after contracting an infection that spread to his blood. He later recovered and traveled to the family’s beloved summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, in mid-May, but a week later was readmitted to the hospital for low blood pressure and fatigue.

    In the days since the former president’s death last Friday at the age of 94, Washington and the rest of the country have come together to mourn his loss.

    His remains laid in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, followed by a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, as well as all living former presidents and their spouses — Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter — attended to pay their respects in person.

    Shortly after the service, George W. and wife Laura Bush as well as their extended family traveled back to Houston with Bush’s casket on Special Mission 41. Following the second funeral service, the casket was transported by train to Bush’s final resting place at College Station, where he rejoined his wife and daughter at last.

    “We’re going to miss you,” George W. added during his eulogy. “So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man … The best man a son or daughter could have … And in our grief, let us know that dad is hugging Robin and holding mom’s hand again.”

    (Source: Agencies)

  • December 6 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    December 6 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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  • ‘Individual 1’: Trump emerges as a central subject of Mueller probe: Washington Post

    ‘Individual 1’: Trump emerges as a central subject of Mueller probe: Washington Post

    WASHINGTON(TIP): A Washington Post November 29  late afternoon report by Carol D. Leonnig and Josh Dawsey claims that Trump has emerged as a central subject of Mueller probe. “ In two major developments this week, President Trump has been labeled in the parlance of criminal investigations as a major subject of interest, complete with an opaque legal code name: “Individual 1”, the report says.

    The report which is the most updated account of the ongoing probe says that the “new  evidence from two separate fronts of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation casts fresh doubts on Trump’s version of key events involving Russia, signaling potential political and legal peril for the president. Investigators have now publicly cast Trump as a central figure of their probe into whether Trump’s campaign conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 campaign”.

    Here are excerpts from the news report published late afternoon on November 29.

    Together, the documents show investigators have evidence that Trump was in close contact with his lieutenants as they made outreach to both Russia and WikiLeaks — and that they tried to conceal the extent of their activities.

    On Thursday, Trump’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress when he insisted that Trump was not pursuing plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow after January 2016, casting Trump’s repeated claims that he had no business interests in Russia in a new light. A draft special counsel document revealed Tuesday also indicates that prosecutors are closely scrutinizing Trump’s interactions with a longtime adviser, Roger Stone, as he was seeking information about WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked Democratic emails.

    Legal experts said it’s still unclear how much peril the president might face as a result of the new evidence Mueller has gathered about the Moscow project and WikiLeaks, but his prominence in the prosecutors’ papers puts the president in an awkward starring role.

    “It’s deeply troubling. It’s not a place that anybody wants to be, or where you would want your friends or family to be,” former federal prosecutor Glen Kopp said. “And it’s certainly not a place that you would want your president to be.”

    Trump, identified as “Individual 1” in Cohen’s guilty plea, was said to have received direct updates from Cohen as he pursued a Moscow Trump Tower project with the Kremlin, up until June 14, 2016. The president also appears in the draft charging document for Trump ally Jerome Corsi, who allegedly told Stone about WikiLeaks’ plans to release damaging Democratic emails in October of that year because he knew Stone was in “regular contact” with Trump. The Washington Post reported this week that Trump spoke with Stone the day after he got the alert from Corsi.

    In the draft documents, prosecutors sought to have Corsi plead guilty to lying when he said he didn’t know about WikiLeaks’ plans and urging others to visit WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to obtain emails damaging to Democrats.

    Trump has given slightly differing accounts of his Moscow business ties over time. In July 2016, he tweeted: “For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia.” A day later he claimed, “I have nothing to do with Russia.”

    In January 2017, he told a reporter: “I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we’ve stayed away.”

    Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, said Thursday that the president’s written answers to Mueller about the Moscow project, which he submitted just before Thanksgiving, conforms with Cohen’s version of events. They discussed a project, starting in 2015, continuing into 2016, and it went nowhere, he said.

    President Trump said Nov. 20 that his lawyers have his answers to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s questions about Russia meddling in the 2016 election. (The Washington Post)

    “The president, as far as he knows, he remembers there was such a proposal for a hotel,” Giuliani said. “He talked it over with Cohen as Cohen said. There was a nonbinding letter of intent that was sent. As far as he knows it never came to fruition. That was kind of the end of it.”

    Alan Dershowitz, a Trump ally and constitutional lawyer, said Cohen’s confessions don’t suggest Trump committed any crime but could suggest that Trump wasn’t telling the public the whole truth about the Moscow deal.

    “This is politically damaging, but I’m not sure how legally damaging it is,” Dershowitz said. “This is all about questionable political behavior. It’s a good reason for people voting against Trump. But I don’t see a crime yet.”

    But Tim O’Brien, a Trump biographer and frequent critic, said the developments pose significant new challenges for the president.

    “This is part of the fact pattern that gets to the heart of whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the campaign,” O’Brien said. “I think the unforgiving grinding force of the U.S. justice system, which he has tried to undermine since he became president, is encircling him. I don’t think we know where he will land. But he is certainly mired in something that he is ill-equipped, legally and personally, to handle.”

    Some legal experts argued Mueller appears to be drawing a picture of a candidate who was beholden to the Kremlin. Emails released in the Cohen plea show Trump seeking a financial endorsement from the Russian government on a private project while Russian President Vladi­mir Putin was offering to say flattering things about Trump.

    “It creates the potential for Trump to feel an obligation to pay back President Putin, or Russia in general that . . . do not put the best interests of American forward.” Kopp said. “You are creating a potential vulnerability for a future leader of America.”

    Trump privately stewed as he followed news coverage of Cohen’s plea early Thursday morning, a White House official said.

    A Justice official called the White House Counsel’s Office on Wednesday evening to let personnel know that Cohen would be pleading guilty in a case the following day, according to one person with direct knowledge of the notice. They were not told the details, however, which they learned about shortly before Cohen’s plea Thursday morning.

    Giuliani said the president believed the news development was a gratuitous slap from the Mueller team just as he was about to depart the White House for a trip to the Group of 20 summit in Argentina.

    In public, Trump was defiant, telling reporters that Cohen was a liar and a “weak person” who would do anything to save himself from fraud charges he faces related to his taxi business. Speaking before he stepped onto the Marine One helicopter for his trip, he also denigrated Cohen’s intelligence, calling him “not very smart.”

    “He was convicted of various things unrelated to us,” Trump said. “He’s a weak person, and what he’s trying to do is get a reduced sentence. So he’s lying about a project that everybody knew about. I mean, we were very open with it.”

    He questioned the scrutiny of the Moscow project.

    “There would have been nothing wrong if I did do it,” Trump said. “When I’m running for president, that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to do business.”

    Trump often grows aggrieved seeing Cohen on TV, aides say. Among White House advisers, Cohen is seen as an existential threat — as much or more so than the Mueller investigation itself due to his longtime role as Trump’s fixer. Trump’s legal team did not learn until Thursday that Cohen had sat for dozens of hours of interviews with Mueller’s office, according to a senior administration official.

    Trump was infuriated earlier this year when Cohen released tapes of him and asked his lawyers and advisers if anything could be done to stop him from releasing any more.

    The Trump legal team cast Cohen as a flawed character whose word is meaningless, as it had when he pleaded guilty in August to eight felony counts, including paying women for their silence about alleged affairs with Trump.

    Legal experts said prosecutors were not likely to build a guilty plea — a brick in the overall case — on the word of one person. The prosecutors’ filings show they have corroborated and buttressed Cohen’s account with contemporaneous emails, and people familiar with the probe say they have also obtained corroborating testimony from other witnesses.

    “This is obviously a significant plea and statement. It means that when the president was representing during the campaign that he had no business interests in Russia, that that wasn’t true,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat in line to become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. “ If the president and his associates were being untruthful in real time as they were pursuing this deal, what does it mean now about how much we can rely on what the president is saying about any continuing Russian financial interest?”

    Giuliani said the president and his business have not tried to hide his pursuit of a Moscow tower project, and voluntarily disclosed some of the documents Mueller’s team used in its probe of Cohen for lying to Congress. According to a person familiar with the investigation, Cohen and the Trump Organization could not produce some of the key records upon which Mueller relies. Other witnesses provided copies of those communications.

    In the White House, two aides said Trump had complained more in recent days about Mueller’s prosecutors and has kept close tabs on the comments of Corsi and Stone. Trump has praised his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, extensively for fighting Mueller’s team, which accused Manafort this week of breaching a plea agreement by lying repeatedly to prosecutors as part of his pledged cooperation in the Russia probe. Cohen had not been on the front of Trump’s mind, both of these aides said.

    Many in the White House try to avoid talking with the president about the Mueller probe, for fear they will be subpoenaed. And both of the aides said it was unclear why Trump was complaining more about the investigation recently. During the midterm campaign, the president occasionally told advisers that people had forgotten about the Mueller probe and remarked positively that it was no longer dominating TV headlines.

    (Source: Washington Post / Carol D. Leonnig and Josh Dawsey)

     

  • Democrats overwhelmingly back Nancy Pelosi as next House Speaker despite challenge to her leadership

    Democrats overwhelmingly back Nancy Pelosi as next House Speaker despite challenge to her leadership

    WASHINGTON(TIP): Nancy Pelosi won support from a majority of Democrats on Wednesday, November 28,  to be House speaker, marking an important milestone in her quest to lead the House when her party takes majority control of the chamber in January.

    The Democratic caucus vote in favor of Pelosi, who served as the first woman speaker from 2007 to 2011, brings her a step closer to the gavel that many expect her to regain.

    But becoming Madame Speaker might not be easy.

    Though she ran uncontested, Democrats who oppose her have called for fresh leadership and a change in the “status quo.”

    Pelosi faces a final test in January when the full House votes on leadership.

    To become speaker, she will need support from a majority of the full House – 218, if all members vote.

    “Are there dissenters? Yes,” Pelosi said after receiving her party’s nomination. “But I expect to have a powerful vote as we go forward.”

    Once undecided midterm election results are called, Democrats could have as many as 235 members in the House, which would mean she could afford to lose 17 of their votes in January if all Republicans voted against her.

    Some Democrats, however, could vote “present” instead of voting for either Pelosi or incoming Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. That would lower the number of “yes” votes she needs.

    In Wednesday’s vote, 32 Democrats voted against her and three did not vote.

    But Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., predicted the party will unify when voting publicly on the House floor in January.

    “More people are coming off the ‘Never Pelosi’ letter than are going on it,” Swalwell said of lawmakers who previously withheld their support. “I think the momentum is in her direction.”

    Rep. Elijah Cummings pleaded with Democratic holdouts to reconsider Pelosi’s bid and seemed bewildered with the more than 30 members who voted against her.

    “Here we are, a woman who has given her blood sweat and tears, who has sacrificed over and over and over again, who has had some of the most phenomenal accomplishments of any speaker to serve in the House,” the Maryland Democrat said. “Then at a time when she has led us to have one of the greatest number of women that we’ve ever had, I would say to them, ‘what do you want?’”

    (Source: Agencies)

     

  • PM Modi Reaches Argentina for G20 Summit, to Hold 2 Key Trilateral Meets

    PM Modi Reaches Argentina for G20 Summit, to Hold 2 Key Trilateral Meets

    BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA(TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in two important trilateral meetings with world leaders in Buenos Aires, the Argentina capital, during which they would discuss major global challenges and developments.

    Prime Minister Modi, who reached Buenos Aires to attend the G-20 summit, will participate in the first-ever trilateral meeting between Japan, America and India and the 2nd Russia, India China (RIC) trilateral, which is taking place after an interval of 12 years, on Friday.

    US President Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and then the two leaders will meet jointly with Prime Minister Modi.

    The trilateral meeting between Trump, Abe and PM Modi is taking place in the backdrop of China engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and with Japan in the East China Sea. Both the areas are said to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources.

    China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the waterway, which includes vital sea lanes through which about USD 3 trillion in global trade passes each year.

    The US has been conducting regular patrols in the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation in the area where Beijing has built up and militarized many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region.

    During the RIC meeting, Prime Minister Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, November 29, and they discussed ways to further boost economic, cultural and energy ties.

    The two sides also held discussions on enhancing investment in technology, renewable energy and food security.

    “Had a fruitful interaction with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. We discussed multiple aspects of India-Saudi Arabia relations and ways to further boost economic, cultural and energy ties,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.

    “Deepening strategic ties. PM @narendramodi met with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on sidelines of #G20Argentina. Discussed enhancing Saudi investment in technology, infrastructure, petroleum, renewable energy, food security, fintech & defense sectors,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

    “In recent years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a valuable partner. The relationship has expanded beyond the Indian community to issues related to the economy, energy and security. All issues of bilateral and regional interest will be discussed,” PMO sources said.

    Later, the Prime Minister met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. According to the sources, the UN Secretary General has reached out to PM Modi for the second time in two months.

    They said the meeting signifies the importance that both leaders attach to the issue of climate change. This outreach comes just a week before the COP24 meet in Katowice, Poland.

    “It reflects the respect in which the prime minister and his initiatives are held globally to take the lead on issues of global importance,” the sources said.

    “Looking forward to a wide range of interactions at the G-20 Summit, aimed at furthering sustainable development,” PM Modi tweeted soon after he landed in Argentina.

    PM Narendra Modi will be in Buenos Aires from November 29 to December 1.

    (Source: Agencies)

  • November 30 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    November 30 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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  • When Guru Nanak Appeared on the World Scene

    When Guru Nanak Appeared on the World Scene

    Guru Nanak is the Founder of Sikhism, the youngest and the fifth  largest religion of the world, with a following of around 25  million worldwide. It is  a monotheistic faith founded in the Punjab region of India more than  500 years ago. Most of the world’s 30 million Sikhs live in India, but more than 500,000 have made  the U.S. their home.

    By Harbans Lal, PhD., D.Litt. (Hons)
    “Such was precisely the objective of Guru Nanak and his mission; to take his message across oceans and mountains to civil societies everywhere. Prevalence of similar culture,language, any particular religious belief, weather, landscapes, business opportunities, or political system was not a requirement to entice Guru Nanak. He had no plans to export or take with any ethnic people or language to the places he selected to visit. His whole object was to promote dialogues with religious people and promote interfaith engagement all over the globe towards the pathways to enlightenment and ethics of goodness. All is very clear when one examines the Guru’s dialogues and his travels closely.”

    Guru Nanak’s Coming

    Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the Founder of Sikhism, came to this world on April 15, 1469. He declared his ministry in November 1496 when he took on his journey to teach. He found the paths to enlightenment devoid of divinity; they were completely distorted towards unholy goals of the exploiters of people.

    The powerful who often pretended to protect and spread their faith led to struggles that could only be resolved through the subjugation of the other resulting in bloody conflicts. There were score of instances where the rulers chose to protect their own skin by staying aloof that amounted to let the mighty prevail.

    The religious leaders routinely concocted religious practices to thrust on people to serve many unholy interests. These interests were mutually supportive and were successful in designing a variety of concealed tricks to fool people who were seeking peace and salvation.

    The religious institutions had devised beauty shows with religious practices that were intended to attract innocent minds. For example, they invented deities with accompanying stories, idols with descriptions of their powers, recitations to invoke imaginary deities, and rituals that buttressed each other. They asked people to erect stunning buildings to house gods and promised accessibility to gods at precise times, and places opened only through the expense of wealth, time, and inner energy. Altruism was perverted so that it only benefited clerics and clergy.

    Many other tricks were implemented to speed a religion’s institutional agenda. For example, miracles were invented to convert people and to influence human behaviors. The religious myths were invented to answer real questions and then safeguarded those miracles and myths by un-testable threats and promises.  Religious institutions built cults of external marks and body wrappings to encourage murders and wars against those who did not toe the line, or who were members of competing religions.

    People were asked to invest a massive amount of money, time, and mind in ritualistic illusions and also in corrupted beliefs such as, either converting others or serving clergy with wealth or flesh that would guarantee heavens no one had ever seen. Above all, they used horrific fears to ensure compliance of all their tricks.

    Guru Nanak’s Travel

    he Enlightened Guru Nanak on the bank of the river Veni ( Vein)

    Guru Nanak came out of his enlightening meditation at the  Veni (Vein) River with fervent zeal to spread what he said was inspiration from the ONE CREATOR MANIFESTED IN ALL. He assigned a symbol of    Ek-Onkaar to represent the Creator. He described the calling as to spread the universal message of NAAM – Mindful Awareness of Divine Presence, DAAN –  Live Out the Culture of Altruism when Seeking Divine Benevolence, and ISHNAAN – Implement Ethics of Good Deeds that Cleanse Body and Mind

    To accomplish his mission, Guru Nanak undertook four long journeys over a period of thirty-five years. He journeyed over 30,000 miles in over thirty years. Two faithful provided companionship; Bala, originally from a Hindu background and Mardana, coming from Muslim upbringing.  The countries he covered included, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, south-west China, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Ceylon. Stories of his contacts are also being discovered from sources in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Rome.

    Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was always accompanied by two followers, one a Muslim Mardana ( Left) who played Rabab ( a musical instrument) , and Bala, a Hindu (Right).

    Mission Was Outright Universal

    What is universal? Universal is that applies universally, that is, for “all similarly situated individuals,” regardless of geography, culture, race, gender, religion, nationality, or any other distinguishing feature. When one looks at Guru Nanak’s travels, teachings, and lifestyles, it becomes apparent right away that his visions, concerns, and approaches were all universal.

    Let me explain the universality of Nanak’s mission a bit more as most of us as yet have not grasped the distinction.

    One of our community leaders was visiting the USA sometimes ago.   In our conversation over what he observed he stated his great satisfaction in this way. He said he was so pleased to observe that Sikhism was really becoming universal. No matter where he traveled, he always met Sikhs, and they were all flourishing. To him, it was not always like during his prior visits. I responded that his observation of meeting Punjabi ethnic Sikhs everywhere was heartening and was true, but Sikhi was not at all going universal no matter how many Punjabi Sikhs he found in how many unexpected places. This fact in itself did not bring universality to Sikhi.

    Rather, Sikhi would be universal only when the teachings of our Guru would have practical appeal to civil societies in many countries within and beyond Northern Indian subcontinent, and many diverse cultures across the oceans practice it.

    A universal is something — maybe a concept, an idea, a feeling, etc. — that can be shared in practice across different cultures and languages. When the concepts or teachings can be readily exported beyond the domain in which it originated, independent of exporting people practicing that concept.

    For example, Christian idea of “God’, or ‘religion’ is practiced beyond its origins in the Middle-Eastern and Greco-Roman context. Native Americans, Black Africans and Caucasian alike have accepted Christianity. Western secularists have exported the idea of democracy beyond its European and American context. Buddhists and Hindus have exported the concepts of dharma, karma, meditation, yoga, transmigration, even Gandhi-ism, etc., beyond India. There are many more examples.

    Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh emperor, introduced Nanakshahi currency. An 1804 coin has the picture of Guru Nanak. In another coin, Guru Nanak is seen with his constant companions, Mardana and Bala
    Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh emperor, introduced Nanakshahi currency. An 1804 coin has the picture of Guru Nanak. In another coin, Guru Nanak is seen with his constant companions, Mardana and Bala

    Such was precisely the objective of Guru Nanak and his mission; to take his message across oceans and mountains to civil societies everywhere. Prevalence of similar culture, language, any particular religious belief, weather, landscapes, business opportunities, or political system was not a requirement to entice Guru Nanak. He had no plans to export or take with any ethnic people or language to the places he selected to visit. His whole object was to promote dialogues with religious people and promote interfaith engagement all over the globe towards the pathways to enlightenment and ethics of goodness. All is very clear when one examines the Guru’s dialogues and his travels closely.

    First of all Guru Nanak saw serious problems with the civil societies the world over. His objective was clearly to stir the hearts and minds of people everywhere and all over the world.

    Guru Nanak gave a great deal of thought concluding that civil societies all over the earth were burning in the false belief systems. They were deprived of the divine wisdom, and Nanak heard them horribly desperate. As a result, Guru Nanak changed into the traveling mode and set an example of similar undertakings. He set on enabling the populace of the earth to overcome the darkness of ignorance.

    Regarding Nanak’s religion, there is a famous quote. When, a Muslim scholar in Makkah asked Nanak about his religion, this was his answer. Qazi Ruknuddin asked Nanak:

    “Fala Allah mazaboo”? (What is your religion?)

    To that Guru Nanak responded:

    “Abdulla Allah la mazaboo” (I am a man of God and belong to no religion.)

    Guru Arjan then vouched that Guru Nanak’s teachings could be universally practiced by all four distinctive cultures of Hindu Society, namely, the Kshatriyas who were the nobility and the protectors of society., the Brahmana’s who provide education and spiritual leadership, The Vaishya who produced, and the shudras who served other sections of society through menial jobs.

    ਖਤ੍ਰੀਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਸੂਦਵੈਸਉਪਦੇਸੁਚਹੁਵਰਨਾਕਉਸਾਝਾ॥SGGS, p. 747.

    (The author is Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology and Neurosciences at the medical college of the University of North Texas Health Science Center.  Author of over 400 research papers, 26 books, several research reviews and 56 chapters in technical books, Dr. Lal is an authority on Sikhism. He serves as the Founder President of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies established for the promotion of scholarly works on the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Based in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Lal can be reached atharbansl@gmail.com)

     

     

  • Weekly Horoscope November 26 – December 2, 2018

    Weekly Horoscope November 26 – December 2, 2018

    By Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

    Aries:Ganesha says you are prone to bouts of introspection and continued spirituality (from last period, I mean), pondering on what you’d like to make of your life. At the same time both travel (therefore places, destinations) and closer ties with the people you love will keep you busy. Not only that, it leads to the free exchange of ideas, information, innovation techniques / practices. Some exciting contacts, too, adds Ganesha.

    Taurus:Your relationships, which are your major thrust, will crystallize into a trend that is totally focused on your interactions with people. Love, marriage, professional relationships, to your equation with society and the world, the works is fact. You will concern yourself with charity, social welfare, community welfare. Pleasure comes to you from the intimacy of shared love and at work, from the shared execution of some really inspired plans, so that progress and prosperity are certain.

    Gemini:You are moving into a phase of success now and the focus of all the P’s of last period will be twofold – the home, and your finances. You will improve your assets as well as your earning capacity. Further means of earning, even a parallel income or moonlighting prospects could happen. You will direct this flow of cash into investing in home and property – acquiring, improving, enhancing or even just beautifying, whatever is needed.

    Cancer:The trend of the last period expands now, in financial matters. You may think serious of a change of job or of a new profession altogether, of cutting down expenses and also attempts at creating funds and capital, or loans to finance new projects which may yield greater profits. Thus financial security in the future is your main concern. You are ably supported by colleagues and sincere friends; in fact, you even win over rivals and competitors to cooperate with your plans, so promising will they be.

    Leo:You rely heavily on your own gut feelings, your own perceptions. The focus will still be on finances mainly but now you are watching over your own interests, gains, future. Also, you’re working hard to ensure that you succeed in your venture. Greater power and enhanced position come to you, along with the linked perks, privileges, benefits. Your rivals don’t stand a chance against your determination, which in turn is powered by insights, analysis, knowledge.

    Virgo:Success, achievement, gains are all there now. In this period, in your own sign, there are tangible gains like assets, income, acquisitions, valuable objects for you, your home, your family, and also some equally valuable intangible ones. Self – esteem, confidence, your image in the eyes of others, your total outlook, your attitude / mindset and the environment you create around yourself – all these slow glorious improvement.

    Libra:Gains of a totally different nature now, but even more precious than before. You are full of optimism, strength and determination. Also, great kindness, tolerance, love for your fellowmen (humans, to be politically correct). This is not as easy as it sounds, as there is a degree of animosity and rivalry to reckon with, loss and disappointments to bear. You set solace, strength, joy from your leisure pursuits, creativity, hobbies, new skills. The good part is that they could all lead to fresh methods / means of earning well.

    Scorpio:Your home will once again be focused on, in terms of buying, renovation, improvement. In fact, you’re on a total self – improvement exercise, in terms of higher study, knowledge, research in addition to physical fitness, health regimes. Even your personal assets, funds, cash in the bank will be dealt with, improved, enhanced now. All this for greater efficiency and definitely more power, more recognition.

    Sagittarius:Financial gains are almost definite this period, too. Also, your communication is spectacular, so that there are shared hopes, ideas and the strong support of people who wish you well. It is in the angle of people, in fact, that you have truly tremendous success. Social gatherings, hospitality, entertainments are all energized but more than that, it is in the give-and-take of true and sincere love, of being genuinely wanted and cared for that you attain a joy that is bliss.

    Capricorn:Both your personal life and / or personal equations as well as your financial position show a marked improvement now. So, it’s money and honey (love, romance, affection) for you now – and this may well continue next period. Your socializing will be at an all – time high. Entertaining  and parties, house guests, casual visits and new contacts, wonderful closeness with family, kin, neighbors – Ganesha gives it all. Remember, it’s a long – term trend – that’s the best part of it.

    Aquarius:Travel, ties and trips are highlighted now, but also promotions, perks, prestige, power. The catch is that they don’t happen easily; you have to strive hard to achieve them. There could be some personal hassles, tensions over inflamed emotions and passions, some recalcitrant attitudes. Family conflicts and disagreements, too. You have the vision, optimism and clever ideas to deal successfully with them. A negative, disillusioned attitude could easily develop in you, the feeling of being played for a sucker – but you surmount it with your faith in yourself and in your ideas / vision.

    Pisces:New collaborations and deals could click into place now. There could also be gains in terms of grants, funds, endorsements, particularly for study, upgradation of skills. So, the gains can be in terms of higher study and research, too. You might feel that your greatest gains come from the shared, wondrous time with family, loved ones, parents. Equally wondrous will be the growth of your higher self, of the spiritual side of your character. You are laying some very solid foundations now, Ganesha adds.

  • NJSO presents Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert on Thanksgiving weekend

    NJSO presents Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert on Thanksgiving weekend

    By Mabel Pais

    The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) presents screenings of the complete film Star Wars: A New Hopewith Oscar-winning composer John Williams’ musical scores performed live on Thanksgiving weekend, November 23–25.

    In the first film of the original Star Warstrilogy, Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy, as he leaves his home planet, battles the evil Empire and learns the ways of the Force. Fans will be able to experience the scope and grandeur of this beloved film Star Wars: A New Hope in a live symphonic concert experience at three New Jersey venues (program details below).

    Since the release of the first Star Warsmovie over 40 years ago, the Star Warssaga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture, inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects and iconic musical scores composed by Williams.

    For more information on the Star Wars series or to purchase tickets, visit njsymphony.org/starwars.

    TICKETS

    Tickets are available from the NJSO online at njsymphony.org, by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or in person at Patron Services.

    Tickets for the November 23 performance are available from the Count Basie Center for the Arts online at thebasie.org, by phone at 732.842.9000 or in person at the box office.

    Tickets for the November 24 performance are available for purchase from NJPAC online at njpac.org, by phone at 1.888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or in person at the box office.

    Tickets for the November 25 performance are available from State Theatre New Jersey online at stnj.org, by phone at 732.246.SHOW (7469) or in person at the box office.

    PROGRAMS

    Composite of NJSO with movie-screen
    Photos / © 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY

     

    STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE IN CONCERT

    Fri, Nov 23, at 3 pm and 8 pm | Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank

    Sat, Nov 24, at 3 pm and 8 pm | NJPAC in Newark

    Sun, Nov 25, at 3 pm and 8 pm | State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick

    CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOS conductor

    NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

    JOHN WILLIAMS

    Legendary composer Williams is well known for scoring all eight of the Star Wars saga films, beginning with 1977’sStar Wars: A New Hope, for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Original Score. His scores for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jediand Star Wars: The Force Awakensand Star Wars: The Last Jediwere each nominated for Oscars for Best Original Score.

    Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards five Emmy Awards and 23 Grammy Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the Academy’s most nominated living person and the second most-nominated individual in history, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams’ score to 1977’s Star Warsas the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to Star Warsalso was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2009 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams has composed the scores for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the US box office (adjusted for inflation).

    Scenes from Star Wars: A New Hope.
    Photos / © 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY

    DISNEY CONCERTS

    Disney Concerts, the music arm of The Walt Disney Company, produces concerts and tours and licenses Disney music and visual content to symphony orchestras and presenters on a worldwide basis.

    Disney Concerts’ concert packages include a variety of formats, such as “live to picture” film concerts and themed instrumental and vocal compilation concerts, and range from instrumental-only symphonic performances to multimedia productions featuring live vocalists and choir.

    Scenes from Star Wars: A New Hope.
    Photos / © 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY

    Current titles include the Star Wars Film Concert Series (Episodes IV–VII), Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Fantasia, Pixar In Concert, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice In Wonderland, Frozen, Ratatouille,The Pirates of the Caribbeanseries (Episodes I–IV) and Silly Symphonies, which last year collectively accounted for more than 400 performances in many of the world’s top concert venues, including Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Tokyo Forum and the Hollywood Bowl.

    Numerous new concert packages and touring productions from Disney’s portfolio of studios, including Disney’s feature animation and live-action studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel, are currently in development.

    Scenes from Star Wars: A New Hope.
    Photos / © 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY

    NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

    Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the NJSO embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.

    Music Director Xian Zhang – a “dynamic podium presence,” as praised byThe New York Timesfor her “technical abilities, musicianship and maturity” – continues her acclaimed leadership of the NJSO. The Orchestra presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark and regularly performs at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC in Englewood. Partnerships with New Jersey arts organizations, universities and civic organizations remain a key element of the Orchestra’s statewide identity.

    In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People; NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles, led by José Luis Domínguez; and El Sistema-inspired NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project). NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at community events in a variety of settings statewide through the NJSO Community Partners Program.

    For more information, visit njsymphony.orgor email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra’s website.

    COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

    The Count Basie Center for the Arts is New Jersey’s premier center for the cultural arts, dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and creative exchange of ideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educate and entertain through its distinct and engaging cultural and artistic offerings that reflect the diversity of the region.

    As a nonprofit organization, the Basie is committed to enriching the community’s quality of life by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with schools, collaborating with other mission-based organizations and driving regional economic prosperity. The Basie Center has hosted an array of world-class artists, including Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tony Bennett, Sophia Loren and Ringo Starr.

    For more information, visit thebasie.org.

    STATE THEATRE NEW JERSEY

    State Theatre New Jersey: creating extraordinary experiences through the power of live performance. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education.

    For more information, visit stnj.org.

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

  • ‘Passport Seva Kendras’ to be opened in each 543 parliamentary constituencies: V K Singh

    ‘Passport Seva Kendras’ to be opened in each 543 parliamentary constituencies: V K Singh

    The year 2017 registered a 19 per cent growth in passport related services

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): The Indian government plans to open a ‘Passport Seva Kendra’ in each of the 543 parliamentary constituencies across the country by March next year to ensure convenient passport services to its people, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said here, November 21.

    “We plan to have a Passport Kendra in each head post office (in India) so that any citizen doesn’t have to travel beyond 50-60 km for his or her passport services,” Singh said.

    The government is trying to ensure that Indian citizens do not face any difficulty in obtaining their passports whether in India or abroad, he said as he launched the ‘Passport Seva’ project at India’s Consulate here.

    Johann Dunet, the youngest recipient, accepts a new passport from the Minister
    Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment

    The ‘Passport Seva’ project has brought in a huge transformation towards delivery of passport services in India, Singh said while handing over passports to a few Indian citizens who had used the new program to renew their passports.

    “This project will ensure better services for our citizens abroad. It is a service which is truly meant for citizens,” he said at the global launch of the program here.

    The new system will ensure an easy and convenient application submission process, usher-in standardization, digital overhauling, end-to-end status tracking and enhance security, the minister said.

    The year 2017 registered a 19 per cent growth in passport related services. The monthly submission of applications has crossed one million mark for the first time and more than six crore passports have been issued through the ‘Passport Seva’ system, the minister said.

    The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has taken several measures to improve the passport service delivery experience, including by simplifying several passport rules and doing away with cumbersome requirements that delayed the process and led to unnecessary hurdles, he said.

    The MEA with the Department of Posts took the decision to start ‘Passport Seva Kendras’ in head post offices.

    Gen V.K. Singh said, “We plan to have a Passport Kendra in each head post office (in India) so that any citizen doesn’t have to travel beyond 50-60 km for his or her passport services,
    Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment

    As a result, 236 ‘Post Office Passport Seva Kendras’ (POPSKs) have been operationalized to date and many more are in the pipeline. This, when added to 36 passport offices and 93 erstwhile ‘Passport Seva Kendras’, makes a total of 365 passport offices for public.

    The MEA has also initiated the integration of ‘Passport Seva Program’ at all Indian Embassies and Consulates across the globe.

    The MEA has successfully initiated a pilot project at the High Commission of India in London followed by the Consulate General of India in Birmingham and Edinburgh.

    After launching the global ‘Passport Seva’ program at the Consulate General of India in New York for the Indian diaspora, the MEA will launch the program at the Indian Embassy in Washington followed by the Consulate in Atlanta.

    It aims to operationalize all Embassy/Consulates in the US during the course of next 15 days.

    The Indian government plans to roll out the global ‘Passport Seva’ program at all Embassies/Consulates within the next three to four months, a move that will ensure that “our ‘Passport Seva’ globally is inter-linked and centrally controlled,” Singh added.

    To a question raised by the editor of The Indian Panorama with regard to those from Punjab who sought asylum,  not being issued passport, the minister said the government was looking in to the issue.

    Asked to make a statement on the dissolution of the Jammu & Kashmir State Assembly, the minister told The Indian Panorama that it was the Governor who in his wisdom considered the situation and recommended the dissolution of Assembly to the President. He admitted that the government in J & K, in  which the BJP was a partner, was not exactly functioning for some time.

    Asked if he thought it was the achievement of Indian diplomacy that the US cancelled its aid     to Pakistan, the minister gave a smile and quipped that it as for the US to decide, and his government had no hand in the issue.

    On Thursday, November 22, General Singh launched the Passport Seva Project and had an interaction with the community at TV Asia in Edison, New Jersey.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • New York State Sen. Jose Peralta dies

    New York State Sen. Jose Peralta dies

    NEW YORK(TIP):Sen. Jose Peralta, the 47-year-old Queens lawmaker, who lost his reelection bid, died of a heart attack on Wednesday, November 21  night, according to news reports. The  Democrat was pronounced dead at 8 p.m. at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, according to the Daily Mail, and his family was with him at the time.

    Peralta was first elected to the state Senate in a special election in 2010, becoming the first Dominican-American in the chamber. Peralta, whose district included Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst and parts of Woodside and Astoria, also served in the Assembly from 2002 to 2010.

    He had been a longtime proponent of the state DREAM Act, a measure that would allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for state-funded financial aid for college. The measure, long stalled in the state Senate, may have a chance of passing in the 2019 session now that Democrats have won control of the chamber.

    New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, among many others,  tweeted his condolence .

    —————————————————————————————————————-

    ✔

    @NYCMayor

     Jose Peralta was a proud son of Queens and the Dominican Republic. He worked his way up from the grassroots, with heart and tenacity. Chirlane and I are both pained by his sudden loss. Our prayers are with his wife Evelyn and his sons.

    7:51 AM – Nov 22, 2018

    ———————————————————————————————————————

    Shiv Dass, a founder President of Jackson Heights Merchants’ Association, and President of Indian American Merchants’ Association,  has condoled the death of Sen. Peralta. He said in a statement to The Indian Panorama that Sen. Peralta was a great friend of the Indian American community who looked to him for championing their cause. He was held in high esteem by the merchant community of Jackson Heights with whom he was in regular touch, always eager to help them with any problems and issues. Mr. Dass said though the entire community has lost a  supporter , it was a personal loss to him, as  he has lost a longtime friend.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • New Yorkers Brave Freezing Cold to Participate in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

    New Yorkers Brave Freezing Cold to Participate in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): New York City’s huge  Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marched on Thursday, November 22,  despite frigid cold and strong winds that earlier threatened to ground the giant character balloons.

    From early morning, families were seen braving the cold in the thousands to see the annual spectacle roll through the city, despite it being the most frigid parade on record. Diana Ross, John Legend, Martina McBride and the Muppets from “Sesame Street” preformed in the brutal cold, among others.

    The police department were monitoring wind gauges along the 2.5-mile parade route in case balloons needed to be lowered or taken down. However,  at parade start winds were low enough to allow for all balloons to fly and there were no incidents.

    The three-hour event kicked off on 77 St. and Central Park West at 9 a.m.  Beforehand, New York City issued an extreme cold weather alert for Thursday and urged anyone going outside to wear hats, scarves, gloves and layered clothing and to keep their fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered to prevent frostbite.

    “Get ready for an amazing parade but put on every layer you have in your household, wear every glove you can find, every scarf, hand warmers, whatever you got, you’re going to need it tomorrow,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told crowds gathered to watch the parade’s giant balloons being inflated.

    A balloon of Ronald McDonald floats during the 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 22, 2018, in New York City.
    (NBC Screenshot)

    In addition to giant balloons of Charlie Brown, The Grinch,Ronald McDonald,   and others, the parade featured about 8,000 marchers, performances from singers such as Diana Ross, John Legend and Martina McBride, two-dozen floats and a finale with Santa Claus.

    The NYPD had thousands of officers stationed along the parade route. They included counterterrorism teams with long guns, plainclothes officers mixed in with the crowd and a new squad of K-9 teams that can sniff out explosives from a few hundred feet away.

    All spectators were to be screened with metal detectors at security checkpoints. Backpacks, booze and e-cigarettes are banned. Certain areas near the start and finish were  off-limits.

    Police cars and sand-filled sanitation trucks were  positioned to stop vehicles from driving into the crowd and new technology was  being used to detect drones, which are illegal to fly over crowds in New York City.

    Parade participants with the Macy’s float take part in the 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018.
    (NBC Screenshot)

    Federal rules now allow police to “take action” against rule-breaking drones, but that doesn’t mean officers are going to be shooting them down, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller.

    “Our job is to offer maximum protection against any incident at the parade, but it’s also to make sure that we don’t protect it to the point that it’s not fun,” Miller said. “Our people will be as accommodating as possible and make sure that people see them, they feel safe, but that they enjoy themselves.”

    There were no known, credible threats to the city or the parade, Commissioner James O’Neill said prior to the parade. He warned spectators to be vigilant in the wake of recent mass shootings and package bombs and to alert officers if they suspected  something is suspicious.

    (With Inputs from NBC New York)

  • IRS provides tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2019

    IRS provides tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2019

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Internal Revenue Service today announced the tax year 2019 annual inflation adjustments for more than 60 tax provisions, including the tax rate schedules and other tax changes. Revenue Procedure 2018-57 provides details about these annual adjustments. The tax year 2019 adjustments generally are used on tax returns filed in 2020.

    The tax items for tax year 2019 of greatest interest to most taxpayers include the following dollar amounts:

    The standard deduction for married filing jointly rises to $24,400 for tax year 2019, up $400 from the prior year. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $12,200 for 2019, up $200, and for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $18,350 for tax year 2019, up $350.

    The personal exemption for tax year 2019 remains at 0, as it was for 2018, this elimination of the personal exemption was a provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

    For tax year 2019, the top rate is 37 percent for individual single taxpayers with incomes greater than $510,300 ($612,350 for married couples filing jointly). The other rates are:

    o 35 percent, for incomes over $204,100 ($408,200 for married couples filing jointly);

    o 32 percent for incomes over $160,725 ($321,450 for married couples filing jointly);

    o 24 percent for incomes over $84,200 ($168,400 for married couples filing jointly);

    o 22 percent for incomes over $39,475 ($78,950 for married couples filing jointly);

    o 12 percent for incomes over $9,700 ($19,400 for married couples filing jointly).

    o The lowest rate is 10 percent for incomes of single individuals with incomes of $9,700 or less ($19,400 for married couples filing jointly).

    For 2019, as in 2018, there is no limitation on itemized deductions, as that limitation was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

    The Alternative Minimum Tax exemption amount for tax year 2019 is $71,700 and begins to phase out at $510,300 ($111,700, for married couples filing jointly for whom the exemption begins to phase out at $1,020,600). The 2018 exemption amount was $70,300 and began to phase out at $500,000 ($109,400 for married couples filing jointly and began to phase out at $1 million).

    The tax year 2019 maximum Earned Income Credit amount is $6,557 for taxpayers filing jointly who have three or more qualifying children, up from a total of $6,431 for tax year 2018. The revenue procedure has a table providing maximum credit amounts for other categories, income thresholds and phase-outs.

    For tax year 2019, the monthly limitation for the qualified transportation fringe benefit is $265, as is the monthly limitation for qualified parking, up from $260 for tax year 2018.

    For calendar year 2019, the dollar amount used to determine the penalty for not maintaining minimum essential health coverage is 0, per the Tax Cuts and Jobs act; for 2018 the amount was $695.

    For the taxable years beginning in 2019, the dollar limitation for employee salary reductions for contributions to health flexible spending arrangements is $2,700, up $50 from the limit for 2018.

    For tax year 2019, participants who have self-only coverage in a Medical Savings Account, the plan must have an annual deductible that is not less than $2,350, an increase of $50 from tax year 2018; but not more than $3,500, an increase of $50 from tax year 2018. For self-only coverage, the maximum out-of-pocket expense amount is $4,650, up $100 from 2018. For tax year 2019, participants with family coverage, the floor for the annual deductible is $4,650, up from $4,550 in 2018; however, the deductible cannot be more than $7,000, up $150 from the limit for tax year 2018. For family coverage, the out-of-pocket expense limit is $8,550 for tax year 2019, an increase of $150 from tax year 2018.

    For tax year 2019, the adjusted gross income amount used by joint filers to determine the reduction in the Lifetime Learning Credit is $116,000, up from $114,000 for tax year 2018.

    For tax year 2019, the foreign earned income exclusion is $105,900 up from $103,900 for tax year 2018.

    Estates of decedents who die during 2019 have a basic exclusion amount of $11,400,000, up from a total of $11,180,000 for estates of decedents who died in 2018.

    The annual exclusion for gifts is $15,000 for calendar year 2019, as it was for calendar year 2018.

    The maximum credit allowed for adoptions is the amount of qualified adoption expenses up to $14,080, up from $13,810 for 2018.

  • World Vegan Vision Celebrates Thanksgiving at the Capitol

    World Vegan Vision Celebrates Thanksgiving at the Capitol

    Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi recognizes contribution of H.K. Shah & Malti Shah

    WASHINGTON(TIP): World Vegan Vision- formerly Vegetarian Vision Inc., a non-profit  Organization established in 1992, celebrated Vegan Thanksgiving event at  Capitol in Cannon Office Complex, in  Washington DC,  November 13th.

    World Vegan Vision promotes healthy living by eating Vegan/ Vegetarian foods,  Save the animal from cruelty and killing and save the environment and planet Earth from Climate changes.

    The mission of World Vegan Vision is to help people live healthy life by eating Plant based foods. During the last 25 years Vegetarian Vision had organized many noteworthy events, Food shows, Speakers seminars on health awareness programs, published health newsletters, Essay Competitions, Vegan Cooking demonstrations, and turkey free Thanksgiving Dinners.

    The Thanksgiving celebration started at Cannon House, with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi addressing the gathering.  He spoke about his early life and success in America and the progress he made up to US Congress.  He spoke about the healthcare and the benefits of Vegan/Vegetarian food. Also,  he encouraged the promoters of Vegan Vision for the Vegan movement in America.

    Vegan-physician Dr. Moiz spoke on health and prevention of diseases with  Vegan food, Alex Hershaft from Farm USA  pleaded for saving farm animals.  Freya Dinshaw form American Vegan Society talked on history of Vegans in USA and, importance of saving lives of animals.  Erica Meier from Compassion Over Killing spoke on emotions and animal protection.

    Mr. Hakki, First Secretary from Indian Ambassador’s office spoke on more benefits of Vegetarian foods and need to promote Vegetarian food in USA.  Jahnvi, a well-known Vegan Cook Books writer also spoke and advocated the health benefits of Vegan and plant-based foods and offered books of Vegan recipe.

    World Vegan Vision group met with Congressman Frank Pallone (far center) Capitol Hill Washington DC on 13th Nov 2018
    Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

    World Vegan Vision, founded by H.K.Shah & Malti Shah, in 1992, has more than 1500 life members, many patrons, donors, and family members in New York and New Jersey Chapters.

    Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi  awarded a plaque of Appreciation for their lifetime service to H.K. Shah & Malti Shah on behalf of Board Members. Directors Vinod Shah & Nitin Vyas organized this event, and Vice Chairman Chandra Mehta, President Bina Sabapathy, and all members attended this first of its kind prestigious Vegan Thanks giving celebration in the   US Congress Complex.  Devashree Parikh was the MC,  conducting this prestigious event. Kamal Panchal-president designate represented the   shortly to be opened  Ohio chapter.

    Delicious variety of fresh hot Vegan food was catered under supervision of Mrs. Shalini Sood. (Winner of Mrs. United Nations 2017).

    (Based on a press release issued by Mohammed Jaffer)

     

     

     

     

  • Kartik Purnima 2018: Date, Significance, Pooja Rituals and Prasad

    Kartik Purnima 2018: Date, Significance, Pooja Rituals and Prasad

    Hindus across the country will celebrate Kartik Purnima on 23rd November, 2018. Kartik is the eighth lunar month as per the Hindu calendar and is considered the holiest month among all lunar months. This auspicious month holds immense importance as it is dedicated to the worship of both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The ritual of taking a holy dip during Kartik month begins on the day of Sharad Purnima and ends on Kartik Purnima, which is also known and celebrated as Deva Diwali, Tripurari Purnima or Tripuri Poornima in different parts of the country.

     A lot of rituals and festivals culminate on the day of Kartik Purnima, which makes it all the more significant. The purnima tithi begins at 12:53 pm on 22nd November, 2018 and ends at 11:09 am on 23/Nov/2018. (Source: Drikpanchang.com)

     Kartik Purnima festivities last for five days. The festivities of Kartik Purnima begin on the day of Prabodhini Ekadashi, which is the eleventh day and goes on till Purnima, which is the fifteenth day of Kartik month during Shukla Paksh. A great legend associated with Kartik Purnima is the episode where Lord Shiva killed the demon king Tripurasura (hence the name Tripura Purnima or Tipurari Purnima). As per legends of Tripuri Purnima, Tripurasura defeated Gods and started ruling their kingdom. Once Tripurasura was killed, the day also came to be known as the ‘Deva Deepawali’ or Diwali of Gods.

     As part of the rituals, devotees go to the rivers to take the ritualistic bath or ‘Ganga Snan’. On the day of Kartik Purnima, they also observe a day long fast and perform Rudra Abhishekam of Lord Shiva, by bathing him in honey and milk. During the month associated with Kartika Purnima, Hindus refrain from eating any non-vegetarian food.

     During the five-day celebration, devotees consume food only once in the afternoon, which is known as ‘Habisha’. On the auspicious occasion of Kartik Purnima, annakoot- a type of prasad is offered to Lord in temples. In a lot of household, wheat flour halwa is prepared for puja and prasad, and is then distributed among devotees. The prasad is made using wheat flour, ghee and sugar, cardamom powder and raisins.

     Source: ndtv.com

     

     

  • Indian-Origin Woman Appointed Head of Sustainability Team for European Bank

    Indian-Origin Woman Appointed Head of Sustainability Team for European Bank

    LONDON(TIP): Indian-origin Nandita Parshad senior executive, has been announced as the head of consolidated new sustainable infrastructure group of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

    Ms.Parshad, currently Managing Director for Energy and Natural Resources at the EBRD, in her new role will lead the bank’s engagement in environmental, transport and energy sectors in 38 countries across three continents with a particular focus on decarbonization and sustainable financing, a statement said.

    “Green investments increasingly require a complex approach combining energy, emissions, water and waste,” said Ms Parshad, who was born in Kolkata and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

    “This integration is shown in the emergence of a number of important cross-cutting themes such as electrification of trains, buses and electric vehicles, water-energy nexus, including the growing role of desalination, as well as green, sustainable cities. By joining efforts of bankers structuring energy and infrastructure projects, we will capitalize on a common ethos and working model,” she said.

    Nandita Parshad is a member of the Energy Transition Commission and of the World Economic Forum Council on Future Energy, where she represents the EBRD and shapes policy-making and thinking in global challenges of decarbonization.

    The Bank’s new Sustainable infrastructure group has a portfolio of over euro 22 billion and invests yearly over euro 4.5 billion in new investments, or about half of the EBRD’s annual business.

    Of her new team, effective from January 1 next year, Ms Parshad added: “Our consolidated team – with its extensive experience of structuring projects with public companies and private investors – will continue working with authorities to build confidence and promote enabling policies in both energy and infrastructure sectors, reinforcing the close integration of investment and support for reform which is at the heart of the EBRD’s mandate.”

    The EBRD said Nandita Parshad has 30 years’ experience in investing in the energy sector in diverse emerging economies. She joined the EBRD’s Power and Energy Utilities team in 1993 and took over as Director of the team in 2007.

    She was appointed as Managing Director, Energy and Natural Resources in January 2017 and continued driving the Bank’s increasing presence in renewables and strategic regional energy, in line with the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition initiative.

    The London-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.

    It invests in 38 emerging economies across three continents, according to a set of criteria that aim to make its countries more competitive, better governed, greener, more inclusive, more resilient and more integrated.

    India joined as the EBRD’s 69th shareholder earlier this year, with the membership opening up joint investment prospects for Indian companies in markets such as Central Asia, Egypt and Jordan.