NEW DELHI (TIP): More cooperation in cyber security and counterterrorism initiatives and facilitating more investment in India’s infrastructure sector will top Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda when he visits the UAE next month, said an official familiar with the plans on condition of anonymity.
Modi is likely to visit the Gulf nation on February 10 and 11. He will also visit Palestine en route to the UAE, home to 2.8 million Indian passport holders.
Modi’s visit to Palestine will come shortly after the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to India.
Modi was the first Indian PM to visit Israel last year, de-hyphenating its relationship with the two countries.
India and the UAE have put together an ambitious agenda to mark the second visit of Modi to the UAE, with which India has a comprehensive strategic partnership aimed at further strengthening their security and business ties.
Cyber security is one area both countries have identified for stepping up cooperation, said the official. New Delhi would like to collaborate with the UAE in setting up a cyber security centre in India. The UAE has had a cyber security centre since 2014 that acts as a nodal agency for protecting data, telecom networks, and which works with similar bodies around the world, the official pointed out.
“Cyber security has emerged as a key area of our bilateral cooperation with other countries. The UAE has some best practices and a centre in this field and the cooperation could be mutually beneficial,” said another official.
The two sides are also looking at stepping up efforts to disrupt terrorist networks, their financing and movements. In this context, India would like the UAE to help track the properties of people in its wanted list. Facilitating more UAE investment to India remains another focus. The two countries plan to step up the proposed $ 75 billion target for UAE investments in India’s infrastructure development.
NEW DELHI (TIP): India Thursday successfully test fired its indigenously built, nuclear-capable missile, Agni-V.
It was conducted off a test range from Odisha’s Abdul Kalam island. The intercontinental surface-to-surface ballistic missile has a range of 5,000 km. Confirming the development, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “We have successfully launched nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V today.”
With the aim to strengthen its nuclear arsenal, the Indian army is modifying the Agni missile to make it capable of carrying nuclear warheads. New technologies are being incorporated into every test in addition to its navigation and guidance system, warhead and engine power.
NEW DELHI (TIP): The four senior judges of Supreme Court who criticised Chief Justice (CJI) Dipak Misra for his administration of the court, including allocation of cases to judges, have recommended the creation of a committee of senior judges that will assign sensitive and important cases, according to people familiar with the matter.
The proposal is being discussed not just by them and the CJI but also, in terms of seniority, judges who stand a chance to be a future CJI, the people familiar with the matter added.
However, the talks remained inconclusive, they said, because the CJI was reluctant to concede to the demands as it would lead to the dilution of the chief ’s power as the master of the roster.
The four judges, the senior most in the Supreme Court after the CJI – justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, MB Lokur and Kurien Joseph – met the CJI for the second time this week and put forth their proposal for a just and transparent system to allocate cases.
Three judges, who, in order of seniority, stand a chance of becoming the CJI were asked by Justice Misra to be present during the talks because the issue raised by the four judges relates to the administrative function of the office of the CJI, the people explained.
Currently, cases are marked as per the roster notified by the Supreme Court registry. This is done once the CJI approves it. Though the marking is computer-generated, the CJI has a say when the registry informs him about a sensitive matter in advance. As the administrative head the CJI can either retain the matter, let it be heard by the bench as per the roster or send it to another bench .
It is this discretionary power which the four judges have attacked; their claim is that senior judges were being overlooked when it came to hearing sensitive cases.
Thursday’s meeting between the judges lasted for around 20 minutes, from 10 to 10:20 am after which the judges dispersed to their respective courts.
The people familiar with the matter said the CJI expressed his inability to accept the proposal because it would compromise the Chief Justice’s power, a matter on which a five-judge constitution bench recently ruled.
Justice Misra headed the bench that gave the verdict on November 10, 2017.
Justice Misra is also understood to have cited another SC judgement that in 1997 declared chief justice as the master of the roster. The impasse is likely to continue as Justice Chelameswar left the city on a private visit and i.e. expected back on Sunday night.
If the talks between the senior judges fail then the CJI may have to convene a full court meeting to end the stalemate, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Source: HT
NEW YORK, NY (TIP): As hundreds of Hindi enthusiasts gathered on a chilled Saturday morning to celebrate the International Hindi Day at the Consulate General of India in New York, there were a few important guests the Consul General allowed special hearing. It was a matter of promoting higher education in learning that required special attention of the Indian Diplomat, himself a great listener.
Hindi Sangam Trustee Purnima Desai received a Certificate from the Consul General of India Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty while Ashok Ojha, President, HSF looks on! Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment
Professor Janis Jensen, director of STARTALK projects at Kean University was anxious about the quality of teachers, especially for teaching a critical language, Hindi. “There is a great need to build capacity for the teaching of Hindi in the USA where most Hindi teachers lack formal teacher’s training to teach Hindi to 21st century digital learners”, said Jensen, who appealed the consul General and the Indian community to support the sustainability of the Masters’ Program in Hindi pedagogy at Kean University, the only teacher preparation program aimed at preparing Hindi teachers for teaching in schools or preparing for doctoral programs.
Professor Jennifer Eddy, Queens College, CUNY, guest speaker at Hindi Day event, January 13 at Indian Consulate, NYC Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty told Jensen that he would extend all possible support to keep her program running. He repeated this resolve before the gathering of community folks, who were attending the Hindi Day event that it was time to supplement our talk to support Hindi to really act by supporting meaningful teaching and learning programs outside of India. Chakravorty patiently listened to the other speaker Dr. Jennifer Eddy, who made a presentation about NYS Teacher Certification for Hindi 7-12 grades. She emphasized that the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Critical Languages Education is a program of initial and professional certification combined into a 39-credit master’s program that was designed for teacher candidates who will be responsible for designing their new language program. Professor Eddy said that the program was offered at Queens College located amidst the residential hub of people of Indian origin and was ideal for those interested in teaching Hindi. Chakravorty promised the support of Government of India for promoting Hindi outside of India.
The event proved to be very special for parents who left home as early as 6 am in order to reach the Consulate premises in time. “It was a rare occasion for students to showcase their skills in Hindi speaking at the Consulate”, said Anil Dadheech, whose daughter Ria, a millennium kid who is very savvy using online tools while learning Hindi and practicing Indian culture. Ria performed a ‘Ghumar’ dance and recited the popular ‘Jhansi ki Rani’ poem. Other students representing Educators Society for the Heritage of India, Hindi USA and Hindi Sangam Foundation STARTALK program expressed a great sense of pride and self-confidence as the presented their song and dance items. Nehal, a two-time Sangam Franklin STARTLK student reflected her classroom learning in real life as she summarizes with reasons her favorite destinations to visit in India. “I learned at STARTALK program what are the important places I must see and why? It inspired me to think and express my own list of favorite places”, Nehal articulated. “Our goal at STARTALK programs is to prepare our students innovate and use their classroom learning into expressing their viewpoints in real life situations. That is why presentations at events like this become so important. It offers our students real life experience to interact with native speakers of Hindi”, said Mamta Tripathi, who serves as the lead instructor at Hindi programs in Franklin, Marlboro and Montgomery Townships.
Ria Dadheech, a student of Sangam-Franklin STARTALK students performing at the Hindi Diwas Celebration on January 13 at the Consulate General of India, New York, NY. Photos by Jay Mandal- on assignment
Consul General Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty distributed certificate to all participating students who came from various places in the New York Metro area. The participating students and accompanying teachers represented many schools including those run by Hindi Sangam Foundation, Educators Society of India, Yuva Hindi Sansthan and Hindi USA. Ashok Ojha, coordinator of the event elaborated upon his efforts to work together with language experts, officials and the Consulate for strengthening the forum of Hindi in USA. He thanked the Consul General for his support in promoting Hindi and helping to organize the Fifth International Hindi Conference in September 2018. Teachers and students led by Mamta Mamta Kandpal Tripathi, Akila Sekhar, Mainu Maino Murmu and Hema Ojha presented spectacular performance. HSF Trustee and Vice-Chairperson Purnima Desai Desai delivered a vote of thanks.
LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The newly elected Executive Council of India Association of Long Island held its Oath Ceremony on 9th January 2018 at Merrick Golf Course, Merrick, Long Island. Congratulations to the newly elected President Mrs. Gunjan Rastogi and her Executive Team of extremely talented individuals, who are experts in their own fields.
At 7:00 pm, team members welcomed the guests with piping hot Masala Chai with cookies. The program officially began at 8:00 pm by singing of American and Indian national anthems, followed by swearing-in of the new President and her Executive Team by Honorable Dr. Neeta Jain, District Leader, District 25. The ceremony was witnessed by big turnout which included, past Presidents, dignitaries, community leaders, IALI members and invited guests. The event was well covered by media – TV Asia, Jus Punjabi, PTC, Indian Express to name a few.
A view of the gathering
Past President, Mr. Satnam S. Parhar gave a fabulous introduction to the newly elected President, followed by the President’s speech, where she expressed her vision for IALI 2018, by continuing current popular programs and launching Child Enrichment Program, which will help children with science projects and their homework and enhancing Sports Forum with indoor activities. Furthermore, she intends to use diverse means of technology (e.g. Social media, Emails etc.) to get in contact with each and every potential member for building a stronger, larger IALI network and disseminate information to the members in timely manner. She also wants to partner with other non-profit organizations to build a bond with the community.
Last but not the least, Gunjan Rastogi’s speech directly touched the hearts and minds of the audience when she used a quote from President J F Kennedy’s inaugural address:
“My dear Team, do not ask what IALI can do for you but rather what can you do for IALI.
And our dearest Members, tell us, what we (IALI) can do for you?”
Program came to an end at 8:45 p.m. and delicious Indian Dinner was served to all attendees, which everybody relished.
The Executive
Oath Ceremony program was hosted by IALI Executive council 2018 and team members. New Team: President-Gunjan Rastogi, Vice President-Lalit Aery, Secretary-Shashi Malik, Treasurer-Hargovind Gupta, Members at Large: Kuljeet Ahluwalia, Rajeev Chaudhary, Ekta Singh Dass, Sushil Khanna, Surin Manaktala, Balaji Nagaraj, Sujata Seth, Mohinder Singh, Event Advisor-Jyoti Gupta, Finance Chair-Vimal Goyal, Cultural Chair-Amita Karwal, Co-chair-Dr. Ujwala Shah, Membership Chair-Pradeep Tandon, Women’s ForumChair-Veena Lamba, Co-chair-Lalita Mansukhani, Shalini Pawa, CommitteeMembers: Ravi Kanta Verma, Rachna Shahdadpuri, Rizwana, Sangeet Forum Chair-Anjana Kashyap , Co-chair-Saroj Aery, Senior Forum Nassau County-Vijay Goswamy, Co-Chair Surinder Kade, Senior Forum Suffolk County-Kanta Dutta, Co-Chair- Neena Sawe, Meditation Chair-Narinder Kapoor, Co-chair-Sujata Seth, Outreach Program: Mukesh Modi, Co-Chair– Dr. Jag Kalra, Child Enrichment Chair – Neeru Bhambri, Committee Member -Hargovind Gupta , Public Relations-Ratna Bhalla, Communication Chair-Rajeev Chaudhary, Kids Forum Chair-Ekta Singh Dass, Hospitality Chair-Sushil Khanna, Sports Chair-Surin Manaktala, Media Chair-Indu Shyam Gajwani.
NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): On Sunday Jan 14th, Press conference was hosted at the Indian Consulate in New York announcing the Launch of the much awaited and the historic North American Tour of Bollywood Music Legend Pritam Chakraborty dedicated to the cause of Opioid Epidemic awareness in America. With more than 600 songs in 120 movies to the Music Maestro #Pritam Credit, this tour will be the grandest Bollywood musical journey America has ever seen with eight singers and extraordinary performers in seven cities across North America.
Dr. Kavita Gupta addresses
“We are extremely pleased that Legendary Pritam Chakraborty is dedicating this historic tour to the awareness of opioid Epidemic Awareness, which as we all know is America #1 Crisis and a national emergency as declared by our President. With more than 500,000 American deaths, the message need to reach all youth to abstain from drugs. Indian kids are especially susceptible given the high pressure to succeed and we are glad that Pritam Da is so involved in this cause.
Said Dr Sanjay Gupta, President American Pain Association who along with Dr. Kavita Gupta, President AAPI East Coast, Karl Karla with Live2u and Anand and Sona Dawda from Cinema on stage organized this press conference.
Dr Sanjay Gupta thanked Ambassador Chakravorty to be part of this initiative from the very beginning last year when Dr Gupta presented the initiative to the now New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Ambassador Chakravorty at Dr. Gupta home along with Dr. Kavita Gupta.
Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty addressing the gathering
Ambassador Chakravorty speaking at this occasion stated that drugs are killing more people than traffic accidents and guns in America and is a major concern. He felt that unfortunately this issue is not discussed and kept under a rug and has become a silent epidemic. We need more and more awareness and this tour will be a great platform to reach Indian Diaspora. He thanked Dr. Sanjay and Kavita Gupta in taking this initiative and felt that involvement of Bollywood is one of the best way to penetrate young minds and hearts.
Dr Kavita Gupta stated that we have more than 100,000 Indian Physicians in America and together we can help eradicate this deadly epidemic which is affecting our kids and youth. We all need to take it seriously and put whatever effort we can, as safety and future of our next generation is at stake. We have one 9/11 happening every 3 weeks and it is time to stop this before more youth is killed.
Music Legend Pritam Da stated “I am extremely happy to be associated with this extremely important cause and will help in whatever way I can with this tour and even otherwise in fighting this epidemic. He felt that wrong messages are being given to young minds about drugs and using drugs is becoming a part of popular and Hip culture. A large part of this epidemic is due to ignorance of harmful effects of drugs.”
Pritam talk about the 8 singers who will be singing many of his compositions which are the top Bollywood hits. The singers include Harshdeep Kaur, Nakash Aziz, Shilpa Rao, , Sreerama Chandra, Antara Mitra, Shalmali Kholgade, Amit Mishra and Amanat Ali.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta thanked Cinema on Stage founders Anand and Sona Dawda for conceptualizing and producing this amazing and historic show and Karl Karla and the entire National team for bringing the tour across North America. The national team includes Jaweria Khan , Raj Uppal ,Gaurang Patel, Jagmohan Nanda Bobby Bajaj Ajay Mittal Padma Mishra Dr. Bharat Patel Manish K Sood Bikram Jeet Singh Ray Sharma and Gaurav Sharma.
PRITAM National Tour in North America will take place in April 2018 as follows- April 6th Chicago, 7th New Jersey, 8th Toronto, 13th Dallas, 14th Los Angeles, 20th Washington D.C., 21st San Jose.
Mr Karl Karla thanked the entire national team for worked hard in making the dream to reality and bringing one of a kind mega show to American public.
Mr Anand and Sona Dowda mentioned that production of the legendary Pritam show was a longtime dream and it is an amazing feeling finally see it as a mega show.
The press conference was compered by Mamta Narula from Ultimate media and Dr. Kavita Gupta. The Press Conference was also attended by Physicians and community leaders along with media representatives.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta in his closing remarks felt that wrong messages from Hollywood and Bollywood are part responsible for creating this epidemic and now they can play a major role in reversing it. India is a country with a large young population and this epidemic is growing fast in India, but nobody wants to talk about it . It is sad to see the country of strong characters like swami Vivekananda and Narendra Modi falling prey to wrong messages. We are happy to see the support of Hollywood, Bollywood Artists and Sports Athletes in this initiative and hopefully together we will be able to turn this deadly tide .
Community organizations are powerful engines of action. From culture to politics, they are the ones to bring the community together in a meaningful relationship, promoting amity and cordiality among the community members, projecting Indian values -social, cultural, religious and moral. They also play an effective role in bringing the mainstream American communities closer to their groups. And, on top of it, they are the bridges between their country of origin and the country of their adoption. These organizations, in fact, empower the community.
The Indian Panorama approached some of the organizations to know from them about their vision of 2018. We are glad that most responded. And response, indeed, has been, overwhelming. We wish to carry all responses, but find it difficult to carry them all in one go. We are, therefore, serializing. We request our friends who do not find their response published to wait for the next issue of The Indian Panorama on January 26.
Anu Jain
Actively involved in various organizations, including Rajasthan Association of North America, Jain Center of America, Vegetarian Vision, Indian Association of Long IslandAnu and associates with Laura Curran, Nassau County ExecutiveAnu with IALI group
Wishing a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all the readers of one of the most prestigious newspapers–The Indian Panorama. My name is Anu Jain and I am an accountant/finance controller and based in Long Island. I am also involved in community work and holding different positions with some of the prestigious non-profit organizations like Rajasthan Association of North America, Jain Center of America, Vegetarian Vision, along with my involvement with the Indian Association of Long Island, two years back.
I am involved in the social organizations, Rajasthan Association of North America, Vegetarian Vision and Indian Association of Long Island with the purpose serving the respective communities. Similarly, being involved in Jain Center of America, a religious organization, I have the goal of promoting Jainism which is represented by the “Live and Let Live” principle, along with non-violence, peace, and love.
Through my efforts along with the organizations ’support, I am able to achieve many of my goals such as providing scholarship and advisory support to students for them to excel in their education and career, supporting and serving the underprivileged. In addition to, promoting our rich Indian traditions and spreading awareness of Indian culture and its values between American Indians and the members of the other ethnicities. We also celebrate our Indian festivals with everyone in the community to enhance the feeling of “Home Away From Home”. Inspiring the new generation/youth to get involved with their new ideas to help people in need, whether locally or back in the villages of India and other countries. Forming strong connections with our roots and our traditions to learn and keep the values of our rich culture alive, along with educating others about health benefits of being vegetarian.
Indian American Forum Inc. (IAF)
A picture of one of the events the IAF organized to honor women for their excellent achievements
Indian American Forum Inc. (IAF) is a non-for-profit organization of Asian Indians in America to promote the cultural, secular heritage and values of India as well as the furtherance of friendship and understanding with people of other cultural backgrounds.
Since 1997, IAF is striving to provide a forum for fostering a mutual and better understanding through its socio-cultural activities and enjoys a very cordial relationship amongst local associations and communities.
IAF various activities that include India Republic Day, Indian American Night; Celebrating India Independence Day, Outstanding Women’s Achievement Gala, International Children Day, Senior Programs, Yoga and Health awareness camps and others are organized as self-funded activities. These have been possible through our motivated and dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to make each of the activity as a success.
IAF aims to have Asian Indian community’s participation to promote local socio-cultural interactions through charitable and educational activities and to help them become a part of the mainstream American life. IAF truly believes that each person of Indian American decent is a true ambassador to promote cultural, secular heritage and values of India.
STRAY THOUGHTS
Satish Gupta, President & CEO SB International, Inc., Dallas, Texas- Community leader and Philanthropist
Our company headed by our flagship company SB International, Inc. has been in business for the past almost 37 years and has had its upticks and downticks in the cycles of it business. We have concentrated on Energy, Metals and International Trade from the start of our company to develop a sound growth oriented business.
While succeeding in business, I have never lost focus on propagating the message for creating the awareness and richness of our heritage and culture. At any given opportunity, I have put forth my views on the various lessons one can learn from them, be it from Swami Vivekananda or from Mahatma Gandhi, as some leading examples.
These thoughts continually fire me up to make continuous efforts to contribute to numerous community related projects which can going forward make a difference individually to human lives and the country in the bigger context. One can notice that organizations are facing a lot of pressures to broaden their identity and mission to ensure social and environmental aspects are focused on along with their usual economic value creation. This is something I have always focused on right from the beginning.
To ensure I continue to meet the above, my business goal is to create a much more sustainable and meaningful organizations in our group which can carry my message forward for creating a balanced social & environmentally correct process with a sound economic value, to reach our business and community service targets. On a long-term basis, I feel Corporate Social Responsibility should be an important aspect for any organization which is purpose driven to give a meaningful purpose both for its owners and their employees.
Some of the characteristics one needs to develop to support the above thought processes that I follow are: care about doing the right thing with appropriate transparency, have strong and visible morals and values, demonstrate through actions my beliefs, identify the passions in the team and see how it can be made to work towards the goals and build meaningful relationships. Last but not the least I try to make each member of the team to contribute in such a way to be perceived as making a difference both to the business and doing good for the society.
INDIA ASSOCIATION OF LONG ISLAND: A Historical Perspective
By Rajeshwar Prasad
Gunjan Rastogi, President, IALI
It was mid -seventies in the last century when a group of enthusiastic and concerned Indian professionals at the Central Islip State Hospital joined hands and started deliberations for developing an association. This informal group was celebrating Indian festivals and other special events while planning for an organization. In late seventies and early eighties their well-conceived dream came true and the India Association of Long Island (IALI) was formed and incorporated as a nonprofit entity. IALI is the only broad-based grassroots organization in Long Island, aimed at fostering unity among Indians from all regions of India, sustaining our cultural and social values, and above all to have one effective voice.
In the last almost four decades, IALI has made its dent not only in Long Island but in the entire NY/NJ metropolitan region. There have been ups and downs, but the strong foundation laid by dedicated and committed community leaders has withstood turmoil and continued moving ahead. Today the IALI, started just with 30 members, has close to 1700 subscribing members. Over the years IALI has undertaken activities such as Valentine Dinner Dance, Holi Festival, Tennis Tournaments, Family Picnics, Youth Activities including Disco Dancing, Celebration of India’s Independence through India Day Parade, Food Drive through Interfaith Nutrition Network, IndiaFest – a showcase of Indian Arts and Crafts, Diwali Festival, Senior Citizen Forum and Women Forum (including monthly get-togethers). The annual Fund-Raising Dinner initiated in 1979 has honored over 130 individuals of Indian origin for their accomplishments in fields such as science, medicine, social and community work, business and entrepreneurship. The association toyed with some other programs such as Info-India Project, Essay Competition among children on “India as I Know It.” It has participated in Breast Cancer Walk-a-thon; Multicultural activities and Kite Flying competition at Indian American Night at the Eisenhower Park with the help of Indian American Forum. It has also participated recently in the Vegetarian Vision event, founded by Mrs. Malti and Harshad K. Shah, who were honored also by IALI last year. The event is held in Manhattan where thousands of people show up. IALI continue to collaborate with scores of other Indian and American associations.
Over the years, IALI developed working relationship with teaching institutions such as Dowling College, Old Westbury College, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Farmingdale University, and Hofstra University in various activities. It also established liaison with and representation on Institutions such as Police Departments, Offices of District Attorneys, American Jewish Congress (Center for Prejudice Reduction), Human Rights Commissions, Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) and many more. Nassau County and Suffolk County Executives cherish IALI and participate in celebrations of Indian festivals such as Diwali and National holidays such as India’s Independence Day. It also has maintained close working relationship with many Indian community organizations such as Federation of Indian American Associations (FIA), Association of Indians in America (AIA), American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), and the National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC). It had also interacted with the Town of Huntington in 2005 in celebrating diversity where about three dozen countries participated. It has played an active role in celebration Asian American Festival sponsored by the Town of North Hempstead. For the last four years it has played a leading role and joined many other organizations in displaying its accomplishments through India Day Parade in Long Island.
IALI has come forth to support humane causes in USA, in India and other places. It has collaborated with other entities to support victims of earthquake in India. It also joined many other organizations to condemn acts of violence as projected by an attack on September 11, 2001 and prayed for the victims and their families. IALI initiated fundraising for Tsunami victims and earmarked entire raffle collection from Valentine Dinner/Dance for this purpose in 2005. It arranged an interfaith prayer gathering for the Mumbai tragedy in November 2008 where leaders of different faiths spoke and prayed for peace.
During the last two years IALI has been consolidating its activities in its HOME, bought just recently in Hicksville. The association has come a long way, but it is still challenging to visualize the future path in light of changing demographics and environment. IALI has a daunting task to develop resources and facilities for seniors so that they stay in Long Island, and other generations can utilize their rich and valuable experiences in moving forward.
All these IALI accomplishments have been possible due to the commitment of its members and that of the Indian community at large. It is expected that Indian Americans living in both the Counties will enhance its professional impact and make in-roads in the broader and diversified community structure of the region by playing more active role in its economic, social and political spheres.
(Rajeshwar Prasad is past president of IALI, co-founder and president of NIAASC, former Human Rights Commissioner of Suffolk County. He has now moved with his wife, Prem, to ShantiNiketan in Tavares, Florida).
VISION OF WORLD PEACE
By Ashok Parulekar
Goa is a beautiful place. Sri Chinmoy’s statue in the capital city Panaji enhances the beauty and adds to the divinity. His aphorism at the statue reads:
There shall come a time when the world of ours will be flooded with Peace.
Who will bring that radical change? It will be you, you and your sisters and brothers who are an extension of your reality existence.
This aphorism expresses Sri Chinmoy’s vision for world peace and encourages everybody to participate in it. Even if a single person becomes peaceful, it will be a significant contribution for the World Peace as we all are connected, and we are a part of the Universal Consciousness. Meditation makes one peaceful. Soulful music is another thing next to meditation.
Sri Chinmoy dedicated his life for the world peace and for the fulfilment of unlimited potential of human spirit. He established meditation centers in more than 60 countries and one at The United Nations. He wrote 1600 books and composed 22,000 soulful songs. He encouraged sports and athletics. Sri Chinmoy created a vast outpouring for art. His paintings are exhibited at the galleries worldwide. Through all his activities he was conveying the message of oneness of humanity. He travelled extensively and took India’s ancient message, “The world is one family” to the far corners of the world. In 1987 Sri Chinmoy founded the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run. The longest relay runs for peace inspiring millions in more than 140 countries.
Inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s work his students around the world are offering free meditation classes and musical concerts. Sri Chinmoy Marathon team is world’s leading organization for the ultra- run events. The vision is – World Peace and Self-transcendence leading to spiritual progress.
For more information see www. srichinmoy.org
Indian American Intellectuals’ Forum
Arish Sahani, President
Every nation has a history and people living on that land has created own special culture.
One billion Hindus have a great history and culture.
But Hindus have not yet realized their future is dark if they have no Hindu Nation.
No culture can expand or stay alive without support of a nation.
Today in last 1400 years many nations are have lost their own roots own culture.
Many poor and uneducated locals in different land have adopted the culture of the enemy who invaded them.
These local converts have now become enemy of their own root cultures.
Today all convert nations are on war path. Every convert has forgot their roots and busy killing each other.
Converts in each nation are busy destroying own land, roots culture and history.
Its shame our media and intellectuals are not helping these converts to look back into the history ever to find their lost culture and why and how they should shed the adopted culture to live a better life.
They all need to come back and live a better life.
If media and our historian don’t speak the truth to educate the masses.
We will soon be in another world war and see major destruction.
Some cultures are not peaceful.
Some cultures teach hate and freedom and right to destroy other cultures.
Some cultures are so peaceful they have not united them self to save from these evil cultures.
But I am hopeful 21 century eras of information, freedom of press and liberty will soon expose these evil forces and Good will unite and destroy evil cultures.
Our organization Indian American Intellectuals forum bring yearly seminar to expose these evil forces.
Its time more people should joined expose these evil cultures and find a way to expose and help the followers to leave and go back to their own root culture of ancestors,
Everyone should look for his own roots.
Our roots depend on where we come from and based on our DNA.
Find Your DNA in 2018 and look for you roots and reeducate yourself to live in peace and prosperity.
Aries:Ganesha says the scope of your activities, especially professional ones, will narrow. This phase is all about money and money matters. Income, assets and all sorts of monetary gains are your major pursuits. The desire to have a larger income overshadows all your other considerations and activities. Your working life will hover around business issues, acquisitions, capital, funds, and so on. Yes, this is a good time to launch a project, finish pending work, take on new assignments.
Taurus: Life has taught you, in recent times to assign realistic goals and priorities. Once again, the focus is on the material plane. You are looking at providing comfort, security and protection for both yourself and your loved ones. Many issues need to be resolved. Real estate property, renovation and family matters are uppermost in your mind. You also need to get your way without hurting others and that is a tightrope walk.
Gemini: This interesting and reasonably profitable phase is all about money and honey. The highlight is personal and shared finances. Love, passion and romance, partnerships and trade also flourish. Ganesha says that you have a very hectic time ahead and your plate will be full of professional and emotional demands. But, you are determined to enjoy it all and give your very best to the situation. I assure you that in the long haul this will pay dividends.
Cancer: You change tack. Pretty dramatically this period you will also have more time to pursue hobbies and interests that are close to your heart. Here, love needs to be mentioned in particular. This is where you register your greatest and most pleasing gains. Loved ones, your spouse / partner, in particular, will get special attention. There may be more than one person who falls in the ambit of your love interests.
Leo:The highlight of the period is a true and genuine reaching out to people. This period sets the trend for a sudden and pleasing shift of interests. Communications – whether phone calls, the media, or just dealing with correspondence, building up fresh contacts – will be the highlight of this period. You are satisfied with concrete gains and there will be pleasing fellowship with those you meet. You may even reach out in friendship to complete strangers!
Virgo: This will be a great period. With your money worries and issues resolved, you turn to the arts, theatres, music, fun and enjoyment at parties, find occasions for happy times with children and also for pursuing your own interests and hobbies. Leisure is at the forefront; you are not slogging away. You are also more resolute in all your domestic affairs and make some important decisions now. You have the resources and style to make a success of anything you enter into, even if it is falling in love.
Libra: This is not the phase for flights of fancy; it is certainly not the phase for light romance and fantasies. You focus more on the physical. You plunge headlong into love, passion, the pleasures of sex, and are yet firmly entrenched in the more pragmatic pursuits of funds and loans, legacies and money matters. This is very interesting period. You will also be captivated by meditation, and religious and spiritual practices.
Scorpio:There is a natural and logical progression from last period. But there is a change here – you will seek spiritual solace, metaphysical truths and deeper insights into life. After the frantic pursuits of the previous period, the mood is somber, even meditative. Work issues will have to be resolved during this period of introspection. You are interested in genuine and strong bonding but the pressures of work will create an equally strong contrary pull.
Sagittarius: You have somewhat lost track of your priorities, or perhaps focus, with all the thinking and introspection of recent times and it is now necessary to get back to what you love best – people and your interactions with them. You will be bonding with family like never before. They will be your strength, solace, comfort and above all, your inspiration to get ahead in life. Loved ones and the family take centre stage, and you are more rooted in domestic matters.
Capricorn: Your family will be the centre of attention in every way. But it may not all be hunky dory; there will be negative trends too. You will continue working hard but are drawn into family and property matters, house and home and renovations of all kinds. Ganesha says that family and work are the twin themes that will require probably twice as much involvement and effort.
Aquarius:You carry on and make the most of all your powers and skills. It is an action-packed time. The focus is on research, discoveries, inventions and new fields of study. There will also be meetings and conferences, interviews and committees. You will be on the move, reaching out in every conceivable way. A journey may also prove rewarding. Travel for both business and pleasure is almost definitely foretold and it will be productive, lucrative and rewarding – both financially and intellectually.
Pisces: You need to curb your ego and get more tactful and diplomatic if you want to relate better with people, which is actually the need of the hour. This is a welcome realisation. Your sense of your self-image intensifies and diversifies to include not only how you see yourself but also how others see you. While reviewing both your public and personal image and person it is also time to weigh, evaluate and assess what you have achieved.
NJSO Celebrates Immigrant Composers at Winter Festival 2018
“This season, it (NJSO) celebrates the inspiration that is America, showcasing musical works by immigrants and foreign visitors…” Gabriel Van Aalst, President & CEO, NJSO
“These composers speak to me because their story is my own. While I had a wonderful musical education at the Conservatory in Beijing, I needed to come to the United States to follow my dream of becoming a conductor”. Xian Zhang, NJSO Music Conductor
“(Xian Zhang’s) conducting gestures reveal a passion, a precise knowledge of the score and a constant attention to detail. Her relationship with the musicians is producing great music and the orchestra members respond beautifully” …..The Asbury Park Press
By Mabel Pais
At the NJSO, January is always a busy month with the Winter Festival. “This season, it (NJSO) celebrates the inspiration that is America, showcasing musical works by immigrants and foreign visitors who drew their stimulation from America’s wide-ranging impacts” said Gabriel Van Aalst, President and CEO of the NJSO, who opened the Winter Festival on January 11.
The 2018 Winter Festival highlights the myriad ways America has inspired not only those who call it home but also those who have visited its welcoming shores. Leveraging the power of art to transcend differences, a series of NJSO Accents and special events further explore the immigrant experience and how foreign artists have illustrated American inspiration in their work.
Spanning three weekends, January 11–28, the Winter Festival includes orchestral performances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and Bergen PAC in Englewood.
The NJSO Chamber Players perform a special chamber music concert at St. George’s-by-the-River Episcopal Church in Rumson and Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit.
Week I: America, Inspiring: Respighi & Prokofiev
Xian Zhang_Music-Conductor Photo credit Benjamin EalovegaXian Zhang-conducts-the-NJSO Photo credit Fred StuckerXian Zhang-at-NJPAC Photo credit Fred StuckerXian Zhang at NJPAC Photo credit Fred Stucker
Music Director Xian Zhang conducted NJSO premiere of Che Yi’s Ge Xu and Respighi’s Fountains of Rome. George Li performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. Zhang, the orchestra’s 14th music director, is the first woman to hold the position.
In a nod to Zhang’s own journey to America and New Jersey, she led Respighi’s Pines of Rome—a work she conducted in her first-ever performances with the NJSO in 2010. Chinese pianist George Li, the 22-year-old silver medalist of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto.
Performances took place on Thursday, January 11 at Bergen PAC in Englewood; Saturday, January 13 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark; and Sunday, January 14, at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.
WEEK II: America, Inspiring: Ravel & Rachmaninoff
George Li, Pianist Photo credit Simon FowlerTerrence Wilson, Pianist
Andrew Constantine, conductor
Terrence Wilson, piano
MARTINŮ Thunderbolt P-47 (NJSO Premiere)
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G Major
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
Fri, Jan 19, at 8 pm | Richardson Auditorium in Princeton
Sat, Jan 20, at 8 pm | State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick
Sun, Jan 21, at 3 pm | NJPAC in Newark
NJSO ACCENTS:
Panel Discussion—Fri, Jan 19, at 6:45 pm and Sun, Jan 21, at 1:45 pm
Host Naomi Lewin and a panel of experts discuss the political climate in Europe that drove so many of the Winter Festival’s composers to come to America.
Wine Tasting—Sat, Jan 20, before the concert
Join wine and music expert Ron Merlino in an exclusive tasting of wines made of old-world grapes in new-world soil. For reservation and tickets, visit www.njsymphony.org/grapes
Performance & Painting—Sun, Jan 21, after the concert
Watch creative inspiration in action as artist Ken Ahlering (www.ken-ahlering.com) paints in response to a performance by the NJSO Chamber Players.
Full concert information is available at www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/america-inspiring-ravel-rachmaninoff.
America, Inspiring: Special Chamber Music Concert
Violinist Eric Wyrick, Concertmaster of NJSO Photo credit Tristan CookViolinist Chloe Hanslip, international artist of distinction
Tue, Jan 23, at 3 pm | St. George’s-by-the-River Episcopal Church in Rumson
Thu, Jan 25, at 7:30 pm | Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit
NJSO CHAMBER PLAYERS
Eric Wyrick, violin
Brennan Sweet, violin
David Blinn, viola
Na-Young Baek, cello
TAN DUN Eight Colors for String Quartet
BARTÓK String Quartet No. 2
DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, “American”
A free pre-concert reception begins at 2 pm on Jan 23.
Full concert information is available at www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/america-inspiring-special-chamber-music-concert.
ISLAMABAD (TIP): The US has conveyed to Pakistan that the military training component of the aid will continue despite suspension of the security assistance package, media reports said on Thursday, January 18.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua informed the Senate’s foreign affairs committee on Wednesday that the US will continue funding the aid components that support their national interest, including the International Military Education and Training (IMET) part, Dawn reported.
The IMET program, which focuses on military education, is meant to establish a rapport between the US military and the recipient country’s military for building alliances for the future.
Under this program, Pakistan Army officers have been trained in the US at a cost of $52 million over the past 15 years and an allocation of another $4 million has been made for the current year.
While the IMET would continue, the US has frozen the aid provided under the programs that are more important to Pakistan, particularly the Foreign Military Financing (FMF).
The recipients of FMF can use the funds under this program for procurement of defense hardware produced by the US.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, while briefing the lawmakers on the current state of Pak-US relations, said the relationship was not going “very smooth” and problems were persisting. “We have to stand up to those who accuse us of harboring terrorists,” Asif remarked.
Early this month, Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but “lies and deceit” in return for USD 33 billion aid and said Islamabad has provided “safe haven” to terrorists.
Lies and deceit
Pakistan army officers have been trained in the US at a cost of $52 million over the past 15 years
An allocation of another $4 million has been made to train Pakistan military officers for the current year
The US will continue funding the aid components that support their national interest, including the International Military Education and Training (IMET) part.
The decision to allow 49% foreign stake in Air India sets the stage for its privatization
The Union Cabinet has approved a series of changes in foreign direct investment norms as the government prepares to enter the last lap of its economic policy-setting phase ahead of the 2019 election. Key among these was the decision to allow up to 49% overseas ownership, including by a foreign airline, in Air India. This comes just a little more than six months after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its nod for a strategic disinvestment of the airline. The relaxation in ownership norms clears the decks for possible bidders such as the Singapore Airlines-Tata combine and Jet Airways — with its overseas equity and route partners — to make a more detailed commercial assessment of the investment opportunity the state-owned flag carrier presents. For the fiscally constrained government, the decision couldn’t have come sooner. With the Union Budget due soon and the government woefully short of its budgeted strategic disinvestment goal for the current financial year — as of end-November, only 28% of the targeted ₹15,000 crore had been realized — the hope must be for an accelerated timetable for the stake sale. Still, the fulfilment of a necessary condition for a strategic sale doesn’t automatically become sufficient grounds for a successful privatization. Given the carrier’s accumulated debt of about ₹50,000 crore and the fact that the interest of potential investors is likely to be focused on Air India’s lucrative long-haul international routes and its fleet of more than 40 wide-bodied aircraft, disinvestment will be neither easy nor guaranteed. At the very least, the government needs to set a clear, unambiguous road map for the sale process.
The other reform cleared by the Cabinet was the crucial decision to put 100% FDI in Single Brand Retail Trading under the ‘automatic’ route, accompanied by the long-sought relaxation of mandatory local sourcing norms. This had been a major issue with potential investors including Apple, which had repeatedly urged the government to take a more benign view given the level of technological advancement incorporated in its products and the difficulty in finding local sources of supply at the requisite scale. The five-year holiday on the 30% local-sourcing requirement is expected to give companies setting up shop here adequate time to identify, train and even technologically assist in the creation of local supply chains. If this decision was going to be made, it is surprising it was not done in November 2015, when the Centre changed tack and opened up single brand retail to 100% FDI. An early decision would have helped, given the sector’s potential for job-creation and technology upgradation. Still, better late than never.
“As a society, it is our responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. Pluralism is a development of an attitude of respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us. You are who you are, and I am who I am; let’s figure it out how to make life easy for both of us”, says the author.
President Trump does not care about anyone but himself; he is reckless and insensitive with his words which cause unwanted social hostility between people and nations. He will be gone when his term ends, but we the people will have to live with the consequences of his words and actions.
I stumbled across an article in Times of Israel with the actual title, “When Jews came from ‘shithole’ countries.” What caught my attention was the following sentence, “Sarna and Diner both said that similar fears animated the nativism of the 1920’s and today. In both cases, they said, these derogatory comments were based on a few of the other from a foreign culture, who will disrupt white American society.”
Teresa May, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom expressed the same fear in her speech in Philadelphia to Republicans upon her visit a year ago. She said, “I believe it is in our national interest to do so. Because the world is increasingly marked by instability and threats that threaten to undermine our way of life and the very things that we hold dear.”
Times of Israel wrote, “While congressmen in the 1920s may not have used Trump’s language, they were also opposed to letting in people from so-called undesirable countries — like Italians, Slavs and Jews from Eastern Europe. Chinese immigrants were banned altogether. Senator David Reed, for whom the 1924 law was named, also wanted to let in more immigrants from “Nordic” countries.”
“This prejudice had been around for decades before the 1924 law. A report from 1891 prepared by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge lumped Jews, Italians, Poles, and others into “races most alien to the body of the American people.” Times of Israel.
Recognizing this inherent phobia of a group of people from among the majority of the population, any population for that matter, we wrote at the Center for Pluralism, “The Center is committed to reassuring each other, including the disconnected ones among the White Americans, that together as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. As Americans, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution.
Although no minorities have made any attempt to change the way of life of the majorities, they need to make extra efforts to reassure the concerned group within the majority that they live their lives, and have not, and will not make any attempt to change the Majoritarian lives. Together let’s preserve America’s greatness that we all cherish.
The following speech was written for Hillary Clinton hoping she would deliver it; the full speech is at Huffington Post dated November 6, 2016, two days before the elections.
My priority is to reach out to my fellow Americans who had it good until the disaster from wars brought misery to them; the white Americans. We are going to find ways and means for them to recover from the difficult times they have endured while other Americans have prospered.
You have two stark choices in front of you; one makes the decisions from the seat of his pants. He does not listen to anyone, does not have the support of a single former President nor does he have the advisement of the sane voices. He can bankrupt the nation and walk away with no consequences, but you may be the one who gets stiffed. Your job and your life is an experiment to him, and the safety of our nation will be subjected to his whims.
Believe me, the Black Americans, Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans, immigrant Americans, and all other Americans want each one of us to prosper, particularly the disaffected White Americans. Our prosperity hinges on the prosperity of people around us and prosperity of nations around us. None of us will succeed if some of us are left behind.
I am committed to restoring justice to my fellow Americans who lost their jobs in manufacturing, Americans who live on farms, Americans who do not have an education or technical skills, men and women who are plumbers, electricians, repairmen, drivers, janitors and small business owners, and taking care of them is a priority of my administration. We will restore our glory days, and in the end, no American will be left out.
Pluralism is the panacea
As a society, it is our responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. Pluralism is a development of an attitude of respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us. You are who you are, and I am who I am; let’s figure it out how to make life easy for both of us.
The Center for Pluralism will become the energy to give a solid cohesive social structure to our nation. By the year 2025, there will not be an office, school, playground, college, restaurant, theater, train, bus or a workplace where people of different faiths, races, ethnicities, and national origins do not work, interact, play, live and marry together. This is bound to create conflicts in airports, public spaces, boardrooms, and in bedrooms as well as places of worship, workplaces, politics, eateries, and schools.
We have a responsibility to shape the future of our society, and we will continue to focus our energies on ensuring a safe America, where no one including your kids, grandkids or yourselves has to worry about his/her faith, ethnicity, race, gender or other God-given uniqueness and live his or her life without apprehensions.
The Center for Pluralism will be an antidote to Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racism, Homophobia, Hindu phobia, Xenophobia, Misogyny and other phobias. Through research and activism, we are establishing a respectful space for the ideals of pluralism with the policymakers, interfaith groups, Republicans and Democrats and of course the media and you!
(The Washington based author is an Indian American, committed to building cohesive work places, societies and communities and offers pluralistic solutions. He is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He can be reached at mikeghouse@gmail.com)
‘No Your Honour!’: An earnest plea to save India’s faltering democracy
By George Abraham
“Many of these actions by CJI have created dissension in the ranks that may point to not only selective justice for the powerful and well-connected, but are instances when the very lives of justices are placed on line. Although some may question the rationale for an open news conference, these four judges are known for their impeccable integrity and impartial judgments. It is also apparent that the Supreme Court is currently lacking any mechanism to evaluate the inner workings of the court or streamline the process to resolve deficiencies resulting from wrong decision making”, says the author.
Many newspapers in India on Saturday, January 13th carried the story of disarray in the Supreme court of India with a beaming headline ‘No, Your honour!’. India has indeed witnessed an extraordinary news conference by four members of the Collegium revealing the skew in the allocation of work and lack of transparency by Dipak Misra, the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
It has been reported that this is the first time in history that four senior judges – Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan B. Lokur brought the inner workings of this revered institution to the forefront of the public debate. The most notable aspect of this development is that these four judges have asserted that they have done this to preserve democracy for India.
According to Justice Chelameswar, the second senior most judge, “we tried to persuade the CJI to take steps but failed. Unless the Institution of Supreme Court is preserved, democracy won’t survive in this country”. He also added that they were left with no choice and did not want people to accuse those 20 years later that they did not take care of the Institution.
To the keen observers of the recent political dynamics in the country, this development may not come as a huge surprise. The traditions and protocols that preserved the independence of the Supreme Court have been under siege lately like many other Institutions in the country. For those who are concerned about the very concept of equal justice under law, the Supreme Court in India is found to be their last refuge. If that Institution is also interfered with or politicized, India would join the ranks of banana republics and would effectively cease to be a constitutional democracy.
The recent turn of events was triggered by the actions of the Chief Justice who started allocating cases of far-reaching consequences without transparency, indicating selective assignment of cases to preferred judges. One of those cases involved the murder of CBI judge B H Loya who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh Murder trial in which BJP President Amit Shah was accused. He appeared to have mysteriously died in 2014. CJI on Friday allotted a petition seeking independent inquiry into the death to Justice Arun Mishra who is 10th in seniority.
Then there was the medical admission scam involving sitting and retired High Court judges. They permitted private medical colleges to admit students to MBBS despite Supreme Court bar. Justice Chelameswar set up a bench to hear it, but CJI sent that to another bench saying he alone has the right to draw up the roster. There was also a procedural fight over the norms to appoint HC and SC judges, and CJI sidelined the five-member constitutional bench from such a critical decision making by selecting a small three-judge bench headed by himself.
Many of these actions by CJI have created dissension in the ranks that may point to not only selective justice for the powerful and well-connected, but are instances when the very lives of justices are placed on line. Although some may question the rationale for an open news conference, these four judges are known for their impeccable integrity and impartial judgments. It is also apparent that the Supreme Court is currently lacking any mechanism to evaluate the inner workings of the court or streamline the process to resolve deficiencies resulting from wrong decision making.
Although the Modi Government at first declared that the crisis in the Judiciary is an internal problem for their own to resolve, on the following day, the media got the glimpse of Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra at the residence of the Chief Justice Misra. However, the report also stated that the gates were not opened. At this point, one can only speculate the role the Government has played muddying the water that could pose a higher risk to the integrity and the independence of the Judiciary.
It has been quite evident from the recent pronouncements by various BJP/RSS leaders that they are quite unhappy with the current constitution that identifies itself as secular. The Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde speaking at the meeting of Yuva Parishad said: “I will be happy if someone identifies as Muslim, Christian, Brahmin, Lingayat or Hindu, but trouble will arise if they say they are secular”. Although he later offered a reluctant apology for strategic reasons, he may have been speaking from the mindset of those who are in power today. They are very well aware of the reality that not only they would require 2/3 majority to change the constitution but also a friendly Supreme Court in case of a judicial review.
There are growing indications that the Modi government which came to power under the guise of a development agenda is busy laying the foundation for a transformed India based on Hindutva ideology. To accomplish their long-cherished goal of total transformation, they either have to change the Institutions that stand in their way or entirely wreck it.
Supreme Court is not the only the Institution that is under siege in today’s India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ill-advised demonetization program shed light on the stress and strain that the Reserve Bank of India was placed under along with its Governor Urjit Patel. At one point, tensions have boiled over between India’s central bank and the government over the monetary policy as the country was facing its weakest growth after its much-heralded demonetization policy. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has often pointed out about the danger to the Banking System due to its constant modification of policies and procedures.
Another Institution that has come under considerable scrutiny is the Election Commission of India. The so-called delay to hold the election in Gujarat on time appeared to have given a lot of flexibility to BJP to suit its political ends. The ongoing complaints about the EVM machines, though not substantiated, have cast a pall over the integrity of the voting system and the legitimacy of the election itself.
There are those who fear that the freedom of expression itself is in danger as many in the top leadership of the BJP seem to de-emphasize its importance. Arun Jaitley, the Union minister, is on record saying that freedom of expression should be subordinate to upholding the sovereignty of the nation. There is little doubt that threats to freedom of speech have intensified as right-wing student unions associated with BJP started attacking student assemblies on campuses and supporting the government’s effort to criminalize normal political activity as seditious. The independent media has taken a share of hits as well as in the case of NDTV which was raided in an investigation over bank fraud charges by CBI.
If democracy has to survive the public has to gain a better understanding of the importance of an independent judiciary, impartial prosecutors and unbiased law enforce enforcement system that can ensure the rule of law and effective protection of fundamental rights and freedoms for every citizen regardless of color, caste, creed or religious affiliations.
Undoubtedly, Jawaharlal Nehru with the help of other eminent leaders of the independence movement built many of these institutions that stood the test of time. The emerging nations during that period such as Yugoslavia, Egypt, and Ghana failed in this regard, and results are quite evident for all of us to see. Nehru’s vision and leadership were critical in shaping India as we know it today. For BJP, many of these independent institutions remain as stumbling blocks in pushing their agenda through. Only time will tell the fate of many of those revered institutions which form the edifice upon which India stands. In the meantime, I pay homage to those four Jurists whose courage and commitment to preserve our venerable institutions may have given us a ray of hope and probably, few reasons to cheer!
(The author is the vice-chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA. He can be reached at gta777@gmail.com)
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Dallas Mayor Rawlings is keen to have Amazon set up its HQ 2 in Dallas. He thinks I will be a game changer for Dallas.
“We’re going to be as aggressive as the next guy in the city of Dallas,” Rawlings said. However, in a conversation with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith during The Texas Tribune Festival, he declined to put a dollar figure on the proposal. Rawlings also expects the state will pitch in with a check of its own, but also lamented that he believes the state Legislature has become less business-friendly and incentive-averse in recent years.
“Fundamentally, you’ve got to decide, are you going to grow, or not?” he said. “If a company says, ‘I’m going to bring 50,000 employees, what are you going to do for me,’ that’s a fair transaction.”
Amazon’s request for proposals states that state and local incentives to help offset capital costs are “significant factors” in their decision. It’s unclear where that money will come from, but the city could use Chapter 380 grants and has millions in bond money for economic development on the November ballot. But he would need City Council support.
The mayor said Dallas is “a legitimate contender” for Amazon. He touted the region’s tech workforce, its airports and its diverse and growing economy as ideal for the online retail giant.
Rawlings threw out as potential landing sites the midtown project on the former Valley View mall site and an area southwest of downtown along Riverfront Boulevard that is earmarked for development.
But first, he said, the city will join up with other North Texas areas. He said he spoke on Friday with more than a dozen other mayors in the area to team up on a pitch.
“Options are going to be very important to them, and if you look at DFW, I think we’re going to have more options than anybody,” he said.
After they draw Amazon to North Texas, the cities will then fight it out to win the corporate campus, he said.
It’s a strategy that Rawlings has used frequently in recent years during international trips with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. But often, the businesses the tandem hooks land in other North Texas cities.
But Amazon, which is based in downtown Seattle, lists as important factors direct transit access and other factors that some suburbs, such as Frisco, currently lack. Rawlings said he will fight hard for Dallas when the time comes.
“We’re going to be as aggressive as the next guy in the city of Dallas,” Rawlings said. “This is a game-changer.”
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC)- First Telugu association in North America- celebrated Makara Sankranti and India Republic Day with Chicago land area Telugu families at the HTGC Rama Temple Auditorium, Lemont IL. The event was a grand success with overwhelming response from the Telugu community with over 1000 guests in attendance. The event was conducted on 13th January 2018 from 3:00 PM to 10PM. TAGC Board has decided to do this event with all local talent promoting the Telugu culture, traditions and encouraged youth to preserve traditions. As per Membership committee chair Praveen Vemulapalli more than 1000 guests were attending the event even during the Cold weather in Chicago.
The cultural programs included more than 30 events with 330 local talents, and Chicago’s famous singers Praveen Jaligama garu, Sailaja garu and Madhavi Merugu garu who entertained audiences with movie songs.
Participants of Peacock dance
TAGC President-elect Ramu Billakanti garu welcomed and wished good health, prosperity and wealth to all the guests on behalf of President Jyothi Chintalapani garu. President garu thanked all Sponsors, Volunteers and encouraged to take membership by all attendees.
The program started with Lord Ganesha prayer along with the cultural team and Board of Directors. In the Sankranti and India Republic cultural event 330 participants performed a variety of programs and shows keeping the audience entertained and involved. The program highlight was Men’s skit “Pandu gadi Kotu Gola” and Women’s skit “Mahillallu – Maharanulu”
TAGC President elect thanked and congratulated Cultural Committee Chair Ranga Reddy Lenkala Co- chair Swetha Janamanchi and Uma Avadhuta team members and volunteers who worked for more than 8 weeks to make the event grand success.
Audience was enthusiastic to see all decorations throughout the Auditorium. Bommalla Koluvu, Kite decoration, Harvest Crop themes was a special attraction according to Decorations Committee Chair Mrs. Vani Yetrintala. There were also competitions on Sankranthi theme and Muggulu potti. Gifts were distributed for the Competition winners by Sponsors along with on-spot gift cards for kids who answered correctly about Sankranti and Telugu culture.
TAGC Sankranthi cultural Celebration also included a delicious dinner served by volunteers.
(Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA)
SEATTLE (TIP): More than 40 per cent of the foreign-born tech workers in Seattle — which is home to Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing — are from India, according to a media report. Silicon Valley is overly dependent (70 per cent) on foreign tech workers in IT occupation, it said.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The House, on Thursday, January 18 night, approved, 230 to 197, a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open past Friday, but “Senate Democrats — angered by President Trump’s vulgar aspersions and a lack of progress on a broader budget and immigration deal — appeared ready to block the measure”, said a New York Times report.
In the Senate, at least about a dozen Democratic votes would be needed to approve the measure, and there was little chance that those would materialize. Democrats are intent on securing concessions that would, among other things, protect from deportation young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, increase domestic spending, aid Puerto Rico and bolster the government’s response to the opioid crisis.
The Senate held only a procedural vote on the stopgap bill late Thursday night, leaving for Friday a more consequential vote when Democrats are expected to block the measure.
LONDON (TIP): British MPs gave the green light, on January 18, to a landmark Brexit Bill, after weeks of debate and a damaging government defeat, but the legislation now faces a battle in the House of Lords.
The House of Commons voted by a majority of 29 to approve the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which repeals the 1972 law that made Britain a member of theEuropean Union.
“This bill is essential for preparing the country for the historic milestone of withdrawing from the European Union,” Brexit Secretary David Davis said.
“We’ll have a statue book that works, delivering a smooth and orderly exit desired by people, businesses across the UK and being delivered by this government.”
The Bill is only one of several that Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government must pass to prepare Britain for its withdrawal from the EU in March 2019.
MPs had tabled more than 500 amendments and spent more than 80 hours in debate, and Brexit Secretary David Davis said the Bill was heading to the Lords in an ‘improved’ state
The unelected House of Lords may insist on further changes when peers begin their scrutiny on January 30, while ministers still face opposition from Scottish and Welsh administrations.
The 38-year-old daughter of Canada’s first turbaned MP Gurbax Singh Malhi was sworn in as Minister of the Status of Women on Thursday, January 18.
TORONTO (TIP): Harinder Malhi, the Indo-Canadian member of the Ontario provincial parliament and the mover of the 1984 genocide motion in the House last April, has been given a cabinet berth in the Ontario cabinet, making her the first-ever Sikh cabinet minister in the Canadian province.
The 38-year-old daughter of Canada’s first turbaned MP Gurbax Singh Malhi was sworn in as Minister of the Status of Women on Thursday, January 18.
The decision by Premier Kathleen Wynne to elevate Malhi seems to have been taken with an eye to Sikh votes as Ontario goes to the polls in June.
Ms Malhi represents the Punjabi-dominated ‘riding’ (or constituency) of Brampton-Springdale in the Ontario assembly, whose members are called MPPs or members of provincial parliament.
She joins another Indo-Canadian woman minister Dipika Damerla in the Ontario cabinet.
Interestingly, her elevation to the cabinet comes when two senior Sikh MPPs Amrit Mangat and Vic Dhillon have been ignored.
It is being speculated that because of her 1984 genocide motion, Ms Malhi can help her Liberal Party retain Sikhs votes which may drift to the New Democratic Party (NDP) which has just elected Jagmeet Singh as its national leader. After her genocide resolution, many in the Sikh community view her as the champion of the cause in the community.
Her party may also benefit from her father and former MP’s huge hold over Sikh voters.
Interestingly, as a member of the Ontario assembly, Jagmeet Singh too had introduced a similar motion on the anti-Sikh riots, but his motion failed. He was also denied a visa to India in 2013.
Brampton, on the outskirts of Toronto, has the second largest concentration of the Sikh community in Canada after Surrey in British Columbia.
Ms Malhi’s genocide motion in the Ontario assembly in April 2017 read: “That, in the opinion of this House… should reaffirm our commitment to the values we cherish — justice, human rights and fairness — and condemn all forms of communal violence, hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance in India and anywhere else in the world, including the 1984 genocide perpetrated against the Sikhs throughout India, and call on all sides to embrace truth, justice and reconciliation.”
The motion was passed 34-5 votes in a House of 107 members.
Reacting strongly to it, India rejected it calling it a “misguided motion which is based on a limited understanding of India, its constitution, society, ethos, rule of law and the judicial process”.
CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post, Time among the awardees
WASHINGTON (TIP): Announcing the much-awaited Fake News Awards, US President Donald Trump declared ‘The New York Times’ as the winner of the ‘Fake News Award’. Others in Trump’s unique award were ‘ABC News’, ‘CNN’, ‘Time’ and ‘The Washington Post’. Trump announced the award in a tweet January 17 night.
The website GOP.Com where the winners were listed crashed soon after Trump announced the awards.
“2017 was a year of unrelenting bias, unfair news coverage, and even downright fake news. Studies have shown that over 90 per cent of the media’s coverage of President Trump is negative,” it said.
Topping the list was The New York Times’ Paul Krugman story which claimed on the day of Trump’s historic, landslide victory that the economy would never recover.
ABC News’ Brian Ross was positioned second. It “CHOKES and sends markets in a downward spiral with false report,” the website said.
‘CNN’ received the third prize for reporting that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J Trump Jr had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks.
Time was placed fourth for reporting that Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office.
The Washington Post was laced last for reporting Trump’s massive sold-out rally in Pensacola, Florida was empty.
Below is the full list of winners of the 2017 Fake News Awards.
1) The New York Times’ Paul Krugman claiming markets would ‘never’ recover from a Trump presidency
2) ABC News’ Brian Ross’ bungled report on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn
3) CNN falsely reporting the Trump campaign had early access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks
4) TIME report that Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office
5) The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel tweeting that Trump’s December rally in Pensacola, Fla., wasn’t packed with supporters
6) CNN’s video suggesting Trump overfed fish during a visit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
7) CNN’s retracted report claiming Anthony Scaramucci-Russia ties
8) Newsweek report that Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda did not shake Trump’s hand
9) CNN report that former FBI Director James Comey would dispute President Trump’s claim he was told he was not under investigation
10) The New York Times report that the Trump administration had hidden a climate-change study
11) In Trump’s words, “‘RUSSIA COLLUSION!’ Russian collusion is perhaps the greatest hoax perpetrated on the American people. THERE IS NO COLLUSION.
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court, on January 18, paved the way for the nationwide release of ‘Padmaavat’on January 25, as it stayed orders issued by the Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat governments banning the screening of Deepika Padukone-starrer film.
Noting that maintenance of law and order was the duty of state governments, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked states to provide the security needed for the film’s peaceful screening.
The Supreme Court also restrained other states from similar ban notifications. It sought to emphasize that theatre and cinema were a part of right to freedom of speech and expression. “Let it be released… a movie might not be so successful at the box office and people might not go to watch it, but its exhibition cannot be prohibited like this,” it said.
Based on the saga of the historic battle of 13th century between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, the film has been opposed by Rajputs for alleged character assassination of Padmavati.
On behalf of producers Viacom 18, Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi contended that once the Central Board of Film Certification had cleared a movie, states could not interfere with it. CBFC was “extra cautious” and it issued a certificate after a few cuts suggested by an expert committee were carried out, they said. They cited the top court’s 2011 ruling in the case of Prakash Jha’s film ‘Aarakshan’, which was banned by some states for a certain period.
“Once the parliamentary legislation confers the responsibility and power on a statutory board and the board grants certificate, non-exhibition of it by states will be contrary to statutory provisions,” the court said.
On behalf of the BJP-ruled states, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there were intelligence reports regarding law and order problem. “If you go by this, 60 per cent of literature, even classical literature of India, cannot be read,” the CJI said.
The Bench fixed March 26 for further hearing.
Meanwhile, while there is excitement among moviegoers for watching the much-awaited movie, there is also tension in the air with regard to some taking to streets and try blocking the movie’s screening. The BJP ruled states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat may have to deal with law and order problem which they seem to have invited themselves. Politicians opposed to BJP are hinting at State sponsored demonstrations and disturbances in these states to block the screening of the movie. Only January 25 will tell what happens.
New York entrepreneur and lawyer aims to represent the wishes of New Yorkers in Congress
NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Indian American Suraj Patel has announced his candidacy for US Congress in New York’s 12th Congressional district.
“I didn’t plan to enter the political arena myself until after this last Presidential Election when many of us realized we can’t sit on the sidelines anymore,” said Patel.
‘My family moved here from India searching for opportunity, and they seized it when they got here. They worked their way up from security guards and store clerks to building a business and raising four unruly boys to adulthood. Their story and our stories need to be told so that we all remember how wonderful this country already is and what truly makes it great. So much about this country is inspiring except for its politics right now, and we have an obligation to change that.”
Patel hopes to make voices from all over New York heard. “We need to fight to make our people’s lives better, to push for what’s possible, to elevate voices that have been ignored, and to finally give people a choice for who represents them.”
Patel and the Committee to Elect Suraj Patel hope to encourage fellow New Yorkers to take initiative and vote for one of their own. It has been 8 years since the last serious Democratic challenger ran for Congress in NY-12, and Patel aims to break this streak while aiming to raise the number of total voters. With strict voting laws, turnout in New York City is among the lowest in the nation, with only 8% of voters participating in the 2016 congressional primary.
With new voices, ideas, and energy, Patel aims to reach New Yorkers who want to make a difference and build a new electorate.
Through his website, visitors can make their voices heard by completing a brief survey to tell Patel’s team what matters to them. The website also offers a link where New York residents can register as Democrats.
Patel is a New York entrepreneur, lawyer, activist, and ethics lecturer at NYU Stern. He is also a founding team member of The Arena and the founder of Creative Caucus, working to find and support great new candidates in their run for office. Patel is a board member at Atlas: DIY and served on the Obama White House Advance Team.
NEW YORK (TIP): Chintu Patel and Chirag Patel, Co-Chairmen of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, were honored as Persons of the Year 2017 for their monumental corporate success and philanthropy by The South Asian Times on Jan 13, 2018 at a gala reception in Syosset, NY.
Joining in presenting the plaques to the duo were Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Congressman Steve Israel, and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.
Chintu and Chirag Patel have taken Amneal in 15 years from a family business to 5th largest generics drug company in the USA with $2 billion revenue expected in 2018. They have also set up family foundations called Niswarth and Irada with large humanitarian projects in India.
They were featured as cover story in The South Times New Year Special issue of January 6-19, 2018. At the event last weekend at the North Shore Synagogue’s grand ballroom, the two Patel brothers were introduced by Kamlesh Mehta, Publisher and Chairman of The South Asian Times.
Assembled at the reception to cheer the honorees as well as celebrate the remarkable success and contributions of the Indian American community were numerous community leaders, entrepreneurs, publishers and officials. Notable was the presence of two Padma Shri honorees Dr Dattatreyudu Nori and Dr Sudhir Parikh.
Congressmen Israel and Suffolk County Executive Bellone, while congratulating Chintu and Chirag, who they have known personally, praised the Indian American community’s role in bringing the two great democracies of India and US closer. Amb. Sandeep Chakravorty echoed their thoughts. Steve Israel said “Chintu and Chirag have not forgotten the past while keeping an eye on the future,” reflecting on how they have retained the best of Indian culture and family values while having a long time vision to serve humanity.
Chirag Patel in his acceptance speech talked about the infinite human potential, adding “One side is business success, but the same thing applies to greater purpose in life.” Tremendous growth of Amneal notwithstanding, he said, “We are not stopping, we have multiple projects in bio-technology.”
Chintu Patel said so far they had kept a low profile but a persistent Kamlesh Mehta convinced them to agree to be Persons of the Year 2017 arguing that their story will be inspirational for the community and it also conveys the importance of family values. Chintu said their father, Kanu Patel, is their inspiration who is still active at 75. He also thanked his team at Amneal, which employs more than 5,000 people.
(Source: Based on a Press Release /Parveen Chopra)
WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): Following historic wins at the ballot box in November 2017, a group of Indian American philanthropists, community leaders, and political operatives have come together to formally launch the Indian American Impact Project (“Impact Project”) and Indian American Impact Fund (“Impact Fund”), collectively known as “Impact.”
Co-founded by Raj Goyle, CEO of Bodhala and former member of the Kansas State House, and Deepak Raj, Chairman of Pratham USA and founder of the Raj Center on Indian Economic Policies at Columbia University, these bold new initiatives will help talented and patriotic Indian Americans run for office, win, and lead. Raj Goyle will chair the Impact Project, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on leadership development and training, while Deepak Raj will chair the Impact Fund, a political action committee that will endorse and support viable candidates who reflect the Indian American community’s values.
“Despite rapid growth and professional success, for too long Indian Americans have been underrepresented in elected office from state capitols to the U.S. Congress,” said Goyle. “As a result, our needs, concerns, and priorities often go unheard in the halls of power. At a time when our community and our values are under attack by xenophobic rhetoric and regressive policies, it is more critical than ever that Indian Americans build and wield political power to fight back.”
“This is our time,” added Raj. “Across the country, a record number of Indian Americans are running for office. We can’t leave it to chance that they will win on their own. We owe them our support — and we have a plan to help them run, win, and lead.”
As of January 2018, five Indian Americans currently serve in the United States Congress: Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-CA). Impact is also tracking an additional 60 Indian Americans currently serving in state and local office as state legislators, mayors, city council members, judges, and other elected positions.
The Impact Project Board of Directors includes Priya Dayananda, Managing Director of Federal Government Affairs for KPMG LLP, Vinai Thummalapally, former U.S. Ambassador to Belize and former Executive Director of SelectUSA, and Mini Timmaraju, Executive Director of External Affairs at Comcast and former National Women’s Vote Director for Hillary for America. The Impact Fund Board of Directors includes Ravi Akhoury, former Chairman and CEO of MacKay Shields LLC, and Raghu Devaguptapu, Partner at Left Hook Strategies and former Political Director for the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC). Vikas Raj, Managing Director of Accion Venture Lab, will serve as a non-voting observer on both boards.
Both initiatives are led by Gautam Raghavan, who previously served as Vice President of Policy for the Gill Foundation, as an Advisor in the Obama White House, and in various roles for the 2008 Obama campaign and Democratic National Committee.
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