MAHWA, NJ (TIP): India Heritage Center, the Museum of the Indian Journey to the United States of America, is committed to capturing, promoting and preserving the individual and collective experience of the Indian diaspora to the United States.
Their goal is to foster awareness of the Indian journey to the United States and document stories of Indian immigrants upon arrival to assimilation, and highlight achievements and contributions, along with any struggles in respective fields.
“Stories makes us who we are. Our team is putting a concerted effort to preserve our stories and heritage which playa vital role in helping us learn our history.We want to record and preserve our past, so we may awaken and inspire future generations to their fullest potential”, says Priya Israni, President of the organization.
The non-profit organization has already captured stories of a few eminent Indian immigrants, such as Dr. Abraham George, messiah of the underprivileged, who runs a school for Dali kids in India, Ravi Bhalla, the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken, Piyush Sukhadia’s sweet story of struggle, just to name a few.
The team’s mission is to continue to seek and preserve more unique stories, which will enhance understanding and respect for the Indian heritage in wider society, by providing an automatic sense of unity and belonging, allowing us to identify with those of similar experiences and backgrounds, and perhaps better understand the Indian American journey and history.
The logo of the India Heritage Center is a tall and strong tree which represents the fusion of the two great societies. The blending of colors of the flags of India and the United States signifies the celebration of our roots and respect for our new home as proud Indian Americans.
In an effort to continue to gather and preserve more stories, and bring together the Indian American community, the India Heritage Center has been hosting several unique fundraising events.This past spring, the sold-out Spring Spotlight Event showcased stories and food from Michelin star chefs of Indian descent.
The organization’sbiggest and noteworthy event is their annual Diwali Mela, which in the past years has drawn crowds in several thousands. This is New Jersey’s largest cultural extravaganza of its kind, which celebrates the festival with a variety of food stalls, cultural performances, designer shopping, handicrafts and even spectacular fireworks. This year, for the first time, the event will be held at a newly renovated indoor venue, Sheraton Mahwah Hotel, in Mahwah, NJ on Sunday November 4th. The event is expected to draw an even larger crowd, given that the Bollywood celebrity, Radhika Apte, will be making an appearance.
To learn more about this year’s upcoming Diwali Mela and to watch the complete stories, visit www.indiaheritagecenter.org
NEW YORK(TIP): The week of October 6 -13, 2018, has a special significance in the 30-year history of “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF)”. In this week, ‘Ekal’ (as it is popularly known), hosted three fund-raising glittering Galas at three strategic places in USA and raised record $5.5 Millionin pledges for its literacy, healthcare, village-development movement for rural & tribal areas. This magical figure was in addition to $7.5 Million it had already realized through its annual 50+ fund-raising concerts across USA. On Oct. 6 Ekal-Houston, TX hosted a Gala where generous donors collectively gave $1.5 Million. In similar fashion, on Oct.12, Ekal-Washington hosted a Gala in Bethesda, MD and raised $1.1 Million. A year earlier (2017) New York (NY) region had successfully initiated Gala for high net-worth philanthropic donors, and so all eyes were on magnificent ‘Cipriani-Wall Street’ banquet Hall in NY as the grand finale of this gala-phase and NY did not disappoint anyone. It raised $3 Million. This crowning achievement pushed Ekal’s donation total for Yr 2018, way beyond $10 Million it had initially hoped for. In addition, what was remarkable was all three Galas were completely sold-out affairs.
John Sculley praises Ekal initiative
At the NYC Ekal-GALA, the presence of John Sculley, former CEO of ‘Apple & Pepsi’ and veteran film actor Anupam Kher as two key-note speakers was the highlight of the evening. These two Iconic personalities not only freely mingled with the crowd during initial social hour but also patiently took time to interact with their fans. Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India was the Chief Guest of this event. Mohan Wanchoo’s opening remarks, after national anthems of USA & India, set the tone for the evening. As the Chairman of the GALA, he touched on aspirations of village folks and what could be done to bring them into the mainstream. Chirag Patel, as the co-chair of the event emphasized urgency to transform villages so that India could tackle challenges of the future. Ranjani Saigal’s presentation of ‘EKAL’ (with montage of slides, pictures in the background) was a defining moment. She gave several real-life examples of ecliptic rise of some of the Ekal alumnus in 10-12 minutes. This made the first-timers to Ekal, including ‘Key-note speakers’, fairly knowledgeable about crucial aspects of Ekal movement. John Sculley and Anupam Kher were simply amazing as keynote speakers. John Sculley commended innovativeness of Indians and lauded Ekal’s dedication to bring changes in rural life by empowering women and boasting self-esteem of rural folks, in general. Anupam Kher drew parallels between his life and the life of poor village-folks and elaborated on how he overcame obstacles in his own life by believing in himself. Laminated letters of Ekal-school children at each placement on every guest tables were quite soul-touching. This immediately connected the attendees with the village-based children in India. On this occasion, Ekal India Team – Bajarang Bagra and Naresh Jain – was also felicitated. Honoring them, Mohan Wanchoo said,” we in USA only raise funds for rural folks but the real hard work is done by ‘Ekal-India’.
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher spoke of his impressions of EkalThe $3 million check. A proud moment for Ekal fundraising team Text & Pics / Courtesy Prakash Waghmare
The pledging process was focused on supporting a variety of projects in the field of education, health and skill development. Inspired by a matching donation from ‘Sarva Mangal Family Trust’ to bring ‘tablets’ to Ekal schools, $150,000 was raised, instantaneously so that it could turn into $300,000 and equip 600 schools for hand-held ‘Tablets’.Chintu Patel, Co-Founder and CEO of Amneal Pharmaceuticals gave a passionate speech on the importance of supporting the eye initiative of Ekal which he personally promised to support in partnership with ‘Irada’, a foundation started by his family. As of this moment Ekal has 77,000 Ekal-schools across India grooming 2 Million Children – more than half of them girls. PM Modi has given Ekal a goal to establish 100,000 schools by YR 2022 (75th Anniversary of India’s Independence). The highest bid – $500,000 – came from an anonymous donor who wanted to support the expansion of the schools specifically to reach this target. The overwhelming support that Ekal witnessed in ‘Galas’, it is very likely that Ekalwill reach PM Modi’s target 100,000 schools by Yr. 2020 (way ahead of time).
This unprecedented support from patrons has also given confidence to Ekal to revise and aggressively pursue its developmental agenda. Yr 2018 saw the highest ever growth in Ekal’s 30-year history. New schools were opened in 18,000 villages. E-Shiksha – tutoring by ‘Tablets’ – was initiated in 180 schools, as a pilot project. For digital literacy, 10 ‘Ekal-on-wheels’ mobile digital labs have been added. Each van can educate 5,000 youths, each year, in basic computer skills. Four ‘Gramotthan Ctrs’ that directly benefit 400,000 farmers (indirectly up to 4 Million) have been planned along with ‘Satellite Skill Ctrs’. First ‘Tele-Medicine’ project, with support from ‘John Hopkins Univ’ was undertaken in Odisha to bring expert Medical advice to the doorsteps of remote Villagers. As Bajrang Bagra, CEO of Ekal-India said, “the primary objective of this all-round integrated development is to give dignity and self-esteem to rural-tribal folks of India. For the first time, Ekal went ‘live’ on Facebook and Twitter for this event. This memorable evening concluded with a concert by ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ singing superstars, ‘Bishakh Jyoti & Suchetana Sinha’.
LONDON(TIP): Indian-origin former bank employee who has been jailed was ordered on October 21 by the court to forfeit 62,000 pounds by a UK court for his role in a money laundering scam to help Romanian criminals by opening around 400 fake bank accounts.
Nilesh Sheth had pleaded guilty to his role in setting up around 400 fake accounts to help Romanian criminals to launder more than 16 million pounds (Rs. 153 crore approx) and sentenced to four years behind bars in November last year.
The 54-year-old, serving his sentence for money laundering and possessing criminal property, was told by proceeds of crime hearing at the Old Bailey court in London this week to pay 62,000 pounds (Rs. 59.19 lakhs) within three months or serve an extra year in jail.
“Sheth abused his position of trust at the bank to knowingly open sham accounts for the network, providing a vital service which enabled them to launder GBP 16 million worth of stolen cash,” said Mike Hulett, head of Operations at the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) National Cyber Crime Unit.
The NCA found that Sheth, a personal banking manager at Barclays, was instrumental in the opening of a large number of “mule” accounts, using false ID and address documents. Its investigation revealed that mastermind Iurie Mereacre ran the money laundering service from his home in east London, along with his associates, Ryingota Gincota and brothers Iurie and Serghei Bivol.
Over a three-year period, the gang of five set up and controlled around 400 bank accounts in a conspiracy which involved receiving stolen funds into one account, then dispersing it in smaller amounts to a number of other accounts to try and confuse authorities. This process would be repeated several times to disguise the source of the money before it was transferred back to cyber criminals in Eastern Europe.
Prior to their arrests in November 2016, the gang was under surveillance by the NCA and was seen meeting with Sheth on numerous occasions at the bank and in public places including restaurants and car parks. When officers raided Sheth’s home at the time, they found 16,000 pounds in cash, nine mobile phones and a handwritten guide to money laundering.
“These men deliberately and persistently set about transferring millions of pounds of stolen money out of the UK to eastern Europe,” said Rose-Marie Franton, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) International Justice and Organised Crime Division, during the time of their sentencing last year.
“The evidence we gathered showed how Nilesh Sheth abused his position as a bank employee for personal gain by facilitating the laundering the criminal proceeds of an organised crime group both within the UK and across borders,” she said.
The court heard how Sheth started the scam after criminals tempted him with money that he stuffed behind cushions and under the kitchen sink at his home in Essex, near London.
He used his Barclays office to meet 38-year-old Mereacre, an illegal immigrant, and his associates, all of whom have since been jailed for a total of 28 years.
Barclays said it worked closely with the authorities during the investigation.
A spokesperson said: “Barclays will always support law enforcement in identifying criminal activity and bringing prosecutions.”
LONDON(TIP): An Indian-origin ringleader is one of the 16 men jailed for a combined period of over 200 years for being part of a grooming gang which sexually abused vulnerable young girls in the West Yorkshire region of England.
Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 35, was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years behind bars, with other members of the gang jailed for between five and 18 years in jail at Leeds Crown Court.
The court had been hearing the cases since the beginning of January and were told of the men’s years of repeated serious sexual abuse of the girls, supplying them with drugs and alcohol and trafficking them across the West Yorkshire region for their sexual gratification.
The third trial in the case concluded on October 8, with reporting restrictions imposed on the entire case by the judge lifted only on Friday.
“The investigation into this case has been extremely complex and the investigative team have worked tirelessly for the past five years to ensure that no stone has been left unturned. We welcome the convictions and sentences which have been passed down throughout the year to these depraved individuals, who subjected vulnerable young children to unthinkable sexual and physical abuse,” said Detective Chief Inspector Ian Mottershaw, from West Yorkshire Police, who led the investigation.
“I hope the outcomes of these trials will enable the victims to start the process of putting this trauma behind them and reassure any other potential victims that we will treat them with the utmost respect and sensitivity and take positive action against perpetrators,” he said.
Jailing the men, who are all of South Asian origin including Pakistani-origin men, Judge Geoffrey Marson said: “The way you treated these girls defies understanding; this abuse was vile and wicked. As cases of sexual abuse with which the courts have to deal, this case comes top of the scale”.
Ringleader Dhaliwal, a married father of two, had been charged with 21 counts of rape, assault by penetration, four counts of sexual assault, five counts of inciting sexual activity with a child, 13 counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of making indecent images, one count of inciting child prostitution, two offences of administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual act and a racially aggravated assault.
As Dhaliwal was sentenced, the judge added, “The extent and gravity of your offending far exceeds anything which I have previously encountered. Children’s lives have been ruined and families profoundly affected by seeing their children, over months and years, out of control, having been groomed by you and other members of your gang”.
A further four men found guilty will be sentenced on November 1 at Leeds Crown Court and have been remanded in custody. All 20 men will also be handed down indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, put in place to prevent them from any unsupervised contact with female children under 18.
The convictions follow an “extensive and extremely complex and sensitive investigation” conducted by detectives in Kirklees district of West Yorkshire, spanning nearly five years, in order to bring a case in front of a judge.
In 2013, the first report was made to the police by a victim and since that point, police identified 15 victims and pieced together the investigation.
The location of the crimes was around Huddersfield and all suspects originate from that town. The offences committed occurred between 2004 and 2011 against girls aged between 11 and 17.
MELBOURNE (TIP): Indian- origin Sikh man running for the city council in Australia has been racially targeted by a man in a truck shouting racial slurs at a life-sized cut-out made from one of his election placards, according to a media report.
Sunny Singh, a Port Augusta City Council nominee, said a social media video targeting his race is the first time he has experienced racism in the local community, media reported.
He was attacked in a video posted to a national trucking Facebook page.
The video shows a man in a truck directing racial slurs at a life-sized cut-out made from one of Mr Singh’s election placards, which is eventually run over by the truck, the report said.
“I was a little upset and shocked because I’d never even seen this man before, never met him, I don’t know why he did it,” Mr Singh was quoted as saying by the report.
“I was amazed how welcoming the people of Port Augusta were when I came here. This is the first time this has happened here.”
He said the Port Augusta community had rallied behind him.
“This morning I saw Facebook and I saw hundreds of messages and comments supporting me,” Mr Singh said.
South Australian Attorney-General Vicki Chapman has described the footage as “disturbing” and “on the face of it, racist conduct”.
“We are a state that has a very proud history of democracy. Our government is completely behind maintaining that and the right for people to stand for public office.
“I just want to say to other candidates in the local government elections, thank you for standing.”
Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson said he was shocked by the violence and racism in the video.
“Appalled, absolutely appalled, gutted, outrageous – in today’s society, what would possess anyone to do that? Clearly a lot of effort was put into that,” Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said the Indian community and the Sikh church contributed greatly to the Port Augusta community and economy.
“The experiences I’ve had with our Indian community and multicultural community, they are very giving and community-minded,” he said.
“Sunny Singh is a shining example of exactly the type of migrant we want to welcome into our community, and not offend in this way. The offending post should be removed immediately,” said the Member for Stuart, which includes Port Augusta, Dan van Holst Pellekaan.
Meanwhile, the trucking company pictured in the video, Moroney Trucking, has been suspended as a service provider, the report said.
NEW YORK(TIP): Indian Americans have been named in the Time magazine’s 2018 list of the 50 most influential people whose work is transforming healthcare in the US.
The three Indian Americans included in the list are Divya Nag, Dr Raj Panjabi and Atul Gawande.
To put together the list, Time’s team of health editors and reporters nominated people who made significant contributions to the state of healthcare in America this year.
The publication then evaluated their work on originality, impact and quality. The list was broken up into four separate categories, including public health, treatments, cost and technology.
The list included physicians, scientists, business and political leaders, whose work is transforming healthcare.
At not even 30, Divya Nag is leading Apple’s special projects focusing on health. Ms Nag’s team developed ResearchKit, an open-source app developer for doctors and researchers to share patient results and clinical data, and this fall it announced groundbreaking new tools for the Apple Watch: the Series 4 includes an emergency response system, in case the wearer falls and doesn’t respond, and a medical-grade EKG heart-rate monitor.
A Harvard Medical School professor who came to the US as a refugee from Liberia, Raj Panjabi co-founded Last Mile Health to recruit and train community health workers in areas that lack local health services. Last Mile’s efforts were crucial in fighting Ebola from 2014 to 2016, and now Mr Panjabi is building Community Health Academy, a mobile platform for training health care workers remotely through video and audio instruction
Atul Gawande was tapped to lead a new nonprofit health care venture that will cover the more than 1 million employees of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. Though few details are public, it’s said to focus on transparent, low-cost corporate health care.
“The American health care system has been plagued for decades by major problems, from lack of access to uncontrolled costs to unacceptable rates of medical errors,” the Time editors wrote in a report unveiling the list. And yet, real as those issues remain, the field has also given rise to extraordinary innovation,” the editors added.
HOUSTON, TX(TIP): Indian American Minal Patel Davis has been honored with a Presidential award by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for her extraordinary contribution towards combatting human trafficking in Houston.
Davis, Special Advisor on Human Trafficking to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, received the ‘Presidential Medal for Combating Human Trafficking’ in the White House last week at a ceremony also attended by President Donald Trump.
“It was unbelievable,” said Ms Davis after winning the award, the country’s highest honor in the field.
“My parents came here from India. I was the first one in my family born in the United States, so to end up in the Mayor’s office a few years ago, and then to now end up in the White House, it was unbelievable,” she said.
Appointed in July 2015, Ms Davis has made a local impact on human trafficking in America’s fourth largest city from a policy-level perspective and by helped in advancing systems change.
She is currently implementing Mayor Turner’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategic Plan, which is the first comprehensive municipal response to human trafficking by a US city.
Ms Davis has spoken at several local, national and international panels and presented Houston city’s approach.
She is a past speaker at the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit and recently travelled to India and Canada at the request of the State Department to discuss municipal leadership in trafficking with the government officials. She did her MBA from the University of Connecticut and BA from New York University.
BOSTON (TIP): Indian American entrepreneur Venkat Srinivasan has launched a $100 million venture capital firm to promote startups working in the area of artificial intelligence.
The launch of Innospark Ventures comes more than a year after he sold RAGE Frameworks, which develops AI-based automation technology and software for data aggregation, analytics and task.
Innospark, based in Boston, will primarily invest in AI-driven startups and ventures that are focused in the areas of life sciences, business services, education and cybersecurity, and located around Boston, Cambridge and New England.
The firm plans to provide capital and support “at all stages of the innovation and entrepreneurship lifecycle” and will “take a patient and proactive approach to investing,” according to a press release issued by the new company.
“The current wave of AI is still in its early innings, and we are likely to see new architectures emerge for AI which will address the challenges of transparency, context, causality and noisy data,” said Srinivasan, who will serve as the Managing Director of the company. “The Innospark team believes this creates enormous opportunities for startups to play a role in shaping the ecosystem of tomorrow.”
The release said, though a plethora of companies are exploring in artificial intelligence technology, not many firms are engaged in its application and product development.
“We are thrilled by the opportunity to create a friendly and open local community for entrepreneurs navigating through the challenges of applying AI successfully,” said Sophie Meralli, an associate at Innospark.
“The principals invest their own money and are fully aligned with each and every entrepreneur the fund invests in,” the release said. “They believe that high-impact innovation can take several years, and their capital has no fixed time horizon.”
Innospark is the culmination of Srinivasan’s decades-long interest and expertise in artificial intelligence and computational algorithm.
In addition to RAGE, Srinivasan has founded and exited from a number of companies, including AI-based firms eCredit and Corporate Fundamentals. Another company he founded, EnglishHelper, uses artificial intelligence to address literacy challenges.
Srinivasan, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Delhi University and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Business, is an academic-turned entrepreneur. He quit a tenured faculty position at the Northeastern University’s Business School to become an entrepreneur.
In a June 2017 interview, Srinivasan told the American Bazaar that he didn’t “find much difference in being a professor” and his “brand of entrepreneurship.”
“My work is very innovation-centric; we are always innovating something radically new and different. And in that sense, it is similar to the research I loved doing when I was in the academe,” he said.
Srinivasan, who holds several patents in the area of knowledge-based technology architectures, also talked about how he ended up creating his first company. “When I was a professor, I had the opportunity to be a consultant for a number of Fortune 500 firms like Apple and at some point, I decided that what my clients needed was an expert system [AI],” he said. “I proceeded to build it. That eventually led to my first company.”
Srinivasan is a member of the Board of Directors and Trustees of the American India Foundation’s Boston chapter.
RICHARDSON, TEXAS(TIP): Some Richardson residents say they are astonished after someone burned two political campaign signs in their front yard after 11:00 p.m. Monday, October 22.
In all, the Richardson Fire Department says five different signs were torched in the Heights neighborhood, which is west of Central Expressway and south of Arapaho.
One of the homeowners whose signs were burned is Chris Terry who said she and her wife Michael Graffeo were surprised when a man rang their door bell Monday night to alert them.
Terry says she remembers thinking, “Steal the sign, but don’t light it on fire when there’s a possibility that other things could catch on fire. But you know, I think it’s a reflection that we’re so polarized.”
Fire Chief Curtis Poovey said no one was hurt.
The signs that were lit on fire were for Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat running for U.S. Senate and Colin Allred, the Democrat running for the 32nd Congressional District.
Poovey said investigators don’t have a suspect or suspects in mind.
Graffeo, says, “I think it’s indicative of where we are, but it seems to be taking it a step further.”
They placed new signs in the yard Wednesday afternoon, not waiting for the rain to stop.
Dallas County Community College adjunct professor Janet Johnson is writing a book about social media and rhetoric in politics.
“People need to realize that there are consequences wherever we burn signs, that it’s not ok. We need to start having conversations.”
She says those conversations should not include any yelling, but rather, be cordial.
MUMBAI(TIP): Denying any cronyism in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Thursday, October 25, that details about offset partners will be known only when the procurement begins.
“…Dassault and two or three companies are participating in the supply of Rafale. So each one of them will have an offset obligation to be fulfilled,” she said at the ‘India Summit: Status of the nation’, organized by the Economist magazine.
Asked about the controversy surrounding Dassault Aviation’s choice of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defense as an offset partner, Sitharaman said each company involved in the supply will have its offset partners in India.
“Now for Dassault alone to come back to me to say that their offset is getting fulfilled completely, through one, two, three or any number of companies with whom they either go with investments or go for a buying of a product or buying of a service, (it) is left to Dassault to come to me to claim it.
“Till such time they claim each and every one of them, I will not know whether they are with one, or ten or with hundred (Indian offset partners),” the minister said.
“The offset partners’ details will be known when they approach me with bills detailing what kind of service is being received, whether it is in the form of equipment or investment,” she said.
While the Congress has alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal and accused the government of favoring Ambani’s firm, the government as well as Anil Ambani have vehemently denied the opposition party’s allegations.
Sitharaman noted that the commencement of the delivery of Rafale jets has not begun.
“They still have time to come back to me to say look, my offset is getting fulfilled through these routes. They will have to submit transaction details of who got the money, for what purpose. Till all that is done, I cannot even claim how many people they (Dassault) are going with,” the minister added.
She said the previous UPA government had floated a global tender for procurement of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).
“They never bought it (the aircraft) but always claim that they bought it at one particular amount,” she said, rebutting the Congress allegation that the price of the aircraft shot up in the deal signed by the NDA government.
“The emergency number (of planes) which UPA required was 18 but with more time passing, the emergency number what we wanted was 36, which is equal to two squadrons,” the defense minister said.
She said the UPA government went for an open tender, but the present government opted for an inter-governmental tender.
“For the 18 and for the rest they (UPA government) went for a tender. What we have done is that we have gone for inter-governmental tender for first 36 emergency number, while rest of the procurement will be through strategic partnership,” Sitharaman said.
She added that there will be an overseas manufacturer along with an Indian partner for manufacturing of rest of the planes.
“So, the processes have been simplified, (made) much transparent now. That is why there is so much information available in the public domain. There is no scandal or crony (capitalism) any way,” the defense minister insisted.
WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump has designated Indian-American Neil Chatterjee as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), charged with overseeing America’s power grid and deciding on multibillion-dollar energy projects. Chatterjee, who is FERC Commissioner, would replace Kevin McIntyre. This is for the second time that Chatterjee has been designated as FERC chairman. He served briefly in 2017.
Aries:Ganesha says the period begins with your plate full and overflowing. There are domestic issues to be sorted out. Some of you may be going through a separation and the courts eat into your time, money and peace of mind. Children can also be quite a handful. There are expenses and medical emergencies. Elders need special care. There will be a lot of chipping, chopping, pruning, adjustments, readjustments, fine-tuning, tweaking and so on. There are several possibilities before you.
Taurus:There is more stability now and you see the writing on the wall very clearly. Your road map is well defined. You roll up your sleeves and hit the shop floor. You chart out your priorities one by one and address them without undue emotion. A lot of time has been wasted in frivolities and you want to make up for lost time, like the Rajdhani Express. Ganesha leads you to new discoveries of the self. As you surmount the challenges a new you begins to blossom.
Gemini:You are racing ahead like Nikki Lauda, the great race car driver. Nothing fazes you. All opposition crumbles before you. Like Napoleon you marshal your generals effectively. You are cannier than Rommel, the Desert Fox. There are expenses and ego drives. Passions reach a high too. But you are unfazed as you go about the task of setting your house in order and conquering new territory with the zeal of Genghis Khan.
Cancer:There is achievement and success. You win kudos and applause. You adapt and change as per the situation. Darwin – who said the species that adapt is the species that survives – will be cheering from the grave. Ganesha also applauds. There is rapid business expansion. Those in job get promotions, and freelancers latch on to blue-chip accounts. There are no specifics here as I do not have your personal chart and these are mere generalizations. You are overly fastidious and this helps.
Leo:You are in the hopeless coils of amour. Nothing makes sense to you any more as you detect the fragrance of your beloved in every molecule of the stratosphere. I have been there, and I know the feeling. You feel you have met your soul mate, even your ‘sole’ mate as you plan to journey with the person. I won’t go into genders here, as society has opened up every possible way, and you know what I mean.
Virgo:Quite often, the tendencies of one period slip into another. Sometimes, the tendencies can run through whole period at a stretch. I make generalizations based on hunches and my vast experience in astrology. Since everyone is different these predictions will touch or even torch a chord somewhere. ‘True sacrifice consists in sharing your wealth, strength and qualities, which are derived from society, with everyone,’ said Lord Sai Baba.
Libra:This could well be a time of stability. You get down to hard work. Your sights are clear. Nothing can faze you. Doctors, scientists, researchers and those delving into great detail in their persuasions do exceedingly well. Nothing misses your hawk eye. You are the eagle in Animal Planet circling the blue yonder that has sighted a rabbit several miles below on the grasslands. You swoop down for the kill with authority, swiftness and precision.
Scorpio:The stable phase continues. There are domestic responsibilities that usurp your time. You don’t mind at all. In fact, you enjoy it. You spend time with children and grandchildren, if any, and partake of the simple joys of domesticity. You may take the family for a holiday and visit amusement parks and museums. The sounds and sights of innocent children basking in the glow of existence fill your heart with joy. You also attend to everyday household chores with a song on your lips.
Sagittarius:‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream,’ said C.S.Lewis. There is fire in your belly. This can be a very favorable period for seniors. In fact, this phase I won’t be surprised if senior citizens upped the ante. You could find new love and possibly new work avenues. You are possessed with tremendous intellectual and mental energy. You are also blessed with stamina and determination. Your ambitious are aroused.
Capricorn:‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started,’ said Mark Twain. There could be international travel and your work could be highly appreciated. There could be marriages, engagements and festivities in the family, including an addition to it. Those who are creatively inclined do exceptionally well. You win kudos and accolades. New love stirs your heart and you somersault into the bottomless pits of amour without a life jacket.
Aquarius:There is a lot of movement in your life. There are mood swings and hallucinations. You reach out to people and places using all modern gadgetry. Children could be a cause of concern. You may also have grapple with some old health issue that resurfaces with venom. You normally like to be on stable ground but every conceivable breakup stares you in the face. You remain aloof and distant. The clouds will pass. Till then Ganesha carries you.
Pisces:You want ‘me’ time to sort out issues. You may also go searching for a guru and take recourse to tantra, mantra and yantra. You may check into a nature-cure resort and look to heal yourself. Your body and soul are troubled. You need to bounce back, all rejuvenated and refreshed. Money flows through your fingers. Quite like with every other sign, you also have opposites. There are other variables too that impact a person’s life. We are all a bundle of contradictions.
The killing of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul is a tale of trans-national crime, intrigue and murder. The botched up cover-up has shaken the world. Even as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia tries to stem the flow of accusations from enveloping him, his inner circle, including his top aide Saud al-Qahtani, stands indicted. The brutal nature of the killing, as highlighted by a series of leaks topped by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement accusing the Saudi Government of “savage murder” and mutilation of Khashoggi, has triggered revulsion that has so far not allowed the matter to be swept under the carpet. Not because of lack of effort, but simply because of the horror of crime.
Western governments, including the US, have a long history of treating the House of Saud with kid gloves, given their geopolitical realities. The human rights record of the Arabian kingdom has been abysmal, with executions, whipping and other medieval punishments still being carried out. However, world powers, keenly looking at the bottom line, have ignored all this. Indeed, the Prince was billed as a reformer, but his intolerance to dissent was displayed in the crackdown on the women’s rights movement and the arrest of many activists, including popular ones like Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah. This triggered off the kingdom’s spat with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who criticized the arrests in August.
US President Donald Trump has vacillated in his response to the killing of a permanent resident of his country and columnist for Washington Post, but he seems to be hardening his stance. While some other nations have condemned the killing, many have maintained a diplomatic silence. The Saudi version of the killing, coming after a complete denial, has given credibility gap a new meaning. The death of the journalist can only have a meaning if it leads to reforms within the kingdom. This is a tall order, given the opaque nature of governance there.
The American economy under Trump has been very different from the economic cycles of the past several decades. It is growing within the inflation target of 2%. It has been incessantly creating employment, keeping the unemployment rate at or close to the historical low of 3.7%. There is no visible indicator prompting the Federal Reserve to manage the economy based on the old policy and practice. If it continued to do what it has been doing for more than a year, it will engage in actions very inapt from the new reality and will not only result in economic outcomes very diffident form the appropriate but would seriously disserve the American people.
The current stock market activity is being mainly influenced by the growth that is occurring due to the business activity as a result of the enhanced economic growth produced by the renegotiated trade and international agreements. It would naturally cause the GDP to grow at a historically higher rate. Controlling it to remain at the rates of the past by increasing the cost of capital for business by raising interest rates would cause an irreparable loss to the country. American corporations will not be able to bring back home the economic activity that we lost long ago. If it actually failed at that, our economic production will remain at a rate lower than our consumption. Our dependence on imports will continue.
Before using interest rate increases to thwart economic activity or asset valuation, the Federal Reserve should take into account the resultant fundamentals of the new stock market. It is operating very efficiently by producing historically low multiples of share price-to-earning and high return to investors for taking the risk. These are normal because of the growth due to the new economic activity. Something like this has not happened in decades. To serve the nation, the Federal Reserve has to operate within this new reality.
(The Author is Professor at Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey 07079. He can be reached at Ad.amar@shu.edu; Office Tel: (973) 761 9684; Cell: (908) 917 8999. )
CBS 60 MINUTES ANCHOR LESLIE STAHL (see video on internet) travelled to India to interview IIT students and the faculty, to get first hand impression. She came to the conclusion that a degree from IIT is equal to combined degrees from Harvard+Princeton+MIT.
New York Times Executive Editor Rosenthal said that Indians have high native intelligence, and they are intrinsically very sharp and smart people. If you transfer them to the best environment in the world with unlimited opportunities for knowledge and research, that is the USA, they will be No.1.
By Ven Parameswaran
“If the present trend continues I could dare to predict that within the next decade Indians will head 100 corporations”, says the author.
According to the US Census, Indian Americans rank No.1 in education and income. The Jewish Americans were downgraded to the 2nd rank. The Anglo-Saxon whites had maintained the No.1 lead for centuries till the Jewish outperformed them. Perfect conclusions are more difficult to make in Social Science, unlike Physical Science. However, let me try and reason out why Indian Americans are No.1.
SPELLING B CONTEST
Until 1965, the U.S. allowed only 100 immigrants from India. With the elimination of national origin criterion and preference for the highly educated, Indians started immigrating. In 20 years, that is by 1985, US had 400,000 Indians. For the first time in 1985, Balu Natarajan won the Spelling B contest. For the past 12 years, Indian American has been the champion on a consecutive basis. Spelling B test is the test of one’s memory power. The Indian youth under 13 are highly disciplined, ambitious and determined to succeed. Therefore, they studied hard and learnt how to spell most uncommon words. Strong family values and self-esteem make them most competitive. Their brain is like a computer that stores information, which they are able to recall any time.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (IIT)
The IIT undergraduates apply for admission to topnotch universities in the USA. All of them qualify and are accepted because of their superior credentials. These students and many others who have studied in U.S. high schools score 100% in SAT, CAT, GMAT, GRT, and other competitive tests for admission to undergraduate and graduate schools. The IIT is the most outstanding college of technology in the world. In India, for a class of 250 freshmen, 250,000 apply, signifying the stiffest competition in the world.
CBS 60 MINUTES ANCHOR LESLIE STAHL(see video on internet) travelled to India to interview IIT students and the faculty, to get first hand impression. She came to the conclusion that a degree from IIT is equal to combined degrees from Harvard+Princeton+MIT. When she made her broadcast, India and the IIT were proud that the intrinsic capabilities and capacities of IIT students were discovered. Nobody advertised IIT as CBS 60 Minutes did. The IIT, India and the overseas Indians are ever grateful to Leslie Stahl and the CBS. The method of instruction in IIT is rote learning. There is not much discussion in the class like in the US colleges. Rote learning and mastering the fundamentals are very important. Like the Spelling B students, the IIT engineers have the brain of a computer. The Wall Street firms used to say that if they receive a resume from any IIT graduate, they must hire immediately even without any interview. “Send the stretcher and get him/her over here” was the expression!
A.M.ROSENTHAL, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, N.Y.TIMES
Rosenthal started his career in India after a brief span at the U.N. At his request he was assigned to India as its Foreign Correspondent and Head of the NYT Bureau, New Delhi. He liked India and fell in love with the country. He liked the food, dress and the multicultural character of India. I interviewed him in 1970 for an article in Transindia, a weekly published from N.Y.City. I asked him why Indian Americans are more successful in the USA than in India. Rosenthal said that Indians have high native intelligence and they are intrinsically very sharp and smart people. If you transfer them to the best environment in the world with unlimited opportunities for knowledge and research, that is the USA, they will be No.1.
25 CEO’S OF INDIAN ORIGIN IN FORTUNE 100 CORPORATIONS, INCLUDING MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE
There are more CEO’s of Indian origin than any other nationality, including the Chinese. Many of them have degrees from the IIT and MBA from Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Columbia, MIT. They are selected after exhaustive, intensive and most competitive search. The observations made by CBS Leslie Stahl and NYTimes A.M. Rosenthal seem to be convincing based on the sheer performance of Indian Americans.
Microsoft and Google rank amongst the top four corporations based on market capitalization. Outstanding vision and performance of Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sundar Pichai of Google have resulted in doubling the value of their companies within a year of their appointment as CEO!
If the present trend continues I could dare to predict that within the next decade Indians will head 100 corporations.
Academia
The Deans of Business Schools of Harvard, Cornel, Chicago, Kellogg/Northwestern and others are of Indian origin. The Deans of Engineering at MIT, Harvard Undergraduate Arts and Science, NYU, and several others are of Indian origin. These top universities train tomorrow’s leaders of the industry and finance.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Politically also, Indian Americans shoot for the highest position. Nikki Haley, 46, was elected and re-elected Governor of South Carolina. Later, she was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations. She could very well be elected President of the USA one day. Bobby Jindal was elected and re-elected Governor of Louisiana. He already ran for President of the USA in 2016. Kamala Harris is the U.S.Senator from California and she is most likely to run for President in 2020. Indian Americans have raised 26 million dollars to help 20 candidates running for the U.S.Congress in 2018 midterms. Congress already has 4 Indian Americans.
MUSIC AND MEDICINE:
Zubin Mehta was the Conductor of N.Y.Philharmonic Opera. Parameswaran is the Conductor of Cleveland Orchestra. Dr.Krishnamoorthy served as Surgeon General of the U.S.A.
Dr. S. RADHAKRISHNAN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA:
Columbia University, New York invited Dr.Radhakrishnan to deliver speech as a distinguished statesman. As a former diplomat for India at the U.N., I was helping Dr.Radhakrishnan. I remember vividly that Dr.Radhakrishnan prepared his speech. It was typed, and copies were made for the media with the caption: CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY. Dr.Radhakrishnan did not use any teleprompter. He spoke extempore. He spoke every word as he wrote his speech. There was not even a single word change. Everyone wondered how that was possible. Outstanding Indians have the brain of a computer.
Dr. Satyamoorthy of Chennai was a scholar in the U.K. He was selected to speak extempore on a subject that would be announced only in public in front of his audience. He was asked to speak on ‘NOTHING’. He spoke for six hours ex tempore!
BILL GATES, FOUNDER OF MICROSOFT and JACK WELCH, FORMER CEO, G.E.: On his first visit to India, Bill Gates was highly impressed with the Indians he met and predicted that Indians will be the leaders of future technology. At that time, he never dreamt that Microsoft would be selecting Satya Nadella as its Chairman and CEO. Jack Welch was also high impressed with the intrinsic strengths of Indians. Both these outstanding leaders got to know Indians only after they visited India. Warren Buffet has selected Ajit Jain, who runs his Reassurance business, as a possible successor to him along with another person. Warren Buffet made this comment on Ajit Jain, who has an IIT degree and MBA from Harvard: “Ajit insures risks that no one else has the desire or the capital to take on. His operation combines capacity, speed, decisiveness and most important, brains in a manner unique in the insurance business.”
INDIA INVENTED ZERO AND MATHEMATICS. Albert Einstein said that we cannot have a computer without zero. It was also mentioned that Sanskrit is the ideal language for computer, internet, software!
HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION: One could say that most immigrants came to the USA without higher education. Many like Irish, Italian, Eastern Europeans, Jewish came with no education. They had to work hard physically to make both ends. First generation Indians beginning in 1965 came with Masters or higher degrees. It is said that the cream of the crop from India comes to the USA for higher studies.
Of late, discrimination against Indian students at Harvard University was in focus. Harvard University was challenged legally on their Admission policy of Asian students. Asian Americans have charged Harvard with discrimination because they are better than all others. The case is being contested in Boston Courts. Harvard Dean of Admissions is defending by characterizing the personality of Asians on a subjective basis. He is arguing that Asians do not have the suitable personality for leadership compared to the whites.
I can assert he is totally ignorant and wrong. Anyone can prove that Asian Americans, especially Indian Americans are leaders because of their personality. How else can one explain the outstanding success of Indian Americans in different fields? One cannot be a successful Governor or CEO without an agreeable personality. I am sure if the case ever goes to the Supreme Court, the judges will do justice to the Asian American students.
(The author is an MBA from Columbia Business School; Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee (founded in 1988); and a Former President & CEO, First Asian Securities Corporation, New York. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)
“While the Kavanaugh Saga was unfolding in Washington, the Supreme Court of India has made some historic rulings that may have upended some traditional beliefs and customs. According to a new ruling led by the Chief Justice Dipak Misra, women of all ages will be allowed to enter India’s Sabarimala Temple, one of Hinduism’s holiest sites, overturning a centuries-old ban”.
At the outset, one may wonder what Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court has anything to do with the recent rulings by India’s Supreme Court allowing women between ages of 10 and 50 entry into the Sabarimala temple. It may not have a direct linkage concerning geography or jurisprudence. However, it speaks volumes on how the underlying principles involved in these dramas could evoke these spectacles of emotions of raw anger in countries that are separated by Oceans.
As we all have learned throughout the history, elections have its consequences, and President Trump has indeed followed through his pledge of appointing judges to the courts that he termed as ‘strict constructionists.’ The judicial philosophy of the conservatives in this country is that courts should not make laws but to uphold the constitution and laws of the land and interpret them. On the contrary, liberals and progressives love an activist court that creates laws especially in the social arena that may have a transformational impact on the society.
Mark Levin, a conservative author makes a good case for a strict constructionist in his book titled “Liberty and Tyranny’. He has defended the importance of original intent when interpreting or adjudicating the constitution. Levin appeared to have made a genuine effort in illustrating the fine points in the ongoing debate between the strict constructionists and those who want the Constitution to be a “living, breathing evolving” document.
Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist 78, stated that judges have a duty to “guard the Constitution and rights of individuals,” and above all, to be impartial. He was known to have argued that in cases where laws and statutes clash with the Constitution, it is the constitution that must prevail, and the Supreme Court has to side with the Constitution.
Liberals and many moderates sincerely believe that the Court’s swing to the right might jeopardize decades of landmark gains on issues from abortion to affirmative action and same-sex marriage. To some legal experts, the addition of Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court could have profound consequences on issues ranging from Women’s reproductive health to LGBT rights.
In today’s high-octane environment, it has become increasingly difficult to reconcile these differing points of view. However, to an independent observer, the Supreme Court relies greatly on precedent that is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that becomes a basis or reasons for future decisions. Therefore, the Court may yet find it difficult in overturning many of those landmark decisions that have long become the laws of the land.
While the Kavanaugh Saga was unfolding in Washington, the Supreme Court of India has made some historic rulings that may have upended some traditional beliefs and customs. According to a new ruling led by the Chief Justice Dipak Misra, women of all ages will be allowed to enter India’s Sabarimala Temple, one of Hinduism’s holiest sites, overturning a centuries-old ban.
The five-member constitutional bench struck down the religious ban on women aged 10 to 50 from entering the temple, ruling it to be discriminatory and arguing that women should be able to pray at the place of their choice. “It is the constitutional morality that is supreme. Prohibition can’t be regarded as an essential component of religion” said the Judge’s ruling. Sabarimala temple is thought to be 800 years old and is considered spiritual home of Lord Ayyappa.
This issue is very complex and multi-layered, however, touches the very core of faith and tradition. That is the reason why this verdict has invoked so much anger and resentment pitting one community against another often inflaming the communal passion waiting to be exploited by the political parties and their narrow interests. For a democratic country that has Secularism written on its preamble of the constitution, India should accord autonomy to religious orders and religious groupings and prevent state interference. It is a matter of pure faith, and the State has a responsibility to stay neutral unless it violates the fundamental rights or causes injury to its citizenry.
If we carefully examine, a severe crisis was created when the Supreme Court took up this issue, and its subsequent ruling has indeed challenged an age-old tradition. Although it is embarrassing to argue about the merit of this tradition in these modern days, the purity of women in their menstrual years, it was a dormant issue for so long that people paid only scant attention. The question then is should the court give rulings on issues that have profound social implications as well as a transformational impact on society?
In a democratic process, it is the people through their representatives in the Legislature who make laws mostly reflecting the will of the majority. That is often done with debating the merit of the legislation with utmost scrutiny from all opposing sides. If the country has followed such a course, we could have avoided this tragic turn of events unfolding before our eyes today. As much as we value the Supreme Court as a vanguard to protect our rights, it would have been prudent to leave these sensitive issues of faith and tradition to the legislatures rather than to the judiciary.
Many Indian Americans, who abhor several of the progressive decisions of India’s Supreme Court in the last few weeks often overturning their beloved traditions, beliefs, and customs, may need to reconsider their stand on an activist court. They generally cheer on legislating from the bench in the U.S. by activist judges and have long enjoyed common ground with progressive forces opposing the appointment of Judges whose philosophy of judicial restraint that is similar to that of Justice Kavanaugh.
As the adage goes, ‘we cannot have the cake and eat it too’! It is time to take a consistent stand in opposing legislating from the bench that often fails to take into account the sentiment of the local people whose tradition, faith and religious practices they hold dear to their heart and supporting the strict constructionist view of the constitution and laws of the land. We have long learned from history that it is judicious to have limited interventions in these matters by the courts given the inexorable relationship in India between religion and public life.
(The author is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations. He can be reached at gta777@gmail.com)
“It is with immense pride and gratitude that I share the programming…a broad array of wondrous personal expression and unique artistic perspectives”
– Joseph V. Melillo, BAM Executive Producer
The 2018 Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Next Wave Festival, Oct 3—Dec 23, celebrates 35 years of innovative, boundary-pushing performing arts.
BAM’S 2018 Next Wave Festival, features 26 shows packed into three short months: music, opera, theater, physical theater, dance, film/music, and performance art engagements.
An illustrated book celebrating the history of the cross disciplinary arts festival that has championed the work of Trisha Brown, Pina Bausch, Robert Lepage, Bill T. Jones, Robert Wilson, Steve Reich, and Meredith Monk is a compendium of the Festival.
Joseph V. Melillo, executive producer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), announced programming for the 2018 Next Wave Festival that comprises music, opera, theater, physical theater, dance, film/music, and performance art engagements in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Harvey Theater, and BAM Fisher.
BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo said, “It is with immense pride and gratitude that I share the programming for my final BAM Next Wave Festival. The original Next Wave concept, envisioned by Harvey Lichtenstein, remains vital and dynamic. This year’s festival features works by local and global artists across artistic genres, with new work by artists including Ted Hearne, Sasha Waltz, and Michelle Dorrance; landmark revivals—including a new production of Satyagraha; the return of companies including Cheek by Jowl, Circa, SITI Company, and Wordless Music; as well as a number of BAM debuts. The season comprises a broad array of wondrous personal expression and unique artistic perspectives.”
This year’s festival will be the final Next Wave curated by Melillo; he will also program BAM’s 2019 Winter/Spring season before stepping down at the end of 2018 after 35 years of artistic leadership at BAM.
BAM President Katy Clark said, “The Next Wave continually presents adventurous work of astounding breadth and quality. I’d like to pay tribute to and thank my colleague Joe Melillo, who has produced 35 unforgettable Next Wave seasons, introducing New Yorkers to artistic work that delights, questions, and introduces a range of ideas and experiences. I’d like to thank Bloomberg Philanthropies, our longtime season sponsor, who make our robust Next Wave programming possible, and all of our donors for their much appreciated support.”
The Humanities Programming: Speaking Truth To Power
“It is the duty of every citizen…. to defend truth and keep it alive through dialogue and culture. It may prove the best defense we have against letting our societies sink into oblivion.”
– Anthony S. Papadimitriou, President & Treasurer, Board of Directors, The Onassis Foundation
BAM Humanities is a forum for adventurous ideas, providing context for the cultural experience at BAM and beyond. The artist talks, master classes, lecture and discussion series, and innovative literary programs facilitate engagement and discovery.
Speaking Truth To Power: A partnership of BAM and the Onassis Cultural Center New York
As part of the 2018 Next Wave Festival, BAM and Onassis Cultural Center New York present Speaking Truth to Power, a fall series of theater productions, conversations, and film screenings that explores the concept of free speech as a form of resistance, and examines the challenges facing individuals, societies, and movements that seek to employ it.
While freedom of speech is considered a cornerstone of our democratic freedoms, ancient Greeks wrestled with the extent to which the power to speak freely could degrade the very institutions designed to protect that right. The debate about the role of truth––who is able to speak it and the potential dangers posed to our society when it is either permitted or restricted––rages on.
(In foreground): Alexander Matrosov, Peter Rykov (Claudio), Alexander Arsentyev (Duke) Photo / Johan Persson
Anthony S. Papadimitriou, President and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Onassis Foundation, said, “It is the duty of every citizen, as it is ours at the Onassis Foundation––which exists for the benefit of the public and, beyond Greek art and ideas, promotes social welfare in all its forms––to defend truth and keep it alive through dialogue and culture. It may prove the best defense we have against letting our societies sink into oblivion. We hope that our collaboration with BAM in Speaking Truth to Power highlights this responsibility and its urgency today more than ever before.”
This robust series comprises two theater productions; four humanities programs; a four-part film series; a conversation and film event; a visual art installation; and an exhibition of materials from the BAM Hamm Archives.
(left to right): Anna Vardevanian (Isabella), Nikolay Kislic (The Provost), Andrei Kuzichev (Angelo) Photo/ Richard Termine
Humanities Programming
On Fear and Governance
With Anne Bogart and Monica Youn
In conversation with Corey Robin
French philosopher Michel Foucault points to a moment in Euripides’ The Bacchae when the messenger contemplates whether to report what he has witnessed for fear of enraging the king. Director Anne Bogart, poet Monica Youn, and political theorist Corey Robin examine the implications of a society governed by fear and the place of will in bringing forth truth.
Oct 5 at 6pm
On Confronting Silence
With Masha Gessen
In conversation with Linda Gordon
“Who will believe thee?” In Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure, Isabel threatens to reveal the sexual advances of Angelo, who sits in control of both the government and her brother’s life. Journalist Masha Gessen and professor Linda Gordon discuss the truth of women’s lived experiences in the public sphere. What happens when power is used to silence and undermine truth?
Oct 20 at 6 pm
On the Force of Truth
With Asha Bandele, Tilde Björfors, and Anand Giridharadas
In conversation with Charles W. Mills
The concept of satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance, is described by Gandhi as “the Force which is born of Truth.” Author asha bandele, artistic director Tilde Bjorfors, writer Anand Giridharadas, and philosopher Charles W. Mills look at the birth and shape of Gandhi’s movement and locate it on a historical continuum of social justice movements, from the writings of Tolstoy, to Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, to Black Lives Matter.
Nov 1 at 6 pm
On the Economics of Fatalism
With Sarah Jaffe and Sanjay G. Reddy
In conversation with Simon Critchley
In Greek, the story of Oedipus – both a search for one’s truth and an attempt to prove one’s free will against the forces of destiny – is transposed to Thatcher-era Britain and the economic fatalism felt by many at the time. Philosopher Simon Critchley speaks with journalist Sarah Jaffe and economist Sanjay G. Reddy about the relationship between economic circumstances and the expression and reception of the truth of one’s lives experience.
Dec 8 at 6pm
Each Conversation is Co-presented by BAM and the Onassis Cultural Center New York
At BAM Fisher Hillman Studio (321 Ashland Pl)
Price: $15; $7.50 for BAM members
Measure For Measure
“ A punch to the guts…” The Telegraph (UK)
Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure, staged as part of the Festival, is a co-production of Pushkin Theatre Moscow and Cheek by Jowl (UK).
In the absence of its Duke, Vienna is ruled by Lord Angelo’s iron-fist. He revives forgotten laws on morality and sexual licence and decides to make and example of Claudio, a young man who has had pre-marital sec with his fiancée, Juliet.
Hearing of Claudio’s death sentence, his sister the novitiate Isabella resolves to petition Angelo for her brother’s life. Despite his outward strict moral code, Angelo tells Isabella he will only free her brother if she sacrifices her virginity to him. Isabella is shocked by this and refuses Angelo; she begins to resign herself to the necessity of her brother’s death to protect her own virtue. Luckily, her conversation with Angelo had been overheard by the Duke, who is still in fact in Vienna, disguised as a friar, as a means to oversee Angelo’s government without his presence being known in the city.
The Duke comes up with a plan to save Claudio, preserve Isabella’s virginity and reveal Angelo’s misdeeds. Under the cover of darkness Angelo is tricked into believing he is meeting Isabella, but instead has sex with his estranged fiancée, Mariana. After this, he still refuses to pardon Claudio; however Angelo is none the wiser when he is sent the head of another man in Claudio’s place.
The Duke returns and reveals his disguise to all. He judges Angelo for his crimes, and forces him to marry Mariana. Claudio is pardoned and allowed to marry Juliet. At the play’s end a third and final couple materializes: the Duke proposes marriage to Isabella.
Measure for Measure
New York Premiere
By William Shakespeare
Pushkin Theatre / Cheek by Jowl
Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod
Directed by Declan Donnellan
Designed by Nick Ormerod
Lighting designer Sergey Skornetskiy
Music composed by Pavel Akimkin
Choreography by Irina Kashuba
BAM Harvey Theater
(651 Fulton Street)
Oct 16—20 at 7:30pm, Oct 21 at 3pm
In Russian with English titles
To learn more about the Festival or purchase tickets visit BAM.org or contact BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100.
(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health and Wellness)
WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump has called on people to be more civil in politics, after a series of suspected explosives were sent to high-profile U.S. figures just days ahead of the mid-term polls.
None of the packages exploded. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a hunt for their sender, the BBC reported.
Mr. Trump was speaking after parcels were sent to top Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, besides New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and media offices of CNN and the San Diego Union — Tribune, who are all prominent targets of right-wing criticism.
“Those engaged in political arena must stop treating political opponents as being morally defective,” he said. “No one should carelessly compare political opponents to historic villains, which is done often,” he added.
Speaking at a Wednesday night rally in Wisconsin, Mr. Trump vowed to catch the perpetrator and called on the media to “stop endless hostility”. Critics called his latest remarks hypocritical, as he often uses vicious language against his opponents and the press.
However, he made no specific reference to the intended recipients of the packages, the BBC reported
Earlier CNN worldwide President Jeff Zucker criticized Mr. Trump and the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders for not understanding that “words matter”. “There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media,” Mr. Zucker said.
Suspected bombs were sent to locations in New York, the Washington DC area and Florida, authorities said on Wednesday. All the apparent targets were regularly criticized by conservatives —— especially by President Trump.
U.S. authorities are investigating this as a connected series, officials said.
Sources told CNN that a suspicious package intended for California Democratic Maxine Waters was intercepted at a congressional mail screening facility in Maryland; New York Governor Mr. Andrew Cuomo received what he said was a device at his Manhattan office; and the San Diego Union—Tribune evacuated its building after “suspicious looking packages” were spotted outside.
CNN’s New York bureau in the Time Warner Center was evacuated after a package containing a bomb, addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, was discovered, city and local law enforcement officials said.
Later Wednesday night, two law enforcement sources told CNN that law enforcement officials were trying to track down a package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden considered suspicious because of similarities to other packages.
The package was misaddressed and returned to sender.
The developments, which unfolded rapidly and continued steadily into the afternoon, touched off fear and confusion and immediately invited questions about the motives of those responsible.
Some Democrats have accused the president of inciting violence with his past rhetoric, while some of his supporters have said they believe the packages are part of a Democratic plot to win votes in the mid-term elections.
There is no evidence for this and the police have not released any information about any suspects. The attempted attacks come just under two weeks before the mid—terms, with U.S. politics highly polarized.
East Meets West Concert with Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, Bangash brothers and The Refugee Orchestra Project Enthrall
I.S. Saluja
UNITED NATIONS(TIP): UN Day was celebrated at United Nations General Assembly Hall with a Concert, Oct 24. UN Day marks the anniversary of the coming into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.The dayhas been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, and the Refugee Orchestra Project, with Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor and Artistic Director, enthralled the audience with a memorable musical performance.
The theme of the Concert was “traditions of peace and non-violence”.
The program , meticulously crafted by Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, hosts to the UN Day Concert, could not have offered a better fare.
Much before the time for the program to begin, the UNGA Hall was packed . Under Secretary-General for Global Communications Ms. Alison Smale welcomed the gathering and made introductory remarks.
United Nations Secretary General Mr. António Guterres speaking on UN Day at UNGA Hall, 24th Oct 2018 Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
UNGA Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres in his brief remarks wished all a happy UN day and spoke of aspirations and hopes of people across the world. He said there are discriminations , human rights violations, women’s rights issues- and many more issues which need to be dealt with. He called upon the world to continue efforts to resolve the issues and urged people never to give up. “ Don’t give up”.
He recalled his recent visit to India where, he said, “I had the opportunity to pay respects to world’s greatest leader-Mahatma Gandhi”. He referred to Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace and non-violence which he said, was the theme of UN Day celebrations this year.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin speaking on the occasion Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
The Secretary General thanked Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations for supporting the concert.
He extended a word of welcome to performers.
A video message of President of the United Nations General Assembly Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces was played. In her message, the UNGA President said it was a day of celebration. Recalling the great message of Mahatma Gandhi, she spoke of a need to prefer dialogue over conflict. She spoke of empowerment of people of the whole world. “ Let us celebrate the Day with hope”, she said.
She thanked the Permanent Mission of India ( PMI) for supporting the celebration.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin.said, ”Every year on Oct 24 we celebrate in this common hall the coming in to being of the United Nations”. He said the UN Day concert is a celebration of common values of humanity.He spoke of the desire of the people of the world for liberty and equality . He then quoted Rabindra Nath Tagore.
“Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
A view of the gathering Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Speaking about the Concert, Mr. Akbaruddin said, “Music uplifts. Music gives courage and hope. Music of India is indicative of our tradition”.
The Ambassador described Ustad Amjad Ali Khan as a charismatic musician with a long musical heritage . He welcomed the performers who included, besides Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, his two sons, Amaan Ali Bangash, Ayaan Ali Bangash, and The Refugee Orchestra Project, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya.
In his remarks, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan recalled the concert on October 2, 2018, to mark the 150thbirth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi where he had performed, and said it was a pleasure and honor to be associated with the celebrations. He referred to the presence at the concert of President of India, Ramnath Kovind , and of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
Speaking about music, the maestro said, “music is universal and unifying”.
As part of tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons played the favorite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi, which included, Vaisnav Jan… and a Ram Dhun which was very dear to Gandhi.
A Panoramic view of the performers at the concert, with Lidiya Yankovskaya (back to camera) conducting the Orchestra. Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Next came Samaagam-a confluence of the East and the West. It was a Sarod concerto. The Refugee Orchestra Project conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya and the Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with his sons and the table player cast a magic spell. Their music sent the audience in to a trance. The 90-minute concert was an experience to be savored and treasured.
MELVILLE, NY(TIP): On November 8th, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, New York will be celebrating the Diwali Festival. The Annakut Thaal will be held at 10:30am, with Murti Darshan from 11am to 7pm, and hourly Aarti starting at 11am and going until 7pm, with dinner to follow. There will be ample parking, so come receive blessings from the Saints for the New Year. It is a community event to pray, meet and greet and enjoy the food and festivities. So, please come and join us to celebrate our most auspicious holiday, Diwali.
Diwali, traditionally a five-day celebration of various rituals and Hindu practices associated with each day, brings in the New Year for Hindus and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The main celebration is the Annakut festival. Annakut, as practiced throughout BAPS Mandirs worldwide, is a unique and awe-inspiring sight of devotion wherein numerous vegetarian food dishes are prepared by devotees and offered to the Mandir’s sacred images. The events for children and families will provide an opportunity for community members to engage with spiritual and cultural themes, thereby bringing positive energy into the New Year, learning about scriptural narratives related to Diwali, and participating in rangolis and other traditional decorations
Break Through The Crowdpremiered on Sunday, October 14 at media and entertainment mega-giant ZEE Entertainment. A new series that will give a handful of lucky contestants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality by pitching their ideas to some of the sharpest minds in business. In the end, only one hopeful will “break through the crowd” and walk away with a team of prestigious marketing and crowdfunding gurus.
“Each of the individuals profiled for this series has an important story to tell. Our goal is to inspire our viewers by sharing their experiences in a truly compelling and unique way,” said Sameer Targe, CEO at Zee Americas.
After narrowing down submissions from more than 100 hopeful contestants across the globe, only eight entrepreneurs were selected to compete on Break Through The Crowd.They will each be given a chance to showcase their businesses and concepts, which range from sophisticated lifestyle mobile apps, to thoughtful travel accessories – and even percussion instruments that double as an exercise routine. The highly-anticipated series, airing exclusively on ZEE TV,will follow the journeys of these aspiring moguls, who must persuade a panel of brutally honest judges that they have the chops to succeed in the cut-throat world of business.
“Break Through the Crowd isn’t about the judges and their larger-than-life personalities,” said Director, Arka Sengupta. “Unlike other business competition shows on TV, Break Through The Crowd is focused on the entrepreneurs – many of whom are only just learning the ropes about what it takes to start a business.”
“We are giving viewers an honest look at the road to the finish line – and there are bumps along the way. Each episode explores a new aspect of the start-up process – from pitching the concept to investors, to manufacturing challenges, to marketing their product in our ever-evolving digital age,” Kalpana Malviyaadded. “Fans will relate to the contestants on a deeper level and by the end of season one, they will be emotionally invested in the person behind the product.”
The seven episodes series will be divvied up into phases, which will wean out contestants through a series of real-world business scenarios. In episodes one and two, contestants will pitch their ideas to a panel of business experts, which include Alan Brody, Founder of Blockchain Breakthroughs; Sanford Wollman, Co-Founder of Westchester Angels; Nick Adams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Differential Ventures; and Ramit Arora, President and Co-Founder of Biz2Credit. And while they often make facing American Idol’s Simon Cowell seem like a walk through the park, each judge comes from a place of sincerity, having walked a mile in those shoes. After the judges have heard all eight pitches and offered their feedback, three entrepreneurs will be eliminated, and five will advance to phase two.
The competition really heats up in the next phase, when, with the help of judges, contestants must condense their pitch to 60 seconds and tweak their business models to reflect actual flaws with their products. Contestants must find ways to overcome problems that vary from production costs, to manufacturing overseas. There are a number of twists and along the way – each designed to prepare contestants for the unxpected curveballs they might inevitably encounter outside of the show. And by the end of episode four, only two entrepreneurs will have secured a spot in the final crowdfunding phase, vying for their chance to “break through the crowd.”
ZEE TV’s Break Through The Crowdwill premiere on Sunday, October 14 at 8:30pm ET/9pm PT/8pm AST. Episodes will be posted online at https://zeeoriginals.com/shows/break-through-the-crowd/after their official air date.
About Zee Network
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, Zee entertains over 1 billion viewers across 172 countries.
About Zee TV USA
Zee TV USA was the first ever Hindi General Entertainment channel to be launched in the US way back in 1998. Since the start of the journey more than 2 decades ago, Zee now has 43 networks and full time dedicated workforce across 5 different locations all across the North America and Caribbean. Zee TV USA was the first Asian channel to launch in HD. Zee TV was the first Hindi network to be measured by Nielsen in the US, Zee TV is also the most widely available Hindi General Entertainment network on all major DTH, Cable, Telco and IPTV platforms with availability over 86 million US households, as per Sameer Targe, CEO at Zee Americas.
ABOUT THE SHOW’S PANEL OF JUDGES
ALAN BRODY
Alan Brody is a noted startup guru, CEO of Convean, the business strategy and event company and founder of the iBreakfast and STARTUPALOOZA, among the nation’s longest-running Start-Up forums where he has helped entrepreneurs raise millions.
Alan Brody is the Founder of Blockchain Breakthroughs, the leading roadshow for Blockchain, ICOs and Crypto Startups. He is author of Are You Fundable? the book for Entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Angel Week and the Startupalooza pitching forum along with the Capital Raising Workshop in 8 Cities. He founded the iBreakfast, New York and L.A.’s longest running Digital Media Executive Networking Group. He created the Marcom Awards, the first awards program for online advertising & marketing (now ADWEEK’s Icon Awards). He has been a columnist for divisions of Advertising Age and ADWEEK and has authored a book on marketing and cigarette branding. He is one of the leading personalities in a new startup series, “Break Through The Crowd.”
RAMIT ARORA
Ramit Arora, President and Co-founder of Biz2Credit is one of America’s top experts in small business lending and heads the company’s credit and sales operations. He has 10+ years of experience in financial services with Citibank and Xerox, and has considerable experience in risk management. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a Master’s in Accounting. In 2011, he and his brother Rohit were named New York City’s “Top Entrepreneurs” by Crain’s New York Business, which also named Biz2Credit among NYC’s “Fast 50” of 2014.
He meets regularly with top executives from the Federal Reserve and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide guidance on trends in the small business market. Since its inception in 2007, Biz2Credit has arranged $2 billion in funding and now has over 200,000 registered small and mid-sized company clients
NICK ADAMS
Nick Adams is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Differential Ventures and an Investor on ZeeTV’s new startup fundraising show ‘Break Through the Crowd.’
Previously, Nick was a Venture Partner at Supernode.vc, f.k.a. Flatiron Investors, in New York City where he evaluated seed- stage SaaS companies and led the due diligence for multiple investments. Before moving into Venture Capital, Nick held senior sales, marketing and product management roles for software companies that have realized over $1.3 billion in exit value, including: Opower (IPO), RAGE Frameworks (acquired by Genpact), Basware (Publicly-traded on OMX), and Comverge (acquired by Itron).
He actively mentors startups out of Cornell Tech, NYU, Northeastern University and the German Tech Accelerator. Nick has a MSc in Global Finance from NYU and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a MBA in Corporate Finance from Northeastern University and a BA in History from Brandeis University where he played four years of varsity baseball.
SANDFORD WOLLOMAN
Sandy is the Co-Founder and Managing Director for the Westchester Angels and an investor/panelist on Zee TV’s new start-up fundraising show “Break Through the Crowd”. In addition, Sandy created and leads the New York Area Angel Group Leaders Initiative which brings the Directors of the largest Angel Groups in the Tri-State Area together to share deal flow.
Previously, Sandy created and self-funded The Small Business Advisory Alliance, a non-profit organization, which mentored small business owners in Westchester County. His business experience was gained from being a partner in Carna Mills, a large textile converting company for over 20 years. His clients included Ralph Lauren, Guess and Co, and Capital Mercury Shirt Company. He sourced cottage industry fabrics produced in India and traveled there frequently to ensure quality standards were maintained. Sandy truly enjoyed his extensive travels in India!
Starting his professional career at 3M Corporation as a product development engineer, he was awarded a US Patent for a hook and loop fastener (Velcro) with superior tensile strength.
NEW YORK(TIP): Guyanese born Ashook Ramsaran is to be honored by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International) for his services to GOPIO. The event will be held at the Indian Consulate in New York on Saturday, October 27, 2018 and to be attended by GOPIO officials and Amb Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul of General of Indian in New York.
Ramsaran served as GOPIO International’s Secretary General and Executive Vice-Present before his election to 2 successive terms as President of GOPIO International beginning in 2011. He is a paid life member of GOPIO International.
Ramsaran is currently President of Indian Diaspora Council International; Chair of New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital Community Advisory Council; Vice President of Queens Civic Congress; Board Member of St. John’s University Center for Caribbean and Latin American Studies; and Board Member of Fresh Meadows Civic Association.
Born in Corentyne, Guyana, Ramsaran is third generation of Indian immigrant ancestors who came to Guyana as indentured laborers. His great grandfather Pooriya arrived in Guyana in 1853 and his great grandmother Radhah arrived in 1860. Ramsaran immigrated in 1968 to the USA where he earned graduate engineering degrees in electrical engineering at Polytechnic University in New York. In 1988 he established Ramex, his family owned electronics manufacturing enterprise in New York. Ashook is married to Camille (formerly Camille Parvati Ramgadoo of Guyana) and they are parents of Arnold Mahendra and Gerald Rajendra, both married and residing in USA; grandparents of Jaden Ashook, 13; Gavin Lakshman, 11.
Working with various regional and international organizations spanning many years, Ramsaran actively engages several series of regional and global initiatives to “engage, embrace and enhance” the global Indian Diaspora on the basis of shared history and heritage, common interests, inter-ethnic relations, education and benefits of collaboration, economic engagement and issues of concern; to link diverse communities of Indian Diaspora, strengthen the bonds and explore the benefits of collaboration.
Ramsaran serves annually as “Principal for the Day” in the New York Public School system beginning in 2000 and is the recipient of many honors, citations, awards, commendations and recognition nationally and internationally. He is prominently featured in the Global Indian 2011 publication of “Top 25 Most Influential Indians in North America” and several local, national, regional and international publications.
For his many notable contributions, commitment and exemplary service to the global Indian diaspora, Ramsaran was accorded the Uttar Pradesh Ratnaaward (2016) in Agra, India and the prestigious Government of India’s Pravasi Samman Awardby the President of India (2011) in New Delhi, India.
NEWARK, NJ (TIP): Akshaya Patra Foundation USA hosted its annual New Jersey Benefit Gala on Saturday, October 6 at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott in New Jersey. This event was attended by over 400 business, non-profit, government and philanthropic leaders. This event raised close to half a million dollars, thanks to our generous supporters.
Our Chief guest for this event, Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York started off the evening. Followed by the CEO of Akshaya Patra, Vanadana Tilak, who shared a compelling presentation about the organization and its mission. The event also included special guests, Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande who serves as Board Chairman for TAPF USA and his wife Jaishree.
Special celebrity guest, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, inspired people to get motivated and excited for the event. He auctioned off his aprons during the event, a beautiful gesture to help those in need.
This event was made possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the New Jersey Chapter volunteers and the chapter co-chairs Dr. Anand Kulkarni, Mr. Kiran Kothari, Mr. Haresh Patel and Dr. Rachana Kulkarni.
In India, millions of children suffer from extreme hunger and as a result education is compromised. The organization began feeding 1,500 children daily in 2000 and currently feeds over 1.7 million children in 14,125 government schools each day through association of 38 ISO standard centralized kitchens in 12 states. Its mission is to reach 5 million children every day by 2020. With a history of economical innovation, the capacity to level and maximize the value of partnerships is supposed to succeed.
To learn more about The Akshaya Patra Foundation, please visit their websites:
Akshaya Patra – USA https://www.foodforeducation.org
NEW YORK(TIP): A night filled with music, laughs and emotional moments. The Krazy for Kishore event hosted by band Kalamanch USA, a fund raiser for Akhil Autism Foundation was a huge success for raising money and awareness for a well worthy cause.
The Master of Ceremonies for the event was celebrity chef and TV host, Kunal Lamba of Kawan Kitchen Mate and Kabab Culture. The event featured Curtain Raiser, performances by kids with Autism, rocking melodies of Kishore Kumar, with guest speakers such as General Deputy Consul Shri Shatrunghna Sinha and Middlesex Freeholder, Shanti Narra, as well as information about Akhil Autism Foundation.
The Krazy for Kishore event was able to raise approximately $10,000 to be utilized for providing more children with treatment options as well as funding autism research.
Akhil Austism Foundation started in 2008 with a mission that “every Autistic individual deserves treatment and every parent and professionals needs education. Make all the treatments affordable and accessible to every Autistic individual”. Their vision is to “Help Autistic Individuals lead an independent & functional life”.
“We are so happy to have had the turn out that we had with this event and bringing people together for such a worthy cause that is so near and dear to our hearts. We cannot express enough gratitude who were involved in our fundraiser and to all well-wishers who are continuing to support our Fight Against Autism for the past decade.” said Manisha Lad, the Founder and Executive Director of the Akhil Austism Foundation.
Since 2008, Akhil Austism Foundation has: Provided treatment and interventions to over 1000 children, sponsored over 1500 hours of education to parents & care providers and facilitated over 20 treatment workshops in USA & India.
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The team’s mission is to continue to seek and preserve more unique stories, which will enhance understanding and respect for the Indian heritage in wider society, by providing an automatic sense of unity and belonging, allowing us to identify with those of similar experiences and backgrounds, and perhaps better understand the Indian American journey and history.
