Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the US after his party’s landslide victory in elections in last May is being viewed as an affirmation of the friendly relations between the two nations . To add to it is the decision of President Trump to attend the reception being accorded to Modi by the 50,000 strong gathering of Indian Americans, in Houston on Sunday, September 22 which has brought in to focus the personal friendly relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
However, besides the optics of the presence of the two leaders together , there is much more to Modi’s visit and the presence of Trump at Houston. It is believed the two leaders will focus on certain very important global issues , one of which may be the latest attack on oilfields in Saudi Arabia for which US is laying blame at the door of Iran. The heightened tensions between US and Iran have rung alarm bells all over the world. Surely, the world does not want a new zone of conflict in the Middle East. President Trump may well seek Modi’s cooperation in tightening the noose around Iran’s neck. Already, Trump has ordered stiffer sanctions against Iran.
President Trump may also discuss with Modi the situation in Afghanistan and his plans to withdraw forces from that country. Modi may update Trump on situation in Kashmir and try to dispel any doubts in Trump’s mind about human rights violations in Kashmir Valley.
The exchange of views on various global issues just a few days before they address the UN General Assembly will help them calibrate their responses. However, on the issue of global warming, they will be poles apart. Modi is passionately supportive of environmental protection and firmly believes in threats of global warming while Trump simply scoffs at the idea, much to the chagrin of environmentalists and a whole range of nations.
The two leaders will surely be seeking to enhance trade and commerce between their two countries. India will be looking forward to restoration of the most favored nation status. On the cards may be oil and natural gas exports from US to India, besides a whole range of issues.
Indians all over the world, in particular, the Indian American community, will watch with interest the outcome of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US.
The author feels confident that Trump-Modi axis and “Close ally” relationship between US and India will blossom for the benefit of both countries and promote world peace and security.
By Ven Parmeswaran
“One wonders why Trump goes out of the conventional diplomacy and protocol to woo Modi and Indian Americans. For Trump, the single most important goal is to get reelected in 2020. Trump will do anything to add every vote from the Indian Americans. By demonstrating his “Close ally” relationship and reinforcing it in front of 50,000 Indian Americans, Trump wants to advertise that he is a true friend of India . Although the majority of Indian Americans are Democrats, Trump’s friendly gesture and support of Modi and India will definitely influence Indian Americans.”
On Sunday, September 22, 2019, President Trump will travel to Houston, Texas to underscore the important ‘Close ally” partnership between the USA and India. History will be made when President Trump appears with Prime Minister Modi, who will address a gathering of over 50,000 Indian Americans.
This will be the first time, American TV networks, especially Fox Cable will cover Indian Prime Minister because of the presence of President Trump. This is a huge benefit to Modi and India and an opportunity to communicate to all Americans. I hope Prime Minister Modi will find it fit to speak in English to capitalize on the opportunity.
WHAT IS THE MEANING AND IMPACT OF TRUMP-MODI AXIS?
President Trump and Prime Minister Modi met recently in Japan. This was followed by the G-7 meeting in France, where Modi was invited by the French President. When Modi told Trump that he was visiting Houston to address the Indian Americans, Trump expressed interest in attending and Modi invited him.
Modi has had several meetings ever since Trump was elected President in 2016. So far, all their meetings were friendly and cordial. If one only observed the body language contained in the photographs covering their rather frequent encounters, bear hugs, smiles, handshakes and hand holdings one cannot but conclude that they represent true friendship and love between the USA and India.
WHY TRUMP WOOS INDIAN AMERICANS?
One wonders why Trump goes out of the conventional diplomacy and protocol to woo Modi and Indian Americans. For Trump, the single most important goal is to get reelected in 2020. Trump will do anything to add every vote from the Indian Americans. By demonstrating his “Close ally” relationship and reinforcing it in front of 50,000 Indian Americans, Trump wants to advertise that he is a true friend of India . Although the majority of Indian Americans are Democrats, Trump’s friendly gesture and support of Modi and India will definitely influence Indian Americans. Trump-Modi meeting in Texas will definitely have far reaching ramifications in India and the USA. This meeting could be a footnote of all future US-India relations!
Thus, it is now well established that the Indian Americans are an important factor in US-India relations. They played an important role in George W Bush giving India Civil Nuclear Deal and lifting 30-year technology sanctions. Contrast this with Trump’s new policy of allowing India to transfer 100% of all US technologies.
Trump and Modi will be speaking before the United Nations General Assembly next week. It is also customary for the US President to meet with important leaders. Therefore, Trump will be meeting Modi once again after his meeting in Houston. For effective diplomacy and close friendship frequent meetings create opportunities.
U.S.—CHINA RELATIONS
President Trump has called on the American businesses to find an alternative to China. China has violated intellectual property rights. Negotiations on trade have not been going well. There is a tug of war with China. One could even say there is some kind of Cold War between the US and China.
This is a great opportunity for India to capitalize. India has a comparative advantage over China and the USA. India has an oversupply of professionals and skilled labor. Indian has a never- ending supply of engineers, MBA’s, biotechnologists, and other professionals. Modi is confronted with the problem of huge unemployment. American economy has been lagging due to shortage of engineers and technologists. India can solve this problem of America, even as providing jobs to Indians.
Geopolitically, India is the only country that can replace China in population and location. India is the largest English-speaking country in the world. This is one of the reasons why there are more than 25 CEO’s of Indian origin in Fortune 500 corporations including Microsoft, Google, Fedex and others. Apart from the CEOs, almost every major US .corporation has several Indians occupying senior management positions immediately below the CEO.
AFGHANISTAN
President Trump has been seeking India’s help in stabilizing Afghanistan. India has told Trump that unless and until Pakistan withdraws its full support of Taliban, no progress could be made. India has also convinced Trump that Pakistan must imprison the leaders of various terror organizations including LeT, JeM, JuD responsible for attacks on the city of Mumbai and Indian Parliament. President Trump has been pressuring Pakistan, but Pakistan so far has failed to arrest and imprison the terror leaders that the U.N. has identified. Once Pakistan withdraws its full support to Taliban, India should be able to help in the stability of Afghanistan. India should be even able to send its army to help Afghanistan maintain peace and stability.
MODERNIZATION OF INDIA
President Trump has allowed Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Boeing and others to start manufacturing sophisticated military hardware in India. Such a venture could bring down the cost of production of military hardware for American and world consumption. If Modi cooperates and creates favorable environment for foreign private investment, the Indian GDP could easily go up from under 6% now to 10 to 12%. India cannot solve the unemployment problem without creating export-oriented industries. If India were to emulate what China did in 1979, India could easily modernize within the next 5 to 10 years.
I feel therefore confident that Trump-Modi axis and “Close ally” relationship will blossom for the benefit of Trump-Modi axis and “Close ally” relationship between US and India will blossom for the benefit of both countries and promote world peace and security.
(Ven Parameswaran, Senior Adviser, Imagindia Institute, New Delhi ; Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)
Why would Trump travel to Houston? Surely not to only attend the community event with Modi. It will have to be for something far more than this. Though by attending the event, Trump could well stand to gain political mileage with the Indian American community, or is Trump doing a favor by joining the event?
When Modi roars “Howdy America”, it will be answered by a resounding “Howdy, Modi” by Trump. Quid pro Quo. Hello, Houston, we have a deal.
The ducks seem to be lining up for President Donald Trump to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian American community event slated to be held on September 22 at Houston.
Modi will take the megaphone to address the Indian American community at the 50,000-capacity NRG Stadium, at an event titled as “Howdy America”. Now imagine that Trump is also at the event. Optopolitics of the rarest kind will emanate and follow from the combination.
Will both leaders enter together, walk through the aisles, waving at the crowds, and reach the stage together? Will Modi start his address, and Trump sit and listen to the 40-60 minutes of Modi’s speech? And then, will Trump address the audience for 20-30 minutes? Chances are slim for this scenario to play out, for many reasons.
Rather, some alternative version will be on display. One efficient option can be that Modi addresses the audience, and just as he is ending the address, Trump walks in, shouts out a “Howdy Modi!”, and joins and hugs Modi on stage, to rousing cheers. And then, Modi and Trump together, hand in hand, exit the reception, as the crowd keeps cheering to the roof. Trump comes to take his friend Modi, and they together go for a summit meeting.
The optics and politics of Trump at the community event will be powerful. Why would Trump travel to Houston? Surely not to only attend the community event with Modi. It will have to be for something far more than this. Though by attending the event, Trump could well stand to gain political mileage with the Indian American community, or is Trump doing a favor by joining the event?
Or, Trump could please the crowds by making a short announcement that he will soon be visiting India? A visit by Trump to India in next 3-4 months is of high importance, perhaps as chief guest to the pageantry of the Republic Day Parade at New Delhi on January 26, 2020.
In any case, remember that there will also need to be some nimble political choreography on site at the community event to keep the messaging on track. After all, majority of the Indian American crowd is not very enthusiastic about Trump, and many of the US lawmakers who will be there to welcome Modi are no supporters of Trump.
With the community event done, both leaders will move to hold the summit meeting. This is where the next quid pro quo will unfold. Will it be a mega oil and energy deal between the United States and India? Houston being the oil capital of the world, it will make sense as a venue to announce such a deal. If India does so, then what is the quid pro quo that the United States will offer to India?
Or, will it also be about large-scale shifting of American companies to India from China, with some marquee announcements? What about a strong signal from America for an FTA (Free Trade Agreement) deal? India is worryingly short of what to do to tackle its current economic slowdown. A green flag on FTA will push US investments into India, away from China, and will therefore be a significant confidence building measure for the Indian market, and economy. If the US does this signaling, then what is the quid pro quo offered by India?
In any case in matters of trade, there are several items outstanding – ranging from trade deficit, tariffs, market access, to intellectual property rights, and many more. Moving forward on these, in the spirit of quid pro quo and some exchange of favors, moving towards a roadmap for an FTA could, therefore, be a logical path and outcome of the summit.
What else can be a bold, innovative exchange between the two leaders, at Houston? On defense? Though there can be some large deal on defense, there, however, cannot be a clean break by India in favor of the United States with the total exclusion of Russian supplies in future. The US seems to be realizing this, and India also seems to be doing some introspection in this matter.
On Afghanistan? This is one area, where both leaders could do some major innovation. India could provide boots on the ground in Afghanistan – to ring fence and protect the US camps and troops remaining in Afghanistan after the drawdown ordered by Trump. If decided by India, this can be a quantum game changer.
Right now, India may be at a stage where the geostrategic interests might weigh in favor of such a step by India. If India decides so, then the quid pro quo from the US must be something that India gets in exchange that is similarly ground-breaking, and with commensurate value for India. What can be this value that India might demand?
Of course, there are a host of other topics too, equally important, that shall be discussed, like counter terrorism, Pakistan behavior in the Af-Pak, PoK, and Kashmir, and a range of other bilateral, regional, and global issues, including reform of world bodies, like the United Nations and WTO.
Surprisingly, one big ticket area, which has seen silence so far is related to 5G and Huawei. After the Osaka G-20 summit, Ivanka Trump had made a short announcement about the topics discussed. In that announcement, she had said that the two countries have decided to work together in a big way to develop 5G technologies. This can be a game changer.
If the two countries collaborate on 5G it will be a massive exercise in R&D, finance, talent, entrepreneurial and vendor eco-system, market adoption and success in the face of competition from Huawei and the Europeans. Will the US shepherd billions of dollars in the 5G sector to India, so that the latter stays away from Huawei, and the products developed via the US-India collaboration be used in the Indian, US, and other world markets, too?
All the above can be discussed at New York, or in Washington DC, where again there is supposed to be a bilateral between Trump and Modi. What was the need for a separate, additional summit at Houston? Or, is it that the Houston rendezvous will piggy-back on the momentum of the community event, announce one mega-deal on oil, announce a state visit by Trump to India, and the rest will be taken up in New York or Washington?
When Modi roars “Howdy America”, it will be answered by a resounding “Howdy, Modi” by Trump. Quid pro Quo. Hello, Houston, we have a deal.
(Robinder Nath Sachdev is President of The Imagindia Institute. The views expressed here are personal)
NEW JERSEY / NEW DELHI(TIP): New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey delegation had action-packed days on their economic development mission to India. Governor Murphy, First Lady Tammy Murphy, Deputy Chief of Mission Edgard Kagan and NJEDA’s Wesley Mathews met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They discussed Indian-New Jersey relations and their economic vision for the future. Working together, they can build a stronger and fairer future for both the people of New Jersey and India.
On Sept 17, Murphy met with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar
On Sept 17, he met with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. “Proud to meet External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar today to talk about the India-New Jersey relationship, based on our shared values of inclusivity, progress, and growth for all”, Governor Murphy tweeted.
The opening of the New Jersey India Center in Gurugram kicked off Governor Murphy’s seven-day, six-city economic mission trip to India. Governor Murphy is the first Governor in New Jersey history to visit India on official business. “Today’s historic announcement charts a new course and effort to increase economic opportunities and build relationships between New Jersey and India,”said Governor Murphy. “Expanding operations into India will further Choose New Jersey’s goal to attract global businesses to New Jersey. With this new office, we will be able to bring our state’s message of economic prosperity directly to India.”
During his visit to the Southern State of Telangana, Governor Murphy signed first-ever sister state partnership
Governor Murphy, along with Edgard D. Kagan, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and Jose Lozano of Choose New Jersey, announced the opening of the Choose New Jersey India Centre with T&A Consulting. “My number one priority has been to foster an unrivalled economic ecosystem where innovative and game-changing companies – including Indian companies – can find a home and succeed,”said Governor Murphy. “India can be one of our leading partners in New Jersey’s re-emerging dominance in the global innovation economy, and New Jersey can be a leading partner in India’s continued economic rise.”
Choose New Jersey and VentureLink at NJIT signed an MOU with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) to promote cross-border trade through innovation, investments and technology partnerships between New Jersey and India. Through this partnership, NASSCOM member companies considering expansion into New Jersey will be provided 90 days of complimentary space at VentureLink@NJIT’s International Business Center while they explore opportunities to do business in New Jersey.
Governor Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy witnessed the signing of two MOUs with Princeton University to help promote the development of renewable energy, bringing us closer to a sustainable future. “Sustainability and fostering the transition away from fossil fuel-based energy and toward renewable sources is a future which all of us are committed to, and a future the actions taken today will help create,” said Governor Murphy. One MOU will induct two Princeton University post-graduate/doctoral students to work on-site on clean energy research with ReNew Power – India’s largest independent producer of renewable energy. The second MOU, between Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the IIT Delhi Centre of Excellence, will establish a collaboration on renewable energy and sustainability-related research.
Governor Murphy addressed the U.S.-India Business Council and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and made the case that India can be one of New Jersey’s leading partners in the re-emergence of the state’s dominance in the global innovation economy. New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Tim Sullivan highlighted opportunities for growth and partnership, including New Jersey’s pharma, tech, and advanced manufacturing sectors – along with India’s growing clean energy and film and media sectors.
First Lady Tammy Murphy met with the deputy head of UNICEF India and had a thought-provoking conversation on women and children’s health issues and discussion of best practices. The First Lady learned about UNICEF India programs, which cover areas such as child protection, child marriage, adolescents, education, empowerment, and maternal health services. UNICEF India plays a critical role in supporting children and families, especially mothers. “I hope that our growing partnership between New Jersey and India helps us both learn how to better protect our children,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy.
Governor Murphy and the First Lady paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi
Governor Murphy and the New Jersey delegation toured historic and holy sites, including the Taj Mahal in Agra. Governor Murphy and the First Lady paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, India’s foremost freedom fighter. During a visit to Gandhi Smriti, they also penned a message in the visitor book. They were given a tour of the Jama Masjid. Located in central Delhi. Governor Murphy toured the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple and expressed his deepest gratitude to His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj for his gracious welcome.
Governor Murphy toured the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple
During his visit to the Southern State of Telangana, Governor Murphy signed first-ever sister state partnership.
Governor Murphy and wife Tammy Murphy were given a tour of the Jama Masjid in central Delhi
“Great to be with @KTRofficethis morning as we signed our first-ever sister state partnership in India with the State of Telangana, creating and expanding partnerships in our IT, pharma, clean energy, education, and film sectors” he tweeted.
“By furthering clean energy cooperation between New Jersey and Telangana, we can build economies fit for the 21st century while protecting the best interests of our people and our environment. Grateful to@indianchamber15for convening this important discussion. #NJIndiaMission.”
“Thrilled to announce an MOU between @THubHydand @NJITand to hear pitches from startups increasing their presence in NJ. We all win when we forge new partnerships and take a chance on new and world-changing ideas”, Governor Murphy further tweeted.
In return, India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty thanked him. “Thanks @GovMurphyfor your personal commitment to strong relations with India. I am confident that the New Delhi office of @ChooseNJwill be its best”, Amb Chakravorty tweeted.
NEW YORK(TIP): Two India Americans are among Eleven Stony Brook students among a select group from 69 colleges around the globe chosen for the Millennium Fellowship, a partnership between the Millennium Campus Network and the United Nations Academic Impact initiative and the Millennium Campus Network. The students are all working on various projects that focus on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Lakshta Kundal and Agam Singh have been selected to be Millennium Fellows. This year there was a record 7,020 applications for this selective program from young leaders on 1,209 campuses across 135 nations.
Lakshta Kundal’s Plastic-Free Project (PFP) serves to educate, challenge, and inspire college students to shift from conventional to conscious living. PFP calls all students to take part in a 21-day challenge uniquely designed to help them develop eco-conscious lifestyle habits to tackle today’s most pressing environmental issues, especially ocean pollution, with the opportunity to win prizes and awards.
Launched in 2018, the selective Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long leadership development program. Students receive the fellowship based on their leadership on sustainable development-related projects that advance the SDGs in their communities. As Millennium Fellows, they will participate in a leadership development program to improve their student organizing, partnership building and community impact skills.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Team Biden has hired Maju Varghese, a top Obama White House aide to help run the operational side of the Biden campaign. Varghese has been hired by former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign as its Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor.
Varghese served as an assistant to former President Barack Obama for management and administration and as deputy director of advance at the White House, where he managed day-to-day operations.
“Nice to see the field come around and support @BarackObamaagain. Thing is, @JoeBidenhas been there all along. We need to build on the Obama legacy, not tear it down. That’s why I stand with Joe Biden”, he tweeted.
CLEARWATER, FL(TIP): Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) new Tampa Bay Regional Campus has debuted in Clearwater, Fla, which was made possible through a generous donation by Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patelof $230 million to NSU – $80 million.
The 311,000-square-foot facility at 3400 Gulf to Bay Boulevard features cutting-edge classrooms, expansive common areas and a two-story fitness center.
“We are immensely proud of this beautiful and state-of-the-art campus, a true Herculean effort by Moss, Baker Barrios, ACAI, all of our contractors, and of course, our dedicated NSU team,” said Dr. George Hanbury, President and CEO of NSU. “However, none of this would have been possible without Drs. Patel and their generous contributions of their time, their talent and their fortune.”
In celebration of its arrival and NSU’s expanded footprint in Florida, the university in collaboration with Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel held a ribbon cutting to mark this significant occasion. More than 500 attendees came out to participate in the revelry and to take in the completed building and grounds.
NSU has been providing a wide range of educational programs in the Tampa Bay area since 1991. The new campus offers a broader curriculum and when fully occupied, it will have approximately 2,000 students and 125 faculty and staff.
The Tampa Bay Regional Campus is home to several educational programs, including serving as a branch site for NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. It welcomed its first class of 150 students in August 2019.
“It is more important than ever to advance the current state of health care,” said Dr. Kiran C. Patel. ““I believe that NSU is the future of multi-disciplinary medical education and together, we will be able to capitalize on an opportunity that will be beneficial to millions of human lives–many right here in Florida and so many others around the globe.”
This new campus is home to the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, NSU’s College of Psychology and the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Some of the areas of study include cardiovascular sonography and speech language communication disorders programs, master’s degree candidates in anesthesia, clinical mental health counseling, criminal justice, developmental disabilities, family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health, school counseling, speech-language pathology and national security affairs and several online programs.
The NSU campus will focus on providing dynamic, personalized, multi-disciplinary education for graduates who want to become leaders with an edge over their competition in the workforce.
NEW YORK(TIP): On Sept 12, a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging eight defendants of Indian origin, Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss, Harpreet Singh, Parthiban Narayanasamy, Baljeet Singh, Deepak Manchanda, Gulab, Mukul Chugh and Vikas M. Verma with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance containing Tramadol, a synthetic opioid. The defendants were arrested Sept 12 morning and made initial appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.
Since approximately January 2018, law enforcement agents with FDA-OCI, USPIS, HSI, CBP, DEA, FBI and other agencies have been investigating the large-scale importation of misbranded controlled substances, including Tramadol, into the United States from India. As part of the defendants’ scheme, distributors in India shipped misbranded Tramadol and other drugs to individuals and entities in the United States through the U.S. mail and other commercial couriers. The defendants primarily operated out of a warehouse in Queens where they repackaged the pills and mailed them to customers throughout the United States. The defendants maintained daily ledgers detailing the names, addresses, pill size and pill amounts ordered by customers. During the course of the investigation, the defendants distributed millions of Tramadol pills.
Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss is also charged with money laundering. If convicted, Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment. The remaining defendants each face up to five years’ imprisonment.
NEW YORK (TIP): Dhruva Jaishankar, the son of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, has been named Observer Research Foundation (ORF) think tank’s Director of its US Initiative.
His research has spanned issues such as India-US relations, India’s relations in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, the interaction of technology with politics, and defense and national security. From 2012 to 2016, at the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC, Dhruva managed the India Trilateral Forum — a policy dialogue involving participants from India, Europe, and the United States.
Dhruva has been a David Rockefeller Fellow with the Trilateral Commission and an IISS-SAIS Merrill Center Young Strategist. He contributes regularly to the Indian and international media on security and international affairs.
ORF began its journey in 1990 at the juncture of ideation tempered by pragmatism. During the period of India’s transition to a new engagement with the international economic order, several challenges emerged, evoking a need for an independent forum that could critically examine the problems facing the country and help develop coherent policy responses. ORF was thus formed, and brought together, for the first time, leading Indian economists and policymakers to present the agenda for India’s economic reforms.
ORF’s aim is to encourage voices from all quarters, geographies and gender, both those that fall in and those that question dominant narratives. It is this plurality of thought and voice — in a country of over a billion individuals — that ORF seeks to carry abroad, while simultaneously bringing contemporary global debates to India.
The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) is organizing the 11th Annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival (EBDF), a 3-day festival from September 14 to 16, consisting of:
Dance CONCERT in Queens, New York, on September 14th 7PM – 9PMat the Community Center, 143-09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355
WORKSHOPS on September 15th 1:30PM – 4:30PMat the Alvin AileyCitigroup Theatre, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Dance CONCERT on September 15, 5PM – 7PMat the Alvin AileyCitigroup Theatre, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Discussion: Dancing Identityon September 16, 1:10PM – 2.25PMand bharatanatyam masterclass by Radhe Jaggi on September 16, 4:10PM – 5:25 PM at Barnard College,3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027.
About EB Dance
Established in 2008, the prestigious Erasing Borders Dance Festival (EBDF) presents both emerging and established dancers and choreographers. IAAC is proud to note that many of the new and emerging artists it has presented in the past went on to perform extensively with international recognition.
Each year, the curatorial team strives to bring the audience outstanding original works from various parts of the world. This year’s bounty of applications coalesced around representations of identity as fluid and as challenging or highlighting the role of tradition in our lives. How do we understand ourselves, our traditions, within our current locations in nationalist, immigrant and global scenarios? Raw, or finely honed, this year’s program highlights the many ways in which dancers ‘play’ with tradition and inform a creative aesthetic of the 21st century.
This year, the lineup includes –
Radhe Jaggi
Radhe Jaggi:Sankara Srigiri Sankara Srigiriis a kriti describing the dance of Shiva in the Chit Sabha(the Hall of Consciousness). His body smeared with ash, His third eyes shining upon His forehead, with a garland of skulls adorning His chest, Shiva danced the Celestial Dance. The bells of His anklet resound while the sages and deities watch in wonder. He is accompanied on instruments by all the gods who have gathered to watch. The dance is composed by Leela Samson.
Parijat Desai
Parijat Desai:Pardon My Heart Pardon My Heart, by choreographer Parijat Desai, reimagines the lovelorn nayika (heroine) of medieval Sufi period – now she’s a bit more melodramatic, and speaks in contemporary verse. Desai weaves dance together with recitation of verse by American poet Marcus Jackson and legendary Pakistani reformer Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Her choreography is set to new arrangements of Ravi Shankar’s “Chaturang Tarana” and a Khayal in Raag Nat Bihag. On Sunday, Desai will be accompanied by a stellar ensemble: Kiran Ahluwalia (vocal), Neel Murgai (sitar), Arun Ramamurthy (violin), Ehren Hansen (tabla). On Saturday, she will perform to a unique arrangement of the original Tarana and Khayal recordings, by sound designer Stephan Moore.
Kalamandir Dance Ensemble
Kalamandir Dance Company:UrbanJatra
Drawing from their roots of traditional Kathak movements and combining them with a contemporary movement vocabulary, this performance creates a theatrical effect of Jatra – community theatre. Solo Kathak footwork complements the synchronized movement by an ensemble for a visual juxtaposition of the traditional and contemporary.
Indian Raga
IndianRaga:Tradition in Transition
IndianRaga’s work seeks to prove that innovation and traditionare not mutually exclusive. “Shiva Shambho” offers a new take on classical nritta, weaving in aspects of Shiva with intense footwork and dramatic poses. “Depression” exhibits the everyday struggle of living with mental illness. We see the future of Indian classical dance as highly relevant to the present day, and one that can transcend cultural, religious, and social boundaries.
New York audiences will have a chance to catch these performances on 2 evenings –
Saturday, September 14, 2019 7 PM – 9 PM Community Center, 143-09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355 (Indian Raga will not be part of this concert)
And
Sunday, September 15, 2019 5 PM – 7 PM The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
In addition to these performances, there will also be workshops and panels on September 15 and 16.
Apart from the performers and curators, panelists include:
Nolini Barretto
Nolini Barrettooriginally a Chhau dancer in India who has long been part of the New York arts community. Most recently, Nolini founded the site-specific performance series, Sitelines, which she curated and produced for six years at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Nolini served on the Bessies Committee (New York Dance and Performance Awards) from 2007 to 2014 and was the Co-Curator of DFA’s Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center in July 2019.
Aparna Ramaswamy
Aparna Ramaswamydescribed as “rapturous and profound” by The New York Times, is Co-Artistic Director of Ragamala Dance Company. Aparna is a senior disciple of the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarme`l Valli. Aparna’s awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Joyce Award and more. She has been commissioned by Lincoln Center, Walker Art Center, American Dance Festival, the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi and The Kennedy Center, among others.
Tamar Rogoff Photos/ Courtesy IAAC
Tamar Rogoffwill be leading a workshop on narrative dance. As artistic director of Tamar Rogoff Performance Projects she does inclusive, multidisciplinary, multigenerational, and site-specific performance and film. She has developed body scripting, an experiential approach that informs her lifelong teaching and choreographic process. Her work has been shown at P.S. 122, LaMaMa, Lincoln Center and abroad. Rogoff choreographed for Claire Danes at P.S. 122 and was her movement coach for HBO’s Temple Grandin. She has been funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Rockefeller MAP Grant, NYFA, Sundance, IFP and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
ABOUT INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL:
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For further information, visit www.iaac.us.
Indo-American Arts Council Inc. 303 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1007, New York, NY 10016. Phone: 212 594 3685, Fax: 212 594 8476 Email: admin@IAAC.usWeb: www.IAAC.us
(Mabel Pais writes on the Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness. She can be reached at mabelep1406@gmail.com)
NEW YORK(TIP): Indian IPS Officer Chhaya Sharma, the erstwhile DCP South Delhi who cracked the 2012 Nirbhaya rape case, has been named one of the ‘2019 Asia Game Changers’byAsia society New York for ‘solving India’s biggest crimes and building a better society.’
On September 11, 2019, Asia Society announced its 2019 Asia Game Changers, a group of inspiring and path-breaking women who are making a transformative impact in Asia and beyond. In partnership with Citi, Asia Society annually honors game-changing leaders from a broad geographic range and varied backgrounds; this year marks the first time that all of the honorees are women.
“Our 2019 Asia Game Changers are women who have truly championed gender equality while making enormous contributions to society and social structures within their home countries,” Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran said. “They are inspiring agents of change who are building a better world — for women and for everyone — by changing the rules, changing the game, and challenging all of us to follow their lead.”
When South Delhi Deputy Police Commissioner Chhaya Sharma received a call shortly after 2 a.m. on December 16, 2012, she responded immediately. The brutal, fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student and assault on her male friend shook India to its core, inciting large-scale protests against the gruesome nature of the crime, together with a demand for justice for the victims.
Sharma vowed that justice would be served. As a woman leading a team of more than 40 investigators, she came to the case with a track record of not only solving some of Delhi’s toughest crimes, but also fundamentally shifting how such police work was carried out.
But the gang rape was different. With no witnesses at all, except the victims of the brutal crime, it was a challenge to identify and trace the perpetrators. “It was,” she admits, “like looking for a needle in the haystack.”
Sharma and her team pulled at every thread, launching a multistate manhunt that managed to apprehend all six suspects in just six days. Her meticulous approach to evidence gathering was instrumental to the process, and a model for future investigations. The charge sheet was filed in a record 18 days, withstood various stages of judicial scrutiny all the way to the Supreme Court, and resulted in a conviction with maximum punishment. The investigation also received a special citation from the Supreme Court of India for its exemplary evidence-gathering.
The impact has been profound. In the intervening years, the Indian government has opened hundreds of fast-track courts to try rape cases in a timely manner and pushed for a more victim-centered approach in police investigations. It’s a model Sharma has advocated from the start.
As the first woman South Delhi deputy police commissioner, she has guided her officers to treat victims with the utmost respect and dignity, regardless of their background. Today, she serves as deputy inspector general at the National Human Rights Commission of India — a position befitting a lifelong guardian of human rights.
NEW YORK(TIP): Funded by an endowment from the Chynn Family Foundation, this annual award is intended to promote and stimulate thinking by college students at CUNY about the topic of ethics, morality, and virtuous behavior in their lives. Students are asked to submit a 1000 to 1500 word essay based on one of eleven virtues and to incorporate the following:
Tell us about your own experience in practicing the Virtue you have chosen to write about and what personal reward or satisfaction have you gained from it.
Why do you think the Virtue that you chose was an important one to practice in your life?
What obstacles did you encounter in practicing this particular Virtue and how did you, or do you, still strive to overcome difficulties?
Top three essays will be awarded the following prizes:
WOODBURY, NY(TIP): Association of Indians in America New York Chapter organized their 32ndDeepavali Annual Benefit Fundraising Gala on Saturday, Sept 7, at elegant Crest Hollow Country Club Woodbury.
A Thali dance by young dancer, Dr. Neela Zareen set off the evening program attended by a large gathering, which included the Deputy CG, Mr. Shatrughna Sinha, Past presidents of AIA, community leaders and the media.
President Harish Thakkar addressed the audience briefly highlighting AIA, NY chapter’s activities and the Annual Deepavali festival which attracts huge crowds at the South Street Seaport
With its pioneering efforts over the past three decades AIA has brought Indian culture, food and dances to the grassroot population. With the Annual Gala’s fund-raising efforts, AIA marches ahead for grand Deepavali festival in Manhattan with various cultural dances on stage, food, jewelry, clothing and artifacts vendors.
Dr. Samin Sharma honoring Smt Chanchal Devi Shah, mother of Naveen Shah
The AIA, at the gala, honored Kanubhai Patel, Chairman of Amneal Pharmacy India Pvt. Ltd., Smt Chanchal Devi Shah, mother of Mr Navin Shah, President and CEO of Navika Group, Dr Annapoorna Kini, Prof. of Cardiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, Dr Tarun Wasil, an eminent Hematologist & Oncologist, and the young generation professional Vaishali Deshmukh, Pharm D, daughter to Dr. Satish and Gitanjli Anand.
Kanubhai Patel was honored for being the leading entrepreneur of generic medicine made in USA. He is very well supported by his sons Chintu Patel and Chirag Patel and family for the fast-growing company. Kanubhai’s vision , guidance and continued efforts are helping Chintu Patel to take this company to higher level.
Smt Chanchal Devi Shah, mother of Mr Naveen Shah, Navika Group was awarded Family Pride award on behalf of the entire Shah family and was greatly appreciated by audience for guidance and nurturing of the entire family
Deputy Consul General of India Shatrughna Sinha honoring Dr Annapoorna Kini Prof. of cardiology, Mount Sinai school of Medicine, New York
Dr. Annapoorna Kini is a very well accomplished Interventional Cardiologist and runs the safest and busiest cardiac cath lab in the country.
Deputy Consul General of India Shatrughna Sinha honoring Dr.Tarun Wasil
Dr Tarun Wasil, an eminent Hematologist & Oncologist, greatly admired by his patients , nurses and colleagues for his critical knowledge, expertise, simplicity and sincerity in his art of Medicine. He is affiliated to Northwell system and continues to serve the community.
For the first time with great vision & commitment, President and his team decided to present the Family Pride Award to young generation professional Vaishali Deshmukh, Pharm D.
AIA President Harish Thakkar said of Vaishali’s parents: “ No doubt, continued support , nurturing guidance and support of the family go a long way in bringing the best in growing young people in the family. And Dr. Satish and Gitanjli Anand have contributed a lot to the accomplishments of the young lady”.
Vaishali Deshmkh holds the plaque of honor. To her right are her mother Gitanjli Anand and father Dr. Satish Anand. Also seen in the picture are her husband Amit Deshmukh, and other members of the family
Vaishali, the young Pharm D. from St John School of Pharmacy NY is working with CVS for the last 20 yrs. This year CVS picked her for Paragon Award which is given to only six in the whole USA among 10K Pharmacists and the only one in Northeast USA.
Greatly admired by her colleagues, coworkers at all levels and managerial staff, Vaishali is involved in grooming, teaching , guiding new graduates, and lectures to senior citizens, at nursing homes and schools on health- related subjects and immunization. She derives energy and commitment from the well supported family, specially her husband Pharmacist Amit Deshmukh. She considers her inspiration and grassroot support from her father, Dr. Satish Anand, a medical doctor, now retired, and mother Gitanjli Anand, a committed community leader at all levels. Her Family Pride award must inspire the younger generation .
Dr Nirmal and Tina Mattoo, Patrons Asmita and Arun Bhatia, Dr Neeta and Pramod Jain, Kanak and Prabha Golia, Vimal and Divya Goyal hugely supported the event. Past presidents of AIA and members of community lent their support. The AIA President and team said they valued the support and contribution from friends and patrons and look forward to welcoming them at the iconic Deepavali Mela on October 6.
PM to address annual UN General Assembly session on September 27
Modi-Trump meeting , a possibility
NEW YORK(TIP): Nine days before the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, the city seems to be witnessing an unprecedented activity, probably never ever witnessed before. It is all to give a rousing reception to Prime Minister of India who will be addressing a mammoth gathering of 50,000, a number which has already registered for the event named Howdy, Modi’ , on September 22.
The historic event in Houston is intended to showcase the influence of Indian American community. This will be PM Modi’s 3rd major address to the Indian American community after he became prime minister in 2014, and the first after his re-election in May this year.
Modi is likely to leave New Delhi for the US on September 21 and will first travel to Houston and then to New York from September 23 to 28.
According to reports in Indian media, while he is planning to spend five days in New York, from September 23 to 28, plans are being explored for a day-long visit to Washington DC for a bilateral meeting with the US President at the White House.
It is learnt that Delhi and Washington are looking at September 25 and 26 as possible dates for the visit and a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister and the US President.
If it works out, then this will be his third visit to the White House in the last six years and third meeting with Trump this year. Modi had last visited White House in June 2017 when he met Trump. He went to the White House in September 2014 when then US President Barack Obama had hosted him.
In New York, PM will address the annual UNGA session on September 27. As Prime Minister, Modi had given his maiden address to world leaders at the UNGA in 2014. His visit in September and address to world leaders at the UN will be the first after winning a second term as Prime Minister.
In a bid to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit on September 23 which will be addressed by Modi.
Modi will be felicitated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his leadership of the Swachch Bharat Mission. He will be presented with the 2019 Global Goalkeeper Award on September 24.
As the world commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, Modi will also host a special event ‘Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary World’ on September 24 in the Economic and Social Council Chamber in the UN Headquarters.
He will also be the keynote speaker at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum on September 25.
Modi will also inaugurate the Gandhi Peace Garden, an innovative initiative to commemorate Gandhi’s 150 birth anniversary this year.
Also on cards are some meetings with the Indian American community.
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ(TIP): With great expectations, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy leads a seven-day, six-city economic mission trip to India beginning September 13.
The delegation will visit six cities, including Delhi, Agra, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar. The focus of the mission is to strengthen economic ties with one of New Jersey’s largest trade and investment partners, cultivate international investment opportunities in the Garden State, and deepen cultural and educational ties between New Jersey and India.
“As India’s role as one of our key partners continues to expand, we want to make sure we maximize the potential of our economic relationship,” said Governor Murphy. “I am excited to make the case for New Jersey as a leading investment choice for Indian companies, creating lasting partnerships and good jobs for our residents. We are proud to be the home of one of America’s most deeply-rooted Indian American communities and growing our economic partnership will only strengthen those ties.”
Governor Murphy’s activities and public events will include meetings with key government and industry leaders, including representatives of the life sciences, technology, clean energy, film and media, and manufacturing sectors, as well as company visits and announcements. New Jersey maintains very close ties with India culturally and economically, as India is New Jersey’s second largest foreign direct investor and Indian Americans represent the largest group of foreign-born residents in New Jersey. Moreover, over 50 percent of India’s foreign direct investment in the Northeast comes to New Jersey.
“We are thrilled to be part of Governor Murphy’s economic mission to India in September,” said Jose Lozano, President & CEO of Choose New Jersey. “New Jersey is a leader in the life sciences, medical technology, clean energy and manufacturing, and we are the best place for international companies to do business. We look forward to strengthening our close cultural and economic ties with our partners in India during this trip and attracting more businesses to invest in the Garden State.”
“In our increasingly interconnected world, driving international trade and investment is critical to making New Jersey a global competitor and building a foundation for long-term, sustainable economic growth,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “As the country with the third largest GDP in terms of purchasing power, India is already a formidable player in the international economy and the country’s influence is only continuing to grow. Governor Murphy’s trip is an important step forward that will pave the way for new business partnerships between New Jersey and India and bring more investment and jobs to the Garden State.”
Governor Murphy will lead the delegation, which includes First Lady Tammy Murphy, Choose New Jersey President and CEO Jose Lozano, New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) CEO Tim Sullivan, and other senior administration and Choose New Jersey officials. Throughout the trip, the delegation will showcase New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem and highlight why New Jersey is the best place for the international community to do business.
WASHINGTON(TIP): U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a proposed regulation to improve the process for granting or denying an initial application for employment authorization documents (EADs) by reforming the current 30-day timeline pertaining to pending asylum applicants.
These proposed changes will allow USCIS the time needed to receive, screen, and process applications, which in turn would strengthen national security, maintain technological advances in identity verification, and further deter those who may be attempting to defraud the legal immigration system under an improved process.
The original 30-day timeline was enacted more than 20 years ago. Since then, there have been additional requirements in background screening and vetting procedures to reduce fraud and identify threats to national security and public safety.
“Established before 9/11, this processing timeline does not reflect the operational realities USCIS currently faces when adjudicating employment authorization applications,” said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. “Our first priority as an agency is to safeguard the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system from those who seek to exploit or abuse it. This proposal allows us to conduct the kind of systematic vetting and identity verification procedures expected of an agency charged with protecting national security.”
Initial applications for employment authorization from pending asylum applicants are the only category of employment authorization applications adjudicated by USCIS that have a required processing timeline attached to them. Because of this, the agency must frequently divert resources away from other legal immigration application processing categories in order to meet the 30-day deadline for asylum seekers. These categories include family members of certain high skilled employees and those seeking adjustment of status in the United States, among others.
USCIS is also proposing to change the provision requiring that applicants submit their renewal requests to USCIS 90 days before the expiration of their employment authorization. This would reduce confusion regarding employment authorization renewal requirements for pending asylum applicants, minimize potential gaps in employment, and ensure consistency with the 2017 American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) Rule and implementing policies.
“India is expected to be a key partner for the new President of the UNGA in achieving progress on his priorities. As a country increasingly dependent on international cooperation for her growth (with her international trade contributing as much as 40% to her GDP), India’s national interests today are aligned with multilateralism. Her foreign policy is active on a multi-polar level, balancing the demands of India’s accelerated national development with the over-riding requirement for peace and security”, says the author.
India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is expected to visit New York twice towards the end of September 2019. First, he is scheduled to participate in the special Climate Action Summit of the UN Secretary General on 23 September 2019. The Prime Minister initiated a visionary platform for Climate Action during the 2015 Paris Conference on Climate Change, which has resulted in the establishment of a 121-country International Solar Alliance in India. India’s leadership in the use of renewable energy to mitigate the adverse effects of Climate Change will be underscored by the inauguration of a solar panel system for supply of energy to the UN Headquarters Building in New York during the Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to return to the United Nations in New York on Friday 27 September 2019 for his address to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). During his absence from the High-Level Segment of the UNGA debate between 2016-2018, the international situation has become more polarized. One of the biggest challenges to the principle of international cooperation which drives multilateralism in the United Nations is from growing unilateralism, especially among the major powers.
In response to this challenge, the 193 member-states of the UNGA adopted on 14 June 2019 a unanimous resolution reaffirming their collective “faith to multilateralism” as the theme of the 75thAnniversary of the United Nations next year. The newly elected President of the 74thSession of UNGA, Professor Tijjane Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria, was given the mandate to appoint two co-facilitators to “lead and conclude inter-governmental negotiations on the declaration” to be adopted by the 75thanniversary UN Summit scheduled for 21 September 2020.
Professor Tijjane Muhammad-Bande visited India in the first week of September this year. He called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, had discussions with External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and interacted with Indian policy makers in renewable energy, technology and sustainable development. He delivered a lecture at the prestigious Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi, during which he focused on the priorities ahead of him during his Presidency of the UNGA.
Reaffirming the relevance of the UN, and focusing on eradication of poverty, quality education, inclusion and partnerships to overcome global challenges, were among his top priorities. Each of these areas will play a critical role in reaffirming the mandate of the UNGA to respond to challenges to multilateralism today. At the heart of this activity will be the need for effective international cooperation.
India is expected to be a key partner for the new President of the UNGA in achieving progress on his priorities. As a country increasingly dependent on international cooperation for her growth (with her international trade contributing as much as 40% to her GDP), India’s national interests today are aligned with multilateralism. Her foreign policy is active on a multi-polar level, balancing the demands of India’s accelerated national development with the over-riding requirement for peace and security.
To meet this requirement, India needs to catalyze an early conclusion to the decades-long inter-governmental negotiations in the UNGA on reforming the primary UN organ responsible for peace and security, which is the UN Security Council. The objective of the reform is to make the Security Council more equitable in decision-making, more transparent and more representative, so that it can respond more effectively to challenges to international peace and security.
India’s decades-long experience of confronting threats to peace, security and sustainable development from cross-border terrorism drives her objective to work within the legal committee of the UNGA to make it obligatory under international law for UN member-states to either prosecute, or extradite for prosecution, alleged terrorists. This is the heart of the proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism or CCIT, which has been gridlocked in the legal negotiations of the UNGA for many years, despite India having provided a first draft of a possible CCIT in 1996. An early harvest of the CCIT also impacts on India’s reported interest in hosting a global counter-terrorism conference during the coming months.
However, the heart of India’s engagement with the United Nations remains the creation of a responsive multilateral framework for eradicating poverty and accelerating socio-economic development for the transformation of India. She is therefore expected to provide critical support for the UNGA to operationalize the commitments made during the negotiations of Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development, adopted unanimously by world leaders during Prime Minister Modi’s last visit to New York in September 2015. Foremost among these commitments is support for financial flows from multilateral financial institutions, and a functional technology facilitation mechanism.
The UN Secretary General’s ambitious High-Level Report on Digital Cooperation, issued on 10 June 2019, will play an important role with respect to the use of technology for sustainable and inclusive development. With her own ambitious Digital India program for empowerment and development, India is well placed to bring the calls for increased multilateralism and international cooperation through multi-stakeholder partnerships contained in the Report into the UNGA’s preparations for the 75thanniversary Summit of the UN in September 2020.
(The author is a former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations , and Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation)
When Archbishop of Canterbury Reverend Justin Welby prostrated himself like a penitent before the Jallianwala Bagh memorial on Tuesday, he unwittingly resembled the hapless Amritsar residents who were forced to crawl in Kucha Kaurianwala a century ago. It was in this narrow street that Marcella Sherwood, a British missionary, was attacked on April 10, 1919. The incident was a major trigger for the massacre that was perpetrated by Gen Reginald Dyer three days later. Almost a week after the bloodbath, Dyer enforced the dreaded crawling order. This was his brutal way of sanctifying and sanitizing the lane where an Englishwoman, and that too a servant of the Church, had been assaulted. This disturbing episode, dwarfed in history by what happened on April 13, 1919, did not find a mention in the Archbishop’s condolence message. It is anybody’s guess whether he considers Dyer’s warped sense of ‘sacred’ duty unchristian or not. However, Reverend Welby has emulated another missionary, CF Andrews, who was a friend of Mahatma Gandhi and is regarded as among the first Englishmen to apologize for the massacre.
In the Jallianwala centenary year, the Archbishop has done what the British monarchy and successive governments have stopped short of doing — saying sorry and seeking forgiveness. He has admitted that it was ‘deeply humbling’ and a matter of ‘profound shame’ for him ‘as a British Christian to visit this place that witnessed such an atrocity.’ His stance has rekindled the demand for an official apology from the British Government. Then Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron had referred, respectively, to the ‘shameful scar’ on British-Indian history and a ‘deeply shameful act’. Queen Elizabeth, who had visited the memorial back in 1997, had called the incident a distressing example of ‘our past history with India’.
The Church’s response, as articulated by the Archbishop, has come rather late in the day, but it can’t be dismissed as insignificant. The apology won’t go in vain if it can help in bringing much-needed closure to the tragedy. Hopefully, Reverend Welby will extend the condemnation to all unpardonable crimes committed in the name of the Crown and the Cross.
The exit of John Bolton, and Israel’s diminished influence on Washington, signal a possible reduction in tensions.
“Israel and John Bolton have been the two major obstacles to a direct encounter between the two Presidents as a prelude to a possible rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran. Mr. Trump, despite his close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seems to have concluded that the Israeli leader is too dependent on the U.S. and especially on Mr. Trump to attempt to block such a meeting if he decides to go ahead with it. Mr. Netanyahu seemed to confirm this understanding this week when he stated: “Obviously, I don’t tell the U.S. President when to meet or with whom.”
If it is not Afghanistan, then it must be Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump desperately needs a dramatic foreign policy breakthrough before the 2020 elections to establish his reputation as a strategist who can shape afresh the contours of American foreign policy. His lovefest with Kim Jong-un has petered out without producing any noticeable reduction in North Korea’s nuclear arsenal or any curbs on its ballistic missile program. His attempt to get the Taliban to accept a ceasefire so that he could begin withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, and thus fulfil the promise he had made during the 2016 election campaign, has also stalled because of Kabul’s opposition and the Taliban’s unwillingness to stop military action before a settlement is announced.
This leaves Iran as the only arena where Mr. Trump can demonstrate his diplomatic dexterity even if it means returning to the status quo that had existed when President Barack Obama left office. However, Mr. Trump would like to add a dramatic flourish to turning the clock back.
Some of Mr. Trump’s closest associates, especially the recently sacked National Security Advisor John Bolton, have been promoting a policy that amounted to advocating a regime change in Iran, even if by force. However, Mr. Trump is fundamentally averse to leading the U.S. into an open-ended war with Iran. This stance is prompted largely by his attachment to his campaign promise of bringing American soldiers home that garnered a significant number of votes for him in the last election. He, therefore, abhors the idea of sending more of them to the volatile West Asia.
Zarif’s visit to Biarritz
These instincts were on display at the recently concluded G7 meeting in France following an unscheduled visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Biarritz for talks with the French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the conclave that a Trump-Rouhani meeting was likely to take place in the “coming weeks”.
Mr. Trump said that he had no intention of imposing regime change on Iran and declared that under the right circumstances, he would certainly agree to a meeting with Mr. Rouhani.
In a speech hours earlier, Mr. Rouhani had also signaled that he was willing to talk with Trump. He has since qualified his positive response by adding that he would meet Mr. Trump only after Washington lifted the sanctions re-imposed on Tehran after Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear deal in 2018. But the signal that Iranian leaders are not averse to talking with their American counterparts has been sent by Tehran and received in Washington. In turn, Mr. Trump reciprocated by stating that he has no problem meeting with President Rouhani. “It could happen. It could happen. No problem with me,” he said earlier this week.
Israel and John Bolton have been the two major obstacles to a direct encounter between the two Presidents as a prelude to a possible rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran. Mr. Trump, despite his close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seems to have concluded that the Israeli leader is too dependent on the U.S. and especially on Mr. Trump to attempt to block such a meeting if he decides to go ahead with it. Mr. Netanyahu seemed to confirm this understanding this week when he stated: “Obviously, I don’t tell the U.S. President when to meet or with whom.”
Differences with Israel
Nonetheless, this relative softening of their respective stands by the U.S. and Iran have worried the Israeli establishment. This is why, of late, Mr. Netanyahu has once again been making shrill noises about Iran’s nuclear weapons capability. He has even gone to the extent of identifying a nuclear facility near Isfahan that, according to him, the Iranians destroyed after he had made its existence public. In response Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif promptly tweeted: “The possessor of REAL nukes cries wolf — on an ALLEGED ‘demolished’ site in Iran.” It is clear that there is a fundamental disjuncture between American and Israeli objectives regarding Iran and recent events have begun to bring the fissures in American Israeli approaches to this issue into the open.
Mr. Bolton, an outspoken foreign policy hawk, has been the standard bearer of the hard line vis-à-vis Iran and is directly or indirectly responsible for many of the harshest measures adopted by the Trump administration in regard to Iran. He was also strongly opposed to the deal that Zalmay Khalilzad had worked out with the Taliban in order to begin an orderly withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. Mr. Bolton’s virulent opposition to any deal with Iran short of complete denuclearization and regime change, both objectives beyond the realm of possibility, had angered Mr. Trump, especially because it ran counter to his instinctive antipathy toward getting involved in overseas military conflicts.
However, the firing of John Bolton, when combined with the visible diminishing of Israeli influence on U.S. policy toward Iran, signals that Washington is interested in easing tensions with Tehran. This is confirmed by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement on September 10 that it was possible that a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani could take place this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Such a meeting, even if it does not immediately resolve all the contentious bilateral issues, could form the beginning of a de-escalatory process that is likely to benefit both Washington and Tehran in the long run.
(The author is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of International Relations, Michigan State University, and Senior Fellow, Center for Global Policy, Washington, DC)
You might cringe when someone makes an idiotic remark about Hinduism and Hindu practices.
A majority of Indian Muslims will never make a negative statement about Hindus or Hinduism. Indeed, they will defend it as Hinduism is one of the most misunderstood religions like theirs.
They are driven by the wisdom found in the Quran, 6:108 (Itani), “Do not insult those they call upon besides God, lest they insult God out of hostility and ignorance. We made attractive to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do.” The Quran warns us from taking the low road and destroying mutual respect and trust.
Wisdom is available when people disagree, the best way to part is narrated in the Quran109:6 (Itani), you have your idea, and I have my way.” Let’s respectfully disagree.
Please be aware, there are about three mistranslations of Quran in the market, and we hope you read at least five versions out of the 50 plus translations to get it right. It is easy for one to jump to conclusions by seeing one person’s interpretation. Humans make mistakes.
From Allama Iqbal to Sahir Ludhianvi to Shakeel Badayuni and hundreds of poets and authors have written accolades, bhajans and uplifting commentary about Hinduism. On my part, I will continuously uphold and defend Islam and Hinduism, along with all religions. The wisdom of the Quran calls for people to learn about each other, and when they do, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.
I shared the following note (Pluralism 101) to a WhatsApp group with a video as a forewarning to stall Muslims from making derogatory comments. The video was about our Hindu friends drinking urine right of a Cow and washing their faces. Please remember what is sacred to you is not sacred to others, and vice versa.
A Muslim is an ultimate human being who cares for other’s wellbeing and stands up for justice to each one of the 7.5 Billion inhabitants of the earth. A Muslim is an exemplary citizen and an Amin – A model citizen. We have a few bad apples, and we need to work and redeem them through critical notes like this.
The administrator of that WhatsApp group and I received a few disgusting comments, and the administrator chose to dissolve the group rather than engage in the conflicts, that was his choice. The other group also had a few negative comments. What a shame!
Muslims are developing good checks and balances, if one idiot among us makes a wrong statement, there are ten to pounce on him/her. Our Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Christian friends are also doing the same, speaking out against idiotic statements. There are plenty of them in each group. The new book American Muslim Agenda documents many such incidents.
I hope I am speaking for a majority of Indian Muslims, if not, please let me know. We have to talk out what is right.
(The author is a public speaker, author, thinker, newsmaker and an interfaith wedding officiant. His new book American Muslim Agenda is available at Amazon and the bookstores. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/)
NEW YORK(TIP): US internet giant Google has agreed to a settlement totaling 945 million euros (USD 1.0 billion) to settle a tax dispute in France under an agreement announced in court on Thursday, September 12.
The company will pay a 500-million-euro fine for tax evasion, as well as a further 465 million euros to settle claims with French tax authorities.
In a statement, Google confirmed the settlement and hailed the fact it had put an end to fiscal differences that it had had with France for numerous years.
French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet and Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin welcomed the “definitive settling” of all the contentious issues, adding in a statement that the outcome was the result of two years of intense work by the French authorities.
“This outcome is good news for the public finances and fiscal fairness in France,” their statement said.
Belloubet said the settlement showed that the French authorities have the tools to ensure an equitable tax system.
“It is a historic settlement both for our public finances and because it marks the end of an era,” Darmanin said.
“By normalizing Google’s situation in France, (the settlement) responds to our citizens’ demands for fiscal fairness,” he said.
The settlement comes as France, as well as European allies, seek to find common ground with the United States in a long-running dispute over the taxation of digital giants.
French President Emmanuel Macron said alongside US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in August that leaders had reached an agreement on the taxation of tech giants, though the precise details remain to be worked out.
HICKSVILLE, NY(TIP): Long Island Ladies Circle (LILC) in association with Jus Punjabi organized “Punjabi Mutiyaar” on Sept 6. Members of the Circle dressed in traditional Punjabi attire and wearing traditional Punjabi jewelry presented a picture of Punjab.
Those who spoke about Punjabi culture at the event included JUS Punjabi anchor Harkirat Singh Ahluwalia and Nupur Arora.
Gidha performance stole the show. Tappe and Boliyan and Punjabi folk songs also created a magic of their own.
Jyoti Gupta emceed.
Pinky Jaggi thanked guests for their presence and officers of LILC for the great job done.
NEW YORK(TIP): New York based Dr. Raj Bhayani was honored by Vivek Oberoi and Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP General Secretary at the India Day Parade and Festival of Globe in San Francisco California with the Inspirations to Indian Americans Award on Sunday, August 18th.
Dr. Raj Bhayani, an accomplished neurosurgeon, social activist, entrepreneur, leader, and the first ENT surgeon in India, was honored for his inspiring leadership and achievements in his medical profession and community service.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Bhayani, while thanking the organizers for the event for bestowing the award, referred to India, a great and the largest democracy, which is growing steadily under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Patriotism, which is in our hearts is seen in our actions,” he said. “This Independence Day has a very special meaning for India and all of us, as India, for the first time in our 73 years of Independence history, is going in the right direction.”
Dr. Bhayani, who had completed training in Neurosurgery and had a Fellowship in Facial Plastic & Micro vascular Surgery in India, is currently practicing Medicine in New York. An active member and currently serving as the Treasurer of AAAPI, Dr. Bhayani has held several positions in AAPI and has grown with the organization. He is the President-Elect AAPI-QLI, one of the largest Chapters of AAPI.
His accomplishments in the professional world are well known. During the duration of his medical profession, more than 50 research papers have been published and presented by him, which has resulted in inclusion of his name in the Marquis ‘Who’s Who in America in Medicine and Healthcare’ acknowledging his achievements in the medical field.
Not satisfied with his professional accomplishments, Dr. Bhayani has devoted his life to being actively involved in the philanthropic sector. He currently serves on the boards, and is an active member, of over 20 communities and associations that are involved in philanthropic activities. In addition, he has also served on the Board of Trustees of Save Life Foundation, which has helped in the implementation of Good Samaritan Law and Road Safety Bill to help roadside accident victims and to improve road safety in India.
Passionate about giving back to the larger society, Dr. Bhayani says, “Inspired by many individuals, who lead by example. Cause is the driving than actual person.” His life has been an example of how to give back to the community, which has given him much. “Even since childhood, I had the desire to be someone, who wanted to contribute to the common good.”
Recently, he was the chief organizer for ‘Football for Nation’ initiative, in Delhi, by bringing Parliamentarians and Film stars together to play a game of football to raise funds for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Besides, his significant contributions in organizing several health and blood donation camps as well as fund raisers for Aksharpatra, helping millions of kids with Mid-day meal program in India, have earned him great respect and appreciation in the society. He is grand Patron for India Day Parade for celebrating India’s Independence Day in New York.
Imbibed with this passion, Dr. Bhayani did not have to look for opportunities. They actually came his way. “In the society we live in, there are ample of opportunities to do good,” he says. “I always look upon in my friends who do larger good and have tried to join them or find noble causes that I can support or initiate, with the objective of doing little acts of kindness. I believe small acts of kindness by many of us can achieve tremendous impact on humanity than individual acts.”
The unassuming Dr. Bhayani was instrumental in organizing Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s historic address to the Indian – American community at Madison Square Garden, during his maiden visit to New York in September 2014.
A distinguished Guest Speaker, as a proponent of the Honorable Prime Minister’s vision for India, on popular regional TV shows in USA, Dr. Bhayani is one of the foremost members of the Indian community who has worked tirelessly in increasing awareness of the Prime Minister’s initiatives in the USA, which in return has resulted in the remittance of funds to India for the implementation of these initiatives. His work is an exemplary example of his commitment towards India’s progress.
His outstanding support to the society in his roles as a physician, a leader, and as a philanthropist have not gone unnoticed. Dr. Bhayani has received dozens of awards, recognition and scholarships. He has been felicitated on several platforms and his list of accolades includes Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Award at House of Lords in London, Bharat Gaurav Puraskar and Delhi Ratan Award, Hind Ratan Award, Asian American Heritage Honoree of the year 2016, New York City as well as State Proclamation Award. He has also been awarded ‘United States Congressional Achievement Award’ and is also the recipient of the ‘Most Influential Leader in Indian Community in United States’ recognition award. He has received USA Triologic Society award for his research papers. He has held various leadership positions in the healthcare field and leading hospitals in New York heading the ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery divisions.
With ambitions to grow as a national leader of AAPI, Dr. Bhayani says, “Since my association with AAPI, I have seen with awe and inspiration, how this noble organization has grown over the past 37 years. AAPI has a very strong future with its highly educated, skilled and dedicated membership and leadership. AAPI has a greater role to play in the national arena. And, AAPI is ready to march on and I am there to be part of this great organization and all its diverse and talented membership to make this noble organization a great force with a stronger voice to accomplish its many lofty goals.”
NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Consulate New York, in partnership with Indo-American Lawyers Association,is providing free legal consultation from an expert Lawyer, Sanjay Chaubey to help distressed members of the community or those who need legal help. The inaugural session was hosted on August 30, 2019. Now the Consulate has decided to conduct this on a regular basis on the last working Friday of every month.
“Good start of “Free #Legal #Consultation” at the #Consulate on August 30th, 2019. We thank attorney Mr. Sanjay Chaubey, President of Indo American Lawyers Association for attending to the issues of various community members.
Observing the successful response, the Consulate has decided to conduct such free legal clinics on the last working #Friday of every month, between 11:00 hours to 12:00 hours”, the Consulate tweeted.
Free legal clinics will be hosted at the consulate on September 27, October 25, November 29, and December 27. To RSVP, please email at madad.newyork@mea.gov.in.
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