LONDON (TIP): Indian – Origin British finance minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, October 5, denied he had ambitions to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“Oh God. No. Definitely not,” Sunak said, chuckling, when asked if he wanted the keys to Number 10 Downing Street. “Seeing what the prime minister has to deal with – this is a job hard enough for me to do.”
“I think he and I are personally close,” Sunak said. He confirmed Johnson called him “Rish”.
When asked what he called Johnson, Sunak said: “I call him Prime Minister. He keeps trying to tell me to call him other things… but I just stick with PM.”
“I grew up watching my parents serve our local community with dedication. My dad was an NHS family GP and my mum ran her own local chemist shop. I wanted to make that same positive difference to people as their Member of Parliament and I was first elected to represent this wonderful constituency in 2015 and re-elected in 2017 and 2019. I live in Kirby Sigston, just outside Northallerton.
I have been fortunate to enjoy a successful business career. I co-founded a large investment firm, working with companies from Silicon Valley to Bangalore. Then I used that experience to help small and entrepreneurial British companies grow successfully. From working in my mum’s tiny chemist shop to my experience building large businesses, I have seen first-hand how politicians should support free enterprise and innovation to ensure our future prosperity.
My parents sacrificed a great deal so I could attend good schools. I was lucky to study at Winchester College, Oxford University and Stanford University. That experience changed my life and as a result I am passionate about ensuring everybody has access to a great education. I have been a school governor, a board member of a large youth club, and have always volunteered my time to education programs that spread opportunity.
I have been lucky to live, study and work internationally. I met my wife, Akshata, in California where we lived for a number of years before returning home. We have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, who keep us busy and entertained.
In July 2019 I was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, having entered Government service as the Minister for Local Government in January 2018. In February 2020, I had the honor to be appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.”, Sunak once said about himself.
Donald Trump says no to virtual debate with Joe Biden
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Commission on Presidential Debates said Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden will appear from remote locations, while voters and the moderator will ask them questions from the original debate site in Miami.
President Donald Trump vowed Thursday, October 8, not to participate in next week’s debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden after organizers announced it will take place virtually because of the president’s diagnosis of COVID-19.
“I’m not going to do a virtual debate,” Mr. Trump told Fox Business News, moments after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced the changes.
The shakeup comes a week before Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden were set to square off for the second presidential debate in Miami. Mr. Biden’s campaign insisted its candidate was ready to move forward, but the future of the event is now in serious doubt.
The Commission on Presidential Debates made the decision unilaterally, citing the need “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate.”
When Republican Mike Pence and Democrat Kamala Harris squared off for their only vice-presidential debate in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, October 7 night, they shared a stage but were separated by plexiglass to prevent the spread of the virus.
Mr. Trump’s campaign said the president would do a rally instead of the debate.
“For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden’s defense by unilaterally canceling an in-person debate is pathetic,” Bill Stepien, Trump campaign manager said in a statement. “The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head. We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”
Trump was hospitalized for three days but is now back at the White House recovering. He has vowed to return to the campaign trail soon. Still, the commission’s move is yet another indication that the presidential election is being dominated by the virus – defying the president’s months long attempts to underplay it and declare that the country was ready to move on.
Trump is thought to be trailing in key battleground states. Even before his COVID-19 diagnosis, he was widely criticized for his chaotic performance during last week’s first presidential debate in Cleveland. Next week’s debate, and a third one set for the following week in Nashville, would have been a chance for him to attempt to reset the election and potentially change its trajectory.
Biden aides argued that Mr. Trump’s pulling out could be a boon to their candidate. Given reactions to the chaotic first debate, they believe most voters, especially undecided voters, will see the president as avoiding a second debate out of his own interests, not because he dislikes the format.
“Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people,” deputy Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.
Mr. Biden said earlier in the week that he was “looking forward to being able to debate him” but added “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.” He said he and Mr. Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” as long as the president remains COVID positive.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced early Thursday the candidates would “participate from separate remote locations” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami, it said. Moments later, Mr. Trump vowed to skip the event entirely.
Mr. Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus a week ago, but in a Tuesday, October 6 tweet said he looked forward to debating Biden a second time, “It will be great!” he tweeted.
Mr. Trump was still contagious with the virus when he was discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday, but his doctors have not provided any detailed update on his status. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 can be contagious for as many as – and should isolate for at least – 10 days.
It’s not the first debate in which the candidates are not in the same room. In 1960, the third presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy was broadcast with the two candidates on opposite coasts.
Reports have come in, at the time of filing this story that Trump has obtained a certification from a doctor that he would be fit to resume normal work from Saturday, October 10.
Move likely to affect thousands of Indian IT professionals
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Trump administration has announced new restrictions on H-1B nonimmigrant visa program which it said is aimed at protecting American workers, restoring integrity and to better guarantee that H-1B petitions are approved only for qualified beneficiaries and petitioners, a move which is likely to affect thousands of Indian IT professionals.
The interim final rule announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, October 6, less than four weeks ahead of the US presidential election, will narrow the definition of “specialty occupation” as Congress intended by closing the overbroad definition that allowed companies to game the system.
It will also require companies to make “real” offers to “real employees,” by closing loopholes and preventing the displacement of the American workers. And finally, the new rules would enhance the department’s ability to enforce compliance through worksite inspections and monitor compliance before, during and after an H1-B petition is approved.
The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
Such a decision by the Trump administration is likely to have an adverse impact on thousands of Indian IT professionals. Already a large number of Indians on the H-1B visas have lost their jobs and are headed back home during the coronavirus pandemic that has severely hit the US economy.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the interim final rule to be published in Federal Register will be effective in 60 days.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services is forgoing the regular notice and comment period to immediately ensure that employing H-1B workers will not worsen the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and adversely affect wages and working conditions of similarly employed US workers, it said.
The pandemic’s economic impact is an “obvious and compelling fact” that justifies good cause to issue this interim final rule.
“We have entered an era in which economic security is an integral part of homeland security. Put simply, economic security is homeland security. In response, we must do everything we can within the bounds of the law to make sure the American worker is put first,” said Acting Secretary Chad Wolf.
US Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia said that these changes will strengthen foreign worker programs and secure American workers’ opportunities for stable, good-paying jobs.
“The US Department of Labor is strengthening wage protections, addressing abuses in these visa programs and ensuring American workers are not undercut by cheaper foreign labor,” she said.
In a conference call with reporters, Deputy Labor Secretary Patrick Pizzella said that these changes were long overdue, and it had become imperative in light of the current conditions in the US labor market.
“We’re making good on the president’s promise to protect Americans from those who seek to exploit the system for their gain,” he said, adding that the rule would “ensure that Americans are first in line for American jobs as we continue our recovery”.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the H-1B program was intended to allow employers to fill gaps in their workforce and remain competitive in the global economy, however, it has now expanded far beyond that, often to the detriment of US workers.
Data shows that more than half-a-million H-1B nonimmigrants in the United States have been used to displace US workers, which has led to reduced wages in a number of industries in the US labor market and the stagnation of wages in certain occupations, said the Department of Homeland Security.
“This is part of a larger Trump administration goal in coordination with the Department of Labor to protect American workers,” it said.
The Department of Labor said that the prevailing wage rates in these programs play an integral role in protecting US workers from unfair competition posed by the entry of lower-cost foreign labor into the US labor market.
It is essential that the methodology used by the Department in calculating the prevailing wage rates accurately reflect what US workers performing the same kinds of jobs and with similar qualifications make to ensure employers cannot use foreign workers in place of US workers, it said.
The Interim Final rule, it said, will improve the accuracy of prevailing wages paid to foreign workers by bringing them in line with the wages paid to similarly employed US workers.
This will ensure that the Department more effectively protects the job opportunities and wages of American workers by removing the economic incentive to hire foreign workers on a permanent or temporary basis in the US over American workers, it said.
Trump, a Republican, is seeking another term in the White House. He is being challenged by former Vice President Joe Biden of the Democratic Party in the November 3 presidential election.
In June, the Trump administration suspended the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers.
MICHIGAN (TIP): More than a dozen men were arrested on federal and state charges in connection with an alleged foiled plot to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, authorities said Thursday, October 8.
Six were apprehended and charged with federal crimes, while another seven were picked up on state charges, officials in Michigan said.
All are members of two militia groups “who were preparing to kidnap and possibly kill me,” Whitmer said in an address from Lansing late Thursday afternoon following the arrests.
“When I put my hand on the Bible and took the oath of office 22 months ago, I knew this job would be hard,” Whitmer continued. “But I’ll be honest, I never could have imagined anything like this.”
She thanked federal and state law enforcement for bringing criminal charges that “hopefully will lead to convictions, bringing these sick and depraved men to justice.”
The arrests grew out of an FBI-led probe which began in March and focused on militia groups’ discussing the “violent overthrow” of certain government and law enforcement officials.
Each of the federally charged men faces up to life in prison if convicted on all charges, authorities said.
Those six suspects facing federal charges in the alleged kidnapping plot used encrypted messaging to communicate about the plot, conducted coordinated surveillance on the governor’s vacation home and detonated an improvised explosive device wrapped with shrapnel, officials said.
Based on court documents, the FBI was well aware of the activities of the six men charged Thursday and there does not seem to have been an imminent threat posed to Whitmer.
The documents identify the defendants as Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.
At a meeting in July, allegedly attended and recorded by one of the informants, the men “discussed attacking a Michigan State Police facility, and in a separate conversation after the meeting, Garbin suggested shooting up the Governor’s vacation home,” authorities said.
Then at a July 27 meeting, Fox and an informant discussed a possible kidnapping of Whitmer, with the defendant allegedly saying: “Snatch and grab, man. Grab the f—ing governor. Just grab the b—-. Because at that point, we do that, dude — it’s over.”
“Fox said that after kidnapping the governor, the group would remove her to a secure location in Wisconsin for ‘trial’,” according to the criminal complaint.
The alleged conspirators used code words and encrypted platforms to shield their discussions from authorities, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge for the Western District of Michigan.
They used terms such as “cake” or “cupcakes” for bombs, a “chemistry set” for components of an improvised explosive device and “baker” for an explosives manufacturer, according to the complaint.
“Fox and Croft in particular … discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area of the (governor’s vacation) home,” Birge said.
The federal investigation involved at least one member of a Michigan militia group who was involved in a Second Amendment rally at the Michigan Statehouse in June.
That member allegedly told the FBI that the group was considering killing police officers and agreed to become an informant.
But the involvement of that militia in the plot to kidnap the governor appears to be minimal as the group that was charged Thursday allegedly discussed keeping the broader militia out of their actual plan.
In a YouTube video from May, Caserta claimed in a 30-minute diatribe that “the enemy is government.” He shot the video in front of an anarchist’s flag and a map of Michigan.
Caserta did not post on YouTube again until three weeks ago. In that video, Caserta does not speak, and simply loads and poses with a long gun off camera while wearing a shirt that says “F— The Government.”
The seven suspects facing state charges were identified as Paul Bellar, 21, Shawn Fix, 38, Eric Molitor, 36, Michael Null, 38, William Null, 38, Pete Musico, 42, and Joseph Morrison, 42.
They’ve all been charged with “providing material support for terrorist acts” and “carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony,” according to state prosecutors.
The seven are linked to the Wolverine Watchmen militia and sought to “instigate a civil war” and had “engaged in planning and training for an operation to attack the Capitol building of Michigan and to kidnap government officials, including the governor of Michigan,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
For months, Whitmer has drawn the ire of militia groups and others opposed to her restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Armed protesters took to the streets of Lansing, the state capital, during the early days of Whitmer’s coronavirus lockdown orders. And President Donald Trump famously tweeted “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” in April.
“The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire,” Trump tweeted May 1. “These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”
(Agencies)
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, who heads federal prosecutions in the Eastern District of Michigan, acknowledged the fraught political climate in which these arrests were made.
“All of us in Michigan can disagree about politics,” he said. “But those disagreements should never, ever amount to violence.”
Whitmer on Thursday said Trump was “complicit” through his rhetoric. She specifically linked the alleged actions of the suspects in her case to Trump’s refusal, at a debate last week, to forcibly denounce white supremacist groups.
“Just last week the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups,” she said.
“Stand back and stand by,’ he told them … hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke but as a rallying cry, as a call to action.”
Whitmer was elected as the state’s 49th governor in 2018, defeating Republican Bill Schuette by nearly 10 percentage points.
The governor on Thursday continued to defend her actions during the pandemic.
Michigan residents are now testing positive at about a 3-percent rate, one of the lowest in the nation, according to a rolling count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
“It’s not over yet, but here’s what I know: We’re Michiganders. We have grit. We have heart and we are tough as hell,” Whitmer said.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The debate between two skilled debaters- vice presidential candidates Mike Pence and Kamala Harris presented a pleasing picture of a civil discourse despite of Pence drawing extra time to make his statements and often interrupting Kamal Harris who politely pointed out to Pence that she was speaking. There was no lack of civility, but surely a lack of honest and truthful claims and counterclaims. Their debate on October 7 was far easier to watch than last week’s chaotic presidential debate.
Both Pence and Harris engaged in mild overstatement and rhetorical flourishes at times. That’s normal in politics. Harris, for example, exaggerated the job losses that President Trump’s trade war with China has caused. But Pence was far more dishonest. At several points, he seemed to want to run on a record that didn’t exist.
CNN provided a “partial list” of false and misleading statements made by Pence during the debate.
“On day one, Joe Biden is going to raise your taxes,” Pence said. This is false: Biden has proposed tax increases only on households making more than $400,000 a year.
Pence said he and Trump had a plan to “protect pre-existing conditions for every American.” The administration has repeatedly attempted to take health insurance away from Americans, and the number of uninsured people has risen during Trump’s presidency.
Pence claimed that Trump had “suspended all travel from China.” He did not. Although Trump claimed to have done so, hundreds of thousands of people traveled from China to the U.S. after the coronavirus appeared.
Pence said the Trump administration would “continue to listen to the science” on climate change. The administration has defied or ignored the views of scientists on climate change.
Pence said Biden would “ban fracking.” Biden would not.
Pence said Trump revered members of the military. In 2015, Trump publicly mocked John McCain because he had been a prisoner during the Vietnam War. More recently, Trump has described Americans soldiers killed in war as “losers” and “suckers,” The Atlantic has reported.
Pence said voting by mail created “a massive opportunity for voter fraud.” This contradicts all of the available evidence and history about mail voting.
Pence said he and Trump have “always” told the American people the truth.
The most disappointing aspect of Pence’s performance is that he has deep disagreements with Harris and Biden that don’t depend on distortions. It’s entirely possible to make a fact-based case against higher taxes on the rich; or widely available abortions; or high levels of immigration; or new restrictions on police.
But that is not what Pence did.
A strong moment for each candidate: Harris’s opening remarks, taking the administration to task for the terrible toll of the coronavirus on the U.S.; Pence’s celebrating the Trump administration’s turn to a more hawkish approach to China, which has since become a bipartisan consensus.
Speaking time: Despite the vice president’s repeated interruptions, the two debaters spoke for nearly identical amounts of time over all: almost 36 minutes and 30 seconds.
Questions unanswered: Harris refused to answer Pence’s direct question about whether Democrats would expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court. Pence didn’t answer when the moderator asked him why America’s pandemic death toll is disproportionate to its population and what he would do if Trump refused to accept the election results.
Post-debate instant polls: 59 percent thought Harris won, 38 percent thought Pence won, CNN’s poll found.
On the lighter died, there was an uninvited guest: A fly that landed on Pence’s head for more than two minutes became a star on social media.
NEW DELHI (TIP): India’s Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, one of the most prominent Dalit leaders of the country, died on Thursday, October 8, at the age of 74, his son Chirag Paswan said.
The Lok Janshakti Party founder and Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution was admitted to a private hospital here for several weeks and had recently undergone a heart operation.
“Papa, you are no more in this world, but I know you are with me wherever you are. Miss you papa,” Chirag, who now heads the LJP, tweeted.
A stalwart of the socialist movement who later emerged as Bihar’s foremost Dalit leader with following across the country, Ram Vilas Paswan was instrumental in the implementation of the Mandal Commission report in the 1990s.
Condoling his demise, President Ram Nath Kovind said, “In the demise of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, the nation has lost a visionary leader. He was among the most active and longest-serving members of parliament. He was the voice of the oppressed and championed the cause of the marginalized.”
Expressing grief at Paswan’s demise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened beyond words as his death has left a void in the nation that will perhaps never be filled.
“Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji’s demise is a personal loss. I have lost a friend, valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate to ensure every poor person leads a life of dignity,” Modi said in his condolence message.
The prime minister also said Paswan “rose in politics through hard work and determination. As a young leader, he resisted tyranny and the assault on our democracy during the Emergency. He was an outstanding Parliamentarian and Minister, making lasting contributions in several policy areas.”
Born in Khagaria in 1946, Paswan was selected as a police official but chose the calling of politics and became an MLA for the first time in 1969 on a Samyukta Socialist Party ticket.
He was elected to Lok Sabha eight times and also held the record of winning his constituency, Hajipur, with the highest margin for several years.
Always at the forefront of raising issues concerning the disadvantaged sections of society, he was also a skillful grassroots politician who enjoyed good equations with leaders across the spectrum, and his dedicated following in his state ensured that every national party courted him in his over five decades of career.
He was a minister in central governments headed by parties of contrasting ideological persuasions, ranging from the Janata Dal to the Congress and the BJP, since 1989.
Whoever might be his ally, he took pride in describing himself as a socialist and secular politician by conviction.
Trump: “We’re talking about airlines and we’re talking about a bigger deal than airlines. We’re talking about a deal with $1,200 per person, we’re talking about other things”.
Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja
WASHINGTON (TIP): The deal under discussion would include new $1,200 stimulus checks, renew enhanced unemployment benefits, and provide $75 billion for coronavirus testing and tracing, among other provisions. When talks broke off Tuesday, October 6, Democrats were pushing for language ensuring a wide-scale testing strategy. Pelosi said Thursday, October 8, they were still waiting to hear back on that and that she had reminded Mnuchin of that.
And Trump said: “We’re talking about airlines and we’re talking about a bigger deal than airlines. We’re talking about a deal with $1,200 per person, we’re talking about other things, but it’s not anybody’s fault, they were trying to get things, and we were trying to get things and it wasn’t going anywhere, I shut it down. I don’t want to play games. And then we reopened, and I see the markets are doing well but I think we have a really good chance of doing something.”
The labor market remains weak, with another 840,000 Americans filing for unemployment claims last week, more than six months after the coronavirus pandemic began in the United States.
It remains highly uncertain that any deal can be reached, on airlines or anything else. Talks have been on again and off again for months, but ultimately Congress and the administration have been unable to strike a deal since the spring when they passed around $3 trillion in aid.
Multiple programs approved at that time have since expired, including enhanced unemployment insurance for individuals.
The Cares Act from March included a Payroll Support Program for airlines that expired Oct. 1. Democrats have been pushing an approximately $25 billion bill to renew the program, but it’s unclear if the administration supports the Democrats’ approach and Pelosi has now dropped the idea of advancing it on its own.
The developments Thursday, October 8, were just the latest confusing events in days full of them. While hospitalized at Walter Reed over the weekend, Trump tweeted a demand for a new stimulus bill, only to abruptly pull out of talks on Tuesday, a day after getting released from the hospital.
He began backtracking within hours as a number of Republicans in tough re-election races criticized his move and urged him to re-engage.
Trump said Thursday, October 8, he was hopeful the talks would bear fruit even though he commented that Pelosi is “not my favorite person, she impeached me for no reason.”
Both the Democrats and Republicans are acutely aware of the immediate need for an infusion of financial aid to individuals and companies to enable them to survive. They also fear, a failure to come up with an aid may damage them in the elections. No American would like to see the daily bread being denied.
SELDEN, N.Y. (TIP): A disabled marine in a wheelchair, but filled with boundless energy for life, said Friday, October 2, he has a new outlook and gratitude to the community around him.
His neighbors, volunteers and donors surprised him with a brand-new house,
Bolla Charity partnered with Building Homes For Heroes to change lives and make independence possible.
Three years into his marine service, Ventura was on home leave. On a road one mile from his family’s home, he was the victim of a hit-and-run. The accident severed his lower spine, and he lost his ability to walk.
“He has never given up,” said Ventura’s mother, Cynthia.
“It’s truly an experience beyond words,” said Ventura’s father, Bill.
An entire Selden community, volunteers, donors, and the Bolla Charity Foundation awarded her paralyzed son with a brand new, state of the art, custom built home.
“Speechless. It blows my mind,” Billy Ventura said.
“People giving lives to saving other people, then I decided that day that I need to contribute to this good cause,” said Harry Singh, president and CEO of the Bolla Oil Corporation.
“It takes more than just a village,” Billy Ventura said.
Bolla Charity partnered with Building Homes For Heroes to change lives and make independence possible.
“There’s a lot that I can’t do, but the house now will allow me to. I have a great future,” Billy Ventura said.
“He truly is a hero to me and to see how far he’s come,” said his mother.
“Thank you, thank you, but there’s heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice,” Billy Ventura said.
Dozens of companies, military volunteers and local community organizations donated and worked together for more than nine months to surprise Ventura.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Biden campaign has launched an initiative to reach out to the Sikh community in the US and vowed to address the unique challenges, including xenophobia, being faced by the minority religious group in the country.
The Biden campaign, which launched the ”Sikh Americans for Biden”, said it has plans for protecting Sikh-American youths in schools.
Sikh-Americans experience bullying at rates twice the national average and have reported a spike in these encounters since 2017, the campaign said in a press release on Sunday.
“The Biden campaign plans to highlight the specific plans and policies that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has outlined in his platform to address the unique challenges that the Sikh American community faces with regards to racism, xenophobia and discrimination,” it said.
Kiran Kaur Gill, a prominent civil rights activist and member of the Sikh American National Leadership Council, alleged that President Donald Trump has not only turned a blind eye to bullying and discrimination, but has also encouraged it.
The Sikh American National Leadership Council is an advisory council to the Sikh Americans for Biden.
With Biden as the US president, Sikh-Americans can feel safer in schools and on the streets, Kiran Kaur Gill said in a statement.
“(Former) Vice President Biden has a track record of taking stances against hate, discrimination and bullying, and his leadership on these issues matter to our community,” she said.
The Biden campaign has said that if voted to power, the Biden administration would allocate additional federal funding for anti-bullying initiatives.
According to civil rights activist Valarie Kaur, “This election is unlike any other. Everything our Sikh ancestors fought for — a world of dignity, equality, and justice — is at stake.”
“A Biden presidency would give us a chance — to save our democracy, heal the earth, and begin to birth a world where we ‘see no stranger”. That’s why I am proud to join Sikhs for Biden — and do everything in power to get out the vote. Our lives depend on it,” she said in a statement issued by the South Asians for Biden on Sunday.
Japjee Singh, an anti-bullying advocate, detailed the horrific bullying that took place at his high school in Georgia. In 2013, when he was 17-year-old, Singh was repeatedly targeted with verbal and physical harassment because of his Sikh faith. He was called a “terrorist” and fellow students used to target him for wearing turban. Singh’s bullying case led to the first US Department of Justice school bullying settlement on behalf of a Sikh student.
“A lot of the systems in place prevent victims of bullying from being heard and validated. Often these victims are perceived as the aggressors; they are not. Biden is committed to change these systems, so we can provide survivors of bullying with the support that they need,” Singh said.
In a joint statement, Josh Dickson, the National Faith Engagement Director for the Biden campaign, and Seema Sadanandan, a Policy Advisor for the campaign, said Biden has committed to a number of initiatives that garner strong support from the Sikh-American community.
“For example, a Biden administration would allocate additional funding to the Department of Justice and the Department of Education for anti-bullying initiatives. Biden has also cited specific plans to re-establish the Obama-Biden White House AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force, which would partner with community organizations, including Sikh non-profits,” they said.
LONDON (TIP): Indian-origin billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa are set to acquire a majority stake in the leading UK supermarket chain Asda from its US owner Walmart after a USD 8.8-billion deal was struck as part of a consortium involving private equity firm TDR Capital.
The Issa brothers, whose parents moved to the UK from Gujarat in the 1970s, own the Euro Garages chain of petrol stations as part of their EG Group business.
The supermarket deal, valued at around 6.8-billion pounds (USD 8.8-billion), follows an auction process for Asda over several months and returns the 71-year-old supermarket company back into British ownership after 21 years, a development welcomed by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
“Great to see Asda returning to majority UK ownership for the first time in two decades today,” Mr. Sunak said on Twitter.
“The new owners have already committed to investing over GBP 1 billion in the next three years and increasing the proportion of UK-based suppliers. I wish them the best of luck,” he said.
Announcing the deal, Walmart said Asda would keep its headquarters in Leeds in northern England, with chief executive Roger Burnley continuing to be in charge.
“We are very proud to be investing in Asda, an iconic British business that we have admired for many years. Asda’s customer-centric philosophy focus on operational excellence and commitment to the communities in which it operates are the same values that we have built EG Group on,” Mohsin and Zuber Issa said in a statement.
The brothers, born in Blackburn in north-west England, pledged support for the long-term growth of the supermarket as they praised the chain’s performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the “fundamental strength and resilience” of the business.
“We believe that our experience with EG Group, including our expertise around convenience and brand partnerships and our successful partnership with TDR Capital, can help to accelerate and execute that growth strategy.
“After a successful period as part of Walmart, we are looking forward to helping Asda build a differentiated business that will continue to serve customers brilliantly in communities across the UK,” they said.
Robert Burnley welcomed the new ownership as an exciting new chapter and committed to delivering value to customers.
“In a constantly changing retailing environment, our new ownership will further enhance our resilience, whilst creating significant, additional opportunities to drive growth. For Asda colleagues, a strong and growing business is important for our long-term future,” said Mr. Burnley.
Walmart retains an equity investment in the business with an ongoing commercial relationship and a seat on the board.
The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021.
VIRGINIA (TIP): Indian American business consultant Puneet Ahluwalia is running for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Virginia saying the state needs a new leadership to attract investment, jobs, growth and wealth.
“Virginia is in trouble right now, and we’re running out of time as Democrats offer the same old tired promises,” stated the 55-year-old resident of McLean, just outside Washington DC announcing his run.
‘Virginia needs new ideas and a business environment that will attract investment, jobs, growth and wealth,” wrote Delhi-born Ahluwalia in a note to his supporters.
“Virginia needs to support its hard-working and courageous police, protect 2nd Amendment rights, and stand up for law and order.”
A Delhi Public School (DPS) alumnus, who immigrated to the US in 1990, Ahluwalia serves as a consultant to international businesses on client acquisition, marketing, and strategic affairs with The Livingston Group.
“I am Pro-Life, Pro-Liberty, and Pro-Virginia First. We need to reopen our schools, reopen our economy, and get our lives back together.”
“I wasn’t born an American, my wife and I are Americans by choice,” wrote Ahluwalia. “I am not a politician; I am a proud American living the American dream.”
“My first job was delivering electronics to retail stores and since then I have built businesses and created jobs and opportunities for others,” he recalled.
Ahluwalia, who has been active in the Republican Party politics for over two decades, also serves on the Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum.
He accused the current Democrat leadership in the General Assembly of being “distracted by a far-left social and cultural agenda that simply doesn’t serve the interests of the vast majority of Virginia citizens.”
“All they do is blame (President Donald) Trump, then fade into the background. That’s not leadership. It’s finger-pointing. No more excuses,” Ahluwalia wrote.
“Progressive Democrats, who run most of our largest cities and counties, discourage job growth, deter small business start-ups, and restrict children to failing schools.”
“Democrats continue policies that ensnare generation after generation of minorities that believe there is no hope. No wonder people are frustrated and angry,” Ahluwalia wrote.
“I promise to bring a message of hope, growth, and opportunity to every person, every family, and every community in Virginia.”
As immigrants, he and his wife Nadia chose to become Americans, for good reason, Ahluwalia wrote. “This is the greatest country in the history of the world, but we can’t take our prosperity, or our freedom, for granted.”
“We must work every day to protect and preserve the unity and the values so many of our fellow Americans have sacrificed and bled to preserve.”
MISSOURI (TIP):Indian American led Sehgal Foundation has been named one of three recipients of the US State Department’s annual Citizen Diplomacy Award for its work to help the poor in rural Indian communities.
The foundation received the award recognizing individuals and organizations for their work to promote US foreign policy goals along with top recipient, Mohamed Amin Ahmed (Average Mohamed), and runner up, Tempe Sister Cities.
Sehgal Foundation partners with various organizations to create and sustain strong global connections to promote rural development in India.
“We received a record number of nominations, so picking just one winner is a huge challenge,” said State Department representative, Irina Karmanova as cited by a media release.
“Sehgal Foundation stood out to us for their great work in advancing human rights and promoting women’s peace and security.”
Iowa International Center, the state’s oldest organization supporting immigrants, refugees, and international visitors, nominated Sehgal Foundation for its work to help the poor in rural Indian communities, as well as its local support of international visitor exchanges and programs.
Sehgal Foundation emphasizes human rights, particularly gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as central to eliminating poverty, the release said. Their efforts support US initiatives to promote Women, Peace, and Security.
“We are indeed very thankful for this prestigious recognition by the US State Department,” said Jay Sehgal, Executive Vice President of Sehgal Foundation.
Sehgal Foundation will be honored in a virtual ceremony on Sept. 30 hosted by the US Department of State.
Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Sehgal Foundation is a long-time supporter of Iowa International Center’s International Visitor programs, furthering meaningful connections prompted by global exchanges.
Sehgal Foundation members serve as event hosts and as professional resources for international visitors who come to Des Moines through the State Department and other programs.
“Iowa International Center is honored to have the support and partnership of Sehgal Foundation in creating meaningful connections across the globe,” said Patricia Grote, Executive Director, Iowa International Center.
Sehgal Foundation’s US chapters in Iowa, Illinois, Florida, and Minnesota, and individual and group partners across the US, support empowerment programs in India.
Areas covered include water management, agriculture development, good governance training, and for transforming the lives of schoolchildren, especially girls, by creating safer school environments and training in digital literacy and life skills.
Foundation programs have expanded to 980 communities in eight states of India.
To assure sustainability, all work is done in partnership with the communities being served so that individuals, especially women, and village-level institutions are empowered to take responsibility for their own development, the release said.
Internships and volunteer projects coordinated with the Rural Research team further positive results to potentially influence government policy on behalf of the vulnerable, it added.
NEW YORK (TIP): Maher Adoni, an 11th grade student of Champaign, Illinois, and Rohan Chalamalasetti, a sixth grade student of West Des Moines, Iowa have won a youth essay competition organized by the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA).
While Adoni was the winner among high school students, Chalamalasetti was the winner among middle school students with Adhitya Ajith of West Des Moines, Iowa and Shreeya Yarlagadda of Johnston, Iowa being runners-up in the two categories respectively.
Rohan Chalamalasetti , a sixth grader from Moines, Iowa, and Maher Adoni, a junior from Champaign, Illinois, are winners of a youth essay competition organized by the India Philanthropy Alliance.
The results of the youth essay competition held earlier this year were announced by (IPA), a coalition of 13 US-based organizations working on humanitarian and development issues in India, Tuesday on the eve of a major online philanthropy summit.
One of the goals of the Alliance is to grow the culture of philanthropy among the Indian diaspora in the United States, according to a media release from IPA.
As a first step towards nurturing this philanthropic culture in Indian-American youth, IPA sponsored a nationwide youth essay competition focusing on issues facing India and its people, it said.
IPA asked students to discuss how philanthropy and Indian-Americans can be impactful in these fields and to describe their own work and plans.
This contest was made possible by a generous grant from the Sarva Mangal Family Trust, based in Orange County, California, the release said.
Maher Adoni’s winning essay focused on ways to improve education in India using technology and volunteers.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity to share my ideas with the public and with philanthropic leaders at the Philanthropy Summit,” he said. “This will motivate me to want to do more.”
Rohan Chalamalasetti’s winning essay investigated the issue of clean drinking water in India.
“Participating in this essay competition was a great experience and I learned a lot. I’m very excited to have this opportunity for my essay to be published and to receive feedback on my ideas,” he said.
A panel of judges composed of leaders from IPA’s member organizations and Mona Shah, representing the Sarva Mangal Family Trust, reviewed numerous essays submitted by middle and high school students from across the country.
“It was inspiring to see how passionate these young authors were about solving issues facing India today,” said Shah.
“These middle and high school students had clearly given a lot of thought about how philanthropy can benefit India, and many of them are already actively engaged in helping address the issues they care about.”
As part of the competition, the winners were each able to direct $1,000 grants to the nonprofit organization of their choice, and the runners up were able to direct $500 each.
Chalamalasetti, Yarlagadda and Ajith all chose to support the Sehgal Foundation, based in Des Moines, Iowa. Adoni directed his grant to the American India Foundation, based in New York City.
The judges also recognized six high school finalists and two middle school finalists for their outstanding essays.
The high school finalists were Mira Bhatia of Chicago, Illinois, Rhea Chakradeo of Rutherford, New Jersey, Amit Kamma of Atlanta, Georgia, Nithya Myneni of Clive, Iowa, Bedansh Pandey of Johns Creek, Georgia, and Shreen Shavkani of Alpharetta, Georgia. The middle school finalists were Sameer Agrawal and Deetya Pai, both of Austin, Texas.
All essays written by winners, runners-up and finalists have been published on IPA’s website.
The philanthropy summit was organized by Indiaspora, a member of the IPA that works to transform the transform the success of the Indian diaspora into meaningful impact worldwide.
IPA’s member organizations are Akanksha Education Fund, American India Foundation (AIF), Arogya World, CRY America, Ekal USA, Foundation for Excellence (FFE), Indiaspora, Magic Bus USA, Pratham USA, Project ECHO, the Sehgal Foundation, Vision Spring, and WISH Foundation.
WASHINGTON(TIP): Six US lawmakers, including four Indian American members of the House have introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring the life of Mahatma Gandhi and his enduring legacy in the present world.
The resolution was introduced by Indian Americans Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, and Ro Khanna (all Democrats) together with India Caucus Chairmen Brad Sherman (Democrat) and George Holding (Republican).
Celebrating the life of Mahatma Gandhi, the resolution “encourages the people of the United States to observe the International Day of Non-Violence and supports freedom of religion around the world.”
It also “encourages individual and community self-improvement and civic education and recognizes that elections, democracy, and freedom are essential rights for all people.”
“As we celebrate the anniversary of his birth on October 2nd, I am proud to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s incredible life and enduring legacy through this bipartisan resolution,” said Krishnamoorthi.
“Despite facing tremendous hardship and injustice throughout his life, Gandhi never wavered in his fight for freedom, dignity and equality for all,” he said. “The example he set continues to inspire thousands of people young and old across the world today.”
“His principle of non-violent protest spawned civil rights movements around the world and continues to inspire similarly non-violent movements to this day.”
“I am proud to play my part in honoring his legacy through this resolution and to encourage the people of the United States to observe the International Day of Nonviolence in his memory,” said Krishnamoorthi.
“Today, as we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, we must also honor his extraordinary life and enduring legacy of non-violence and equality” said Sherman.
“As Co-Chair of the Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I was proud to help introduce this bipartisan resolution that commemorates Gandhi’s contributions towards freedom struggles across the world.”
The resolution, Sherman said, “will help enshrine Gandhi’s eternal message: All our activities should be centered in truth. Where there is no truth, there can be no true knowledge.”
“As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I believe it’s important, now more than ever, that we remember and celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent legacy – something that continues to inspire people around the world,” said Holding.
Even before the Arts Center opened its doors, the ‘Spotlight Gala’ has been a way for us to celebrate the arts, and gather together the community that has made NJPAC a vital and effective anchor cultural institution.” –John Schreiber, President-CEO, NJPAC
Actor-Singer Brian Stokes Mitchell Photo / Courtesy, NJPAC
Tony Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell stars in Women@NJPAC’s
Salute to the Great American Songbook
Spotlight Gala Broadcast on NJTV – October 3, 2020 at 7 p.m.
Women @ NJPAC celebrate their 26th Annual Spotlight Gala on October 3 at 7 p.m. This is the first virtual celebration.
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Broadway’s favorite leading man, will headline an inspiring celebration of American song at NJPAC’s annual Spotlight Gala @ Home on October 3. The concert portion of the evening, American Songbook at NJPAC will be broadcast on NJTV and njtvonline.org at 7PM EST.
Gov. Thomas Kean, Founder-NJPAC Photo / Courtesy, NJPAC
Thereafter, the celebration will be capped at 8PM by a live dance party on NJPAC’s Instagram Live account (@njpac). All are invited to tune in to participate in this salute to the life-affirming power of the performing arts, and to help NJPAC continue its work in arts education and community engagement — programming that the Arts Center has provided online throughout the pandemic.
NJPAC’s Founder, Governor Tom Kean, and New Jersey’s current Governor and First Lady, Phil Murphy and Tammy Snyder Murphy, will be honored with the Arts Center’s Founders Award during the event.
“This year, for the first time, we can’t bring the family of Arts Center friends and supporters together on our campus. But we were determined that even the pandemic wouldn’t stop us from hosting ‘the party of the year’ and toasting the friends, allies and supporters that have kept NJPAC a vibrant home for performances, community engagement and arts education in New Jersey,” says John Schreiber, President & CEO of NJPAC.
NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Photo / Courtesy, NJPAC
This annual spectacular is organized by Women@NJPAC, the Arts Center’s longtime advocacy organization. (formerly ‘The Women’s Association of NJPAC’).
In addition to Mitchell, the televised concert will feature a slate of stellar performers including Billy Porter, Christine Ebersole, Jessie Mueller, Valerie Simpson, Jarrod Spector and Joshua Bell, all performing classics compiled from NJTV’s American Songbook at NJPAC.
After the broadcast concert, Arts Center fans are invited to join an Instagram after-party hosted by DJ KISS and DJ M.O.S., deejays to the stars best known for spinning tunes for the Academy Awards’ red carpet and Governor’s Ball. Surprise special guest appearances will keep the party lively.
About the Women@NJPAC
Women@NJPAC is celebrating 26 years and over $54 million raised to support NJPAC and its programs that enrich the lives of our current and future generations of cultural citizens.
Established in 1994, and originally known as “The Women’s Board of NJPAC” and later “the Women’s Association (WA) of NJPAC,” the organization began with only nine members. These “founding mothers” not only helped raise the funding necessary to open the Arts Center in October of 1997, they also grew their small band into a powerhouse of fundraising and “friend-raising” that today proudly numbers over 2,000 members.
For years, the WA has worked with the Arts Center to fulfill its mission to innovate, educate, collaborate, and advocate.
In addition, over the past 26 years, the Women@NJPAC has become an organization that not only supports the work of the Arts Center, but serves as a networking venue par excellence for New Jersey women, and a funder with a particular focus on issues impacting women and girls.
Women@NJPAC annually hosts multiple events on and off the Arts Center campus, including ‘A Gathering of Givers’, an annual convening of women active in philanthropy, held on International Women’s Day.
NJ First Lady Tammy Murphy Photo / Courtesy, NJPAC
Past Guests have included First Lady Murphy and Andrea Jung, President and CEO of Grameen America, which provides micro-loans and financial training to women entrepreneurs who live below the federal poverty line. This event each year welcomes hundreds of women to explore ways in which they can pool resources and create significant change through giving, organizing, and activating personal and professional networks. For more information, visit njpac.org/support/women-at-NJPAC.
About NJPAC
To learn about NJPAC, visit njpac.org or call 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722)
Get Social! Follow NJPAC Online:
Twitter: @NJPAC
Hashtag: #NJPAC
Facebook: facebook.com/NJPAC
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WIPA COMMENCES SALON SERIES
Starts October 4 at 7 p.m. Livestream
Free of Charge
The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (WIPA) kicks off the virtual Salon Series on Sunday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. on WhartonArts.tv. Replacing cabaret-style seating on stage alongside the performers in Wharton’s black box theatre, the intimate concert series continues via livestream free of charge.
Audience members are invited to watch from the comfort of home and share on social media the wine and cheese pairings of their choice while viewing. For full concert details, visit WhartonArts.org.
The Sunday evening series opens with pianist, composer, and arranger Matt King performing selections from the Great American Songbook, jazz classics, and original compositions. A former Composition Fellowship recipient from the NJ State Council on the Arts, King has garnered awards as a semi-finalist at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition (2000). He toured extensively with the iconic group Blood, Sweat & Tears and served as music director for jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb. He has performed with symphony orchestras across the United States and appeared on ‘The Today Show’ and ‘Good Morning America’. He can be heard at Holland’s renowned North Sea Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and the Cape Town Jazz Festival.
About WIPA
The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ (WIPA) mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those WIPA teaches to the communities we serve.
Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving over 1,200 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12 by audition. To learn more, visit whartonarts.org
(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)
Even as the United Nations deliberated on the concrete actions that would advance gender equality for women and girls everywhere, marking the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most comprehensive roadmap for women and girls’ empowerment, the world watched once again in horror another rape and murder story unraveling in India’s heartland. Any civilized person would shudder at the way this 19-year old Dalit girl was terrorized by four upper caste men in the State of Uttar Pradesh in India. And one wonders why these brutal and horrific incidents continue to happen in India, especially to the Dalits and backward castes, the lower rung of the despicable caste system that is very much alive and well in India, even after seventy years of independence!
The latest victim, Manisha Valmiki, a 19-year old, was raped on September 14 in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. The woman’s family told local media that they found her naked, bleeding, and paralyzed with a split tongue and broken spine in a field outside her home. On Tuesday, September 29, she died two weeks after battling severe injuries in a hospital in New Delhi.
Has anything changed since the infamous ‘Nirbhaya case’? No, the country has not learned anything from that gruesome affair in its aftermath. The barbarity and the bestiality involved in this killing once again showed the depraved and criminal mindsets of those who perpetrated such heinous acts. The ghastly way this woman was raped and murdered has indeed shaken the nation to its core and terrorized the people of conscience across the world.
To add insult to injury, the Police, who are supposed to be the guardians of fairness and justice, barricaded her family members and locals inside the house and forcibly burned her broken body. The criminal connivance of the U.P. police in siding with the perpetrators of this heinous act has not surprised those observing the deteriorating law and order situation in U.P. The family was not allowed to see their daughter for one last time to say good-bye. As a senior journalist Yogendra Yadav has said, “even criminals are allowed dignified cremation. Here is a rape victim being cremated by police at 2.30 AM without family members”!
A senior Uttar Pradesh police officer has now said the forensic report has revealed that the victim who succumbed to her injuries was not raped. Citing a lab report, the ADG (law and order) said the cause of her death is an injury on the neck and trauma resulting due to it. It appears to be the case of the law enforcement officers becoming silent spectators for goons and henchmen for the caste-driven hierarchy where people of the lower rung do not stand a chance for justice and fairness. At the same time when we are dealing with this heartbreaking story from Hathras, there is another story from the Balrampur District of U.P., where a Dalit woman died after allegedly gang-raped by two men. At the timing of writing this article, more information on that developing story is still awaited.
Sadly, Uttar Pradesh is the epicenter of these crimes targeted at these helpless women who were taunted and raped at will, many times, just for the simple reason that they belong to the Dalit community.
The rape and hanging of two Dalit women from the Katra village in Uttar Pradesh not long ago remains fresh in our memory. The father of one of those girls who was gang-raped and brutally murdered asked the Samajwadi Party leader and member of Parliament Dharmendra Yadav a question “Why I am asked about my caste when I go to the Police? Am I not a citizen of India’? It is time that this pertinent question is answered not just by a few politicians across the party lines but by the nation itself. What happened in Hathras District and Katra village are horrific crimes of brutality against women that should never have happened.
Millions of Indians everywhere must be feeling the shame of India in the news on the continuing assaults on women. However, these are more than just isolated incidents of criminal wrongdoings, emanating from an entrenched caste-driven mindset of these madmen who feel that they have the God-given right to them and are a privileged sect who can therefore get away with murder. These cases have shocked the nation for many reasons; first and foremost, it once again shows the ugly truth about the age-old caste system that is thriving in India, exploited by various political parties. Shashi Tharoor, a former Congress Minister and Member of Parliament, once was quoted as saying ‘when India casts the votes in an election, it is voting the castes.’ The family of these victims belong to the Dalit community, whereas the perpetrators of this heinous crime belonged to the higher castes. If one looks at history, the Dalits have been at the receiving end for centuries, being discriminated against by the higher castes with impunity, often being harassed and murdered without having a price to pay. Sadly, Uttar Pradesh is the epicenter of these crimes targeted at these helpless women who were taunted and raped at will, many times, just for the simple reason that they belong to the Dalit community.
This latest incident in Hathras has shaken us all, and though stricter laws have been passed since the Nirbhaya case, rape and abuse of women continue to occur unabated. Recent reports show that one rape is committed every 22 minutes, though, the statistics and official records would never reveal the accurate picture as many of these cases go unreported. The Government data published by the National Crimes Bureau shows that crimes against women in 2019 rose 7% over the previous year. The social stigma attached to rape often silences the victim who might be ostracized or ridiculed if they choose to go public. The law enforcement system is not geared to provide sympathetic ears; if anything, they impart fear.
The National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights states that over one-sixth of India’s population, some 170 million people, live a precarious existence, shunned by much of Indian Society because of their rank as “untouchables” or Dalits – literally meaning “broken” people – at the bottom of India’s caste system. Dalits are discriminated against, denied access to land and basic resources, forced to work in degrading conditions, and routinely abused at the hands of police and dominant-caste groups that enjoy the State’s protection. Among the Dalit community and its supporters and sympathizers, Dr. Ambedkar’s statement resounds today more than ever; “My final words of advice to you are: educate, agitate and organize and have faith in yourself. With justice on our side, I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle, to me, is a matter of joy. This battle is not for wealth or power; it is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality”.
The growing culture of violence emanates from the wrong-headed sense of ultra-nationalism and majoritarian arrogance that is polarizing the communities and dividing the nation.
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh who took reigns of the Government when BJP swept the State elections, has to be held responsible for this terrifying State of affairs with incendiary remarks often denigrating women once when he said, “women are not capable of being left alone and their energy should be regulated, lest it becomes worthless and destructive”. These statements must be emanating from a dogma he represents that is misogynistic and chauvinistic.
The growing culture of violence emanates from the wrong-headed sense of ultra-nationalism and majoritarian arrogance that is polarizing the communities and dividing the nation. It is time for the nation to call upon the Modi Government to stop paying lip service with slogans like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” and provide true leadership in bringing perpetrators of this pervasive rape and abuse of women culture across the country to justice regardless of their party affiliations and oust any government officials who remain stumbling blocks to that effort.
Let me ask the NRIs who live in this country in their comfort zone, “where is your moral outrage”? We are a community that gets riled up at the slightest form of discrimination or stereotyping in this country of our adoption. Will we ever show the courage to join this ‘battle for freedom’, as Ambedkar called it, for the sake of India?
(The author is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and the Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)
The first Presidential debate on September 29 was watched by 73 million people. Trump is a gambler, and not just because he owned casinos. He ran one of the biggest gambles of his life in the debate, and whether it pays off now is very uncertain. The President’s ultra-aggressive performance in the first presidential debate—aggressive to the point where moderator Chris Wallace had to ask him three times to simply let challenger Joe Biden answer a question—can’t have been an accident. It was an effort by a candidate behind in the polls to shake up the race by driving home his principal line of attack: that Biden is too weak to be the president of America.
Trump chose not simply to say that his opponent is too weak, or too old, or too afraid of his party’s left wing, but rather to try to demonstrate it before a world-wide audience by attacking and belittling him. The subliminal message: If you can’t stand up to me, how can you stand up to the leader of China, or those perpetrating violence in the streets of Portland?
And perhaps it worked. Nobody who watched was left in any doubt about the core argument of Trump’s campaign, which is in large measure about the assertion that his foe is not up to the demanding job of sitting behind the Resolute Desk.
Biden did, at times , seem taken aback by the relentless ferocity of the onslaught—and if the plan was to get the challenger to overreact by calling the president a “clown,” well, that did happen at one point. This is what those who call Trump undisciplined don’t entirely grasp: He is very disciplined in driving home his main message, and will do so again and again, without remorse or apology, as he did Tuesday night.
It is important to recall how Trump used almost the same technique in defeating 16 Republican candidates in 2016 and Hillary Clinton. He succeeded in burying Bush and Clinton dynasties, against all odds, including vehement opposition of the mainstream media, continuous investigations, impeachment he has won. Therefore, it is possible his strategy to defeat Biden could work.
Trump was able to impress the audience that he was for law and order and strong economy. He also took credit for appointing 200 judges and 3 Supreme Court judges in his first term (third appointment is in process).
There was little likable about the presidential persona that came across in the debate stage. Maybe that does not matter as much as it used to in politics. Trump has demonstrated that people don’t have to like him to support him. A common refrain among Trump voters, in fact, is that he is rough and tough, but that they see that as part of his strength. Yes, they say, he is a bully, but he is our bully.
Trump’s main strategy is to attract new voters from the uneducated working class located in the battleground states. If so, his aggressive performance in the debate should help him achieve his goals. Rush Limbaugh, most popular talk radio host has praised Trump’s debate performance. As mentioned in my previous dispatches, Trump is not appealing to the elites.
If Trump knew how to get elected as President in 2016, his strategy to get reelected could succeed.
(Ven Parameswaran, Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee (founded 1988) lives in Scarsdale, NY. H can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)
Winning more votes in the US Presidential election does not assure a candidate victory
Biden’s chances of defeating Trump look good, but there’s a long way to go and things can change very quickly
One factor which is affecting Trump’s re-election prospects is his handling of the coronavirus pandemic
“It cannot be overstated that U.S. Presidential elections are always contested over a host of political, economic, and social issues on which the positions of both the Republicans and the Democrats have evolved over time. As part of its economic conservatism, the Republican Party supports lower taxes, free-market capitalism, the removal of restrictions and regulations on corporations, and restrictions on labor unions. The party is also socially conservative and supports gun-rights and traditional values with a Christian foundation, such as restrictions on abortion. In foreign policy, Republicans usually favor increased military expenditure and tough action against America’s enemies. Republicans also want restrictions on immigration.
The Democrats support social programs, labor unions, worker’s rights and work-place safety regulations, disability rights and racial equality and reform of the criminal justice system. They also support abortion rights, LGBT rights and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented workers. In foreign policy, they favor a multilateral approach, from which America under Trump has been distancing itself.”
There are fewer than 35 days to go before American voters decide on November 3 whether Donald Trump remains in the White House for another four years. Given the hugely important role played by the US President on the global stage, psephologists all over the world are working overtime as they try to analyze various trends and developments which could indicate what the final outcome is likely to be. Opinion polls are the flavor of the election season.
However, experience has shown that opinion polls may give an idea of how popular a candidate is across the United States, but they are not necessarily an accurate way to predict the eventual election result.
In 2016, for example, Hillary Clinton led in most of the opinion polls and even secured more votes in the election, but she ended up losing to Trump. Thus, even winning more votes in the US Presidential election does not assure a candidate victory.
One important reason for this is that the U.S. voters do not elect the President and Vice President directly; rather, they do so indirectly through the electoral college system. The electoral college is a body of electors who are elected by the voters in each state every four years for the sole purpose of electing the President and Vice President. The number of each state’s electors equals the sum of its representation in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Currently, there are 538 electors, based on 435 Representatives, 100 Senators from the fifty states and three electors from the Capital, Washington, D.C. An absolute majority of at least 270 electoral votes is required to win the election.
The three electors were given to D.C. following the Twenty-third Amendment of 1961 which states that the seat of the federal government is entitled to ‘the number it would have if it were a state, but in no case more than that of the least populous state’. The seven least populous states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming) have three electors each; thus, Washington D.C. was also given three seats in the electoral college.
The six states with the most electors are California, (55), Texas (38), New York (29), Florida (29), Illinois (20), and Pennsylvania (20). U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Marina Islands and American Samoa) are not entitled to any electors.
Thus, each state gets a minimum of three electoral votes, regardless of population, which gives states with a low population a disproportionate number of electors per capita. An electoral college member in Wyoming represents only about one-fourth the number of people as compared to an elector from California. This is one factor which explains how a Presidential candidate can secure more electors while winning lesser votes nationally. Over time, people have been migrating to the bigger states like California, Texas or New York which provide better employment opportunities, and as a result sparsely populated states are becoming increasingly over-represented in the electoral college.
In this regard, another factor which needs to be mentioned is the winner-take-all rule. In all the states except Nebraska and Maine, the party which wins the highest votes wins all of that state’s electors. This gives the bigger states the ability to deliver a large number of votes as a single bloc. For example, even if the Republican Party wins 49% of the votes in Florida while the Democratic Party gets 51%, the latter will win all the 29 electoral seats from that state. This fact also distorts the relationship between votes secured and seats won nationwide.
Generally, most states always vote the same way (either always Republican or always Democrat). However, there are some states where both candidates stand a chance of winning. These are the states where the election could be won or lost, and they have come to be known as the battleground states (or swing states).
For the 2020 election, the battleground states (with their electoral numbers) are: Texas(38), Florida(29), Pennsylvania(20), Ohio(18), Michigan( 16), Georgia(16), North Carolina(15), Arizona(11), Minnesota(10), Wisconsin(10), Nevada(6), Iowa(6) and New Hampshire(4). According to analysts, Texas, Ohio and Iowa are leaning towards Trump; in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina there is a toss-up; the remainder are leaning towards Biden.
It was on account of so many complexities that Hillary Clinton found herself losing the 2016 election to Trump even though she won more votes than him. It may be mentioned, though, that her lead over Trump in the opinion polls had been just 2 percentage points, while Biden leads his rival by at least 7-8 percentage points.
By that reckoning, Biden’s chances of defeating Trump look good, but there’s a long way to go and things can change very quickly. Betting markets are certainly not writing Trump off just yet, though seasoned analysts are less convinced about his chances of re-election. The Economist says that Biden is very likely to beat Trump, and this view is echoed by ‘FiveThirtyEight’, a well-known US website that does poll analysis. Not surprisingly, Trump has dismissed the opinion polls and forecasts of his defeat as biased and incompetent.
One factor which is affecting Trump’s re-election prospects is his handling of the coronavirus pandemic; there is dis-satisfaction among voters about the President’s response. Trump declared a national emergency in March and made $50 billion available to states to stop the spread of the virus, after which support for him rose to 55%. However, this support has been waning recently. His response to the pandemic is being increasingly questioned as the death toll rises; it has crossed 209,000 and it is feared that it may reach 230,000 by November 3, the election date.
Naturally, Trump is worried on this account and wants to show that he is taking decisive action for combating the virus. He is hopeful that ‘Operation Warp Speed’, his administration’s vaccine initiative, can produce something soon which could swing things in his favor. Trump has repeatedly said a vaccine could be ready as soon as October.
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However, the vaccine is getting mired in controversy even before it has arrived. According to U.S. media reports, the Federal Drug Administration(FDA) has been developing stricter guidelines for the emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine which will include a requirement for a median of two months of data on clinical vaccine trial participants. In other words, the vaccine may not be available before November 3, the date of the election. Trump has dismissed this as a politically motivated move and said that if the F.D.A. does propose such a two-month trial, he may not approve it (i.e. the trial period).Trump said he wants to avoid any unnecessary delay in the release of a vaccine, adding that he has “tremendous trust” in companies working on its development.
“I don’t see any reason why it should be delayed further. Because if they delay it a week or two weeks or three weeks, you know, that’s a lot of lives you’re talking about,” he said.
The economy is typically a top voter-issue in presidential elections. Issues that are deeply personal to their everyday lives rank among the most important priorities that influence voters; their pay-cheques often figure at the top of the list of such issues.
Consequently, having a job is itself an important factor. This aspect has taken on new urgency with millions out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Another issue that is gaining prominence during the build-up to the election relates to racism. Donald Trump has a history of speech and actions that have been widely viewed as racist or racially charged. Although Trump has repeatedly denied accusations of racism, he is increasingly viewed as championing white supremacy. Several studies and surveys have shown that racist attitudes and racial resentment have fueled Trump’s political ascendance. Thus, matters that impact communities of color are taking center stage in the elections as non-white voters make up about one-third of the 2020 electorate.
Joe Biden’s decision to nominate Senator Kamala Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American woman as his running mate is an out-reach to colored voters as well as to women voters.
In this background, Joe Biden’s decision to nominate Senator Kamala Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American woman as his running mate is an out-reach to colored voters as well as to women voters.
It cannot be overstated that U.S. Presidential elections are always contested over a host of political, economic, and social issues on which the positions of both the Republicans and the Democrats have evolved over time. As part of its economic conservatism, the Republican Party supports lower taxes, free-market capitalism, the removal of restrictions and regulations on corporations, and restrictions on labor unions. The party is also socially conservative and supports gun-rights and traditional values with a Christian foundation, such as restrictions on abortion. In foreign policy, Republicans usually favor increased military expenditure and tough action against America’s enemies. Republicans also want restrictions on immigration.
The Democrats support social programs, labor unions, worker’s rights and work-place safety regulations, disability rights and racial equality and reform of the criminal justice system. They also support abortion rights, LGBT rights and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented workers. In foreign policy, they favor a multilateral approach, from which America under Trump has been distancing itself.
While the calculations involved in a U.S. Presidential election are not at all simple, present indications are that Trump faces an uphill task for getting re-elected. Interestingly, Trump is sending out signals that he will not accept defeat. In a press briefing at the White House a few days back, he refused to say whether he would support a peaceful transfer of power if he loses November’s election, ignoring a precedent that every other president in American history has accepted.
As a matter of fact, a crisis is developing on account of the concerns which Trump has repeatedly voiced about postal ballots. He has claimed that the postal-ballot route will be misused by the Democrats, that it will result in voter fraud and thus cause his defeat. However, Ellen Weintraub, commissioner of the Federal Election Commission, has responded: “There’s simply no basis for the conspiracy theory that voting by mail causes fraud.”
Individual states decide their own voting rules for federal elections in the U.S. About half of the states allow any registered voter to vote by post on request. In the remaining states, you have to have a valid reason for voting by post – such as being over 65, being ill, or being away from the state you are registered to vote in.
Interestingly, President Trump himself has voted by post in the past, such as in Florida’s 2020 primary election as he is a registered voter in that state but is currently living in Washington DC.
In the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, about 25% of votes were cast by post. That number is expected to rise this time due to public health concerns over coronavirus. Many states are encouraging mail-in voting, citing the need to keep voters safe from it. They want to prevent large gatherings at polling stations on election day–a justifiable approach given the prevailing situation.
Moreover, six states will hold “all-mail” ballot elections this November– California, Utah, Hawaii, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. These states will automatically send all registered voters their postal ballots, which then have to be sent back or dropped off on election day – although some in-person voting is still available in certain limited circumstances. More states could follow this route due to public health concerns over coronavirus.
Although every losing Presidential candidate in U.S. history has conceded defeat once he lost the election, Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power in such an eventuality. When a reporter asked him a direct question on this issue, he did not say yes or no; instead, he gave an insight into his thinking and said, ” I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots”, adding, ” Mail-in ballots are very dangerous–there’s tremendous fraud involved”.
At a rally in Newport News, Virginia on Friday 25 September, Trump again refused to say whether he would peacefully transition out of the White House if he loses the presidential election, suggesting he would only do so if he was convinced Democrats and their presidential nominee, Joe Biden, did not cheat. “We’ve gotta watch this ballot scam, because they’re scamming us. And then they say, ‘He doesn’t want to turn over [power].’ Of course, I do. But it’s gotta be a fair election,” Trump told the crowd at the rally. Biden has said that in this scenario he believes the military would be deployed to remove Trump from the White House!
If he loses the election, Trump may still have some cards up his sleeve. He has said that he believes that the election result could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. Backed by his battery of attorneys, he is believed to be preparing the groundwork to undermine an election result that does not announce him as victor.
In this context, importance is being attached to Trump’s selection of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a favorite of the Republicans as a new Supreme Court Judge. She will take the place of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal and a Clinton appointee who died recently. Trump has announced that he will try to obtain Senate confirmation for this appointment before Election Day. Biden and the Democrats are urging that the appointment should be made by the winner of the Nov 3 election, but the Senate, which has a Republican majority is likely to go ahead and give the confirmation. This is so because a Supreme Court judge in the U.S. serves for life , and Judge Amy Coney Barret, an avowed Conservative would significantly alter the ideological makeup of the Supreme Court for years to come and ensure that the Republican agenda is not obstructed by the Court.
For Trump, this appointment could be vital. The US Supreme Court has nine judges. After the death of Justice Ginsberg, there are three judges who are regarded as liberal, while four are conservative. The eighth is Chief Justice Roberts who has been described as having a conservative judicial philosophy but has also shown a willingness to work with the Supreme Court’s liberal judges. Thus, he has come to be regarded as a swing vote on the Court and Trump cannot rely on him to give a favorable judgement if his own election case is to be decided. Thus, if Judge Barrett is elevated to the Supreme Court, there will be at least five conservative judges, if not six who may side with Trump, which explains his rush to appoint her, as also Biden’s opposition to it.
To sum up, if you think that the Nov. 3 election battle has become ugly, then I would just say, “You ain’t seen nothing yet”.
Medical experts say that Donald Trump falls in the highest risk category for serious complications from COVID-19 as he is 74 years old and obese
A rally scheduled for October 2 in Florida has been cancelled, raising the question of whether COVID-19 will derail the president’s campaign
The Democrats have consistently attacked Trump for taking a cavalier approach towards COVID-19
Immediately after the US President announced that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to react when he tweeted: “Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan also tweeted: “Wishing President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump speedy recovery from COVID-19”.
The editor-in-chief of China’s government-backed newspaper, the Global Times, took a less sympathetic line, suggesting that Trump only had himself to blame for contracting the disease. “President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19,” tweeted Hu Xijin.
As CNN put it, “The diagnosis amounts to the most serious known health threat to a sitting American president in decades”.
Trump is not the first world leader to be infected. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil had both tested positive earlier. However, Trump is older and at higher risk than either of those men.
In fact, medical experts feel that ‘Trump falls into the highest risk category for serious complications from COVID-19 as he is 74 years old and obese’. Coronavirus has killed more than 212,000 Americans and more than 1 million people worldwide.
In the ongoing election scenario, this news is not good at all for Trump and it will negatively affect his re-election prospects. Voters will naturally ask: If the President can’t take care of his own health, how will he take care of us?
On many occasions, President Trump had made statements which showed that he had refused to take COVID-19 seriously. For months, he downplayed its severity, refusing to regularly wear a mask and rejecting the advice of the country’s top medical experts.
During the recent presidential debate on September 29, President Donald Trump’s family members did not wear masks though attendees were told to do so. According to media reports, some members of the Trump administration who were there were also not wearing masks, while people who were there to support Biden wore masks.
During the debate, Trump mocked Joe Biden for frequently wearing masks in public. “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from it. And he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen,” he said. Further, he defended his decision to often appear in public without a facial covering, explaining that he wears a mask “when needed.”
The Democrats have consistently attacked Trump for taking a cavalier approach towards COVID-19, and they will naturally say how right they were! Ironically, Trump told a political dinner just hours before he was diagnosed that the end of the pandemic is in sight.
As it is, Trump has been trailing in the opinion polls, and analysts also feel that Biden fared better during the presidential debate. So, at a time when the Trump campaign needed to accelerate, it will actually slow down considerably. This is not good news for Trump and the Republicans. A rally scheduled for October 2 in Florida has been cancelled, raising the question of whether COVID-19 will derail the president’s campaign just 32 days before Election Day on November 3.
However, in an effort to minimize the damage, Trump’s physician Sean Conley has said: “Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments”.
The first Presidential debate was held recently on September 29. It was widely criticized not just in the US but also in the international media. In the UK, The Guardian described it as a “national humiliation”, while The Times wrote that the clearest loser from the debate was America.” It further said that the event “was not a debate in any meaningful sense” but rather “an ill-tempered and at times incomprehensible squabble between two angry septuagenarians who palpably loathe each other”.
“Chaotic, childish, grueling” – that’s how French newspaper Libération described the debate, and Le Monde termed it a “terrible storm”, while also saying that the President had sought to “push his opponent off his hinges” with constant interruptions and by mocking his answers. A Russian TV channel described it as a “one and a half-hour exchange of insults”.
The remaining Presidential debates are scheduled to be held on October 15 and 22 October respectively, but it is not clear now whether they will take place at all. Thus, attention in America and elsewhere will focus on the Vice-Presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris on October 7.
Indians will watch it with interest not just because Kamala has a connection to India but also because of her meteoric rise from being the daughter of immigrant parents to a potential Vice President and perhaps even a President in the not so distant a future. As the saying goes, ‘Who knows what the stars foretell’?
