WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A Chicago-based executive of Pakistani origin has been sentenced to a year in prison for illegally exporting computer equipment to a Pak nuclear research agency, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday, May 18. Obaidullah Syed, 67, had last year pleaded guilty to conspiring to export goods from the US without a license from the Department of Commerce and to submit false export information.
US District Judge Mary Rowland on Tuesday, May 17, sentenced Syed to a year and a day in federal prison. Prior to sentencing, Syed forfeited USD 247,000 of criminally derived cash to the US government.
According to federal prosecutors, Syed owned two companies — Pakistan-based Business System International Pvt Ltd, and Chicago-based BSI USA.
The companies provided high-performance computing platforms, servers, and software application solutions. Syed admitted in a plea agreement that from 2006 to 2015 he conspired with his company’s employees in Pakistan to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by exporting computer equipment from the US to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission without obtaining the required authorization from the US Department of Commerce. The PAEC is a Pakistani government agency designated by the US government as an entity which may pose an unusual or extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
Syed further admitted that he and his associates lied to US-based computer manufacturers that the illegal shipments were intended for universities in Pakistan or Syed’s businesses, when, in fact, they knew each shipment was meant either for the PAEC or a research institute that trained the agency’s engineers and scientists.
In so doing, Syed and his company caused the US-based computer manufacturers to submit to the US government shipping documents that listed false end-users for the US-origin goods, undermining the US government’s ability to stop the illegal shipments, federal prosecutors said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A group of eminent Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday, May 18, rejuvenated their push to provide a pathway to citizenship to some 250,000 documented ‘dreamers’, a significant majority of whom are Indian Americans.
Led by California Senator Alex Padilla and Congresswoman Deborah Ross, the lawmakers urged their colleagues in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives to pass the bipartisan America’s Children Act, which will allow to stay children of those who immigrated to the country legally, but are yet to get green card because of a massive backlog.
The so-called documented dreamers, who are estimated to be about 250,000, grew up legally in the US but risk deportation when they turn 21 years old.
“For these young people, turning 21 means facing an impossible choice. Either to leave your family and self-deport to a country that you barely remember, or to stay in the United States living, undocumented, in the shadows,” Padilla told reporters at a news conference here. Indian American Congressman Dr Ami Bera said that documented dreamers were raised in America and they know this country as their only home. “Yet, they risk having to self-deport by the age of 21 because of backlogs in the immigration system. Congress must pass the America’s Children Act to extend protections to these young people,” he said.
More than 40 of these children, who have created the group “Improve the Dream” joined these lawmakers at the US Capitol press conference. “These talented young people have been left out of conversations about immigration reform for too long. We’re ready to change that,” Congresswoman Ross said. “Documented Dreamers represent the very best of America. Let’s give them the chance to stay in the country they love and call home,” she said. Senator Richard Durbin, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, told reporters that the legislation would most likely need to move as part of a broader package that addressed Republican concerns about border security. “I have heard no pushback on this bill. All they’ve said is, ‘we want to deal with the border challenges,’” he said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP) An American family of Pakistani origin was convicted on Friday , May 13, of domestic forced labour on a Pakistani woman for 12 years, federal prosecutors said. A federal jury found the family members — Zahida Aman, Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri and Mohammad RehanChaudhri — subjecting the victim to physical and mental abuse for more than 12 years. They now face a prison term ranging from five to 20 years.
They slapped, kicked and pushed the victim, even beat her with wooden boards, and on one occasion, hog-tied her hands and feet and dragged her down the stairs in front of her children, according to a media release.
Even after the victim’s husband moved away, the defendants kept her in their Virginia home, often forcing her to perform increasingly laborious tasks, including stripping and staining a deck by hand, mowing the one-acre lawn with a push mower, hand-washing and line-drying area rugs, painting the inside and outside of their two-story home, picking out debris from car carpets with a tweezer and constructing a concrete walkway in front of the home — a task that required the victim to haul 80-pound bags of concrete before mixing and pouring cement, it alleged.
”The defendants exploited the victim’s trust and inflicted cruel and inhumane physical and mental abuse on her, all so they could keep her working in their home as their domestic servant,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. ”The defendants exploited someone who should have been a loved family member to force her to work in their home for over 14 years,” said US Attorney Jessica D Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia.
”Forced labour, the modern-day equivalent of slavery, has no place in our country or district, and we will stop at nothing to prosecute those that commit these or similar crimes. Let this conviction serve as a light to survivors impacted by labour trafficking and as a deterrent to those conspiring to commit heinous labour trafficking crimes,” Aber said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Biden on Thursday, May 19 expressed unequivocal support for Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, saying that the two democratic countries “meet every NATO requirement and then some” and that their addition to the alliance would strengthen U.S. security, says a Washington Post report. The Post’s Amy B Wang reports that Biden, flanked by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in the Rose Garden, said his administration is immediately submitting the reports needed for the Senate to approve NATO expansion, a necessary step for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. He urged the Senate to “efficiently and quickly” move on giving its consent.
“In recent years, doubts began to arise: Was NATO still relevant? Was it still effective? Is it still needed in the 21st-century world?” Biden said. “Today there is no question NATO is relevant, it is effective, and it is more needed now than ever. The indispensable alliance of decades past is still the indispensable alliance for the world we face today and, I would argue, tomorrow, as well.”
WASHINGTON, D.C (TIP): HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti and CHINGARI Director Rakhi Israni will speak on a panel at the Gold Institute for International Strategy (GIIS) on May 25 titled, “How the Indian American Diaspora is Affected by Issues on the Indian Subcontinent.” “As the United States and the Indo-Pacific region become increasingly interconnected, the Indian American community will become an important player in the exchange of soft power between the two regions. At the same time the Indian American community has to watch out for growing efforts to vilify and marginalize them using disinformation, by India’s geopolitical adversaries” said HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti. “Mutual respect” and “greater interdependability” are going to be the watchwords in this growing relationship.
Issues affecting Indians on the subcontinent also impact the immigrant diaspora communities in the United States. More than 5 million Indian Americans now deal with the impact of geopolitical issues from the Indo-Pacific and South Asian regions in their everyday lives, on campuses, and in the public square.
“As Indian Americans are increasingly being viewed and handled in America as an extension of the Indian subcontinent, it becomes increasingly important to talk about the other side of that same region: Pakistan,” said CHINGARI Director Rakhi Israni. “Until 1947, the people of both India and Pakistan were one people: sharing similar languages, food, and overall customs. The daily atrocities faced by Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs in Pakistan after partition should naturally affect all people from that region. The gross and severe injustices being committed against one part of a cultural people must be a part of any discussion about the region as a whole.”
“As a daughter of immigrants, I understand all too well how issues in the homeland affect and impact the diaspora community,” said Adelle Nazarian, Media Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategies. “I look forward to discussing this important topic so that we may find ways to improve the situation for immigrants here in the United States and to foster a healthier environment for all.”
This panel discussion dives into some of those issues and how the Indian American community deals with them.
Register for the event here: https://tinyurl.com/targetDisaspora
NEW YORK (TIP): Students and staff were honored during NYC Emergency Management’s “Ready School of the Year” award ceremony, presented to P.S. 103, the Hector Fontanez School in the Bronx on Wednesday, May 18. Throughout the year, students at P.S. 103 participated in emergency preparedness and fire safety presentations, providing them with information and resources that not only assist in their individual preparedness, but can help equip their families for an emergency.
Each year, NYC Emergency Management and the NYC Department of Education present the “Ready School of the Year” award to a school that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to emergency preparedness. New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol and Department of Education Senior Advisor to the Chancellor Camille Varlack attended the event to deliver remarks at the ceremony.
“The students and staff at the Hector Fontanez School epitomize the mission behind New York City Emergency Management’s Ready New York program,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought along a lot of unforeseen challenges, but these students were able to use lessons learned to not only become more prepared individuals, but also provide support to their greater communities. We are proud to honor P.S. 103 with the 2022 ‘Ready School of the Year’ award.”
“The students and staff at P.S. 103, The Hector Fontanez School, are so grateful for being able to partner with NYC Emergency Management during this school year. We are beyond excited to have been honored as the NYC Emergency Management’s Ready School of the Year. Students and staff loved seeing Ready Girl and came away from this Ready School of the Year event with knowledge, pride, and satisfaction that in case of emergency we are all better prepared,” said Dean Glaser and Farid Reyes, principal of the Hector Fontanez School.
Staff at P.S. 103 worked with NYC Emergency Management to integrate emergency preparedness lessons into the classroom, providing students with a range of learning opportunities and emphasizing the importance of emergency preparedness in school and at home. Ready Girl, the City’s emergency preparedness superhero, taught students how to prepare for various emergencies, including floods, hurricanes, and blizzards. Students also learned how to write an emergency plan, pack a Go Bag, and gather emergency supplies. During the year, the school also partners with FDNY to help educate students on fire safety.
This year marks the 13th anniversary of the Ready New York School of the Year award. During the award presentation, students performed emergency preparedness-themed songs, poems, skits, and presentations. They also had the opportunity to tour NYC Emergency Management’s Incident Command Center (ICC) response vehicle.
About Ready Schools and the Ready New York for Kids program
In 2007, NYC Emergency Management and the Department of Education launched the Ready New York for Kids preparedness program by distributing 1.1 million Ready New York for Kids guides to the City’s public-school students along with classroom handouts for teachers. In 2009, the agencies started a pilot program in one Brooklyn school district, holding events at 14 schools and educating over 2,400 students over four months before going citywide by the end of the year. Since then, the Ready New York program has been conducting hundreds of events in schools throughout the five boroughs.
About Ready Girl
Ready Girl is a superhero and emergency manager who teaches kids about emergency preparedness. She is part of the Ready New York for Kids’ program, a joint initiative between NYC Emergency Management and the Department of Education that is dedicated to helping educate young students about the importance of emergency preparedness. Since she burst onto the superhero scene in October 2015, Ready Girl has taken her message all over New York City, visiting hundreds of schools, community centers and youth organizations, and dropping in on local fairs. She has trained thousands of kids throughout the five boroughs, getting every New York City kid ready for any emergency. Visit NYC.gov/readyny to learn more about the Ready New York program.
NEW YORK (TIP): On May 16th, “The Association of Indian In America”(AIA) National Executive Committee organized a conference on What is Awareness and Empathy and How Can We Increase Them In Us.The idea for this conference was conceived by Mr. Gobind P. Munjal, President of National AIA, Asmita Bhatia, Trustee of AIA and Professor Shivaji Senguptaof Boricua College. He has recently retired from there as Professor of English and its Academic VP. Boricua isa small, private, not for profit liberal arts institution in New York City. As vice president, he worked with the full-time faculty to develop awareness and empathy so that they may be better facilitators of learning. He was thus invited to lead the discussion. The meeting opened at 8:30 PM. There were over 42 attendees, all participating via Zoom. Ms. Gunjan Rastogi, the National AIA Secretary, introduced National AIA President Gobind Munjal. Mr. Munjal said in his introduction to Dr. Sengupta that we are living in a sharply divided world. There is the war in Ukraine which shows no signs of abating. Internally, sharp differences between the political parties and social groups were tearing the country apart with unrest and violence. These are all happening because of lack of communication between people. In this milieu, Gobind Munjal said, it would be a good idea to discuss awareness and empathy, how developing them may help others.
Shivaji Sengupta began the discussion by explaining what he means by awareness and empathy. Awareness is being conscious, not only of the environment around us, the atmosphere, the people, nature, but also conscious of how we are feeling as we are aware of them. It is the latter – how we are feeling – that is hard for us to be aware of, Sengupta said. Empathy is the ability to gauge the feeling of a person one is in the company of. This ability to “be in someone else’s shoes,” as they say, the ability to communicate with feeling and self-awareness, is empathy.
But awareness and empathy cannot happen without contact. Sengupta explained contact as not only being in touch with someone but being aware of the nature of the contact itself. Are we happy, sad, troubled, anxious about being in contact with a particular person? Contact, he said, is not instantaneous and sudden. It is a process. Awareness is its consequence. We need to nurture contact if we are to develop empathy.
Empathy, unlike sympathy, is active. When in empathy, we reach out to help. Sympathy is more intellectual, aloof; empathy is affective. Affect is our ability to monitor our feelings, be aware of them before we react. Empathy is functional; sympathy, inert.
Thus, Professor Sengupta established a continuum between Contact, Awareness and Empathy. He said there are other elements that we need to know to enhance awareness and empathy such as field and energy that the Bhagwat Gita callskshetra. There is also the notion of control and difference. All of this help someone to work with differences among people, to bring about mutual understanding and empathy and resolve conflicts. However, given the complex subject, he said he would explain these terms at a subsequent session.
Thepresentation lasted about 20 minutes. It was followed by lively discussions by most of the participants. Some of thequestions were about Covid. Since Covid has affected so many millions of people in the world, for well over two years, and counting, could it have affected people’s awareness, since awareness depends on contact? It was an excellent question. Sengupta responded that theoretically, yes.But there needs to be thorough research to prove his hypothesis. Other questions were about explanations of terms. Participants asked for clarifications and examples.
It was decided at the end of the meeting to hold another session roughly in about a month. The audience were enthusiastic and receptive to the idea. The three moderators, Ms. Gunjan Rastogi, Mr. Santosh Pandey and Ms. Nilima Madanhandled the conference with awareness and sensitivity. Secretary Gunjan Rastogi thanked all the former National AIA Presidents, Chapter Presidents, National Executive Committee and Chapters members, community leaders and invited guests for attending and participating in this conference and making it a huge success.
(Based on a Press Release by Gobind Munjal, National President AIA)
NEW DELHI/ PATIALA /NEW YORK (TIP): Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu surrendered before a court in Patiala on Friday, May 20, a day after being sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road rage death case. “He surrendered before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Amit Malhan,” said senior advocate HPS Verma, who accompanied Sidhu to the court.
The former Punjab Congress president surrendered shortly after 4 pm, and was taken for the mandatory medical examination, conducted at the Mata Kaushalya Hospital. After the medical check-up, he was lodged in the Patiala Central Jail. Some party leaders including Navtej Singh Cheema, Ashwani Sekhri and Sidhu’s supporters accompanied him from his home to the court, which is close to his residence.
Cheema drove Sidhu, who was dressed in a blue-colored ‘pathani suit’, to the court in an SUV. This came just hours after the former Punjab Congress president approached the Supreme Court seeking a few weeks to surrender to serve the imprisonment.
The top court bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and JB Pardiwala told senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Sidhu, that the judgment on one-year rigorous imprisonment was passed by a special bench, and that he can file the application and mention it before the Chief Justice. Singhvi said he will try and mention the matter before the Chief Justice. Back in Patiala, some former MLAs and supporters turned up at Sidhu’s residence in the morning to show their support, but no prominent Congress leader from the state unit was seen either at his home or at the court with him. However, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa expressed their support to Sidhu on social media, with both saying in their tweets that while they respect the Supreme Court verdict, they stand by Sidhu and his family. The cricketer-turned-politician’s wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had reached their Patiala residence on Thursday, May 19 night.
The SC had on Thursday, May 19, sentenced Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in the case, saying any undue sympathy in imposing an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system and undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law. A 65-year-old man, named Gurnam Singh, had died in the incident. When reporters sought Sidhu’s reaction to the verdict on Thursday, he declined to comment. However, he later tweeted to say he “will submit to the majesty of the law”. Though the apex court had in May 2018 held Sidhu guilty of the offence of “voluntarily causing hurt” to the man, it had spared him a jail term and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000. Gurnam Singh’s family had sought a review of the judgement, which was allowed by the SC.
“We feel there is an error apparent on the face of record… Therefore, we have allowed the review application on the issue of the sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we consider it appropriate to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a period of one year,” the bench said while pronouncing the verdict.
Sidhu, a former BJP MP, had switched over to the Congress ahead of the 2017 assembly polls. For months before the 2022 assembly polls in the state, Sidhu was engaged in a tussle with Amarinder Singh, who was then the chief minister of the state as a Congress leader. The top Congress leadership forced Amarinder Singh out after Sidhu targeted him for months over the “unfulfilled” promises by his government, and the differences between them could not be settled. Sidhu was then made the party’s state unit president.
Sidhu began his political innings in 2004, contesting the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket from Amritsar, where he shifted his base from Patiala. He defeated Congress heavyweight R L Bhatia.
The former cricketer’s relationship with the Badal family soured even though the Shiromani Akali Dal was a BJP ally then. And then he had problems with the BJP after the party fielded Arun Jaitley from Amritsar in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Though he was accommodated in the Rajya Sabha later, the maverick politician quit the party to join the Congress.
Court gives more time to its panel to submit probe report
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court on Friday, May 20, said its technical committee had so far received and tested 29 mobile devices suspected to be infected by Pegasus malware and gave it four weeks to submit a report to Justice R.V. Raveendran, a retired apex court judge overseeing the panel’s inquiry into reports that the government used the Israel-based military-grade spyware to snoop on journalists, parliamentarians, prominent citizens and even court staff, according to a report published in The Hindu.
Opening the interim report submitted by the committee in court, a Special Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said the committee had developed its own protocol/software to test the devices for malware.
The committee also recorded the statements of petitioners, who had approached the court, journalists and other allegedly affected persons.
It has also contacted experts and agencies, including government ones, who could “potentially throw light on the subject of inquiry”. The committee has further undertaken a “public consultation exercise” to invite views and comments on the subject of inquiry, the CJI read out the interim report to lawyers, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for the petitioners, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre.
The interim report said the committee had got a “large number of responses”. It was awaiting responses from the agencies. It said the process of analyzing the responses was in progress.
The committee said its investigation would be completed by the end of May 2022. The interim report said the overseeing judge, Justice Raveendran, assisted by two experts, would then require another 15 days to study the recommendations of the technical committee and add views and comments.
The interim report sought an extension of time till June 20, 2022 to complete the entire exercise and file a comprehensive report before the Supreme Court. “The process is on. We will give them time,” the CJI told the lawyers, who agreed. When the parties, including the Union, urged the court to make the interim report public, Chief Justice Ramana proceeded to summarize its contents. The CJI said the interim report had divided its court-appointed task into two areas. “One is regarding the inquiry itself. That is, the fact-finding report regarding the technical issues relating to the digital forensic aspects about the reported use of Pegasus malware to target mobiles of Indian citizens. Second is regarding recommendations about the enhancement of existing laws and procedures related to surveillance and securing rights including privacy, cyber security, etc.,” Chief Justice Ramana explained.
He said the first part of the task was being done by the committee under the supervision of the overseeing judge. The second part was being taken care of by the judge and two other experts assisting him.
Once the technical committee submitted its report to the overseeing judge, he would add his own report on the laws to it. “So, a comprehensive final report will come to us,” the CJI observed orally.
Passing the order, the Bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, directed the technical committee to “expedite the examination of the mobile devices which they have received, preferably within a period of four weeks, and submit a report to the overseeing judge. Thereafter, we request the overseeing judge to send the report as early as possible”. The court posted the case for hearing in July. Chief Justice Ramana is retiring by the end of August. In October 27 last year, the court had constituted the technical committee while observing in its 46-page order that there was a “broad consensus that unauthorized surveillance/accessing of stored data from the phones and other devices of citizens for reasons other than nation’s security would be illegal, objectionable and a matter of concern”.
The court had, in October, listed several concerns which led it to form the committee and direct an independent inquiry. Several petitions, including one by senior journalists N. Ram and Shashi Kumar, had sought a fair probe into the allegations.
The court had noted that it was compelled to examine the allegations, which if true, would affect the rights to privacy and freedom of speech. The Pegasus allegations pose a “potential chilling effect” on the entire citizenry. There was also the possibility of involvement of foreign agencies. Most of all, it said, the Union had not taken a clear stand in court on how it would address the apprehensions of the public about illegal surveillance.
Justice Raveendran is assisted by Alok Joshi, former IPS officer (1976 batch) and Dr. Sundeep Oberoi, Chairman, Sub-Committee in (International Organisation of Standardisation/International Electro-Technical Commission/Joint Technical Committee).
The three members of the technical committee are Dr. Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) and Dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Dr. Prabaharan P., Professor (School of Engineering), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala; and Dr. Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Institute Chair Associate Professor (Computer Science and Engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Maharashtra.
Kapil is on a US fundraising tour for his non-profit Khushii, which helps educate underprivileged children
NEW YORK (TIP): As India’s sportspersons increasingly win accolades and script history in international arenas, cricket legend Kapil Dev credited parents of children and youngsters for their achievements at sporting events, saying the day parents want their kid to become a sportsperson, India “will produce” champions. With India scripting history by lifting its maiden Thomas Cup, the first time ever in over 70 years that the country won the prestigious badminton trophy, and also adding medals to its tally in other international sporting events such as the Olympics, Dev said he feels it is the parents and not the kids who should be credited with India’s successful performances at global sporting events. “I feel (it’s) the parents, not the kids. We produce more doctors, scientists, engineers in our country because parents want them to. The day parents want their kid to become a sportsperson, we will produce all champions,” Dev said here Tuesday.
Dev was responding to a question by PTI on what changes he has witnessed in Indian sports over the years that is propelling the country’s sportspersons to create history on the international sporting arena.
Dev was the Guest of Honor at a special event hosted by the Consulate General of India in New York as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations to commemorate India’s 75 years independence. The event, attended by members of the Indian diaspora and cricketing fans, marked India’s cricketing achievements.
Dev, considered one of the greatest all-rounders of all times who helmed the Indian cricket team in its historic 1983 World Cup victory, gave an example that even if his daughter had to appear for a 10th grade examination and simultaneously play for junior India, he would tell her to “go and study. But in America or Europe or Australia, they will say drop this year, play for junior for your country and next year you give exam. That thought process in our country hasn’t changed yet. But it’s changing. That’s why I said parents are more important than the kids in our society, the way we are.”
Recalling his time as a young kid, Dev noted that he used to hide his sports clothes in his school bags and quietly go and play but today’s parents are more keen to see their children take up sports. “Today I feel so proud to see the parents taking their kids to come and play.”
In his remarks, Dev said that at 75 years, India is a “young country” which has achieved what not many in the world are able to achieve. “India has come a long way in such a short span, because the country’s age is not 75,” he said adding that the country has a rich culture and heritage built over thousands of years.
Dev also spoke about the work his NGO Khushii is doing in the field of children’s education. He pointed out that when he was a young kid, a lot of people helped him and that enabled him to achieve success in his life.
“There are so many other young people out there. They need your help,” he said adding that if people lent a helping hand to the children in need, they can grow up to become the prime minister of the country in future. “These young kids need encouragement. And when you give encouragement to the next generation, your country changes,” he said. Dev added that many people have been fortunate to have a lot in life and if they share their love, affection and money with those in need, it will make a huge difference in the lives of the country’s young boys and girls. “Your small help will definitely make a lot of difference to those people.”
He urged people to work together to raise the standard of the world, not just of one country. “If we can all collectively decide, we can change,” he said adding that sports has the power to bring that change.
Consul General Randhir Jaiswal said the event celebrates the success of the legendary cricketer and “through his achievements, celebrates the contribution of cricket and sports in nation-building”.
He said Dev’s contribution to the game of cricket, his lifting of the 1983 Cricket World Cup as the Indian captain is “ever etched in our minds.”In December last year, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed a legislation that recognizes the sport of cricket as an important part of the social and cultural fabric of New York State, and expands the State’s capacity to officially promote the sport. The legislation was sponsored by Senator Kevin Thomas, the first Indian-American to serve in the New York State Legislature, and Assemblymember Nily Rozic.
On the occasion, Thomas presented Dev with a copy of the certificate signed by the Governor “proclaiming cricket as a sport that is worthy here in the state of New York.”
Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian leaders, hosted events in honor of Dev and also organized a private screening of the movie ’83’ during his trip to the US.
Special videos on the work done by Khushii, particularly amid the COVID19 pandemic, Dev’s cricketing achievements as well as efforts by the diaspora to promote cricket in the US were played on the occasion.
Kapil Dev is on a US fundraising tour for his non-profit Khushii, which helps educate underprivileged children
The Indian Panorama publisher Prof. Indrajit S Saluja described Kapil as a great person on and off the field. Appreciating the work his organization Khushi is doing for children, Prof. Saluja offered to carry all advertising free of cost for ever. There were quite a few others who offered their support and services for Khushii.
PYEONGTAEK, SOUTH KOREA (TIP): US President Joe Biden on Friday, May 20, opened his Asia trip by highlighting the computer chip shortage that has bedeviled the world economy, touring a Samsung computer chip plant that will serve as model for a USD 17 billion semiconductor factory the Korean electronics company plans to open in Texas, a report published in The Hindu says.
The Samsung visit was a nod to one of Biden’s key domestic priorities: increasing the supply of computer chips.
A semiconductor shortage last year hurt the availability of autos, kitchen appliances and other goods, causing higher inflation worldwide and crippling Biden’s public approval among US voters.
Biden will grapple with a multitude of foreign policy issues during a five-day visit to South Korea and Japan, but he also crafted an itinerary clearly meant to tend to the concerns of his home audience as well. The president noted that the Texas plant would add 3,000 jobs and the construction would include union labor.
“These little chips,” Biden said in remarks at the plant, “are the key to propelling us into the next era of humanity’s technological development.” Greeting Biden at the plant in South Korea was the country’s new president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.
Yoon is a political newcomer who became president, his first elected office, slightly more than a week ago. He campaigned on taking a tougher stance against North Korea and strengthening the 70-year alliance with the US.
Yoon said in a speech before Biden spoke that he hopes the countries’ partnership evolves into an “economic and security alliance based on cooperation in advanced technology and supply chains”.
The chip plant showed the unique nature of manufacturing as visitors were required to don laboratory coats and blue booties to help keep the facility clean. Biden and Yoon, who did not wear protective clothing, saw a demonstration of the machinery.
At one point during his tour, Biden received an in-depth explanation of a KLA inspection system on the Samsung plant floor. The California-based company is a major supplier to Samsung’s semiconductor operations.
After a worker named Peter explained the ins and outs of the machinery, Biden quipped, “Don’t forget to vote,” when he returns home to the United States. Part of the computer chip shortage is the result of strong demand as much of the world emerged from the coronavirus pandemic. But coronavirus outbreaks and other challenges also caused the closure of semiconductor plants.
US government officials have estimated that chip production will not be at the levels they would like until early 2023.
Global computer chip sales totaled USD 151.7 billion during the first three months of this year, a 23 per cent jump from the same period in 2021, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
More than 75 per cent of global chip production comes from Asia. That’s a possible vulnerability the US hopes to protect against through more domestic production and USD 52 billion worth of government investment in the sector through a bill being negotiated in Congress. The risk of Chinese aggression against Taiwan could possibly cut off the flow of high-end computer chips that are needed in the US for military gear as well as consumer goods.
Similarly, the hermetic North Korea has been test-firing ballistic missiles amid a coronavirus outbreak, a possible risk to South Korea’s manufacturing sector should the brinksmanship escalate.
In terms of chip production, China leads the global pack with a 24 per cent share, followed by Taiwan (21 per cent), South Korea (19 per cent) and Japan (13 per cent). Only 10 per cent of chips are made in the US, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Samsung announced the plant in Taylor, Texas in November 2021. It hopes to begin operations in the second half of 2024. The South Korean electronics giant chose the site based on a number of factors, including government incentives and the “readiness and stability” of local infrastructure.
The White House said in a fact sheet issued Friday, May 20, that semiconductor companies have announced nearly USD 80 billion in US investments through 2025. That sum includes USD 20 billion for Intel’s plant outside Columbus, Ohio, up to USD 30 billion by Texas Instruments, a USD 1 trillion expansion by Wolfspeed in North Carolina and investments by Global Foundries and SK Group.
“Punjabis love diversity, be it in making a choice of their immigrant destination or politics. Their ability to relocate and adjust to new environments are tremendous. Many of them may not be able to read or write local languages of their new countries of abode but their matchless ability to converse in local languages facilitates their quick assimilation in alien lands.” Once Jagrup Brar, a sitting member of the British Columbia Assembly, told me that every migrant Punjabi in Canada has two hearts. While one beats for Canada, the other throbs for Punjab. Jagrup, a former international in basketball, had a point. It gets corroborated every time there is an election in either “Desi” or Indian Punjab or “Videshi” Punjab i.e., Canada.
Like “Desi” Punjab has two parts – “Lehnda” and “Charhdha” Punjab – “Videshi” Punjab, too, has two parts. One is in Ontario and the other one in British Columbia. Going by the growing influence of Punjabis and their clout in provincial and federal politics, a third part of “Videshi” Punjab is fast emerging on the Canadian horizon in Calgary of Alberta province. Last weekend, when Sikh Day Parade dedicated to “Khalsa Divas” was organized, its massive turnout was as good as it is in Toronto or Vancouver. While “Desi” Punjab had its assembly elections in February, the Ontario based “Videshi” Punjab is now in election mode. It will elect its new Assembly on June 2.
Of a record number of 900 candidates, representing 25 different political parties, 60 of the contestants are of South Asian origin. More than one third of them are Punjabis.
“Videshi” Punjabis of Ontario are as democratic as their counterparts in “Desi” Punjab by sharing their loyalties with all major political parties. A couple of them are also testing their political acumen as Independents.
It is interesting to study the election process in “Desi” and “Videshi” Punjab. Punjabis love diversity, be it in making a choice of their immigrant destination or politics. Their ability to relocate and adjust to new environments are tremendous. Many of them may not be able to read or write local languages of their new countries of abode but their matchless ability to converse in local languages facilitates their quick assimilation in alien lands.
Studies conducted from time to time reveal that political influence wielded by the Punjabi community overseas remains mostly confined to suburbs of major cities. In Canada, for example, if the community has made inroads into provincial and federal politics, it is through the suburbs. There are not many South Asian migrants in general and Punjabi in particular, who made it to provincial or federal politics from major cities like Toronto. On doing analysis of their phenomenal growth in politics, one can safely infer that suburbs of big towns have helped them to script their success stories. A total of 900 candidates and 25 parties are running in this election. In 2018, there were 825 candidates and 28 parties on the ballot. This represents a 9% increase in the number of candidates and a 10.7% decrease in the number of parties participating.
The coming June 2 election is no different. Five ridings in Brampton – North, South, East, West, and Centre – are dominant Punjabi Ridings. From Brampton East, for example, all the three major political parties – ruling Conservatives, NDP and Liberals – have put up Sikh candidates. The NDP is represented by Gurratan Singh, younger brother of the federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Then Jannat Grewal is from Liberal while Hardeep Grewal represents the ruling Conservatives.
From Brampton North, it is Harinder Malhi contesting on Liberal ticket. Her father, Gurbax Singh Malhi, was the first turbaned Sikh to sit n House of Commons. He remained MP for five consecutive terms. She is facing Sandeep Singh of NDP while the third candidate of South Asian origin is Aneep Dhade contesting on the Green Party ticket.
Mississauga and Scarborough are the other important parts of the Greater Toronto Area that are represented both in provincial and federal parliaments by South Asian migrants. Eight South Asian migrants are contesting from three different Mississauga Ridings.
Bampton West presents a unique picture. Of the four Punjabi contestants, the community has shown excellent gender equality by fielding an equal number of men and women candidates. Rimmy Jhajj (Liberal), and Navjit Kaur (NDP) represent the women while Amarjot Sandhu, a sitting MLA of ruling Conservatives, and Manjot Sekhon of Ontario Party, are men candidates.
From five Brampton Ridings, there are 13 Punjabi candidates. One of them, Sara Singh (NDP), the first Canadian of Indo-Caribbean origin to sit in Ontario Provincial Assembly, has an opponent from Pakistani Punjab, Safdar Hussain (Liberal). Another candidate from Pakistan Punjab is Zaigham Butt from Hamilton East-Stoney Creek. He is a candidate of the NDP. A sizable section of Pakistani Punjabis in Ontario has been a supporter of Jagmeet Singh.
Among the South Asian migrants contesting the June 2 Ontario assembly elections are Sara Singh, Gurratan Singh, Sandeep Singh, Navjit Kaur, Aisha Jahangir, Faheem Alim, Zaigham Butt, Farina Hassan, Khalid Ahmed, Raymond Bhushan, Neethan Shan, Doly Begum, Jasleen Kambo, and Pasma Chandra (all from NDP), Abhjeet Manay, Aneep Dhade, Fatima Faruq, Mini Batra, Nira Dookeran, Priyan De Silva, Rizwan Khan, Shanta Sundarason, Sheefaza Esmail and Syam Chandra (all from Green Party), Aman Gill, Anita Anandarajan, Dipika Damerla, Harinder Malhi, Imran Mian, Jannat Grewal, Kaviz Mouli, Lisa Patel, Mohammed Adil, Manpreet Brar, Mazhar Shafir, Rimmy Jhajj, Ruby Toor, Safdar Hussain, Sam Bhalesar, Sameera Ali, Shubha Sandil, Surekha Shenoy, Zeba Hashmi , and Aziz Choudery (all from Liberals), Hardeep Grewal, Prabhmeet Singh Sarkaria, Amarjot Sandhu. Goldie Ghamari, Logan Kanapathi, Parm Gill, Kaleed Rasheed, Deepak Anand, Nina Tangri, Vijay Thangasalam, and Husain Neemuchwala (all from Progressive Conservative), Manjot Sekhon (Ontario Party), Sadiq Nadia (Ontario Provincial Confederation), Hiten Patel and Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Independents).
(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience covering a wide spectrum of subjects and stories. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics and several major sporting events and hosting TV shows. For more in-depth analysis please visit probingeye.com or follow him on Twitter.com/probingeye. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)
Twitter has announced a new feature called exclusive Spaces that allows users to host special Spaces that can only be joined by paid followers, or Super Followers. The feature will be a new way for user accounts with Super Followers to further incentivise Super Following them by hosting exclusive Spaces. Twitter has said that the feature has begun rolling out to all creators with Super Followers. Check out the tweet below.
The new feature is basically Twitter Spaces and Super Follows smashed together, something the animation in the tweet above also suggests. Note that the feature is separate from the Ticketed Spaces feature, that allows creators to charge ticket prices for individual Spaces, which can be accessed by anyone who pays for a ticket, similar to how a real-life session would work.
The new exclusive Spaces feature is more targeted at Super Followers, who until now, had only one advantage over regular followers and that is exclusive tweets. Now they will also have dedicated Spaces that only Super Followers can attend, allowing creators to host a smaller, more personal Space if he/she wishes to.
Further, promoting their exclusive Spaces could become another way for creators to attract more Super Follows.
Apple on Wednesday dropped a new ad, but not to promote the iPhone 13. It’s about privacy. The one-minute 34-second commercial shows the journey of Ellie who goes to a record shop and discovers a data auction where her personal information is being sold. The ad highlights the different ways in which apps on one’s phone gather and share personal data. The ad may seem a bit exaggerated but the idea is to build the narrative that the iPhone offers a way to stop the tracking, something a smartphone running on Google’s Android operating system perhaps doesn’t do so well. Apple’s advertising has always delivered a core ‘message’ that connects with consumers. From the time of Steve Jobs, Apple figured out what aspects of technology make consumers frustrated and the ads reflect that through ‘simple’ messaging.
The new ad, seen above, does not forcefully try to feed the features or the camera that make the iPhone 13 Pro so unique. It’s all about “privacy” and how users should start caring about their data.
Under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, Apple has been vocal about privacy and it wants users to believe what its competitors do with their data. Apple has differentiated itself with its unique approach to consumer information through software features baked in iOS. This has been in sharp contrast to others such as Google or Facebook and its array of apps, both of whom are dependent on advertising and collecting personal data.
Most significantly, Apple’s recent App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which was originally introduced in iOS 14.5 and built further in iOS 15, requires developers to request permission before they are able to track users across apps and websites. Because of the changes Apple made to its iOS, Facebook parent Meta announced earlier this year that Cupertino’s move will cost the social network upwards of $10 billion. In recent months, Apple has gone aggressive on privacy and data protection by bringing its Mail Privacy protection feature to the Mail app. This limits the amount of data senders collect from a user when one opens their promotional emails or even newsletters.
To be specific, the feature will give users the option to hide their IP address, so it can’t be linked to other online activity or used to determine their location. Apple also announced that paid subscribers to iCloud Plus will get a slew of new privacy features, including Private Relay, which keeps their browsing data private.
This video image provided by SpaceX shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission to launch 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E), takes off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. Photo: AP/PTI
A SpaceX rocket carried 53 satellites for the Starlink internet constellation into orbit after blasting off from California.
The Falcon 9 booster lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base at 3:07 pm and minutes later, the first stage landed on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean while the second stage continued toward low Earth orbit.
SpaceX later tweeted that the satellites were successfully deployed.
Starlink is a space-based system that SpaceX has been building for years to bring internet access to underserved areas of the world. Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has hundreds of Starlink satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of 340 miles (550 kilometres).
Tech giant Google is preparing to purge nearly 900,000 apps, which have been abandoned or not been updated, from the Play Store. According to Android Authority, the Google Play Store could see the number of available apps drop by nearly a third.
Google and Apple have both unveiled measures to deal with abandoned apps or apps that have not been updated in two years. In Google’s case, that amounts to 869,000 apps, while Apple has some 650,000.
According to CNET, Google is preparing to hide those apps, making it impossible for users to download them until the developers update them. The main reason both companies are taking these measures is to protect their users’ security. Older apps do not take advantage of changes in Android and iOS, new APIs, or new development methods that bring enhanced protection. As a result, older apps can have security flaws that newer apps don’t have, the report said. Source: IANS
Deepika Padukone, who will represent India as a jury member at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in 2022, looked stunning in a Sabyasachi ensemble for the jury photocall on the first day of the festival. Sabyasachi began his post with a quote, “I love that moment of storytelling where looking back at the past reveals the future. For me the best stories of India are always told in these moments”.
He added that the Tamasha actress wore “clothing and high jewellery” from his Tropic of Calcutta collection “the global resort series, where Indian heritage gets a contemporary update”.
Deepika wore a printed Mysore silk shirt “with a digital rendering of hand-painted vintage flora inspired by Company paintings made by the Sabyasachi Art Foundation,” as described in the post.
She wore the shirt with monogrammed buttons and pleated wool trousers. Paired with the Lucknow Rose, a deconstructed Maharani necklace that has been crafted with extensively sourced multicoloured gemstones and uncut diamonds. She also wore the Bengal Trophy belt by Sabyasachi Accessories.
Sharing a second bold and glam look of the 75th Cannes Film Festival jury member Deepika dressed in Bengal Tiger couture sari conceptualised by Sabyasachi. Source: IANS
Filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s classic ‘Anand’, starring the then superstar Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, is set for a remake helmed by Sameer Raj Sippy, grandson of the film’s original producer, N.C. Sippy, and Vikram Khakhar. The director and cast of the film, which is in its scripting stage, are yet to be finalised.
Sharing his excitement on the development, producer Vikram Khakhar said in a statement: “Digging into our own classics, we will find invaluable gems rather than scouting for stories, internationally or regionally. Placing Anand in the post-Covid era, where we emphasise on the value of life, will enhance the story of Anand.”
The 1971 original featured Rajesh Khanna as a terminally ill cancer patient, Anand Sehgal, the onus of whose treatment is taken by Amitabh. However, destiny has its own plans as Anand’s cancer reaches its final stage and he passes away but not before touching the lives of many people whom he spent time with, including a total stranger Isa Bhai Suratwala played by the legendary Johnny Walker. Producer Sameer Raj Sippy feels that such stories need to be told to the new generation, as they should be made aware of our cinematic heritage. He said: “Keeping in mind the sensibilities of the original film and the emotions attached, I felt the current generation needs to be retold many stories that are so relevant today and especially when there is a great appetite for good content.”
Opening up about the missteps she took in the Hindi film industry, Tamannaah has said that she believed in Himmatwala as much as she did in SS Rajamouli’s Bahubali. Tamannnaah also said in a new interview that she is open to say it if she didn’t like her own film. Tamannaah featured in Sajid Khan’s Himmatwala that was widely panned by the critics when it released in 2013. A remake of Jeetendra-Sridevi starrer 1983 film by the same name, Himmatwala also featured Ajay Devgn, Mahesh Manjrekar and Paresh Rawal, among many others.
Asked about the missteps she took in Bollywood and her success in South Indian film industry, Tamannaah told Film Companion in an interview, “I feel like the best and the worst decisions I have made in my film career, both I wasn’t really planning on doing and I didn’t know where that would go. Both seemed equally correct at that point. Like a film like Himmatwala, and I am very open if I don’t like a film of my own. I’ll say it. It didn’t do what it should have done. I believed in it as much as I believed in Baahubali.”
She added, “But the one thing about those films is, I don’t think I was prepared for either. But I learnt on the job and that’s the beauty of being an actor that you are discovering constantly and you are evolving constantly. You are constantly evolving, I am not the same person who did Bahubali or the same person who did Himmatwala.”
Talking about the poor box office performance of Himmatwala, Tamannaah had told Bollywood Hungama in 2020 that it was “very difficult period” of her life. The film collected less than Rs 50 crore.
Tamannaah is at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur led Indian delegation for India Pavillion. “I am so excited about this, it’s such an honour and I am really looking forward,” she had told ANI about her Cannes appearance. Source: HT
Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be seen in the lead role of the upcoming US indie film ‘Laxman Lopez’. The film is a Christmas-themed movie to be directed by Mexico’s Roberto Girault, director of local hits including 2017’s ‘La Leyenda Del Diamante’, 2015’s ‘Los Arboles Mueren de Pie’ and ‘El Estudiante’ from 2009, reports ‘Variety’.
The project is led by New York-based Imagine Infinite Productions. Filming, beginning at the end of this year, will take place entirely in the US.
Further casting details are to be announced closer to the start of production. The producer is Lalit Bhatnagar, writer and co-producer of horror project ‘Little Darling’. Nawazuddin is in Cannes as part of the Indian government delegation to the festival and the rights market, where India has been named as the first country of honour.
New Delhi (TIP)- The Supreme Court on Thursday, May 19, in a judgment championing the importance of “cooperative federalism” for the well-being of democracy, held that Union and State legislatures have “equal, simultaneous and unique powers” to make laws on Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the recommendations of the GST Council are not binding on them. The apex court’s decision came while confirming a Gujarat High Court ruling that the Centre cannot levy Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) on ocean freight from Indian importers.
“The recommendations of the GST Council are the product of a collaborative dialogue involving the Union and the states. They are recommendatory in nature… The recommendations only have a persuasive value. To regard them as binding would disrupt fiscal federalism when both the Union and the states are conferred equal power to legislate on GST,” a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud held.
The court emphasised that Article 246A (which gives the States power to make laws with respect to GST) of the Constitution treat the Union and the States as “equal units”. “It confers a simultaneous power (on Union and States) for enacting laws on GST… Article 279A, in constituting the GST Council, envisions that neither the Centre nor the states are actually dependent on the other,” Justice Chandrachud interpreted.
He said the Centre and the States were “autonomous, independent and even competing units” while making GST laws. “Cooperative federalism is treated like a marble cake federalism due to the integrated approach of the federal units,” he compared. The judgment said that though the Centre may have a larger share of power in certain instances to prevent chaos and provide security, the States still wielded power. “India is a multi-party system. It is possible that the party in power in the Centre may or may not be in power in other States… Even if the States have been given lesser power [in certain situations], they can still resist the mandates of the Union by using different forms of political contestations permitted by the Constitution… It is not imperative that one of the federal units [Centre or the States] must always possess a higher share of power over the other units,” the court stated.
A fresh case has been filed by the CBI against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and searches were reported at 16 locations – across several cities – on Friday, May 20, morning. The case is related to alleged corruption linked to recruitments when Lalu Yadav served as the union railways minister, officials said. The 73-year-old leader was recently granted bail in the fifth fodder case against him. This was the last of the corruption cases linked to the fodder scam in which the RJD leader was convicted and had got a bail. Soon after the bail, he was admitted to Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment, which delayed his return to Patna. On Friday, a huge police deployment was seen amid the CBI searches at residence of Rabri Devi, Lalu’s wife. He was the chief minister of Bihar between 1990 and 1997. Shortly after the searches, RJD leaders launched demonstrations against the action.
“We had pleaded that he has served half of his five-year sentence in this case. Prasad has already served 42 months in jail against the half sentence of 30 months. Though the CBI opposed the petition saying he is still to serve half the sentence in this case, we had submitted trial court’s copy. The court has granted bail,” his lawyer said.
Dharamsala/New Delhi (TIP)- The Dalai Lama on Thursday, May 19, said the Chinese government had failed to win over the Tibetan people and transform their minds. Instead, the thinking of the Chinese people itself was rapidly changing, he said in a video message after a meeting with US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya at the spiritual leader’s residence in McLeodganj.
China criticised the meeting saying it violated the US’ commitment that “Tibet was part of China and to not support its independence”. “It (US) should not provide any support for separatist activities by the anti-China Dalai (Lama) clique. China will continue to take measures firmly to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs did not comment. Zeya also met Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and other senior officials at the MEA here.
Zeya arrived in Dharamsala to a rapturous welcome from Tibetans on Wednesday and in a brief audience with the Dalai Lama, she conveyed the greetings of US President Joe Biden. She also visited the Central Tibetan Administration and held talks with its Sikyong (political leader) Penpa Tsering.
New Delhi (TIP)- The Supreme Court on Thursday , May 19, restrained the Varanasi civil court from hearing the Gyanvapi mosque survey case for the time being, as it deferred its own hearing of a case on the legality of the survey to Friday on a request made by the lawyer for Hindu petitioners.
A bench, led by justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, recorded the undertaking of advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who represented the five Hindu women petitioners, and issued a directive to the Varanasi civil judge.
“We accordingly direct the trial Court to strictly act in terms of the above arrangement and to desist from taking up further proceedings in the suit in view of the consensus which has been arrived at between the parties,” ordered the bench, which also comprised justices Surya Kant and PS Narasimha. The court order came after Jain requested the court to adjourn the hearing by a day since the arguing counsel on behalf of the Hindu petitioners could not show up due to a medical condition. Jain added that the petitioners shall not press for a hearing before the Varanasi civil court on Thursday where a report on the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque was expected to be submitted by the advocate commissioner.
Besides, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared for the mosque committee, claimed that the Hindu petitioners also moved a fresh plea on Thursday for demolishing a wall around a site where they claimed a “Shivling” was found.
Ahmadi, who represented the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, pressed for a stay of the proceedings before the Varanasi civil judge if the SC were to adjourn the hearing. “There are applications filed even for sealing of other mosques. I would only submit that there should not be any further delay…My only apprehension is that today an application has been moved before the trial court to demolish the wall near the wazukhaana (ablution tank where the Shivling has been purportedly sighted),” he argued.
Source: HT
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