Nairobi (TIP): Drought in Kenya killed 205 elephants and scores of other wildlife between February and October as much of East Africa endures its worst drought in 40 years, tourism minister PeninahMalonza said on November 4.
Although sporadic rainfall has finally started in the region, Kenya’s Meteorological Department is forecasting below-average rainfall for much of the country for the coming months, raising fears that the threat to Kenya’s wildlife is not over.
“The drought has caused mortality of wildlife … because of the depletion of food resources as well as water shortages,” Malonza, the cabinet secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, told a news conference. Fourteen species have been affected by the drought, she said. In addition to the dead elephants, 512 wildebeest, 381 common zebra, 12 giraffe, and 51 buffalo have also succumbed to the drought over the same period – some in the national parks that are a major tourist draw for the country.
There have also been 49 deaths of the rare and endangered Grevy’s zebra.
In September, conservation group Grevy’s Zebra Trust said that 40 Grevy’s had died in just a three-month period because of the drought, representing nearly 2% of the species population. While a first step in accounting for the losses, the figures released on Friday are likely far from comprehensive, the ministry warned in a report, saying carnivores could have devoured some carcasses. “Thus there is a possibility of higher mortality,” the report said. News of the toll on wildlife in Kenya, where tourism contributes about 10% of economic output and employs over 2 million people, comes just days before the start of the UN climate conference COP27. Host Egypt has made the issue of “loss and damage”, compensation for losses from climate-related disasters, a focus of the talks. Debated for years, the issue has never been part of the U.N. talks’ formal agenda, as wealthy countries have resisted creating a funding mechanism that could suggest liability for historic climate damages.
Last month, charity Save the Elephants said that one famed calf, well-known for being a twin, a rarity for elephants, died during the drought. The ministry recommended providing vulnerable wildlife groups with water, salt licks, and food and to increase monitoring and data collection. Reuters
Muenster (TIP): Top diplomats from the world’s major industrialised democracies on November 5 rallied support for Ukraine in its resistance to Russia’s invasion and coalesced around suspicion of China’s increasing assertiveness amid a panoply of global crises. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations, wrapping up two days of talks in the historic western German city of Muenster, were set to release a statement asserting common positions on Ukraine, Russia, China and recent developments in Iran and North Korea, officials said. A year after warning Russia about the consequences of invading Ukraine, the G7 ministers were expected to endorse further punishments for the Kremlin and additional backing for Kyiv and countries affected by food and energy shortages that the war has exacerbated, the officials said. “It is incredibly important that we retain our strategic endurance, the willingness to stick with this until this is done, both to support the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against aggression but also to lift the pressure off those countries around the world and those people around the world who are already experiencing food insecurity and are even pushed closer to a famine,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.
The ministers will also call out Iran for allegedly supplying weapons to Russia and a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters. Their statement will further condemn the recent escalation of tensions in Asia caused by North Korean military activity.
“As a collective G7, our work is to ensure that we maintain peace, bring back peace also to the region, and we are there to protect these international norms,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. Blinken referred to a 374-year-old document at a Thursday event with German Foreign Minister AnnalenaBaerbock. He said Russia’s actions were an attack on the concepts of national sovereignty and territorial integrity that the centuries-old treaty established. — AP
Beijing (TIP): In a much-scrutinised meeting on November 4 with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and warned against the conflict going nuclear. The German leader is in Beijing for a one-day visit that has drawn criticism over China’s tacit support for Russia, lingering controversies over economic ties and human rights issues. It comes after Xi further cemented his authoritarian rule at a major Communist Party congress last month. Scholz’s visit reflects the importance of Germany’s trade ties with China, the world’s second-largest economy, particularly in the auto and manufacturing sectors. (AP)
Beijing (TIP): Canada’s public broadcaster CBC says it is closing its China bureau after the Chinese government ignored requests to base a reporter in Beijing. CBC said its applications had been met “by months-long silence from Chinese officials.” The broadcaster’s last correspondent left Beijing as China closed down amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The bureau, located in one of Beijing’s high-security diplomatic compounds, had remained open in anticipation of re-staffing.
On November 3, a plaque identifying the bureau remained posted on the outside wall but no one responded to knocks and doorbell rings. Calls to the bureau’s number published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry also went unanswered.
China has taken an increasingly hard line in foreign relations, and ties with Canada nose-dived after China, the US and Canada completed what was effectively a high-stakes prisoner swap last year involving a top executive from Chinese tech giant Huawei who had been charged with fraud by the US.
China jailed two Canadians shortly after Canada arrested MengWanzhou, Huawei Technologies’ chief financial officer and the daughter of the company’s founder, on a US extradition request. They were sent back to Canada in September, the same day Meng returned to China after reaching a deal with US authorities in her case.
Many countries labelled China’s action “hostage politics,” while China has described the charges against Huawei and Meng as a politically motivated attempt to hold back China’s economic and technological development.
Canada has also banned wireless carriers from installing Huawei equipment in its high-speed 5G networks, joining allies in shunning the company that has close links with the ruling Communist Party and its military wing, the People’s Liberation Army.
China has increasingly restricted the presence of foreign media in the country while boosting its own propaganda presence abroad.
The stance is in keeping with its increasingly confrontational relationship with the US and Western democracies over trade, human rights and territorial claims.
China blames the US for fuelling tensions after Washington cut 20 visas issued to Chinese state media journalists and required those remaining to register as foreign agents, among other changes. China responded by expelling journalists working for US outlets and severely restricting conditions for those continuing to work in the country. After being denied visas, many foreign media outlets have based correspondents in Taiwan and other Asian centres that protect free speech.
“There is no point keeping an empty bureau when we could easily set up elsewhere in a different country that welcomes journalists and respects journalistic scrutiny,” CBC News editor-in-chief Brodie Fenlon said Wednesday in a blog post.
“Closing the Beijing bureau is the last thing we want to do, but our hand has been forced,” Fenlon said. CBC said Philippe Leblanc, a journalist with Radio-Canada, the broadcaster’s French-language counterpart, would work from Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, after China’s diplomats ignored his applications. (AP)
Seoul (TIP): South Korea’s military said it scrambled fighter jets after detecting about 180 North Korean warplanes flying north of the military border over four hours on November 4. The North Korean aircraft flew north of the so-called tactical measure line, drawn to up 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), South Korea’s military said in a statement.
South Korea scrambled 80 aircraft, including, F-35A stealth fighters, in response. About 240 aircraft participating in the Vigilant Storm air exercises with the United States continued the drills, the military said. A flight of 10 North Korean warplanes made similar maneuvers last month, prompting South Korea to scramble jets. The manoeuvers came after North Korea fired more than 80 rounds of artillery into the sea overnight, and the launch of multiple missiles into the sea on Thursday, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The launches prompted the United States and South Korea to extend air drills that have angered Pyongyang. (Reuters)
Beijing (TIP): A man in China is keeping his 219 million yuan (around Rs 250 crore) lottery jackpot a secret from his family. He went to collect the prize money alone at the lottery office in Nanning, in the southern region ofGuangxi, last week on October 24, Nanning Evening News reported. He identified himself by the pseudonym ‘Mr Li’, dressed in a yellow cartoon character costume.
He wore a bright yellow costume that covered his head in photos showing him accepting the prize. “I didn’t tell my wife and child, for fear that they would be too complacent and wouldn’t work or work hard in the future,” he said. After collecting the 171.6 million yuan after tax, he said he donated 5 million yuan to charity and had not yet decided what to do with the rest of the money. (TNS)
Taipei (TIP): The timing of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s imminent trip to China and what signals he will give to Beijing have raised questions at home, a German member of the European Parliament said on November 3.
ReinhardButikofer of the Green Party, which is part of the governing coalition, said in Taiwan that Scholz’s one-day trip is “probably the most controversially debated visit in the country for the last 50 years.” Scholz, who will visit Beijing on Friday, will be the first European leader to visit China since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Germany has strongly opposed.
Germany has urged its citizens to leave Iran or risk arbitrary arrest and long prison terms warning dual nationals are at risk
Berlin welcomed EU sanctions on Iran, which has unleashed a crackdown on some of the biggest protests in the nation
Beijing has provided Moscow with diplomatic backing, accused the US and NATO of provoking the attack and scathingly criticised punishing economic sanctions imposed on Russia.
Some in the ranks of Scholz’s three-party governing coalition have questioned at least the timing of his visit. His trips to Ukraine and Russia in February also stirred controversy.
Butikofer, part of a group of European lawmakers visiting Taiwan, said, “Just as in other European countries and the EU, the China policy altogether will be in transition for some time. However, Scholz said: “We cannot return to the China policy of yesterday because the realities have changed.” His visit also comes as a Chinese investment in a container terminal at the Hamburg port has raised concerns in Washington and elsewhere that China is gaining a major grip on key infrastructure in an allied nation. Scholz has downplayed the significance of the deal and in a compromise, China’s COSCO was cleared to take a stake in the port below 25 per cent. — AP
Humans have been staring up into space for thousands of generations to have a rational and coherent description of the Creation and evolution of the universe. Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, in his hymns of Jap (u), Aasa di Var, Sidh Gosht, Thitee and Maru Sohilé, has enunciated an excellent understanding of the mystery of Creation.
Before Creation
In Guru Nanak’s hymns, many interesting facts about the state before the start of Creation are described. In his hymns of ‘Maru Sohilee,’ he articulates: “For endless eons, there was only utter darkness. There was no earth or sky; there was only the infinite Command of the Creator. There was no day or night, no moon or sun; The Creator sat in primal, profound Samaadhi. ………There were no sources of Creation or powers of speech, no air or water. There was no creation or destruction, no birth or death. There were no continents, no nether regions, no seven seas, no rivers or flowing water. (SGGS, p. 1035)……. “The dazzling light glitters, although neither the moon nor the stars are shining; neither the sun’s rays nor the lightning flashes across the sky. I describe the indescribable state, which has no sign, where the all-pervading Lord is still pleasing to the mind. (SGGS, p. 1033).”
Interestingly, Guru Nanak’s above views have been endorsed by the prevalent scientific ideas about the state before the start of Creation. By analyzing the light emanating from distant galaxies, nebulae, and pulsars, scientists have calculated that our universe was born about 13.8 billion years ago. Many theories are in vogue about its origination. However, none can describe the state before the Creation of the universe. Nevertheless, scientists agree that there was nothing like the moon, the sun, the earth, the galaxies and the day or night before the Creation of the universe.
Origination – The Primal Cause
Reporting on the origination of the Creation, Guru Nanak proclaimed that it is impossible to know precisely when the Creation began. He said, “When the Lord (Creator) so willed, the world was created. Without any visible support, he sustained the universe. (SGGS, p. 1036).”…… “Only the Creator knows when and how the universe was created. (SGGS, p. 4).”
On the scientific front, in 1930, astronomer Georges Lemaitre suggested that about 13.8 billion years ago, all the matter of the universe was contained in a primal atom called a ‘cosmic egg.’ It exploded, and its many fragments gave birth to planets, stars, galaxies, etc. This theory is popularly known as the Big Bang theory. In 1948, cosmologists Harmann Bondi, Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle proposed the Steady State Theory, suggesting that the universe was eternal and has always existed. In 1965, another astronomer, Allan Sandage, developed the ‘Pulsating Universe Theory.’ He indicated that the universe is created, destroyed and then re-created in 86 billion–year cycles. A universe is, in other words, not without end but with an infinite number of endings … and beginnings. Thus, scientists have diverse views about the universe’s birth and its ultimate fate. Unfortunately, they cannot say something definite about it with strict certainty.
Process of Creation
Guru Nanak, in his ‘T’hitee’ composition, points out the process of Creation of the universe as: “The Creator created the universe, joining the elements together. Then, breaking the cosmic egg, he created the forces of attraction (union) and repulsion (separation). Next, IT made the earth and the sky the places to live. Finally, he created day and night, fear and love. The One, who created the Creation, also watches over it. (SGGS, p 839).” In ‘Jap(u)’ bani, Guru Nanak describes the process of Creation of the universe as; “You created the vast expanse of the Universe with One Word! After that, hundreds of thousands of rivers (the process of generation) began to flow (emerged). (SGGS, p 3).” Guru Nanak’s description of the beginning process of Creation is surprisingly similar to the descriptions provided by the “Big Bang” and “Pulsating Universe” theories, as explained above. It is pertinent to add that Guru Nanak expressed these views about 425 years before the discovery of the Big Bang Theory.
Time of Creation
Guru Nanak, in his composition ‘Jap(u),’ has raised an apposite question concerning the time of Creation. It asks, “What was the time, and what was the moment? What was the day, and what was the date? What was the season, and what was the month when the universe took its shape? Had Pandits (Hindu scholars) known the time, it would have been written in Puraanas. Had Qazis known the time, it would have been written in Quran. No Yogi knows the time, the weekday, the month or the season of the Creation. The Creator who created this Creation only IT knows about it. (SGGS, p. 4).” Herein,Guru Nanak has clearly pointed out that it is impossible to know the exact time or day of the origination of Creation by any means.
Learning about the time of Creation using science, we come to know that there have been several different ideas in vogue about the time of Creation among people. Until the 18th century, scientists were convinced that our earth was only a few thousand years old. Using geological data and analyzing the fossils, Kelvin, a famous scientist, suggested by the second half of the 19th century that the earth is about 20 million years old. During the 20th century, using the ‘Radioactive Dating Technique,’ it became known that our planet was created about a few billion years ago. Astronomer Georges Lemaitre has reported that the universe’s origination occurred about 13.8 billion years ago. The Steady State Theory suggests that the universe is eternal and has always existed. The Pulsating Universe Theory reports that the universe’s birth happened about 13.8 billion years ago. But none of the theories say any precise date of Creation. Even with the help of currently available very advanced scientific techniques, scientists still need to pinpoint the exact time or date of the universe’s origination. It conforms to Guru Nanak’s assertion.
Vastness
Elaborating on the vastness of Creation, Guru Nanak, in his ‘Jap(u)’ composition, proclaims that Creation is limitless. He declares: “The limits of the Creation cannot be perceived. The limits of its near (micro) and far (macro) extremes cannot be discerned. Many struggles to know these limits, but these cannot be determined. None is able to know these limits. The more you say about these, the more there remains to be said. (SGGS, p. 5).” Modern scientific research proclaims that our universe, with over 200 billion galaxies, each containing approximately 100 billion stars, is quite extensive. The observable universe is a few tens of billions of light years across. A light year is the distance travelled by light in one year at the speed of 0.3 million km/s. It is equal to 9460 billion kilometers. Astronomers have pointed to the existence of heavenly bodies as far as 30 billion light years from the earth. Despite the latest space technology, scientists have yet to find the edge of the universe to date. This fact is in accordance with Guru Nanak’s claim about Creation’s immensity.
Furthermore, Guru Nanak articulates the existence of countless universes as; “There are planets, solar systems and universes. If one has to describe these, then one can only say that these are unlimited. Therefore, there are countless worlds in the Creation. As is ordained, so these exist. (SGGS, p. 8).” Contemporary science has also pointed out the possibility of the existence of multi-universes. Guru Nanak’s these ideas, propounded about 550 years ago, appear to be the precursor of modern science.
Origin of Life
Guru Nanak, in his hymn of ‘Siri Raag, ‘ describes the origin of life. He proclaimed, “From the True Lord (ultimate reality) came the air, and water came from the air. The three worlds (living beings in air, water and space) were created from water. In every heart, his essence is infused. (SGGS, p. 19).” These ideas of Guru Nanak have been affirmed by prevalent scientific views about the origin of life, as explained hereunder.
Until the middle of the nineteenth century, life was generally thought to be created by some supernatural power, the Creator or God, out of nothing. According to modern science, about 13.8 billion years ago, the ‘Big Bang’ occurred. About 5 billion years ago, swirling clouds of cosmic dust began to condense to form our solar system. Our earth was scorching when it came into existence. There was great volcanic activity on land. The release of gases from the earth’s womb led to the formation of the gaseous envelope (containing water vapors) around it. With time clouds took their shape. Then it rained on the earth for several hundred years. The rainwater flooded the earth and cooled it. In the shallower parts of the earth, the water took the form of seas. Life, in the form of unicellular animals (e.g. Amoeba & Protozoa), is thought to have originated in seawater. From seawater, many organisms later invaded fresh waters and land. The present complex animals and plants have been produced by gradual change in the earlier simpler life forms. Darwin’s theory of natural selection is today recognized as the main factor in the evolution of animal and plant life.
Diversity of Life
Biodiversity refers to genetic variation, species variation, or ecosystem variation within the natural world. As an illustrative measure, Guru Nanak describes the abundance and diversity of the natural world in his hymns. He reports: “8.4 million species of beings were created. (SGGS, p. 1190).” Scientists, too, say that there exist a wide variety of creatures/forms, numerous varieties of colors and species on our earth. Based on rigorous data, a recent estimate is that about 8.7± 1.3 million types of vegetation and animals are present on our planet.
Ultimate Fate of the Universe
Elaborating on the ultimate of the universe, Guru Nanak proclaims that the end of the universe would lead to the pre-creation stage. He declared, “From this Primal Void came the four sources of Creation and the power of speech. They were created from the Void and will merge into the Void. (SGGS, p. 1037).”
Cosmologists have reported three different outcomes on the end of the universe based on its critical density. If the critical density of the universe were high, then there would be enough gravitation force to slow and eventually halt its expansion. Then, after billions of years, it would collapse again, resulting in Big Crunch. It could create another Big Bang, leading to the rebirth of the universe. If the critical density of the universe were low, then there wouldn’t be enough gravity to hold things together. The expansion would continue forever and ever. Galaxies would spread apart; Stars would die. Eventually, everything would cool down to the background temperature of the universe, leading to a Big Freeze. The third scenario suggests that if the critical density of the universe were just right, it would lead to its forever expansion and continuous slowing down. Such a Universe will reach a dead stop in an infinite amount of time. Recent research favors such a scenario. But, the observations are inconclusive, and alternative models are still possible.
As is apparent, Guru Nanak has enunciated an excellent understanding of the mystery of Creation. It is pertinent to add that he composed his hymns in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. In contrast, the above scientific ideas became prevalent in the second half of the eighteenth century. Thereby it is evident that Guru Nanak’s ideas were the precursor of the modern scientific outlook.
(Author thankfully acknowledges the inspiration and feedback provided by Dr. Bhai Harbans Lal, Dallas, Texas, USA)
(Dr. Devinder Pal Singh is the honorary Director of the Center for Understanding Sikhism, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of a scientific treatise based on Gurbani, titled: “Science and Sikhism- Conflict or Coherence.” Web: c4usikhism.com)
“Guru Nanak’s message can be briefly summarized as a doctrine of salvation through disciplined meditation on the divine name. The divine name signifies the total manifestation of God, a single Being, immanent both in the created world and within the human spirit. Salvation is understood in terms of escape from the transmigratory round of death and rebirth to a mystical union with God. Meditation must be strictly inward, and all external aids such as idols, temples, mosques, scriptures, and set prayers are explicitly rejected.” – Encyclopedia Britannica.
Guru Nanak primarily brought people from different faiths together and taught common sense goodness, serving humanity and caring for the neighbors. Indeed, the religion we call Sikhism started as an interfaith movement.
Throughout his life, Guru Nanak emphasized that no person can be “above” any other person; all are a part of creation and are equally close to God. Indeed, no one is more privileged than the other. Given the misogynistic society 500 years ago, his teachings were ahead of his time to treat women as equals, and gender discrimination in the Sikh community has no religious basis.
By Mike Ghouse
Gurpurab is the 554th birth celebration of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak. It is one of the most sacred festivals of the Sikhs and Sikhism. Five hundred fifty-four years ago, God sent Guru Nanak to restore peace and harmony in society. The conflicts and tensions in India at that time needed a peacemaker, and he brought the Hindu and Muslim communities together through devotional hymns composed by Hindu and Muslim saints. The Quran says God sends a peacemaker to every society. He loves his creation and wants it to live cohesively with peace and harmony. Shri Krishna said whenever a society deteriorates and people live in fear of each other, he would emerge among them to restore righteousness. Similarly, Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, and other great souls have appeared to restore harmony among their people. Every one of them was an auto-corrector for society.
Guru Nanak fulfilled what God wanted him to do to build cohesive societies where individuals feel secure about their uniqueness, be it the filters of faith, race, ethnicity, language, or culture.
Guru Nanak’s birthday has a special significance to me. He primarily brought people from different faiths together and taught common sense goodness, serving humanity and caring for the neighbors. Indeed, the religion we call Sikhism started as an interfaith movement. One message that resonates with me is his guidance to “accept all humans as your equals and let them be your only sect (one humanity).” Throughout his life, Guru Nanak emphasized that no person can be “above” any other person; all are a part of creation and are equally close to God. Indeed, no one is more privileged than the other. Given the misogynistic society 500 years ago, his teachings were ahead of his time to treat women as equals, and gender discrimination in the Sikh community has no religious basis. He laid the foundation for a community to serve humankind, and the Sikh community has repeatedly demonstrated to the world that they care for fellow humans wholeheartedly.
Sikhs, along with the Red Cross and other institutions, are among the first communities to rescue whenever a disaster strikes worldwide. When the Wisconsin shooting in a Gurdwara killed several people, the Sikhs in America showed the world how to deal with the conflict. They held prayer vigils throughout America instead of blaming or cursing the criminals. The Center for Pluralism recognized this model of conflict mitigation in their annual Unity Day and presented the recognition trophies to all five Sikh Gurdwaras in Dallas, Texas.
The Langars (the food kitchens) he established serve millions of hungry people worldwide. Service to humanity is the number one form of worship. When you serve God’s creation, you are serving God.
When the Government of India removed article 370 without the people’s consent, a few radical ministers in India rejoiced that Kashmir was open now and that they could take the Kashmiri women as they pleased. Thanks to the Sikh community for holding a press conference and challenging that no one “no mai ka lal” would harm any woman anywhere in India and that they would protect the women. It brought tremendous relief to women knowing that the Sikh community would stand by them.
“Guru Nanak’s message can be briefly summarized as a doctrine of salvation through disciplined meditation on the divine name. The divine name signifies the total manifestation of God, a single Being, immanent both in the created world and within the human spirit. Salvation is understood in terms of escape from the transmigratory round of death and rebirth to a mystical union with God. Meditation must be strictly inward, and all external aids such as idols, temples, mosques, scriptures, and set prayers are explicitly rejected.” Britannica. Let’s pray that the spirit of Guru Nanak reemerges in each of us to restore peace and harmony in the world.
May the Noor (divine light) of Guru Nanak brighten the world.
Happy Gurpurab!
(Mike Ghouse is the CEO and founder of the Center for Pluralism and an interfaith wedding Officiant. He offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media, policymakers, and others. More about him at www.TheGhouseDiary.com)
Sree Guru Nanak Sahib Jee says : “There is One Light of Our Creator pervading in the Cosmos of Multi-verses, the entire Creation and in all Creatures”.
15th-century inter-continental globe-trotter sans cash, credit/ATM-card & multi-million airplane
Humble Tribute on the 553rd Anniversary of the Blessed Advent of Satguru Nanak Rai Sahibji
The Vision and Mission of Oneness, as enunciated by Guru Nanak Rai Ji (circa 1469 to 1539) The Prophet of Unification of Humanity, is as relevant now, as it was five centuries ago. It is based on the absolute premise: “There is One Light of Our Creator in All”.
God, Yahweh, Allah, Bhagwaan, Prabhu, Eeshwar, WaahGuru (the Wondrous Lord) Paarbrahm, Hari, AkaalPurakh (The Timeless One) Kartaar (The Creator) Raheem (The Merciful One) Kareem (The Empathetic One) are only some of the innumerable Hallowed Names of The Only Supreme One. Guru Nanak said such Holy Noumenon are meant to unify the masses rather and should never be made a reason for flowing rivers of blood.
By Amarjit Singh Anand
The world is up in flames, today, even more than it was during the life and time of the Blessed Advent of the Divine Preceptor, Guru Nanak (1469-1539). In one verse, he laments and exclaims: “I can visualize the entire humanity engulfed in flames of hatred and bloodshed and righteousness has taken wings”. Guru Nanak Sahib saw in his deep, meditative trance that the entire earth was ablaze with the fires of hatred, prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, superstition, hollow ritualism, and so he set out on his world tour to remind humanity of the lessons of “Divinity in Humanity”. Guru Nanak was on a Divine Mission. He was a Spiritual Maestro, a Renaissance-Man, a Crusader for Interreligious Amity, an extraordinary social-reformist much ahead his era and yet he utters the absolute TRUTH that “he is, what he is, ONLY because of the Gracious Mercy of The Almighty and he is nothing without GOD”. In other words, Divine Guru is teaching humanity to embrace humility, by refraining from self-aggrandizement
DivineWisdom enabled Guru Nanak ji to say that there is an infinite expanse of galaxies and constellations in the multi-verse, created by The Almighty Creator.
The Sacred Anniversary of the Blessed Advent of Prophets, Seers, Dervishes, Sufis and Saints must certainly be celebrated but not merely on just one day. Their Divine Tenets are to be imbibed by us, every moment, thereby reminding ourselves to elevate thespirit and evolve the soul, by vanquishing the mind and keeping an anvil on the forehead of the wayward mind, which is perpetually drifting and is preoccupied 24/7, with myriad egocentric vices like cruelty, domineering, lust, greed, avarice, malice, hatred, jealousy, hypocrisy, sycophancy and self-aggrandizement, while devoting only a negligible percentage of energy and time towards creative, progressive, constructive, productive projects for self and for humanity.
Guru Nanak Ji represents the zenith of humility when he says that he’s a mere beggar, a watchman and a minstrel singing Divine Praise, at the door of The Almighty Majesty and a speck of dust at the feet of holy saints and devotees of God. Guru Nanak is an epitome of an exemplary balance between the life of an average householder and a mystic extraordinaire.He went on world-tours, visiting the Centers of Pilgrimage of various religions, and so he succeeded in reaching millions of folks, to convey his Vision & Mission of peace and harmony, without the usage of our contemporary communication, transportation, public-relations outfits and social-media and without hi-fi-tech gadgets as laptop and cell-phone or sans an ATM-card or credit-card. The Divine Prophet traveled far and wide, in an era which travel was extremely hazardous and consumed months and years, as the only mode of travel was the waterways or horses and camels. Guru Nanak Ji facilitated the release of slaves in Europe and America. King James of Scotland minted a coin with The Guru’s image. For more on Holy Travels www.SATGURU,weebly.com
The Divine Preceptor of ONENESS of humanity traversed 27,000 miles, across various continents, in 25 years of his 70 years’ sojourn on this planet, during which he reformed several tyrannical rulers, vociferously advocated human rights and women’s rights, brought about social revolution, by speaking out against slavish mentality, superstitious belief system, hollow ritualistic practices, religious bigotry and suppression of the downtrodden social and economic classes. Guru Nanak Ji was the pioneer, enunciating the cause of Inter-Religious Peace and Harmony.
Guru Nanak Sahibji reminds us:“We humans are unaware of whether we would survive to inhale the next breath. Hence, we must restrain the wild horses of the mind and must refrain from any misdeed, such that would have given us pain, when perpetrated against us”.
He said without truly sincere devotion, everything is merely ritualistic and ceremonial worship. He said it’s an exercise in futility, terming it as a façade and a sham.
God, Yahweh, Allah, Bhagwaan, Prabhu, Eeshwar, WaahGuru (the Wondrous Lord) Paarbrahm, Hari, AkaalPurakh (The Timeless One) Kartaar (The Creator) Raheem (The Merciful One) Kareem (The Empathetic One) are only some of the innumerable Hallowed Names of The Only Supreme One. Guru Nanak said such Holy Noumenon are meant to unify the masses rather and should never be made a reason for flowing rivers of blood.
The teachings of Sree Krishna Ji, Sree Raam Chandra Ji,Prophets Abraham & Moses, Messiah Jesus of Nazareth, Hazrat Mohammed Sahib Ji, Prophet Bahaullah Ji, Prophet Zoroaster, Gautam Buddha Ji, Tirthaankar Mahavir Ji, Saint Kabeer Daas Ji, Sheikh Fareed Ji, Saint Ravi Daas Ji, Devotee Naam Dev Ji, Saint Parmanand Ji and innumerable others, are to uplift the entire humanity and are not restricted to a group or denomination because the Enlightened Ones are above any sectarian confines.
The Vision and Mission of Oneness, as enunciated by Guru Nanak Rai Ji (circa 1469 to 1539) The Prophet of Unification of Humanity, is as relevant now, as it was five centuries ago. It is based on the absolute premise: “There is One Light of Our Creator in All”.
Guru Nanak Ji emphasized upon the “Religion of Righteousness”, thereby implying that an ideal Divine-Life can be lived, only when humans are empathetic towards everyone in the world.
The history of Sikhism starts from the Blessed Advent of Sree Guru Nanak Sahib, in circa 1469, in Talwandi region, then part of a much larger India. His Tenets include Truthful living, humility, liberty, equality, justice, compassion, honest earning, serving the needy selflessly and protecting the weak and the meek. All this, he said would be tantamount to a Divine Life and real, true, actual worship and attainment of God and fulfillment of the purpose of human-birth.
For over a thousand years, this region was invaded by a small bunch of horse-rider marauders, from Mongolia, Persia, Afghanistan, and the like. Taimur, Ghazni, Ghori, Nadir Shah, Abdali are only a few of those invaders, who plundered Hindu Temples, looted gold, took women and children as slaves, killed everyone who crossed their path.
And then appeared a man on earth, the likes of whom are seen, only once in a millennium. Guru Nanak Sahib Jee confronted Babur, an invader who established his empire on Indian soil. Guru Nanak Ji’s Divine ambrosial words were adequate to transform a ruthless mass-murderer into one who fell at the Guru’s feet, pledging to rule with justice. Babur sought a boon of ruling for several generations and Guru Nanak Sahib Jee granted it and it came to fruition for seven generations, exactly during the lifetime of ten Divine Gurus.
During the current global pandemic, the Divine Guru’s teachings of compassionate sharing, came to the fore, when millions of people were served with edibles, medicines, clothing, shelter and all essential services. As a collective, during the unprecedented lockdown, several governments officially requested the Sikhs to prepare food in Gurdwaras, to be served to individuals, as well as to be sent to hospitals and other institutions for the old and the infirm, orphans, and economically weaker sections.
Guru Nanak reformed several tyrannical rulers, vociferously advocated human rights and women’s rights, brought about social revolution, by speaking out against slavish mentality, superstitious beliefs, hollow ritualistic practices, religious bigotry and suppression of the downtrodden social and economic classes.
Guru Nanak Sahib Jee says : “I do not know how and what to speak. I utter only that, which YOU, O’ GOD, command me to churn out”. Guru Sahib says GOD is the bestower of all blessings. Guru Nanak claims no credit, whatsoever and says, “the earth is ONE global family and all creatures and creations come from OUR CREATOR, The Only Omniscient One”.
(Amarjit Singh Anand is a writer and, promoter of interfaith dialogue, true to his Master, Guru Nanak’s philosophy.)
Dr. Lal’s interests lie in promoting many humanitarian and academic causes.
Dr. Harbans Lal is Emeritus Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Lal began his long and profitable career in India at Punjab University,receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. He later migrated to the United States in 1956 and received his Doctoral degree in Medical Sciences, majoring in Pharmacology from the University of Chicago in 1962. Over the years, Dr. Lal held various teaching and research positions at the IIT Research Institute, the University of Kansas, the University of Chicago, and theUniversity of Rhode Island. In 1980, he moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth areato be installed as the Professor and Chairman Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He retired from this position in 2000 and now serves the University as Professor Emeritus. Professionally Dr. Lal is known for his research in behavioral medicine, experimental psychology, substance abuse, and theprolongation of a healthy lifespan by nutritional optimization and genetic engineering.
During his professional life, Dr. Lal served on many national and international advisory boards, including the National Institute of Health Sciences Advisory Committees, the US Food and Drug Administration, and, for 14 years, as the Editor of a monthly journal, Drug Development Research. He has published over 400 research papers, 28 research books, several research reviews, and 56 chapters in medical textbooks during his academic career.
At his retirement, he was recognized with the Distinguished Neuroscientist Award at the Annual Meeting of the Society forNeuroscience. The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology elected him as amember and included him amongthe top scientists recognized for making discoveries in medicines in the past 50 years.The Scientists of Indian Origin in America elected Dr. Harbans Lal as its President. Dr. Lal is Sikh ashis religious preference.He was elected unanimously as the President of the All India Sikh Students’ Federation in 1954. At the 1999 Celebration, The Anandpur FoundationIndia recognizedhim with the Order of theKhalsa Award for his distinguished service in promoting causes of the Sikh community.
The Guru Nanak Dev University awarded Dr. Lalthe honorary Doctor of Literature degree in 1995 and appointed him as Professor Emeritus at the Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar.He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies in USA. Dr. Lal’s interests lie in promoting many humanitarian and academic causes. He continuously writes for many journals, including Dallas Morning News. He serves on many humanitarian and interfaith or religious organizations. He is a member of the Interfaith Council of the Center for World Thanksgiving, The Interfaith Center at Fort Worth, and advisor to the American Project on Religion and the News Media, to THE SIKH TIMES and the Sikh Foundation.
In 2017, Dr. Harbans Lal was among the Faith leaders receiving the “International Medal of Honor” award for his lifelong commitment to promoting interfaith engagement among the adherents of all world religions. The Grace International Seminary presented the award medal founded and led by President Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeaux, also the Senior Minister of The Lifeway Church of Dallas, which is the only seminary for women in the USA with chapters spread in other cities. Dr. Lalalso received the USA Unity Day and International Ummah awards.Most recently (2022), Dr. Lal was honored with the Stan Golden Men of Action award bythe Southwest Jewish Congress. Dr. Lalwas a Board Member of the UNA- Dallas.Dr. Lal participated in many UNO/NGOs and attended their conferences and symposia at the UNO campus in New York. He participated in the “Millennium Development Goals: Civil Society Takes Action”at the UN in New York in 2004. It focused on the worldwide efforts of non-governmental organizations to support the United Nations’ campaigns to reduce indices of extreme poverty by 2015 dramatically. He participated in a similar conference in New York in the year 2000 when the meeting of NGOs formulated and supported those goals for Civil Society.
Dr. Lal became a Dallas Chapter of UNA member several years ago. Presently he is a member of the board and active in the Dallas Chapter Public Relations projects. He is the Ambassador of the Parliamentof World’s Religions and serves on the editorial boards of the Sikh Review, Nishan Nigara, and J. of Sikhism and Comparative Religions.
As President of ‘Aspirations & Expressions’, Amarjit Singh Anand is the Initiator of 1GOD1humanity Accolades, and Guru Nanak Benediction Awards.
Born and raised in New Delhi, India, he attended premier Jesuit educational institutions. His ‘alma-mater’ Saint Michael’s & Saint Xavier’s, both provided the best nurturing and conducive environment, where some of his great teachers and visiting faculty included Principal Eric Mendonza and Rev. John Beez (from U.S.A.)and Rev. Robert Meyer (from U.K.). Residing in New York since 1996, he is a freelance writer, translator, poet and orator, in Punjabi Hindi and English. Volunteerism for social causes is his passion, while writing is his profession. Amarjit Singh Anand feels humbled and honored as a recipient of the ‘Ambassador for Peace’ Award (2003) from The Interreligious International Federation for World Peace, New York, Affiliated to the United Nations Organization.
A staunch believer in the dictum : a ‘Sikh means a lifelong-learner’ and while being an ardent student of the ‘School-of-Life’, his work of written-word, in the form of ‘A critique on humanism, spirituality, religion, world history and societal behavior’, is in progress. He is a voracious reader, having a keen interest in heritage, culture, performing & fine arts, history and politics.
Anand was honored by the Global Interfaith Foundation, New York, in 2019. He is a recipient of the ‘National Volunteer’ Award (1999) from South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR) New York, serving leukemia patients.
He has worked as a Project Coordinator, with United Sikhs, an advocacy, empowerment and humanitarian-service NGO, recognized by the United Nations.
He has made presentations at Interfaith meetings, educational institutions and Houses-of-Worship. He addressed the Commemorative Ceremonies at Ground Zero and at Buddhist Ceremonies of ‘Floating-Lanterns’, on the somber occasion of paying homage to 9/11 victims. He has participated in events organized by The Interfaith Center of New York at Stony Point, New York.
Anand was invited to participate in Interfaith processions, organized by the ‘Children of Abraham’ (Jews Christians, Muslims) walking through the streets of Manhattan, NY, where participants addressed the public, over the microphone.
He has organized youth-camps and Symposia, to disseminate the foundational tenets of Sikhism, Sikh heritage & history and Punjabi culture, at Gurdwara Glen Cove, New York. He is an avid researcher, with a natural inclination towards the Concept of Oneness, Global Consciousness, Giving-Back to society, spirituality, world-religions, meditation, amity, goodwill and harmonious co-existence.
As President of ‘Aspirations & Expressions’, Amarjit Singh Anand is the Initiator of *1GOD1humanity Accolades* & *Guru Nanak Benediction Awards*, presented to HUMANISTS, transcending ALL races, religions, ethnicities, cultures, traditions; ALL those engaged in enhancing the *Spirit of ONENESS* and *Divinity-in-Humanity*, with a Vision & Mission to create a *Global-Village*, in consonance with an age-old traditional Indian philosophy of *Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam : The Earth is a Global Family*.
Amarjit Singh Anand expresses his utmost gratitude to ‘Waheguru’ (The Almighty Omniscient One) and to his Spiritual-Mentor Guru Nanak Sahib Jee, for infinite blessings, bestowed upon him, to shape him into all that he is. He is equally grateful to his revered Parents, Late Ujagar Singh Anand & Late Mrs. Pritam Kaur Anand, for endowing him with the gift of the best education and to all of his respected, knowledgeable teachers, for their wisdom.
Jaipur Foot and Association of Indians in New York celebrated Diwali at Times Square with a display of their organizations and lighting on NASDAQ Tower.
Mr. Prem Bhandari, Chairman Jaipur Foot USA with members of his organization and AIA President Harish Thakkar at the NASDAQ tower in Times Square.
Queens District Attorney hosted a Diwali Celebration at Richie Rich Palace in Richmond Hill. Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar was also present.
A Hindu priest (right) offered prayers and spoke about the significance of Diwali. Seen in the picture, from L to R: Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz , Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and the priest.
Indian American Forum Chairperson Indu Jaiswal along with Aligarh Medical Alumni Association (AMAANA) Vice President Dr. Tazeen Beg, welcomed renowned Bollywood actress and author Deepti Naval for her book launch and reading “A Country called childhood – A Memoir”. Emceed by Flora Parekh
Deepti Naval, Dr Harshil Parekh, Flora Parekh, Anju Sharma, Jyoti Gupta at the book launch.
A fire broke out at the American Museum of Natural History early Tuesday, November 1 morning.The FDNY battled the blaze inside the American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West.
American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West.
Mr. Hussain Baqueri is the President of the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation. He has been President of the organization since 2019. However, the once extremely active organization has had some internal dissensions preventing the Foundation from being active for a couple of years. To top it came the harrowing period of Covid during which all activity of almost all organizations had to take a back seat. The Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation is now back in action and are holding a gala and fundraiser on November 6 at Marriott in Uniondale, Long Island.
The Indian Panorama Editor Prof. Indrajit Saluja, on November 3, 2022, spoke with Mr. Baqueri about the future plans of the Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation . Here are excerpts from the interview.
TIP: You have been associated with the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation for a long time.?
A. For about 15 years.
TIP: What is your assessment of the organization?
A. I think the heart of all the board members is out there . They we are trying very hard to do something for cancer patients in India. We are at a point where we need toupdate our bylaws and get into more . We’ve been in existence for 40 years. Our bylaws are 40 years old. So, as time has changed, we need to update. We are in the process of doing that at this time.
TIP: This organization was founded by late Sunil Dutt after he lost his wife Nargis Dutt who was a casualty to cancer?
A. Yes. In 1981. It was founded by Sunil Dutt and a few other friends. The only one that we have still involved with our organization is Mr. Inder Bindra who is one of the founding members of the foundation. And he’s been the only one who has been with us for 40 years now.
TIP: And how about Priya Dutt, daughter of Sunil and Nargis? How much is she associated with your organization?
A. Well since Sunil Dutt passed away, Priya has taken over the mantle of the organization of the nonprofit foundation in India and outside and she’s been very kind and spends her time to come and attend our functions and anytime we have any need, she is there. For example, when we do a project, we are here and she’s there, she goes out and makes sure the project is getting done properly, and it’s being implemented the way it was supposed to be.
TIP: Could you kindly give our readers an idea of the amount of money that you have collected and invested for the welfare of the cancer patient and for fighting the disease during the last 40 years?
A. We have collected over $6 million. We have spent over $6 million for the last 40 years buying equipment, mainly equipment, like mammography machines and you know analyzers, radiation equipment, dialysis equipment.
TIP: That’s a great humanitarian service that you’re doing. And you must have some such projects in hand now. Of course, we know very well that for some reason the foundation was lying dormant for a few years.
A. You know, COVID made us dormant for a while but even during COVID time, we carried out our humanitarian work. We participated in getting masks out to people, oxygen concentrators here and in India. We would feed the police officers, the nurses and doctors and we were involved with doing those things for the last three years.
TIP: And all this was being done under your presidency? A. Yes. Thank you. Well, I have been the president since 2019. And then earlier I was President from 2014 to 2017.
TIP: What are the projects that you have now in hand?
A. The immediate project that we’re working on is an ocular oncology project. This is a project we are doing in conjunction with Goutami Eye Clinic. They have started a separate unit for that and that’s what is our project. And this is in Rajahmundry, India, which is not a major metropolitan city, but it’s a small town. And I think that’s where we need more of help in India because major cities have very good hospitals, but the rural India is still missingthe health care that is needed.
TIP: What is the initial costof the project?
A. It is approximately $100,000
TIP: And how do you plan to raise that?
A. We are trying to raise the money at the fundraising event and then reaching out to our donors to tell them what the project is. And we are working with Dr. VK Raju from Morgantown, West Virginia, who heads the Goutami Eye Institute and he’s also helping us fund the project.
TIP: I understand, every year when you have the gala, you honor certain eminent persons. Are you honoringsome at this gala?
A. Yes, we are . We have six people we are honoring this time. We have. Dr. Raju, an ophthalmologist from West Virginia. We have Nilesh Mehta who is a gastroenterologist and a hematologist in Long Island, New York. And then we have Dr. Sadiq. He’s a dentist from New Jersey. We have a gentleman by the name Sonny Singh. He’s from Seattle. He is an entrepreneur and his company makes stuff for healthcare facilities. And then we have Andy Mansukhani, who is our Immediate Past President. We always honor our immediate past president for his services. So, we are honoring him this time. And Mr. Peter Bheddahwho has been with us for over 30 years. He is no longer with us. He passed away a couple of years ago. So, we are honoring him posthumously.
TIP: And how many people are you inviting to the gala?
A. We are expecting about 300 people to the gala. The only problem is this year we have a very big wedding in the local area. It’s a destination wedding. And a lot of our prospective guests are in Cancun instead of in Long Island. It’s Okay. Naturally they cannot afford to miss the wedding What do I do? I don’t have to stop that. Okay, I stopped anyway.
TIP: Okay. We get back to our job. So, what is the program by the way?
A. Since it’s a Sunday program, we’re going to start early at 5.30. 5.30 to 7 o’clock is a cocktail hour. Then 7.30 Everybody comes in. We have the national anthems of both America and India. And then I will give a State of the Foundation speech just to let them know what’s going on; what we have done since the last time. Thank people and then introduce Priya. She’s our guest of honor this time, and she will have the podium for a few minutes. After that, we’ll go right into honoring. We have this time , other than the six honorees that I spoke about, the kids who volunteered in a 5k run and a walk in September which we had organized in Eisenhower Park in conjunction with other people organizations. I’m just acknowledging the kids out there.
TIP: How many are there? A. There were 10 kids. They all are teenagers and they did an amazing job. We had about 250 people who came . So, we’re just honoring those kids and they also volunteer in our function.
TIP: What else is there?
A. And thenwe go right into the presentation of the project with Dr. Raju. And in fact,Dr. Prem Goel, who’s our chairman of the Medical Review Board, will then introduce Dr. Raju and the project and Dr. Raju will come in and talk about his project and how it impacts the people and what it’s all about. After that, we are going to do a fundraising for a few minutes and then once the fundraising is over, we are going to head straight into the fashion show. That’s our entertainment program for the evening.
TIP: Could you tell us something briefly about the fashion show?
A. The Fashion Show is being organized by Panache Entertainment. The lady’s name is NishiBehl. We have more local models. The clothes are from designers from India and Pakistan. And also, we will have a trunk show afterward. If people would like to buy some stuff, they can. It will be available outside. And, after the fashion show, there would be a dinner and socializing.
TIP: You said there will be sale of the designer apparel. Would the Foundation get a share?
A. They give us a percentage of whatever they sell. So, this way that there is a donation tothe foundation.
TIP: What else would you like to tell our readers about your vision of the future of this great organization?
A. I think the future is great for this organization. The only issue now is we have gotten a lot of organizations like this popped up in last few years and you’re in the United States. So, there’s more competition for the donation money when we have to do our job , and as long as we have a good project and we can convey to people, I am sure we will be successful in getting the projects. In fact, right now, I live part time in Florida. I have my Indian friends in Florida. And they are sending me donations from there. So, I mean everybody has to do their part to make this thing a successful operation.
TIP: It must be really time consuming for you
A. It is. Especially with my job. You know I’m a pilot. So, I don’t work from here when I’m working away from New York. I’m all over the world. So, that is very challenging, but I have taken some time off so I can dedicate to this function and make sure it works properly.
TIP: At the cost of losing dollars?
A. Somebody has to. Somebody has to do it.You have to make some sacrifice sometimes for the good of the people , and I believe in destiny. God is great I will make up . I’m sure he will give me back what I’ve lost in some other ways. So, I’m positive.
TIP: There is always adequate compensation. And it will come your way ifyou believe in that. All the best, Mr. Baqueri in this great initiative of yours and we look forward to seeing you on the 6th.
A. Thank you very much.
TIP: Do you want to make an appeal to the public in general?
A. Iwould like people to come, as many people as possible. And also, we will make enough room for them. And also, please open your heart and make a donation. Please make checks payable to Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation. And the address is PO Box 7707. Hicksville, New York 11802.And this donation would be tax exempt. We are a 501 C 3 Foundation. And, just for your readers’ knowledge, every single penny that we get goes to a project, goes to a good cause. Any travel, any expenses for boarding, lodging , food, we all support that individually. No money is spent from the organization. Every single penny goes to a project.
STOP EXPLOITING AND DUPING US ABOUT PROPOSED DIWALI HOLIDAY
Mayor knows he can make it happen by Executive Order
By Albert Baldeo
RICHMOND HILL, NY (TIP): As an elected District Leader with a large South Asian population, I make this appeal on behalf of the more than 500,000 Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist families living in our great City. Both Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar, and the Mayor knows that the Mayor can declare Diwali a holiday, without anyone’s help. Indeed, both have repeatedly made unreserved Diwali holiday promises as major platform issues prior to being elected to their respective public offices. In the case of the Mayor, he promised “from Day 1, immediately after taking the oath of office.” The Mayor can implement his School Chancellor’s regulation to make Diwali a holiday, just as had been done under Mayor Bill de Blasio to create the Eid and Lunar New Year holidays. Most disappointingly, Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar betrayed her constituents who voted her into office and collaborated on a flatulent promise that was nothing more than abdicating their promises and passing the buck to Albany legislators.
Their combined failures and refusal to deliver on their promise were aggravated in their misrepresentations to the media that this was a done deal. What is worse, they are further exploiting communities, by manipulating and changing their tunes, to confuse and deceive us that Albany now has to play a part in this. It is the typical “bait and switch con game” we must denounce. This is the kind of evil and darkness Diwali shines a light on and eradicate. They have passed the buck to “blame typical dysfunction in the State legislature, as the culprit,” for the inevitable failure. To the Mayor and Jenifer Rajkumar, we say stop exploiting us with your mere rhetoric, deceitful promises and grandstanding. All your noise is further manifestation of false and exploitative promises you made to us, and still continue to make, but failed to deliver. Rajkumar knows that her bill has been pending for years in the State legislature, did not even get the necessary State senator sponsor, nor make it out of committee, and has gone nowhere, yet she recycles her deceitful excuse to claim that “our time has come.” We further condemn her empty assurances and betrayal designed to manipulate this issue, prematurely promising that “my legislation makes the room,” while deceitfully claiming that “Mayor Adams is the first Mayor to get done what South Asians have been advocating for over 20 years.” Not only is she abusing us emotionally, but our kids also, while giving the Mayor a way out to renege on his promises and blame Albany for not supporting her long shot state bill.
As articulated by former City Council member and Education Chair, Councilman Mark Treygar at a stated, public hearing to make Diwali a holiday, he verified that, “There are currently more than enough school days to declare Diwali a holiday, and the Mayor can take away a snow day, and make Diwali a holiday, tomorrow, if he wants to.” See 7:19 of this hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7_Cz5d7W8E&t=550
Stop exploiting and deceiving us with your lies, Jenifer Rajkumar and Mayor Adams, and deliver on your promise! Stop the hypocrisy!
(Albert Baldeo is an elected District Leader in Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park and Ozone Park.)
DALLAS (TIP): From October 22 to October 26, colors, lights and foodfused with joy and tradition as Diwali –The Festival of Lights –was celebrated at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, NJ. Diwali is the most widely celebrated festival byIndians and Hindus around the world. October is being celebrated as Hindu Heritage Month, and community leaders, as well as policymakers, including US President Joe Biden, are participating in lighting lamps and offering best wishes for the festivities. The mandir welcomed visitors through the new, which had over 2,700diyas, a colorful Rangoli and flower decoration. In preparation for the festivities, many devotees, young and old, gave their time to help create decorations, prepare for children’s Diwali, and set the stage for the most significant ritual of Diwali, ‘Annakut’. Annakut, which literally means ‘a mountain of food’, is traditionally offered to God to celebrate the beginning of the Hindu New Year. Annakut was celebrated on October 26, 2022, with over 1500 food delicacies being offered to Bhagwan. This year, millions of devotees and well-wishers across the globe are taking part in the centennial celebrations of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual guru and leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. After darshan of the Annakut, visitors got to view an exhibition-themed “Century of Service,” which gave an immersive experience into the Life of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj lived by the principle, “In the joy of others, lies our own.” He dedicated his life to selflessly serving others for the greater good of humanity, traveling across the world as an ambassador of peace, harmony, and faith; all while maintaining firm faith in God and adhering to His teachings. Pramukh Swami Maharaj visited over 250,000 homes across more than 50 countries and replied to over 750,000 letters, personally counseling individuals, helping them through struggles, and inspiring them to live value-centric lives. His virtues and life’s work transformed individuals, families, and communities worldwide.
Ami Shah, a visitor said, “I start my year at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, NJ. The Annakut is awesome and I love coming here. This year the exhibition on Pramukh Swami Maharaj was just too good. It was amazing to know that this was created by youths who were explaining various sections enthusiastically.” “I experienced my culture while getting a taste of fine Indian cuisine. Every person I met had an expression of warmth and happiness on their face. I truly felt at home,” said Jignesh Patel.
The multiple days of Diwali are steeped in traditions and rituals that symbolize new beginnings and a renewed commitment to family. The bright colors of Rangoli, the lamps, the elaborate offering of vegetarian food (Annakut) to Bhagwan, all mark a renewal of the good within and the goodwill towards all around us. This year His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj celebrated Diwali and Annakut in Gondal, in the state of Gujarat in India. He blessed the devotees for a happy and peaceful new year. He also stressed that since this year is also the centennial celebration of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj, may all be blessed to live according to his virtuous life.
Police say an undercover investigation led to the arrest of a woman from Queens
HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): A massage parlor in Hicksville was shut down Wednesday, November 2, after an undercover investigation led to the arrest of a woman for prostitution. Police say that Narcotics Vice Squad detectives performed an undercover investigation of a massage parlor at 195 South Broadway at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. The investigation led to the arrest of a 35-year-old woman, who was charged with unauthorized practice of a profession and prostitution.The building was secured by the Town of Oyster Bay Building Department. The woman was issued an appearance ticket and is due back in First District Court on Nov. 23.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): If the pollsters and opinions of political pundits are to be believed, Indian-Americans are likely to have a 100 per cent strike rate for the House of Representatives. The four incumbents – Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal – are likely to be re-elected. All four are from the Democratic party. Adding to the so-called Samosa Caucus of Indian-Americans in the House of Representatives would be the entrepreneur and businessman Shri Thanedar, who is seeking his election from the 13th Congressional District of Michigan. Bera, 57, the seniormost of all, is seeking his sixth term in the House of Representatives from the 7th Congressional District of California. Khanna, 46, who represents the 17th Congressional district from California, Krishnamoorthi, 49, (8th Congressional District of Illinois) and Jayapal, 57, from the 7th Congressional District of Washington State, are seeking their fourth consecutive terms. According to political experts, all four are comfortably placed against their Republican opponents. So does Thanedar, 67, who is seeking his maiden entry into the House of Representatives from the heavily African American portion of Detroit. If elected, he would be the fifth Indian-American in the next Congress along with Bera, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi and Jayapal. Chennai-born Jayapal is the first ever and only Indian-American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. During this election cycle, another Indian-American seems to be all set to create history in the State of Maryland. Aruna Miller, 57, a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, is running as Lt Governor of the State on the Democratic ticket. Political pundits say she is all set to win. In that case, she would be the first-ever Indian American to be elected to this position in Maryland.
Meanwhile, the Democrats and the Republicans have intensified their efforts to reach out to the Indian-Americans ahead of the November 8 midterm elections.
The Washington Post newspaper on Friday said that Indian-Americans can play an important role in some of the tightly contested races. “Ahead of mid-term elections that could be decided by razor-thin margins, Democrats are hoping to capitalize on some of the optimism felt by Indian Americans, a growing and increasingly vital bloc of voters,” the daily wrote.
In the critical State of Pennsylvania, popular TV host Padma Lakshmi, Phenomenal Media CEO Meena Harris and Jayapal would knock doors in Philadelphia to mobilize the community’s South Asian voters. The canvass launch will feature music, food and a lineup of distinguished speakers. Peloton Instructor Aditi Shah will lead a 20-minute grounding session to kick off the day, focusing on the importance and power of our collective community. Following the launch, over 4,000 estimated doors will be knocked in Upper Darby, Centre City and Northeast Philadelphia.
“I’m inspired to be with so many incredible community activists and South Asian women leaders in Philadelphia this weekend to activate voters who can make the margin in this midterm election. Let’s get out, knock doors, and vote!” Lakshmi said. “This is the first time we’ve brought together this group of South Asian women leaders from all over the country to mobilize our community around civic engagement,” Harris said. “And the stakes are so high — right now we’re facing intersecting crises, including alarming new restrictions to abortion care, and attacks on free and fair elections. We have to fight, and I’m proud that our community is showing up,” she said. According to Neil Makhija, Indian-American Impact executive director, in 2016, Pennsylvania was decided by a slim margin of fewer than 45,000 votes.
“This November, we’re determined to show up and show out, just as we did in Georgia, when we doubled turnout. With over 100,000 South Asian American voters in Pennsylvania alone, we have the opportunity to set the direction of the country,” he said.
The midterm elections will have a significant impact on the direction of the nation, as well as the fate of the person and the party in power in the White House.
Currently, Democrats are in the majority due to the tiebreaking power of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves ex officio as the president of the Senate. Controlling Congress means having the power to launch committee investigations.In his first two years as president, President Joe Biden has pushed through new laws on climate change, gun control, infrastructure investment and child poverty despite his narrow majorities in Congress.If one of those chambers switched to the Republicans, however, they would have the power to stop Democratic bills from being passed by Congress and the result would be gridlock.
It will decide who controls Congress as well as state legislatures and governor’s offices. But the elections will give voters an opportunity to indirectly express their views on his presidency and the current direction of the country.
With the US economy struggling and voters concerned about crime and undocumented immigration, the verdict could be a harsh one for President Biden.
The outcome will influence the playing field for the 2024 presidential campaign, and especially the odds of Donald Trump running again.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A US-based diaspora body on Tuesday, October 31, launched an online petition campaign urging the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to reduce the long waitlist for various types of American visas being issued from India.
“We request the State Department, Secretary of State Mr. Anthony Blinken and the US embassies in India to eliminate wait times for visa appointments in India. “Even after a two-year-long Covid-era pause in visa appointments at the US embassies in India, the visa appointment situation is far from normal, requiring 300 to 900 days of wait time based on the visa types, Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies or FIIDS said launching its online petition campaign.
As per travel.state.gov reports on October 31, there is an average 900+ days’ wait time for appointments for visitors’ visa (B1/B2), an average 400 days’ wait time for students (F, M,J) and an average 300 days’ wait time for petition-based temp workers like H, L, O, P and Q across the USA consulates in India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata), it said. In contrast, the US consulates in China only have an average three days’ wait time, FIIDS said. The 900+ days’ delay deprives Indian Americans and Indian immigrants in the USA of having their beloved relatives to visit, whether in the time of difficulties, needs, or for celebrations, impacting their quality of life, it said. The 400+ days’ wait time affects students joining the US universities, that not only impacts students’ future but also negatively impacts the US universities, FIIDS said, adding, the 300+ days’ wait time is impacting productivity and success of various industries and businesses due to lack of skilled workers. We urge the US State Department and Sec Blinken to resolve this issue. We believe it is not only important for US interests but the right thing to do on moral and compassionate grounds, FIIDS said in its petition on Change.Org. “As per Reuters news on 27th Sept, the Secretary of State blamed the lack of resources and funding due to lost revenues from fees on this ‘self-financed program,’” the petition said.
“We request the concerned authorities to take all necessary steps and to seek emergency funds to resolve this backlog. We are eager to assist in any way possible and will forge a coalition of individuals who will rise to the occasion to assist in mitigating this issue, it added.
ATLANTA,GA (TIP): Sankara Nethralaya USA is a not-for-profit charity organization providing ophthalmic (eye) care throughout India. For the last 4 decades, SN has treated millions of indigent blind patients.
During the month of October, Microsoft organizes the Give campaign. In this month, Microsoft encourages its employees to contribute to various causes and supports thousands of non-profit organizations across the globe. Microsoft matches 100% of the employees’ contribution and volunteer hours during this month to promote philanthropy across the organization.
Every year Sankara Nethralaya conducts one Poker Tournament with Microsoft Give program in October. This year, under the leadership of Board of Trustee Soma Jagadeesh, The Seattle team organized two poker tournaments. With Microsoft matching and volunteer hours, two events were organized on Oct.6th and Oct.13th. Through these events, the organization raised $32500 which will sponsor 500 cataract surgeries for indigent blind patients.
President Bala Reddy Indurti, President Emeritus SV Acharya, and Vice President Moorthy Rekapalli thanked all the trustees and volunteers who are working selflessly to restore vision for indigent patients. “Sankara Nethralaya USA wants to take this opportunity to thank Microsoft and all the individuals who came together to make this a great success. We have conducted the Give events on 2 different days during the month of October to contribute to the noble cause as per the feedback and response from previous years participants. This year 63 players participated and supported this cause,” Indurti told media.
NEW DELHI (TIP): Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell AO has noted the announcement by the Queensland government of an Australian 1-million-dollar reward for information leading to the location and arrest of Rajwinder Singh, 38, wanted for the murder of Toyah Cordingley.
Cordingley was reported missing on October 21, 2018, and her body was found the following morning at Wangetti Beach, Queensland.
This is the first time a reward of one million Australian dollars has been announced to “capture the attention of an international audience to reach this individual,” said a local police official.India has already approved his extradition order in March last year. Rajwinder Singh was born in Buttar Kalan in Moga district and is believed to be living in India, although his exact whereabouts are unknown. The police have released his images as he was on way to boarding a flight to India on October 23, 2018, leaving behind his wife and three children. His brother had earlier admitted that Rajwinder landed at Amritsar airport and was in mental distress over work-related issues. Little is known about him since. Three detectives of the Australian Federal Police have been in New Delhi working with the Central Bureau of Investigation on the case. The reward offered by the Queensland government will support efforts by Indian authorities to locate and apprehend Rajwinder, said an Australian High Commission statement. Officers versed in Hindi and Punjabi have been especially assigned to solve the murder which happened when Cordingley was walking her dog.
“We know that people know this person, they know where this person is and we’re asking those people to do the right thing. This person is accused of a very heinous crime; a crime which has ripped a family apart,” said Police Minister Mark Ryan.
Detective Inspector Sonia Smith who is in charge of the case is quoted as saying, “We strongly believe there are people who could share information about the whereabouts of Rajwinder. This is most definitely the time to come forward and tell us what you know.”
In India, people with information can call the Australian Federal Police at the Australian High Commission on +91 11 4122 0972.
NEW YORK (TIP): Amid massive layoffs at Twitter across the world, including in India, and the subsequent backlash, the microblogging site’s new owner Elon Musk on Saturday, November 5, justified the move, saying there was “no choice” when the company was losing millions of dollars daily.The company posted a net loss of USD 270 million in the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, compared to a profit of USD 66 million in the same period a year ago.
“Regarding Twitter’s reduction in force, unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day,” Musk tweeted.
“Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50% more than legally required,” he added.
Hundreds of employees were handed the pink slips at Twitter on Friday as Musk, 51, started overhauling the social media platform which he bought for a whopping USD 44 billion late last month.
In a letter to employees obtained by multiple media outlets on Friday, the company said employees would find out by 9 am Pacific Standard Time if they had been laid off. The email did not say how many people would lose their jobs.
Some employees tweeted early Friday that they had already lost access to their work accounts.Twitter has also fired the majority of its over 200 employees in India. Sources said the layoffs are across engineering, sales and marketing, and communications teams.
However, there is no clarity yet on the severance package to be paid to employees laid off in India.The entire marketing and communications department in India has been sacked, the sources said.
Musk has blamed activists for a significant drop in the company’s revenues. “Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy free speech in America,” Musk tweeted on Friday. Twitter’s roughly 7,500 employees have been expecting layoffs since Musk took the helm of the company. After he completed the acquisition of Twitter, Musk ousted CEO Parag Agrawal, legal executive Vijaya Gadde, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and General Counsel Sean Edgett.He also removed the company’s board of directors and installed himself as the sole board member. Musk has also announced Twitter will charge USD 8 (around Rs 660) per month from verified (blue tick) accounts—triggering intense debate on the social media platform. The firm is reportedly laying off 3,738 people out of its total headcount of 7,500 across the globe.
Meanwhile, several Twitter employees on Thursday, November 4 night filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Twitter is in violation of the federal and California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) after laying off some employees already, CNN reported. The WARN Act requires that an employer with more than 100 employees must provide 60 days’ advance written notice prior to a mass layoff “affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment.”
“Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has made clear that he believes complying with federal labor laws is ‘trivial’,” Attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, who filed the lawsuit, said in a statement to CNN.
Glimpses of Chhath celebration at Donaldson Park, Highland Park New Jersey
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Hundreds of Indian Americans worshipped the Sun God on Sunday , October 30 evening and Monday, October 31 night at several places in the country, ranging from the Potomac River in a suburb of this city and Query Lake front in Fremont, to a makeshift pond in Connecticut and Donaldson Park in New Jersey. In New Jersey, India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal and his spouse Dr Abha Jaiswal joined the Morning Arag or the worship of the rising sun at Donaldson Park, Highland, along with nearly a thousand Indian Americans from the New York and New Jersey area.
Organized by the Bihar and Jharkhand Association of North America and Bihar Foundation, one of the largest Chhath celebrations in the US saw the participation of families of top corporate leaders. In his brief remarks, Jaiswal highlighted the significance of the diaspora community in celebrating Indian festivals thousands of miles away from the country of their origin. Pushpa Mishra from New Jersey celebrated Chhath with friends and family. A first time Vrati or faster, she celebrated the festival with her spouse, Nirmal Mishra, a Director at Centroid Systems. Among those who joined the celebrations in New Jersey were Manish Varma, Global VP at GlaxoSmithKline, Amit Choudhry, COO of Wipro, Vikas Varma, Dr Director at Johnson & Johnson.
All families came together to prepare Chhath Prasad and celebrate the puja at the ghaat, extremely well organized by BAJANA and their never tiring executive committee and their volunteers, said Alok Kumar, chairman Bihar Foundation.
Braving the biting cold, a large number of Indian American gathered on the banks of the Potomac River, in a Virginia suburb of Washington DC, to participate in what is now considered as one of the oldest Chhath celebrations in the country.
It was a community effort led by software engineer Kripa Shankar Singh, who along with his wife Manisha started the celebrations in a small way in 2006. On the same bank, the annual celebrations now attract several hundred people not only from those who trace their origin to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where Chhath is celebrated, but also from neighboring Nepal as well.
To keep the participants warm in the wee hours of Monday, community leaders lit a bonfire and served hot Samosa and tea. It’s matter of pride that the manner in which the community has come together to celebrate the sacred Chhath festival, said Sunil Singh, an eminent Indian American from Virginia.
In Connecticut, Chhath was performed in a makeshift pool, as celebrants enthralled the audience with the traditional Chhath songs at the indoor auditorium there. Devotees were seen carrying the offerings in baskets wrapped in yellow cloth over their heads. More than a 1,000 Indian Americans joined the Chhath celebrations in Quarry Lake, Fremont California. Participants came dressed in colorful Indian dresses, including saree, even as organizers played traditional Chhath songs. Just felt like being in India, said Reena Gupta.
ATLANTA, GA (TIP): Veena N. Rao, PhD, professor and co-director of the Cancer Biology Program, at Morehouse School of Medicine, received the 2022 Pink Frog Legacy Award from the Pink Frog Foundation at its 10th Annual Pink Frog Affair at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Morehouse College on Friday, October 14. The organization said it chose to honor Dr. Rao for her longstanding research on breast cancer.
The anniversary celebration was a breast cancer awareness event and fundraiser which raised over $137,000 to support breast cancer patients in metro Atlanta.
Founded in 2012, the Pink Frog Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to breast cancer patients. In addition, the organization strives to provide emotional, social, and educational programming and to increase public awareness about the special needs and issues facing individuals with breast cancer.
Dr. Rao is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Morehouse School of Medicine and serves as co-director of the MSM Cancer Biology Program. She is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar at MSM. Her research focuses on the BRCA1 gene and its role in breast and ovarian cancer in diverse populations, including triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) that are more prevalent in African American women, are highly aggressive and have higher rates of metastasis.
She has obtained a patent for BRCA1 function-based assays, which can be used to stratify risk for TNBC in women who carry BRCA1 mutations and can also be used to develop targeted therapy for TNBC, a disease which currently has no mechanism-based precision treatments available. This technology when fully developed combined with BRCA1 genetic testing will revolutionize early detection for hereditary TNBC. Not to mention, the countless lives it will save through early detection of these aggressive cancers, thus reducing the mortality in African American women, leading to health equity in line with MSM’s mission. Dr. Rao earned her PhD in Biochemistry from Osmania University in India and completed part of her thesis work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Max Planck Institute, and University of Edinburgh. She completed fellowships in human genetics at Yale University School of Medicine and molecular biology at University of California, Berkeley, as well as being the Fogarty International Visiting Fellow studying Molecular Oncology at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Rao received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Osmania University.
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission — the creation and advancement of health equity.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Global space cooperation is an integral part of India’s space programme, a top Indian space scientist has said and supported the idea of nations coming together to replicate the International Space Station for another outpost in space.
In this entire journey of the Indian space programme, global space cooperation has always been “an integral part”, Krunal Joshi who is currently a counsellor, Space (ISRO) at the Embassy of India told a recent ASCEND Conference.
Participating in two-panel discussions at the prestigious ASCEND conference, hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in Las Vegas from October 24 to October 26, Joshi told the space scientific community that India has launched more than 350 satellites from 33 countries. In the 1960s, India dedicated Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station to the UN and a variety of research and launch experiments were done from here. India today has more than 230 agreements with over 55 countries and five multinational bodies. This ranges from building satellites to capacity building, he said.
UNNATI (UNispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training) started by ISRO under the aegis of the UN, where India is helping budding countries in capacity building, satellite building and how they can build nanosatellites. In 2019, India has 60 officials from 32 countries and in 2022, there are 32 officials from 22 nations. So, it’s a programme which is doing good for the upcoming countries. India’s Chandrayaan-I, he said, is one of the shining examples of how international collaboration can help to achieve something big. Countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria contributed with their payload and more than 50 countries currently are emulating the science out of that. It’s a classic example of how big countries can come together in space, he added.
Responding to a question, during one of the panel discussions, Joshi said that India is unlikely to build its international space station of its own but supported the idea of an international collaboration.
“It is very difficult for India on its own to have an entire space station. We don’t know. I don’t think that that will be a more feasible solution. A more feasible solution would be for countries to come together and replicate what we did in the ISS,” Joshi said.
Signup to our Newsletter!
Don’t miss out on all the happenings around the world
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Hundreds of Indian Americans worshipped the Sun God on Sunday , October 30 evening and Monday, October 31 night at several places in the country, ranging from the Potomac River in a suburb of this city and Query Lake front in Fremont, to a makeshift pond in Connecticut and Donaldson Park in New Jersey. In New Jersey, India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal and his spouse Dr Abha Jaiswal joined the Morning Arag or the worship of the rising sun at Donaldson Park, Highland, along with nearly a thousand Indian Americans from the New York and New Jersey area.