SAYREVILLE, N.J. (TIP): A New Jersey borough councilwoman was found shot to death in an SUV outside of her home, authorities said. Eunice K. Dwumfour, a councilwoman in Sayreville, N.J., was serving her first term in office when she was fatally shot on Wednesday, February 1.
Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, 30, was found at around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office. She had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dwumfour, a Republican, was elected to her first three-year term in 2021, when she ousted a Democratic incumbent. Colleagues recalled her as a soft-spoken devout Christian who could maintain her composure in contentious situations.
“She was a 30-year-old woman. To have this happen in such a tragic way, I mean, our hearts are just broken and everybody wants an answer,” said Karen Bailey Bebert, the local GOP chairwoman who served as her campaign manager. “So, we’re waiting with bated breath.”
Authorities have not made any arrests or said whether they believe the motive for the killing might be personal, political, or a random act.
In a 2021 campaign interview, Dwumfour described herself as a proud graduate of Newark public schools who earned a degree in women’s studies at William Patterson University while working part-time as an EMT.
She said she moved to Parlin, a section of Sayreville, after graduating “because of the tremendous public safety work the community does.” That interest fueled her run for council, where she served as a liaison to the police department now helping to investigate her death.
“She just wanted to make a better community for all our children,” said Bebert, who served as her campaign manager. Dwumfour, who had a school-age child, announced at a fall council meeting that she had recently gotten married, Bebert said. She was active in her church in Newark, she said.
Dwumfour worked in information technology, according to her LinkedIn page, where she posted last month that she was looking for a new opportunity. Her resume also said that she worked for six years with a religious nonprofit group. Her next-door neighbor, Chyann Brown, said she was arriving home Wednesday evening just as police were “flying in the complex.” She had no idea that Dwumfour, whom she described as kind and respectful, had been shot.
“When I came to park my car, there were shell cases everywhere. … I (saw) the car was still rolling down the street,” she said of Dwumfour’s vehicle.
Brown said they had spoken over the past year, but she did not realize Dwumfour was involved in local politics.
“She’s a very nice woman. She’s always well-dressed,” she said. “I can’t believe she would be involved in such a tragic incident,” Brown said. Several high-ranking state leaders, including Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, issued statements expressing their grief over her death. John Wisniewski, a former Democratic state Assembly member from Sayreville, had spoken to her at a few council meetings.
“Almost always her comments were about God, divine providence. She was a woman of faith,” Wisniewski said.
Bebert described Dwumfour as an outgoing person who “always had that beautiful smile on her face that you see in her picture.” Sayreville, a borough of roughly 45,000 people, is about 30 miles (about 48.2 kilometers) south of Manhattan. At the scene Thursday, another car in the parking lot had damage apparently sustained when Dwumfour’s car struck it.
Bebert described Sayreville as a peaceful community and said Dwumfour lived in an attractive complex near an elementary school. She hopes to organize a vigil to celebrate what she called “a life cut too short by such a heinous criminal act.”
“She was so young,” she said. “It’s just rippling through the town.”
NEW YORK (TIP): Dr. Martin Luther King’s spirit of brotherhood, his life and his ongoing legacy were honored January 14 at a program hosted by the Sri Chinmoy Centre at its Headquarters in New York City. Featured at the program was a new arrangement of the song “I Have a Dream”, with words extracted from Dr. King’s historic 1963 speech, melody by Sri Chinmoy, and a new piano arrangement. Recognized as a beacon of light and world leader, Dr. King received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. The song first premiered at a program held at the United Nations in 1977, with Coretta Scott King as guest of honor and keynote speaker.
In her closing remarks at that program, Coretta Scott King thanked Sri Chinmoy and the Peace Meditation Group, as well as the many ambassadors and UN officials who paid tribute to her husband: “Your words have been, indeed, an inspiration to me. And to have heard what has been said by representatives of nations around the world, who have understood Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message and his great life commitment, certainly inspires me personally to continue in the struggle, which we are all a part of here….I feel that I am also a citizen of the world, as Martin Luther King, Jr. was a citizen of the world.”
Sri Chinmoy with Coretta Scott King at the United Nations at a program honoring her husband on November 29, 1977.
Coretta Scott King and Sri Chinmoy were later honored in 1994 by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, India’s foremost and most respected cultural institution as the first two recipients of the Mahatma Gandhi Universal Harmony Award for their contributions to universal peace and harmony. At this award ceremony, hosted at the Hilton Hotel in New York City, Sri Chinmoy and Coretta Scott King had the honor to meet with Ramaswami Venkataraman, former President of India, who took part in the ceremony of conferment by the Bhavan along with other tidings from respected top dignitaries and Bhavanites of India such as S. Ramakrishnan, C. Subramaniam, Vice president Palkhivala, Vice president N. Gandhi.
A poem dedicated to Dr. King by Dr. Gerald Deas, respected doctor and public health advocate, delighted the audience, and Dr. Ganapati John Coleman offered a thorough history of Dr. King, the civil rights movement, and influences by Mahatma Gandhi. Ranjana Ghose, President of the Board of Directors of the Sri Chinmoy Centre, inspired the audience to follow in the footsteps of Dr. and Mrs. King and Sri Chinmoy, and to work towards a better world. Noting an often overlooked but essential factor to achieve success, she quoted Sri Chinmoy, “ The first step towards world transformation, is self transformation.”
GUTTENBERG, NJ (TIP): The New Jersey Leadership Program (NJLP) announced that it has started accepting applications for the 2023 Summer Fellowship Program. The fellowship program seeks to introduce New Jersey-based South Asian youth to government and politics. Applications are due by Friday, February 28, 2023, and interested candidates may apply online at www.njlead.org. The NJLP Summer Fellowship Program is a six-week program in which high school and college students of South Asian background are placed in internships with legislative and other government offices. The Fellowship Program also hosts weekly speakership series with elected officials, senior government staffers, journalists, non-profit leaders, and others.
“While we are seeing increasing participation each year from New Jersey’s South Asian community, we remain underrepresented at all levels of government,” said NJLP President Ishan Shah. “We have to do more and the NJLP Summer Fellowship Program seeks to empower and develop the next generation of South Asian political leaders.”
The NJLP Fellowship Program is entering its eighth year and the New Jersey Leadership Program as a whole has graduated over 70 South Asian youth fellows since its formation.
More information about the NJLP Summer Fellowship Program can be found at www.njlead.org.
The New Jersey Leadership Program (NJ Lead) is a non-partisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting South Asian American youth participation and education at the local level of government in the State of New Jersey. NJ Lead and its Fellowship Program focus on developing leadership skills, building public policy knowledge, and building the pipeline for South Asian Americans to work in government or pursue public office at the local, state, and federal levels. To learn more about NJ Lead, please visit www.njlead.org
Flag hoisting by Nassau County Controller Elaine Phillips and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino.
MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello, Chairman of Human Rights Commission Dr Bobby Kalotee joined with Indian American Forum Chairperson Indu Jaiswal and Indian American Community from Long Island, celebrated the 74th Republic Day of India on January 26, 2023. The national anthems of the US and India were sung, and the Indian national flag was hoisted.
Mrs. Sujata Seth , Public Affairs Associate for Parker Jewish institute of Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Dr Shaifali Karkare specializes in Pediatric Neurology in New Hyde Park, Dr Jagmohan Kalra, Specializes in Hematology and Medical Oncology, Dr Sohita Mehra is currently the Director of Breast imaging and started the Breast MRI institute, Mrs. Anju Sharma, active member known for her outstanding Community Services.,
Dr Swati Kumar, and Shilpi Kumar MBA were presented with India Republic Day Awards by Indian American Forum and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino.Present on the occasion were elected officials and members of the Indian American community.
Honorees: Mrs. Sujata Seth, Mrs. Anju Sharma, and Dr Sohita Mehra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam AdaniThe handshake with Gautam Adani need not prevent PM Modi from doing his duty to the nation.
Since 2014 under PM Modi, it has become a fashion and accepted norm in India that if you are a criminal and you belong to RSS family of organizations; you can hide behind “Fake Nationalism” or behind a false cry of “Hinduism is in Eminent Danger”. Under this magic formula, your every crime will go away and you can become a Central or State Minister or Chief Minister or member of legislative bodies in the center or state, or a State Governor. If you do not belong to RSS family of organizations and you are a rapist, murderer, bomb maker , terrorist, money launderer, drug dealer, mine mafia, arms dealer etc. by joining any of the RSS family of organizations; you can become sin aka crime free and now you are called Sanskari aka person of Good Character!
Disgustingly Adani Group founded by Gautam Adani, it’s CFO Jugeshinder Singh has gone one step ahead of the above time tested Magic Formula used by criminals supported by RSS family of organizations; has found a new way to cover his Boss Gautam Adani’s crimes. He has draped his boss, his family members and Adani Group’s crimes behind the National Flag of India. No one from RSS family of organizations and their Godi Media has raised any objections or has said a word that it is an insult to every Indian, Indian National Flag and Mother India. Can the PM Modi’s Government or RSS family of organization’s top officials explain if the Indian National Flag is Adani Group’s Corporate Logo?
This happened when Gautam Adani aka Adani Group though its CFO Jugeshinder Singh in a video for Media, defended himself against the accusations — leveled by US-based short sellers Hindenburg Research — that it had “engaged in a brazen stock price manipulation, stock parking, accounting fraud, round tripping of cash, Import-Export scams, money laundering through 38 offshore shell companies etc. over the course of decades,” the choice of décor was more persuasive than the denial of frauds.
Nationalism is not to be abused.
CFO Singh stood in front of a giant Indian flag that made him look more like a very high level government official than an embattled company executive. His message was clear: If you are a “foreign entity” coming after Gautam Adani or Adani Group, you’re coming after India.
No, sir; it’s not an attack on India.
CFO Singh while defending Gautam Adani aka Adani Group also said, “It does not surprise me. In Jallianwala Bagh, only one Englishman gave an order, Indians fired on other Indians. So am I surprised by the behavior of some fellow Indians? No.”
Shamelessly CFO Singh has equated frauds committed by Gautam Adani aka Adani Group exposed by Hindenburg Research with the martyrs fighting for Indian independence from the British. At the same time, he is giving an open warning to every Indian if they believe in Hindenburg Research report and question Gautam Adani or Adani Group, they will be called traitors aka anti-Nationals.
Then on Jan 29th, 2023 Adani group in its 413-page written rebuttal, denounced Hindenburg’s report as “baseless” and “malicious,” and accused the firm of having an “ulterior motive” for publishing the “missive.” “This is rife with conflict of interest and intended only to create a false market in securities to enable Hindenburg, an admitted short seller, to book massive financial gain through wrongful means at the cost of countless investors.”
It said Hindenburg’s actions represent a “calculated attack on India, the independence, integrity, and quality of Indian institutions, and the growth story and ambition of India.”
Same day on Jan 29, 2023, Hindenburg Research replied, “Fraud cannot be obfuscated by Nationalism or a bloated response that ignores every key allegation we raised.
Adani has stoked a nationalist narrative, claiming pour report amounted to a “calculated attack on India.” In short, the Adani Group has attempted to conflate its meteoric rise and the wealth of its Chairman, Gautam Adani, with the success of India itself.
We disagree. To be clear, we believe India is a vibrant democracy and an emerging superpower with an exciting future. We also believe India’s future is being held back by the Adani Group, which has draped itself in the Indian flag while systematically looting the nation.
Hindenburg investigation speaks of Adani Group’s shell companies.
We also believe that fraud is fraud, even when it’s perpetrated by one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
In terms of substance, Adani’s ‘413 page’ response only included about 30 pages focused on issues related to our report.
The remainder of the response consisted of 330 pages of court records, along with 53 pages of high-level financials, general information, and details on irrelevant corporate initiatives, such as how it encourages female entrepreneurship and the production of safe vegetables.
Within one week of the Hindenburg Research report, Adani Group companies have lost $108 Billion in Market Cap, one of the biggest wipeouts in India’s history. Gautam Adani himself lost $48 Billion in personal wealth and now ranks 16TH in the Index of World’s Richest from 3rd rank on Jan. 23, 2023. On Feb. 1, 2023 Credit Suisse stopped accepting Bonds of Adani Group collateral for margin loans to private banking clients. Citigroup Inc’s (C.N) wealth arm also stopped accepting securities of Gautam Adani’s group of firms as collateral for margin loans.
Hindenburg report speaks of fraud by Adani GroupHindenburg
Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) late on Feb. 2, 2023 decided to withdraw its Rs 20,000 crore ($2.5 Billion) follow-on public offering (FPO), India’s biggest such issue after claiming over subscription on Feb. 1, 2023 and announced that investors money will be returned. Sajjan Jindal and Sunil Mittal subscribed the Adani FPO in a last-minute push from their personal funds and do not involve listed businesses that they head like JSW Steel Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd. FPO offering price band was Rs 3,112-3,276 per share while it was trading below Rs 3,000.00 in the market. The closing price of Gautam Adani’s Flagship company closed at Rs 1,565.25 at BSE on Feb. 2, 2023 that is 52 weeks low from its high of Rs 4,190.00
The decision to withdraw the FPO issue came right after Forbes flash news that “there’s evidence of wrongdoing that the Adani Group likely bought into its own $2.5 Billion Share sale. It must be noted that despite the FPO being oversubscribed, its retail portion was subscribed only 0.12 times (12%) with investors bidding for only 2.74 million shares as against the quota of 22.9 million shares. The non-institutional investor category was over-subscribed 3.32 times while that of qualified institutional buyers (QIB) was also oversubscribed 126%.
Post Hindenburg Report , Value of LIC investment in Adani Group shares have fallen from ₹77,000 CR to ₹53,000 CR- loss of ₹23,500 CR. Also, LIC shares have lost ₹22,442 CR. SBI share’s “market cap” has declined by a whopping ₹ 54,618 CR. The Loan Exposure of SBI and other Banks to Adani Group is ₹ 81,200 CR. SBI alone has $2.6 billion or Rs 21,000 crore of loans to Adani Group.
Indians wish they opened their eyes for the sake of India and the Indians.
On Feb. 2, 2023, India’s parliament was adjourned for the day after pandemonium broke out when the upper house chair rejected opposition lawmakers’ demand for a debate on Billionaire Gautam Adani’s dispute with a US short seller Hindenburg Research. They were demanding an investigation into accusations of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud” made against Adani Group by the Hindenburg Research. Later Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Indian National Congress party and leader of the opposition, told reporters, “We want either a joint parliamentary committee … or a committee headed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court to investigate this matter and release the day-to-day report.”
It is a well-known fact that current Indian PM Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani are close friends for over 2 decades and both have helped each other in their respective professions. Adani from Diamond sorter became the 3rd richest person in the world. That position he held till the Hindenburg Research made disclosures of serious frauds by Adani Group. Despite having no apparent experience or expertise; he is in every field of India; right from ports, airports, military hardware, railways, mining, cement, power, real estate, fresh & processed food etc. mostly due to government favors.
Modi from menial RSS worker became its Pracharak aka “Messenger of RSS’s misguided Hindutva and Hindu Rashtra Philosophy” to became the face along with L K Advani in the Rath Yatra for Ram Mandir, later to become the CM of Gujarat in 2001. So many independent Indian and foreign bodies hold CM Modi responsible for ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Gujarat riots in 2002. There was “widespread rape of Muslim women” and killing of Muslims. “Muslim businesses, including businesses partially owned by Muslims and their properties were systematically targeted and destroyed. “This was followed by calls for an economic boycott of Muslim owned businesses, denial of jobs, rentals & forcible sale of their properties in Hindu localities.” As per official figures 1,044 dead, 223 missing, and 2,500 injured. Of the dead, 790 were Muslim and 254 Hindu. The Concerned Citizens Tribunal Report estimated that as many as 1,926 Muslims may have been killed. Over 140,000 people were displaced in the violence, of which 100,000 were Muslims. “Conditions in refugee camps were extremely poor for Muslims” and initially compensation offered by the Modi’s Gujarat government was “discriminatory”: Rs 200,000 for Hindu victims, and Rs 100,000 for Muslims. This was later modified “at the request of the Central government in Delhi”. Still Modi remain Chief Minister of Gujarat till 2014 to become the Prime Minister of India by invoking fake nationalism. misguided Hindutva and his support to make India a Hindu Rashtra.
The loyalty to Gautam Adani should not deter the Prime Minister of India from doing his duty to the nation.
If PM Modi’s government has an iota of shame, care for international reputation of India, and even 0.1% faith in Democratic norms and love for India as per the Hinduism they swear by; Adani Group’s founders, family members, top executives and enforcement agencies’ top officials must be investigated. If they are found guilty, they must be given exemplary punishment to deter future financial crimes like this by anyone, including persons belonging to richest club or bureaucrats or politicians of India. In the meantime Adani Group’s Chief Financial Officer Jugeshinder Singh must be arrested immediately for insulting Indian National Flag, Indians and Mother India. Singh should be arrested on non-bailable warrants and must do minimum 6 months rigorous imprisonment with regular criminals with no privileges for being a rich or highly educated man or a foreign national. Being a highly educated and ex-Indian citizen, he was fully aware of the rules and protocols about using the Indian National Flag by a common citizen. He cannot hide behind the fact by saying that he is an Australian citizen and gave up his Indian citizenship to give lectures on Indian Nationalism!
Adani Group: How The World’s 3rd Richest Man Is Pulling The Largest Con In Corporate History
Published on January 24, 2023
HINDENBURG’s REPLY TO ADANI’s RESPONSE:
JAN. 29, 2023
Fraud Cannot Be Obfuscated by Nationalism Or A Bloated Response That Ignores Every Key Allegation We Raised
(The special report has been compiled by Dave Makkar for The Indian Panorama. Mr. Makkar is a social activist based in New Jersey)
The Indian Panorama welcomes readers’ comments which will be published in the next weekly editions.
Kickerline: Budget combines fiscal prudence with populism
In its last full Budget before the 2024 General Election, the NDA government has attempted to strike a balance between economic and electoral considerations. With nine states going to the polls this year (including three this month), followed by the bigger battle for the Lok Sabha, the government has reached out to various sections — be it farmers, the salaried, tax-harried middle class or the poorest of the poor. The country’s resilient recovery from the pandemic has offered an opportunity to make all engines of growth press ahead at full steam. The government has again reposed faith in capital expenditure, whose outlay has been increased by 33 per cent to reach Rs 10 lakh crore. The focus is on greater spending and making India more attractive for investors in the post-Covid period.
Amid a global slowdown, India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, and it is imperative to maintain the momentum. The government is hopeful that investments and job creation will go hand in hand. However, the situation on the ground is not so promising. The national unemployment rate has hovered around 7-8 per cent during the past 12 months. It’s obvious that various job generation schemes, including the one that links production with incentives, need regular monitoring and better implementation.
The Budget has listed seven long-term priorities — inclusive development, reaching the last mile, infrastructure and investment, unleashing potential, green growth, youth power and the financial sector. The proposed creation of the agriculture accelerator fund to help agri startups shows that the Centre is heavily banking on the time-tested farming sector for economic dividends. The allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for the transition to green fuels is welcome, but the challenge will be to ensure a smooth switchover with adequate reskilling and redistribution of the workforce. The 66 per cent jump in allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana can help improve housing facilities for migrant workers, while the highest ever capital outlay of Rs 2.4 lakh crore for the Railways is another step that will keep growth on the right track. All in all, the Budget has something for everyone, in a large measure or small.
Imperative for Adani Group, India to shore up investor trust
The turmoil in the stock markets, largely caused by the sell-off of the Adani Group shares since late last week, has brought into sharp focus India’s regulatory framework, apart from the necessity of robust accounting practices. Investor sentiment suffered following the release of a report by New York-based Hindenburg Research — an investor research firm that positions itself as an investigator-activist — which alleged that the Adani Group had engaged in ‘a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades.’ Even as it lost tens of billions of dollars in valuation, the Adani Group denied the accusations, calling them ‘selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations’, and ‘a calculated attack on India.’ The report also raised questions over the group’s high debt levels and accused it of using shell companies based in tax havens. In the past, analysts have pointed at large investments in the Adani Group by entities such as the LIC and several public sector banks.
The allegations made by Hindenburg may be insufficient to prosecute Adani, but it’s imperative that regulators such as SEBI and the Reserve Bank of India address the issue swiftly and decisively. This is important because at stake is India’s reputation as an investment destination — India’s is the fifth-largest economy in the world and many investors now look at the country as a more attractive option than China and other emerging economies. The episode also focuses the spotlight on audit firms — across the world, the unscrupulous among these have been known to help big companies mislead investors by manipulating accounts. Just in the current century, many observers blamed audit firms for the collapse of Enron in 2002 and Lehman Brothers in 2008.
To shore up investor trust, the Adani Group and regulatory institutions must dispel fears of auditing fraud or any other malpractice. Probity in accounting safeguards institutional and individual investments, helping investors make informed decisions. The regulatory authorities and the government must ensure that the interests of the average investor are protected, and the country’s reputation as an investment destination is not sullied.
(Tribune, India)
“Make lemonade out of lemons” is a saying ingrained from an early age in students across the country to teach perseverance in the face of adversity. In essence, when faced with a bad situation, navigate the current circumstances to imagine a positive outcome.
When it comes to George Santos, it’s far easier to imagine a steady stream of lemon juice squirted directly into our eyes rather than heeding such an elementary maxim.
Each new day seems to bring a new lie with it, one more outrageous than the next. From a fake resume, to a fake address, to a fake religion, and more, George Santos remains defiant as ever in the face of his masterpiece: the most sophisticated web of lies ever created in the history of American politics.
The good news is that people of good conscience all across NY’s 3rd District, irrespective of partisan affiliation, are exasperated by the “Talented Mr. Santos” and have had enough. Calls for Santos to resign ring out from the headquarters of both the Nassau Democrats and the Nassau GOP. But being outraged is not a sufficient enough solution to our George Santos problem.
Yes, George Santos is an issue for the nation, but he’s also a problem of our local creation. And therefore the burden lies with us here in NY-03 not just to destroy Frankenstein’s monster, but to ensure that the next George Santos is barred from ever putting their name on the ballot.
And what George Santos, the long-lost brother of fake German heiress Anna Delvey, has shown us is that guardrails to prevent charlatans and liars from running for office simply don’t exist in the 21st century.
That’s why I’ve proposed the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE here in Nassau County, an eponymous series of laws named for Mr. Santos: Get Egregious Officials Removed from Government Elections.
This package includes several law proposals to safeguard against individuals like Mr. Santos from ever getting elected in the first place. They include:
Mandatory background checks for all candidates, just like every other employee is subjected to.
Barring anyone with an open foreign arrest warrant from holding office.
Making it a misdemeanor to lie about a candidate’s education, employment history, address, and income sources.
The G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE is not a guarantor against politicians lying to get elected. Rather it offers peace of mind to residents that they have an honest choice between two candidates, and gives insurance to voters that if candidates don’t play by the rules, they, like us, will also be held accountable.
When James Madison authored the Constitution, never in the wildest dreams of our Founders did they envision needing laws like the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE on the books. But so as the Constitution is a living document, our governments also must continue to evolve with the times.
And in the age of George Santos, where politicians take an “ends justify the means” approach to elevate lies over the truth and perpetrate fraud against the voters in order to win elections, these safeguards are needed now more than ever to protect our democracy.
My hope is that versions of the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE pass in Mineola, in Albany, and in Washington. Therefore all across this state voters can breathe a collective sigh of relief that no matter which candidate wins, at least someone as morally reprehensible as George Santos won’t be representing them.
After all, while Santos may be the lemons, the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE is our lemonade. Let’s drink up.
A ‘committed judiciary’ would spell the end of checks & balances in a democracy
“The SCC system, like the proposed NJAC, or the systems now prevalent in advanced democracies can never be perfect, but it is the best in the circumstances. The judges, at least, are not political, though they have their own preferences. A constant criticism of the SCC system is that it is opaque. Only the five senior-most judges who constitute the Collegium can tell why one candidate has been selected and the other rejected, but when the SCC decided to meet that criticism by placing the papers before the public, Rijiju took offence at this unexpected move and pleaded that inputs by the IB and other Central Intelligence agencies should never be made public.”
The Collegium system, like the proposed NJAC, or the systems now prevalent in advanced democracies can never be perfect, but it is the best in the circumstances.
By Julio Ribeiro
Indira Gandhi was a born leader. Narendra Modi is a born leader. Indira wanted a committed judiciary. Modi wants a committed judiciary. Indira went about superseding judges who she knew would not support her policies if those policies crossed the line drawn by the Constitution. Modi is more subtle in achieving his goal. He has Kiren Rijiju, his Law Minister, to ensure that all judges raised to the Bench in High Courts and the Supreme Court come to heel!
The Collegium system, like the proposed NJAC, or the systems now prevalent in advanced democracies can never be perfect, but it is the best in the circumstances. Rijiju had done well in the sports and other ministries he was heading, but in the law and judiciary portfolio, he continues to convince, unsuccessfully so far, the Chief Justice and his brother judges of the Supreme Court to shift the balance of power to appoint High Court and Supreme Court judges from the Supreme Court’s Collegium (SCC) into the hands of the government.
In Dr DY Chandrachud, he has met a doughty opponent who cannot be taken for a ride. Every few days, Rijiju tries a new tack. He has to prove himself to the ‘one who decides his future’. I wish him well but not at the cost of the people. The citizens of the Republic must be assured of an independent judiciary. A ‘committed judiciary’ would spell the end of checks and balances that a democracy needs to be assured of a modicum of justice. If the judiciary is enslaved like some other institutions that have already succumbed or about to succumb (some against their wishes), this country will be on its way to become an autocratic state. We are already being told what we should wear, what we should eat and who we should love. If the judiciary ceases to think like it should — according to the law and the Constitution — our very life and liberty will be at stake.
Justice Madan Lokur, formerly of the SC, has in an essay in an online publication titled , ‘The Government Wants a Committed Judiciary — And Could be Close to Getting One’, spelt out various untruths that Rijiju has been guilty of in the course of his campaign to malign the SCC system.
The SCC system, like the proposed NJAC, or the systems now prevalent in advanced democracies can never be perfect, but it is the best in the circumstances. The judges, at least, are not political, though they have their own preferences. A constant criticism of the SCC system is that it is opaque. Only the five senior-most judges who constitute the Collegium can tell why one candidate has been selected and the other rejected, but when the SCC decided to meet that criticism by placing the papers before the public, Rijiju took offence at this unexpected move and pleaded that inputs by the IB and other Central Intelligence agencies should never be made public.
Well, he cannot have it both ways. If he wants to hide the reasons for the government’s distrust of certain nominees, it would help the government to say that it had rejected the nomination for reasons spelt out by the IB. That would dispel the popular understanding that the government wants only judges who toe its line and not those who are fair and just. Obviously, the government does not want to be told that its Intelligence agencies are also eager to toe its line! The disclosures that the SCC has now made because of its spat with the Law Ministry show that the objections voiced in the Intelligence reports are on the lines required by the government.
Ever since Justice Chandrachud became the CJI, the Law Ministry, with Rijiju to guide it, has become particularly hostile. Any recommendation that is reiterated after reconsideration on the government’s urging has to be accepted in toto, according to rules. The government has been dragging its feet, making it abundantly clear that certain independent-minded legal luminaries are ‘persona non grata’.
Justice Lokur has mentioned the case of Aditya Sondhi, who withdrew his consent when his appointment to the SC Bench was kept in cold storage for more than a year. The inter-High Court transfers of Chief Justices are also kept in cold storage if the government frowns on certain judges, like Justice Muralidhar, whose only fault was that he insisted on FIRs against a minister and other BJP bigwigs when they made hate speeches quite openly and brazenly in Delhi before the riots began three years ago.
Justice Lokur also mentioned about the case of legal luminary Gopal Subramanium, who withdrew his consent to serve as a judge of the Supreme Court after the government stalled his appointment by blatantly splitting the recommendation of the SCC, accepting one name and keeping quiet over the other, thus making it known that the government did not want a judge who was not in sync with its policies.
Justice Lokur proved through his dissertation that Rijiju’s argument that India was the only country in the world where the government had no part to play in the selection of judges was totally false and misconceived. The examples he quoted proved the fact that the government was, in fact, neck and shoulders involved in the entire exercise. Moreover, said Justice Lokur, the procedure laid down for the appointment of judges to the High Courts and the Supreme Court clearly shows that the government has its fingers immersed in the pie at various stages and there is no question of keeping them out. In fact, the final word is with the Law Ministry itself because by sitting over the recommendations of the SCC in many inconvenient (to the government) appointments and expediting others, it has proved that the final say is of the government, and the government alone.
The government obviously does not want independent-minded judges and it is only the present CJI and his senior colleagues, now in the SCC, who are effectively ensuring that this last bastion of democracy does not capitulate during their term in office.
(The author is a former governor and a retired IPS officer)
WASHINGTON , D.C. (TIP): Indian American political consultant Shasti Conrad has been elected as the new chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, becoming the youngest and first Indian American woman to serve as a state party chair in the US. Conrad, 38, a political consultant, ran unopposed, with the support of Gov. Jay Inslee, Washington’s Democratic US senators, most of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation and a majority of other elected Democrats.
“I’m so honored to have the opportunity to serve as Chair of our state party and build on the outstanding success Washington Democrats have earned at the ballot box for the last six years,” said Conrad, who has worked on political campaigns since 2008 when she got her start as a field organizer working for then-Senator Obama’s primary campaign.
“I’m excited to work with Democratic leaders from every community to build an unprecedented field operation that will carry the message of how Washington Democrats are delivering for working families to each and every voter,” she said in a statement issued on Saturday.
“Today, Shasti Conrad was elected Chair of the Washington State Democrats by affirmation. Conrad is the first woman of color and youngest person to be elected Chair of the Washington State Democrats as well as the first South Asian and first Indian American woman to serve as a State Democratic Party Chair in the country,” according to a statement from the Washington State Democrats. Conrad, a former leader of the King County Democrats, replaced Tina Podlodowski, who served as party chair since 2017.
“I’m thrilled to pass on the torch to my friend Shasti Conrad. Shasti has been a crucial part of our organizing efforts over the past six years helping to build a top-notch state party which has seen unprecedented electoral success in both state and federal elections,” said Podlodowski, the outgoing party chair.
Conrad assumes leadership of an organization whose voter contact operation has played a key role in Democrats’ statewide electoral dominance since the 2016 election, the statement said.
Locally, Conrad served as Chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. County Democrats from 2018 to 2022, where she raised nearly USD 300,000 for a county party organization mired in debt when she first took office.
As a political consultant working with candidate campaigns and political action committees across the country, Conrad has earned several awards for her work producing virtual fundraisers during the height of the pandemic, including the prestigious Pollie Awards from the American Association of Political Consultants in 2022 for Sen.
Conrad was named one of the “40 Under 40” by the American Association of Political Consultants, and one of the most influential people in Seattle Politics by Seattle Met Magazine.
She received her Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University and her BA with Honors distinction from Seattle University.
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Chandigarh-born Harmeet Dhillon has lost her bid to head the Republican National Committee (RNC) despite a spirited fight against the US party’s establishment that drew broad support.
The current RNC chair Ronna McDaniels was re-elected on Friday, January 27, at the Committee’s meeting in California despite criticism for having led the party through three successive defeats and an underperformance.
Dhillon, who polled 51 votes to McDaniel’s 111 in the 168-member RNC, ran a grassroots campaign that brought out the discontent in the ranks of the party that must face a presidential election next year.
After the election, Dhillon said” “At the end of the day, if our party is perceived as totally out of touch with the grassroots, which I think some may take away from this outcome, we have some work to do.” The Republican Party has two high-profile women with roots in Punjab – Dhillon, who proudly broadcasts it with the Twitter handle “@pnjaban”; and Nikki Haley, the first Indian American to be on the US Cabinet, who has said is “looking in a serious way” a run for the party’s presidential nomination.
The run-up to the RNC election was marred by allegations that McDaniels’s supporters had run a whispering campaign against Dhillon based on her Sikh faith.
Dhillon tweeted during the campaign: “No amount of threats to me or my team, or bigoted attacks on my faith traceable directly to associates of the chair, will deter me from advancing positive change at the RNC.” McDaniels condemned the efforts to use religion against Dhillon citing her own membership in the minority Mormon faith that is often portrayed negatively.
Dhillon received the support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a rising figure in the party and a likely challenger to former President Donald Trump for the party’s presidential nomination next year.
Endorsing Dhillon, DeSantis said in an interview with the leader of a conservative group within the party, “I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC”.
With McDaniels as chair, the party lost the House of Representatives in 2018 and Senate and the presidential election in 2020 and underperformed in the mid-term elections last year whipping up criticism of the leadership.
Dhillon had picked up support from two state committees, Nevada and Washington, the heads of the party in four states and from several high-profile party donors, as well as media figures influential within the party.
Trump who had connections to both McDaniels and Dhillon stayed neutral in the open, but according to some media reports secretly backed the incumbent.
He had picked McDaniels in 2017 to head the RNC, while Dhillon was one of his lawyers during the last presidential election and the House probe into the January 2021 Capitol riots.
McDaniel is seen as closely aligned herself with Trump and while Dhillon has not openly gone against him, she repudiated Trump’s continued claim that he was the rightful winner in 2020.
But many conservative diehard Trump supporters backed Dhillon and this may have turned off some of the moderate voters. According to Politico, many had reservations in particular about one “firebrand conservative figure” Charlie Kirk who they feared might exert influence on the party if she were elected.
Dhillon immigrated to the US as a child, said a Sikh prayer at the opening of a session of the RNC in 2016 — the first time a non-Abrahamic religion figured in a national party convention.
Dhillon, whose law practice takes on discrimination cases, mainly by conservatives, has been associated with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is reviled by many Republicans.
SEATTLE (TIP): Shree Saini, the first Indian American to win the Miss World America title, joined a prayer for world peace at a function organized in Rajyoga Bhawan. She had come to meet her maternal grandparents Vijay Laxmi and Tilak Raj Sachdeva.
Saini represented the US at Miss World 2021, and was the 1st runner-up, Brahma Kumari’s center in-charge Pushplata presented her with a bouquet and wished for a bright future.
LONDON (TIP): Sophia Duleep Singh, the daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh – the last ruler of the Sikh empire – and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, is to be honored with a commemorative Blue Plaque in London.
Princess Sophia was among the leading suffragettes who fought for women’s right to vote in 1900s Britain.
The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honors the historic significance of particular buildings associated with historical figures and its 2023 cohort includes the 19th-century home of the British Indian Princess.
“Daughter of the deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh, who already has a plaque in Holland Park (London), and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was an active suffragette and made full use of her royal title to generate support for female enfranchisement,” notes English Heritage in its Blue Plaque announcement this week.
“She was a dedicated member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) and the Women’s Tax Resistance League (WTRL). The plaque will mark the large house near Hampton Court Palace which was granted to Sophia and her sisters as a grace and favor apartment by Queen Victoria in 1896,” it notes.
British Indian writer Anita Anand, the author of ‘Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary’, expressed her excitement at the historical heroine being recognized with a Blue Plaque.
“Princess Sophia Duleep Singh will finally get the recognition she deserves,” said Anand.
It is among six new plaques unveiled for the year, including fellow suffragette Emily Wilding Davison’s home in Kensington in London and violinist and composer Yehudi Menuhin’s six-story house in Belgravia, where he lived for the last 16 years of his life.
Others include anti-racism activist Claudia Jones, London’s first female Mayor Ada Salter and Pre-Raphaelite model Marie Spartali Stillman.
“Every year, English Heritage’s blue plaques offer a glimpse of the very best of human achievement,” said William Whyte, architectural historian and Professor of Social and Architectural History at Oxford University, who takes over as the new Chair of the Blue Plaques Panel at English Heritage.
“In my first year as Chair of the panel, I am particularly excited to recognize so many who fought for what they believed in. From Emily Wilding Davison, who famously died for her cause, to Claudia Jones, whose life-long struggle for social justice helped inspire the Notting Hill Carnival, these are people who made a difference and it’s an honor to play a part in making sure that their contributions are remembered,” he said.
Last year, to coincide with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence, the south London home where Dadabhai Naoroji lived for around eight years at the end of the 19th century was commemorated with a Blue Plaque.
The prominent member of the Indian freedom struggle and Britain’s first Indian parliamentarian, often referred to as the “grand old man of India”, is reported to have moved to Washington House, 72 Anerley Park, Penge, Bromley, at a time when his thoughts were turning increasingly towards full independence for India in 1897.
That red-brick home now has a plaque which reads: “Dadabhai Naoroji 1825-1917 Indian Nationalist and MP lived here”. He is among several Indian freedom struggle leaders commemorated with plaques, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
HOUSTON (TIP): “Advancing Women’s Health Through Awareness and Action” was the theme at the much-anticipated Women’s Leadership Forum that featured extraordinarily successful Women Leaders representing a diversity of professions, involving public, private and government organizations, during the recently concluded Global Healthcare Summit organized by the American Association of Physici9ans of Indian origin (AAPI) in Visakhapatnam, India from January 6th to 8th, 2023.
Dr. Smt. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Honorable Governor of Telangana & Honorable Lt. Governor of Puducherry delivered the keynote address at the Women’s Forum virtually. She urged everyone to “Pay attention to little things and how changes can be brought in. Ensure that the much-needed healthcare services reach everyone. There are many plans and programs initiated by the state government, but people need to be made aware of them and be helped to utilize the programs,” she said. She lauded “the great work by AAPI members for promoting health globally, particularly in India and the United States.”
Shri. MVV Satyavathi, Member of Parliament, representing Anakapalli in Andhra Pradesh was the Guest of Honor at the Women’s Forum. In her address, she congratulated AAPI, whose members having been born and educated in India, settled down in the US with success, have come back to India to serve the people of India, and work together for the betterment of humanity.
While congratulating the members of AAPI’s Women’s Forum and lauding them for some of the major initiatives of the Women’s Forum, Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI said, “In collaboration with national AAPI, the Forum has successfully organized events like HPV vaccination drive, fundraiser for suicide prevention awareness, scholarship for medical students, and many others.” In the next 2 years, the Forum aims to conduct CPR and AED training and install more AEDs in areas such as the railway stations, bus stations, malls, schools, and colleges. We plan to organize certified training workshops on Neonatal resuscitation, basic life support and emergency medicine for emergency responders and healthcare professionals.
Dr. Udaya Shivangi, Chair of AAPI’s Women’s Committee, in her opening remarks provided an overview of the Forum and the many initiatives by the Forum both in India and the United States. “It is my privilege and great honor to serve as the Chair of AAPI‘s Women Leadership Forum. We are fortunate to have with us. leaders and decision makers who have made a significant impact on the society and share a common vision of a healthier and stronger India,” she said.
“Each year, the Women’s Forum has played a significant role in organizing events, fundraisers and service projects that represent the core values of AAPI and our collective mission of giving back to our motherland. These events serve as a platform to expand our resources, share technological advancements and establish new partnerships, Dr. Shivangi added.
Panelists at the Women’s Forum included: Dr. Suneela Garg, Dir. Professor & Head of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College; Dr. Anuradha Medoju, Senior Regional Director at Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India; Dr. S. Radha Rani, Former Professor and Superintendent, Hospital of Mental Health; and Ms. Meghna Chalasani, Team Lead, Advisory Committees, Program Lead, Science Office Strategies for New Drugs at Center for Drug Education and Research, US Food & Drug Administration.
Dr. Anuradha Medoju, Senior Regional Director at Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India spoke about how she is able to work as a mother and government servant. “Working with balance is challenging. We should have boundaries for everything while needing to balance our personal life, our family life and our passion,” she said.
Dr. Suneela Garg, Dir. Professor & Head of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College pointed out that women are 55% of the total population of India. “We have made progress in so many areas of health indicators and infant mortality. I urge AAPI to come forward to work with local organizations and help spread wellness initiatives among the people.”
Dr. S. Radha Rani, Former Professor and Superintendent, Hospital of Mental Health spoke about why mental health is important and how to improve one’s overall health. “Woman is an important member of the family and the society. Her mental health is vital, as it affects everyone in the family and therefore caring for her mental health is important. Major life events impact women, who in turn affect all other members of the family.”
The Women’s Forum is chaired by Dr. Udaya Shivangi and Dr. T. Radha, while Dr. Uma Jonnalagadda is the Advisor and Dr. B. Devi Madhavi is serving as the Co-Chair. Dr. Jonnalagadda, while proposing the vote of thanks, said, “I thank you for being with us today and advocating for women’s rights.” For more details, please visit: www.aapiusa.org
Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, seeks a suspension of the funding to the NGO pending a full and thorough review of these allegations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A US NGO based in Pakistan and receiving humanitarian aid from the US Agency for International Development is associated with designated terrorist organizations, an American lawmaker has alleged. In a letter to USAID Administrator Samantha Power on January 24, Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sought a suspension of the funding to the NGO pending a full and thorough review of these allegations.
“This award must immediately be suspended pending a full and thorough review of these accusations,” McCaul said. The Congressman, in the letter, expressed concern that USAID received information from his office more than eight months ago regarding credible allegations that one of its grantees is associated with designated terrorist organizations.
In October 2021, USAID awarded USD 110,000 to Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) through the Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program. This award was made despite longstanding, detailed allegations that HHRD is connected to designated terrorist organizations, terror financiers and extremist groups, he said.
In November 2019, three Members of Congress requested that the State Department review these alleged ties to terrorism in a public letter, he wrote.
“Please immediately personally review this grant to HHRD. I strongly urge you to pause this grant while you complete a thorough review of the allegations, to include coordination with the intelligence community, federal law enforcement, the State Department Counterterrorism Bureau, and the Department of Homeland Security,” McCaul said.
The HHRD, a top 4-star rated USA NGO, is also registered in Pakistan with the Ministry of Interior. It is present in all four provinces – Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – of Pakistan, in addition to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. According to the allegations and media reports, some sponsors of HHRD events in Pakistan include Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), the charitable wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terrorist outfit responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The US in 2016 had designated FIF as a terrorist organization.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during which they exchanged views on a wide range of global and regional issues and discussed deepening the bilateral strategic partnership. Blinken, who has just arrived from a trip to the Middle East, including Israel and Egypt, met Doval on Wednesday, February 1. The United States is expanding cooperation with India to address global challenges, Blinken said in a tweet after the meeting.
“I had a good meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today to discuss deepening our strategic partnership, Blinken tweeted.
Both sides exchanged views on a wide range of global and regional issues of mutual interest and how to further strengthen the #India- US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, the Indian Embassy here said in a tweet.
Doval is leading a high-powered delegation to the US.
He also met his American counterpart Jake Sullivan on Tuesday.
During their meeting, India and the United States elevated their strategic partnership with the launch of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology or iCET.
The discussions held during the visit of Doval form the basis for intensifying India-US cooperation in cutting-edge sectors and are truly reflective of the maturity of a comprehensive and global strategic partnership, the Indian embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
Doval and Sullivan co-chaired the inaugural iCET meeting at the White House on Tuesday, translating into action the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden during their meeting in Tokyo in May 2022.
iCET aims to position the two countries as trusted technology partners by building technology value chains and supporting the co-development and co-production of items. It also aims to address regulatory restrictions, export controls and mobility barriers through a standing mechanism, the embassy said.
During the meeting, the US side also assured support to ease export barriers to India in a few critical areas, including through efforts towards legislative changes. Emphasis was placed on strengthening linkages between the startup ecosystems and building innovation bridges in key sectors between the two countries, through expos, hackathons and pitching sessions, according to the statement.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Four prominent Indian American lawmakers — Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna — have been appointed members of three key House panels, reflecting the growing influence of the community in US politics.
Congresswoman Jayapal has been named Ranking Member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee’s panel on Immigration, making her the first immigrant to serve in a leadership role for the subcommittee.
Jayapal, 57, representing the 7th Congressional District of Washington State succeeds Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren to serve on the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, a media release said.
“As the first South Asian woman elected to the US House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalized citizens in Congress, I am honored and humbled to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement,” said Jayapal.
“I came to this country when I was 16, alone, and with nothing in my pockets. After 17 years on an alphabet soup of visas to become a US citizen, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live the American Dream, a dream that is out of reach for too many immigrants today,” she said.
“It is extremely meaningful to me that I will now be in this position to better move the needle and re-center our broken immigration system around dignity, humanity, and justice. As I step into this role, I would also like to thank Representative Lofgren for her years of dedicated leadership on the Subcommittee, and look forward to continuing to work with her,” Jayapal said.
Bera, 57, has been appointed as a member of a powerful US House committee handling intelligence-related matters.
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is charged with providing oversight of the country’s intelligence activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), National Security Agency (NSA), as well as military intelligence programs.
“I am honored to be appointed by Leader (Hakeem) Jeffries to serve on the House Intelligence Committee, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and national security of the United States,” Bera said.
A six-time Congressman, Bera represents the sixth Congressional District of California.
“At a time of increased threats, both at home and abroad, I take seriously this new role and the responsibility entrusted to me to protect and defend American families,” he said.
“With my decade of experience working on critical national security issues, I look forward to working with Committee members from both sides of the aisle to ensure our intelligence agencies are operating effectively to keep our nation safe,” Bera said.
Bera also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
During the 117th Congress, Bera served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation, where he spearheaded Congressional efforts to strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance the US economic and security interests.
Krishnamoorthi has been made Ranking Member of a newly created House committee on China that will investigate various aspects of Chinese behavior, its threat being posed to the US and the world.
US House of Representatives Minority Leader Jeffries on Wednesday announced the appointment of Krishnamoorthi as Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Another Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has also been made a member of this new committee, formed in the 118th Congress by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the specific purpose of investigating and developing policy to address the United States’ economic, technological and security competition with the Chinese Communist Party.
Krishnamoorthi, 49, is the four-term Congressman representing the eight Congressional districts of Illinois, while Khanna, 46, is the four-term lawmaker representing the 17th Congressional district of California.
“I am grateful to Leader Jeffries for appointing me to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Krishnamoorthi.
“The Chinese Communist Party poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan’s democracy, its weaponization of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American intellectual property,” he said.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties on this committee to counteract the CCP’s escalating aggression and ensure that our nation is prepared to overcome the economic and security challenges that the CCP presents to our country,” Krishnamoorthi said.
He said it was important to protect the interests of the American people.
“That said, at a time when anti-Asian hate and violence are on the rise, it’s essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Krishnamoorthi is also a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also the lead Democrat on Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which protects Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and several other foreign adversaries.
In the 117th Congress, he led bipartisan legislation that was signed into law, called the Gathering and Reporting Assessments Yielding Zero Overlooked Nefarious Efforts (GRAY ZONE) Act, which requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on different aspects of grey zone activities — actions that fall between ordinary statecraft and open warfare — that the PRC employs.
Krishnamoorthi was also the lead Democrats on the bipartisan Transparency for Malign Chinese Investments in Global Port Infrastructure Act, which requires the DNI to study and report to Congress information related to Chinese global investments in port infrastructure.
FREMONT (TIP): The Indian diaspora in Fremont, CA, on Saturday. January 28 held a protest against the BBC documentary series “India: The Modi Question”.
About 50 members, under the banner of “Indian Diaspora”, chanted slogans and marched through the streets of Fremont in San Francisco area of United States stating that they “reject BBC’s sinister and biased documentary.” While marching in Fremont, people were shouting slogans like “Biased BBC” and “racist BBC.”
While protesting at Fremont, people carried banners which said, “BBC IS A BOGUS Broadcasting Corporation” and “Indian Diaspora rejects BBC’s Sinister and Biased Documentary against Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” “BBC Documentary spreading fake propaganda,” “BBC is a fake news peddler.”
UK’s national broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Narendra Modi’s tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK Citizen Lord Rami Ranger said the “BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians.”
On January 19, India denounced the controversial BBC documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described it as a “propaganda piece” that is designed to push a discredited narrative.
Addressing a weekly media briefing External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi said this documentary show, based on some internal UK report, shows the colonial mindset. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms.
“We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias and the lack of objectivity and frankly continuing colonial mindset are blatantly visible,” Bagchi said in response to the question on the PM documentary series. The MEA spokesperson said the documentary is a reflection of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. He even raised questions on “the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it.” “The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts,” he added.
Apart from Adani Enterprises, the other two firms listed by the exchanges are — Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and Ambuja Cements
NEW DELHI (TIP): As many as three Adani group companies, including Adani Enterprises, have come under short-term additional surveillance measure (ASM) framework of the BSE and NSE, according to the latest data available with the exchanges on Thursday, February 2. Apart from Adani Enterprises, the other two firms listed by the exchanges are — Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and Ambuja Cements.
The parameters for shortlisting securities under ASM include high-low variation, client concentration, number of price band hits, close-to-close price variation and price-earning ratio.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE said these companies have satisfied the criteria for inclusion in short-term additional surveillance measure or ASM.
Under the short-term ASM, the exchanges said, “applicable rate of margin shall be 50 per cent or existing margin whichever is higher, subject to maximum rate of margin capped at 100 per cent, with effect from February 6, 2023 on all open positions as on February 3, 2023 and new positions created from February 6, 2023”.
Market experts believe that putting in this framework means intra-day trading would require 100 per cent upfront margin. The exchanges also noted that the shortlisting of securities under ASM is purely on account of market surveillance, and it should not be construed as an adverse action against the concerned company or entity.
Meanwhile, shares of Adani Enterprises tumbled over 26 per cent on Thursday, a day after the firm said it has decided not to go ahead with its Rs 20,000-crore Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) and will return the proceeds to investors. The counter had plunged more than 28 per cent on Wednesday.
Most of the other group firms also declined for the sixth day in a row on Thursday and 10 listed Adani Group firms have faced a combined erosion of over Rs 8.76 lakh crore in the past six days.
Adani Group stocks have taken a beating on the bourses after US-based Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations in a report, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation at the Gautam Adani-led group. Adani Group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.
Former President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind released the book “Jewels of India” featuring 75 “Jewels”
Parveen Chopra
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): It was a superb celebration of India and the Indian diaspora. In a glittering, power-packed event organized by Maneesh Media here on January 28, 2023, none other than the former President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, congratulated 75 leading Indian Americans as the Jewels of India and released the lavishly mounted coffee table book profiling them.
Lauding the achievements and contributions to society of the Indian diaspora and of Indian Americans in particular, were Hon. Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York, MR Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora, Dr Bharat Barai, oncologist and co-author of Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery, and Dr Kiran C Patel, a top philanthropist.
Shri Ram Nath Kovind, former President of India addressed the gathering via satellite. He congratulated 75 leading Indian Americans as the Jewels of India and released the lavishly mounted coffee table book profiling them. (Photo / Maneesh Media)Dignitaries on the dais with the book “Jewels of India” (Photo/ Maneesh Media)
Seated on the dais alongside those illustrious people were Chandmal Kumawat, Founder and Chairman of Maneesh Media; distinguished guests Dr Santosh Kulshrestha Kumar, Founder President, International University of Vedic Wellness; Haridas Kotahwala, Chairman of Navika Group of Companies; and Darshan Singh Bagga, real estate tycoon. At the standing room only event the massive coffee table book, Jewels of India in America, was released simultaneously in the ballroom as well as by Honorable Ram Nath Kovind in India, who spoke live via video link from Kochi. The book contains profusely illustrated profiles of 75 leading Indian American personalities, out of which about 25 were present in person to receive the honors from Consul General Jaiswal and other distinguished guests.
Notable honorees included Naveen Shah, CEO of Navika group; Vijaydev Ratanjee Mistry, first trustee of the charitable foundation of his family that made a fortune in the hat business; Dr Vivek Lall, CEO, General Atomics Global Corporation, CA; Raj Gopal Asava, Founder, Hunger Mitao, TX; Kailash N Jhalani, President, Prompt Gem Importers; Dr Manbir Singh, Medical Director, McFarland Singh Medical Clinic, CA; Mohamad Faroqui, Founder, Print Early & New York Banner Stands; Dr Samin K Sharma, Director, Cardiovascular Clinical Institute Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC; Prof Indrajit Singh Saluja, Editor-Publisher of The Indian Panorama; and Sparsh Shah, a child prodigy, rapper and motivational speaker.
Patrons, Sponsors and Supporters included Foundation for Global Understanding, International University of Vedic Wellness, Indiaspora, Bulk Petroleum, Vijaydev Ratanjee Mistry Family Trust, Vardhamana Charitable Foundation and Print Early.
With the Jewels of India in America Part 2 (part 1 was released 10 years ago) Maneesh Media also celebrated its 50th publication over a proud journey of 23 years. All of their publications have been often released and endorsed by top dignitaries such as US Presidents, Indian President, Vice President, Prime Ministers and have reached the Indian community across the world. With offices in New York, Toronto and Jaipur, Founder Chandmal Kumawat is ably supported by his 3 sons, Maneesh Media directors Manish, Abhishek and Siddharth. Manish and Siddharth were at hand managing the event on January 28 which also celebrated India’s Republic Day. Siddharth gave a vote of thanks.
A group photo of awardees with dignitaries. Some awardees had left by the time the group photo was announced. . (Photo : Maneesh Media)
Entertaining the 250+ guests in the overflowing ballroom at the Mandarin Oriental premier 5-star hotel in the heart of Manhattan were plumed showgirls, Arya Dance Academy’s Bollywood performances, and Sparsh Shah belting out a patriotic song and a rap-raga fusion number.
(Parveen Chopra is founder of alotusinthemud.com, wellness and spirituality web magazine. He can be reached at editor@alotusinthemud.com)
ALBANY, NY (TIP): New York Gov. Kathy Hochul presented a $227 billion state budget plan on Wednesday that includes more money for schools and public transit and raises taxes on cigarettes. She also put the spotlight on public safety, including another set of revisions to the state’s controversial bail reform laws.
The governor’s plan includes a 10% increase in school aid, finally fulfilling a nearly 20-year-old court order that said more money needs to be invested in the state’s poorest schools. Health care spending would be increased by about 8%, with $1 billion used for more psychiatric beds and residential mental health treatment facilities.
The governor is able to add the money because of larger-than-expected tax collections and funds remaining from federal pandemic relief programs that have led to an over $8 billion budget surplus.
“We’ve set the table for what should be one of the most prosperous times in our state’s history,” Hochul said. “But if New Yorkers don’t feel safe, they can’t afford to buy a home, they can’t pay their rent, the cost of everything keeps rising, then nothing we’ve done will make a difference.”
To that end, Hochul is proposing that 800,000 new housing units be built in the state over the next decade, financed mostly by private developers, but with 100,000 units of affordable housing paid for by the state.
No new broad-based taxes are proposed, but she wants to extend a temporary corporate tax surcharge. She’d add a payroll tax surcharge for businesses in the regions served by the downstate Metropolitan Transit Authority to help stem pandemic-related losses for the transit agency. Hochul also wants to raise taxes on a pack of cigarettes by $1 to $5.35.
The governor also detailed a public safety plan that includes $337 million to fight a surge in gun-related violence and provides $80 million to district attorneys to hire more prosecutors and to better follow recent statutes that require them to turn over evidence to defendants in a timely way.
She also wants to revise the state’s controversial bail reform laws to allow judges more discretion to set bail when people are charged with serious crimes. Hochul portrays the changes as an attempt to clear up confusion caused by previous changes to the 2019 laws that she said conflict with each other. A standard imposed during changes made last year requires judges to choose the “least restrictive means” to ensure that someone accused of a crime returns for court dates.
“We looked at this very thoughtfully, and realize what judges are telling us that they don’t have the clarity that they need to have, when someone’s before them, and meets the standards of being bail-eligible,” Hochul said.
MTA
Hochul wants to create a new revenue stream for the MTA that would keep massive service cuts and layoffs from going into effect.
“We have to face the harsh reality of MTA’s fiscal cliff,” Hochul said.
To offset this budget gap, Hochul is proposing a hike on the MTA payroll tax for New York City companies and would direct revenue from new casinos in the city towards funding the MTA.
However, even if this is approved, the MTA will still be moving forward with its 5.5% fare hikes this year.
There are legal snags in Hochul’s plan, under current state law, casino revenue is flagged for educational purposes, but MTA Chair Janno Lieber says businesses should be responsible for funding MTA service.
“We need them to pay a little slice of the cost of maintaining five days a week service when people are only coming in 2-4 days,” Lieber said. “That’s the rationale.”
NY Schools
Hochul wants to eliminate the regional cap on charter schools, which would allow more charter schools to open in the city. Per pupil funding for charter schools would increase by 4.5%.
“What we’re trying to do is something that is just common sense,” Hochul explained.
However, this already is kicking off a fierce fight with the state’s powerful Teacher’s Union.
In a statement, NYSUT President Andy Pallottaq said, “This will have a devastating impact on our public schools, especially for our state’s most underserved students. History shows that the corporate charter school industry is interested in making profits, not in the well-being of all students, educators, and families.” Hochul is also proposing a $3.1 billion or a 10% increase to annual School Aid, the largest School Aid increase in history, for a total of $34.5 billion. This includes fully funding the Foundation Aid formula for the first time in its 17-year history.
NY Migrant Crisis
Hochul is proposing to direct $1 billion in state aid to fund resettlement costs for migrants. This includes reimbursing the city for a share of shelter and relief centers, health care costs and National Guard members who have been assisting with this crisis.
Hochul also wants to set up a future funding formula so that costs are split evenly between the city, state, and federal government.
However, the federal government still has not committed to providing resources to aid in the migrant crisis.
Hochul said she spoke with the President on Wednesday.
“He did say that there be money coming from the federal government to help the city,” Hochul said. He did not give a number, but we believe that they should be picking up a significant share.”
NY Corporate Taxes:
Despite promising no new taxes, Hochul does want to extend a higher tax rate for wealthy corporations.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo increased the tax rate for corporations taking in at least $5 million a year in revenue from 6.5% to 7.25% in 2021.
That three-year tax hike was meant to be temporary and is set to expire at the end of this year.
But Hochul is proposing extending that for at least another 3 years.
Some lawmakers would like to see this tax hike made permanent.
NY Mental Illness Help
Hochul wants to direct $890 million in capital to build 2,150 new residential beds for people with mental illness who need varying levels of support.
Hochul also wants to set aside $18 million in capital funding to open 150 State-operated inpatient psychiatric beds.
Bail Reform:
Hochul wants to spend $40 million in additional funding to hire hundreds of new prosecutors around the state and direct $20 million for pretrial services.
Hochul also wants to remove the “least restrictive means” standard from the state’s bail laws so that judges can have more discretion when setting bail.
This has been met with strong pushback in the past by Democratic state lawmakers but some recently have expressed that they are willing to work with Hochul on certain changes. Democrats who lead the state Legislature have been resistant to making more changes to bail reform.
NEW DELHI (TIP): Two new classes of beneficiaries, tax relief to the expanding middle class and direct benefit transfer to 47 lakh youth over the next three years stand out as major hallmarks of the last full Union Budget of the incumbent BJP government, which is facing elections in nine states this year followed by the General Election in 2024.
The first new category of beneficiaries the government has created is of traditional craftspeople who work with bare hands using tools. The second new class is the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) that are currently out of the ambit of government schemes. The 2011 Census puts the number of PVTGs at 75, spread over 17 states and one UT.
PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM VIKAS) scheme, first, will offer a package of assistance to Vishwakarmas, a social group, which may belong to any marginalized caste — Backward, SCs or STs. The community mainly comprises carpenters, blacksmiths, bronze smiths, goldsmiths and stonemasons.
Another Rs 15,000 crore allocation for improving the socio-economic conditions of the PVTGs through a new Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission seeks to saturate vulnerable tribal families and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation.
Besides creating the above two new segments of beneficiaries, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in line with the BJP government’s pro-youth pitch, announced a maiden direct benefit transfer plan of a stipend support to 47 lakh youth over the next three years. A pan-India National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme will be rolled out for this purpose.
Relief to the middle class in the form of tax rebates was much anticipated after the ruling party’s ideological mentor RSS’ clear signals to the government that the middle class could not be ignored.
Middle class push, new beneficiary classes, DBT for youth in poll year and further consolidation of existing ‘labhartis’ — women, SCs, STs & OBCs — meet the BJP’s urge to touch all segments.
Uproar in Parliament, Opposition seeks JPC probe: Houses adjourned without transacting business
RBI asks banks for details of exposure to Adani Group
Boris Johnson’s brother quits linked firm; B’desh questions ‘expensive’ power deal
I.S. Saluja
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Hindenburg-Adani issue rocked Parliament with both Houses adjourned for the day without transacting any substantial business. The Congress-led Opposition raised allegations of irregularities against the Adani Group, demanding a probe into the matter by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
Both Houses were adjourned until 2 pm after presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha rejected calls for deferment of proceedings to discuss the matter, prompting the Congress-led Opposition to demand a JPC probe or a day-to-day judicial probe headed by a Supreme Court judge. When the two Houses again met at 2 pm, the ruckus over the issue did not abate, and Parliament was adjourned for the day, a Tribune News Service report said. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge led the demand for the JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored probe, with the DMK, TMC, SP, JD(U), Shiv Sena (Uddhav), CPI(M), CPI, NCP, IUML, NC, AAP and Kerala Congress joining the issue. The decision to press for an investigation came after a meeting at Kharge’s chambers in the morning which was attended by opposition parties. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had earlier said the notices were not in order, but Opposition leaders vowed to keep raising the matter till they were allowed a discussion. Kharge later told reporters that nine party leaders, including him, had given notices for adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue but the proposal was rejected by Dhankhar.
Derek O’Brien of the TMC said: “Opposition leaders are being continuously harassed for no reason by the ED and the CBI. Now, the government must take action against the perpetrators of this monumental scam and ensure that they do not flee the country. The hard-earned money of millions of Indians is in peril.”
Ram Gopal Yadav of the SP said the matter was very serious as “people were being sent home by the SBI in several districts, saying that there’s no money.”
The Opposition has been alleging that public money of the LIC and SBI invested in Adani firms is in danger of sinking.
AAP’s Sanjay Singh asked: “Why is the government silent on this mega scandal? Adani is the scandal kingpin and the treasurer of the BJP. He has formed shell companies abroad, overvalued his shares and looted people’s money.”
Keshav Rao of the BRS questioned the RS Chairman’s rejection of the adjournment notices. “The Chairman says the notices are not in order. There’s no pro forma as far as adjournment notices are concerned,” he noted.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and DMK’s Kanimozhi also demanded a probe.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “We have to run the House smoothly. A good Budget has been presented under the guidance of PM Modi. If they have constructive suggestions about the President’s Address, they should give. I urge them to run the House smoothly and put forth their arguments.”
Congress: Why govt mum?
Modi govt is maintaining silence on the Hindenburg report. We will not remain quiet if you cheat Indian investors, consisting of 29 crore LIC policy holders and 45 crore SBI account holders.
Meanwhile, the RBI has asked banks for details of exposure to Adani Group.
As the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday, February 2, sought details about lenders’ exposures to the Adani Group, chairman Gautam Adani cited market volatility for the decision to withdraw the follow-on public offer (FPO) of its flagship firm Adani Enterprises. His companies continued to lose on the stock market with the cumulative rout nearing USD 108 billion in a week — one of the biggest wipeouts in India’s history.
The RBI is seeking details both from private and public banks with the total exposure to the group estimated at Rs 75,000 crore. It has also sought to know special arrangements extended to the companies such as collaterals in the form of bonds.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) too has put shares of three group companies under the additional surveillance mechanism (ASM). The move indicates the company’s shares are in trouble and require special monitoring. In a media message, Adani claimed the fundamentals of the company were strong.
A day after Swiss lender Credit Suisse stopped accepting bonds by Adani Group companies as collaterals for margin lending, Norges Bank Investment Management from Norway followed suit. Citigroup also stopped extending margin loans against securities of the group.
Boris Johnson’s brother quits linked firm
Meanwhile, Lord Jo Johnson, younger brother of former British PM Boris Johnson, quit his non-executive directorship of a UK-based investment firm linked with the Adani Group’s now-withdrawn FPO. Johnson junior had taken the position in June last year and said he sat on the board after having been assured that the company “is compliant with its legal obligations and in good standing with regulatory bodies”.
Bangladesh questions ‘expensive’ power deal
Bangladesh too has sought a revision of a 2017 power purchase agreement with Adani Power after local media said the price was high and the issue had been earlier raised by PM Sheikh Hasina. The Bangladesh power company is seeking a 40 per cent downward revision in the price.
The 95th Oscars® nominations were announced on Tuesday, January 24 by Oscar®-winning actor-producer Riz Ahmed and actor Allison Williams live from the Academy’s (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) Samuel Goldwyn Theater via a global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org and the Academy’s digital platforms, an international satellite feed and broadcast media.
For a complete list of nominees in all 23 categories, visit oscar.com.
This year, the Academy saw its highest ever voter participation in the organization’s history, with members submitting ballots from 80 countries.
Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 23 categories beginning Thursday, March 2, through Tuesday, March 7. The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC television and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
India was honored with nominations in three categories: Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, and Music (for Original Song).
Documentary Feature Film
ALL THAT BREATHES
Director: Shaunak Sen l Producers: Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann & Teddy Leifer l
All That Breathes. (Photo Credit : allthatbreathes.com)
In Shaunak Sen’s ‘All That Breathes’ the film-viewer gets an insight to one of the world’s most populated Indian cities where cows, rats, monkeys, frogs, and hogs jostle cheek-by-jowl with people. Here, two brothers fall in love with a bird – the black kite.
From their makeshift bird hospital in their tiny basement, the ”kite brothers” care for thousands of these mesmeric creatures that drop daily from New Delhi’s smog-choked skies. As environmental toxicity and civil unrest escalate, the relationship between this Muslim family and the neglected kite forms a poetic chronicle of the city’s collapsing ecology and rising social tensions.
“The city itself – replete with the many human-animal ensembles in it – features in the film as a character,” says Shaunak Sen. “As a method, I am deeply interested in looking at everyday banal phenomena that usually occupy the fringes of our vision, as objects of rigorous study. Through this film, I want to harness the enchantment of the sky. I want audiences to leave theatres and instinctively look up – to think of the sky and the birds in it as novel, wonderfully alien things.”
Nadeem Shehzad and his younger brother Mohammad Saud featured in the film are former bodybuilders from the Chawri Bazar area of New Delhi. They started treating black kites in 2003. Since then, they have together treated more than 20,000 injured birds. Nadeem was recently appointed as an Honorary Wildlife Warden of Delhi, and in 2021 spent three months in the U.S. for training with bird rescue organizations. Today, Nadeem and Saud continue to work tirelessly to treat black kites and other birds of prey through the organization they set up in 2010: ‘Wildlife Rescue.’
All That Breathes. (Photo Credit : allthatbreathes.com)
‘All That Breathes’ has received the following awards
** 2022 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for Documentary **
** 2022 Cannes Film Festival Prize for Best Documentary (L’Œil d’Or) **
** 2022 BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award for Best Documentary **
** 2022 Hong Kong International Film Festival Golden Firebird Award in Documentary Competition **
** 2022 IDA Documentary Awards for Best Feature Documentary, Best Director, Best Editing, and Pare Lorentz Award**
** 2022 Cinema Eye Honors Awards for Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, and Outstanding Cinematography **
** 2022 Gotham Award for Best Documentary Feature **
** 2022 Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Documentary Film **
‘All That Breathes’ was nominated against
‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ – Producers: Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov
‘Fire of Love’ – Producers: Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman
‘A House Made of Splinters’ – Producers: Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström, and
‘Navalny’ – Producers: Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris
Documentary Short Film
THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS
Director: Kartiki Gonsalves l Producers: Kartiki Gonsalves & Guneet Monga l India l 2022 l Color l PG l 41m
The Elephant Whisperers. (Photo Credit : sikhyaentertainment.com)
Bomman and Bellie, a couple in Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (South India), devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.
‘Elephant Whisperers’ was in competition with
‘Haulout’ – Producers: Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
‘How Do You Measure a Year?’ – Producer: Jay Rosenblatt
‘The Martha Mitchell Effect’ – Producers: Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison
‘Stranger at the Gate’ – Producers: Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
Music (Original Song)
India has made history with ‘Naatu Naatu’ (film, ‘RRR’) as the first Asian song in 2022 to win a Golden Globe Award in the category!
NAATU NAATU (from film ‘RRR’)
Director: S.S. Rajamouli l 2022 l India l Telugu w/Eng subs l 3h 2m
From writer-director S. S. Rajamouli (Baahubali) comes the international blockbuster that has enchanted movie audiences of all ages with its jaw-dropping action sequences, swooning romantic intrigue, infectious musical numbers— particularly, the sensation ‘Naatu Naatu’—and rousing central friendship between two pre-Independence revolutionaries, played by Telugu-language megastars Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao, Jr. (better known as Jr. NTR).
“The emotions have to be grounded and real, they can’t be over the top. If you can capture your audience with emotion, you can fictionalize any part of history, anyone or anything,” says S.S. Rajamouli.
From an original story by V. Vijayendra Prasad, the historical action epic RRR (short for Rise, Roar, Revolt) follows the fictionalized paths of real-life freedom fighters Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao) as they come together in 1920s Delhi to battle the nefarious British Raj for the rescue of a kidnapped girl from Bheem’s tribe.
In the movie, Raju comes to represent fire, while Bheem symbolizes water; their coming together as friends makes them an indomitable force. The plot explores the undocumented period in the lives of two very different freedom fighters during the height of the Raj—but R.R.R. is at its heart a story about India coming into its own.
‘Naatu Naatu’ won the nomination in competition with
‘Applause’ from ‘Tell It like a Woman’ – Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
‘Hold My Hand’ from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ – Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga & BloodPop
‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ – Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler
‘This Is A Life’ from ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne.
(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Cuisine and Spirituality)
JAIPUR (TIP): Described as the ‘greatest literary show on earth’, the Jaipur Literature Festival is a sumptuous feast of ideas. The past decade has seen it transform into global literary phenomenon having hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcoming over a million book lovers from across India and the globe.
Over the past 15 years, JLF’s core values remain unchanged, and the festival brings together a diverse mix of world’s top writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue.
As the fear and threat of pandemic Covid-19 minimized this time, the 15th edition of iconic JLF was back at its customary city of Jaipur from January 19-23 with its characteristic flavour, substance and scale, bringing together writers, readers, connoisseurs, influencers and thinkers.
The magnificent and diverse programme for the much awaited 16th edition featured some of the most celebrated and extraordinary minds of the world. It displayed 21 Indian and 14 International languages with sessions spread across five venues.
The festival hosted 350 speakers from across a vast array of nationalities, as well as recipients of major awards such as the Nobel, the Booker, International Booker, the Pulitzer, the Sahitya Akademi, Baillie Gifford, Pen America Literary Awards, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and JCB Prize for literature.
In this season there was luckilyno political, social and religious controversy that could attract fanatic people to create hurdles and media hype.
Rajasthan Education Minister Dr B D Kalla conferred the 8th Kanhiyalal Sethia Award to K Satchidanandan for his best poetry. A cash Prize of Rs. One lakh and memento of appreciation along with a felicitation was gave away by Dr Kalla and its organizer.Siddharth Sethia of Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Foundation, said, “MKSA Sethia Poetry award in association with JLF is a platform which brings the versatility of Indian poetry to a global audience.”
Recipient of Nobel Prize in Literature 2021, Abdulrazak Gurnah has inaugurated the JLF with his key note address ‘writing as a form of resistance’. In another session devoted to him, the Tanzanian-born British author of 10 novels Gurnah said, “I was young, untraveled, unskilled and poor 18-year-old boy in this country (UK) which does not want me. The need to understand that feeling of having lost, the hostility, adventure, all of these, I was trying to work all that out that started me off writing. But I was not writing, it was not writing, rather trying to work things out and reflecting, not intended for anybody to see. Sometimes, writing starts like that”.
Saying that he never thought of publishing when he started writing, Gurnah said, “When you start fictionalizing, you innovate, enhance, diminish, or whatever. But none of these were intended for writing. But then slowly, the ambition stirred, and I wanted to do something with these writings”.
Shashi Tharoor
Noted Politician-Author Shashi Tharoor had the maximum sessions for interaction on wide variety of subjects including politics, history, and current topics.Media always awaited Tharoor’s press briefing every year, and this time on the grand success of Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), he announced that he would write a book on this as this has very significantly rehabilitated the image and success of Rahul Gandhi who is walking on the roads from Kanyakumari to Srinagar. Saying that he is already writing a column on BJY in a Malayalam newspaper’s website, Tharoor said that it has been confirmed that Yatra has a huge success in the entire country.
“It has very significantly rehabilitated the image of Rahul Gandhi. After all, a caricature of Pappu business was erased. The older caricature was based on three charges: One, he is a politician who sits on small dharna, and participates in protests only. Now it is proven that he has been marching on roads not for a day, but for 150 days on 3570 kms. Now you cannot put this first charge anymore”, Tharoor said.
“Second charge: RaGa was arrogant, inaccessible, etc. What do you see now, he meets all sorts of people, from all walks of life, shakes their hands or holds them, and marches with them”, he elaborated.
“Third charge: RaGa is not serious and cannot talk on politics. Now, he has dozens of press conferences. How many PM Narendra Modi has till now?”, he asked, adding “He is totally transformed by his Yatra. The public has seen the outcome”.
“RaGa’s BJY has energised the party and its workers. Inspired everyone and given new energy”, Tharoor confidently said, adding, “If the party wants to win the next LS polls 2024, then the party workers, who feel motivated should go for an energetic campaign to have it”.
Gulzar
Renowned poet, lyricist, author and screenwriter Gulzar also addressed a few sessions. In an interaction Gulzar said poetry was not just a matter of textbooks but it is connected with everyday life and things.
“Today’s generation feels that poetry is a matter of textbooks. They are not able to see it by connecting it with everyday life and things. So I have added these 365 contemporary poems (Nazam) for them only in my book : A Poem A Day. Through them, they will also be able to understand the pulse of the changing times”, Gulzar told the audience. ‘A Poem a Day’ is a collection of 365 Nazms compiled by Gulzar Sahib. He has collected contemporary poems of 365 poets from 1947 to 2017 and translated them into Hindustani.He strongly said no language was small and that all languages with scripts can be considered as national languages.
Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi (Photos: courtesy JLF Media)
In ‘Daira and Dhanak’ session two famous poets of their time, Jaan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azmi, were mentioned. ‘Daira’ and ‘Dhanak’ are collections of poems by Jaan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azmi respectively, edited by Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi. Through these two great poets who were born at the same time, some pleasant things of that period and nazms were shared with the audience. Akhtar saheb mentioned the progressive movement in 1930 and its impact on the writings of both the poets. There are many similarities between these two poets but mentioning a big difference, famous actress Shabana Azmi said, “The picture of women in both the poems is completely different. Such interesting discussions are nothing less than a ‘treat’ for the listeners”.Former NDTV anchor and senior journalist Ravish Kumar engaged in a riveting discussion about ‘fear’ and its role in politics today. He began by discussing the fears he has had as an individual, and then related these to the fear that has been instituted by the state. He spoke at length about political prisoners, the rich and judges—and how all of them are afraid of the government today. In that sense, the undergirding theme of the talk was the all-encompassing nature of fear.
Sudha Murty, an Indian educator, author and philanthropist said about how writing has changed her. Murty told everyone that her first book got published when she was 29 in Kannada. She further emphasised on the importance of her mother tongue and the culture of the land. She started writing in English at the age of 52.
“I connect to the people because I tell the truth. I don’t act. What you see, you only get that much. Nothing extra… What I say, I walk.” She said, “Normally, if you’re truthful when you write, then you can establish a relationship. That’s what I believe.”
Biologist and author Merlin Sheldrake talked about his book Entangled Life and shed light on the enchanting world of fungi and how they are intrinsic to our existence. The focus of Sheldrake’s book is on how fungi play a role in shaping our futures and making our worlds. Sheldrake also talked about how deeply linked the arts and the sciences are and that the passion for both emerges from a place of wonderment and curiosity.
Speaking at the session “The Elephant and the Dragon”, Former Indian Army Chief J J Singh said, “The situation of the Indian Army is not the same as it was in 1962. I want to reassure you that they got bloody noses in Galwan Valley, they were made to stop in Doklam and similarly, they were told to go back to Twang valley. This is the New India they are facing and they must understand India is no longer the same”. He anticipated that India and China can get into a constructive and positive engagement which is only through dialogue and discussions.
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, Marcu Du Sautoy stressed on how math lets us do more with less and attempts to solve the age-old question of hard work truly being the only key to success.
Renowned classical musician, Padma Bhushan Hariprasad Chaurasia and author Sathya Saran, in conversation with Managing Director and Festival Producer Sanjoy K Roy, discussed anecdotes from Chaurasia’s childhood and his journey with the bansuri. Namita Gokhale, JLF’s co-director, noted woman writer, and recipient of Sahitya Akademi award for his book “Things to Leave Behind” in 2021 also talked on “A Life in Books” and her latest book “JAIPURNAMA”.
Among others who figured &attracted audiences in many sessions included actor Deepti Naval, veteran TV journalist Vir Sanghvi, former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, and Deputy Executive Director United Nations Women, Anita Bhatia.
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