New Delhi (TIP)- Hospitality industry cheered Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s focus on promoting island tourism in the interim budget, saying it reflects a strategic vision for the long-term growth of the travel and tourism sector, even as some players expressed disappointment over the sector not getting infrastructure status.
“Overall, a good nation-first budget. However, the hospitality industry is disappointed that infra status for the industry did not come through. A missed opportunity for an industry that can significantly grow contribution to the GDP and employment as well as the much needed foreign exchange for the country,” said Sanjay Sethi, CEO and Managing Director, Chalet Hotels Limited.
“We are optimistic about additional futuristic support from the government in granting infrastructure status to hospitality and tourism, which will help us achieve a long-awaited status. We foresee that this will have a multiplier impact and drive significant investment from the private sector,” said K B Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia.
Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said the commitment to bolster domestic tourism through initiatives spanning rail and air travel, coupled with the ongoing emphasis on tourism-led destinations, particularly in the realm of island tourism and spiritual tourism, reflects a strategic vision for the long-term growth of the travel and tourism sector.
Pradeep Shetty, President, The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India, said the enhanced focus of the government for promotion of MICE, religious tourism, iconic tourism centres and domestic tourism will lay the foundation of tourism development in the Amrit Kaal and equip the sector to achieve the ambitious target of welcoming 100 million tourists by 2047.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure and amenities will be taken up “on our islands, including Lakshadweep” to address the “emerging fervour” for domestic tourism in the country. While presenting the interim Union Budget, she also said “our economic strength has made the country an attractive destination for business and conference tourism”. The mention of Lakshadweep by the finance minister is significant because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the island on January 4. He had tried snorkelling and said Lakshadweep has to be on the list of visit for those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them.
A row erupted on social media when a minister and some other leaders in the Maldives used derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach in Lakshadweep.
New Delhi (TIP)- Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday, Feb 1, said the interim budget for 2024-25 firmly conveys the government’s commitment to its fiscal consolidation goals, set against a backdrop of healthy economic growth. Moody’s Investors Service Senior Vice President Christian de Guzman said the government demonstrated fiscal restraint in not resorting to large handouts or increasing discretionary spending ahead of this year’s elections. “The government anticipates that reduced spending as a percentage of GDP will largely drive the reduction in the fiscal deficit, despite ongoing increases in planned infrastructure spending,” Guzman said. Given the challenging global environment and the potential for climate-related shocks, emerging spending needs not currently included in the budget could restrict the government’s ability to meet its deficit target, he added.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 11.11 lakh crore spending on infrastructure and vowed to continue reforms as she resisted resorting to populist measures in Modi government’s last Budget before general elections, instead choosing to stay on the path of cutting deficit while bolstering measures for focus groups. Fiscal deficit in next financial year is estimated at 5.1 per cent of GDP, lower than 5.8 per cent in current fiscal.
Budget focuses on making India USD 5 trn economy, developed nation: Assocham
The interim budget focuses on the government’s objective of making India a USD 5 trillion economy and a developed nation by 2047, Assocham President Ajay Singh said.
“It is an India-first budget. A confident budget of a confident government that focuses on the objective of ensuring that India becomes a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2025 and a developed nation by 2047,” Singh told PTI in a post-budget interaction.
Speaking further, he said the government has focused on infrastructure, startups, and rail corridors in the Budget. The Finance Minister also announced a Rs 1 lakh crore fund for research and development and the startup sector which is a very significant move.
There is no question that the Budget will have a significant impact on the common man, Singh, who is also the CMD of airline company SpiecJet, said.
New Delhi (TIP): Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Thursday said that there is “nothing” in the Union Interim Budget for the poor, women, and youth, while calling it a new “jumla.” Delhi Minister Atishi told ANI, “The budget proves that this is a ‘jumla’ government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in 2014 that he would provide 2 crore jobs every year, but not even one crore people got jobs. Today they have given a new ‘jumla’ that they will give 55 lakh jobs…”
“No step has been taken to reduce the inflation…” she alleged.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI that the budget has “poured cold water” on the expectations of the general public.
“There is a huge difference between saying and doing, this is what we have been seeing for the last 10 years… There is nothing in it for the poor, women and youth. This budget has poured cold water on the expectations of the general public” she said.
AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku told ANI, “The youth, Dalit and the people of the backward class had hopes that the budget will talk about them…BJP will have to face great loss in the 2024 elections due to this budget…”
Former Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) said, “This is an interim budget, and it reflects on the work done by the government in various sectors in the last five years. It also talks about their goals for the years ahead…”
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pegged the fiscal deficit target for 2024-25 at 5.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2023-24, the government pegged the fiscal deficit target for 2023-24 at 5.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). Today, Sitharaman said that the fiscal deficit of 2023-24 was downwardly revised to 5.8 per cent. The difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government is termed as fiscal deficit. It is an indication of the total borrowings that may be needed by the government. The government intends to bring the fiscal deficit below 4.5 per cent of GDP by the financial year 2025-26.
The government proposed to increase capital expenditure outlay by 11.1 per cent to Rs 11.11 lakh crore in 2024-25. A capital expenditure, or capex, is used to set up long-term physical or fixed assets. The Indian economy is projected to grow close to 7 per cent in the financial year 2024-25 which starts this April, said the Ministry of Finance in a review report.
India’s economy grew 7.2 per cent in 2022-23 and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22. The Indian economy is expected to grow 7.3 per cent in the current financial year 2023-24, remaining the fastest-growing major economy.
New Delhi (TIP)- The Parliament did a “half-hearted” job in amending the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Act in 1981, the Supreme Court remarked on Thursday, February 1, pointing out though the amendments sought to include the Muslim voice in the administration of the institution, it fell short of conferring the “complete minority character” on AMU.
As the seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud reserved its judgment in the case relating to minority status of AMU, the court observed that the amendments made in 1981 changed the definition of the term “university” under the AMU Act to state that it was established by Muslims and made some other changes.
“So, it was really placating those sentiments. But when it actually came to the brass tacks, they did not go back to the position prior to 1951. And what they actually did was that it brought the Muslim voice into the AMU administration as we see it. But it still stopped short,” commented the bench, which also comprised justices Sanjiv Khanna, Surya Kant, JB Pardiwala, Dipankar Datta, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma.
The court added that the 1981 amendments did not restore the position that existed prior to 1951. After the Constitution was enforced, the original AMU Act of 1920 was modified to remove provision for compulsory religious education; to provide for the University to be open to students of all caste, creed, sex, etc; remove the requirement of all the members of the Court (administrative body of the University) to be Muslims.
“In other words, 1981 amendment does a half-hearted job. We can understand if the 1981 amendments said, ‘Okay, we are going back to the position in 1920’, conferring a complete minority character. But they changed some definitions…Even the parliament, which had the power to do it, stopped short of taking us back to the 1920 Act. They made a few concessions, but they never took it back to 1920,” it observed.
Following wide-ranging arguments spanning eight day-long hearings, the Constitution bench on Thursday reserved its judgment in the matter. If declared a minority institution, AMU need not reserve seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
On Thursday, Feb 1, senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and advocate MR Shamshad made submissions on behalf of AMU and other petitioners that have pressed for a reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s five-judge bench judgment in the Azeez Basha case in 1967.
The 1967 judgment declared that AMU was not a minority institution and could not enjoy protection for minorities to administer educational institutions under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. In 1981, Parliament passed amendments to the AMU Act to change the definition of “university” in its endeavour to grant minority status to AMU.
The Allahabad high court, however, junked these amendments in 2006, leading to AMU and the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to challenge it before the Supreme Court. But in 2016, in a reversal of the previous stand, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government sought to withdraw the Centre’s appeal, maintaining that AMU is not a minority institution and that the Basha judgment was correct. The Centre also said that it does not support the 1981 amendments in the AMU Act. Source: HT
New Delhi (TIP)-The Supreme Court on Friday, February 2, refused to entertain a plea filed by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Hemant Soren, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money laundering allegations minutes after he resigned as chief minister of the state on January 31.
Asking Soren to rather approach the high court concerned, the top court also declined to set down a deadline for the Jharkhand high court to hear and decide his petition that seeks his arrest be declared unconstitutional.
“Why haven’t you gone to the high court? Why have you come here directly? If we permit in one case for somebody to come here directly, we will have to permit everyone. After all, a high court is also a constitutional court,” a bench, led by justice Sanjiv Khanna asked the lawyers representing Soren. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the JMM leader, pressed that the facts of the matter required the top court to step in.
“We are dealing with a chief minister who has been arrested in such a manner. Please, see the evidence. This is not fair,” submitted Sibal, adding it was an appropriate case for the Supreme Court to exercise its discretion.
But the bench, which also comprised justices MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi, replied that all courts are open to everybody and that the high court is equally competent to grant the relief Soren wanted.
“There is an earlier order of this court by a bench of which my sister (justice Trivedi) was a part, asking you to go to the high court. Move the high court… From your amendment application, it appears that he has been arrested… Move the high court because the issue is different now. You came here challenging the summons (by ED) but now you are challenging your arrest,” it said.
Responding, Sibal tried to distinguish between the two cases.
“In the other case, constitutionality of the PMLA provision was challenged. Here, it is not. Look at the order of arrest in this case. Such an order cannot be passed by any reasonable person,” he argued.
But the bench remained indisposed.
“The fact of the matter is that the high court is also a constitutional court. Please, go to the high court. We will have to follow it consistently. I have been following it consistently and my brother and sister have been following it consistently,” it emphasised.
At this point, Singhvi came in to persuade the bench that the Supreme Court has concurrent jurisdiction in these cases and that there was no legal necessity for his client to move the high court at first instance if the apex court deemed it a suitable case to exercise its discretion.
“Further, this case has laid down the law that there is a difference between power to arrest and necessity to do so. There has to be some concrete reasons to make arrest,” added the senior counsel.
The bench, however, said that Soren must approach the high court first. “We are not inclined to entertain this petition under Article 32 (writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court) and leave it open to the petitioner to move the high court under Article 226 (writ jurisdiction of a high court. We have been informed that the petitioner has already preferred a writ petition before the Jharkhand high court where it is still pending,” the court recorded in its order.
The order further noted that an older petition by Soren was disposed off by the top court while granting him the same liberty of moving the high court.
“It will also be open to him to ask the high court for expeditious listing and disposal of the case,” recorded the bench. Source: HT
New Delhi (TIP)- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, Feb 1, approved the signing and ratification of the Bilateral Investment Treaty between India and UAE. The government said that the treaty is expected to improve investor confidence and increase foreign investments and Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) opportunities. “The approval is expected to increase investments in India and is likely to help in realizing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat by encouraging domestic manufacturing, reducing import dependence, increasing exports etc, ” an official statement by the Cabinet said. The approval for the signing and ratification of the ambitious investment treaty comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s likely visit to the UAE this month.
Other announcements
In the meeting, the Union Cabinet also extended the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) till 2025-26.
The fund, worth Rs 15,000 crore, was approved by the government in June 2020.
According to an official statement, the Cabinet approved the “continuation of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) to be implemented under Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) with an outlay of ?29,610.25 crore for another three years up to 2025-26.”
The scheme will incentivise investments for dairy processing and product diversification, meat processing and product diversification, animal feed plant, breed multiplication farm, animal waste to wealth management (Agri-waste management) and veterinary vaccine and drug production facilities, according to PTI.
Besides this, the Cabinet also extended the scheme of sugar subsidy for Antyodya Anna Yojna (AAY) families distributed through the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) for two more years.
It also approved the determination of the marketing margin for supply of Domestic gas to Fertiliser (Urea) between May 2009 and November 2015 and the continuation of the scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies for the export of garments and made ups.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal skipped the Enforcement Directorate’s summons for the fifth time in connection with the money-laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case. The fresh summons to the Delhi CM followed the fourth summons, which he had skipped on January 18.
While skipping the fifth summons, the party called it “unlawful”.
“Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before the ED today as well. We will comply with the lawful summons. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aim is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and topple the Delhi government. We will not allow this to happen,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said.
Kejriwal earlier has skipped four previous summonses issued by the ED on January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, calling them “illegal and politically motivated”.
The ED wants to record Kejriwal’s statement in the case on issues like the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalised, and allegations of bribery.
While skipping the fourth summons issued by the ED, Kejriwal had termed it “illegal,” saying he was ready to cooperate, but the agency intended to arrest him and stop him from campaigning.
Source: ANI
Varanasi (TIP)- Members of a Hindu priests’ family started praying at a cellar in the basement of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque after a district court February 1 ordered the administration to unseal the premises, 30 years after it was sealed on the orders of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, shortly after the Babri Masjid demolition.
“Hindu side allowed to offer prayers… district administration will have to make arrangements in seven days. Everyone will have the right to pray there,” Vishnu Shankar Jain, lawyer for the Hindu side, told the media.
The area near the mosque, located right next to Kashi Vishwanath temple, witnessed frenetic activity late last night as Hindu devotees started reaching the mosque to pray in the cellar, named ‘Vyas ka tehkana’. Members of a Hindu outfit, Rashtriya Hindu Dal, were seen pasting the ‘mandir’ (temple) word on a signage near the mosque. The puja started around 3 am. Heavy force has been deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
The mosque has four cellars in its basement. One of them was in the possession of a family of priests that used to live there. Somnath Vyas, a member of Vyas family, offered prayers in the cellar before it was sealed in 1993, according to the petition by Shailendra Pathak, the petitioner and a member of the family. He had argued in court that as hereditary priests, they should be allowed to enter the structure and worship there. The court yesterday asked the district administration to ensure that prayers can be held inside the cellar within a week.
The mosque committee has said they would be challenging the court’s order in Allahabad High Court. “This is happening to get political advantage. The same approach is being adopted, which was done in the Babri Masjid case,” their counsel Merajuddin Siddiqui said.
The order is being seen as a major development in the Gyanvapi case, in which Hindu petitioners have sought permission to pray in the mosque complex. The Archaeological Survey of India, which conducted a survey of the premises, has shared its report with the petitioners and the mosque committee. The report concluded that a large Hindu temple existed on the site before the mosque was built. Four Hindu women have now moved the Supreme Court, seeking the excavation and scientific survey of a section that had been sealed by a court order.
Leader of the Opposition Akhilesh Yadav has stressed that due process must be followed while implementing the court order. “The Varanasi Court fixed a 7-day period for it. What we are seeing now is a concerted effort to go beyond the due process and prevent any legal recourse that can be taken,” he said.
The BJP has refrained from commenting on yesterday’s development, saying the matter is subjudice. Hindu outfits such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad have welcomed the ruling. “Today, a court in Kashi has given a very important decision, filling the hearts of every Hindu with joy,” VHP working president Alok Kumar said.
The Supreme Court on Friday, Feb 2, agreed to consider an AAP councillor’s request seeking urgent hearing of his plea challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh.
The matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for councillor Kuldeep Kumar, a candidate for the mayor’s post. Abhishek Singhvi submitted that the returning officer was caught on video smudging the ballots. “We will list it… we will look at it,” the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.
The BJP swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls, retaining all three posts, a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance that alleged tampering with ballot papers by the presiding officer.
On Wednesday, January 31, division bench of Justices Sudhir Singh and Harsh Bunger of the high court denied interim relief the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which alleged that ballot papers had been tampered with and sought fresh polls under the supervision of a retired judge of the court. The high court issued notices to the Chandigarh administration, the municipal corporation, presiding officer Anil Masih and newly-elected mayor Manoj Sonkar, among others, asking then to file their replies within three weeks.
QUEENS, NY (TIP): It was pretty evident from the enthusiasm and energy exhibited at the recent gathering of the Indian Americans in the Santoor Restaurant in Floral Park, Queens, New York, that they are excited to have Tom Suozzi back in the political arena again. “The Indian Community has always admired Mr. Suozzi for standing up for issues that our community has cared for, and this gathering strongly reflects those feelings’ Said Mr. Koshy Thomas, one of the leading organizers of the event in Queens. The meeting brought together people from diverse backgrounds who have roots in South Asia.
In his address, Mr. Suozzi thanked the Indian community for their support and said, “The Indian American Community truly understood the importance of voting, particularly in this special election.” Mr. Suozzi assured the audience that he would continue his excellent work of bringing people together to resolve many thorny issues, including the border crisis”.
Mr. Suozzi has a reputation as a middle-of-the-road politician who is keenly aware of the issues an average citizen is concerned about, such as rising crime, inflation, the need for better schools for the next generation, and creating jobs for the new graduates. However, these issues often get marginalized by both far-left and far-right policies that are highlighted and garner the most attention. It is time for the nation to return to common sense policies that are beneficial to the majority of voters who are increasingly concerned about their lack of say in addressing these issues.
Raju Abraham, one of the event organizers, applauded Mr. Suozzi for his stand on principles and said, “Tom is a strong advocate for consensus building and who will be able to bring together various factions for necessary compromises that will end the paralysis in Washington and take the nation forward.”
George Abraham, one of the avid supporters of Mr. Suozzi, conveyed his message urging the community to come out and vote and send a message to Washington that Congress should make policies to improve people’s lives, not disrupt them. Whether dealing with increasing crime in the neighborhoods or fighting inflation at gas pumps, we need politicians who use common sense. That is where Tom Suozzi truly stands out from others. He truly believes that every American should have the same right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. If someone is out there to destroy that American dream, they should be held accountable”.
H-1B visa application submission process for fiscal year 2025 to begin from March 6
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The H-1B visa application submission process for the fiscal year 2025 would start from March 6, a US federal agency said on Tuesday, January 30, as it announced a major overhaul of its annual lottery for this specialty occupation visa.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
The new system, among other things, includes provision of a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers. As a result, unlike in the past of multiple applications by an individual that often resulted in abuse of the system, the H-1B visa applications would now be counted and accepted based on individual applicants. Even if one individual files multiple applications for various companies, they would be counted as one application based on their personal credentials like passport numbers. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced a set of new rules which are aimed at strengthening the integrity of and reducing the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process. This includes reducing the potential for gaming the registration system and ensuring each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf, the federal agency said.
“We’re always looking for ways to bolster integrity and curtail the potential for fraud while improving and streamlining our application processes,” said USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou.
“The improvements in these areas should make H-1B selections more equitable for petitioners and beneficiaries and will allow for the H-1B process to be fully electronic from registration, if applicable, until final decision and transmission of approved petitions to the Department of State,” he said.
USCIS said the initial registration period for the fiscal 2025 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 6, and run through March 22. During this period, prospective petitioners and their representatives, if applicable, must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary. Starting February 28, companies would be allowed to open their account which can be used to start and complete the registration process.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): On Wednesday, January 24th, 2024, Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission released the following statement, opening up inquiries concerning ways the Indian Government may have been tampering with Canadian elections:
“Pursuant to its Terms of Reference, the Foreign Interference Commission has requested that the Government of Canada’s collection and production of document relating to paragraphs clause (a)(i)(A) and (a)(i)(B) of its Terms of Reference include information and documents relating to alleged interference by India related to the 2019 and 2021 elections.” The FIC was formed in September 2023, and had announced at the time it would be investigating election interference from China and Russia, as well as any other “foreign actors” who may have interfered with elections. India has now been publicly implicated as one of those foreign actors.
This comes on the heels of Canadian officials accusing the Indian Government of orchestrating the assassination of Canadian Citizen Harpreet Singh Nijjar, a strong critic of the Indian Government who was killed in front of his Gurdwara in British Columbia last June. Clearly Canada’s government believes India has the ability to send covert operatives into foreign countries to illegally enforce their will on the world stage. They have also made it clear they will have zero tolerance for any kind of transnational repression like this within their borders.
We believe the same thing is occurring within the United States, and we call on our government officials to apply the same diligence our Canadian neighbors are doing to protect the rights of their citizens.
United States officials have already implicated Indian national Nikhil Gupta as a go-between, hired by the Indian Government to coordinate the assassination of Nijjar, as well as a New York lawyer, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the head of ‘Sikhs for Justice in the US. Thankfully, the plot to kill Pannun was thwarted by undercover officers. According to an October 19th article in the Sacramento Bee, many United States citizens who have been criticizing the Indian Government have had their lives threatened, and have been warned by the FBI that they are being watched by operatives of the Indian government on American soil.
Such operatives have also been extending their influence on US elections. For example, in 2010 and 2012, California Congressman Ami Bera’s father, Babula Bera, illegally siphoned funds into his son’s campaign, which contributed to Ami Bera winning an extremely close election in 2013. According to Fox 40 News, “The elder Bera was convicted of paying friends and strangers to make contributions to his son’s congressional campaign — more than 130 contributions to the tune of $260,000.” While Congressman Bera claimed to have no knowledge of his father’s actions, he never took responsibility for the fact that since more than ten percent of his campaign funds had been obtained by illegal means, he should have ceded his seat in congress.
The entire ordeal has been highly suspicious, especially since further investigation revealed that Babula Bera had been involved in an ongoing illegal “shell game” fundraising scheme, which including partnering with supporters of Louisiana Congressional candidate Ravi Sangisetty. Families of both candidates have strong ties to India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In 2020, Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard, a practicing Hindu, was photographed wearing a BJP scarf, draped over her by a supporter. The image later drew much scrutiny, but she responded to concerned members of the public by stating “Sometimes, as we’re standing … people come up and they want to take a picture. Somebody put something around my neck and snapped a picture without my knowing what it was…That’s the reality of …what happened in the picture…Any implication or accusation or efforts to elicit some kind of suspicion about me or my motives can only be attributed to religious bigotry because I’m a practicing Hindu.” Such claims seem hollow in light of her documented attendance at multiple Overseas Friends of the BJP fundraising events. Further, she eventually dropped out of the election after credible evidence emerged that she was in fact a member of the RSS, the Hindu Nationalist organization behind India’s BJP. The BJP’s illegal involvement in her campaign is further backed by statements from Vijay Chauthaiwale, the head of the BJP’s foreign policy department.
In September, 2020, while Gabbard was running for President, Chauthaiwale bragged to Indian press about what he had accomplished through the Overseas Friends of the BJP in the United States, and then added instructions he gave its members on the need to be covert with respect to their relationship to the BJP. “The OFBJP-USA members can participate in the US election campaign and support any candidate or a party in their personal capacity but they have been instructed not to use BJP or OFBJP name during the campaign,” he said.
These are just some instances of ties between BJP money and American politicians. Many more exist. Many American agencies have uncovered and made public election tampering by Russia and China. Given that we now know a plethora of Indian government operatives have entrenched themselves on American soil with the specific intent of exerting Indian power and influence on American citizens, we strongly urge our leaders to follow the example of our Canadian neighbors, and investigate India’s interference in American elections. This degree of transnational repression should not be tolerated by any democracy, Organization of Minorities of India, said in a statement sent to The Indian Panorama.
Yogesh K Pancholi from Northville was also found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy, engaging in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering
MICHIGAN (TIP): A 43-year-old Indian national in the US state of Michigan has been sentenced to nine years in prison for orchestrating a nearly $2.8 million healthcare fraud.
Yogesh K Pancholi from Northville was also found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy, engaging in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pancholi owned and operated Shring Home Care Inc, a home health company based in Livonia, Michigan, a Department of Justice release said.
Despite being excluded from billing Medicare, Pancholi purchased Shring using the names, signatures, and personal identifying information of others to conceal his ownership of the company.
In a two-month period, Pancholi and his co-conspirators billed and were paid nearly $2.8 million by Medicare for services that were never provided. Pancholi then transferred these funds through bank accounts belonging to shell corporations and eventually into his accounts in India.
After being indicted, and on the eve of trial, Pancholi, using a pseudonym, wrote false and malicious emails to various federal government agencies.
In those emails, he alleged a government witness had committed various crimes and should not be allowed to remain in the US in an attempt to keep the witness from testifying.
In September 2023, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Michigan convicted Pancholi of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud, two substantive counts of healthcare fraud, two counts of money laundering, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of witness tampering.
Pacholi’s case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Field Office and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
The Justice Department’s Criminal Division has been making efforts to combat healthcare fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program.
Since March 2007, this programme, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal healthcare programs and private insurers more than $27 billion.
(Source: US Department of Justice)
TORONTO (TIP): Three Indian-origin men have been arrested in Canada and will be extradited for trial in the US for their alleged links with a network trafficking drugs between Mexico and the North American nations.
A joint operation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) dubbed “Operation Dead Hand” saw 19 people charged in two US federal indictments for their alleged roles in the organized crime ring.
Ayush Sharma, 25, and Guramrit Sandhu, 60, both from Brampton, and Subham Kumar, 29, from Calgary, were arrested under an international arrest warrant, the RCMP said in a release on Tuesday.
“Drug trafficking is a global problem being driven by sophisticated, organized crime groups who put profits over people’s lives. Motivated by greed, these criminals destroy lives, devastate families, and wreak havoc in our community,” told US Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California.
Investigators developed information indicating the organized crime group used Canadian “handlers’ and “dispatchers” who travelled from Canada to Los Angeles for short amounts of time, a Department of Justice release noted.
The handlers coordinated the pick-up and delivery of large shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine, which were loaded onto long-haul semi-trucks destined for Canada. Wholesale quantities of fentanyl were seized as a result of the investigation.
The transportation was coordinated by a network of drivers working with dozens of trucking companies who made numerous border crossings from the US to Canada via the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, the Buffalo Peace Bridge, and the Blue Water Bridge.
Sandhu, also known as King, is alleged to have orchestrated the trafficking and exportation of large-scale quantities of controlled substances to Canada working with several co-defendants described as suppliers.
According to the indictment, Sandhu occupied the position of an organizer, supervisor, and manager, and in this role obtained substantial income and resources.
He has been charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, and if convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Sharma and Kumar were identified in the indictment as semi-truck drivers involved in exporting drugs to Canada.
Both the indictments allege illicit drug trafficking activity cumulatively involving approximately 845 kg of methamphetamine, 951 kg of cocaine, 20 kg of fentanyl, and 4 kg of heroin.
Over $900,000 in cash was seized during the investigation. The estimated wholesale value of the narcotics seized was between $16-28 million.
Arrest and search warrants were executed on Tuesday morning by a coalition of international law enforcement partners in various cities, including Los Angeles; Sacramento, California; Miami; Odessa, Texas; Montreal; Toronto; and Calgary, Canada.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Three former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees, including two Indian Americans, have been sentenced for a conspiracy to steal proprietary US government software and sensitive law-enforcement databases for use in a commercial venture.
Sonal Patel, 49, of Sterling, Virginia, was sentenced to two years of probation in a Washington, DC, court on January 26, according to a Justice Department press release. In April 2019, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property theft of government property.
Murali Y. Venkata, 58, of Aldie, Virginia, was sentenced to four months in prison. In April 2022, a jury convicted Venkata of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States, theft of government property, wire fraud, and destruction of records.
The trio pleads not guilty and have been released on bail. Their next hearing is in May.
Charles K. Edwards, 63, of Sandy Spring, Maryland, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. In January 2022, Edwards pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States and theft of government property.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edwards was the former Acting Inspector General of the DHS Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). Patel and Venkata were employed in DHS-OIG’s information technology department. Edwards, Patel, and Venkata were all previously employed at the US Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). Edwards, Patel, and Venkata conspired to steal proprietary US software and databases containing sensitive law-enforcement information and the personally identifiable information (PII) of over 200,000 federal employees from DHS-OIG and USPS-OIG.
They planned to use the stolen software and databases to create a commercial software product to be offered for sale to government agencies. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators disclosed the stolen software and databases containing PII to software developers located in India.
After Venkata learned of the investigation, he deleted incriminating text messages and other communications in an effort to obstruct the investigation, according to court documents.
TORONTO (TIP): An Indian-origin teenager has been arrested in connection with the death of another Indian-origin youth in a Canadian city and the police are on the lookout for any information or video footage to support the active investigation.
Nishan Thind, 18, of Brampton, a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, was admitted to a local hospital there on December 19 last year. The police were notified that he died after reaching the hospital.
“It was determined he (Thind) had been shot at an unidentified location and time and dropped off at the hospital,” police from the Region of Peel said in a statement.
Following Thind’s death, detectives from the Peel Regional Police Homicide Bureau on January 9 executed a search warrant at a Brampton residence and subsequently arrested 18-year-old Preetpaul Singh.
“He has been charged with Accessory After the Fact to Commit an Indictable Offence. He was held in custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton,” police added.
The suspected shooter is a 16-year-old male from Brampton and is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for manslaughter.
Police said, “This remains an active investigation; anyone with information or video footage (dashcam or otherwise) is urged to contact Homicide detectives.”
CHICAGO (TIP): Neel Acharya, an Indian student at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, who was reported missing on social media by his mother Sunday, January 28, has been confirmed dead.
In an email written to the university’s computer science department Monday, interim CS head Chris Clifton informed students and faculty of Acharya’s death, according to a local newspaper.
“It is with great sadness that I inform you that one of our students, Neel Acharya, has passed away,” Clifton wrote. “My condolences go out to his friends, family, and all affected.”
Clifton called Acharya a “driven individual and academically talented.” Acharya’s friend and roommate, Aryan Khanolkar, said he was a “loving, charismatic soul, and will be cherished by all of us.”
Acharya, who went to St. Mary’s School in Pune, was a double major in computer science and data science in the John Martinson Honors College. Clifton told the Exponent he received an email from the Office of the Dean of Students confirming Acharya’s death.
“A deceased person was found that matched Neel’s description and had Neel’s ID on (him),” he said.
On Sunday morning, a “college-aged” man was found dead near the Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories about 10:30 am. According to social media posts by users claiming to be close to Acharya, the student’s last known location was pinned in the same area the body was found.
The coroner has not confirmed whether Acharya was the man found near Zucrow that morning, which Robert Wang, a research assistant working at the lab, said had been found by a graduate student.
“It’s a shock,” Clifton said of Acharya. “A real loss to our community.”
Earlier, in a desperate plea, Gaury Acharya, Neel’s mother, posted about his disappearance on X, “Our son Neel Acharya has been missing since yesterday Jan 28 (12:30 AM EST) He is studying in Purdue University in the US. He was last seen by the Uber driver who dropped him off in Purdue university. We are looking for any info on him. Please help us if you know anything.”
The Consulate General of India in Chicago responded with assurances of support. “Consulate is in touch with Purdue University authorities and with Neel’s family. Consulate will extend all possible support and help,” it wrote.
ATLANTA (TIP): Vivek Saini, a 25-year-old Indian student from Haryana, who had come to the US to do his master’s in business administration was killed by a homeless man inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia.
The incident occurred on Jan 16, a local channel reported. Witnesses cited by the channel said Saini was brutally attacked with a hammer by the homeless man late at night after he asked him to leave the store.
Notably, employees at the food mart including Saini, had been feeding and sheltering the homeless man, identified as Julian Faulkner, for days.” He asked us for chips and coke. We gave him everything including the water,” one of the employees at the food mart, told media.
” He asked if I could get a blanket. I said we don’t have blankets, so I gave him a jacket. He was walking in and out asking him for cigarettes, water, and everything. He was sitting here all the time, and we never asked him to get out because we know that it’s cold.”
On Monday night, Saini told Faulkner that he needed to leave or else he would call the police. As the student was preparing to go home, Faulkner attacked him with a hammer and “kept on hitting for almost 50 times on the face on the head.” Saini suffered from ”severe head trauma” and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers got a call around 12:30 am about an assault at a Chevron gas station in Lithonia, according to DeKalb County police. When officers arrived, they found a man, identified as Julian Faulkner, standing over a store clerk and holding a hammer in his hand, according to a police report.
Officers ordered the man to put down the weapon, and he complied before being arrested and escorted outside to a patrol vehicle. Two knives and another hammer were seized from him, the media reported.
A” substantial amount of blood spatter” was found on the floor of the convenience store. Cops also found a store clerk, who was hiding in the back of the booth” visibly shaken and could hardly speak due to fear.”
Faulkner remains in jail on charges of malice murder, and interference with government property.
Meanwhile, Saini’s family in Barwala, Haryana, told local media he had gone to the US two years ago after completing his BTech in Computer Science from Chandigarh University. He had recently completed his master’s in business administration from Alabama University.
“He was a brilliant student who just wanted a decent job to support himself and his family,” Saini’s cousin Simran said. The entire family is still reeling from Vivek’s brutal death and his parents, Gurjeet Singh and Lalita Saini, were not in a condition to talk about what happened.
LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin couple in the UK, whose extradition was sought by India, has been convicted of exporting more than half a ton of cocaine to Australia after an investigation found that they were behind a front company that had sent the drugs by plane under a cover load of metal toolboxes.
Arti Dhir, 59, and Kavaljitsinh Raijada, 35, from Hanwell in Ealing were identified by the National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators after Australian Border Force intercepted the cocaine worth 57 million pounds upon its arrival in Sydney in May 2021, the agency said in a statement on Monday.
Dhir and Raijada denied exporting cocaine to Australia and money laundering. They were convicted of 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts of money laundering by a jury following a trial at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.
They will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday.
The drugs had been shipped via a commercial flight from the UK and consisted of six metal toolboxes which, when opened, were found to contain 514 kilos of cocaine.
The drugs would have been worth up to 57 million pounds when sold in Australia, where prices are significantly higher than in the UK.
In the UK, a kilo of cocaine at wholesale is priced at around 26,000 pounds per kilo but in Australia, the same amount sells for 110,000 pounds.
Officers traced the consignment back to Dhir and Raijada, who had set up a front company called Viefly Freight Services with the sole purpose of smuggling drugs.
Both defendants had been directors of the company at different points since its incorporation in June 2015.
Raijada’s fingerprints were found on the plastic wrappings of the metal toolboxes containing the seized drugs, while receipts for the order of the toolboxes, worth 2,855 pounds were discovered at the couple’s home.
The NCA’s case was that there had been 37 consignments sent to Australia since June 2019, of which 22 were dummy runs and 15 contained cocaine.
Dhir had been employed by a flight services company at Heathrow from March 2003 until October 2016.
Raijada worked at the same company from March 2014 to December 2016.
NCA investigators believe that their knowledge of the airport freight procedures was used to cover their criminal activities.
Dhir and Raijada were arrested at their home in Hanwell on June 21, 2021, and officers seized 5,000 pounds worth of gold-plated silver bars, 13,000 pounds inside the home and found 60,000 pounds in cash in a safety deposit box.
Following further investigations, the pair were arrested again in February 2023.
NCA officers discovered almost 3 million pounds in cash hidden in boxes and suitcases at a storage unit in Hanwell, which Raijada had rented in his mother’s name.
Financial inquiries found they had also purchased a flat in Ealing for 8,00,000 pounds and a Land Rover for 62,000 pounds, despite declaring profits of only a few thousand pounds.
Investigations showed that both defendants held cash in bank accounts which far exceeded their declared income.
They had deposited almost 7,40,000 pounds in cash into 22 different bank accounts since 2019 and were further charged with money laundering.
The NCA will now start Proceeds of Crime proceedings against both defendants to strip them of their assets, it said.
Piers Phillips, NCA Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Arti Dhir and Kavaljitsinh Raijada used their insider knowledge of the air freight industry to traffic cocaine worth tens of millions of pounds from the UK to Australia, where they knew they could maximize their revenue.
“They kept their illicit profits in cash at their home and in storage units, as well as purchasing property, gold and silver to hide their wealth. These defendants may have thought they were removed from the misery caused by the drug trade, but their greed was fueling it.
“The NCA worked closely with our partners in Australia and the UK Border Force to dismantle the supply chain created by Dhir and Raijada and bring them to justice. We will continue to target class A drugs supply and the criminals overseeing it, both in the UK and overseas.”
Commander of the New South Wales Police Force Organized Crime Squad, Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, said the result was a great example of how law enforcement is working together to disrupt the international drug trade.
Det Supt Faux said: “The partnership between both authorities in Australia, and abroad, was the reason police were able to stop a sophisticated attempt at importing drugs via air freight into Australia and hold those responsible accountable.
“Serious and organized criminal networks often have no borders, which is why working collaboratively with our international counterparts is so important to tackle what is a global issue,” Faux said.
The couple was earlier accused of arranging the murder of their 11-year-old adopted son Gopal Sejani for an insurance pay-out in 2017.
The pair from Hanwell travelled to Gujarat to adopt Gopal in 2015, promising him a better life in London.
CHICAGO (TIP): Indian American jurist Amrith Kaur Aakre has become the new director of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Chicago District, the federal agency announced, January 31.
Aakre, who most recently served as the legal director for the Sikh Coalition, began her new role on Jan 29, 2024. She took her oath on the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib.
“Ms. Aakre has a proven track record of creative problem solving, broad management experience, and a deep commitment to civil rights,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A Burrows. “I am pleased that she will be joining the EEOC’s Chicago District.”
Aakre said, “I have incredible respect for the EEOC and its mission to advance equal employment opportunities for all, and I’m grateful to be appointed Chicago District Director. I look forward to working together with the dedicated members of the Chicago District to create impactful change and combat unlawful employment discrimination across our region.
“I am also excited to learn from the various stakeholder groups, civil rights and other professional organizations, and members of employee and employer communities how the Chicago District offices can best serve their needs,” she said. “I greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue engaging with civil rights work and am honored to lead the Chicago District moving forward.”
Prior to joining the Commission, Aakre led a national civil rights practice focused on high impact, systemic litigation matters in areas such as workplace discrimination, hate crimes, school discrimination, racial profiling, and bias-based policy issues.
Under her leadership, the Sikh Coalition drafted significant amicus briefs, including one cited by the Supreme Court in its most recent religious accommodation case, Groff v. DeJoy.
She also previously served as a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago for more than 11 years, during which time she directed efforts to expand access to restorative justice and rehabilitative courts.
Aakre currently serves on the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Illinois and the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of Chicago, and the leadership committee for the American Bar Association’s Religious Liberty Section.
She is the 2022 recipient of SABA North America’s Public Interest Achievement Award, 2023 and 2021 recipient of SABA Chicago’s Public Interest Lawyer Award, and a 2017 recipient of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s Community Service award. She also has served as an Emerging Leaders Fellow for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Aakre earned dual bachelor’s degrees in applied science and technology engineering and English literature from The George Washington University, and her juris doctor from The University of Illinois at Chicago Law School.
The EEOC’s Chicago District is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with area offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
Photo: Amrith Kaur Aakre (second from left) with Thomas Colclough, director of field management programs, and her parents Rajinder and Navinder Mago at her swearing-in ceremony.
Mr. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan took over as Consul General of India at New York on January 15, 2024. He is a career diplomat of the 2002 batch of the Indian Foreign Service. He speaks English, Russian, Hindi, and Odiya languages. His diplomatic career includes senior roles in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan from 2004 to 2012. During 2012-14, he managed India’s relations with Afghanistan and Iran at the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Pradhan served as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India. His international engagements extended to being the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Moscow, from June 2019 to July 2021.
Prior to his current role as Consul General of India, New York, he held the position of High Commissioner of India to Tanzania and Permanent Representative to the East African Community (EAC) from August 2021 to January 2024. During this period India- Tanzania relationship was elevated to ‘Strategic Partnership’ and the first overseas campus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in Zanzibar, Tanzania was set up.
Mr. Pradhan demonstrates a keen interest in economic and energy diplomacy. Beyond his diplomatic pursuits, he finds enjoyment in playing golf. Mr. Pradhan is married to Ms. Monalisa and they are proud parents of two daughters, Dibyanshi and Diya.
Four days after joining the present position, on the 19th January, 2024, in an interview with the Editor of The Indian Panorama Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Consul General Pradhan spelt out in brief his priorities which included nourishing and strengthening the already strong bonds between India and the US, and exploring new areas of cooperation and relationship in diverse fields of economy, trade, technology, and culture etc. Mr. Pradhan added that serving the Indian Diaspora remained the primary focused concern of the Consulate. The strengthening of the multi-stake holders relationship will be another priority, he said.
The long interview is being released in two parts. The first one, being presented in this edition, deals with Mr. Pradhan’s views on India’s foreign policy, situations in India’s neighborhood, and India’s relations with the neighboring countries.
The second part, dealing with the contribution of the Indian American Diaspora in strengthening India-US relations and in promoting business and cultural relations between the two countries, and the consular services will be published next week. Stay tuned.
Here are excerpts from part one of the interview.
Mr. Binaya Kumar Pradhan, Consul General of India at New York in conversation with Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Editor of The Indian Panorama (Photo / Jay Mandal- on assignment)
TIP: You’re welcome here to New York and this is our first meeting. And this is the time to know you, and what vision you have, what you would like to do here. As I said a little while ago, informally., there is a vast difference between your past experience and the experience that you would be having here. So, you might have thought of what exactly do you want to do here, and how you want to go about the whole thing? So, with that, the ball is in your court.
CG: Thank you, Professor Saluja. It’s a real pleasure to meet you and through you to talk to the readers of the Indian panorama. I’m familiar with your publication. I have heard good things, great things about your publication. So, it’s a real pleasure and honor to speak to you and to your readers through you. I would say you are right. The landscape is different. I was working in Tanzania, which is a big country in its own right. And you know, the relationship between India and Tanzania is quite spectacular, very good relationship. It’s a strategic partnership. We have a lot of history between our two countries but I entirely agree, coming to this part of the world, it’s a very different landscape. And as you mentioned during that informal conversation, it’s about 2.5 million Indian diaspora here and it’s a diaspora which is very well connected to India, both culturally, economically, and they have been very active. They have been playing a very critical role as a force multiplier to bring our two countries together. So, when I knew that I’m coming to this assignment, I understood the enormity of the task, I understood that it’s a very well-developed relationship. And coming here, one is to be better prepared to contribute in this ever-growing relationship between India and the US. As you know, I look after 10 states, I represent India in the Northeastern 10 states. And when I was looking at the profile of these 10 States, when I was looking at the profile of Indian diaspora, profile of the Indian businesses here in these 10 states, the economic linkages between these 10 states with India, I found that it’s a very active, very organic relationship. The India US trade is growing every year in double digits, and this region, these 10 states, are contributing in a larger way into that economic engagement. Even when you look at the profile of the Indian diaspora here, very accomplished people, people who have contributed to economic sphere, cultural sphere, intellectual sphere. Look at any aspect, you find the Indian diaspora has contributed richly in that and the great thing is that they are not limited to the United States alone. Now, they are also, you know, linked very well to India. And they are becoming the robust bridge, I would say, several bridges in different aspects, between our two countries. In this backdrop, when I look at my job, I would say that my job would be to strengthen this existing relationship. When we say that we are also working on KPIs -key performance indicators, and we are generally told that, no, we should work on trade; we should work on tourism, we should work on talent, we should work on technology. So, we call these four T’s. I would say they are going to remain pointers for me to strengthen our relationship on the four T’s. The good work done by my predecessors, the good work done by the ambassador of India in Washington, DC, my job is to continue that tradition, to strengthen what has been done. So, broadly speaking, to answer your question, I would say, I would continue the good work that has been done, but also to identify areas where we can strengthen our relationship, areas where we can bring the Indian communities closer to what is happening in India, and the Indian, economic and business entities closer to what is happening over here. That will be my broad agenda. But I think, two or three months down the line, if we sit down again, I will have better statistics, better understanding to tell you exactly what I have understood by then. As you know, this is my first week, so, I’m kind of trying to come to grips with the situation.
TIP: If I’m not mistaken, you have left a legacy in Tanzania. Probably, you are the architect of a wonderful relationship between Tanzania and India, with India having given Tanzania strategic partner status. That was during your time. Would you like to tell our readers how you managed the whole thing?
CG: It’s less about me doing that. It’s more about the profile of the relationship between India and Tanzania. As you would see, if you if you look at the geography, India and Tanzania are connected by Indian Ocean, and the Indian diaspora is present there for more than 200 years. They used to do trade 2000 years back. There is an archaeological finding on that. But we have a 200-year-old diaspora there, which is primarily from Gujarat and Punjab. So, the Sikh community, which is 150-year-old , went to do the railways projects in Kenya and Tanzania. There were others who went to do business. They did not only contribute to economic building blocks of the country, rather they have contributed in a big way in the entire nation building, whether it comes to institution building, building hospitals, roads, schools. Indian communities contributed in every way. But the other aspect is that Tanzania also welcomed them with open arms. They were always treated as part of Tanzania. So, there is a very nice symbiotic relationship between Indian diaspora and East Africa. And when I went there, I found that the warmth and the depth of relationship is already there. And we are doing so good in political engagement. Tanzania was the fourth biggest trade partner of India. When it comes to development partnership, we are spending a billion dollar on water projects alone in Tanzania. We are giving the highest number of scholarships to Tanzanian students. So, like I said the necessary condition was already there. And on top of that, we decided to set up the overseas IIT – Indian Institute of Technology outside India, in Tanzania. And if you look at the context, this is the time when the Prime Minister is talking about global south. This is the time when the Prime Minister is leading G-20. And he’s bringing the whole agenda of global south to the forefront of G- 20. So, what better can be in terms of an example that you take the most premier Indian engineering institute IIT to a country in global south? And if you ask me why Tanzania in entire Africa among the 54 countries, I will say Tanzania is the place which was the gateway for Indians for more than 200 years to reach out to Africa when Indians would go to Africa. They were actually entering Zanzibar and that’s the reason why we chose Zanzibar as the place for IIT. I will say, announcing India – Tanzania relationship as strategic partnership was a very natural thing to do at that point of time, and it was fitting into the larger priority of the government and the Prime Minister to develop a closer relationship with global south.
TIP: Will you allow me to jump from Tanzania to the two countries that are very much in the news today and about both the countries you have had probably a great understanding? One is Afghanistan, and the other is Iran. Would you like to give an account of your experiences and impressions of the political and economic aspects?
CG: Thank you for asking something which is close to my heart, Afghanistan. I haven’t served in any of these two countries. But I was looking up to these two countries from the headquarters. And because of that, I have visited both the countries more than 10 times. I have been to Afghanistan, maybe 15 times and Iran, maybe 12 to 14 times and to different cities in both the countries. It’s unfortunate that Afghanistan had to go through those difficult years, for no fault of theirs. And we were part of the solution. We were not part of the problem in Afghanistan. And when I was working on Afghanistan desk, our job was to provide the civilian support, to work with the communities there, to work with Afghanistan Government, to deal with the different ministries, different communities, different societies. And you know, we were doing iconic projects in Afghanistan. We were building their parliamentary building, the Salma dam to provide water to people. t I only wish that the country comes back to normalcy. Iran is a very different place. I used to deal with Iran. We have very strong ties with Iran. Our strategic relationship and our energy relationship are very deep and very old. And the cultural relationship is very strong. It’s a close partnership that we have.
TIP: Any comment from you about the recent conflict between Pakistan and Iran?
CG: You know, I’ve served in Pakistan. I spent two and a half years there, and the genesis of the problem between them goes a long, long time back, and , even at that point of time, you would hear about these problems. So, it’s just that the magnitude has gone up now, with both countries having kind of resorted to direct action into each other’s territory. But let me not make a comment on that. I personally believe that our region deserves peace and deserves peaceful means of solutions for every conflict. Because at the end of the day, we are all part of the developing world. Resorting to armed conflict drains out your precious resources. Things which can be used for development get used into armed conflict or get used into nonproductive things. I’m not being diplomatic here. I genuinely believe that, our region should focus more on development. And countries, the two countries that you mentioned, it would be ideal that they find peaceful means to resolve their differences. But this is not new, by the way. The basic thing is we all yearn for peace and development is possible only when there is peace, and development alone can bring happiness to people because if the development is there, then people have means to sustain themselves. So, India that way is doing the right thing, focusing on peace in the entire world. There may be problems with certain countries of course in the neighborhood, but hopefully, the policy that government of India is pursuing would probably result in lasting peace in at least in our area.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The 75th Republic Day of India was celebrated in Consulate General of India, New York with a flag hoisting ceremony on Thursday, January 26th 2024.
Consul General Mr. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan unfurled the national flag. Over 150 members of Indian American community and friends of India joined as the national anthem was sung. Consul General then read out the Address of the President of India which she had delivered on the eve of India’s Republic Day. A short cultural program of patriotic songs was presented by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA. A large number of members of Indian diaspora and friends of India participated in the celebration filling the hall with patriotic fervor. New Jersey State Senator, Mr. Raj Mukherji graced the occasion with his presence and spoke about the strong US-India partnership. Artists from Bharatiya Vidya bhavan presented Patriotic songs. The event was webcast live through the Consulate’s social media platforms. In the evening, Consul General hosted a reception which was attended by prominent members of the diaspora, elected officials, members of the diplomatic corps, friends from media and people from different walks of life.
Among the esteemed guests were Congressman Michael Lawler, Mayor of Edison Township Mr. Sam Joshi, and senior diplomats and officers from NYC Mayor’s office and NY State Governor’s office.
Video messages conveying congratulations on the 75th Republic Day were played from notable figures, including New York State Governor Ms. Kathy Hochul, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, etc. The program included a video showcasing the Consulate’s activities across the ten states in the northeast U.S. The event also saw vibrant cultural performances from young but very talented artist, Ms. Maheshwari Jagabattula and a captivating performance from Grammy award winner, Ms. Falu Shah. Guests were then treated to a delightful Indian dinner, featuring a diverse array of regional cuisines from various parts of India. The celebration embodied the spirit of unity, diversity, and shared heritage, marking a memorable Republic Day for all in attendance.
Grammy award winner, Ms. Falu Shah sings a song.A dance performance by Ms. Maheshwari Jagabattula
Pilip offers up the same old NRA talking points and will stand in the way of preventing gun safety laws
GLEN COVE, NY(TIP): Former Congressman Tom Suozzi held a press conference on February 1, highlighting his bipartisan record and platform to prevent crime and gun violence, which was first laid out in his 10-point plan.
While Suozzi is putting forth common sense solutions to address tough problems impacting New York’s Third Congressional District, his opponent, Mazi Pilip, is not only hiding from the voters but even worse – she’s hiding where she stands on critical issues like gun safety and the need to keep Nassau County and Queens safe.
On the campaign trail, Pilip offers up the same old NRA talking points – proving that she’ll stand in the way of preventing gun safety laws. In the few interviews she has granted, Pilip has willfully misled voters about where she stands on an assault weapons ban. She uses deceptive language to fool voters who aren’t familiar with the facts.
When she was asked by Newsday if she supported an assault weapons ban, she refused to answer and instead said, “Law-abiding citizens should have a route to have access to guns, but not automatic assault weapons.” She repeated those talk points once again two nights ago on PIX 11.
Here is the trick: the sale and possession of new automatic weapons have been banned since 1986. The ban on semi-automatic weapons expired – which includes weapons of war such as AR-15s.
Pilip’s own stated position makes it easier for immigrant gang members to get semi-automatic machine guns, makes it easier for someone to shoot up a school with an AR-15, makes it easier for domestic abusers to get guns, and makes it easier for people with mental illness to get guns.
Suozzi has a strong record of putting forth bipartisan solutions and working with anyone to get things done and make our communities safer.
As Mayor of Glen Cove, he increased the police force and greatly reduced the crime rate to the lowest level of any community of over 25,000 people in New York. As County Executive, he oversaw the 12th largest police department in the country. When he was County Executive, Nassau County had its lowest crime rate in decades and was ranked as the safest community in the entire nation with a population over 500,000.
Suozzi was also able to reduce crime while stabilizing costs by reforming procedures, deploying resources more wisely, and increasing the use of technology. As a Member of Congress, he honored local police officers as “Hometown Heroes” in 2020, 2021, and 2022 – and was inspired to give these awards to voice his support of law enforcement during the wave of “defund the police” support in 2020.
Additionally, in Congress, Suozzi co-sponsored every major gun violence prevention bill, including legislation to require background checks that the vast majority of Americans support. In February 2018, in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, he co-wrote an op-ed in Newsday with Rep. Peter King titled “Do the right thing on gun laws,” – which called for expanding background checks, providing federal funding to maintain proper record-sharing systems to help report criminals and people with mental illnesses, and restricting anyone on the terror watch list from buying a gun.
In Congress, Suozzi will combat the extremists on both sides of the aisle and build a coalition to pass more effective gun violence prevention laws – just like I’ve done his entire career.
At the celebration of India’s Republic Day; Sunil Shah [Founder President and Chairman], Pratibha Jairath [President], Vinita Gulabani [Past President], Executive Board, Directors and Advisory BoardCHICAGO, IL (TIP): The Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago (FIA), elevated the celebration of India’s Republic Day to new heights on January 28th, at the prestigious Matrix Club in Chicago. This momentous occasion, dedicated to honoring the adoption of the Constitution of India, transcended expectations through a symphony of grand celebrations, patriotic fervor, and a vibrant tapestry showcasing the rich cultural diversity of the nation. The 2024 Republic Day festivities orchestrated by FIA were a testament to the organization’s unwavering commitment to excellence, featuring a diverse array of events, impactful community service initiatives, and a spectacular grand show that unequivocally underscored India’s profound unity in diversity. A noteworthy highlight of the evening was a breathtaking performance by acclaimed artists from India, led by the talented Shahid Rafi, the son of the legendary Padmashree Mohammad Rafi, revered as the Greatest Voice in Indian Cinema. The evening not only celebrated the heritage of the Indian Republic but also served as a beacon of cultural brilliance and artistic prowess.
The inaugural moments of the event unfolded in the timeless Indian tradition, symbolizing the illumination of knowledge and wisdom through the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. Standing as custodians of this symbolic act were luminaries of FIA: Founder and Chairman Sunil Shah, President Vinita Gulabani, President Pratibha Jairath, and esteemed past presidents, each contributing to the collective radiance. In keeping with FIA’s commitment to inclusivity, the stage beckoned all Advisory Board members, Directors, and Members, to partake in this auspicious initiation.
The grandeur of the main event was ushered in by the dynamic presence of FIA’s General Secretary, Nilabh Dubey, seizing the stage to a resounding applause that echoed through the venue. Nilabh Dubey, set the tone by introducing the evening’s main MCs by his eloquent articulation that offered a glimpse into the diverse talents that define FIA, specifically that highlighted the professional achievements of the evening’s MCs. The spotlight of the evening shifted seamlessly to the captivating presence of the main MCs, Anu Malhotra and Suchitra Kukreja, who effortlessly took command of the stage, igniting the atmosphere with great excitement.
Inviting Founder Chairman Sunil Shah to share his insights, Sunil Shah, in his smooth style, painted a vivid picture of FIA’s pivotal role in uniting the diaspora in and around Chicago land over the past several years, including expanding into neighboring states. Sunil Shah eloquently articulated the organization’s vision and mission, setting the stage for a night of celebration and reflection.
Past President Vinita Gulabani, gracing the stage, highlighted the remarkable achievements of 2023, emphasizing the phenomenal growth from 58 to over 160 members—a testament to a staggering 300 percent increase in funding, event sizes, and the number of events hosted. Current President Pratibha Jairath, invited to the stage by Anu Malhotra, expressed gratitude to the Executive members and outlined her ambitious plan for 2024. In a groundbreaking move, she introduced an additional event focusing on Animal Medical Welfare and Care, reiterating FIA’s commitment to diverse and impactful community engagement.
The stage then welcomed the esteemed Chief Guest for the evening, Consulate General Somnath Ghosh, who spoke passionately about the relevance of India’s Republic Day to the Indian Diaspora, conveying key messages from the President of India to the captivated audience. In a poignant moment, FIA’s Advisory Board members, instrumental in the organization’s decade-long growth, took center stage. Syed Hussaini, Manish Gandhi, Asha Oroskar, Pinky Thakkar, Lakhvir Sahota, Dr. Anuja Gupta, Dr. Bhupinder Beri, Dr. Suresh Reddy, Nimish Jani, Shrujal Patel, Sushma Bhanot, Shital Daftari, and Jasbir Suga shared their perspectives on FIA’s contributions to the community, underscoring the collective impact made month after month. The culmination of this segment gave way to an exhilarating and patriotic performance, as children from the Atharv Dance Academy, unleashing a foot-stomping patriotic dance that echoed the spirit of the evening.
The festivities included bestowal of awards and honors upon exceptional individuals who have left an indelible mark on the community across diverse fields. Founder Chairman Sunil Shah, President Vinita Gulabani, President Pratibha Jairath, and Consulate General Somnath Ghosh, graced the occasion to present these accolades. The luminaries acknowledged for their unwavering generosity in both time and funding, breathing vitality into numerous remarkable FIA and community initiatives, were Sudhir and Archana Agarwal, Pinky & Dinesh Thakkar, Chintan & Digna Patel, Chirag Patel, Sunny Patel, Arjun Patel, Manish & Shailja Gandhi, Suketu Amin, Kunal Sarangi (ex-MLA), Naresh Shah, Dr. Bhupinder Beri, and Jayanti Oza. The dynamic duo MCs, Anu Malhotra and Suchitra Kukreja, brought their collective expertise to the forefront, turning the award ceremony into a flawless celebration of community service and contribution.
Jaspreet Kharbanda, the CFO of Dabur USA, took us on a heartfelt journey to India, not just through geography but through the senses, creating an immersive experience. In a gesture that transcended the ordinary, he generously treated all attendees to the rich flavors of Badshah masala chai/tea and the delightful burst of aromatic richness of Pani Puri. Truly Jaspreet’s thoughtful gesture reinforced the simple act of breaking bread together.
In a commitment to fostering community development, the FIA proudly extends its support through a commendable scholarship program presented annually on India’s Republic Day. This initiative, grounded in both financial need and academic excellence, attracted an impressive pool of more than 35 applications this year. Rigorous evaluation led to the shortlisting of 17 exceptional candidates, and we are thrilled to announce that, on this occasion, 6 remarkable individuals were honored with scholarships. The entire process was led by Vinita Gulabani and Kamlesh Kapoor from FIA. Consulate General Somnath Ghosh, Swapnil Shah, Sahaj Shah, Asha Oroskar, Lakhvir Sahota, Kamlesh Kapoor, graciously presided over the awards ceremony. Vice President of FIA and pro-MC Richa Chand, with an eloquent and inspirational delivery, announced the recipients of the scholarships, highlighting their remarkable achievements. Richa Chand infused the moment with a sense of pride and uplifting experience for the exceptional accomplishments of the scholarship winners. These scholarships, a testament to the collaborative spirit of various businesses and the visionary leadership within the FIA, symbolize our unwavering dedication to nurturing talent and empowering the aspirations of the deserving students in Chicago land.
Chandini Duvvuri, Vice President of FIA, eloquently conveyed the Vote of Thanks, embodying gratitude and appreciation on behalf of the entire organization. In her heartfelt expression of thanks, Chandini extended sincere appreciation to Founder Chairman Sunil Shah, acknowledging the enduring legacy he has crafted and commending current and past presidents for consistently elevating the standards of FIA events to unprecedented heights. She expressed deep gratitude to Consulate General Somnath Ghosh, Linda Davenport, Court Judge, and other esteemed dignitaries whose presence added prestige to the occasion. Chandini offered a profound thank you to the altruistic individuals whose generous contributions made the event and scholarships possible. Recognizing the dedication and unwavering commitment of FIA Advisory Board members and Directors, she emphasized their pivotal role in shaping the organization’s collaborative spirit and serving as a continual source of inspiration.
President Vinita Gulabani set the stage ablaze, ushering in the main cultural show with a magnetic presence that commanded attention. Her introduction of renowned artists from India and across the globe heightened anticipation, reaching a crescendo when the iconic Shaid Rafi was warmly welcomed on stage, earning a resounding standing ovation. Shahid Rafi, with grace and nostalgia, guided the audience through the corridors of memory, offering poignant insights into Mohammad Rafi’s personal life and his role as a father.
The cultural extravaganza unfolded with a cascade of melodies that transported the audience through a time capsule of Bollywood’s golden era. Classics such as “Aajkal Tere Mera Pyar Kay Charche,” “Chaahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe,” “Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra,” “Gulabi Aankhen,” and “Parda Hai Parda” echoed through the venue, setting the stage on fire.
During the electrifying rendition of ‘An Evening in Paris,’ Sunil Shah’s signature dance moves ignited the crowd, prompting an impromptu dance floor and stage invasion by the audience. The infectious energy made it a delightful challenge for our ace photographers—Suresh Bodiwala, Vivek Joshi, Nilabh Dubey, Ramesh Punetar, Jayanti Oza and Matt Chennoor—to capture the essence of the unbridled celebration.
The crowd, carried away by the euphoria, chanted “Once more, once more” after each super-hit performance by Neelajan Ray, Priyanka Mittra, Sammy M., Gautami Roy, Prakhar Ghosh, and Mohammad Salamat. Even the Q&A session between Rizwan and Shahid Rafi added a touch of humor, leaving the audience clamoring for more on a night that seamlessly blended patriotism, nostalgia, entertainment, and sheer joy.
As the resonant notes of Mohammad Rafi’s songs, sung by Shahid Rafi, patriotic melodies filled the air, a poignant scene unfolded among some of the senior citizens who had witnessed the trials and triumphs of India’s freedom struggle. The evocative strains of timeless classics like “Mera Rang De Basanti Chola,” “Karo Zindagi Ko Watan Ke Hawaale,” and “Nafrat Ki Laathi Todo” stirred deep emotions, bringing tears to the eyes of those who had personally lived through the historic era. In those heartfelt moments, the power of Rafi’s voice became a bridge, connecting the present to the indomitable spirit of the past. Songs such as “Naujawaanon Bharat Ki Taqdeer,” “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna,” and “Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawaanon Ka” acted as an emotional time machine, transporting these seniors back to a time of sacrifice, unity, and an unyielding love for their motherland. The tears that welled up in their eyes were not just a response to music; they were a poignant tribute to the enduring legacy of India’s struggle for independence. The yearning for more was felt through the audience, an audible echo of their profound connection to the mesmerizing performance, many requests were made to Founder Chairman Sunil Shah to continue the program for some more time. Yet, as the clock struck twelve midnight, signaling the culmination of a spectacular show, a collective sigh of both satisfaction and reluctance filled the air. The lingering applause and non-stop dancing, though a token of appreciation, was also a wistful plea for the FIA’s Republic Day magic to continue.
As Consulate General of India, Sonath Ghosh, truly remarked “This FIA, Chicago event was not merely a reflection, but a vivid manifestation of our love for India and profound pride in being part of the world’s largest democracy, India. The celebration left an indelible impression, cultivating a heightened sense of patriotism and national pride among the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) connected to their roots and heritage”. FIA Chicago’s Republic Day festivities were not just a commemoration; they were a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of India and its diaspora.
(Press release by Nilabh Dubey [FIA General Secretory] and Photographs by Asian Media USA)
Consul General Somnath Ghosh, Sunil Shah [Founder President and Chairman], Pratibha Jairath [President], Vinita Gulabani [Past President] with Sponsors
RANCHI/NEW DELHI/NEW YORK (TIP): Jharkhand Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan invited Champai Soren to form the government late on February 1. Mr. Champai was elected as the new leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Legislature Party following Hemant Soren’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he met the Governor and submitted his resignation as Chief Minister.
Earlier in the evening, Mr. Champai, accompanied by Congress leader Alamgir Alam, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Satyanand Bhokta, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) MLA Vinod Singh and Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav went to Raj Bhavan and staked their claim to form the government.
After meeting the Governor, Mr. Champai said, “We have staked claim to form the government. I urged the Governor to allow us to form the government. The Governor said that he will soon inform us.”
While a delay on the part of Mr. Radhakrishnan in calling Mr. Champai to form the government sparked criticism from the ruling camp, the Governor gave his nod late in the day. Till 5 p.m., the MLAs were hoping that the Governor would invite them to form the government, Mr. Champai said.
Meanwhile, a special PMLA court on February 1 sent Mr. Hemant Soren to judicial custody for a day. He was taken to Hotwar Central Jail in Ranchi after the court reserved its order for Friday.
The ED had sought 10 days’ remand for the former CM. The 48-year-old executive president of the JMM will spend the night in the upper division cell of B-block in Central Jail.
Mr. Hemant Soren, meanwhile, urged the Supreme Court to hear his plea against the arrest. Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and A.M. Singhvi said such arrests of sitting Chief Ministers “affect the polity of the country”. Chief Justice Chandrachud agreed to consider listing the case before an appropriate Bench on February 2.
Ruling coalition MLAs had been housed at the Ranchi Circuit House since February 1 morning, waiting for the Governor’s call. The JMM released a video ‘roll call’ on social media in which all the MLAs counted themselves — 43 in total — to prove that they have the required count to form the government in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. The JMM-led alliance claimed to have the support of 47 MLAs. It said only 43 of them were present at the ‘roll call’ as the rest of the MLAs were unwell.
Soon after this development, one bus which was parked inside the circuit house took 38 MLAs, along with their luggage, to Ranchi airport where two chartered flights were waiting. However, the MLAs had to return to the Circuit House as the flights couldn’t take off due to poor visibility caused by fog.
“We have never seen such a situation where the Governor is so adamant and not inviting the party with majority to form the government. We are sensing that something may happen with our legislators so we are taking them to a safer place. We will not allow democracy to be sold off,” Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur had said earlier at the airport.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) of the ‘roll call’ of Congress and JMM MLAs. “In the House of 81 MLAs, only 41 form a majority. Despite having the support of 48 MLAs, not inviting Champai Soren ji to form the government is clearly contempt of the Constitution and denial of public mandate. Nails are being hammered in the coffin of Indian democracy by ‘His Excellencies’,” Mr. Kharge had said. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey took a jibe at the parading of the MLAs and said, “Split in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, National President Shibu Soren ji, MLAs Sita Soren ji and Basant Soren ji were not seen in today’s parade.”
(With input from PTI)
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