The Indian Panorama

Tag: California

  • Indian-American Sameer Lalwani Appointed in U.S. Think Tank

    Indian-American Sameer Lalwani Appointed in U.S. Think Tank

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Stimson Centre announced the appointment of Sameer Lalwani as Deputy Director for its South Asia program.

    Mr Lalwani’s research will focus on crisis management, nuclear security, and national security decision making in South Asia, a press statement adding that he will help devise Stimson’s online open courses on nuclear-related issues.

    “I look forward to joining Michael and the Center’s extremely talented team,” Mr Lalwani said.

    Sameer Lalwani is Deputy Director for Stimson’s South Asia program. From 2014-15, Lalwani was a Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow at the RAND Corporation. He completed his Ph.D. in political science at MIT and remains a Research Affiliate at MIT’s Center for International Studies. His research interests include grand strategy, counterinsurgency, civil-military relations, ethnic conflict, nuclear security, and the national security politics of South Asia and the Middle East. Sameer has conducted field research in Pakistan, India, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, and the British archives. His work has been published through RAND, Oxford University Press, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, CTC Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and a number of other outlets. Previously he was a fellow at George Washington University’s Institute for Security and Conflict Studies, a member of the CNAS Next Gen National Security Leaders Program, a participant in the CSIS Nuclear Scholars Initiative, and a policy analyst with the New America Foundation. He holds B.A. in political science from University of California, Berkeley.

    Founded in 1989, Stimson builds effective security solutions through pragmatic research and innovative analysis.

  • 72 year old Indian American Man Killed in US Accident

    72 year old Indian American Man Killed in US Accident

    A 72-year-old Indian-origin San Jose resident was killed in a hit-and-run accident and was later identified by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office in California.

    Inderjeet Sharma was walking near a road in San Jose on Tuesday morning when he was hit by a pickup truck. The driver fled the spot.

    Mr Sharma was pronounced dead at the scene and his identity was revealed on Friday, San Jose Mercury News reported.

    With the help of eyewitnesses and footage from a surveillance camera, the police identified and located the vehicle on Wednesday.

    On the same day, the driver of the vehicle Pedro Cortez Bernal, 29, surrendered to the police.

    Mr Bernal was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

  • Animated Superhero Movie on Hindu Deities | Indian American Director Sanjay Patel

    Animated Superhero Movie on Hindu Deities | Indian American Director Sanjay Patel

    An Indian American animator is debuting as a director with his short animated film based on Hindu Dieties, a media report said. “Sanjay’s Super Team”, the first Pixar film on Hindu deities and the first Pixar toon by an Indian-origin director, is a short superhero movie that will be attached to Pixar’s another animated film “The Good Dinosaur”.

    The seven-minute short is based on director Sanjay Patel’s own childhood — specifically the culture clash he experienced with his devout father growing up in San Bernadino, California. “Every morning my dad worshipped his gods and his shrine, and I worshipped mine in mine — which was the TV,” Patel told Yahoo Movies during a recent phone interview. And that’s exactly how the short starts out, with little Sanjay watching his favorite cartoon, the fictional Super Team.

    Working as an animator with Pixar since 1996, Sanjay Patel made his first project that revolves around Hindu deities who are like avengers, Variety.com news portal reported on Tuesday.

     

    Mr Patel’s film revolves around a little Hindu boy who prefers cartoons of superheroes while his father wants him to join the morning prayers, the report said.

    One day, the boy sees Vishnu, Hanuman and Durga as the avengers who save him from a problem.

    While he was researching about the characters of Hindu mythology from the comic books of Amar Chitra Katha (Immortal Picture Tales), he did not actually draw according to them, he said.

    Mr Patel said the story of the film is as much about Sanjay’s relationship with his father.

    “I was a late bloomer in my parents’ culture,” he said, adding that after working for 10 years at Pixar he discovered Indian art and mythology.

    “It helped me understand why my parents said ‘Sita Ram’ when I sneezed,” Mr Patel joked.

    Mr Patel has worked as an animator on films like “Monsters Inc.”, “Ratatouille”, “Cars”, “Monsters University”, “Toy Story 2” and “The Incredibles”, and has been a story-boarder on the latter two films.

  • McCarthy Quits Speaker Race leaving House Republicans Shell shocked

    McCarthy Quits Speaker Race leaving House Republicans Shell shocked

    WASHINGTON (TIP): House Republicans were shell shocked on Thursday, October 8, when California Representative Kevin McCarthy, the favorite to succeed retiring House Speaker John Boehner, dropped out of the race in a surprise that adds to concerns about the party’s ability to govern effectively, news reports said.

    McCarthy, the No. 2 Republican in the House, faced opposition from more conservative lawmakers who now could be emboldened to take a more confrontational approach toward Democratic President Barack Obama on legislation and policy.

    McCarthy’s decision leaves House Republicans without a leader at a time when they face difficult decisions about the spending and national debt that could threaten the country’s ability to pay its bills and keep its government running.

    Florida Rep. Daniel Webster, who is seeking the speaker’s post himself, told CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” he was “shocked” at the announcement, saying McCarthy seemed excited about running not long before.

    “I don’t know why he dropped out, because we just had a member session where all the members came together and he and myself and the other two candidates were there, Kevin was there,” Webster said. “And he was passionate about it. This was just an hour and a half before he announced he wasn’t going to do it.”

    Even under the leadership of Boehner, who relied on McCarthy as an ally, Republicans stumbled into a 16-day government shutdown in 2013 and brought the country to the brink of default in 2011, leading to the United States’ first-ever debt rating downgrade.

    The next speaker will have to answer to a newly assertive conservative wing at a time when the party is trying to appeal to a broad swath of voters in the campaign for the November 2016 presidential elections.

    In several closed-door meetings this week, McCarthy told lawmakers he would not be like Boehner, some lawmakers said afterward, but few seem to have found this convincing.

    Boehner, who announced Sept. 25 that he would step down at the end of October, said on Thursday that he would stay on the job until a replacement is elected.

    Both the secret-ballot vote to nominate a Republican candidate for speaker and the full House vote, which was set for Oct. 30, have been postponed until further notice.

    House Republicans’ inability to merely pick a leader comes after Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, also a Republican, had gone to great lengths all year to demonstrate that their party can effectively run Congress.

    “If we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to help do that,” McCarthy told reporters. He said he would stay on in his current post as majority leader.

    McCarthy’s ability to effectively communicate Republican initiatives was called into question last week when he made a connection between a special House committee investigating a 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s falling public opinion poll numbers.

    One possible successor to Boehner, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, said he was not interested in becoming speaker. The party’s 2012 vice presidential nominee is widely admired among Republicans but said he wanted to remain as chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

    The two lawmakers who had challenged McCarthy for the post, Representatives Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Daniel Webster of Florida, said they were still in the race.

    “It was just absolutely stunning what happened,” Chaffetz said. “I don’t know if I am the right person. I put my name in the hat because I do want to unite this party internally.” Webster said he expected other candidates to enter the contest.

    The Republicans were tossed into upheaval just a few weeks before the United States is due to reach the limits of its borrowing authority. The Treasury department has estimated that the United States will hit its$18 trillion debt cap around Nov. 5, and the White House urged Congress to raise the limit before then to avoid a possible default.

    Lawmakers are also struggling with Obama on spending levels before government funding runs out on Dec. 11.

    White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there had been several instances in the past few years in which a Republican-dominated House of Representatives has managed to raise the debt ceiling without political brinkmanship.

    “And we’re hopeful that in spite of this chaos, that Republicans and Democrats in the House will do the same thing again,” Earnest said at a news briefing.

    McCarthy was elected to Congress from California in 2006 and had been one of Boehner’s lieutenants in House Republican leadership since 2011. He has been majority leader since August 2014.

    Webster had drawn the backing of the House Freedom Caucus, a bloc of about 40 conservatives. These Tea Party-aligned members noted that Webster, 66, led efforts that “empowered” individual lawmakers while he was speaker of the Florida House from 1996 to 1998.

  • No Copyright on Yoga Poses: US Court – Bikram Choudhury loses Lawsuit

    No Copyright on Yoga Poses: US Court – Bikram Choudhury loses Lawsuit

    Indian-American yoga guru Bikram Choudhury is not entitled to copyright protection over yoga poses and breathing exercises he uses in hot rooms developed by him, a US appeals court has ruled.

    In an order by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California yesterday, a bench of three judges ruled in favour of city-based Evolation Yoga, against whom Mr Choudhury had filed a lawsuit in 2011.

    In the lawsuit, Mr Choudhury had claimed that Evolation founders, the husband-wife duo of Mark Drost and Zefea Samson had set up a “copy-cat yoga system that offers classes that utilise and infringe” on his copyrighted sequence of yoga postures.

    The appeals court ruled that the sequence of yoga poses and breathing exercises developed by Choudhury was not entitled to copyright protection because “it was an idea, process, or system designed to improve health, rather than an expression of an idea”.

    “Because the Sequence (of yoga postures) was an unprotectable idea, it was also ineligible for copyright protection as a compilation or choreographic work,” it said.

    Mr Choudhury founded the ‘Bikram Yoga’ form of exercise, which is among the most renowned forms of the art, with participants performing yoga postures in rooms heated to 40.6 degrees Celsius.

    The court noted that the Indian practice and philosophy of yoga date back thousands of years and “derived from ancient Hindu scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita” and that the practice of yoga teaches students to attain spiritual fulfillment through control of the mind and body.

    The judges said that the question of whether the sequence of 26 yoga poses and two breathing exercises developed by Mr Choudhury “implicates a fundamental principle underlying constitutional and statutory copyright protection – the idea/expression dichotomy.

    “Because copyright protection is limited to the expression of ideas, and does not extend to the ideas themselves, the Bikram Yoga Sequence is not a proper subject of copyright protection,” they said, adding that by claiming copyright protection for the sequence of yoga postures, Mr Choudhury “misconstrues” the scope of copyright protection for compilations.

    “Our day-to-day lives consist of many routinised physical movements, from brushing one’s teeth to pushing a lawnmower to shaking a Polaroid picture, that could be… characterised as forms of dance,” the judges said.

  • Indian American Sikh shot dead in California’s Oakland city

    Indian American Sikh shot dead in California’s Oakland city

    A 45-year-old Indian American was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in California, prompting police to announce a USD 10,000 reward money for information leading to the arrest of the killer. SF Gate reported earlier today, Oct 8, that Oakland police investigators have identified a 23-year-old man ‘Joevan Lopez’ for shooting 45-year-old Jasvir Singh. Lopez was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 158 pounds, with dreadlocks.

    Jasvir Singh was fatally shot inside his ice-cream van on Saturday in California’s Oakland city, San Jose Mercury News reported. According to residents of the locality, a gunman approached Mr Singh, shot him inside his van and ran away through the backyards.

    Local residents described the horror of the broad day-light killing and expressed their fears of rising crimes on the streets of Oakland city.

    “I don’t understand why someone would murder our ice cream man,” said Paula, a nearby resident.

    “I heard five shots and came to my front door. I just feel really bad; he was doing his job, and now he’s gone,” she added.

    “There is something especially poignant when someone engaged in a positive and innocent act — like painting a mural or driving an ice cream truck — falls victim to senseless violence,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement.
    Police were told that Mr Singh immigrated to the US 17 years ago, was unmarried and had a 13-year-old daughter. He was a resident of Marysville, but also lived in the East Bay area.

    Singh was the second man killed last week while working on an Oakland street. Artist Antonio Ramos was fatally shot on Tuesday while painting a mural in West Oakland. So far this year, Oakland has recorded 74 homicides – 15 more than at the same point last year.

     

  • PM’s visit strengthened Indo-US bonds: American lawmakers

    PM’s visit strengthened Indo-US bonds: American lawmakers

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just concluded US visit has strengthened the bonds between the two largest democracies of the world and opened up new avenues of co-operation, top American lawmakers have said.

    “There are many different areas and sectors where the US and India’s growing friendship will cover mutually beneficial ground. Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to the US has allowed us to continue to strengthen those bonds and explore new opportunities for us to work together,” Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, said.

    Gabbard is the first ever Hindu Congresswoman elected to the US House of Representatives. She was among the top American lawmakers to have met Modi and attended his address to the community at SAP Center in San Jose, California.

    During her meeting with Modi, she and other members of Congress discussed plans to build US-India relations and promote technology partnerships.

    “Prime Minister’s 2-day tour of Silicon Valley included meetings with technology executives who offered their ideas and assistance in bringing India fully into the digital world,” she said.

    Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who also met Modi in San Jose, said Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley is symbol of the collaboration and cooperation between the US and India.

    “Innovation and entrepreneurship are values that both of our countries excel at and serve as a model for,” he said.

    Among the members of Congress who attended the event were Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Ami Bera and George Holding, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Indians and Indian Americans; Eric Swalwell; Mike Honda and Jim McDermott.

    Congressman Matt Salmon said the India and the US were natural partners. “Our growing cooperation on issues like counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, and maritime security is a positive development for the region and the world,” he said.

    “At the same time, our economic and commercial ties have not kept pace with our deepening political ties,” he said.

    “I am pleased to support the elevation of commercial issues in the recently concluded first US-India Strategic and Economic Dialogue and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US, where he heard ideas first-hand from entrepreneurs and business leaders in Silicon Valley on how we might advance our economic relationship,” Salmon said.

    Following her meeting with Modi over the weekend, Congressman John Garamendi said that he raised the concerns of about the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in India with the Prime Minister. He is Sikh Caucus Co-Chair.

    “I appreciate that Prime Minister Modi gave me the opportunity to discuss these critical issues. Rest assured that he knows where I stand and that the message of my constituents was heard loud and clear,” he said.

  • Two Indian American Teens Awarded Gloria Barron ‘Young Heroes’

    Two Indian American Teens Awarded Gloria Barron ‘Young Heroes’

    Two Indian American teens Sonali Ranaweera, 14, of California, and Deepika Kurup, 17, of New Hampshire were among the awardees for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes – 2015.

    The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes announced its 2015 winners as it marks fifteen years of recognizing outstanding youth. The Barron Prize celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from diverse backgrounds all across North America. Established in 2001 by author T.A. Barron, the Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment. The top fifteen winners each receive $5,000 to support their service work or higher education.

    Deepika_HeadDeepika Kurup has invented a practical, low cost, and sustainable method to purify contaminated water. Her solar-powered device destroys bacteria in wastewater within 15 minutes of filtration and exposure to sunlight. Because it is completely solar powered and its materials do not become depleted, the device can easily be used in developing countries and can be scaled-up for large water purification systems. She has two patents pending and in 2012, was named America’s Top Young Scientist as the national winner of the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

    Deepika_ActionDeepika was inspired to begin her work three years ago following a trip to India to visit her grandparents, where she saw children collecting and drinking polluted water from nearby streams. She learned that worldwide, many children spend more time collecting water than attending school and that 4,000 children die each day from water-related diseases. Convinced that she could create an easy way to filter water, she began conducting research at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, where an engineering professor supervised her work, which combines materials science, photochemistry, and biology. Deepika is committed to educating children about the importance of clean water and has spoken to groups and schools around the world. “My work has taught me to be persistent and not give up, and I feel it’s made me a more enlightened and humble person,” says Deepika.

    Sonali_HeadshotSonali Ranaweera created Recycling4Smiles and has raised over $40,000 by redeeming recyclable cans and bottles to fund 44 cleft lip surgeries. She has also funded dental care for over 1,000 rural children in Sri Lanka and has provided school supplies, clothing, and school lunches for hundreds of children in need around the world.

    Sonali_Action
    Sonali launched her project as an 11-year-old, when she received $100 from her parents at Christmastime with the stipulation she use it to make a difference in someone’s life. She decided to raise an additional $150 in order to fund one cleft lip surgery through Smile Train, and to do so by collecting and redeeming recyclables, which she was learning about in her sixth grade science class. When she easily met her first goal, she set her next at $2,000. Three years later, she has collected and redeemed well over a half-million recyclables. Outfitted in long rubber gloves and with help from her brother and friends, Sonali collects, sorts, and redeems 2,000 cans and bottles in order to raise each $100. She regularly collects recyclables from a number of businesses and receives bag upon bag of bottles and cans on her doorstep. “I’ve learned that you can make a difference in the lives of others and help our earth without needing to have a lot of money or power,” says Sonali. “Nothing is impossible if you are dedicated to a cause.”

  • Indian tech firms support more than 411,000 jobs in US: Nasscom & IBEF FACT of the Day

    Indian tech firms support more than 411,000 jobs in US: Nasscom & IBEF FACT of the Day

    Contrary to what media reports in United States; Indian information technology companies invested more than $2 billion, paid $22.5 billion in taxes between 2011 and 2013, and supports 411,000 direct and indirect jobs in the US, the apex software industry body Nasscom said on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to that country later this month, reported livemint.

    In a report released on the sidelines of US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in Washington, Nasscom said that direct and indirect jobs supported by India’s IT sector in the US grew at an annual rate of 10% from 2011 to 2014—or about six times higher than the average jobs growth rate of 1.7% during the same period.

    “Indian IT organizations benefit from access to the U.S. market, just as American IT organizations benefit from their investments and operations in India,” said Nirmala Sitharaman, minister of state for commerce and industry, who is visiting Washington, DC for US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.

    “This momentum is surely going to increase manifold with new partnership opportunities emerging in the areas of Digital India and Smart Cities for American technology firms.”

    US states that led the numbers in direct jobs created by Indian IT companies include California, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Ohio, Washington, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Texas, Michigan, Illinois, California and Georgia.

  • One million evacuated in Chile after 8.3-magnitude earthquake

    One million evacuated in Chile after 8.3-magnitude earthquake

    SANTIAGO, CHILE (TIP): A strong 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Chile’s coast on Wednesday, shaking buildings in cities around the country and forcing the authorities to evacuate residents along the 2,690-mile coast after tsunami warnings were issued. At least eight deaths were reported.

    The quake hit at 7.54pm west of Illapel, about 177 miles north of the capital, Santiago, and was felt in Sao Paulo, Brazil, more than 2,100 miles away.

    Chile’s national emergency service ordered the immediate evacuation of the coast, as well as Easter Island and the archipelago Juan Fernandez. President Michelle Bachelet appeared on national television, telling citizens that her government was closely examining the damage.

    “Once again we have to confront a tough blow from nature,” Bachelet said in a reference to her nation’s long history of quakes.

    The under secretary of the interior, Mahmud Aleuy, said one million people had been evacuated and 243,000 homes had lost power.

    People moved to higher ground in vehicles and on foot in relative calm as waves began flooding parts of some cities with differing intensity. Waves reached as high as 15 feet in Coquimbo, a port city 285 miles north of Santiago. The flooding spread to many parts of the city, causing extensive damage to the port, the fishing wharf and much of downtown.

    Among those who died, a 35-year-old woman died in Illapel when a wall fell on her, and in Monte Patria in northern Chile, a 20-year-old woman was reported killed after being crushed by rocks. Three men died of heart attacks: a 67-year-old and an 81-year-old in Valparaiso and a 96-year-old in Santiago. One person was reported missing near Tongoy, a town 225 miles north of Santiago.

    Flooding in Tongoy was extensive and destroyed a preschool, a police station and part of a health clinic, the authorities said.

    Tsunami warnings were issued as far away as California and New Zealand, although the warning for Chile was lifted.

    Adobe homes and infrastructure in towns and rural areas, especially in northern Chile, were seriously damaged, evoking the havoc caused by an 8.2-magnitude earthquake last year.

    Chile ranks among the countries that are most vulnerable to earthquakes, and Chileans have painful memories of an 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010 in southern Chile that killed 525 people, many of them in a tsunami in the south-central part of the country.

    Officials failed to issue a tsunami alert for that earthquake, resulting in 81 of those deaths. As a result, new protocols were put in place. Four government officials were later charged with involuntary manslaughter after they were accused of improperly evaluating the risks from the tsunami.

  • Sun buys US-based InSite Vision for US$ 48 million

    Sun buys US-based InSite Vision for US$ 48 million

    Sun Pharmaceutical has acquired InSite Vision, a US-based specialty ophthalmic product maker, in a $48 million (about Rs 320 crore) deal. The acquisition will enable Sun Pharma, India’s largest drug maker by revenue, to grow its US business. The US sales make up for about half of its consolidated revenue.

    Sun Pharma said it was developing branded ophthalmic business in the US and acquisition of InSite Vision and in-licencing of Xelpros eye drops were steps in that direction.

    For the six-month period ended June 30, InSite Vision reported revenue of $3.8 million, Ebitda loss of $6.4 million and a net loss of $7.5 million. InSite Vision’s core competence is research and product development, and has research facilities in California. However, the company has been facing fund shortages, sources said.

    Kal Sundaram, chief executive of Sun Pharma’s North American business, said, “This potential acquisition is a part of our overall objective of transitioning to a specialty company. Besides dermatology, we have identified ophthalmics as one of the key segments for establishing our branded presence in the US.”

    Jerry St Peter, vice-president and head of Sun Pharma’s US ophthalmic business, said, “The potential addition of the InSite Vision portfolio serves as a significant step towards enhancing our branded specialty pipeline in the ophthalmic segment. InSite Vision will bring with it a pipeline of three late-stage clinical candidates, validated drug delivery technology and a track record of achieving US FDA approval for ophthalmic products.” The company has two branded eye drops, which are marked by other companies.

    The size of ophthalmic product business is about $7 billion and top five companies in the space control over 95 per cent market share.

  • California to become sixth US state to allow euthanasia

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): California is set to become the sixth American state to approve euthanasia, a controversial issue in the United States fueled by the recent suicide of a woman suffering from terminal cancer.

    “This is a historic step forward for Californians with terminal illnesses who have been looking to the legislature for the option to determine the quality of their final days of life based on their own personal beliefs,” said Senator Bill Monning, one of the backers of the bill approved by the state assembly on Wednesday.

    The measure, approved by 43 votes against 34, is expected to be adopted by the state senate this week.

    Euthanasia, or assisted suicide, has long been a controversial issue in the United States, with Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington the only states to have approved it so far. The topic was brought to the forefront in California by the case of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old with a brain tumor who moved from San Francisco to Oregon and took her own life last November. “Her case brought the story to the public in a way that hadn’t been done before,” said Monica Schmalenberger, an aid to California Senator Lois Wolk, a supporter of the euthanasia bill. Another woman suffering from leukemia is suing the state of California demanding the right for doctors to assist terminally ill patients end their lives.

  • Jagdeep Grewal Named First Female Postmaster of Sacramento

    Jagdeep Grewal Named First Female Postmaster of Sacramento

    NEW YORK: An Indian-American woman has become the first female to be appointed as the postmaster in Sacramento city in California in last 166 years, a media report said.

    Jagdeep Grewal was sworn in Sept. 3 on the north steps of the state Capitol as Sacramento’s first woman postmaster, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Jagdeep Grewal will oversee 1,004 employees who process and deliver mail on 537 city routes and 94 rural routes – and fill nearly 20,000 post office boxes.

    Ms Grewal who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Punjab University, started her career in postal services in 1988 as a window clerk.

    She was promoted to the post of manager after five years of service.

    Referring to the steep decline in the usage of postal services due to internet and courier services, Ms Grewal said that she looked forward to working with Sacramento’s Postal Service employees during a challenging time.

    “It is only through joint effort and collaboration that we can truly meet our mission of providing extraordinary service while keeping costs down,” said Grewal in a news release.

    She has also worked as a postmaster in Pacifica-Daly City, California.

    The US Postal Service is facing cash crunch and recently reported a net loss of $586 million earlier this year.

  • Bartender finds $20 bill, wins $1 million California lottery with it

    Bartender finds $20 bill, wins $1 million California lottery with it

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): A Bay Area man who found a$20 bill on a street outside San Francisco International Airport used it to play the California lottery and won $1 million, a lottery spokesman said on Sept 1.

    Hubert Tang used the lucky bill to buy two scratcher tickets at a store near the airport on Wednesday and won the top prize with one of them, lottery spokesman Greg Parashak said.

    “I scratched the ticket outside of the store. I told my friend who I was with that I didn’t know if it was real but, ‘I think I just won a million dollars,’” Tang said, according to Parashak.

    Tang, a bartender at the airport, had not played the lottery in about a decade before using the found money to buy two tickets, Parashak said.

    Tang said he did not yet have plans for the money, but joked that he might use it to place $20 bills in random places for other lucky players to find, according to the lottery.

  • Delhi Woman Who Sued Uber Over Rape Accusation Withdraws Lawsuit in US

    Delhi Woman Who Sued Uber Over Rape Accusation Withdraws Lawsuit in US

    The Delhi woman who sued Uber after accusing one of its drivers of raping her in India has voluntarily ended her lawsuit against the company, according to a court filing on Tuesday, September 1, 2015.

    The passenger, who reported being raped and beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi last year, sued the online car service in a US federal court in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic safety procedures.

    The driver was arrested by Indian police and appeared in court in December. Uber’s Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick at the time called the incident “horrific” and pledged to help “bring this perpetrator to justice.”

    The woman, who works for a finance company in Gurgaon, had accused the driver of raping and beating her after she had boarded the cab in Delhi. The driver was arrested within a week of the complaint and was charged with various sections under the Indian Penal Code. The Delhi High Court is hearing the case against the driver.

    The woman had sued the company in a federal court in the US in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic safety procedures. Uber’s Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick at the time called the incident “horrific” and pledged to help “bring this perpetrator to justice.” However, during the case, Uber also argued that the woman sued the wrong corporate entity as the driver had a contract with Uber B V, a Netherlands-based entity with no US operations.

    The court filing did not disclose any details on how the case was settled, and representatives for Uber and the woman declined to comment.

    India is one of Uber’s largest markets outside the United States by the number of cities covered. The company valued at around $50 billion this year, has said it would introduce additional safety measures including more stringent driver checks and an in-app emergency button.

    In the lawsuit, the woman, who was not named, had called Uber the “modern day equivalent of electronic hitchhiking.” “Buyer beware – we all know how those horror movies end,” the lawsuit stated.

    Earlier this year, both sides had agreed to participate in private mediation to try to resolve the lawsuit, according to court filings.

    The case in US District Court, Northern District of California is Doe vs. Uber Technologies Inc, 15-424.

  • Indian American Scientist Elected Fellow of Entomological Society of America

    Indian American Scientist Elected Fellow of Entomological Society of America

    Indian American entomologist Sarjeet Gill is one of only 10 new fellows elected this year as Fellows of the Entomological Society of America for 2015.

    Gill is a distinguished professor of cell biology and neuroscience at the University of California at Riverside.

    Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

    All the honorees will be recognized during the annual meeting of the ESA, which will be held in November 2015 in Minneapolis, Minn. Fellows are acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to entomology in one or more of the following: research, teaching, extension, or administration.

    “I truly appreciate ESA’s recognition, not only of my lab’s research but also that of my colleagues,” Gill said. “These collaborative efforts over the years contributed to our success. This recognition also continues to demonstrate UC Riverside’s preeminence in insect science.”

    Gill received his doctorate in insecticide toxicology from UC Berkeley and joined the Department of Entomology faculty at UC Riverside in 1983. He helped establish the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, serving as chair of the department and director of the program.

    Gill is currently the editor of Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the premier journal in entomology, and he co-edited the series Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science.

    His laboratory has two principal research foci. The first area is to elucidate the mode of action of insecticidal toxins derived from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis. These toxins are active against agricultural pests as well as vectors of human diseases. More recently, his work has also included another gram-positive bacteria, Clostridium bifermentans, which is mosquitocidal. The research in Gill’s lab aims to gain a molecular understanding of the toxins involved and how these toxins interact with cellular targets, thereby disrupting ion regulation and lethality. A second area of research focuses on understanding mosquito midgut and Malpighian tubules function (in particular ion and nutrient transport), changes that occur following a blood meal, and how toxins affect these functions.

    Gill is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the ESA Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology. He has served on numerous grant review panels at the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

  • Intense time ahead for US-India relations: Nisha Desai Biswal

    Intense time ahead for US-India relations: Nisha Desai Biswal

    NEW YORK (TIP): US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal said that before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second visit to the US in September, it will be a ‘very intense time’ and ‘moment of intense observation’ for US-India relations. She made the remark during a lecture in the Media India lecture series at the Indian Consulate in New York, August 4.

    Speaking on “Vision of India-US Relations in the coming years and its strategic significance in the global context” Biswal said that the US is very much looking forward to Narendra Modi’s second visit to the country next month.

    “We are very much looking forward to Prime Minister Modi’s return visit to New York as well his visit to Silicon Valley. There is a lot of excitement that the potential of a technology partnership between our two countries can really bring about a new growth model that focuses on innovation, technology to usher in cleaner, more efficient, sustainable and inclusive models of growth for both countries”, she said.

    She said California is “abuzz with anticipation and excitement” over the tremendous opportunity Modi’s visit to the state brings.

    “There is a lot of excitement that the potential of a technology partnership between our two countries can really bring about a new growth model that focuses on innovation, technology to usher in cleaner, more efficient, sustainable and inclusive models of growth for both countries,” she said.

    She noted that during her visit to Silicon Valley last week, she noticed that entrepreneurs, scientists and investors are very focused on how to find new paths to partnership between the two countries are looking at new technologies that will power solutions to the big challenges.

    “India is a development laboratory for very cutting edge new ways of tackling old challenges,” she added.

    Noting that two-way trade has tripled in the past decade from $36 billion in 2005 to over $100 billion in 2014-15, Biswal highlighted the incredible potential between India and the US to increase bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors including defense sector and space science and stressed that the two nations have a “core strategic interest” in each other’s economic prosperity. “If you look at the ambitions of the American President and the Indian Prime Minister in terms of where they want to go with this relationship, I think it has charted a very ambitious path and the past year of engagement between our two leaders and between the two governments is indicative of the deep value that each places on this relationship.”

    She also stressed that there should be more trade architecture between two countries to help create platforms for advancing common goals and to create a framework for addressing areas of difference. “We recognize that a strong and prosperous India will be a stronger partner regionally and globally as we tackle common challenges and strive to achieve shared goals,” she added.

    In reply to a question on Khobragade issue from PTI Reporter, Nisha said that it was a “painful period for bilateral ties”, and added that the incident has led to “important learnings” and there is a determination to avoid such instances.

    “Both governments learned some important lessons and we achieved some important understandings and clarity in how to operate in each others’ systems, with more clarity to the expectations that we each have of the other,” she said.

    Khobragade, a former Indian deputy consul general here, was arrested in December 2013 on charges of visa fraud. The charges were rejected by her. Her arrest and mistreatment resulted in a major diplomatic row between India and the US.

    India took several retaliatory measures like reducing the diplomatic privileges of American diplomats in the country and bringing it at par with what Indian diplomats get in the US.

    Biswal further said, following the episode, there are things that the US has tried to do differently in terms of its officials in India.

    “We had very important learnings that came out of that episode. There is a determination to avoid such instances,” she said, adding that both India and the US work in “complex and highly regulated environments.”

    “We have very robust and open societies and so it is going to be complex in managing all of the different aspects of this relationship,” she said.

    There will be times when things go wrong, when some American official could violate rules and regulations and “we will have to deal with it and vice versa”, Biswal said.

    She said the countries have to learn how to operate within each others’ walls and it gets “complicated” at times but a part of the business of diplomacy is navigating the complex issues.

  • Indian-American woman announces Congressional bid

    Indian-American woman announces Congressional bid

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American Mary Thomas, a government attorney in Florida, has said that she will run for the US Congressional elections in November 2016.

    If elected, Thomas, whose parents arrived in American from India in 1972, would be the first woman Indian-American lawmaker to be a member of the US House of Representatives.

    Born in Charleston, South Carolina, 37-year-old Thomas is a Republican. She is pitted against incumbent Gwen Graham of the Democratic Party, who wrested the Second Congressional District of Florida from Republican Steve Southerland in 2014.

    Thomas, a personal friend of Florida governor Rick Scott, told local media that she is hoping to create history by becoming the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the US Congress. So far only three Indian-Americans elected to the US Congress are Dalip Singh Saundh, Bobby Jindal and Ami Bera. From California, Bera is the only Indian American in the current Congress.

    “I’m a conservative Republican, a Christian, a wife, mother, and a lawyer. If elected, I would be the first Indian-American woman ever elected to Congress. This would truly be a historic event,” Thomas said during her campaign announcement in Florida last week.

    Thomas’s parents, Tom and Annie Thomas are physicians who immigrated from India in 1972.

  • Los Angeles passes law banning large-capacity gun magazines

    Los Angeles passes law banning large-capacity gun magazines

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to ban the possession of large-capacity gun magazines on July 29, following San Francisco to become the second major city in California to take that step.

    The ordinance prohibits Los Angeles residents from possessing a handgun or rifle magazine that fits more than 10 rounds.

    Residents would have 60 days after the law takes effect to remove, sell or transfer such magazines from city limits in compliance with state law, or surrender them to the LAPD.

    The law would take effect 30 days after Mayor Eric Garcetti signs it, a move that he was “eager” to make, he said in a statement.

    The legislation comes on the heels of recent mass shootings in the United States, including a movie theater shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana, last week in which two women were killed by a lone gunman who took his own life.

    Similar ordinances in San Francisco and Sunnyvale, California, have so far withstood legal challenges and last year, a federal judge upheld a Colorado law banning magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

    “The step we’re taking today is not a wild step,” said council member Paul Krekorian, who sponsored this ordinance, at a rally before the vote. “People who want to defend homes don’t need a 1,000-round drum magazine to do so.” Around 50 people who have lost loved ones to gun violence attended the rally and vote, many wearing orange t-shirts and ribbons.

    Those who were opposed to this ordinance were represented by Chad Cheung, director of the Calguns Shooting Sports Association. “I think it’s more of a people problem rather than a gun problem,” said Cheung, who uses large-capacity gun magazines in various shooting contests.

    “Nobody knows more about firearm safety than I do,” he added, underscoring the notion that with the proper training, people could possess such magazines safely.

    Calguns is one group that has pending lawsuits against the San Francisco and Sunnyvale ordinances. Cheung said that the organization would discuss during their next board meeting whether to file a similar lawsuit in Los Angeles.The Los Angeles city council next week will take up a proposed ordinance requiring gun owners to lock their firearms at home and consider an amendment to the gun magazine ordinance that would exempt retired police officers.

  • Scorched earth: U.S. wildfires near record level

    Scorched earth: U.S. wildfires near record level

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Wildfires have burned a phenomenal 5.5 million acres across the U.S. so far this year, an area equal to the size of New Jersey.

    This is the second-highest total in at least the past 25 years, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. Only 2011, which saw 5.8 million acres charred as of July 23 of that year, had more. On average, at this point in the year, 3.5 million acres would have burned.

    As of Thursday afternoon, 18 wildfires were burning in seven states, mostly in the West. This includes one in California’s wine country that has forced numerous evacuations and is being fought by hundreds of firefighters, CALFIRE, the state’s firefighting agency, reported. Another one is charring Glacier National Park in Montana.

    Summertime heat and ongoing drought conditions have left vegetation starved of moisture throughout the West, making it more susceptible to catching fire and starting a massive blaze, AccuWeather reports.

     

  • Companies in India create thousands of US jobs

    Companies in India create thousands of US jobs

    “The 100 Indian-based companies surveyed for the study have made an aggregate $15.3 billion investment in their U.S. operations. That, in turn, has created 91,000 jobs in the U.S., which by any measure is a substantial contribution to the American economy. Those jobs are scattered throughout the country. In fact, the survey found that Indian companies have a presence in all 50 states.”

    “In the U.S., IT comprises 40 percent of Indian-company investment, according to the survey. The rest is highly diversified. Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and health care companies make up 14 percent of Indian investment here. Another 14 percent are manufacturers and mining companies. 16 percent offer financial, engineering, construction and entertainment services. The remainder is companies in the automotive, energy, hospitality and food businesses.”

    “The exchange is good for both nations and should be encouraged. The U.S. and India have much in common. They are the largest democracies in the world. They are also economic powerhouses that are helping each other grow in a dynamic global marketplace. We have a stake in each other’s economic future – and that future is very bright.”

    A remarkable story that has often escaped public attention in the overall context of the vibrant India-U.S. relationship is that Indian companies have been pouring investment dollars into businesses in the U.S. and creating tens of thousands of American jobs. A new report from the Confederation of Indian Industry and the accounting firm Grant Thornton reveals that not only is Indian investment in the U.S. large, it’s also extremely widespread and clearly growing.

    The 100 Indian-based companies surveyed for the study have made an aggregate $15.3 billion investment in their U.S. operations. That, in turn, has created 91,000 jobs in the U.S., which by any measure is a substantial contribution to the American economy. Those jobs are scattered throughout the country. In fact, the survey found that Indian companies have a presence in all 50 states.

    The U.S. isn’t just a favored destination for the time being; it is likely to remain attractive for Indian investors for years. When asked if they plan to invest in the U.S. in the next five years, 84.5 percent of the Indian companies surveyed said yes. Only 4 percent said no. Asked if they plan to hire more employees locally in the U.S. over the next five years, 90 percent of the companies answered in the affirmative.

    The survey also challenges the greatest stereotype about the kinds of Indian companies in the U.S. They are not all information technology companies. Far from it. In the U.S., IT comprises 40 percent of Indian-company investment, according to the survey. The rest is highly diversified. Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and health care companies make up 14 percent of Indian investment here. Another 14 percent are manufacturers and mining companies. 16 percent offer financial, engineering, construction and entertainment services. The remainder is companies in the automotive, energy, hospitality and food businesses.

    The average investment received from Indian companies per state is substantial: $433 million. The top five states with the highest volume of investment – $1 billion or more – are Texas ($3.85 billion), Pennsylvania ($3.56 billion), Minnesota ($1.8 billion), New York ($1.01 billion) and New Jersey ($1 billion).

    In terms of employment generated by Indian companies, the top five states are New Jersey and California, each with about 9,000 jobs, Texas (6,000 jobs), Illinois (5,000 jobs) and New York (4,000 jobs).

    All of these numbers have been rising steadily, a sign that the U.S. market is among the strongest investment destinations in the world. These substantial investments are also a testament to the trust and openness that India and the U.S. enjoy both at the people-to-people and government-to-government levels. According to Select USA, India is now the fourth-fastest growing source of foreign direct investment into the United States. The significant and growing contributions of Indian investments in the U.S. remain a vital component of the bilateral relationship.

    American firms, of course, have long been major investors in India. Foreign direct investment by U.S. firms in India has been more than $1 billion a year. Efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make economic growth a hallmark of his administration have accelerated U.S. investment there.

    India has been lowering barriers to investment and encouraging business expansion. For example, the Indian government has over the past year raised limits on foreign investment in sectors such as insurance, medical devices, railways and defense. This will no doubt provide myriad opportunities for U.S. companies to increase their presence in India and will strengthen Indian companies so that they can enlarge their footprint in the U.S.

    The exchange is good for both nations and should be encouraged. The U.S. and India have much in common. They are the largest democracies in the world. They are also economic powerhouses that are helping each other grow in a dynamic global marketplace. We have a stake in each other’s economic future – and that future is very bright.

    By Ambassador Arun K. Singh (The author is India’s ambassador to the U.S.)

  • 100 Indian companies invested $15 billion in United States creating 91,000 jobs so far: Report

    100 Indian companies invested $15 billion in United States creating 91,000 jobs so far: Report

    New York (TIP) July 15: A total of one hundred India-based companies have invested over $15 billion across the US and have created more than 91,000 jobs in a wide range of sectors across 35 American States, according to a latest report released by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Grant Thornton (GT).

    The southern State of Texas received the maximum ($3.84 billion) foreign investment from Indian companies followed by Pennsylvania ($ 3.56 billion), Minnesota ($1.8 billion), New York ($1.01 billion) and New Jersey ($1 billion), said the report titled “Indian Roots, American Soil”.

    More than 20 top lawmakers including Senators, John Cornyn and Mark Warner, attended the report released yesterday at the Capitol Hill.

    “As India surges forward to become the fourth fastest growing source of FDI into the US, it is critical that we recognise the positive impact of Indian business investments in the country,” said Senator Warner, co-chair of the Senate India Caucus.

    The top five states where the Indian companies have generated maximum employment are New Jersey (9300 jobs), California (8400), Texas (6,200), Illinois (4,800) and New York (4,100) and are home to the most Americans directly employed by Indian companies.

    The CII study draws attention to the growing contribution and influence of the Indian industry, which forms an important component of our growing and vibrant relationship with the United States, said Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh.

    “Today Indian companies are not just investing and creating jobs, they have also become significant stakeholders in the growth and prosperity of their local communities,” Mr Singh said.

    Highlights

    * Together, 100 Indian companies employ more than 91,000 people across 35 states and the Washington DC, the American capital.

    * The total value of tangible investments made by these 100 companies exceeds $15.3 billion.

    * The top five states in which Indian companies have generated maximum employment are: New Jersey (9,278 jobs), California (8,937 jobs), Texas (6,230 jobs), Illinois (4,779 jobs) and New York (4,134 jobs).

    * The top five states in which Indian companies have contributed the highest foreign direct investment are: Texas ($3.84 billion), Pennsylvania ($3.56 billion), Minnesota ($1.8 billion), New York ($1.01 billion) and New Jersey ($1 billion).

    * The average amount of investment received from Indian companies per state is $443 million.

    * 84.5% of the companies plan to make more investments in the US.

    * 90% of the companies plan to hire more employees locally in the next five years.

  • Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday at Southern California summit

    Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday at Southern California summit

    The Dalai Lama celebrated his 80th birthday last weekend in Southern California, with hundreds of well-wishers attending a three-day Global Compassion Summit to mark the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s big day, with events being held at Anaheim’s Honda Center and the University of California, Irvine.

    During his remarks Sunday, the Dalai Lama spoke of “awakening compassion” and the “transformative power of creativity and art,” India’s Economic Times reported.

    The world renowned peace advocate drew cheers and even some protests during his Southern California stop.

    “On this very special birthday we will have a chance to celebrate his accomplishments in many areas and hear his exciting view for the years to come,” said Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden, founder of the Friends of the Dalai Lama. “This milestone occasion is a joyous opportunity for people to come together in celebration of His Holiness’ life and achievements.”

    Plans for the festivities included an 8-foot-tall birthday cake complete with maroon-and-gold frosting — the colors of the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan robes.

    The Dalai Lama, known the world over for his peace crusade, remains a controversial figure wherever he goes. The Chinese government accuses him of trying to separate Tibet and labels him “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

    The Nobel Peace Prize winner also attended discussions at the University of California-Irvine. He arrived in Southern California after spending time with former president George W. Bush in Texas.

  • Indian American Professor R Paul SIngh named World Agriculture Prize laureate

    Indian American Professor R Paul SIngh named World Agriculture Prize laureate

    Indian American Professor Emeritus R. Paul Singh who has held dual appointments in the departments of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis, has been named as the 2015 Global Confederation for Higher Education Associations for Agriculture and Life Sciences World Agriculture Prize laureate.

    The award was announced at the annual GCHERA conference, held June 24-26 at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon. Formal presentation of the award will take place Sept. 20, during a ceremony at Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, China.

    “I’m deeply humbled and honored, upon receiving news of this award,” Singh said. “I’m proud of my students, postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists for their numerous contributions to our research program. I’m also indebted to my UC Davis colleagues for their consistent support, which has allowed me to pursue my research and teaching activities in food engineering.”

    Singh earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering at India’s Punjab Agricultural University, then a master’s degree and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Michigan State University, respectively. He joined the UC Davis faculty one year later, in 1975.

    “For over four decades, Professor Singh’s work as a pioneer in food engineering has been improving lives the world over,” said UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. “This prestigious, and well-deserved, honor is a testament to the importance of his research, and UC Davis is tremendously honored to call him a member of our faculty.”

    Singh became recognized for a body of research in areas such as energy conservation, freezing preservation, postharvest technology and mass transfer in food processing. His research on airflow in complex systems helped design innovative systems for the rapid cooling of strawberries, and his studies on food freezing led to the development of computer software that is used to improve the energy efficiency of industrial freezers. Under a NASA contract, his research group created food-processing equipment for a manned mission to Mars.

    He has helped establish and evaluate food-engineering programs at institutions throughout the world, including in Brazil, India, Peru, Portugal and Thailand. As of June 2015, his 115 video tutorials have been viewed more than 150,000 times by individuals from 193 countries.

    In recent years, his research focused on the physical mechanisms responsible for the digestion of foods in the human stomach, with an eye toward developing the next generation of foods for health.

  • Facing backlash, US Muslims counter with new advertising campaign

    Facing backlash, US Muslims counter with new advertising campaign

    SACRAMENTO (TIP): In California’s capital city of Sacramento this month, stark black billboards loomed over highways and faded commercial strips, offering solace to the troubled: “Looking for the answers in life?” one asked. “Discover Muhammad.”

    With messages that are part religious invitation to explore the Muslim faith and part public relations, the billboards anchor a national campaign to showcase Islam as a religion of love and tolerance, aimed at Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

    But the campaign by the mainstream Islamic Circle of North America, which is sponsoring billboards in other cities to publicize the Muslim prophet’s message, could also spark a backlash amid a spike in anti-Islamic sentiment marked by protests, advertising campaigns and sometimes vandalism and violence.

    “We thought a proper approach would be to actually educate the larger public about his personality, which exemplifies love and brotherhood,” said Waqas Syed, ICNA Deputy Secretary General.

    The billboard campaign is not the first high-profile bid by a Muslim group to bolster Islam’s image in America, tarnished by militant attacks. But it is the largest such effort by ICNA, the group most closely identified with billboard campaigns in recent years, and it includes some billboards that are clearly evangelical.

    “Under the circumstances, it’s a pretty bold move,” said Todd Green, a professor who studies Islamophobia, or fear of Islam, at Luther College in Iowa. “When you’re a minority religion, you face a lot of pressure from the majority population not to proselytize.”

    By asking Americans to discover Mohammad, the campaign is similar in some ways to efforts by evangelical Christians whose roadside billboards, especially in the US heartland, have sought to draw Americans into their fold with messages promoting Jesus as the Messiah, he said.

    Organizers said they launched the program as a response to a deadly Paris attack by Islamist militants on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January over its anti-Muslim cartoons, aiming their message in part at other Muslims to say that violence is not an appropriate response to provocation.

    By coincidence, the first billboards went up days after two US Muslim gunmen were killed in May as they tried to attack a Texas exhibit of cartoons depicting Mohammad, and shortly before heavily armed anti-Islam protesters demonstrated outside a Phoenix mosque.

    A previous billboard campaign by ICNA two years ago invited Americans to see similarities between Christianity and Islam, which views Jesus as a prophet but not as the son of God as Christians do. A campaign by another US Muslim group tried to show non-violent interpretations of jihad, such as a holy struggle to lead a moral life.

    Both campaigns prompted angry responses, and in the case of the “My Jihad” campaign, an opposing group put up signs and billboards linking Islam with violence.

    Message of peace, women’s rights

    The latest campaign, paid for by local ICNA chapters, will eventually include about 100 billboards from Philadelphia to Baltimore, Atlanta and Miami.

    Some signs, like those in Sacramento, are clearly invitations to explore the Muslim faith while others aim to portray Mohammad as a supporter of women’s rights and religious tolerance.

    “Kindness is a mark of faith,” a billboard in Elizabeth, New Jersey, reads. In Miami, another offers, “Muhammad believed in peace, social justice, women’s rights.”

    Sharing that view of Mohammad is more important to ICNA than proselytizing, Syed said, though newcomers who want to convert would be welcomed.

    Muslims make up 0.9 percent of the US population, but the number is expected to double by 2050, driven by immigration, high birth rates and a young population, the Pew Research Center says.

    The first wave of signs, including those in Sacramento and Los Angeles, came down last week. New ones will be posted in San Francisco, Dallas and other cities in coming weeks. Despite tensions, the billboards have not been defaced, and negative responses have been few, said Imam Khalid Griggs, vice president of ICNA and leader of a mosque in North Carolina.

    Last week, a group that fears radical Islam will grow in the United States erected billboards around St. Louis showing cartoon drawings of Mohammad, meant to flout the religion’s ban on depicting his image. In February, a Washington, D.C. mosque was vandalized twice in one week.

    In Elizabeth, New Jersey, where one ICNA billboard went up, Tyler Coltelli, a 23-year-old Catholic, said the sign made him uncomfortable: “You should be able to practice your own faith, but I don’t necessarily agree with trying to convert people from the streets.”

    But Bodia Wardany, a parishioner at the Salam Islamic Center in Sacramento said: “I think it’s a great idea, considering all the misperceptions about the faith and the terrorist, fanatical groups misrepresenting the faith itself.”