DALLAS, TX (TIP): Sejal Desai, an Indian American business and community leader from Texas has been appointed the new Executive Director of Akanksha Education Fund to promote educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in India. “The Akanksha Education Fund is thrilled to announce that Sejal Desai, of Dallas, Texas, will be the new Executive Director of the Akanksha Education Fund,” the not-for-profit organization’s Board of Directors said in a message Wednesday.
Sejal has had an incredible 30-year career and joins the Akanksha family most recently from the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), where she led a strategic initiative focused on engaging businesses in the community, according to a media release.
At CFT she worked with over 400 companies and also supported many individual donors with their philanthropic giving and engagement.
Among other career highlights, she also started a US-India based social venture, SevaYatra, with one of Akanksha’s long-time friends, Azad Oommen.
“As a business and community leader in Dallas, Sejal and her family will continue living there but she plans to travel regularly to be with the AEF team and engage with our supporters,” the message from the board said. She lived in Mumbai for almost 20 years and has strong family and professional ties there.
Ramesh Srinivasan, AEF’s Board Chair noted that Sejal’s combined roots in Dallas and Mumbai are perfect for this moment in AEF’s growth.
“This is an exciting venture for all of us, as our future outreach depends in part on growing our presence well beyond the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area. We have some terrific seeds planted already and Sejal is poised to make them grow!”
“I am excited to embark on this new chapter in my life and work together with individuals, corporates and foundations across the US to advance educational outcomes for underserved children in India,” said Desai.
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Joe Biden is tapping two Indian American women already working in his administration as part of a 10-member team to lead on climate and transportation matters across key agencies. While Meera Joshi is being named as Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, Radhika Fox would become Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency.
Biden’s intent to elevate Joshi, an attorney with over 16 years of experience leading government oversight agencies, and Fox, a water issues expert, both working for his administration since January 20 inauguration day, was announced by the White House Wednesday. Appointed as the Deputy Administrator and senior official of the agency she would now head on day one, Joshi was previously Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
At the nation’s largest for-hire transportation regulator, Joshi spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns using data tools to keep high risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, according to his official biography. She also led landmark policy, including establishing robust open transportation data standards for app-based providers; enacting the nation’s first for-hire driver pay protection program and providing broad access to for-hire transportation for passengers who use wheelchairs. Prior to transportation regulation, Joshi was the Inspector General for New York City’s Department of Corrections, responsible for investigation of corruption and criminality at all levels of New York City’s jail operations and the First Deputy Executive Director of New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading investigations of police misconduct.
In addition to her government positions, Joshi served as General Manager for the New York Office of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and was a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy. Joshi was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She holds a BA and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.
Appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 20, Fox currently serves as the Acting Assistant Administer for Water.
The EPA’s Office of Water works to ensure that drinking water is safe, wastewater is safely returned to the environment, and surface waters are properly managed and protected.
Prior to joining EPA, Fox served as Chief Executive Officer for the US Water Alliance, where she established herself as a widely recognized national thought leader on complex water issues, from equitable water management to investing in our nation’s water infrastructure. Her work has helped address the most salient water issues facing the nation—including climate change, affordability, equity, governance, innovative finance, and the evolution of the One Water movement.
Fox previously directed the policy and government affairs agenda for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which is responsible for providing 24/7 water, wastewater, and municipal power services to 2.6 million Bay Area residents.
She also served as the Federal Policy Director at PolicyLink, where she coordinated the organization’s policy agenda on a wide range of issues, including infrastructure investment, transportation, sustainable communities, economic inclusion, and workforce development.
Fox holds a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley where she was a HUD Community Development Fellow.
SACRAMENTO (TIP): Three men were booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on Thursday and were scheduled to appear in federal court Friday afternoon following a six-month investigation that court records say included undercover drug buys in Canada and the United States, cellphone surveillance and encrypted communications conducted in Punjabi.
Parampreet Singh, 55; Ranvir Singh, 38; and Amandeep Singh Multani, 33, are charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, opium and ketamine, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency describes as a “short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects” that is “sometimes used to facilitate sexual assault crimes.”
They also face a count of distribution of a substance containing cocaine.
All three are being held without bail, and online court records did not list an attorney for them Friday morning.
The three men “have offered to supply up to hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine at a time, in both Canada and the United States,” according to an affidavit filed in court by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Joshua Matas. “They have also stated that they have drug trafficking connections to Mexico, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Germany, in addition to the United States and Canada.”
American DEA agents based in Ottawa began investigating the operation in June 2020, and contacted agents in the Sacramento area in October, court records say.
The probe included the use of an undercover officer from the York Regional Police department, near Toronto, who arranged for undercover buys alternately communicating in Punjabi, Spanish and English, court records say.
The agent coordinated through cellphones, WhatsApp and Botim, an encrypted application that Parampreet Singh advised the undercover agent to use, court records say.
“Based on my training and experience, I believe Singh’s consistent use of encrypted apps shows his level of expertise in his attempts to avoid detection of his drug-related conversations by law enforcement,” Matas wrote.
The investigation ultimately led to drug purchases in Canada and in Sacramento, where an undercover agent picked up a green plastic bag containing cocaine from Ranvir Singh and Multani in the parking lot of the Cheesecake Factory on Arden Way, court records say.
Agents eventually obtained search warrants for Parampreet Singh’s home on Goshawk Street in Davis, as well as a Chevron mini-mart he operates on Harbor Boulevard in West Sacramento, court records say. Other warrants were issued for a Natomas Park home on Baines Avenue owned by Ranvir Singh, a Stansfield Drive home in Roseville associated with Multani and five vehicles, including a Hummer SUV and an Audi sedan registered to Parampreet Singh and a Mercedes-Benz SUV driven by Ranvir Singh, court records say.
San Jose based Tibrewala has been creating powerful images of brown women in her paintings to create a balanced narrative in art
SAN JOSE, CA (TIP): Artist and activist Sujata Tibrewala believes that art can change narratives and can bring important changes in the world as we see it. To mark the ongoing Women’s History Month, Tibrewala who is known for her feminist paintings has started a new social media trend. Entitled #BrownWomeninArt Sujata is urging all women artists to come ahead and show women of colors in their artwork. Talking about this initiative Sujata says, “As an artist of color, living and working in the United States, I have myself seen how the art space can be skewed in one direction. We do not very often see women artists of color in mainstream and worse still we rarely do see women of color as the subject of paintings or art works. The whole idea is to make our presence mainstream. The aim of this campaign is to invite all women of color in the West to share their art and show the power of choosing what we want the world to see.”
On what inspired Sujata to start this trend, she says, “A number of things happening around us in America herald change and our unmistakable presence. We have a woman first ever Vice President who is proud of her heritage, we just had a South Asian origin woman Swati Mohan leading the Mars mission, even the otherwise period white drama Bridgerton on Netflix announced that their next season would have an Indian origin lady in the lead. These are all important moments. It is how we use these signs to pave our way that will make all the difference.”
Talking about her paintings, Sujata says, “From the moment I began painting, I felt drawn to the idea of presenting the story from a woman’s perspective, in my paintings. I also subconsciously found my women not as the meek spectators but as important contributors, rebels, innovators and protagonists in the story. Like for instance, I had been actively following and championing the cause of Indian farmers recently and some of my works about rural India were told through the eyes of women farmers.” According to Sujata, often what also stops women in art, especially women of color in art is the fear of treading into territories that people may think should be no-go for them. Its’ not uncommon, that as an artist of Indian origin, I have been asked by art exhibitors to show my works only showing mythology or ethnic history. My answer to it is – while I am equally proud to showcase my heritage and history, I want to be an active participant in the world around me and talk about everything from white supremacy to racism to consumerism all everything under the sun, as we see in America today.”
She adds, “As more and more women of color come together, we would hopefully see a lot more commendable work than we actually get to see, and this is the entire purpose of this small effort.”
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Senate would go through a rare procedure to discharge a nomination from the judiciary committee for Indian American lawyer Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday, April 15.
If confirmed, Ms. Gupta, 46, would be the first woman of color to serve as Associate Attorney General, which is the third-ranking official at the powerful Department of Justice.
Senate Majority Leader senator Chuck Schumer had to file this rare motion of discharge because the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 25 voted her nomination 11-11. The discharge motion would allow a full Senate vote on her nomination. “This afternoon, the Senate will need to go through a rare procedure to discharge a nomination from the Judiciary Committee… Miss Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “The daughter of immigrants from India, Miss Gupta is the first woman of color to ever be nominated for Associate Attorney General, the third-ranking official at the Department of Justice. Her public track record is nothing short of exemplary,” Schumer said before a bitterly divided Senate. Given that the 100-member Senate is equally divided among Republicans and the Democrats with 50 seats each, the ruling party now depends on Vice President Kamala Harris to break the tie in favor of Ms. Gupta.
Later in the day, Schumer is expected to make a motion to proceed to Executive Session in order to move to discharge the nomination of Gupta to be Associate Attorney General from the Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote relative to that motion.
There will then be up to four hours of debate on the motion to discharge the Gupta nomination from the Committee on the Judiciary. The Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to discharge the Gupta nomination from the Committee on the Judiciary.
Schumer said Ms. Gupta will make an outstanding Associate Attorney General. The Senate should discharge her nomination from the Judiciary Committee this afternoon, he said.
“In her very first case after law school, Ms. Gupta won the release of several African-Americans who had been wrongly convicted by all-white juries in Texas, clients who eventually won a pardon from Texas Governor Rick Perry. She continued her work at the ACLU, where she launched a bipartisan criminal justice reform effort, before going on to lead the civil rights division of the Justice Department under President Obama,” the senator said. Schumer rued that despite her sterling credentials, some Republicans on the Judiciary Committee would have them believe that Ms. Gupta is some hair-raising, left-wing radical. “In her hearing, Gupta was unfortunately subjected to a mind-numbingly repetitious line of questioning about whether or not she supports the police or wants to decriminalize all drugs. A conservative judicial organization launched a national ad campaign to smear her nomination. It was disgraceful,” Schumer said.
In a statement, Wade Henderson – interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights urged the Senate to confirm the nomination of Gupta. “Vanita Gupta is exactly the leader we need in this role at this critical moment for our country. Now is not the time for baseless and harmful partisan tactics. With broad support that crosses ideological divides, Gupta is a consensus builder who will bring vital civil rights and racial justice experience to the Justice Department. The country needs Ms. Gupta and her experience in this important role now, and the Senate must take swift and immediate action to confirm her,” Henderson added.
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Joe Biden on Wednesday, April14, formally announced his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan before September 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that led the US into its longest war.
“We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result,” Biden said.
“I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats,” he added. “I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.” In a sign he views his remarks as a historic bookend to the prolonged conflict, he delivered them from precisely the same spot in the White House Treaty Room that President George W. Bush announced the start of the war on October 7, 2001. Afterward he’ll visit the section of Arlington National Cemetery where many of America’s war dead from Afghanistan are buried.
Biden will say that American diplomatic and humanitarian efforts will continue in Afghanistan and would support peace efforts between the Afghan government and the Taliban. But he’ll be unequivocal that two decades after it began, the Afghanistan war is ending.
“It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home,” he said.
Biden said the withdrawal will begin on May 1, in line with an agreement President Donald Trump’s administration made with the Taliban. He said the complete withdrawal will be done by September 11. The deadline Biden has set is absolute, with no potential for extension based on worsening conditions on the ground. Officials said after two decades of war, it was clear to the President that throwing more time and money at Afghanistan’s problems wasn’t going to work.
“This is not conditions-based,” a senior administration official heavily involved in the deliberations said on Tuesday. “The President has judged that a conditions-based approach, which has been the approach of the past two decades, is a recipe for staying in Afghanistan forever.”
Company unveils its latest campaign and vision for the North America market.
Laxmi, the oldest and most well-loved South Asian brand in North America is best known for delivering uncompromising quality and authentic ethnic foods that stand for purity and every day value for South Asian consumers. Shilpa and Laxmi share a similar passion for perfection both having carved their own niche making them a dream team. Their association is one that forges a path of excellence and will leave a legacy to remember. Shilpa Shetty Kundra will be the face for all brand communications for Laxmi with special focus on promoting popular products such as basmati rice, wheat flour, spices and lentils.
Commenting on this exciting new alliance, House of Spices company executives, Neil Soni (CEO) and Amrapali Soni (COO)said, “Shilpa with Laxmi was an easy decision. Her evolution into health and wellness, in addition to her culinary curiosity fits well with the evolution of Laxmi brand. In today’s world, we need to engage with our consumers, let them know we are listening. After refreshing the Laxmi logo, it was time to give the brand a new voice. We could not be happier that the voice is Shilpa’s.”
Laxmi is dedicated to keeping the South Asian culinary traditions alive and thriving by continuing to fulfill our desi cooking needs by offering range of superior products from the extra-long basmati rice to the purest haldi (turmeric), ghee and the newly launched range of Ayurvedic spices.
Speaking of category challenges in the marketplace, Chief Sales and Marketing officer Sundeep Lamba mentioned that “With the explosion of brand options at the store, for a consumer it is a difficult choice to make especially not knowing how these products are sourced and handled. Laxmi has always stood for quality, trust and value and with our new association with Shilpa Shetty Kundra, our brand promise will come to life”.
The origins of the Laxmi brand are based in traditions and family values and therefore it is no surprise that their latest campaign revolves around bringing those values to life.
Commenting on the campaign inspiration, Suhasinee Patil, VP Marketing shared some thoughts on what makes this campaign so special. According to her, “This past year with all its challenges has proven to us that nothing matters more than family and one way we all stayed positive and connected was through cooking. The pandemic brought out the chef in all of usand induced us to trynew foods, focusing on reducing stress and boosting our immunity. It inspired us to change our lifestyle and prioritize health and family.”
With this campaign, our message to the consumers is simple: It’s time to bring home foods that stand for quality and purity; it’s time to bring home a brand you have trusted for over 50 years; It’s time to bring LAXMI home!
National Restaurant Association offers 39 questions and answers on program that could be lifeline for many
EDISON, NJ (TIP): The coverage period for the Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund may be extended by 14 months (until March 2023) … the definitions of bakeries, breweries and inns may change, based on percentage of onsite sales … the gross receipts total for 2020 may no longer include Paycheck Protection Program loans and other debt relief awards, says a news report published April 9 in RIONJ.Com
Applications for the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund are still expected later this month. But, before they come out, the National Restaurant Association released a list of 39 answers to the most frequently asked questions the group has received since the program was introduced. “Eligible entity” definition may have new context for bakeries, breweries, brewpubs, distilleries, taprooms and wineries, only if onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts (presumably in 2019). For inns, onsite sales of food and beverage to the public may need to comprise at least 33% of gross receipts.
Permanently closed entities might be ineligible.
Bankrupt entities without approved plans for reorganization might be ineligible.
The minimum grant award might be set at $1,000.
Some of the items with additional clarification include:
For gross receipt totals in 2020, applicants might not need to include PPP loans, SBA debt relief, COVID-19-related Economic Injury Disaster Loans, EIDL advances, targeted EIDL advances or any other state and local small business grants (via CARES Act or otherwise). This was a recommendation from the National Restaurant Association to SBA. PPP first-draw loans, returned before the safe harbor deadline, might not be counted against grant fund amount. This was also a recommendation to SBA from the National Restaurant Association. Self-certification for prioritization eligibility is the likely path for targeted groups and differs from SBA certification for traditional loan programs. The FAQ also provides specific details about the documents that might be required for application:
Application form.
IRS Form 4506-T.
Acceptable documentation of gross receipts and, if applicable, eligible expenses, might include:
Business tax returns (IRS Form 1120 or IRS 1120-S).
IRS Forms 1040 Schedule C; IRS Forms 1040 Schedule F.
For a partnership: partnership’s IRS Form 1065 (including K-1s).
Bank statements.
Externally or internally prepared financial statements such as income statements or profit and loss statements.
Point of sale report(s), including IRS Form 1099-K.
Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association, said the group is determined to provide this much-needed information.
Good news for restaurants seeking Revitalization Fund grants
“These updates are essential for the small business restaurants that are trying to prepare their application while working long hours to keep their doors open,” he said. “For that reason, the association and our state partners are committed to getting these details to operators as we learn them.
“We appreciate the speed at which the SBA is working to set up this program, and we are doing everything we can to make sure that it will work well for the restaurants that have been hoping for this relief over the last 12 months.”
How much money is available?
Grants will be equal to 2019 gross revenue minus 2020 gross revenue — with a maximum grant of $5 million ($10 million for restaurant groups).
Will it be taxed? Grant funds will not be taxed like income.
What can it be used for?A variety of uses, including:
Payroll costs.
Principal and interest payments on a mortgage.
Rent payments.
Utilities.
Maintenance expenses.
Supplies, including personal protective equipment and cleaning materials.
The Vaisakhi special edition, dedicated to the agitating Indian farmers, seeking revocation of the three laws, made interesting reading, indeed. Your remarkable editorial has presented a very balanced account of the entire scenario.
Really commendable are the initiatives of Senators Charles Schumer and Robert Menendez writing to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Congressman Andrew Garbarino’s letter to Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
Similarly, several world leaders, celebrities and the public of many nations have condemned the highhandedness of the Union government of India.
The People’s Power of Peaceful Protest has been reinforced through an unprecedented agitation of such immense magnitude. A momentous chapter in the history of protests, worldwide, is in the making, whereby democratic norms are being re-emphasized by the farming community in India. “No farmer, no food” is the slogan which emanated from Punjab, India, and soon it started resonating well, deeply and absolutely, with the populace of the entire world.
During the agitation, the farmers, including women, children and the old, were subjected to excruciating tortures like baton-charge, water-cannons and tear-gas shells. And during the camping on several locations, on the Delhi borders, they were further bullied when basic amenities like water, electricity and internet connections were severed, in a blatant violation of human rights
Accomplishment of the aspirations of the already marginalized farmers is being further crushed by the excruciating pain inflicted upon them. However, their resilience and indomitable fortitude, facing all adversity, shall serve as an inspiration for many to emulate.
Protests, by Indians, are being organized worldwide and outside the New York based headquarters of the United Nations Organization, to register a vociferous opposition to the draconian laws, enacted by the autocratic Indian regime, which is also resorting to atrocious measures and machinations to discredit the agitation.
Over two hundred people have succumbed to the extremities of weather. One religious leader and preacher committed suicide, leaving a note that he was sacrificing his life for the cause of the fundamental right to speech and expression, when democratic norms are thrown to the wind, by an autocratic regime. One young farmer was shot dead, while he was driving his tractor.
Most certainly, they can be awarded the rank of “farming soldiers on the interstate borders of Delhi”. The farmers are in a warzone of sorts, battling it out, “with weapons of words and demands”, of course, protesting against their own elected government, demanding their very legitimate fundamental rights, that have been guaranteed in the Indian Constitution but which are not being implemented and given to the distressed farmers. All of the happenings are really an unfortunate and unwarranted situation, especially considering the fact that India has a parliamentary form of government and the following golden words are enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution: “Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic”.
This is an unusually dark phase in the history of the Indian polity, post 1947 independent India, when the programs, policies, procedures and decisions of the government are being denounced by the people. The earlier such black period was the EmergencyEra in 1975 to 1977.
On the 26th of January 2021, all eyes were glued towards the grand spectacle, to be staged on ‘The Rajpath’ (implying the Pathway to the Seat of Power) in Delhi, where the prowess of the Indian Defense Forces, during the Parade is showcased, in a gesture denoting National Glory & Esteem, while celebrating freedom and also saluting the Warrior-Defenders of the Indian populace and Indian territorial sovereignty.
A small group of protestors forced their way, into the historic Red Fort complex, hoisted the ‘Nishaan Sahib’, the Religious-Insignia of the Sikhs, that is visible atop every Gurdwara, around the world. The ‘Nishaan-Sahib’ was deliberately labeled as the ‘Flag of Khalistan’ (an alleged separatist militant movement) even though the entire world is aware of the ‘Nishaan-Sahib’ being the Insignia of the 551-year-old religion, which is the 5th largest, in terms of numbers, and whose adherents reside globally. This saffron-colored insignia is very joyously hoisted by the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army, wherever it is posted. This flag was hoisted on the ramparts of the very same Red Fort, in a historic commemoration in 2014, to mark the conquest of Delhi by Sikh Generals Bhagel Singh, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, who vanquished the Mughals.
They hoisted the ‘Nishaan-Sahib’, at the very spot where the Prime Minister of India unfurls the Tricolor National Flag, every year, on the 15th of August, India’s Independence Day and it is folded and stored, after the ceremony. One Tricolor is always fluttering on another pole. Although this flag was untouched, yet the protestors were charged with desecration of the National Flag.
Hence, the charges of sedition are, absolutely, ill-founded and hold no water.
NEW JERSEY (TIP): Describing the Swastika as a “symbol of peace, well-being and prosperity,” the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has asked its supporters to take action to stop Maryland and New Jersey legislators from banning its public display.
“The Maryland House of Delegates is considering House Bill 0418 (HB0418) a bill that falsely defines the swastika as a symbol of hate. TAKE ACTION TODAY TO STOP THIS,” it tweeted Saturday.
The New Jersey State Assembly is also “considering AB1749, a bill that would amend a state statute that criminalizes display of symbols, objects, or graffiti exposing another to threats of violence to specifically include swastikas,” it said in an earlier post.
The prominent Hindu group wants its supporters to email the Governors and state legislators in Maryland and New Jersey to urge them to oppose the two bills.
“The bills make no distinction between the Nazi emblem and the sacred history and meaning of the swastika for over two billion Hindus, Buddhists and Jains in the United States and around the world as a Sanskrit word and symbol of peace, well-being and prosperity,” it says.
While the Maryland bill “conflates the Nazi emblem or hooked cross with the swastika,” the New Jersey bill “tries to distinguish the Nazi emblem or hooked cross from the swastika by calling it the ‘Nazi swastika’” HAF says.
Noting the Nazi Party adopted the hooked cross (Hakenkreuz in German) as its emblem in 1920, HAF describes Nazism as “the hateful ideology that is responsible for the killing of millions of Jewish people and other innocents.
“The swastika, a Sanskrit word and symbol central to Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain spiritual life, invokes wellbeing and prosperity,” it said.
“It’s used in daily religious practice, special rites, and displayed in our homes, temples, and places of business. It may also be displayed in jewelry, clothing, and art,” HAF said.
“These two symbols, and their history and meanings are NOT the same and should not be conflated,” the Hindu group said.
“Imagine the shame and bullying our children could face as a result of the state’s mis-portrayal of the swastika. Imagine the devastating impact it could have on Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain families to freely practice their religion and pass traditions on to the next generation,” HAF said.
HAF also asked supporters to educate friends, neighbors, and colleagues and spread awareness about the ancient history and sacred significance of the swastika.
In Sanskrit, the word swastika is a combination of ‘su’ (meaning ‘good’) and ‘asti’ (meaning ‘to exist’), it said. Popularly, this gets translated as ‘all is well.’
“The swastika is thus understood to be a symbol of auspiciousness and good fortune, and is regularly donned on Hindu homes, businesses, printed materials, cars, temples, and ashrams,” HAF said. Many Hindus adorn the threshold of the front entrance to their homes with the swastika, it said noting, other faith traditions originating in India also regularly use the swastika, with similar auspicious meaning.
The swastika had a major resurgence of usage in Europe and North America in the 19th century as a good luck symbol, HAF said.
Prior to its appropriation by the Nazis, swastikas appeared on Coca-Cola and beer bottles, it said. The Boy Scouts in the US and other scouting groups in Europe used swastikas on badges.
“To this day, there is a town of Swastika, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1908,” HAF said.
“The US Army’s 45th infantry division used it as a sleeve insignia during the 1920s up until the rise of the Nazis. The UK’s Royal Air Force had it on planes up until 1939.”
NEW JERSEY (TIP): Friends of an Indian couple found dead at their New Jersey home last week have started a GoFundMe campaign to help their surviving three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Viha Rudrawar. Bodies of the couple — identified as Balaji Rudrawar, 33, and Aarti B. Rudrawar, 31 — were found inside their North Arlington apartment in Bergen County, New Jersey Wednesday. Their daughter, who was found crying in the balcony, was unharmed.
‘Contribute to Viha’s future’ fundraiser has collected over $70, 000 in less than 24 hours of starting the campaign, according to its organizer Gobind Singh Nihalani.
Nihalani said they were in the process of creating a Trust Fund for this money to be used for Viha’s well-being and her education.
They were also working with child welfare to arrange the kid’s custody to her grandparents living in the temple town of Ambajogai in Maharashtra’s Beed district, about 300 miles from Mumbai.
Rudrawar, an IT professional and his homemaker wife moved to the US in August 2015 after they got married in December 2014.
Balaji Rudrawar, working for Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd, and Aarti Rudrawar “were happily married and a couple of few words but many smiles,” wrote Nihalani.
“In this immensely unfortunate moment, while we all get together to pray to the almighty to rest their souls in peace, we are also starting an effort to think for the future of the small child.”
“While nobody can ever fulfill the void in Viha’s life, as friends and family, the least we can do is to come together and contribute our share towards the future of Viha,” Nihalani wrote.
“No contribution is big or small – please do whatever you can to help Viha, as that will have some financial support for the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the North Arlington Police Department are continuing to investigate the deaths.
Both Balaji and Aarti had suffered from multiple stab wounds, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. They believe Aarti Rudrawar died as a result of stab wounds inflicted by her husband, the prosecutor said Friday.
Balaji Ruduawar “also died as a result of multiple stab wounds, but his manner of death is undetermined pending the completion of an autopsy and investigation,” the prosecutor said in a release.
Investigators said they do not believe anyone else was involved in the deaths.
North Arlington Police responded to the Garden Terrace apartment complex after receiving a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor reporting that she looked through the mail slot in the front door of and saw two people lying on the floor in the living room area, Musella said in a release.
Request your support for India’s democracy – One call does it.
Briefly, India has been our reliable ally in containing Chinese influence worldwide, and we base that on the stability and strength of Indian democratic institutions. However, these institutions are crumbling, and we seek your help in sustaining our ally, India.
One of the significant sources of potential political instability is Farmer’s protests against the laws passed by the Government of India. These laws help big corporations control the agriculture sector of the economy, stripping the small farmers from their livelihood. Nearly 60% of the Indian population works in the Agriculture sector, contributing 18% to the national GDP; now, all of this is peril. Over 200,000 farmers from across India have been protesting for the last six months, living through the cold and brittle winters of New Delhi.
Nearly 350 Farmers have lost their lives during these ongoing peaceful protests.
Farmers are arrested on bogus charges. The Government machinery is making their lives difficult.
The farmers are determined to protest and have the harmful Farm Laws repealed.
They have the support of a large chunk of Indian abroad who understand how harmful the Farm Laws enacted by the Modi government are for the farmers and the farm sector.
Further to that, the right-wing groups have given three choices to 230 million Christians and Muslims- convert to Hinduism, disappear, or live as second-class citizens.
The Journalists, politicians, and social activists have been detained, interrogated charged with treason for voicing their support for the farmers. The age-old wisdom goes like this, “one call does it.” We hope you can call Prime Minister Modi and ask him to restore the freedoms to the people and repeal the laws that will hurt India’s small farmers and food security.
The political stability of India is critical to our influence in Asia.
Compensation Is Due from China; and If We Were Pearl Harbored, Then Reparations too- Ravi Batra
New York based attorney Ravi Batra, on 14thApril 2020 wrote an open letter to then President Trump making out a case against China for the pandemichavoc, which has taken away millions of lives, created terrible health issues, and ruined the global economy. Mr. Batra called upon President Trump to demand from China due compensation from China for causing colossal losses in terms of men and material to America and Americans, and additionally, if China Pearl Harbored America, reparations. A year later, Mr. Batra wrote an open letter to President Biden repeating his accusation against China and asking the US President to demand due compensation, and reparation, if required.
We are publishing here Mr. Batra’s open letter to President Biden, without editing it. -EDITOR
“April 13, 2021
H.E. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States of America
H.E. Nancy Pelosi
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
H.E. Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate
Re: 1 Year after My April 14, 2020 “Open Letter” – M/O Novel Coronavirus Aka Covid19 Aka “2019-n-CoV” or “2019-nCoV” – Compensation Is Due from China; and If We Were Pearl Harbored, Then Reparations too.
Honorable President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Schumer:
As an un-conflicted American, I love and admire the Chinese culture; always have, and find Confucius wiser as I age. With God’s Grace I and my family survived Covid19 on or about March 29, 2020. Treating this Virus as a cancer case that I needed to crack, and after learning biochemistry and epidemiology during an intense effort, I did so, and a year ago, on April 14, 2020, I wrote a 6-page “Open Letter” to then-President Trump, Speaker Pelosi and then-Senate Majority Leader (“OL”; copy enclosed, with uniform spelling of “Wuhan”), and for POTUS, emailed it to a former Marine: Deputy NSA Matt Pottinger at 8:31pm. In the OL, I had the science, the facts, and recommendations, including, bringing our “supply chains” home. The next day, April 15, 2020, about 1 p.m. the United States opened a preliminary investigation into inter alia the origin of SARS-CoV2 from PLA-run Wuhan Virology Lab, and the motives of CCP China in causing its global-spread without sounding a pandemic-alarm directly or thru the WHO. I remain grateful for the start of the April 15, 2020 “all hands-on deck” Investigation.
It remains an open secret that my analysis was and is correct, and that this is a lab-created Frankenstein that transplanted the “Spike Glycoprotein(S)” (“Spike”) from Bats – a unique feature in bats, as they are either “cold” or “warm” blooded, and still, a warm Bat can procreate with a cold Bat due to the “Spike.” OL at 3. I called “Covid19,” aka “Wuhan Virus,” a Trojan Horse, as its Spike feature does not cause our immune system to sound an alarm upon infection (and the T-cells remain asleep). Disturbingly, CCP has not turned over, to this day, the genome of Patient Zero who was admitted in Wuhan hospital on or about December 1, 2019, while a different protein string-virus was released on or about December 31, 2019 at the Wuhan Wet Market. The animal farms about 1000 miles away from Wuhan, did not experience a Covid19 outbreak, thereby decimating the WHO’s coddled-team’s report, after a 3-hour chaperoned visit to the Wuhan Virology lab, falsely asserting a virus jump from an animal to a human.
WHO dishonored its high fiduciary obligations, and did not promptly alert the leaders of every nation that a pandemic was afoot and ask to lock-down CCP’s China. President Trump said we were fighting an invisible enemy. I disagree; the cascading events in just the South China Sea – from creating Mischief Reef, to sinking of Filipino Fishing boats with Fishermen to their death, to sinking Vietnamese Fishing boats, to the recent squatting of 245 Chinese Militia ships, lashed together to appear as part of “9-Dashes” in Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone – are in violation of inter alia the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”). The Virus is surely invisible, but this string of protein, despite its lab-based default programing, has no animus towards us and does not benefit by causing death and destruction – and by my last count, our needlessly dead well exceed our losses at Pearl Harbor. A substantial question arises: is Covid19 a biowarfare agent? The death and destruction we have suffered suggests a motivated animus, which is a human phenomenon that renders us unworthy in the eyes of God.
Despite Truth-in-Labeling laws, CCP has succeeded in blocking this Virus from being origin-labeled by deeming it racist. Our misguided citizens criminally attacking innocent law-abiding Asian-Americans has provided cover, while shaming us as a nation that celebrates diversity, and staining E Pluribus Unum. Our shameful chapter of interning innocent and loyal Japanese-Americans during WWII, when we did no such thing to German-Americans while fighting Nazi Germany, is a lesson we need to learn perpetually, exactly, as Kristallnacht teaches: remember always. It is a singularly important ingredient in our effort to form a more perfect union – a point recently well made by Secretary Blinken in Anchorage.
I write to seek from you dear and respected President Biden, given your distinguished tenure and natural God-given abilities – a clear American policy – both as to our injury from Covid19 and holding the sending-nation reasonably responsible (turnover all biomedical information, indemnify our losses, etc.), and to restore global peace and security, by avoiding a war if we can. Indeed, pre-Covid19, troubled by the years-long effort by China to create Mischief Reef into a military base, in September 2017, I had a respectful conversation with China’s distinguished FM Wang Yi, which in sum and substance, I explained the above facts and said, you are inviting a little war now or a big war later, and since I don’t like wars, I prefer a little war now. Minister Wang, with concern, immediately responded: No war! No war!, and left to end this conversation.
Diplomacy is always needed, even to arrange a surrender to end a war. It has been reported that President Xi, whom I consider to be at least as much an exceptional mastermind as Chairman Mao was, if not more, has asked his diplomatic corps to unsheathe their swords to be Wolf Warriors – a function or definition that defies diplomacy, even as it weaponizes it. Given that backdrop, we, as hosts at Captain Hook Hotel in Anchorage on March 18, 2021 – instead of a protocol-based public welcome, private candid talks, and a public press conference at the end – started with our honest expressions in public. In a moment that evokes – albeit, in part – a declaration of independence [sadly, from us], CCP’s Foreign Affairs Chief Yang Jiechi effortlessly responded in public, what I believe was intended for private talks. We are at the cusp of a modern-day Gordian Knot.
While I take note of William Stanton’s recent April 9, 2021 piece on “Agents of Influence,” I particularly take note of former NSA H.R. McMaster’s May 2020 piece in The Atlantic, entitled “How China Sees the World,” I freely admit that it was our then-President Nixon who opened the world for China and granted CCP a permanent seat on the UNSC. Whether we have a rules-based or law-based system of sovereigns co-existing in the comity of nations, we ought not be in the position of having to pick between the ever-reasonable and well-calibrated go-along and get-along Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill as being necessary to maintain our cherished freedoms and never surrender our sovereignty. Methinks, a new joint Yalta and Brentwood Conference is needed, before over-due structural reforms can occur, and global peace and security re-harnessed, without endless regional wars.
Mr. President, you and I have had several meaningful exchanges, including, in the White House, and most relevantly, in the UN’s Hall of Flags in Fall 2015 – when I urged you to run in 2016, as an election you were born for – to revive the American Dream. The American Dream belongs more to everyday Americans, than Wall Streeters, custodians of international money and achiever of maximum profit, as it was everyday Americans in 1814 who during heavy bombardment of Fort McHenry, kept our Flag high by paying the ultimate sacrifice repeatedly, and caused Francis Scott Key to pen our Star-Spangled Banner. Please let it wave high, and free, in this 21st Century.
If I can assist, as you wished of me during our substantive talk in the Hall of Flags, as a citizen-patriot, devastated by January 6th more than by 9/11, I would be happy to re-find diplomacy’s respect-based ability to “round the edges” and fashion justice-based remedies that are equitable – as the Jesuits teach us everything must be. Sometimes, davening with the right Minyan helps to be better able to turn swords into ploughshares. As Honor and WWIII walk into the ring to face off, the time is now for your leadership to make foreign policy into domestic policy – just as your infrastructure plan is our OBOR/BRI within our borders. Retail solutions will not work in the East or in the West; but, wholesale solutions will turn adversaries into allies. God Bless you, and continue to Bless these United States of America – I prefer “united,” the verb.
Respectfully,
/S/
Ravi Batra
Encl: April 14, 2020 Open Letter to POTUS et al
C: Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr., Leader Kevin McCarthy, HFAC Chairman Greg W. Meeks, Ranker McCall, Chair Carolyn B. Maloney, Ranker Jim Jordan, SFRC Chairman Bob Menendez, Ranker Risch, Secretary Anthony Blinken, Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, NSA Jake Sullivan.”
Expels 10 Russian diplomats, restricts trading and blacklists 32 individuals over ‘election meddling, cyberattack’
WASHINGTON(TIP): A reminder of the cold war period, the United States announced sanctions against Russia on Thursday, April 15, and the expulsion of 10 diplomats in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin’s U.S. election interference, a massive cyberattack and other hostile activity. President Joe Biden ordered a widening of restrictions on U.S. banks trading in Russian government debt, expelled 10 diplomats who include alleged spies, and blacklists 32 individuals alleged to have tried to meddle in the 2020 presidential election, the White House said in a statement.
Mr. Biden’s executive order “sends a signal that the United States will impose costs in a strategic and economically impactful manner on Russia if it continues or escalates its destabilizing international action,” the White House said.
The U.S. barrage came the same week as Mr. Biden offered to meet President Vladimir Putin for their first face-to-face talks, suggesting that the summit could take place in a third country.
After the White House unveiled its measures, the Russian Foreign Ministry said a response was “inevitable.”
“The United States is not ready to come to terms with the objective reality that there is a multipolar world that excludes American hegemony,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
The latest tension comes amid worries both in the U.S. and its European allies over Russia’s recent troop buildup on the border of Ukraine.
The imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, who is effectively the last open political opponent to Mr. Putin, has further spiked concerns in the West.
The White House statement listed in first place Moscow’s “efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the U.S. and its allies and partners.”
This referred to allegations that Russian intelligence agencies mounted disinformation and dirty tricks campaigns during the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, in part to help Donald Trump’s candidacy.
The White House said the sanctions likewise respond to “malicious cyber activities against the U.S. and its allies and partners,” referring to the massive so-called SolarWinds hack of U.S. government computer systems last year.
The statement also called out Russia’s extraterritorial “targeting” of dissidents and journalists and undermining of security in countries important to U.S. national security.
In addition, the Department of Treasury, together with the EU, Australia, Britain and Canada, sanctioned eight individuals and entities associated with Russia’s occupation of Crimea in Ukraine.
In Brussels, the NATO military alliance said U.S. allies “support and stand in solidarity with the U.S., following its announcement of actions to respond to Russia’s destabilizing activities”.
WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Joe Biden led his country in greeting Indian Americans, South Asians and Southeast Asians on the eve of their New Year. “(First Lady) Jill (Biden) and I send our warmest wishes to the South Asian and Southeast Asian communities who are celebrating Vaisakhi, Navratri, Songkran and the incoming New Year this week. Happy Bengali, Cambodian, Lao, Myanmarese, Nepali, Sinhalese, Tamil, Thai, and Vishu New Year!” Biden said in a tweet on Tuesday, April 13. Biden and the US first lady were joined by several lawmakers in greeting Indian-Americans and Sikhs on the occasion of Baisakhi.
“Wishing a happy and healthy Vaisakhi to the Sikh community celebrating across the country!” Indian American Congressman Ami Bera said.
Another Indian-American lawmaker, Ro Khanna, tweeted, “Wishing the Sikh community in America and around the world a happy Vaisakhi!”
“Wishing a happy Vaisakhi to all those celebrating in New Jersey and around the world!” said Congressman Frank Pallone.
Pallone and Congressman John Garamendi have introduced a resolution honoring the Sikh community’s celebration of Baisakhi.
“Wishing a happy Vaisakhi to all the Sikhs and Sikh Americans celebrating in Illinois and across the world,” tweeted Senator Dick Durbin.
“Warm wishes on Vaisakhi to everyone in the Sikh community who call New Jersey home. This is a time to focus on what matters most – family and standing in solidarity with our neighbors,” said Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
India registered 2,16,642 new COVID-19 cases as of 11.15 p.m. IST on April 15. As many as 1,153 deaths were also recorded on the day.
Country adds more than 1,100 deaths; Maharashtra leads with 61,695 cases, followed by U.P.
Country has so far reported a total of 1,42,87,740 cases and 1,74,306 deaths.
NEW DELHI (TIP): Maharashtra reported 61,695 infections (accounting for nearly 31% of new cases) on April 15, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 22,339 cases and Delhi with 16,699 cases.
Maharashtra also recorded the most casualties (349) on April 15. Delhi followed with 112 deaths, while Uttar Pradesh registered 104 casualties.
A total of 33.13 lakh doses of vaccines were administered in the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. on April 15. It is about 6.6 lakh doses more than what was recorded in the previous 24 hours. However, it is about 8.2 lakh doses lower than what was recorded the previous Thursday (April 8).
India continues to lead the world in terms of average daily cases detected. The nation now accounts for one in every four cases reported globally every day. As of April 14, India recorded over two times the average daily cases detected in the United States. The U.S. records the second-most number of average daily cases — about 71,200 infections. As of April 14, India recorded the second most number of average daily deaths. Brazil, with more than 3,000 average daily fatalities, is leading the world in this category.
Wants parity in privileges and benefits with Indian citizens in India
GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham welcomed the simplification of process with regard to the OCI card, but urged the government of India to treat OCI Card holders who have invested in business and creating jobs in India at par with Indian citizensJaipur Foot, USA Chairman Prem Bhandari who has been a relentless critic of the government policies on OCI Card, questioning how it could be a lifelong card when it required renewal time and again, said the Indian government has made a good beginning, but it has yet to meet the aspirations of the NRI community.
I.S. Saluja
NEW YORK (TIP): A notification posted by Press Information Bureau on April 15, 2021 at 7.02 PM (IST) speaks of a government of India decision which is expected to significantly ease the process for re-issue of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards. It says the Modi Government has decided to simplify the process. This decision has been taken on the directions of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The OCI Card has proved to be very popular amongst foreigners of Indian Origin and spouses of foreign origin of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders, as it helps them a hassle-free entry and unlimited stay in India. So far about 37.72 lakh OCI Cards have been issued by the Government of India. As per the extant law, a foreigner of Indian origin or a foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or foreign spouse of an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, can be registered as an OCI cardholder. OCI card is a lifelong visa for entry into and stay in India with a number of other major benefits attached to it which are not available to other foreigners.
Presently, the OCI card is required to be re-issued each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age, in view of biological changes in the face of the applicant. With a view to facilitate the OCI cardholders, it has now been decided by the Government of India to dispense with this requirement. A person who has got registration as OCI cardholder prior to attaining the age of 20 years will have to get the OCI card re-issued only once when a new passport is issued after his/her completing 20 years of age, so as to capture his/ her facial features on attaining adulthood. If a person has obtained registration as OCI cardholder after attaining the age of 20 years, there will be no requirement of re-issue of OCI card.
With a view to update the data regarding new passports obtained by the OCI cardholder, it has been decided that he/she shall upload a copy of the new passport containing his/her photo and also a latest photo on the online OCI portal, each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and once after completing 50 years of age. These documents may be uploaded by the OCI cardholder within 3 months of receipt of the new passport.
However, in the case of those who have been registered as OCI cardholder as spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or an OCI cardholder, the person concerned will be required to upload on the system, a copy of the new passport containing the photo of the passport holder and also a latest photo along with a declaration that their marriage is still subsisting each time a new passport is issued. These documents may be uploaded by the OCI cardholder spouse within three months of receipt of his/ her new passport.
The details will be updated on the system and an auto acknowledgement through e-mail will be sent to the OCI cardholder informing that the updated details have been taken on record. There will be no restriction on the OCI cardholder to travel to/ from India during the period from the date of issue of new passport till the date of final acknowledgement of his/ her documents in the web-based system. All the above services of uploading documents will be provided on gratis basis to the OCI cardholders.
Commenting on the government’s latest decision, USA based Global organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International) Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham saidGOPIO welcomed the new directives simplifying the OCI Card process.
“This will remove the confusion to many OCI card holders on the process of renewing the card at the age of 20 and 50 and one doesn’t have to go through the whole OCI card renewal process again,” said GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham. This will also encourage more overseas Indians to become OCIs and it will benefit India, through their travel, business and investment in India.
“However, GOPIO strongly urges the government to treat OCI Card holders who have invested in business and creating jobs in India at par with Indian citizens and they shouldn’t be termed as foreign nationals by various Govt. agencies while doing business including manufacturing and research in India,” Dr. Abraham added.
The government was forced to grant these concessions after the Diaspora leaders across the world raised their voice against the discriminatory policies which some openly condemned as double standards.
Jaipur Foot USA Chairman Prem Bhandari in particular has been in the forefront of demanding revision of rules to simplify the process of renewal of OCI card. He is the one who questioned the nomenclature “lifelong card” when it had to be got renewed so often. Asked by The Indian Panorama for his reaction to the revised “simplified” process, he said, it is still not an ideal situation. OCI card holders need to be treated at par with Indian citizens, living in India, and should be allowed the benefits and privileges which an Indian citizen in India normally enjoys. He added that much more needs to be done, a sentiment which Dr. Thomas Abraham also voiced.
The Indian Panorama will welcome readers’ comments on the issue which will keep kicking dust until a more NRI friendly approach is adopted by the government of India.
PRESENTATION OF ROCKWELL AND BOGART’S OFF-BROADWAY HIT
“THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS”
ON-DEMAND BENEFIT PERFORMANCE
BEGINS STREAMING SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2021 AT 7:00PM
CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021
DONOR MATCHING CHALLENGE CONTINUES THROUGH APRIL 17!
“Musical Of Musicals”, Poster (Photo/ CourtesyYork Theatre)
The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), in association with Tom D’Angora, Michael D’Angora, and Tim Guinee, has Broadway’s best to the All-Singing, All-Talking, All-Virtual special benefit presentation of the Off-Broadway hit THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS (THE MUSICAL!)!
With music by Eric Rockwell, lyrics by Joanne Bogart, and book by Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell, this special presentation is directed by Tom D’Angora and Michael D’Angora, with music direction and arrangements by Deniz Cordell and associate music director Annie Pasqua. Original director Pamela Hunt is serving as artistic supervisor.
This event raises funds to help The York recover and rebuild after its recent physical devastating damage. Joining the all-star roster of cast members are Alexandra Billings, Charles Busch, Robert Creighton, Ana Gasteyer, Beth Leavel, Lauren Molina, Sarah Stiles and many more.
Joining the star-studded evening of special appearances are Iain Armitage, Joel Grey, Perez Hilton, Megan Hilty, Amanda Lopez, Darlene Love, Julianne Moore, Jinks Monsoon, Bernadette Peters, Anthony Rapp, George Salazar, Brooke Shields, Renée Taylor, and many more. They join special guests Matthew Broderick, Lewis Black, Giancarlo Esposito, Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald, Debra Messing, Isaac Mizrahi, Mandy Patinkin, Martha Plimpton, and Mercedes Ruehl.
The evening will also include remarks from Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
A loving parody and homage to Broadway’s Golden Age, it is made up of five hilarious mini musicals telling the same story in the style of legendary musical theatre writers: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Kander & Ebb. The original cast album is on JAY Records.
York Theater at 50 Logo. (Photo/ Courtesy York Theatre)“THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS (THE MUSICAL!)” premieres on Sunday evening, April 18, 2021 at 7:00PM and will be available to view on demand through April 21, 2021. Free stream at YorkTheatre.org. Donations may be made by visiting the GoFundMe link at gf.me/u/znnvib. For additional information, visit
Website: yorktheatre.org
Twitter:@yorktheatrenyc
Facebook:facebook.com/yorktheatrecompany
YouTube:youtube.com/user/yorktheatre
FFTP CONTINUES SEASON
By Mabel Pais
FFTP Award-Winning Theatre Company
CONTINUES 2021 SEASON
With Theme – We Persist!
PENNY FULLER & BOB DISHY
Star In
ARTHUR MILLER’S
“I CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING”
April 19th, 2021 at 2:00pm
Live At Theatre 80 St. Marks
And Zoomed “Live” Out To The World
FOOD FOR THOUGHT PRODUCTIONS (FFTP), now in its 21st year, continues celebrating the oft-neglected one-act play and theatre at its best with Award-winning actors, writers and directors, with a tremendously fun second production on April 19th, 2021.
Following the successful season kick-off, Christopher Durang’s “For Whom The Southern Belle Tolls,” and Tennessee Williams’ “Life Boat Drill,” which starred Bob Dishy, FFTP is back at Theatre 80 with Bob Dishy again, this time joined by Penny Fuller in Arthur Miller’s “I Can’t Remember Anything.”
The show is directed by FFTP’s resident director Antony Marsellis. Revolving around a widow, her husband’s best friend and her inability to remember much of the past, this compelling drama is filled with humor throughout.
In addition, the audience will enjoy “Did You Know My Husband?” written by Susan Charlotte and originally presented by FFTP, was broadcast on PBS Channel WSKG back in December of 2018. Now, the play is brought to the FFTP audience via Zoom.
“Did You Know My Husband?” stars Emmy nominated actress Louise Lasser and two-time Tony-award winning actress Carole Shelley. Written by award-winner Susan Charlotte, the piece is directed by Antony Marsellis. Lasser and Shelley are a perfect match for this heartfelt drama, scored by four-time Emmy award winner Billy Goldenberg. The story revolves around two older women who have met before. But only one of them remembers and is not certain if she should reveal the truth. This hour long show also includes a behind the scenes segment with the cast, writer and composer. Total running time is approximately one hour.
POST PERFORMANCE
Following the performance, is a Q&A with the cast and led by FFTP Founder Susan Charlotte with reminiscences of Arthur Miller.
Tony Award-winner JAMES NAUGHTON joins the post-performance discussion. TONY ROBERTS too joins the show on April 19. Tony Roberts will read a chapter called ‘The Accident’ from his book “Do you Know Me?” A perfect match for Miller’s “I Can’t Remember Anything.” Both deal with memory, loss and persistence.
OTHER DATES WITHOUT Q&A:
Tuesday, April 20th, from 6—7pm.; Thursday, May 6th from 7—8pm; Saturday, May 15th from 2—3pm.
Repeat Zoom Performances Available On Saturday, April 24 & Sunday, April 25.
SPECIAL ZOOM ON THURSDAY, April 29th, from 7—8pm, followed by Q&A with Louise Lasser and Susan Charlotte.
LOCATION, TICKETS
The April 19th, 2:00pm performance will be available live via Zoom as well as a limited in-theatre ‘audience’ who will be part of a documentary being filmed on FFTP. The entire FFT series will be presented at Theatre 80 St. Marks.
Tickets for the ‘live’ performance are FREE to first-come patrons, who have agreed to be part of the documentary on FFTP.
All social distancing precautions will be respected. There will be a medical professional onsite to check temperatures and audience members must wear masks and have recently tested negative for Covid-19. There will be a nominal charge for the streaming. For those who can’t make the zoom on Monday, the program will be repeated on Saturday and Sunday. For additional information and tickets, contact FFTP at: 646-366-9340 or email: info@foodforthoughtproductions.com
FFTP
It was only a year ago the world came to an abrupt halt. Our lives changed for once and forever. But FFTP PERSISTED, becoming the first company to bring live theatre back into our world last July, and continued presenting monthly performances through all of 2020. And FFTP, which has provided over 20 years of theatre, continues to persist with humor in different forms—parodies, satires and dramas filled with comedy.
FUTURE PRODUCTIONS
FFTP’s next production on May 24th is “The Hairdresser” by Susan Charlotte. A light comedy turns into a serious drama with a twist ending. A six-time Tony nominated actress insists on the perfect haircut from her hairdresser/best friend. She is going to the ‘Tonys’ later that evening and hopes to win.
Other dates set for FFTP productions are June 28th, July 26th, Sept 13th, Oct 25th, Nov 22nd and Dec. 20th. Many of the performances will have two one-acts included in the event. Besides those mentioned above, there will be plays by the likes of A.R. Gurney, Neil LaBute, Dorothy Parker, Horton Foote and performances by Kathleen Chalfant, Tony Roberts, Cady Huffman, Larry Pine, and Laila Robins and more.
For additional information and tickets to all FFTP shows, contact FFTP at: 646-366-9340 or email: info@foodforthoughtproductions.com. To learn more about FFTP, visit foodforthoughtproductions.com
(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)
Turban is being used as accessory by the fashionable ones also to symbolize empowerment, equality and self-expression but it is primarily sartorial trend, not a religious practice. In India the girls have started donning the traditional safa alongwith other baratis in Rajasthan, Maharashtra etc. It is not now a symbol of religious integrity and “izat”, as the traditional male turban used to have.
Turban perhaps is the only item of the human attire which has many folds of history and mystery underneath its layers. It had attained hundreds of connotations and interpretations as far as its styles, colours, names, shapes and sizes are concerned. It had acquired protective, decorative, cultural, religious, ethical, nationaland professional symbolism. It had “kingly” as well “raggly” status in different times of history in the different regions. In many cultures, it became symbolic of temporal authority while in some others it attained the spiritual aura, and thus signified power.From “murasa”(muVwsw) it progressed to be the base of kingly crown and empirical regalia in many cultures of Asia and Africa. It adorned the authoritative and spiritual heads with different namessuch as turban, turbante, dulband, pheta, pag, pagree, sapha, dastaar, cheera, dumala etc. etc. The nomenclature is basically embedded in Persian as it is considered that turban started from Arab countries.Clothing has always been the identifier of the different groups comprising any individual society, turban happened to be the prominent one. It has been a distinctive signifierin the sign systems of different societies from primitive to ultra-modern times. According to The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, “As a form of head dress, it is of Semitic origin and was an essential part of the Israeli High Priest’s uniform in Moses’day,1300 BC, as stated in the Old Testament (Exodus,28:4). In India, it is to be seen as worn by men depicted in the Ajanta caves (200 B.C.) and on the Sanchi Gateway (150BC)”.
This happened in India duringthe Moghul period that the turban became a symbol of royalty and with that came the bigotry also to issue the dictates by the ruling class that Hindus were not allowed to wear turbans nor werethey allowed to ride the horses, which in fact was considered the privilege of the ruling class only. As a matter of tradition all the Sikh Gurus, like all the Pandits and other seers ofthe Hindu religion, used to adorn distinctive turbans. When this significant item of dress was banned in the later part of the 17th century along with the other draconian policies towards the mission of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh took the cudgels against this injustice and religious bigotry. In 1699, when he initiated the Sikhs into the new fold of Khalsa and brought about a great transformation, turban became an inseparable part of the Khalsa as it was ordained that the Sikhs must keep the Kes (hair) intact and unshorn. Turban became Dastar in Sikh language and literature. “Saabat surat dastaar sira” became the benchmark of the Khalsa. Though turban, basically symbolized masculinity and martiality, yet Khalsa never discouraged the women from being turbaned. Mai Bhago is a glaring example of the Dastaardhari Sighani, who had all the masculine propensities and Guru Ji showered all the blessings on her. Even some paintings painted by some Britishers in 17th and 18th century show Sikh women in traditional Nihang dastaars on their heads.
However, most of the Sikh women in Punjab and other states of India continued to observe their Sikh religion with their chunis or dupattas on their heads, even after being Amritdhari. It was Akhand Kirtani Jatha which started initiating the Sikh women in Khalsa fold,which emphasized the strict discipline of the Rehat and ordained the female Sikh initiates to have jura and turban. Both men and women started adorning dumalas over their heads to cover their unshorn hair, keski being the smaller turban under the bigger one. It is to be observed that Sikhs don’t just tie the turban or wear the turban, they adorn it or don it: ਦਸਤਾਰ ਬੰਨ੍ਹਦੇ ਨਹੀਂ, ਸਜਾਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ।
Anyhow, many of the unmarried girls who used to get into such type of observances, have to face a peer pressure from the society as it was considered something queer for girls to wear the turban and lose the feminine look.It happened under the impact of the globality only that the Sikh girls started daring the peer and queer pressure. The 21st century has witnessed a rising graph as far as the trend of turban tying in Sikh girls and women is concerned. The graph is still going up. It has happened because of many factors happening around, among them the most important ones being sense of equality, individual identity, Sikh essentialism, post-colonial choice and being fashionable. In Europe and America, turban got very popular among women in the last two decades in fashion and modelling. Its position with the diasporic Sikh girls is altogether different who wear it for religious considerations.The girls who have started doning dastaars in daily routine prefer domalas which has almost become a distinguishable iconic mark of female Sikhism as no other community in the world other than Sikhs wear domalas. These girls with domalas have a strong will to have equality, feminine identity and women empowerment. There is a long list of such Amritdhari successful Sikh girls who have achieved the echelons of empowerment. Many of them had to fight with the law of those lands where they are living to get the turban allowed on official duties. Turban proved to be a challenge for them.
Palbinder Kaur, wearing a domala, has achieved the list of “first” by becoming the first Amritdhari turbaned Judge of a supreme court in Canada. Prior to that she was a human rights activist. Simerpal Kaur has become the first Amritdhari Sikh woman who serves in Australian police with her domala. Arpinder Kaur has registered her name as the first ever turbaned Sikh woman to be a pilot in United States. Similarly, Sukhdeep Kaur is the first female Sikh prison officer in Hong Kong. Twenty-two-year-old Gursoch Kaur has become the first turban-wearing Sikh woman in New York Police Department. All of them, including a number of others, scattered all over the globe, have been steadfast in performing their duties with turbanas their head gear because of their religiosity and spirituality. Yet it is not true of all the girls wearing turban in Punjab or even abroad. Many of the girls are adorning turban just as a matter of fashion. At global level, turban-tying is a trend among Muslim as well as European women. As turban has got respectability and acceptability, more girls in Indian Punjab now feel comfortable with this head dress. The concept of being beautiful has changed. Many girls with domala turban on their heads appear more beautiful and handsome with their cherubish cheeky faces. Media has also started encouraging them to wear turbans, as this progression from Phulkari to Domalla is very interesting, catchy and attractive. Suchgirls with turban on their heads have become smarter by not having chuni or dupatta which had been a big nuisance, particularly for the working women, managing its loose ends all the time. Nevertheless, the Amritdhari Sikh girls are seen having dupatta also alongwith the domala for keeping the modesty of covering their bust.
Turban is being used as accessory by the fashionable ones also to symbolize empowerment, equality and self-expression but it is primarily sartorial trend, not a religious practice. In India the girls have started donning the traditional safa alongwith other baratis in Rajasthan, Maharashtra etc. It is not now a symbol of religious integrity and “izat”, as the traditional male turban used to have. It is more a fashion, a fun or a fad to look different from others, to be photo genic. There is nothing new and unique in this trend. In fact, it is the revival of the earlier trends of wearing exotic head-dress by European women as evening dress or as party wear. The first documentation of the turban being worn as a fashion accessory was seen in the iconic Dutch painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, painted by Vermeer in 1665. There have been revivals of turban-trend time to time from 15 century to 19th century. It was revived in 1910s-20s by fashion designer Paul Poiret. In the last two decades of 21st century, turban has again gathered popularityin fashion prades on the ramps. However, the latest trends are being frowned at by the clergyand the elders because now the turbans being worn by the showbiz beauties (many of them are morally controversial), are more of religious styles rather than the traditional draped variations or head wraps. This mixing up of the religious symbolism to be sexy and seductive is being disliked by the Sikh elders also.
To conclude, we can safely observe that the girls or women who are donning turban might be doing it for hundreds of reasons, but one thing is crystal clear that the turban on the head of a Sikh female doesn’t always signify being fundamentalist or spiritualist or religious in Sikhism.
(The author is a retired college Principal. He has written hundreds of articles about Punjabi culture and Sikh history in Punjabi as well as in English. Out of 12 books published so far, Dastan-e-Dastar, Balhari Kudrat Wasiya and Katak Ke Vaisakh? Ke Dovein? have been well received by the Punjabi readers. The fourth edition of Dastan-e- Dastaar is being awaited. To pen down write-ups of Dastaardhari “firsts” at National and International level is his first love.
He lives in Village Nadala in Kapurthala district of Punjab, India. He can be reached at nadalaghuman@gmail.com. (Cell) 97798 53245.)
Indians all over the world are concerned with the confrontational situation in India as a result of the Farm Laws enacted by the Modi government. Some well-wishers of India have sent their comments which we are publishing, without editing, below. – EDITOR
Master Mohinder Singh, New York
From the very young age, we have been reading in tax books in school that in rural areas Agriculture is the main profession of almost 80% of the people in rural area. It is overwhelmingly believed that much of the rural economy is based upon the agriculture. If the production of the farmers is bumper than everybody is happy, and all the businesses are flourishing based upon agriculture and people have the feeling good living.
Everybody remembers those days when India is not self-sufficient in food and beg food grain from USA. Punjab farmers were the first who put their hard work and resources to bring the revolution in food production. With the joint efforts of Punjab’s farmers, it brings prosperity in rural areas particularly and the whole of India, in general.
In the present time in spite of the bumper crops produced by the farmers their economic conditions are going worse to worse, due to high cost of the input that is needed to produce crops. The situation is so bad that farmers are killing themselves because they cannot meet their needs with the measure of profit they got by selling their produce. Suffering of the farmers now come to a point at which it become a matter of death or life for them.
In a democratic government it is the prime duty of the government to take care of the primary needs of the people. Governments are answerable to the people. But a new trend comes almost all over the world that they are becoming more considerate to the corporate sector than people who elect them. Honesty and service to the people have been the hall mark of all the political parties and individual leaders to win the election. Now a days,everybody knows that the more money you have the more are your chances to win the election. Political parties have sold their sovereignty to the corporate sector who provide them with money in their election.
Openness is a good idea to bring money into the economy but it has to be governed by rules and regulation that take care of the people of the country. Every new law should be after long discussion of the concerned parties. It should be debated in Parliament and Raj Sabha by all the member of the house irrespective to the party affiliation and consensus should be brought by persuasion, experts help and the concerned peoples to whom it applies. In the period of Corona Pandemic Government passed these laws in hurry and I would say with ill attention and to appease the corporate sector. Corporate sector’s only motiveis to maximize profit. I am of the firm view that Government has cheated farmers and have sole purpose to appease the corporate sector. Government is running away from responsibilities and they want everything to be sold out so that the people do not ask them question what is going on.
This government is so inhuman that they do not have any feeling regarding suffering of the farmers living on the roads in winter and now in scorching heat of the summer. They did not say or show any sympathy for the so many farmers who died in this agitation. Majority of membersof parliament does not give them absolute authority as the old King to do whatever they want. They are dividing the people on the basis of religion, language and region. India is onecountry, and it is my country. I am interested in the wellbeing of all the people. I wish India to be the most prosperous country of the world. I hope and pray for the people of India. This government forget all the other problem faced by the people of India except religion. Religion is my belief; it is my personal liking. Government is no body to suggest me what religion I should believe in. This hate among people will never make us strong as a nation. It will bring anarchy which is not in any way good for all of us. We need more school, universities, research institution, hospitals, housing, employment, justice and above all communal harmony. Use this parliament to improve living standard of the people, make the laws that make life of the people easy and prosperous. Develop infrastructure so that benefits reach to the ordinary people. Let us do something to improve upon environment, bringing technology to the service of the people and more employment so that they can have good quality of life.
In the end I appeal to every player in this situation or associated with this issue even the government to scrape these laws and make new efforts to bring every stake holder to the table and try to make consensus and then make new laws acceptable to all concerned. One thing is very clear, and everybody should understand that farmers need help, they need MSP so that they can make profit, by selling their produce, so that they can live a happy prosperous life in peace.
Dave Makkar, New York
In Nov. 2020 when the protest started senior BJP & Sangh Parivar leaders, their supporters on social media, and pro-Modi media, began blaming the Sikhs, another religious minority of India. They accuse Sikhs of having a Khalistani agenda, a reference to a 1980’s & 90’s Sikh separatist movement in Punjab. When they found general public is not supporting their claims because the protest is spreading across India cutting religious lines; they started calling the Farmers protest of non-farmers than infiltrated by unwanted elements, extremists. Maoist, anti-national and finally jihadis & terrorists. They have also protested, posing as local villagers at different Farmers’ protest sites around Delhi border to violently uproot peaceful protestors. Most of these protestors belonged to Hindu Sena, Hindu Army, Hindu Force and Sudarshan Vahini, ABVP, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha – local Hindutva organizations from Delhi. Some of these protestors were spotted in JMI & JNU university attacks in 2019-2020, Shaheen Bagh attack against peaceful protest against CAA and North-East Delhi large scale anti-Muslim riots both in 2020. They were successful in all of them but failed against Farmers’ protest because of their pan India & International support.
Modi’s farm laws will make majority of the Indian farmers bonded labor of rich corporations. The Indian farmer is refusing to be marginalized any more. Their protest has become an historic & largest ever protest in the world that is being supported by non-farmers in India as well as across the world. It has gained wide international support from Farmer Unions, Labor Unions, Human Rights organizations, Celebrities & Politicians. This protest is joined by millions of farmers across caste, creed, religion and region to fight for their rights and their livelihood. Rather it has become a mass movement to restore Democratic Republic character of the nation that is being eroded under Modi government.
Harry Panaser, New Jersey
The Indian farmers’ protest is an ongoing protest against three farm acts which were passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020 via a voice vote thus ignoring the requests of the opposition for a full vote. The President of India gave his assent by signing the bills on 28 September, thus converting them into acts. The legality of the acts has been questioned since both agriculture and markets come under State list
Farmer unions and their representatives have demanded that the laws be repealed and have stated that they will not accept a compromise. Farmer leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court of India stay order on the implementation of the farm laws but rejected the committee appointed by the Supreme Court. Farmer leaders have also rejected a government proposal, dated 21 January 2021 of suspending the laws for 18 months. Eleven rounds of talks have taken place between the central government and farmers all were inconclusive
The Farmers acts, often called the Farm Bills, have been described as “anti-farmer laws” by many farmer unions, and politicians from the opposition also say it would leave farmers at the “mercy of corporates” The farmers have also demanded the creation of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) bill, to ensure that corporates cannot control the prices. The government, however, maintains that the laws will make it effortless for farmers to sell their produce directly to big buyers, and stated that the protests are based on misinformation.
The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 are the main issue behind farmers’ protest. The farmers are demanding the scrapping of these laws which were passed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The government’s offer to amend these laws have been rejected by over 40 farmer union leaders who have been talking to the government on behalf of thousands of farmers sitting on five different borders with a set of five major demands since November 26, 2020.
Two-thirds of the land holdings in the country are less than one-hectare Other related issues include farmer suicides and the state of the economy in India. India reported a total 296,438 Indian farmers suicides between 1995 and 2015. In 2019, 10,281 people who work in the farming sector committed suicide. The slower growth of Punjab’s economy, particularly its agricultural sector, is believed to have helped fuel the protest.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during an interview in 2004, said, “We need a second green revolution, making use of modern advances […] For that we need to revitalize India’s research agricultural system, India’s extension system, India’s credit system. The more we commercialize our agriculture, the more our farmers need access to commercial inputs and that was a modernization of our agriculture credit system. […] There are other rigidities because of the whole marketing regimes set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return. It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realizing its vast potential as one large common market.” On 8 February 2021, in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Modi referenced this interview of Manmohan Singh and said – “Manmohan Singh talked about it but Modi is having to do it now. Be proud”. Prime Minister Modi has referred to the second agricultural revolution in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Recently I had a privilege to talk to the Consulate General of India, New York, Mr. Randhir Jaiswal, during the discussions on famers issue he gave his candid view and I quote “MSP will stay. The Mandis will not be closed. As far as the contract farming is concerned, there are clear provisions to protect the interests of the farmers. Farmers’ land will not be taken away by anyone for any reason. Buyers cannot make any changes to farmers’land. Land rights of the farmers will be fully protected. The agreement will be for the produce and not for the land. The farmers will have price guarantee for their produce, so they do not have to bother about market risks. Buyers cannot cheat farmers; contractors cannot end agreement without full payment. However, the farmers can walk away from contracts whenever they want. All the rights of the farmers whether it is market risk, price risk or their land ownership, everything is protected. MSP system will continue. In fact, after the farm laws were passed, MSP procurement has not only continued, but it has also increased. Government stands ready to discuss the laws with the farmers clause by clause, while keeping them in abeyance for 12 to 18 months. Government is ready for talks. Dialogue is the way forward”.
Many developing economies reformed their agriculture policies in the 1980s and 1990s to encourage private section participation. Swati Dhingra of the London School of Economics cites the case of Kenya in which their agriculture reforms increased the ease of doing business, however this very increase caused other problems for the farmers. In February 2021, 87 farmers’ unions in the United States wrote a solidarity letter, giving the example of Reagan era farm policies— “Reagan era furthered the farm crisis through deliberate federal policy changes, with systematic erosion of parity prices and other deregulatory efforts.”
As I was putting my pen down, I got a news flash and I quote “the Punjab government on Thursday, April8, agreed to implement the direct bank transfer of MSP to farmers, bypassing the arhtiyas, from the current season saying it was left with “no choice” but to implement the scheme as Centre said it will not lift the grains if the new system was not followed. The move is bound to create ripples among the farmers, the arhtiyas and the political class in the agrarian state, where the commission agents have traditionally been carrying out the procurement for the government agencies. Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had earlier written to Centre, urging it to let Punjab carry on with the old system of procurement and payment through arhtiyas. In a meeting with the commission agents, he had refused to implement the new system that seeks to bypass the arhtiyas.” – Indian Express.
(This write – up has clips and references from Internet News)
Zinda (Daljinder) Singh, New York
Farmers in America, Europe & India
Let us do an eye-opening comparativestudy of farmers in America, Europe and India.
America (USA)
In 2019, the federal government delivered an extraordinary financial aid package to American Farmers.Farm subsidies jumped to highest level in 14 years, mostly paid without any action by congress.
Farmers got $19 Billion in 2019 and $9 Billion in 2020.
In 2020, American farmers made more profit than ever, and still got aid.
Aid is given so that Farmers keep working hard and bring food for each American and supply to other countries
Europe
Last year all Europe paid $1.12 Billion to Farmers. Spain and France gave additional aid to their Farmers
India
Farmers were given new rules and regulations by ruling party and Prime minister
The new rules remove many of their safeguards. More than 86% of India’s cultivated farmlands controlled by small holders less than 5 Acres
“The Indian Government has left farmers on MERCY of big corporations” Instead providing aid as rest of world is doing to their Farmers
FARMERS CAN NOT BRING THEIR DISPUTES TO COURT
With new rules, it appears that small farmers will become laborers on Farms and big corporations will take over Farming
Just to remind you that in 1965 when India was suffering food shortages and west was not ready to sell food grains to India, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri ji created the slogan “JaiJawan, Jai Kissan”
Farmers of old Punjab, now many states, produced so much food that India was exporting food.
Farmers were given tax breaks, subsidized fertilizers and sufficient water supply. Now farmer pays for everything
Indian Government should not only repeal new laws but give aid to Indian Farmers,as all other counties are doing.
NEW YORK (TIP): New York Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik, the creator of Ayurveda Cafe in Manhattan, New York and a Happy Life Yoga speaker, is a guest speaker at the 2021 Vegan Spring Fest. The 14th annual event is scheduled to take place on April 11, 2021. Vegan Spring Fest (formerly known as Veggie Pride Parade) is a free annual event that brings the vegan and veg-curious community together to celebrate a healthy lifestyle. The event will be held at Union Square Park in Manhattan from 12 Noon to 4 PM. At the event, Malik will be speaking about the health advantages of living on a vegetarian/vegan diet. Malik being a vegetarian himself promotes Ayurveda and believes that being a vegetarian, living on a diet made from plant foods, is a better choice to stay healthy. Malik has been a regular speaker at the event for the last 10 years and has been sharing the wisdom of Ayurveda as well the benefits of eating the right vegetarian food for one’s body. Malik’s sessions are informative as well as highly entertaining as he is able to fully engage with his audience utilizing his communication skills that he has developed over the years as a trained actor on stage as well as in the movies. The vegan activist and author of “101 Reasons I’m a Vegetarian”, Pamela Rice started this event, formerly called Veggie Pride Parade, 14 years ago. This year the name had to be changed because there is no parade happening due to Covid-19 and so the organizers didn’t want the word “parade” in the name to confuse people. Pamela will be speaking this year in detail about the government’s role in the oppression of animals. This year the event is organized by Maggie Sargent. Tirlok Malik is also a member of World Vegan Vision (https://worldveganvision.org/), which a non-profit Indian association founded by H.K. Shah and Avinash Kachy, Nitin Vyas as Board of Directors. It is committed to increasing public awareness about main aspects of veganism. World Vegan Vison endeavors to promote, encourage and inspire people to become vegan or vegetarian and provide educational information on the benefits of a plant based vegan or vegetarian lifestyle while simultaneously promoting Animal Welfare and Environmental Conservation. Malik is happy to promote Ayurveda for Health along with all the New Yorkers present at the Vegan Spring Fest 2021.
(The author is an Indian Film & TV Critic / Journalist who has been covering the world of entertainment for over 10 years. He can be reached at: murtaza@apotpourriofvestiges.com. His video essays / commentaries can be watched on his YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/MurtazaAliKhan88).
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a stunning stoppage-time winner as Liverpool fought back to snatch a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa and move provisionally into the Premier League’s top four on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s side collected their first home league win in 2021 after right-back Alexander-Arnold scored with a curling effort from the edge of the box at the death. Having suffered a humiliating 7-2 defeat at Villa Park in October, defending champions Liverpool enjoyed a better start at Anfield as Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota tested visiting goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with early attempts.
But Villa, against the run of play, found the breakthrough in the 43rd minute when John McGinn slotted a neat pass into striker Ollie Watkins, whose drilled effort slipped under Liverpool keeper Alisson’s right arm.
Liverpool responded almost immediately through Roberto Firmino but his goal was chalked off by VAR as Jota was adjudged to be marginally offside in the buildup.
Yet the hosts deservedly equalised 12 minutes into the second half through a Salah header after left back Andy Robertson’s initial strike was palmed away by Martinez.
It was Liverpool’s first goal in open play at Anfield since Dec. 27 – a run of run of 12 hours and 44 minutes since Sadio Mane found the net against West Bromwich Albion. They netted one home goal from the penalty spot during that time.
Klopp’s side stepped up the intensity and Alexander-Arnold’s sublime effort secured all three points.
“We have lost a couple of games here and mentally it was like ‘oh no, not again’ but we did a good job second half,” Salah told Sky Sports.
“It’s really important to win. I think there are only seven games left? We want to play Champions League next year but we just need to focus on each game and try and win them all and hopefully, we can be in that fourth place.” Chelsea roared back into fourth spot in the Premier League as Christian Pulisic scored twice in an impressive 4-1 victory at London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Kai Havertz punished some sloppy defending to give Chelsea an eighth-minute lead and Pulisic doubled their advantage two minutes later with a powerful finish.
Chelsea totally dominated the first half and went 3-0 up on the half hour with a Kurt Zouma header.
Chennai (TIP): Lesser-known players Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi outshone teammates like Shubman Gill, Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan as they powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a 10-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the third match of IPL-14 here tonight. Rana and Tripathi struck half-centuries as KKR piled up 187/6 after being asked to bat first. Rana top-scored with a 56-ball 80 while Tripathi made 53 off just 29 balls, hitting five fours and two sixers. Dinesh Karthik chipped in with 22 not out off nine balls, while Gill (15 off 13), Russell (5 off 5) and Morgan (2 off 3) were the notable failures for KKR.
SRH made a fine late comeback with Rashid Khan leading the way with figures of 2/24. Mohammad Nabi also took two wickets, giving away 32 runs.
The advantage of taking risks throughout the innings was seen in the end. Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers pulled things back admirably in the last five overs, restricting the scoring to 42 runs for five wickets. But the early assault of Rana and Tripathi had ensured the damage had been done.
SRH’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sandeep Sharma are the most successful bowlers with the new ball, having taken the most wickets in the powerplay overs in IPL alongwith Zaheer Khan. But they were not spared by Rana and Tripathi. The India pacer who was so brilliant in the just-concluded series against England was taken for 45 runs in his four overs. Sharma bowled his three overs for 35 runs.
Only the SRH spinners offered any resistance. KKR would have been looking at 200 but Rashid Khan and Nabi bowled well under pressure. Khan finished with 4-0-24-2 and Nabi returned 4-0-32-2.
In their chase, SRH had a massive setback when skipper and batting mainstay David Warner fell in the second over. The opener was done in by a beauty from Prasidh Krishna. It was left to in-form Jonny Bairstow and Mnaish Pandey to do the repair job. They put on 92 runs for the third wicket, taking the total from 10 for two to 102, when Pat Cummins broke the partnership by sending back the England batsman. Bairstow scored 55 off 40 balls to justify his selection ahead of Kane Williamson.
Abdul Samad hit some lusty blows in the 19th over, smashing Cummins for two sixes, but it was too little too late to cover up as SRH fell short by 10 runs. Pandey remained 61 not out.
Earlier, Rana was severe on Sharma, taking 28 off 11 balls against him, setting the tone for the innings with three fours in a row in the fourth over of the innings.
Tripathi was responsible for spoiling Bhuvneshwar’s figures when he came on to bowl the 15th over. The KKR No. 3 hit a six and two fours, and with Rana also getting a four, 19 runs came that over. It capped the most dominating period for KKR when they got 57 runs in five overs, to be 126/1 at that stage with Rana 72 off 47 balls and Rahul Tripathi 39 off 24 balls.
Buenos Aires (TIP): The Indian men’s hockey team registered a comprehensive 3-0 win over reigning Olympic champions Argentina in the second match of the FIH Pro League here to jump to the fourth spot in the points table. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (11th minute), Lalit Upadhyay (25th) and Mandeep Singh (58th) on Sunday gave the visitors a deserved triumph over Los Leones, adding three more points to the two they had claimed against the hosts in Saturday’s shoot-out, which earned them a bonus point. By this win, India, with 15 points from eight games, climbed up to fourth place in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings, moving one point ahead of Australia having played the same number of games. India, Argentina and Australia will play against each other at the forthcoming Olympic Games, where they have been drawn in Pool A alongside Spain, New Zealand and home favourites Japan. Argentina sit sixth in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings, with 11 points from 12 games. Argentina started brightly and would have been ahead had it not been for some excellent saves from India goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, who twice denied Martin Ferreiro. Harmanpreet then converted India’s first penalty corner of the game in the 11th minute. Lalit doubled India’s lead when he showed lightning quick reactions in the second quarter, pouncing on a save from Argentina custodian Juan Vivaldi to slot home. The strike gave the visitors a deserved reward after a lengthy period of probing possession. The result was confirmed two minutes from the final hooter when Mandeep fired home from close range, losing his footing but keeping his composure to guide an backhand effort into the net.
Oil clung to losses with concerns over the economic recovery casting a cloud over the return to normal demand. WTI crude fell as much as 1.6% even as US jobless claims unexpectedly rose for a second straight week, highlighting the choppy road ahead even in countries that have been a bright spot for the demand rebound.
US benchmark crude futures have been stuck in a narrow band around $60 in recent weeks. While signs of demand picking up in places like the US has buoyed sentiment, fresh Covid outbreaks and renewed lockdowns have acted as a counterweight.
At the same time, market volatility has come off multi-month highs, with WTI futures trading in a less than $5-a-barrel range.
“The tug-of-war between short-term gloom and medium-term prosperity continues,” said Tamas Varga, an analyst at brokerage PVM Oil Associates.
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