AIZAWL (TIP): India will send back 276 Myanmarese soldiers who fled to Mizoram last week following gunfights with an ethnic insurgent group, an official said on Sunday.
With this repatriation, which will continue for two days — Monday and Tuesday, more than 600 Myanmarese soldiers who fled to Mizoram will be sent back to their country, he said.
The 276 personnel will be airlifted by Myanmar air force planes from the Lengpui airport near Aizawl to Sittwe in the neighbouring country’s Rakhine state, the Assam Rifles official told PTI.
They entered Bandukbanga village, located at the India-Myanmar-Bangladesh trijunction, in southernmost Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with arms and ammunition on 17 January and approached the Assam Rifles, she said. They were taken to the nearby Assam Rifles camp at Parva, and later the majority of them were shifted to Lunglei, she added. They have been under the supervision of the Assam Rifles since then, the official said.
These 276 soldiers were brought to Aizawl over Saturday and Sunday for their transport to Myanmar from the Lengpui airport, she said.
The group is headed by a colonel, and has 36 officers and 240 lower-rank personnel, officials said. Since November, 635 Myanmar soldiers have fled their country and entered Mizoram after their camps were overrun and captured by ethnic armed organisations and pro-democratic forces, officials said.
Of them, 359 soldiers have already been sent back to their country, they said.
While 104 Myanmar army personnel were sent to the border town of Moreh in Manipur from different places in Mizoram by Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters in November, 255 soldiers were moved via the Lengpui airport by Myanmar air force planes on January 2 and January 9, they said. Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar. (PTI)
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India to send back 276 Myanmarese soldiers who fled to Mizoram last week
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Pakistan makes U-turn, says will restore full diplomatic ties with Iran
NEW DELHI (TIP): Two days after Iran attacked terrorist hideouts in Balochistan, following which Pakistan downgraded ties and retaliated by attacking a border area in the neighbouring country, Pakistan took a U-turn on Friday and said it was willing to restore full diplomatic relations.
In a telephonic conversation with Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahain, Pakistan’s foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani expressed his country’s readiness to work with Iran on all issues based on mutual trust and cooperation. He also underscored the need for cooperation on security issues. Jilani also spoke about restoration of full diplomatic ties with Iran, implying that Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan would return to Islamabad and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran would return to Tehran.
“Pakistan’s foreign minister stressed that respect for territorial integrity and soverignity must underpin this cooperation,” said the spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two foreign ministers also agreed that working level cooperation and close coordination on counter terrorism and other aspects of mutual concern should be strengthened. Both of them also agreed to de-escalate the situation.
It may be recalled that after Pakistan retaliated and attacked a bordering area in Iran which led to the deaths of nine people (all Pakistanis), Iran had summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in Tehran to protest against the attack. -
Teen dies in Maldives after Muizzu govt delays permission for his medical evacuation using Indian Dornier aircraft
NEW DELHI (TIP): In a rather tragic incident a 14 year old Maldivian boy died amid allegations that President Mohammed Muizzu denied permission for the use of an Indian Dornier aircraft that could have potentially saved his life, local media reported.
Maldives President, Mohamed Muizzu, office issued a statement on the demise of a child (in the aftermath of Indian Dorniers not being given permission). “Government has asked authorities to revise and modify the current protocols surrounding the emergency transfers of patients,” the statement read. This comes at a time when President Muizzu has set a March 15 deadline for 88 Indian personnel, who are associated with the two Dornier aircraft and one helicopter service that they use for humanitarian assistance and medical evacuation, to leave the country. The Dornier aircraft, produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and provided by India, has been used extensively in the island nation for humanitarian purposes. (AFP)
Prachanda expresses concern over recruitment of Nepalis by Russian Army to fight in Ukraine
KATHMANDU (TIP): Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Sunday expressed concern over the woes faced by Nepali youths in Russia after being recruited in the Russian Army to fight in Ukraine and asked Moscow to immediately stop the practice.
Talking to reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon returning home after attending the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Kampala, Prachanda said that he was trying his best to stop it since the government has no policy to allow Nepalis to join the military force in any other countries except India and the UK.
“The government is very much concerned and serious regarding the reports that Nepali youths are recruited in the Russian forces and mobilised in the Russia-Ukraine war. We don’t have such a policy on behalf of the government,” Prachanda said.
In Kampala, Nepalese Foreign Minister N P Saud told Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin Sergey Vasilievich not to recruit Nepalese nationals into the country’s Army and to help repatriate those who have already joined the forces, according to the private secretariat of Saud. (PTI) -
As Gaza deaths top 25,000, Hamas defends Oct 7 attacks that sparked current conflict with Israel
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES (TIP): Palestinian militant group Hamas on January 21 defended its October 7 attacks on Israel but admitted to “faults” and called for an end to “Israeli aggression” in Gaza, where the health ministry said the death toll passed 25,000.
Southern Gaza is the latest focus of Israel’s battle to destroy the Islamist group responsible for the deadliest attack in the country’s history. In its first public report on the attacks that began the war, Hamas said they were a “necessary step” against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and a way to secure release of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later vowed “complete victory” and said his government would not accept Hamas’s conditions for releasing hostages still held in Gaza.
Hamas’s 16-page report admitted “some faults happened… due to the rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the chaos caused along the border areas with Gaza”.
The report did not make clear why it was issued now, more than three months into the war that began when militants broke through Gaza’s militarised border to attack Israelis and foreigners in the streets, in their homes and at an outdoor rave party. This resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. With the border fence broken during the attacks, anybody could enter Israel.
Accounts of sexual violence emerged but the scarcity of survivor testimonies and the lack of forensic evidence made it difficult to assess their scale.
Naval bombardment : Militants seized about 250 hostages during the attacks, and Israel says around 132 remain in Gaza. At least 28 of them are believed to have been killed, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Hamas — considered a “terrorist” group by the United States and European Union — said in the report its fighters were committed to “Islamic values”, and if civilians were targeted “it happened accidently and in the course of the confrontation with the occupation forces.”
In response to the attacks, Israel has launched a military offensive that has killed at least 25,105 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll issued on Sunday by the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
In early January, Israel’s military said the Hamas command structure in northern Gaza had been dismantled, leaving only isolated fighters.
But witnesses told AFP Israeli vessels were bombarding Gaza City and other areas in the north early Sunday. Hamas has also reported heavy combat in the north.
The Israeli army said it “eliminated a number of terrorists” in the main southern city of Khan Yunis and killed 15 militants in northern Gaza over the past day. Netanyahu is under intense pressure to return the hostages and account for security failings surrounding the October attacks.
In a video statement released after the Hamas report, he said that “in exchange for the release of our hostages, Hamas demands an end to the war, the withdrawal of our forces from Gaza”, the release of Palestinian prisoners and guarantees that Hamas would stay in power. “If we accept this, our soldiers have fallen in vain,” Netanyahu said. “If we accept this, we won’t be able to guarantee the safety of our citizens.”
The United Nations says about 1.7 million people have been displaced in Gaza, with about one million crowded into the Rafah area of Gaza’s south near Egypt.
(AFP) -
Iran-backed militants strike US-led coalition base in Iraq
WASHINGTON (TIP): Iran-backed militants launched ballistic missiles at a base hosting US forces in western Iraq, causing one Iraqi and possible American casualties, the US Central Command said January 20. “Multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched by Iranian-backed militants in western Iraq targeting Al-Assad Airbase,” CENTCOM said in a social media post, which placed the time of the attack at 6:30 pm Baghdad time (1530GMT) Saturday evening. Most of the projectiles were intercepted by the base’s air defense systems but “others impacted on the base,” the statement said.
“A number of US personnel are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries. At least one Iraqi service member was wounded,” it added.
Since mid-October, there have been dozens of attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, deployed there to fight jihadists of the Islamic State group.
Most have been claimed by “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a loose alliance of Iran-linked armed groups that oppose US support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.
The group said in a press release Saturday that it had carried out the latest attack.
The use of ballistic missiles marks an escalation in the attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria, who had previously been targeted with lower-tech rockets and drones.
Saturday’s air base attack comes amid soaring tensions in the Middle East following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
Ain al-Assad air base hosting US forces in Iraq in the western Anbar province. Image used for representation. With every strike and counterstrike, Israel, the US and Iran’s allies inch closer to all-out war. Five members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were also killed in a strike Saturday in Damascus that Tehran blamed on Israel, threatening reprisals.
Last Monday evening, Iran itself launched a deadly strike in northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, saying it had targeted a site used by “spies of the Zionist regime (Mossad).”
Washington has on several occasions launched strikes of its own, which it has said were to impede further assaults or to prevent imminent attacks.
According to the Pentagon, dozens of US personnel have been lightly wounded in previous attacks since late October.
(AFP) -
Strike kills Hezbollah fighter, civilian in Lebanon, amid seeming Israeli shift to targeted killings
SIDON (TIP): An Israeli airstrike hit two vehicles near a Lebanese army checkpoint in south Lebanon on January 21, killing a Hezbollah member in one car and a woman in the other and wounding several other people, Lebanese state media and health officials reported.
The strike appeared to be part of a shift in Israeli strategy toward targeted killings in Lebanon after more than three months of near-daily clashes with Hezbollah militants on the border against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.
Hezbollah announced that one of its members, identified as Fadel Shaar, had been killed in the strike in the town of Kafra.
Several hours later, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that a civilian woman wounded in the strike, Samar al-Sayyed Mohammed, had died of her injuries.
Local civil defense and hospital officials said several others were wounded.
Video from the scene showed a passenger sedan in flames next to a small truck stopped in the middle of the road.
The Israeli military did not comment on the strike.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, Hezbollah forces have engaged in near-daily clashes with Israeli troops along the border.
While the clashes had previously been limited mainly to a narrow strip within a few kilometers (miles) from the border, Israel in recent weeks appears to have moved to a strategy of targeted killings of figures from Hezbollah and allied groups, sometimes hitting in areas relatively far from the border, as was the case in Sunday’s strike.
On Saturday, another strike near the Lebanese port city of Tyre killed two people in a car — one of them a Hezbollah commander — and two people in a nearby orchard. The commander, Ali Hudruj, was buried Sunday in south Lebanon. The other occupant of the car, tech sector businessman Mohammad Baqir Diab, was identified as a civilian and was buried in Beirut on Sunday.
On Jan. 2, a presumed Israeli airstrike killed a top Hamas official, Saleh Arouri, in a suburb of Beirut, the first such strike in Lebanon’s capital since Israel and Hezbollah fought a brutal one-month war in 2006.
Speaking at Hudruj’s funeral Sunday, Hezbollah Member of Parliament Hussein Jeshi said Israel had “resorted to the method of assassinating some members of the resistance” to compensate for being unable to reach a military victory against Hamas after more than 100 days of war in Gaza. The Lebanese militant group said in a statement later Sunday that it had launched an attack against the town of Avivim in northern Israel in retaliation for the strike in Kafra and for other “attacks that targeted Lebanese villages and civilians.”
Israel did not comment on the strike specifically but announced it had struck Hezbollah targets in several locations in Lebanon on Sunday. It later said that an anti-tank missile had hit a house in Avivim and no injuries were reported.
With dangers of a regional conflict flaring on multiple fronts, officials from the United States and Europe have engaged in a flurry of shuttle diplomacy in recent weeks between Israel and Lebanon, attempting to head off an escalation of the conflict into a full-on war on the Lebanese front. (AP) -
Officials report at least 13 dead in shelling of a market in Russian-occupied Ukraine
KYIV (TIP): At least 13 people were killed January 21 by shelling at a market on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk in Russian-occupied Ukraine, local officials reported Sunday.
A further 10 people were injured in the strike on the suburb of Tekstilshchik, said Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian-installed authorities in Donetsk. He said that the shells had been fired by the Ukrainian military.
In a preliminary toll the Donetsk mayor Alexei Kulemzin had earlier reported eight dead in the shelling on the northeast of the city.
The Ukrainian city fell under the control of pro-Moscow separatists in 2014 and is regularly targeted by Kyiv’s forces.
During the night of January 1 four people died and 13 were wounded, including journalists, in strikes on Donetsk, the Russian-controlled authorities said.
Kyiv has not commented on the event and the claims could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.
Emergency services continue to work on the scene, Pushilin said. (AFP) -
Iran launches satellite in new aerospace milestone
TEHRAN (TIP): Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched a research satellite January 19, a minister said, putting it into a higher orbit in a new milestone for its aerospace programme that has faced Western criticism. The United States has repeatedly warned Iran against such launches, saying the same technology can be used for ballistic missiles, including ones designed to deliver a nuclear warhead. The Islamic republic says its satellite and rocket launches are only for civil or defence purposes, denying any ambition to develop a nuclear weapons capability.
“The Soraya satellite of the Iranian Space Organisation… was successfully launched with the Ghaem-100 satellite carrier of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the official IRNA news agency said. “This is the first time that Iran has successfully placed a satellite in orbits higher than 500 kilometres (310 miles),” IRNA said.
The news agency cited Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour as saying that the satellite, which weighs about 50 kilograms (110 pounds), was put in orbit 750 kilometres above Earth.
Locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AFP) -
Kidnapping of five sisters sparks outcry in Nigeria
ABUJA, NIGERIA (TIP): The violent abduction of five young Nigerian sisters near Abuja has sparked a national outcry and raised fears about insecurity in the country’s capital.
The sisters were seized at the start of the year by armed men who burst into their home just 15 miles (25 kilometres) from Abuja city centre, a family member told AFP.
She said the attackers killed one of the sisters, 21-year-old Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, when a ransom deadline passed. Negotiations were ongoing for the release of the others.
Kidnapping for ransom has been a major problem in Nigeria with criminal gangs targeting highways, apartments and even snatching pupils from schools.
After public outrage over the sisters’ case this week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned what he called the “recent spate of kidnappings and bandit attacks”.
First Lady Remi Tinubu also voiced concern, while politicians and the media questioned the government’s strategy after gangs targeted parts of the heavily-guarded Federal Capital Territory, which is as big as some states but run by a minister rather than a governor.
One tabloid declared at the weekend that Abuja was “under siege”.
‘Lie low, buy time’
The Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence told AFP it had documented 283 people abducted in the Federal Capital Territory alone over the past year.
Some experts believe the country’s economic crisis is driving a rise in kidnappings as desperate Nigerians turn to crime for income. SBM analyst Confidence MacHarry said insecurity around the capital has been growing for years.
“It’s been getting worse for some time,” he said, citing a 2022 attack on a prison on the outskirts of Abuja as a landmark moment. Gunmen bombed their way into Kuje jail and freed hundreds of inmates in the raid claimed by Islamic State-allied jihadists.
The minister for the Federal Capital Territory has urged residents not to panic and promised to find a solution. MacHarry said the government needed a consistent approach and warned periodic crackdowns on criminals in Abuja’s satellite towns were not working.
“All the bandits have to do is lie low and buy themselves time,” he said. (AFP) -
Investigation under way after China school fire kills 13
YANSHANPU (TIP): Authorities in central China’s Henan Province were on January 21 looking into the cause of a night-time fire that killed 13 schoolchildren as they slept in a dormitory.
The inferno, which took place at the Yingcai School in Yanshanpu village, was reported to the local fire department at 11:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday and was put out around 40 minutes later, official news agency Xinhua said.
Thirteen students died in the accident, while one other person suffered injuries.
Dozens of police were in and around a cordoned-off area near the school on Sunday morning, AFP journalists saw. An official at the scene told AFP: “There is an investigation ongoing inside. Nobody can go in.” Several windows on the side of the school were broken — the only obvious signs of a major accident at the building.
Vertical metal bars covered the school’s windows, AFP saw, while a permanent sign on the building’s facade read: “Enter the kindergarten happily and go home happily.”
A teacher at the school told state-run Hebei Daily that all the victims were from the same third-grade class of nine and 10-year-olds.
On Sunday morning, a row of shops next to the school stood mostly shuttered, while a small clinic in a crumbling courtyard building appeared unattended.
A few locals went about their day and a couple of children played as police cars made loops around the cordoned-off area.
Some people passing by Sunday morning stared at the scene, and one man at an auto workshop across the street told AFP that he had been unaware of the fire until the following morning.
Authorities in the area are investigating the fire’s cause, and at least one person linked to the school has been detained, Xinhua reported Saturday.
No official explanation of the precise cause of the deadly blaze has yet been provided, although some domestic media reports suggested it was related to an electric heating device.
Yanshanpu village lies on the outskirts of Nanyang, a city of nearly 10 million people about 850 kilometres west of Shanghai.
Police stand guard after a school was engulfed by fire in Yanshanpu in China’s Henan province on January 20, 2024.
Little information about the boarding school is publicly available, though social media videos published earlier showed young children including kindergarteners wearing smocks with the school’s logo as well as older children learning calligraphy. (AFP) -
Legislator Davis Commemorates Martin Luther King Day at Hempstead Village March
Photos: Office of Legislator Scott M. Davis HEMPSTEAD VILLAGE, NY (TIP): Nassau County Legislator Scott M. Davis (D – Rockville Centre) joined with community leaders and government colleagues on Monday, Jan. 15 for the Village of Hempstead’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Reflection march through Hempstead Village and ceremony at Hofstra University.
Legislator Davis was joined at the event by New York State Senator Kevin Thomas; Hempstead Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs, Jr.; Deputy Mayor Jeffrey Daniels; and Village Trustees Clariona Griffith, Kevin D. Boone, and Noah Burroughs. The ceremony featured keynote speaker Pastor-elect Curtis Brown of the Rising Star Baptist Church and a panel discussion focused on Dr. King’s legacy in the Mack Student Center. The event also honored the family of New York City surgeon Dr. Emil Naclerio, who saved Dr. King’s life in 1958 after he was stabbed in the chest while signing copies of his first book.
“Through his fearless efforts to eradicate injustice and racism from our society, Dr. King established a model for the pursuit of a more equal and inclusive society that is followed to this day,” Legislator Davis said. “It was truly a pleasure to be a part of this great tradition in Hempstead Village that celebrates the life and legacy of a singular civil rights pioneer in the history of our nation.”
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FIA Inaugurates 2024 Official Brochure with Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel
GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT/ NEW YORK (TIP): The Federation of Indian Associations of NYNJCTNE (FIA) marked a significant milestone during their visit to India by collaborating with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, for the inauguration of FIA’s 2024 official brochure.
The meeting took place at Sachivalay, the esteemed address of the Chief Minister. In attendance were Ankur Vaidya, Chairman of the Federation of Indian Associations NYNJCTNE; Srujal Parikh, Board Member and Trustee of the FIA; and Rohit Korat of Gracia Marcom.
Chief Minister Shri Patel lauded the substantial contributions of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) towards the development and prosperity of India and Gujarat. He underscored the significant strides Gujarat has made in maintaining a strong economic growth trajectory.
Mr. Ankur Vaidya presented the myriad efforts, initiatives, and activities that the FIA undertakes in serving the Indian diaspora. He emphasized the organization’s commitment to fostering a sense of community and cultural heritage among Indian diaspora.
On this occasion, Mr. Vaidya and Mr. Parikh, on behalf of FIA, conveyed their heartfelt compliments to the Chief Minister on the successful completion of the 10th biannual Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Additionally, they extended a formal invitation to Shri Patel for the 42nd Annual India Day Parade in New York City, slated for August 2024. This parade, celebrated with great fervor, is renowned for being the largest India Day parade outside India, held for the past 42 years.
The event concluded with a shared sense of pride and anticipation for the continued collaboration between the FIA and the state of Gujarat in fostering cultural ties and mutual growth.
For further information, please contact: info@fianynjct.org
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Spread the Warmth- Blankets Donation
LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The Indo American Lions Club’s motto, “WE SERVE” is best represented through charities like these that involve giving and serving the community. The club has carried out many projects for underprivileged under the leadership of President Shyam Gajwani. During the frigid winter weather, the Club Organized “Spread the Warmth’ Project –and distributed Plush Blankets on Wednesday January 10th 2023 at the Royale Restaurant during the monthly meeting.
This project was organized by Project Chair Sanju Sharma and co-Chair: Anchit Aery. The President Shyam Gajwani welcomed all the recipients. Secretary & Project Chair-Sanju Sharma invited the Representatives of various organizations to introduce themselves. The blankets were handed over to the Disabled American Veterans, All War Veterans homeless veterans, Social Services department of Nassau County, Homeless shelters, Roosevelt Bible Church distribution center, Martin Luther King Center of Long Island.
This was a very humbling experience for all the members present. It is really hard to imagine someone surviving the bitter frigid cold weather without a warm wrap or blanket.
The project chair showed gratitude to the members for their contribution and help to make this project successful. She thanked President Shyam Gajwani, Founder President –Indu Gajwani, Sr. Vice President- Kanak Golia, Vice President Anju Sharma, Treasurer Vijay Shah, Co-chair Anchit Aery, Yogini Oza, BOD-Saurabh Sheth & Nimesh Shah, Shila Shah, Shyam Agarwal for their help in setting up the blankets. She also thanked Vijay Kumar ‘Banjara’ (a nonmember) for his help in loading the blankets..
In the second phase of this project more blankets will be distributed next week to Pamanock Queens community Center, United Methodist Church, Town of Oyster Bay. Three hundred fifty blankets will be distributed to spread warmth in our community.
Our Club members find it an extremely humbling experience, while spreading the warmth during this challenging Season.
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Italian American Organizations Condemn Ethnic Slur From Pilip’s Campaign
GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): The Order of Sons of Italy Commission on Social Justice, the National Italian American Foundation, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, the Italian American Action Committee, the New York State Italian American PAC, the New York State Order of the Sons of Italy, and the former President of the New York State Sons of Italy have issued a joint statement. In today’s New York Post, Mazi Pilip said, “Tom Suozzi is the godfather of the border crisis.”
“As Italian Americans and Italian American organizations, we condemn this anti-Italian attack and demand that Legislator Pilip apologize and refrain from issuing any other anti-Italian stereotypes in the future.”
Bob Ferrito, National President of the Order of Sons of Italy Commission on Social Justice
John Cavelli, National Italian American Foundation
Judge Basil Russo, Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations
Robert Fonti, Italian American Action Committee
Jim Lisa, New York State Italian American PAC
Anthony Naccarato, former President of New York State Sons of Italy
Bob Ferrito, National President of the Order of Sons of Italy Commission on Social Justice -
The Indian Panorama Chief Editor interviews Ambassador Binaya S Pradhan
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Ambassador Binaya S Pradhan, who took over as the Consul General of India at New York on January 15, 2024 gave an interview to The Indian Panorama on the 4th day at work, on January 19.
In the 45-minute interview, Ambassador Pradhan shared his thoughts on diverse issue, from consular services to strengthening bonds within the Indian Diaspora, to promoting ties between India and the US at different levels which included trade and commerce, culture, co-operation in various other fields. Ambassador Pradhan showed a keen interest in paying special attention to the Indian youth and the Indian women here.
The Indian Panorama will carry the interview in the Republic Day special edition on January 26. The video of the interview will also be made available on The Indian Panorama website www.theindianpanorama.news
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Emmy-nominated Indian-American filmmaker Tirlok Malik visits Ram Mandir in Ayodhya seeking divine blessings for his new film ‘I Am Hanuman’
Tirlok Malik at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya NEW YORK (TIP): Emmy-nominated Indian-American filmmaker Tirlok Malik visited Ram Mandir in Ayodhya to seek blessings of Lord Rama for his planned new film “I am Hanuman”.
Mr. Malik plans to start work on his ambitious film, which he says is different from the dozen films he has made hitherto, from “Lonely in America” to “Khushiyan” to “On Golden Years”.
The poster of the film “I am Hanuman” in miniature form. A poster of his planned film was released after he offered his prayers at the Ram Mandir.
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Times Square in New York echoes with bhajans to celebrate Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Ahead of the Ram Temple Pran Prathistha ceremony in India on Monday, January 22, the Indian diaspora illuminated Times Square with the picture of Lord Ram in New York and chanted Shree Ram bhajans and songs to showcase the cultural heritage and vibrancy of their home country.
The Indian community, which turned out in huge numbers for the celebrations, wore traditional Indian attire and were seen holding saffron flags with Shri Ram portraits inscribed on them.
Taking to X, Indian embassy in the US said, “Indian Diaspora illuminated Times Square with a spectacular celebration of the Pran Prathistha at Ram Mandir, Ayodhya. #AyodyaRamTemple Dressed in traditional Indian attire, they passionately chanted bhajans and songs, showcasing India’s cultural heritage, vibrancy and unity.” Separately, the Mayor of the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, Joe Petty, also extended his warm greetings to the Hindu community over the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
This comes as the mayor issued his proclamation for the 75th Republic Day of India and said, “In the City of Worcester, we encourage all residents to recognize and participate in its observance and extend our warmest congratulations to the American Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Asian-American communities on the auspicious inauguration of the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya (Bharat).”
It added, “We extend heartfelt congratulations to the American Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Asian-American diaspora communities on the momentous inauguration of the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India, planned for Jan 22, and are thankful to Foundation of Indian-Americans (FIA), New England, for helping us to acknowledge and recognize both historic celebrations.”
The mayor also joined the US-India community for the celebrations held over the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Taking to X, the Indian embassy in New York said, “Mayor of the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, @MayorJoePetty extends warm greetings to the community on the ‘auspicious inauguration of the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya’ in his proclamation for the 75th Republic Day of India. He joined the US-India community @FIANewEngland in the celebrations and highlighted our spirit of democracy, diversity & unity and the rich cultural heritage and traditions.”
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced on Sunday that the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony will be marked by a dazzling musical event titled ‘Mangal Dhwani’.
The soiree, featuring some of the biggest names in the world of music, will be staged at 10 A.M.
From the Surya Dwar, the main entrance to Ram Janmabhoomi, to the temple, the streetlights and walkways have been decked up with murals inspired from Ramayana ahead of the consecration ceremony. Lamp posts have been designed with traditional “Ramanandi tilak” motifs.
(Source: ANI)
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Suozzi leads Pilip in tight race to replace Santos in NY-3: PIX11 poll
NEW YORK (TIP): In the race to replace disgraced Former Republican Congressman George Santos, former Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi is ahead in his quest to return to Washington, according to a new PIX11/Emerson College Polling survey released Thursday, January 18. Suozzi, who represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District for three terms before an unsuccessful run for governor, got the support of 45% of those surveyed. Republican nominee Mazi Pilip, a Nassau County legislator and an Israeli-American who once served in Israel’s Defense Forces, got support from 42% of those surveyed. About 9% of NY-3 voters are undecided.
NY-3 is comprised mostly of Nassau County with a little bit of eastern Queens.
The special election is set for Feb. 13, with early voting beginning Feb. 3. Suozzi’s advantage in the poll swells when you look at “very likely” voters who were surveyed. They comprise about 84% of the survey and are crucial in special elections, which often see a low turnout. Suozzi had support from 51% of “very likely” voters and Pilip got 37%.
There is not an overwhelmingly clear top issue for NY-3 voters. About 26% of voters said immigration was their top concern, 22% said the economy and 15% said crime.
Abortion access, an issue that generally favors Democrats, was only at 4%. Abortion rights are protected by law in New York; however, the special election in this swing district is widely viewed through a national lens and Democrats are focused on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Another red flag for Democrats is the approval of President Joe Biden in NY-3. The poll found only 33% of those surveyed approve of the job he is doing.
Drilling down on the issues, most NY-3 voters are in favor of continued foreign aid to support two major conflicts abroad: 60% favor continued support of Israel in its war in Gaza and 51% support continuing to help Ukraine with the Russian invasion.
On the migrant crisis, there is a plurality of NY-3 voters who would like to see the federal government foot the bill. Of those surveyed, 45% said the federal government needs to pay back New York for the cost of supporting migrants; 18% said it should be a mix of New York City, Texas — which is doing the busing from the border — and the federal government; 14% said this city should be handling this on its own.
PIX11 News will host a special one-hour forum featuring NY-3 candidates Suozzi and Pilip on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 7 to 8 p.m. You can tune in to PIX11 News or stream the forum on PIX11.com and PIX11+, which is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Samsung.
The Emerson College Polling/PIX11 New York Third District poll was conducted January 13-15, 2024. The sample consisted of 975 registered voters, with a credibility interval, similar to a poll’s margin of error, of +/- 3.1 percentage points. The data sets were weighted by gender, age, party, race, and education based on US Census parameters, and New York voter registration and voter turnout data by regions (NY SOS). Data was collected by contacting a list of cellphones via MMS-to-web, landlines via Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and emails provided by Aristotle, along with an online panel of voters provided by Alchemer.
(Source: PIX 11)
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Prime Minister Modi unveils Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya
AYODHYA (TIP): The consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was held today, January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the rituals. Following the consecration, the shrine will be opened to the public a day later.
The “ Pran Pratishtha” ceremony began at 12.20 p.m.
Mangal Dhwani’ from 50 instruments resonated in Ram temple during consecration event
Fifty traditional musical instruments from across the country were part of a devotional “Mangal Dhwani” that resonated during the consecration ceremony at the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Orchestrated by Ayodhya’s celebrated poet Yatindra Mishra, the grand musical rendition was supported by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
The instruments included pakhawaj, flute and dholak from Uttar Pradesh, veena from Karnataka, algoja from Punjab, sundari from Maharashtra, mardala from Odisha; santoor from Madhya Pradesh, pung from Manipur, nagada and kali from Assam; and tambura from Chhattisgarh. There was also shehnai from Delhi, ravanahatha from Rajasthan, shrikhol and sarod from West Bengal, ghatam from Andhra Pradesh, sitar from Jharkhand, santar from Gujarat, pakhawaj from Bihar, hudka from Uttarakhand and nagaswaram, tavil and mridangam from Tamil Nadu. While about 8,000 people are on the long list of invitees, the select list features 506 A-listers, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, diplomats, judges and high priests. To commemorate the occasion, the Centre gave half a day off to all Government employees including Public Sector Banks. Several States have also followed suit and declared a public holiday.
The consecration ceremony was held after the first phase of the temple’s construction, made possible by a Supreme Court judgment in 2019 on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit. The Hindu litigants argued that the Babri Mosque was constructed at the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram. In 1992, the 16th-century mosque was demolished by “kar sevaks”.
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Ambassador Binaya Srikanta Pradhan takes over as India’s Consul General at New York
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Ambassador Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, a career diplomat of the 2002 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, took over as Consul General of India at New York on January 15. He has succeeded Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal who has since taken over as Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA ) in New Delhi.
Ambassador Pradhan’s diplomatic career includes senior roles in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan from 2004 to 2012. During 2012-14, he managed India’s relations with Afghanistan and Iran at the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
Prior to the present assignment, Ambassador Pradhan was High Commissioner of India to Tanzania and Permanent Representative to the East African Community (EAC) from August 2021 to January 2024. During this period India- Tanzania relationship was elevated to ‘Strategic Partnership’ and the first overseas campus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in Zanzibar, Tanzania was set up. From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Pradhan served as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India. His international engagements extended to being the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Moscow, from June 2019 to July 2021. Ambassador Pradhan demonstrates a keen interest in economic and energy diplomacy. He is proficient in English, Hindi, Russian and Odiya languages.
Beyond his diplomatic pursuits, he finds enjoyment in playing golf. He is married to Ms. Monalisa and they are proud parents of two daughters, Dibyanshi and Diya.
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UN condemns Israel as Gaza death toll crosses 25K mark
JERUSALEM (TIP): The Palestinian death toll has soared past 25,000, the health ministry in the Gaza Strip said while the Israeli government appeared far from achieving its goals of crushing the militant group and freeing more than 100 hostages. At the same time, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has denounced Israel for the “heartbreaking” deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and called it unacceptable to resist statehood for the Palestinian people. Israel’s military operations have spread mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as secretary-general, Guterres said at the opening of a summit of the G77+China in Uganda’s Kampala.
Israel’s military said on Sunday that its soldiers had killed 15 Palestinian gunmen during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip. In the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, where Israel has been increasing pressure on Hamas in recent weeks, the military said that snipers, backed by air support, had “eliminated a number of terrorists.”
In southern Lebanon, two Hezbollah fighters were killed when an Israeli drone hit their vehicle security sources said. Their ranks were not revealed but a source close to the Iranian-backed group said they were not senior figures. It was the latest strike in an area where Israel has targeted dozens of Hezbollah fighters. Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports. Hezbollah has been trading fire across Lebanon’s southern border with Israeli forces in support of the militia group’s Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The level of death, destruction and displacement from the war already is without precedent in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet Israeli officials say the fighting is likely to continue for several more months. Missile attacks in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen have thrown into sharp focus the increasing risk of the war in Gaza triggering a wider regional conflict pitting Iran and its allies against Israel and the US.
After Israeli strikes killed 5 military advisers of Iran in Syria’s Damascus, missiles and rockets launched by Iran-backed militants in Iraq, where such groups have targeted US forces, hit al-Asad air base, the US Central Command said. A number of US personnel were being evaluated for traumatic brain injuries and one Iraqi service member was wounded.
(Agencies)
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JLF to revolve around Tulsidas and the Ramcharit Manas sessions this year
By Dr Yash Goyal The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is an annual literary festival that takes place in Pink City every year. Founded in 2006, the 17th JLF is scheduled in Jaipur from February 1-5. The festival is an initiative of Jaipur Virasat Foundation which was founded by Faith Singh, originally as a segment of the Jaipur Heritage International Festival and developed into a free-standing festival of literature with international fame. In 2012, a number of events occurred related to Salman Rushdie and the Satanic Verses controversy. JLF has reached every literary corner of the world. What used to be virtual during the Corona period is now becoming visible in foreign cities. The credit to create literary sensation and others to organise similar events in parts of India certainly goes to Sanjay Roy, William Dalrymple and Namita Gokhale.
Namita, co-founder and co-director of JLF, is a well-known litterateur. r. She is the author of 23 works of fiction and non-fiction. Her acclaimed debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion, was published in 1984. She is the recipient of various prizes and awards, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Literature) Award 2021 for her novel Things to Leave Behind. Following are the excerpts of her Online 10 Q-A with Dr Yash Goyal.
Namita Gokhale, co-founder and co-director of JLF Q. The 17th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival 2024 will begin next month. With what intention did you guys start JLF in Jaipur?
A. We began with a love for literature, across borders, and a deep belief in Indian writing in all its avatars.
Q. Since this festival started from Jaipur, how much literary benefit did Rajasthan’s writers get from it? What is the criteria for selecting a writer?
A. We try to programme a range of writers from Jaipur and different parts of Rajasthan. We include new voices, women writers, and the oral heritage as well as established writers and Sahitya Akademi awardees. Shri Nand Bharadwaj and Shri CP Deval have also guided us over the years.
Q. This festival also focuses on Rajasthani language and its litterateurs. But Rajasthani language did not get constitutional recognition in 17 years. What do you think of it.
A. It is a complex issue. Rajasthani certain deserves constitutional recognition but the many dialects are cited as a factor in this delay in giving the language its due.Q. Lok Sabha elections are going to be held soon. There is an atmosphere of Ayodhya and Lord Ram in the entire country. Would JLF want to know the minds of litterateurs on this very religious subject in any of this year’s sessions?
A. We have a session on Tulsidas and the Ramcharit Manas which should be of interest to our audiences.
Q. From a commercial point of view, JLF has now become global. Has this created any bridge between Indian and foreign writers?
A. The global editions have led to deepened ties with diasporic authors of Indian origin and creative exchanges with international writers we interact with. Many valuable initiatives have resulted from this.
Q. What are the reasons for the popularity of JLF in India and abroad? Now there are many such literary festivals in almost every state, do you guys feel any competition with them?
A. The Jaipur Literature Festival draws international audiences because the programming is creative, rooted, and provides many different perspectives and points of view. As for competition – we welcome it, for we can all constantly learn from each other.
Q. How much did JLF’s sponsors increase in these 17 years? Do they also have to compete for admission in JLF?
A. We have had many wonderful and supportive sponsors, but these things took a hit during the pandemic years.
Q. You are also a great writer, what kind of writing do you have preferred in your literature? Your novel ‘Things to liv behind’ received the Sahitya Academy Award, what is it all about?
A.I have written 23 books by now – including novels, short stories, anthologies, with themes around the Himalaya, and religion, and the interpretation of myth. There is also a play co-authored with Malashri Lal on the life of Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
‘Things to Leave Behind’ is a work of historical fiction set in Kumaon in the years 1840 to 1912. I am a Kumaoni and ‘Things to Leave Behind’ is a tribute to the rich heritage of the region.
Q. Your another novel ‘Never Never Land’, why is this getting popularity?
A. My new novel ‘Never Never Land’ will be released soon. It is set in the familiar landscape of the Himalayas. Let’s see how readers respond to it.
Q. JLF’s every session has a record number of young boys’ and girls’ footfall, whether they attend the session or not? Don’t you think JLF emerged as the best fashion and a joint for youngsters at least in Pink City?
A. I think it’s wonderful that so many young people attend the festival as a lifestyle choice. Reading is to be enjoyed, it’s a pleasurable activity, and it’s good that they enjoy being there.
Q. What is the future of JLF in the next 5 years?
A. The future can never be foretold – but of this I’m sure, that reading will never go out of fashion. We will go from strength to strength as we continue to creatively interpret the role of the LitFest.
(Yashpal Goyal is Special Correspondent, TIP, Jaipur) -
Only Voters Can Truly Disqualify Trump
I count myself among those who consider Mr. Trump to be manifestly unfit to serve in any office ever again because of his actions on that day, even if he is not held criminally liable. But being unfit is not the same thing as being ineligible. What makes the Colorado Supreme Court — or any court — believe that it has a privileged understanding of those events that is beyond the capacity of the public to discern?
By Noah Millman Perhaps the public is misinformed, or refuses to let itself be accurately informed, even at this late date, about what happened. The need for expertise and deliberation is why we have a representative democracy; the people do not act directly to make laws, but act through their representatives.
Intense debate has accompanied the decision by the Supreme Court to review the decision by Colorado’s highest court to bar Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballots based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — about the precise meaning of the word “insurrection,” the extent of Mr. Trump’s culpability for the events of Jan. 6 and other legal issues. I’m not going to predict how the Supreme Court will rule, or whether its ruling will be persuasive to those with a different view of the law. But there’s a critical philosophical question that lies beneath the legal questions in this case. In a representative democracy, the people are sovereign, and they express their sovereignty through representatives of their choice. If the courts presume to pre-emptively reject the people’s choice, then who is truly sovereign?
The question of sovereignty was central to the purpose of the 14th Amendment in the first place. The Civil War — unquestionably an armed insurrection — was fought because of slavery. That was the reason for the war.
But its justification was a dispute over sovereignty, whether it resided primarily with the people of the individual states or with the people of the United States, who had established the Constitution.
The answer was settled on the battlefield, but it was ratified through the 14th Amendment, which defined who is a citizen of the United States and established that the “privileges or immunities” of same supersede any state laws that might abridge them. From now on, there would be no ambiguity: Under the Constitution, the people of the United States are sovereign, and this sovereignty supersedes the sovereignty of the people of the individual states whenever the privileges and immunities of the former are in conflict with the will of the latter.
Section 3 of that amendment was similarly enacted in order to secure federal supremacy. Rebel officers might well have retained strong popular support in the former Confederate states, but Section 3 prevented the rebellion from being continued by electoral means. The people of South Carolina might prefer to be represented by former rebels, but the people of the United States, whose sovereignty trumps South Carolina’s, forbid it.
Whose sovereignty, though, trumps the people as a whole?
Donald Trump is the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination for president and has a close to even-odds chance of winning the general election. That would seem to have no bearing on his eligibility to run. If a majority of the country wanted Barack Obama or Arnold Schwarzenegger or Selena Gomez to be president, it would be out of luck. The Constitution renders them ineligible: Mr. Obama has already been elected twice, Mr. Schwarzenegger was not born a U.S. citizen and Ms. Gomez is under 35 years old.
For that very reason, though, those individuals aren’t likely to run — and if they did try to run, their ineligibility would be manifest, recognized by everyone. Similarly, former Confederate officers and officials, by serving in the Confederacy, had explicitly declared themselves insurrectionists. Congress passed a broad amnesty in 1872 to lift the penalties associated with the involvement of most in insurrection, including that imposed by Section 3 of the 14th Amendment; some individuals not covered by the amnesty petitioned successfully for the restoration of their civil rights, and in other cases the prohibition was simply not enforced. But the essential fact of participation in the insurrection was not in dispute.
The situation with Mr. Trump could not be more different. An overwhelming majority of his party, and apparently about half of the country as a whole, considers him to be eligible to be president again. Moreover, these voters believe this even though, as President Biden said recently, “we saw with our own eyes” what happened on Jan. 6.
I count myself among those who consider Mr. Trump to be manifestly unfit to serve in any office ever again because of his actions on that day, even if he is not held criminally liable. But being unfit is not the same thing as being ineligible. What makes the Colorado Supreme Court — or any court — believe that it has a privileged understanding of those events that is beyond the capacity of the public to discern?
Perhaps the public is misinformed, or refuses to let itself be accurately informed, even at this late date, about what happened. The need for expertise and deliberation is why we have a representative democracy; the people do not act directly to make laws, but act through their representatives.
It’s notable in that regard, then, that impeachment — the remedy the Constitution provides for a president who violates his oath of office — does not involve the courts but the people, acting through their representatives. And the court of the people already had the opportunity to weigh in on Mr. Trump’s culpability for the events of Jan. 6. He was impeached an unprecedented second time by the House of Representatives for his actions on that day. But in the trial that followed in the Senate, Mr. Trump was acquitted.
That does not mean he is innocent. But it does mean that the Colorado Supreme Court has, in effect, declared that it outranks the Senate, and can overrule that body’s decision.
Some Republican senators, including the minority leader, Mitch McConnell, effectively asked the courts to do just that during the impeachment debate. Arguing that they had no authority to try a president whose term had ended, they refused to consider the facts of the case. But this was not a principled view. The Senate had already voted separately on the question of jurisdiction, and a majority determined that they did have the ability to try a president whose term had ended. Once that question was settled by the Senate itself, senators who thought Mr. Trump was guilty, including those who voted the other way on the jurisdictional question, could vote their consciences on the matter at trial.
Since the senators still voted to acquit, it must be because they did not think he was guilty, or did not deserve punishment for his guilt. Or, reflecting gross cowardice, perhaps they did not want the responsibility for convicting him, and preferred the courts to shoulder that responsibility instead.
That’s precisely what the Colorado Supreme Court has decided to do. But in so doing, it has usurped the proper prerogative of the people. It is saying, in so many words, that the people’s representatives got it wrong in the impeachment trial, and the people themselves are incapable of seeing what is in front of their eyes. Therefore, the court must save the people from the possibility of making a catastrophically wrong decision.
Democracy cannot be saved in this fashion, not even from the threat of a demagogue with contempt for the rule of law. It can be saved only by democratic means. If the people’s representatives failed to do their duty, as they did in Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, the last line of democracy’s defense is the sovereign people themselves. At the point that we cannot trust them, democracy is dead already.
(Mr. Millman has written extensively about politics, policy and culture, and is the author of the newsletter Gideon’s Substack)
(Source: New York Times) -
World Economic Forum: Annual Carnival at Davos For Rich & Powerful
By Devendra Makkar Since 1971 “World Economic Forum”(WEF) has been holding an annual most expensive carnival at Davos, the super luxury ski resort in Switzerland. Here Billionaires talk to millionaires and pretend to discuss how to end inequality and other world problems in most luxurious settings with most lavish & expensive food, wines, champagne and hard liquor served for them! 2,500 participants from 90 countries, world’s richest, most powerful and downright famous about 0.00004% of the world’s 7.4 Billion population deciding the world’s fate behind a curtain of extremely tight security, secrecy and doublespeak. Since than these rich have become more rich and poor has become more poor. According to Oxfam in 2016, only world’s 8 richest headed by the Microsoft founder Bill Gates were worth $426bn (£350bn), equivalent to the wealth of 3.6 billion people. According to Credit Suisse’s global wealth report published in Nov. 2017, “The world’s richest people have seen their share of the globe’s total wealth increase from 42.5% at the height of the 2008 financial crisis to 50.1% in 2017, or $140 Trillion.”
Jody Williams (the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winner) said, “These guys just want to convince people that they care about others, which they don’t, and then get back to making money as fast as they can,”
Larry Summers an economist & former Treasury Secretary under President Clinton once told a reporter that Davos is fundamentally an exercise in corporate speed-dating. “Everyone comes because everyone else comes.” A hedge-fund manager or a C.E.O. can pack into a few days the dozens of meetings—with other executives, with heads of state or their deputies, with non-governmental organizations whose phone calls might otherwise have been ignored—that it would normally take months to arrange and tens of thousands of Gulfstream miles to attend. They conduct these compressed and occasionally fruitful couplings, the so-called bilateral meetings, either in private rooms that the WEF has set aside for this purpose or in hotel rooms, restaurants, and hallways. All that’s missing is the hourly rate.
This yeas the 4 day exclusive carnival for the world’s richest and most powerful was held from January 23rd to 26th 2018. Membership and partnership fees range from 60,000 Swiss francs ($62,243) to 600,000 Swiss francs (around $622,000) “depending on the level of engagement.” Every participant has to pay extra $27,000, a fee over and above the membership or partnership fees. That still does not include Hotel accommodation and air fare. On top of that Participant has to be only from the world’s top thousand companies.
Every participant wears a color coded badge based on a series of closely guarded criteria. The color of the badge denotes a role and a degree of access for the participant. The holographic is the top badge for senior government policy makers and the coveted pass is the white one that grants delegates free rein. A Strategic Partner gets a blue dot on the white and has access to an exclusive lounge. The Green is for “Entourage” with very limited access and Media Reporters wear “Orange” and can’t get in a lot of places. Apart from fees, WEF also accepts grants, donations and legacies. They also subsidize the scores of academics, scientists, artists, journalists, and N.G.O. chiefs who attend for free. Everyone, whether he pays or not, has to be invited. WEF Founder Chairman Klaus Schwab says, “You cannot buy your way in, it’s a large club meeting and you do need an invitation!”
The man behind this annual super luxury 4 days carnival with a fancy theme rather a fancy slogan for each year for billionaires and millionaires by invitation only; is an German academic Klaus Schwab. He is the founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) that he started in 1971 as European Management Forum and in 1987 changed the name to ‘World Economic Forum”. His salary and benefits are undisclosed but average employee at WEF makes over 200,000 Swiss francs per year and operate from a swanky super luxurious Head Quarter in Geneva. Over the years WEF has also become a very successful money-making enterprise, with revenues of 280,000 Swiss francs and a surplus of 1.2 million Swiss francs in the financial year from July 2016 to June 2017.
Klaus Schwab here and there do indulge in stage managed self-criticism. In 2012 when the theme of the WEF was “The Great Transformation” he said “Capitalism, in its current form, no longer fits the world around us.” “We have sinned.” He also spoke of the danger of “intergenerational conflict.” However, the benefits of economic growth remain elusive for many.
For the 2018 WEF theme “Strengthening Cooperation in a Fractured World” in Sep. 2017, he wrote in a WEF statement that “Our collective inability to secure inclusive growth and preserve our scarce resources puts multiple global systems at risk simultaneously.” “Our first response must be to develop new models for cooperation that are not based on narrow interests but on the destiny of humanity as a whole.”
280 sessions many of them were closed door exclusive meetings, even the media is not allowed in them. As you can imagine, with that many meetings, surrounded by varying degrees of secrecy outsiders have no clue what is going on behind closed doors. The public ones, which anyone can attend are just for media hype. The closed ones; which only those participants with a white badge can attend and then the totally private ones that you don’t even know have happened. Those are where the big deals are discussed, behind closed doors.
On top of that often, there are dozens of private parties by invitation from the host only, organized every day by big corporations for their clients or head of the state or its officials making a sales pitch to CEO’s of big corporations to come and set up their shops in their countries. Indeed these are the most lavish and the best dinner parties in the world with world renowned music bands or stars from the entertainment industry to entertain the guest. This years well-known participants include actors Cate Blanchett, Shah Rukh Khan and musician Paul Williams and singer Elton John and few well known music bands.
WEF/Davos Effect on common Americans: USA is always represented at WEF carnival at Davos by the largest contingent of super rich and powerful. This year again USA ranked First with 840 participants! After 47 years of participation at WEF by the richest and most powerful of USA; 78% of the U.S. population now lives paycheck to paycheck, with essentially zero savings. CEOs, tech entrepreneurs, and other members of the “1%”—are doing exceptionally great. There has never been a better time for wealthy Americans! But the truth is, for majority of Americans, the situation is getting much, much worse every year. The middle class; the most politically and economically stable part of the American society is being pushed down into upper lower class by the rich and powerful.
According to Productivity Pay tracker chart, Since 1973, pay and productivity have diverged.
Productivity has grown 5.9x more than worker’s hourly payChange 1948–1973: Productivity +96.7% Hourly pay +91.3%
Change 1973–2016: Productivity +73.7% Hourly pay +12.5%The income, wages, and wealth generated over the last four decades have failed to “trickle down” to the vast majority largely because policy choices made on behalf of those with the most income, wealth, and power got the 90% share that has exacerbated inequality. In essence, rising inequality has prevented potential pay growth from translating into actual pay growth for most workers. The result has been wage stagnation.
According to Economic Policy Institute, CEO compensation increased from $1.5 million in 1978 to $16.3 million in 2014, or 997 percent, a rise almost double stock market growth. Over the same time period, a typical worker’s wages grew very little: the annual compensation, adjusted for inflation, of the average private-sector production and nonsupervisory worker (comprising 82 percent of total payroll employment) rose from $48,000 in 1978 to just $53,200 in 2014, an increase of only 10.9 percent. Due to this unequal growth, average top CEOs now make over 300 times what typical workers earn.
From East to West and from North to South at WEF, no one said any thing on the ongoing Israeli brutal occupation of Palestine, stealing of its land and human genocide of Palestinians since 1967. This is despite the fact that Israel is the only country in the world that is illegally occupying another country in the world. They did lip service to the rising global economic inequality, poverty and hunger, human rights and freedom of free speech violations, mistreatment of women, environmental degradation and widespread armed conflicts. No one from the elite club of the world’s richest & most powerful, called for the “Re-modelling of the Capitalism” to fight all these problems in the universe.
All these years of WEF, if political leaders could not be persuaded to change their minds on basic human rights, freedom of speech, human and equal status for women, environment protection and stop to widespread armed conflicts And if billionaires could not be persuaded to pledge money to eradicate rising economic inequality, global poverty and hunger, with the conversations and meetings they have had there, the WEF have failed miserably. So it is safe to say that, in terms of the WEF’s stated commitment of “improving the state of the world,” is nothing but gross misrepresentation rather pure lie.
On top of that the problem with WEF is; it is fundamentally illegitimate because it has no democratic basis whatsoever. It is not transparent because they do not open up their books to the public and they allow secret meetings that are not even open to some of the participants or televised for public or open to media scrutiny. On top of that the richest participants at the WEF have let down the humanity by allowing massive global economic inequality.
“Davos Man” phrase was originally coined by the Political scientist Samuel P. Huntington because the vast majority of WEF members were originally men; the term later expanded to include the Davos woman. Davos man/Davos woman refers to the members of the WEF a collection of leaders from a variety of fields from around the world. Huntington argued in his 2004 article “Dead Souls” The Denationalization of the American Elite” that the Davos man’s view of a global identity is not shared by the majority of common citizens. He decried a post-national wealthy globe-trotting elite. “Davos Man” can be either a capitalist oppressor or a Commie conspirator. Either way, he is a windbag, a pedant, and a hypocrite.
(Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis data https://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/)
New Jersey, US based Devendra Makkar is a social activist and author. He can be reached at davemakkar@yahoo.com