A Reader of The Indian Panorama writes to Mayor of New York
It is heartening to read that the Hon’ble Mayor and the Council members are seized of the problems of the citizens in the matter of public toilets. But it is a dismal reading that so far, only 5 automatic public toilets (APTs) have been placed in different areas of New York during the last 2 years (since 2015).
As an occasional visitor to New York, I can understand the feelings of the citizens doing shopping in the Flushing markets at Main and Kissena Boulevard, or at Jackson Heights, or at Hillside Avenue (Street Nos. 250 to 268), and who may have to answer the call of nature.
No public toilet is to be seen anywhere. So is the case at Times Square, and the frequent-visited Avenues of America nearby (Avenues V, VI, VII etc.).
I am not a resident of New York, yet please see below what a senior resident of the city has written to me saying it’s a real problem.
Also, kindly see below the extracts from a Press Report dated July 13, 2017 as appeared in a prominent newspaper of New Delhi, (India).
NEW DELHI: With the help of Google, now people can locate 331 public toilets in New Delhi areas. All you need to do is to write ‘Toilet’ or ‘Public Toilet’ in Google map and it will help you navigate through the busy New Delhi lanes to the toilet. Aimed at making New Delhi areas cleaner and reducing public urination, the facility was launched on Wednesday.
The toilets of New Delhi Municipal Council, its chairperson Naresh Kumar said, have been mapped on Google so that any person can easily search it. Currently NDMC has uploaded 331 public toilet units on Google Map. The toilets can also be searched on NDMC mobile application ‘NDMC311’.
Within three months 41 more public toilets in NDMC areas would be mapped on Google. I am hopeful that the concerned authorities will give a serious consideration to this problem, and make the great New York city a better place to live and to visit as a tourist.
MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos recently welcomed World Renowned Philanthropist and International Pioneer of Holistic Healthcare, Dr. Avadhoot Shivanand, to Nassau County at a ceremony hosted by the Shiv Yog Foundation at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building.
Dr. Avadhoot Shivanand is a celebrated humanitarian and spiritual leader of the global Indian community with followers in over 100 countries. His teaching of self-empowerment, sharing unconditional love, and accepting everyone in their originality is believed by his followers to have cured many psychosomatic diseases. His followers, who lovingly call him Baba Ji, felt like they were in the presence of divinity. The honoring ceremony was attended by a standing room only audience of Nassau County followers.
Administration expected to find revenue and expense opportunities to reduce projected deficit
MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos released the 2017 mid-year financial projections, which indicate that the County is trending to end 2017 with a $57.6 million deficit on a Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) basis and the presentation mandated by the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA). The Administration, however, is expected, to find revenue and expense opportunities to reduce the projected deficit, but may be hard pressed to achieve GAAP balance by year-end 2017. The projected GAAP ending fund balances are expected to decline to $67.8 million, down from $170.5 million at 2016, assuming the gap closing opportunities do not materialize.
“Although the County’s financials appear to have improved both on a GAAP and NIFA basis, and the long-term debt of the County decreased by over $100 million compared to 2009, the County’s fiscal challenges remain masked by the use of non-primary funds set aside in prior years to pay approximately $43.8 million in litigation expense,” said Comptroller George Maragos. “These same challenges will continue and increase in 2018 due to anticipated structural cost increases in labor, health care and other mandated costs.”
The noteworthy items affecting the budgetary projection are $10 million of risk in Income and Expense reporting revenue due to litigation, $60 million in lower bond proceeds for property tax refunds offset by a lower expenditure for property tax refund payments due to a 2016 accrual reversal, and a risk of $12.5 million in payroll expense, primarily due to higher termination pay for an increased number of police officers retiring in 2017.
The total long-term debt for the County and its blended component units, NIFA, Nassau County Sewer and Storm Water Finance Authority (SFA) and the Nassau County Tobacco Settlement Corporation (TSC), are projected to decrease by $102.2 million to approximately $3.532 billion after pay-down of $243.8 million in maturing debt (see Section 6.4). We understand that the Administration does not expect to issue any further long-term debt in 2017.
NEW YORK (TIP): After the teaser poster created a storm, today the makers of Bhoomi released the main poster and it has created even more curiosity about the film. The poster which has an intense looking Sanjay almost glaring with eyes full of anger and his hair and face covered with mud has got everyone talking about the film directed by Omung Kumar and produced by Bhushan Kumar and Sandeep Singh.
Director Omung Kumar says, “When the teaser poster came, I had said that people will want to know more & more and this poster is testimony to Sanjay’s amazing way of transforming and portraying different characters & intensity.” Producer Bhushan Kumar adds, “This poster is just a slice of the magic of Sanjay Dutt and the intensity of his role in Bhoomi.”
Producer Sandeep Singh adds, “Bhoomi is vintage Baba. I think his fans have been waiting too long for him and I am quite confident that they won’t be disappointed.” ‘Bhoomi’ is an emotional and sensitive revenge drama that explores the relationship between a father and daughter.
Produced by T-Series & Legend Studios, ‘Bhoomi’ releases worldwide on September 22nd, 2017.
NEW YORK (TIP): The Indo-American Press Club (IAPC) is holding its 4th International Media Conference in Philadelphia, PA. It was jointly announced by IAPC Chairman Dr. Babu Stephen and President Prof. Indrajit S Saluja at a planning meeting in Washington DC recently. The prestigious conference will be held at Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast from October 6-9, in which renowned journalists and media professionals from the US, India and other countries will lead innovative seminars and workshops.
IAPC was founded in 2014 under the chairmanship of Ginsmon Zacharia and held its inaugural media conference in New Jersey that year to bring together the Indo-American media professionals under one umbrella. Its second IMC was held in New York, and the third one in Connecticut last October attracting lawmakers from the US and India, renowned people from media, social work and philanthropy.
Over the four years, IAPC has been devising and implementing different projects to enhance the efficiency and integrity of media professionals of Indian origin, and by bringing media experts from different parts of the world to lead the IAPC Media Conferences.
“IAPC envisions to enhance the style and activities of media professionals in the American continent by infusing new ideas and updated information of media industry in other countries,” stated IAPC Chairman Dr. Babu Stephen who hosted the kickoff in his palatial house in DC.
IAPC President Prof Indrajit S. Saluja added that IAPC is already interacting and jointly working together with renowned experts in the media industry in America, Canada, Australia, UK and Gulf countries. He pointed out that IAPC is very active in training and encouraging upcoming journalists with the latest technology, and requested the support of all for the successful running of the forthcoming conference in Philadelphia.
“Having created a strong footprint in the media industry by conducting its first International Media Conference within a few months of its incorporation, IAPC is again proud to announce the preparedness going into its fourth Conference,” said IAPC founder Chairman and present Coordinating Director Mr. Ginsmon P. Zacharia.
IAPC Executive Committee 2017 members under the leadership of Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja include Korason Varghese (Exe Vice President), James Kureekattil, Mini Nair, Anil Mathew, Thressiamma Nadavallil (Vice Presidents), Eapen George (General Secretary), Biju Chacko (Treasurer), Jinu Ann Mathew (PRO), Parveen Chopra (Ex Officio) and Roopsi Narula (National Coordinator). The Board of Directors Chaired by Dr. Babu Stephen include Vineetha Nair (Vice Chairperson), Dr. Mathew Joys (Board Secretary), Ginsmon P Zacharia (Coordinating Director), Ajay Ghosh, Sunil Kuzhampala, Paul D. Panackal, George Kottarathil, Dr. P.V. Bijou, Cyrier Saria, Joji Kavanal.
METUCHEN, NJ (TIP): Six new champions have been crowned in Chicago and New Jersey with four of them heading to the Cricket Bee Finals in New Jersey next month. In Chicago, Sohail Malik of Westmont, IL was declared second runner up, Kevin Paul of Chicago, IL was first runner up and the Regional champion was Alpesh Gohil of Schaumburg, IL. In New Jersey, Ashwin Iyer of Jersey City, NJ was declared second runner up, Senthilkumar Sethuraman of Shrewsbury, MA was first runner up and the Regional champion was Shyamsundar Soundararajan of Edison, NJ. The competition allows cricket fans to compete for prizes while sharing their knowledge of the game to win a cash prize of $10,000.
Open to those 18 and older, the MoneyGram Cricket Bee is continuing the search of the brightest Cricket fan with regional rounds in San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, New Jersey and will conclude in Toronto, each testing participants’ general cricket knowledge. The regional contest will have two components, a written test and an oral test. In the written qualifier, contestants will be asked 35 questions. They must get at least 25 correct to advance to the oral round. In the oral round, the contest will be held on a miss and out basis; simply if a contestant misses the right answer, they are eliminated.
Unlike quiz shows, the Cricket Bee will be conducted so that contestants are competing with themselves and the question posed to them as opposed to their peers.
Cricket enthusiasts can still participate at the remaining centers in Toronto. Contestants can register to compete in the game of their choice at www.cricketbee.com. A sample set of questions and sources will be provided for the participants.
“We are thrilled to sponsor the 2017 Cricket Bee and as always, we enjoy being a part of an initiative that our customers are passionate about,” says Wendi Schlarb, MoneyGram’s head of marketing for the Americas. “Cricket is a sport that brings friends and loved ones around the world closer together, much like MoneyGram’s services. It’s always exciting to be a part of activities that support our South Asian communities.”
Kawan Foods serves as the powered by sponsor for the innovative event and has been deeply involved with the South Asian community through various initiatives and hopes to connect with the entire Cricketing community here in the US and Canada.
“We want to congratulate the winners of the regional contest and wish them continued success in their endeavor to win $10,000,” said Tim Tan, MD Kawan Foods.
“There was a lot of excitement and immense talent at the regional which goes to show how passionate people are about the game. Participants had an opportunity to network and interact with other cricket players and enthusiasts from various cities and I am very happy to have our first set of finalists.” said Rahul Walia, Founder of the Cricket Bee.
TV Asia serves as the exclusive broadcaster for the event and has been a strong proponent of promoting Cricket in the country.
“We are so proud to be a part of the MoneyGram Cricket Bee, it’s definitely a great platform for cricket enthusiasts across the country and we are excited to see them at the finals.” said HR Shah, chairman and CEO of TV Asia and an avid cricketer himself.
The finals are slated for August 12th and are open for the public to watch. You can reserve seats by calling 848-248-4199.
UNITED NATIONS (TIP): China has once again extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal to designate Pakistan-based JeM terror group chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. China had in February blocked the US move to designate Azhar, the Pathankot attack mastermind, as a global terrorist at the UN. The deadline for China to take action on its technical hold was till August 2.
If China would not have extended the hold, Azhar would have automatically been designated under the UN as a terrorist. Sources said just before the deadline lapsed, China again sought a three-month extension until November 2 on its technical hold on the proposal.
A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, Beijing has repeatedly blocked India’s move to put a ban on Azhar under the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the council. JeM has already been in the banned list.
Last year in March, China was the sole member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India’s application with all other 14 members of the council supporting New Delhi’s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to assets freeze and travel ban.
MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos announced, August 2, promotion of Mr. Dilip Chauhan to the position of Deputy Comptroller for Minority Affairs.
“Our minority communities are an integral part of the fabric of our County. These vibrant minority communities have grown in population accounting for nearly 40 percent of our residents, but remain under represented in government and often experience difficulty navigating the bureaucracy to get the services that they need and deserve”, Mr. Maragos said.
“The Comptroller’s Office has been a driving force in advocating for increased business opportunities for Minority and Women Owned Enterprises (MWBEs), and Veterans to meet the County’s aspirational goals. The County, however, still lags its goals and in complying with state requirements. Mr. Chauhan has been a leader in this effort in the Comptroller’s Office and his promotion recognizes the importance of helping the County increase its outreach to the minority communities” Mr. Maragos added.
Mr. Maragos further said, “Mr. Dilip Chauhan has done an outstanding job for the County in advancing the Comptroller’s mission by assisting members of the minority communities to better navigate local government, helping resolve governmental issues faced by minority constituents and ensuring MWBEs gain full access to business opportunities,” said Comptroller George Maragos. “I have the utmost confidence that Dilip will be a strong advocate for our minority communities in ensuring that Nassau County Government serves all resident equally.”
Mr. Chauhan took oath with “Vachanamrut” the Hindi scripture, and said, “it’s an honor and a privilege to be appointed the position of Deputy Comptroller. I am excited to continue my work, supporting the Comptroller’s efforts to provide equal opportunity for MWBEs to do business with Nassau County. It’s my great honor to work alongside Mr. Maragos who in one of the most honest and decent man in public service. I look forward to continue working with Mr. Maragos as I take up the responsibility as a Deputy Comptroller.”
Mr. Chauhan has been active in numerous community and business organizations including: “Advisor” to the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), a “Board member” for Service Now for Adult Persons (SNAP) – a social service agency dedicated to improving and enhancing the quality of life for older adults, a “Volunteer” for the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit, and as an “Advisor” for South Asian Affairs, New York State Assembly. Mr. Chauhan has been recognized with numerous awards for his community service in last one decade. Dilip Chauhan is married with two children and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Mr. Sandeep Chakravorty, a member of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) since 1996, has taken over as Consul General of India in New York on August 3. He was India’s ambassador to Peru.
49-year-old Mr. Chakravorty has served in India’s Missions in Madrid, Bogota, Dhaka and Lima. In the Ministry of External Affairs of India, New Delhi, he worked on several desks including Press Relations Officer as well as Private Secretary to Minister of State for External Affairs. He also served in the Eurasia Division dealing with Central Asia and in the East Asia Division on China, Japan, Koreas and Mongolia. He was India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2012 to June 2015. From July 2015 to July 2017 he was Ambassador of India to Peru and Bolivia with residence in Lima. He assumed charge as Consul General of India in New York on August 3, 2017.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies from Geneva University and has an MA in Sociology. He has a PG Diploma in Forestry Management from Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal. He graduated in Physics from Delhi University. He is fluent in Hindi, Bangla, English and Spanish.
He was born in 1968 and is married. The Chakravotys have twin daughters.
Proposed law will scrap lottery system to come to US; Professionals from India to benefit
WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Donald Trump, on August 2, endorsed a legislation that would drastically cut the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country and implement “merit-based” visa scheme which could benefit highly-educated and technology professionals from countries like India.
The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act would scrap the current lottery system to get into the US and instead institute a points-based system for earning a Green Card. Factors that would be taken into account include English language skills, education, high-paying job offers and age.
If passed by the Congress and signed into law, the legislation could benefit highly-educated people and technology professionals from countries like India.
“The RAISE Act will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. It will do this by changing the way the US issues Green Cards to nationals from other countries. Green Cards provide permanent residency, work authorization, and fast track to citizenship,” Trump said at a White House event to announce his support to the RAISE Act.
The Bill, Trump said, “would represent the most significant reform to our immigration system in half a century.”
Standing along with two top authors of the Bill-Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue-Trump said the RAISE Act ends chain migration and replaces the low-skilled system with a new points-based system for receiving a Green Card.
This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy, he said.
The RAISE Act prevents new migrants and new immigrants from collecting welfare and protects US workers from being displaced, he added.
“That’s a very big thing. They’re not going to come in and just immediately go and collect welfare. That doesn’t happen under the RAISE Act. They can’t do that. Crucially, the Green Card reforms in the RAISE Act will give American workers a pay raise by reducing unskilled immigration,” he said.
“It has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers,” Trump said of the current immigration system.
Trump said this legislation will not only restore America’s competitive edge in the 21st century, but it will restore the sacred bonds of trust between America and its citizens.
“This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and that puts America first,” he said. — PTI
What authors of the Bill Cotton and Perdue say
First, we bring over a million immigrants into this country a year. That’s like adding the population of Montana every single year; adding the population of Arkansas every three years. The vast majority of those workers come here not because of their job skills or educational attainment. — Tom Cotton, senator
We looked at countries like Canada, Australia. What we’re introducing today is modelled on the current Canadian and Australian systems. It’s pro-worker, it’s pro-growth, and it’s been proven to work. Both have been extremely successful in attracting highly skilled workers to those countries. — David Perdue, senator
RAISE Act against South Asians: SAALT
The RAISE Act would hit the South Asian community, a top American non-profit body has claimed. If passed by the Congress and signed into law, the legislation would significantly reduce the number of immigrants who can obtain green cards and other visas, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national South Asian civil rights organization said
The RAISE Act would eliminate preferences for extended family members similar to the ‘Muslim ban’, eliminate the diversity visa lottery, limit refugees offered permanent residency to 50,000 per year, and institute a ‘skills-based points’ merit system, SAALT said
Numbering over 4.3 million, the South Asians are the fastest growing demographic group in the US, with the majority of the communities foreign-born, SAALT said.
MQM Holds Large Demonstration in front of White House
MQM Leader Altaf Hussain vows to continue the struggle for justice and rights for Muhajirs
WASHINGTON (TIP): MQM held a large demonstration, on July 30, in front of White House against para military operation to suppress Mohajirs, enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings of MQM workers in Karachi. The demonstration was attended by MQM Convener Nadeem Nusrat, members of Coordination Committee; office bearers along with large numbers of workers, supporters and members of Pakistani Diaspora from all walks of life, including ladies, elders and youth.
The demonstrators demanded that the Pakistani establishment should stop these cruel tactics of “unlawful kidnapping” of Mr. Hussain’s relatives in order to cause him to bow his head down, a wish of their which will never fulfill. They held banners and placards demanding US government to take notice of worst form of human rights Violations, Enforced Disappearances, Extra Judicial Killings, Inhumane Torture, Ban on Political and Social activities of MQM, Media Blackout of MQM’s Founder and Leader Altaf Hussain.
MQM’s Founder Altaf Hussain joined the participants via tele-conferencing and addressed the participants in a brief speech. In this address, he went on to condemn the role of Pakistan Army and ISI in Karachi, particularly against the Muhajir community. In his speech, he urged US government to play its role in stopping the genocide of Mohajirs and Baloch in Pakistan. Mr. Hussain said that US and international aid which Pakistan gets is being spent to nourish jihadi infrastructure in the country. The military and civilian aid to Pakistan should be made conditional on the human rights record of the country. He said that Mohajirs are looking towards US administration and Congress to help them in their struggle for an autonomous province in Pakistan. If the demand of a separate Mohajir province is not met by Pakistan then Mohajirs will decide their future line of action. Mr. Hussain said that Pakistan has become the epicenter of global terrorism. Supreme court took action against elected prime minister but can they take action against those who provided refuge to Osama bin Laden and other most wanted terrorists.
On this occasion, MQM’s Convener Nadeem Nusrat addressed the participants. In his address, he denounced the state oppression upon most liberal political force of Pakistan in strongest words possible, and went on to term is a Genocide upon innocent Muhajirs in Pakistan. He stated, that our Political Offices have been razed to the ground, dozens killed extra-judicially by the state, hundreds are missing, thousands are behind bars awaiting justice for crimes they didn’t even dare to commit. If this wasn’t enough, family of our Founder and Leader Mr. Altaf Hussain and Coordination Committee member Mustafa Azizabadi have been targeted. He went on to question, how long will the world allow Pakistan to carry-out such heinous acts against Mohajirs?
Furthermore, he elaborated that Nawaz Sharif has been convicted for his corruption, when will the army generals be convicted for their corruption, human rights violations, and for fostering and harboring jihadi terrorists.
The demonstrators vowed to continue raising their voices till justice is sought in Pakistan, and perpetrators of such deliberate Human Rights Violations are brought to justice.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Shown on BBC One, a new documentary strand of five films a year will reportedly explore faith and ethical issues in all the major religions in stimulating and contemporary new ways, including Hinduism.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), August 3, welcomed British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for the idea of producing films on Hinduism, calling it a step in the positive direction.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, hoped that BBC would project Hinduism in these films accurately and basing on the ancient Hinduism scriptures and not reimagine Hinduism concepts and traditions to fit its agendas.
Moreover, we would like BBC to show fairness to Hinduism by broadcasting more Hindu programs and dedicating more hours to Hinduism, Rajan Zed stated.
According to a 2016 report in The Sunday Times, “The BBC is too Christian in its religious output, according to an internal review, and should increase its Muslim, Hindu and Sikh programming”.
Zed urged BBC Director-General Lord Tony Hall to seriously and honestly look into this and increase broadcasting of Hinduism related programs and issues substantially on BBC TV, radio and online.
Hinduism was highly underserved at BBC, Rajan Zed stressed.
Zed pointed out that multi-culturalism had been fast growing in United Kingdom (UK) and it was now a diverse society formed of various religions and denominations and non-believers, but BBC had not kept pace with it. Hindus deserved more airtime at BBC and live aarti broadcasts from major Hindu temples in UK should regularly feature in BBC schedules. It was time for the disproportionate religious output at BBC to end, giving way to evenly distributed time among various religions/denominations/non-believers.
BBC should also ensure adequate coverage of Diwali, Holi, Krishna Janmashtami, Maha Shivaratri, Ram Navami, Ganesha Chaturthi, Navaratri, Duserra, Hanuman Jayanti, Makar Sankranti, Yugadi and other Hindu festivals, Rajan Zed added.
Hymns from ancient Sanskrit scriptures, contemporary bhajans and Hindu sermons should regularly form part of BBC One’s about 54 years old “Songs of Praise” program, one of the world’s longest-running religious television series. Hindu hymns, songs and faith stories were also highly inspiring, warm and engaging; and moreover, God liked all songs-of-praise, irrespective of the religion these came from, Zed indicated.
Rajan Zed further said that BBC, being “a public service broadcaster funded by the licence fee paid by UK households”, including the Hindu households, should have been more responsible and inclusive in its religious programming. It should not ignore “other” faiths in its content and productions, and across its various channels and services.
Zed requested the intervention in this multi-faith issue of The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, whose “priorities” included “people, communities and nations learning to live together with deeply-held differences – in a spirit of love and respect”.
Rajan Zed noted that BBC; whose “values” included “celebrate our diversity” and “great things happen when we work together”; and whose “purposes” included “reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities”; should show some maturity on this issue. BBC should take religion more seriously, and help us build interconnections and create harmony.
Zed also urged Ofcom Chairman Dame Patricia Hodgson and Chief Executive Sharon White to thoroughly investigate this matter as the license fee placed a duty on the BBC to serve all audiences.
BBC labeled “yoga” as “fad” in 2013. BBC also labeled Hindu festival of Holi as “filthy festival” in 2012 to which it apologized later. BBC has been blamed in the past for racism, imperialist stance, Indophobic bias, anti-Hindu bigotry, anti-American bias, etc.
Launched in October 1922, headquartered in London, and established by a Royal Charter; BBC claims to be the “world’s leading public service broadcaster”. Every UK viewer needs to have a TV License, which costs £147.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion in the world, has about 1.1 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
CHICAGO (TIP): The Amritsar Medical Dental Association of North America (AMDAANA) held its 39th annual convention from July 13 to 17, 2017 at Hilton Oak brook resort & Conference Center, Oak Brook. Delegates came to a full house from all over the world.
AMDAANA is a largest umbrella organization in North America of nonresident Indian medical (NRI) professionals largely from Amritsar, Punjab area. This was one of the largest AMDAANA conventions outside India attended by over 250 delegates from USA Canada, and Europe, along with dignitaries and the faculty members from India. The AMDAANA’s mission goal is to foster for delegates to have platform to network, exchange ideas, attend educational seminars, hold business meeting and listen to renowned speakers along with memorable pleasurable entertaining and tranquil experience.
The need to belong and find one’s roots is an age-old human desire. It was the motivating force behind formation of Amritsar Medical & Dental Alumni Association of North America (AMDAANA). The idea of forming an association of Amritsar Medical graduates had repeatedly been mentioned at different occasions but lack of follow up action prevented its materialization. The subject surfaced once again at a dinner in Dayton, Ohio at the residence of Satinder and Raj Gupta on April 7, 1979. Besides the hosts, the following Amritsar graduates were present: Sher S Guleria, Kuldip Kaur, Nirmala Guleria, Amrit Chadha, Sukh Dev Sharma, Satwant Singh, Ved Vyas Gossain and Ravinder Pandhi. A serious discussion followed. It was felt that the time was ripe for action. Satwant Singh was “volunteered” to pursue the matter actively. The organization was tentatively named Amritsar Medical Alumni Association. A feeler was mailed on April 27, 1979 to prospective members. The response was slow but overwhelmingly positive. A follow up meeting was held at the residence of Sher & Nirmala Guleria in Urbana, Ohio on July 22, 1979. AMDAANA took its final form, with great pomp and show, on October 27, 1979 at the first annual meeting in Seven Springs, PA. Realization of this dream is a tribute to untiring efforts of all members, most of whom worked anonymously to spread the word around and recruit members.
On July 13th in open air patio of golf club, welcoming dinner was held. Friday events were highlighted by demonstration of Yoga by Nadja Lalvani, participated by many delegates. Evening was for social gathering meeting, exchanging sharing and entertaining nostalgic reminiscences from home etc.
Saturday, July 15th was highlighted by General Body meeting. Dr. Satwant Singh apprised every one of ongoing progress and current ongoing projects profiled by AMDAANA including financial assistance provided for enhancing educational to the needy students in the field of healthcare, providing charitable assistance to the various institutions providing healthcare and social assistance to deprive.
Dr. Jaspreet Kaur was nominated and unanimously elected as secretary for year 2019. Cooking class demonstration by celebrity chef Anupy Singla, golf outing and continuing medical education seminars were also held during the day. Elegant banquet in the evening was highlighted by participation by dignitary from medical faculty members from Medical and Dental collage of Amritsar. DR Navneet Kaur, vice president in her speech highlighted current state of affairs and progress of the Alma Mater. She was honored with a bouquet of flowers by executive members including immediate past president Dr. Inderjit Singh, President Raveen Kaur, Vice president Ripu Singh, Secretary Singh, Dr. Harjinder Khaira and secretary elect Dr. Rakesh Mehta. A life time achievement award was awarded to Dr. Sarjit Sigh who passed away recently. The award was received by his wife.
Other invited community leaders present included Businessman Darshan Dhaliwal, Dr. Bhupender Saini, Dr. Hargurmukhpal Singh, Dr. Sarabjit Bhandal, Dr. Mukhtiar Nandra, Hardial Deol and others. Mayor of Oakbrook Dr. Gopal Lalmalani welcomed all participants and thanked AMDAANA to hold the convention in his home town.
Audiences enjoying live music including mesmerizing engaging recreation by Dhol Music Suresh Bodiwala
Curtain fell after live music including mesmerizing engaging recreation by Dhol Music and vibrant colorful folk Punjabi dance by Ministry of Bhangra.
Next executive committee was announced, with President Dr Ripu Singh, Vice President Dr Harjinder Khaira, and Secretary Dr Rakesh Mehta. Entire event was broadcast live on You Tube by Asian Media USA, Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman.
The next conventions in New York/New Jersey area will be hosted by secretary elect Dr Rakesh Mehta.
Further information can be obtained from the website -www.amdaana.com.
(Photographs and Press release by Asian Media USA)
“The ‘deep state’ has always worked with a king’s party, and there have always been politicians willing to oblige. Gen. Musharraf had encouraged Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to set up PML(Q) to wean away Punjab during Mr. Sharif’s exile; Gen. Zia had helped form the PML(F) under Pir Pagara and later Mr. Sharif himself had been a beneficiary. This time, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf played the role of the king’s party and the Supreme Court legitimized the ouster. But he too is under investigation. Coups in Pakistan come in different forms and this was a judicial coup, of a judgment reached before the trial was done. But behind it is the ‘deep state’ which exposes the fundamental fault line in Pakistan, of building a state based on faith while denying its civilizational roots.”
Had Nawaz Sharif continued as Prime Minister till 2018, he would have created history by becoming the first Prime Minister to have completed a full five-year term in Pakistan’s 70-year history. As it happens, he still created history, though of a different sort. When he resigned on July 28, he became the only thrice elected Prime Minister who had his tenure cut short each time by ‘the empire’, or the deep state in Pakistan.
Panamagate
The Panama Papers leaks in April last year consisted of more than 11 million documents, from the law firm Mossack Fonseca, containing confidential attorney-client information dealing mostly with off-shore entities and bank accounts. Of these, eight pertained to Mr. Sharif, his sons Hassan and Hussain and his daughter and political heir Maryam.
These revealed four property purchases by the family in London in the 1990s, hardly a secret in Pakistan. Opposition leader, the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, immediately dubbed it ‘Panamagate’ and demanded Mr. Sharif’s resignation.
As protests mounted, Mr. Khan threatened a ‘lockdown’ in Islamabad. The government imposed Section 144, setting the stage for a confrontation. The situation was similar to the 2014 protests, also led by Mr. Khan together with the cleric-turned-politician Tahir-ul-Qadri, alleging rigging in the 2013 elections that had brought Mr. Sharif to power for the third time. At that time, the army played a role in diffusing the situation. This time, the Supreme Court stepped in to announce the setting up of a five-member bench to hear a bunch of petitions filed by opposition politicians seeking Mr. Sharif’s disqualification on grounds of corruption.
On April 20 this year, the Supreme Court came out with a split verdict. Two of the judges felt that Mr. Sharif should be disqualified, but the majority view found the evidence insufficient and recommended setting up a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to examine the issue and submit a report within sixty days.
Establishment of the JIT was unprecedented in Pakistan’s judicial history. The team included officials from the Federal Investigation Agency, the National Accountability Bureau, State Bank of Pakistan, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, and interestingly, an officer each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence. The 10-volume report, submitted to the Supreme Court on July 10 highlighted irregular movements of large sums of money in the form of loans and gifts between offshore entities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom and recommended re-opening of a number of earlier cases while initiating a clutch of new inquiries.
The Supreme Court bench reconvened and this time, reached a unanimous verdict, disqualifying Mr. Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar (his son is married to Mr. Sharif’s daughter) and directing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to initiate cases against them, together with Hassan, Hussain, Maryam and her husband Capt. Safdar. Further, NAB is to complete its task within six months, before the elections next year.
A judicial coup
Ironically, after all the investigations, the disqualification verdict is based on a technicality. Mr. Sharif stood disqualified for having violated Article 62 of the Constitution which specifies that any member of Pakistan’s National Assembly must be ‘sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and upright’, a provision that had been introduced by General Zia-ul-Haq. The verdict was based on the JIT discovery that Mr. Sharif had been Chairman of Capital FZE, a Dubai-based entity, from August 2006 to April 2014, at a monthly remuneration of 10,000 Dirhams, and this disclosure was missing in the asset declaration filed for the 2013 elections. The Supreme Court had therefore judged Mr. Sharif not to be ‘honest and upright’ and therefore ‘disqualified’ to be a member of the National Assembly. The defense lawyers had pointed out that the company belonged to his son Hassan, that Mr. Sharif had never drawn any remuneration, and the remuneration was notional, needed for the visa when Mr. Sharif was in political exile in the UAE. The Supreme Court interpreted differently; the amount was a ‘receivable’ and therefore ‘an asset’ that should have been declared!
The NAB will uncover many more skeletons, pertaining to money laundering and corruption, which could lead to imprisonment and fines unless Mr. Sharif is able to go into exile or do a deal. This is why he needs to keep control within the family. Former Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been appointed interim Prime Minister for 45 days while Mr. Sharif’s younger brother Shahbaz resigns from his position as Chief Minister of Punjab, enters the National Assembly and takes over as Prime Minister. In Punjab, there is talk that Shahbaz Sharif’s son Hamza, who is a member of the provincial assembly, will take over as Chief Minister. With 209 seats in the 342-member National Assembly, Mr. Sharif can call the shots as long as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML(N) rallies behind the family. At stake is the Sharif legacy compounded because of lack of clarity about whether the disqualification is permanent or for a finite period. Article 63, also introduced by Gen. Zia, provides for disqualification of an elected member for five years on grounds of ‘contempt of court’ (this was used to dismiss Yousaf Raza Gillani in 2012) but Article 62 does not specify any time frame.
The irony is that Nawaz Sharif had started his political career with the blessings of the army in the Zia days. He became the Chief Minister of Punjab in 1985 and the ISI helped him cobble together the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) coalition which won him his first term as Prime Minister in 1990. Since then, his differences with the Army and the ‘deep state’ have only grown. In 1993, amid increasing differences with Gen. Abdul Waheed Kakar, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed his government, but Mr. Sharif fought back, and the Supreme Court restored his position. The army then brokered a deal under which both he and the President resigned, ending his first stint. His second stint in 1997-1999 was more turbulent. The nuclear tests of 1998 encouraged him to respond favorably to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s peace overtures which were derailed by the Kargil conflict. His botched-up attempt to replace Gen. Pervez Musharraf led to the coup in 1999 and the exile for eight years.
Basic Fault line
Like Generals Kakar and Musharraf earlier, Gen. Raheel Sharif too was his choice but differences emerged. The army had to dissuade him from going after Gen. Musharraf and he later blamed the army for encouraging Imran Khan’s agitational politics, aimed at weakening the PML(N) hold in Punjab, the largest province which accounts for 183 seats in the 342-member National Assembly. Panamagate was already unfolding when relations with the army worsened with the Dawnleaks incident last October for which the army held his office responsible. His Information Minister resigned and after a prolonged inquiry, his Adviser, Tariq Fatemi, too had to go. Differences on policy approaches with India and Afghanistan had become more pronounced. He wanted to claim credit for the projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to ensure his re-election in 2018. He had to go.
The ‘deep state’ has always worked with a king’s party, and there have always been politicians willing to oblige. Gen. Musharraf had encouraged Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to set up PML(Q) to wean away Punjab during Mr. Sharif’s exile; Gen. Zia had helped form the PML(F) under Pir Pagara and later Mr. Sharif himself had been a beneficiary. This time, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf played the role of the king’s party and the Supreme Court legitimized the ouster. But he too is under investigation. Coups in Pakistan come in different forms and this was a judicial coup, of a judgment reached before the trial was done. But behind it is the ‘deep state’ which exposes the fundamental fault line in Pakistan, of building a state based on faith while denying its civilizational roots.
(The author is a former Indian diplomat, columnist, writer and expert on foreign affairs)
“Mature democracies do not punish apostasy and blasphemy. Let us see how America dealt with the issue of national symbols. The classic American case is that of Texas v. Johnson where the Supreme Court opined that burning of the American flag is protected by the freedom of speech. The court observed that “the right to differ is the centerpiece of our First Amendment freedoms.” Nothing is more important in terms of national symbols than the flag of a country. It is indeed the most visible manifestation of nationhood. Forty-eight of the 50 American States had flag protection laws and all these laws were held as unconstitutional”, says the author.
There is a difference between ‘patriotism’ and ‘nationalism’. It is the former which is compatible with universal liberalism and is an antidote to ‘nationalism’. ‘Constitutional patriotism’ has the potential to reunite India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as for Habermas citizenship does not require that all citizens share the same language or the same religious, ethical or cultural origins. Rabindranath Tagore, author of the national anthem, too did not hesitate in telling Gandhiji that there was a thin line between nationalism and xenophobia and went on to say that to worship my country as God is to bring curse upon it. Tagore was opposed to the triumph of patriotism over humanity and universalism. He was even for ‘destroying nationalism’ to achieve ‘unity of man’. Thus, Dinanath Batra’s suggestion to the Modi government to drop all references to Tagore in textbooks.
How other mature democracies respond to the refusal of saluting the national flag, refusal to sing the national anthem and even burning of the national flag needs to be discussed as Justice Murlidharan of the Madras High Court in order to promote patriotism has made singing of the national song mandatory in all schools, universities and even corporate offices. Neither corporates nor universities have the concept of daily assemblies like schools.
The Madras High Court order is not only an example of judicial overreach but is also based on the flawed idea that patriotism can be inculcated by the force of law. Doubting any citizen’s patriotism is a punishable offence under Section 153B of the Indian Penal Code. In 2016, the apex court had made the playing of the national anthem compulsory in cinema halls but had refused to make the national song singing compulsory. Thus, the Madras High Court went against the Supreme Court and violated the judicial discipline. The court does make an exception for those who have language difficulties or valid objections. But in an era of mob lynching, this exemption will not work. In any case, who will decide on the validity of objections?
In this case the petitioner was just seeking the award of one mark for correctly answering a question in the teacher’s recruitment examination that Bengali is the language in which Vande Matram was originally written. The answer key had wrongly provided Sanskrit as the correct answer. The court rightly ordered the award of one mark to the petitioner but doing anything beyond this was unnecessary.
There are sections of the population which refuse to sing the national anthem and the national song like the Zehovah Witness sect of Christians. While this author personally has no objection, some Muslims do believe that while singing the national anthem does not violate any fundamental belief of Islam, singing the national song would impinge on their religious beliefs under which they cannot worship anyone other than just one God. Not singing the national anthem does not mean that one is not patriotic. In fact, love for one’s country is indeed half of religion in Islam. The test of patriotism is the sacrifice one is willing to make for one’s country. The freedom of religion guaranteed under our Constitution to not only citizens but even to foreigners does permit them to follow core beliefs of their religion. Followers of Jehovah Witness sect do not sing any national anthem anywhere in the world. Do we have any right to impose our views on them? Can courts compel people to change their religious beliefs?
Moreover, Vande Matram was not written for India but for the undivided Bengal which includes today’s Bangladesh. The poem was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhya in 1870 and was included in his novel Anandmath in 1881. In fact, Aurobindo had called it the national anthem of ‘Bengal’. It was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the session of the Indian National Congress in 1896. We may disagree with those who are opposed to the singing of Vande Matram but we cannot impose our will on them.
Mature democracies do not punish apostasy and blasphemy. Let us see how America dealt with the issue of national symbols. The classic American case is that of Texas v. Johnson where the Supreme Court opined that burning of the American flag is protected by the freedom of speech. The court observed that “the right to differ is the centerpiece of our First Amendment freedoms.” Nothing is more important in terms of national symbols than the flag of a country. It is indeed the most visible manifestation of nationhood. Forty-eight of the 50 American States had flag protection laws and all these laws were held as unconstitutional.
In certain cases, in America attaching a peace sign to the flag; refusal to salute the flag; and displaying a red flag were also protected. In Smith v. Goguen, wearing pants with a small flag sewn into their seat was held as expressive conduct. The Supreme Court held “neither the United States nor any State may require any individual to salute or express favorable attitudes toward the flag.”
We need not go this far in India. The citizen’s fundamental duties under the Constitution do not mention the national song but talk of reverence to the national anthem. The Prevention of Insults to National Honors Act, 1971, neither mandates ‘standing’ nor ‘signing’ of the national anthem. But it explicitly punishes the burning of the national flag any disrespect to the flag in words or conduct and the national flag includes even a picture or painting of the flag. No Indian disagrees with these provisions. The Indian law has not yet made the singing of even the national anthem compulsory, what to talk of the national song. In the Bijoy Emmanul case three students belonging to the Zehovah Witness sect were expelled from the school for not singing the national anthem. The Supreme Court held that these children were exercising their ‘right to silence’ which is implicit in the freedom of speech. The court said: ‘Our tradition teaches tolerance; our Constitution preaches tolerance. Let us not dilute it.’ Though their expulsion was held bad in law, these children subsequently withdrew from the school and never went to any other school. What a disastrous consequence.
(The author is the Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad)
MUMBAI (TIP): Internationally acclaimed Indian American Cardiac Surgeon Dr Mukesh Hariawala was recently honored with prestigious “Indian Healthcare Visionary of the Decade” award at 4th Annual Business Leadership Conclave in Mumbai. He was felicitated along with industrialists Ratan Tata, who received the Transformational Leader of the Decade award and Mukesh Ambani, who received with Millennium Business Leader of the Decade award.
Dr Hariawala is a national award winning and internationally acclaimed celebrity Indian American Cardiac Surgeon, Research Scientist & Healthcare Economist. In 1977, he went to medical school in India, then trained in cardiac surgery in London, UK and graduated with an FRCS from the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was then subsequently invited in 1994 to USA. He then went on to also become a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
At the Harvard & Tufts affiliated hospitals in Boston, USA, Dr Hariawala has done pioneering research work in the field of Cardiac Angiogenesis, a topic on which he is frequently invited to deliver keynote lectures at worldwide academic medical conferences. He spearheads the implementation of novel economical cardiac treatments like Non Invasive Shockwave Therapy, Stem Cells at international hospitals including at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai, India where he is an Honorary Visiting Cardiac Surgeon.
In 2009, Dr Hariawala acquired supplementary business education at University of Tennessee where he graduated with Honors and completed an Healthcare Executive MBA program. He has since been appointed on Faculty as Adjunct Professor at few MBA schools in US specialized in teaching International Healthcare.
In recognition of his scientific excellence, in 2012 Dr Hariawala was conferred ‘India’s Most Admired Surgeon’ by Governor of Maharashtra.
Dr Hariawala was an integral member of John Wright’s surgical team that performed the first Bypass Surgery on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Harley Street Clinic in 1990. He has operated on many celebrities and is also a visiting Honorary Cardiac Surgeon at Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital where he intends to launch many revolutionary cardiac therapies in the country like Heartmate 2 – VAD (Ventricular Assist Device), Angiogenesis, Stem Cells and the Non Invasive Modulith SLC Shockwave therapy for the heart.
In the corporate world, Dr Mukesh Hariawala is the Chairman of American Healthcare International and sits on the Board of Directors of a few other corporations. Additionally, he is a Brand Ambassador for top US & European cardiac medical devices.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Manka Dhingra, an Indian-American Democrat, has won the August 1 primary for the state Senate seat in Washington’s 45th Legislative District, defeating her Republican contender Jinyoung Lee Englund.
Dhingra is a senior deputy prosecutor in King County who supervises the Regional Mental Health Court and oversees the Veterans Court. Manka Dhingra is dedicated to improving Washington’s 45th District, the community she calls home. A King County prosecutor since 2000, Dhingra serves as Chair of the Therapeutic Alternative Unit. In this position, she helps the county’s most vulnerable citizens access mental health and substance abuse prevention services to prevent recidivism in the criminal justice system.
Prior to becoming a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, she interned with the State Attorney General’s Office in their Criminal Division assisting with Sexually Violent Predator cases. She also clerked for Justice Barbara Madsen at the Washington State Supreme Court from September 1997 to June 1998.
As an instructor for law enforcement in crisis intervention training, Dhingra has been a key player in changing racial policing practices. Dhingra’s unwavering support for women’s and immigrant’s rights is clearly demonstrated by her work on the Seattle Police Department’s Muslim, Arab, and Sikh Advisory Council and by her founding of API Chaya, an organization that works to end domestic violence in the South Asian community.
Dhingra earned her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. A mother of two children who attend Redmond Middle School and Redmond High School, Manka received the PTSA Golden Acorn Award for her work at Redmond Elementary School and remains a proud Girl Scout cookie mom. Manka and her husband, Harjit Singh, a Distinguished Engineer at SpaceX, live in the Education Hill neighborhood of Redmond.
SACRAMENTO (TIP): An Indian-American student who was crowned ‘Miss California Teen USA’ last year, has been selected as one of the top five contestants in the Miss Teen USA 2017 beauty pageant.
Jaanu Patel, 16, was among the top five in the Miss Teen USA 2017 which was won by Sophia Dominguez-Heithoff of Missouri, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Patel, a junior at Huntington Beach High School, was crowned Miss California Teen USA for 2017 at the December 4, 2016, pageant at the Long Beach Terrace Theater, reported the Los Angeles Times.
It was her first time competing in a statewide beauty pageant and she didn’t expect to win, though she had already won the Miss Huntington Beach Teen crown in February.
“I feel like beauty is having a sense of pride in completing your goals,” Patel was quoted as saying by the Times, then. “Beauty on the outside is important. It’s a form of respect in how you represent yourself to the world. But you’re not going to be somebody unless you complete the goals you set for yourself.”
Ever since she was four, Patel has been dancing to the tunes of Bollywood music at NDM Bollywood Dance Studios run by Nakul Dev Mahajan, which has made her an award-winning, competitive Bollywood Dancer and has been learning Kathak for 10 years.
She has been to 16 countries including Italy, New Zealand, Turkey and Uganda, where her father was born and wants everyone to travel internationally at least once in their lifetime.
In her junior year at Huntington Beach High School, Patel visited Montreal last year during a Model UN trip where she took interest in topics such as women’s rights and deprivation of education with the desire to see an improvement in the education system over the next 10 years.
“I want students to get more hands on training outside of the classroom,” Patel said in her YouTube video for the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant.
Patel aspires to become a pediatrician and is currently volunteering with Kaiser Permanente in her maternity ward.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Chris Smith, Republican representative from New Jersey, and author of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (P.L 113-150), introduced a new bill in Congress on July 28, naming it after Indian American Bindu Philips who is fighting to reclaim custody of her twins abducted by her ex-husband.
The bill will automatically remove tariff benefits for countries that are found to be out of compliance in returning children home—the “Bindu Philips and Devon Davenport International Child Abduction Return Act of 2017.”
“Bindu Philips fought valiantly in India for over eight years for the return of her abducted twin sons, only to be given the incessant delays in India’s courts and little support from the Obama Administration,” said Smith, Chair of the House panel on global human rights. “Just recently, she was finally granted a short visit with her children in India, but the children’s father marred the time with harassment and monitoring, refusing to let the children and mother leave a hotel for 7 days.
“Devon Davenport has had a return order for his daughter, Nadia, from Brazil since 2009. He has won every single one of the 24 appeals against the order—but Brazil still will not enforce its own return order.
“Shockingly, 11 of the 13 countries found to be non-compliant in the annual Goldman Report by the U.S. State Department in the return of abducted American children are still receiving billions of dollars in tariff exemptions under the Generalized System of Preferences. We must cease rewarding countries that aid abductors. When is enough finally enough?”
In 2016, 629 American children were taken from the United States by one parent without the consent of the other, often in direct violation of valid United States court orders, United States criminal law and The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Obama Administration’s refusal to apply sanctions against countries that fail to return abducted children has led to a rate of return of only 16%.
“For years, the U.S. government response to abductions has been an engraved invitation to abductors,” said Smith. “Abductors have an 84% chance of no penalty for ripping their child from home and family in the United States. It is my hope and expectation that this year, the State Department will begin to act more decisively on behalf of American families so that more children come home.”
The new bill amends the Generalized System of Preferences, a trade program designed to promote economic growth in the developing world through duty free entry for some products, so that any country named as non-compliant in the prompted resolutions of abductions would lose trade benefits granted by the United States. The new legislation ensures that the loss of trade preference would be automatic and not dependent on the Executive Branch applying sanctions.
Abducted children in a foreign country are often blocked from any contact with the American parent, losing half of their family and heritage. Such children are also at grave risk of serious emotional and psychological problems. Many such children experience anxiety, eating problems, nightmares, mood swings, aggressive behavior, resentment and fear. Every day the abduction continues only compounds these harms.
HACKENSACK, NJ (TIP): Aakash Dalal, an Indian-American youth in New Jersey was sentenced July 28, to 35 years in prison on terrorism charges for firebombing synagogues along with his friend Anthony Graziano. The two were convicted last year ofspray-painting anti-Semitic graffiti at synagogues in Maywood and Hackensack, attempting to burn down synagogues in Paramus and Rutherford and throwing Molotov cocktails into a rabbi’s home in Rutherford.
Graziano and Dalal were charged on a 30-count indictment in 2013 with arson and bias-related incidents that occurred from Dec. 11, 2011 to Jan. 11, 2012 in Paramus, Rutherford, Maywood and Hackensack.
The indictment included nine charges for the attempted murder of Rabbi Neil Schuman and his family and the associated firebombing of Temple Beth El Synagogue in Rutherford.
The men were also charged with the Jan. 3, 2012 firebombing of Temple K’Hal Adath Jushrun in Paramus and the attempted arson of Jewish Community Center in Paramus on Jan. 7, 2012. The bias intimidation offenses related to Temple Beth Israel in Maywood and Temple Beth El in Hackensack.
Dalal, a former student at Rutgers University, was arrested in March 2012. Dalal, who authorities said of the brainchild behind the firebombings, was convicted of terrorism in November last year. Dalal showed Anthony Graziano how to make the molotov cocktails used in the firebombings. They have known each other since middle school.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Amazon’s founder CEO Jeff Bezos may have ended Microsoft badshah Bill Gates’ long reign since 1995 as the world’s richest individual – a position interrupted only briefly by the likes of Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
A one per cent bump in the shares of Amazon on Thursday morning pushed the personal wealth of Bezos, who owns about 17% of the company, to over $91 billion, overtaking Gates’ approximately $90 billion, give or take a few million. Gates has generally been regarded as the wealthiest individual on the planet except when Slim bumped him from the top spot in 2012 and his friend and bridge partner Buffett topped him a few years earlier in 2008. Gates regained the top position on both occasions within a year. Because their wealth is largely a result of the shares they own their company and its fluctuating price, it is possible that the wealthiest title may go back and forth between Gates and Bezos – both from Seattle — for a while.
But Bezos is considered a good bet to hold the title in the long run given Amazon’s phenomenal run and seemingly endless business interests and revenue stream. In the past week alone, Bezos’ net worth has increased by almost $3 billion due to a 3% increase in Amazon’s stock price; it has increased $16.5 billion since Forbes’ 2017 Billionaires List was published in March, when he was ranked third behind Gates and Buffett. Amazon’s market cap+ is now over $500 billion, just $72 billion shy of Microsoft’s $575 billion, and the internet giant’s bull run not only positions it to overtake the software giant, but also – according to some market experts — put it on track to become the world’s first trillion dollar company.
Bezos is also an early investor in Google, and holds interest in AirBnB, Uber, and Twitter among other unicorn companies. Ironically, Amazon’s hot streak has coincided with the election as President of Donald Trump, who is not favorably disposed towards Bezos or Amazon despite his pro-business credentials.
The company has seen a 40% increase in revenue this year alone, adding billions to the wealth of Bezos, who also happens to own The Washington Post, which has been sharply critical of the President. (PTI)
Funds raised to help prevent avoidable blindnessamong children
MORGANTOWN, WV (TIP): The Eye Foundation of America organized for the third successive year their annual Golf For Sight tournament at the Lake View resort golf course here, July 21. Lake View resorts have a fabulous 18-hole golf course. It is a favorite golf course with golfers who thronged the place during summers.
The tournament attracted 4 teams and around 40 people.
Dr. VK Raju, Founder and President of Eye Foundation of America described the response as very encouraging and better than the last year’s. He said: “Many new faces came for the reception. Participation was better than previous year”.
Speaking about the forthcoming programs of Eye Foundation of America, he said the Foundation will host an event on Oct 27 in India. People from all walks of life across the globe will come together. Mr Ravi from Sri Lanka – President of Rotary International will be the Chief Guest. Shrinu – foster child of EFA will be the guest of honor.
ALBANY, NY (TIP): The state Department of Labor is falling short in enforcing New York’s laws to protect child performers, according to an audit released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. State auditors found shortfalls with how work permits were given to children and employers, inadequate monitoring of work conditions, and insufficient enforcement of requirements to set aside some of the children’s earnings in a trust.
“New York needs to do more to protect child actors, dancers, musicians and models,” DiNapoli said. “We have laws on the books to make certain that children are working with permits, and employers and parents are following the rules to protect the safety, health and financial rights of child performers. The state Department of Labor should hold the entertainment and modeling industries accountable to protect these children.”
In New York, the state Department of Labor (DOL) enforces the laws to protect child performers, including issuing work permits, observing working conditions and enforcing trust accounts. DOL issues one-year permits to performers under 18 years of age and certificates to employers every three years. From April 1, 2014 to October 31, 2016, DOL issued about 27,000 child performer permits including: about 8,000 temporary permits, 11,000 new annual permits, 4,500 annual permit renewals, and 3,500 permits not identified by type. For the same period, DOL issued 844 employer certificates.
The law also requires 15 percent of a child’s earnings to be placed in a trust. In 2004, after laws were adopted to better protect child performers, the Comptroller’s office established accounts for performers’ earnings (deposits from employers) if parents or guardians failed to establish a trust account or to provide trust account information to the employer. Through October 2016, more than $640,000 had been deposited with the Comptroller for about 5,600 child performers.
Auditors examined the period of April 2014 to March 2017 and found:
DOL issued both annual permits and employer certificates without receiving all the documentation required, such as proof of a child’s date of birth, evidence of the child’s academic performance, health forms and trust account information. Auditors tested permit records and found more than half of the annual permits sampled were issued without Social Security numbers, trust information or other required documentation.
At least 133 children were issued multiple temporary permits, which DOL failed to identify. Children are allowed only one temporary permit in a lifetime. One performer, who obtained a temporary permit which is only valid for 15 days, had 19 deposits into the trust held by the State Comptroller for multiple performances over a two-year period. Auditors found five performers without permits were paid over $10,000 for a single performance, and three performers without permits were paid over $20,000 each for a single performance.
DOL did not conduct any site visits or assess workplace conditions during the audit period. Nor had it taken measures to proactively verify permits, certifications, and education or safety provisions for child entertainers.
The numbers of annual deposits with the State Comptroller increased from 14 deposits in 2004 to 1,174 in 2016. Thirty-five percent of this money was deposited in just the last year. However, half of this money was deposited more than five years ago, and 29 percent over 10 years ago. In some cases, the funds have been held for so long that the performers are no longer children, having already attained the age of 18. Some accounts consist of multiple deposits over years, and some are for just one performance.
The highest number of trust account deposits for one performer was 27, and the highest single deposit was over $26,000. Accounts are as old as May 2004, with one having a balance over $25,000. However, the amount owed to most child performers is small, ranging from$1 to $100.
The Comptroller’s office routinely attempts to reach out to parents or performers when money is turned over to it for the trust account. Where there are poor records or incomplete records, it is difficult to identify the rightful owners. Individuals who are interested in inquiring if the Comptroller is holding money for a child performer, can call 518-474-4017.
DiNapoli’s auditors recommended DOL:
Design and implement a system of internal controls to ensure that the laws governing the welfare of child performers are followed and that parents/guardians and employers comply with the requirements of the law.
In conjunction with the Office of Information Technology Services, develop a system that can easily and readily store, access, and analyze required child performer and employer information and develop a process to identify and correct apparent System flaws.
DOL disagreed with many of the audits findings. Auditors point out that DOL had numerous opportunities to comment on the audit’s findings and did not provide any preliminary feedback and incorrectly read its own data. DOL’s complete response is included in the audit.
For a copyof the audit, go to http://www.osc.state.ny.us/audits/allaudits/093017/16s70.htm
For access to state and local government spending, public authority financial data and information on 130,000 state contracts, visit Open Book New York. The easy-to-use website was created to promote transparency in government and provide taxpayers with better access to financial data.
LONG ISLAND, NY(TIP): A day after President Trump tweeted remarks calling for a ban on transgender military personnel, calling them both a “burden” and “disruption,” the Department of Justice filed a brief in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to rollback workplace discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation.
The case, which the federal brief was filed for, involves the firing of a skydiving instructor from a Long Island company after a customer complained about having to parachute with a gay man.
David Kilmnick, President of the New York LGBT Network based on Long Island, issued the following statement:
“The Trump Administration’s latest shameful assault on the LGBT community should give every American pause. It’s inexcusable for President Trump and his administration to continue assaulting the LGBT community for political gain. The LGBT Network stands united with every American who has ever been the victim of discrimination and hate in the workplace. And it’s simply unconscionable that lawyers, paid for with public tax dollars, are being employed to parse language pertaining to who can and cannot be discriminated against. At the end of the day, discrimination is discrimination, regardless of who the victim is.”
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