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It has been a glorious journey for BJP from 2 seats in Parliament in 1984 to 304, May 23, 2019, as I am writing this comment. Mr. Narendra Modi, the man who made it possible with the magic wand in his hand, recalled the tough journey in his address to the party workers at BJP Headquarters in New Delhi on May 23. And he proudly announced that during the long and tough struggle “we never felt tired, nor stopped, nor submitted”. It is the determination to go forward even in the face of the worst circumstances which finally embraces success. Mr. Modi and BJP must be congratulated for the historic victory.
The election is over. And now is the time to fulfill promises made to people. It was all good to have made all kinds of tall claims of achievements to win votes. But now is the time to devote all energies to do the right service to “New India”.
Mr. Modi will need to extend himself to achieve the goals he has spoken of in the past. He has admitted there is poverty and it needs to be eradicated. There is unemployment- record highest in 45 years. Mr. Modi has to create jobs for billions of unemployed youth.
It is an achievement for Mr. Modi that rampant corruption seen a few years before is no more visible. But mere absence of corruption is no guarantee for a state of health for the nation and the people. They need jobs, bread and butter, education, healthcare, and above all, security, which unfortunately, is still elusive.
The most important thing that Mr. Modi needs to do is to curb the feudal mindset. And the cleansing of the Augean stables has to begin from his tribe- the politicians. Not going into details in my comment, I will urge Mr. Modi to take a cue from the US and Canada with regard to the wages and the privileges of lawmakers.
The whole nation is expecting Mr. Modi to bring about a qualitative and substantive change in the country. The world is looking at the largest democracy in the world to see if the minorities will be able to live in dignity under the BJP rule. Mr. Modi will have to take care to protect the interests of all Indians, whatever their color or creed.
We wish Mr. Modi all the best as he prepares to begin his second five-year term as the Prime Minister of India.
WISCONSIN(TIP): Indian American Dr. Dipesh Navsaria has been named by Wisconsin Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Lt. Gov.-elect Mandela Barnes to their Health Policy Advisory Council, among others.
Navsaria is a pediatrician at UW Health, as well as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
He earned his medical degree at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed his residency at UW Hospitals and Clinics in Madison, Wisconsin.
On Twitter, Navsaria said that he was honored “to be asked to serve the people of Wisconsin” and that this is just “a short-term, volunteer, advisory role.”
According to a press release, the council will bring experienced voices from around the state to work with the transition team on health care issues, advising them on policy matters relating to the Department of Health Services, Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, the Department of Employee Trust Funds, and numerous state boards focused on health care.
CHICAGO, IL(TIP): There’s no better feeling than making the world a better place and having the time of your life along the way. I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 7 with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) – Team in Training! This race is more than a run – LLS and I are trying to cross the finish line in finding a cure for cancer and would love your help!
LLS offers a variety of programs and services to patients and their families in support of its mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
By fundraising, we can help have an impact in fighting cancers of all forms – driving life-saving results for millions of people. Please visit my fundraising page and join in making that happen through a tax-deductible contribution: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/chicago18/PPatel
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): Vaishnav Samaj of Midwest (VSM), Shreejidwar Haveli, Addison, Illinois celebrated 3 days their 10th Patotsav (Anniversary) in a grand fashion, including hosting Chappan Bhog Manorath. The historical celebration was attended by more than 3000 vaishnavs. This is the first Haveli in Midwest to complete 10 years.
Dignitaries and faith leaders from US and India attended the occasion. World renowned Yuvavaishnavacharya Pujya Goswami 108 Shri Vrajrajkumarji Mahodayshri graced the occasion and provided discourses on Path of Grace, Sharnagati (surrender to God) and Power of Efforts to help improve one’s daily life, as well as better the communities around us through selfless service. Pujya JejeShri Vrajrajkumarji Mahodayshri in discourses addressed the audience that Vaishnavism (a sect of Hinduism) is not just a religion but a way of life. He clarified that Pushtimarg in Vaishnavism is a krupa marg (grace of God). In this Lord Shri Krishna’s grace plays a major role in devotee’s life and God does krupa on everyone. He also illuminated that by doing Brahma-sambandh we surrender ourselves to Lord Shri Krishna and total surrender (mental, physical and spiritual) is the path to achieve higher enlightenment. In power of efforts he emphasized the goal to keep clear conscience and move forward with a vision that leads to the betterment of the community. Much of his lectures focused on storytelling and providing real life examples so that attendees can relate to the messages.
The event was also attended by Hon. Raja Krishnamoorthi (U.S. Representative for Illinois 8th congressional district), Hon. Tim Schneider (Illinois State GOP Chairman), and Hon. Nimish Jani (Schaumburg Township Trustee).
In addition to discourses, the three days of celebration included various cultural, educational and entertainment events to keep the audience engaged. Planning for the celebration had been ongoing for past 2 months with the help of over 100 volunteers. Every day after discourse all the attendees were treated to a Mahaprasad. Raas Garba was organized by Nalini Parikh on the evening of June 15th and was attended by over 500 participants. Chappan Bhog manorath was organized on June 16th, that encompassed preparation of over 1000 kg of 56-different sweets placed on a stage (16’ x 28’) inside the Haveli to offer it Lord Shri Krishna. Chappan Bhog is a major celebration in Vaishnav culture and Shreejidwar Haveli performed it with grand elegance.
Vallabh Youth Organization- Education (VYOE) also took part in the event and organized children’s Dashavatar Musical Cultural show on the evening of Saturday, June 16th. In the show 70 VYOE students enacted Lord Vishnu’s Dashavatars (10 avatars) in front of a packed audience of over 2000 people. On Sunday, June 17th, VYOE hosted the graduation ceremony of their students with over 100 students graduated in the presence of Pujya JejeShri Vrajrajkumarji Mahodayshri.
VSM leadership (Dr. Umang Patel, MD -Chairman and Mr. Jyotin Parikh, R.Ph -President) mentioned, “This has been a very successful event. The unity of Vaishnavas and dedication of volunteers was the main reason for the success of this event”. The visionary VSM leaders and generous donors have greatly helped in the progress of the haveli that has impacted the growth of Vaishnava community in the Midwest region.
NEW DELHI (TIP): Fortis Healthcare promoters Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh have resigned as directors from the company’s board following the Delhi high court order upholding the Rs 3,500 crore arbitral award in favour of Daiichi Sankyo.
The Singh brothers have jointly tendered their resignation to the Board of Fortis Healthcare, which will discuss it in the meeting on February 13, the company said in a filing to the BSE.
“Malvinder Mohan Singh, executive chairman and Shivinder Mohan Singh, non-executive vice-vhairman have tendered their resignation from the directorships of the company,” Fortis Healthcare said.
The resignation is intended to free the organisation from any encumbrances that may be linked to the promoters, the letter said.
“In light of the recent high court judgement upholding the plea of Daiichi Sankyo to enforce the arbitration award, we believe this is in the interest of propriety and good governance,” it said.
The Delhi HC had on January 31 upheld an international arbitral award of Rs 3,500 crore passed in favour of Japanese pharma major Daiichi Sankyo, which has alleged that the former promoters of India’s Ranbaxy Laboratories had concealed information about proceedings against them by American food and drug department.
A tribunal in Singapore had passed the verdict in favour of Daiichi, holding that the former Ranbaxy promoters and brothers, Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, had concealed information that the Indian company was facing a probe by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Justice, while selling its shares.
With the resignation of the promoters, the board will be “better enabled and empowered to guide the future direction of the organisation without anyway being hampered by the Daiichi Sankyo judgement and our association at the Board,” the letter said.
“The members of the board are also requested to look into all inter-group transactions and distance the promoter group from Fortis Healthcare Ltd in a manner that enables continuity of the operations of the organisation and deliver on its mission of enriching and saving lives,” the Singh brothers wrote in the letter.
The high court order paved the way for enforcement of the 2016 arbitral award passed by the Singapore tribunal against the Singh brothers who had sold their shares in Ranbaxy to Daiichi in 2008 for Rs 9,576.1 crore. Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd later acquired the company from Daiichi.
Daiichi had approached the high court in 2016 to seek the enforcement of a Rs 2,562 crore Singapore arbitral award passed in April 2016, along with an additional claim of interest and lawyers’ fees incurred in connection with the proceedings.
The tribunal’s award had come after the Japanese company invoked alleging that they concealed important information while selling Ranbaxy in 2008.
Daiichi had entered into a settlement agreement with the US Department of Justice, agreeing to pay $500 million penalty to resolve potential, civil and criminal liability.
The company had then sold its stake in Ranbaxy to Sun Pharmaceuticals for Rs 22,679 crore in 2015.
BOSTON (TIP): NBC Boston anchor Natasha Verma felt a lump on her neck last year, and soon she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The 23-year-old Indian American lost all her hair from chemotherapy and found it even difficult to manage the wig she got.
Now having successfully battled cancer, Verma has launched a “Cap Wig” fundraiser, as a part of her “Put a Cap on Cancer” project, to help female and children battling cancer by providing quality “cap wigs.”
“Losing my hair was the hardest part of chemotherapy,” she writes on the official website of her Verma Foundation. “When doctors told me, I’d lose my hair to treatment. I felt panicked. It sounds so trivial, but that’s my identity and that’s how I express myself. It was a really big punch after already hearing you have cancer.”
“Dealing with ill-fitting, itchy, and expensive wigs on top of all only made it worse,” she adds. “I would throw a baseball cap on top of my wig to avoid the problems, and that’s when the light bulb went off.
On January 3, 2018, I launched a ‘Cap Wig’ fundraiser to raise enough money to produce free hats with hair for female and children cancer patients who want to have a wig look, without the hassle of cost or style. Many women, especially those struggling to cover health care bills, cannot afford the cost of a quality wig.”
Verma was the youngest-ever graduate from the University of Texas, when she earned broadcast journalism and biology/pre-med UG degrees at 17. She joined NBC in 2016 after completing a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.
Verma says she is in remission and distributes wigs free of cost.
The wigs are made from 100 percent human hair, customizable, and completely free for cancer patients. Each patient is entitled to a cap and can choose the color of both cap and hair, each cost around $150 to $200.
All donations will go toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Research Fund at Bet Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she was treated.
NEW YORK (TIP): Yoga has emerged among the top 10 fitness trends worldwide for 2018, according to “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2018” by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
“The sustained popularity of yoga seems to be that it reinvents and refreshes itself every year making it an attractive form of exercise”, Survey points out. “Based on ancient tradition, yoga utilizes a series of specific bodily postures practiced for health and relaxation. This includes Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and others”, ACSM release adds.
It reportedly surveyed over 4,000 fitness professionals from Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela, Portugal, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Serbia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Taiwan, Switzerland, Jamaica, South Africa, Bermuda, Greece, Ireland, Finland, Kenya, New Zealand, China, Barbados, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Now in its twelfth year, this Survey provides 40 potential trends to choose from and claims to help the health and fitness industry make critical programming and business decisions.
Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement said that Hindus were highly pleased with the fast and tremendous growth of yoga worldwide.
Yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.
Rajan Zed further said that yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.
According to US National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to a “2016 Yoga in America Study”, about 37 million Americans (which included many celebrities) now practice yoga; and yoga is strongly correlated with having a positive self-image. Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Zed added.
Besides ACSM, other participating organizations included American Council on Exercise, National Council on Strength and Fitness and The Cooper Institute. Dr. Walter R. Thompson, associate dean at Georgia State University, is the President of ACSM, which is headquartered in Indianapolis and claims to be “world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization”.
VIJAYWADA, AP/ MORGANTOWN, WV (TIP): Government of Andhra Pradesh has recognized the yeoman services being rendered by Eye Foundation of America -run Goutami Eye Institute in Rajahmundry.
Government of Andhra Pradesh, Department of Welfare of Differently Abled, Transgender & Senior Citizens, conferred on the Institute the Certificate of Appreciation for the service being rendered by it in “Elimination of Avoidable Blindness in Childhood and Beyond”.
The Award
The award was presented on a very special day- the 209th Birth Anniversary of Louis Braille on January 4, 2018 at Vijayawada. Presenting the award, Smt. Paritala Sunithamma, Cabinet Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh lauded the great humanitarian work being done by Goutami Eye Institute and Eye Foundation of America.
V.V. Kuma, Secretary & COO, Goutami Eye Institute received the plaque and a shawl on behalf of Goutami Eye Institute.
Kumar later told The Indian Panorama that Goutami Eye Institute was the only one selected for the Award in East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. He gave entire credit for the recognition to his team and the guiding light of the Institute, Chairman of Eye Foundation of America, Dr. V.K. Raju.
Dr. V.K. Raju, Morgantown, West Virginia based Ophthalmologist and Chairman of Eye Foundation of America which runs the Goutami Eye Institute said he was immensely pleased with the recognition of “our services”. He thanked the government of Andhra Pradesh for conferring the honor. He said there was much to be done to prevent avoidable blindness, particularly among children and that he would continue to do his best in this direction as he has been doing all over the world, in particular in India, Africa and Asia.
Goutami Eye Institute is a registered not-for-profit organization established in Rajahmundry – Andhra Pradesh, India under the Societies Act of 1864. The outpatient services were commenced on 15th August 2005. The surgical services were initiated on 13th October 2005, the world sight day.
The mission of the Institute is to protect, preserve and restore the treasured gift of sight for improving quality of life by providing caring service, irrespective of the socio-economic status, with due emphasis on education and research.
The 3-story building totaling 16,000 sq feet encompassing outpatient clinics for paying and non-paying people, two operating theatres, children play and exclusive pediatric recovery and wards suits, resource center, space for administration and catering services. Of the total 90 beds, 75 are for under privileged sections of community. Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Low Vision services were initiated to start with. In July 2006, services in Oculoplasty were added.
V. V. Kumar Secretary & COO, Goutami Eye Institute receiving the award from the Andhra Pradesh Minister Smt. Paritala Sunithamma (left in Saree)
The commitment of Goutami towards training and education in eye care is spread across medical and non-medical spheres. Long-term fellowships for young post-graduates and Short-term fellowships and observer ship for practicing ophthalmologists and periodic Continuing Medical Education programs with eminent national and international faculty are available for medical fraternity.
The Institute is a contributor to ORBIS International (http://www.orbis.org/) initiated teleophthalmology program.
For mid-level eye care personnel, different certificate courses are available in Ophthalmic Assistantship, Ophthalmic nursing, Ophthalmic theatre, Ophthalmic technician and Optical Services.
Training of Key Informants, like teachers, medical practitioners, primary health care workers, etc., in identifying and referring people, especially of children, with eye problems is done periodically.
Education of community on avoidable causes of blindness and visual impairment is undertaken in the form of patient information series on different eye aliments and through health talks.
Eye Foundation of America is dedicated to the elimination of avoidable blindness in children worldwide, and, in India. Dr. VK Raju, an internationally reputed ophthalmologist, is founder and president of the Eye Foundation of America.
EFA began its work in 1979 in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. EFA grew out of his earlier work providing services and treatment near his birthplace in Rajahmundry, a town in Southeast India’s Andhra Pradesh. Raju organized teams to go to remote areas and deliver eye care in areas where there otherwise were none. These traveling clinics were known as “eye camps.” (Eye camps remain a standard part of the Foundation’s services today.)
Dr. VK Raju, an internationally reputed ophthalmologist, is founder and president of the Eye Foundation of America
Today, Foundation has grown far beyond its original size and scope but never outgrew the vision of its founder, who continues to look ahead. EFA has built modern eye hospitals and trained ophthalmic assistants and other personnel to carry on our work. We provide workshops and fellowships for physicians and medical students throughout the world. We also conduct research to find better ways of preventing blindness, to learn how to distribute Vitamin A efficiently
His team has done wonders, considering the tremendous work done by them.
* 2 million+ outpatients
* 300 thousand+ eye surgeries
* 25 thousand+ on children
This is completed by the Eye Foundation of America team since 1977 in India and 21 other developing countries. Additionally, the Eye Foundation of America lays great emphasis on teaching and training of health professionals who receive the Foundation’s support at every level.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are as many as 1.4 million blind children worldwide who are affected. WHO reports that eighty percent of the world’s 45 million blind people live in developing countries. The Eye Foundation of America’s (EFA) mission is to go where the need is greatest — often rural and remote areas of developing countries where there is no medical care or where the cost of the care is prohibitive.
EFA provides medical eye care and treatment that is both affordable and accessible to all on equal terms, with the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness, especially in children. They take extra steps to ensure that our treatment is of the highest quality–comparable to that provided by the best hospitals in the world. EFA also delivers that care in ways that maintain each patient’s self-respect and dignity.
EFA has treated Native Americans, wounded refugees in war-torn Afghanistan and Iraq, and have built eye hospitals in India–one with a wing devoted exclusively to children. They work in more than 14 countries and plan to extend that reach in the years ahead.
Although the Eye Foundation of America serves people of all ages, they have a special place in their heart for children because it is they who have the most to lose. Visually impaired or blind children grow up without the same advantages as sighted children. Unable to read and write, they often cannot support themselves as adults and become a burden on their families and communities.
The Eye Foundation of America’s Goutami Eye Institute in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh sponsors a free 6-month certificate program that trains local young men and women to become ophthalmic assistants. They pay them a living stipend during training and often hire graduates to staff hospitals. The career training helps them support themselves in places where jobs are difficult to find. Eighty percent of the graduates come from poor families.
The Goutami Eye Institute conducts workshops and other programs to teach its staff about new medical techniques and equipment. This program has been expanded to include physicians and medical practitioners from all over the world. Some workshops provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits. Fellowships available through Goutami Institute allow postgraduate physicians from India to further their education.
The commitment of Goutami towards training and education in eye care is spread across medical and non-medical spheres. Long-term fellowships for young post-graduates and Short-term fellowships and observer ship for practicing ophthalmologists and periodic Continuing Medical Education programs with eminent national and international faculty are available for medical fraternity.
Training of Key Informants, like teachers, medical practitioners, primary health care workers, etc., in identifying and referring people, especially of children, with eye problems is done periodically.
Education of community on avoidable causes of blindness and visual impairment is undertaken in the form of patient information series on different eye aliments and through health talks.
It is to achieve this end that Dr. Raju, in collaboration with his daughter, Dr. Leela Raju, authored a book “Musings on Medicine, Myth, and History – India’s Legacy”. It is a masterpiece to be read by everyone who would like to know hoe medicine and surgery came out of India.
For his monumental work, Dr. VK Raju has been profusely recognized, honored and awarded. The latest recognition came his way early this year when he was admitted to Toledo University Global Medical Missions Hall of Fame for his efforts to eradicate blindness.
Dr. Raju has traveled round the world, attending conferences and meetings; speaking at various national and international meets; interacting with great minds to find solutions to the problems of health, particularly blindness among children. Most of his time is spent in traveling.
He is a keen student of history and admires the great historian Padma Bhushan Dr. Romila Thapar who he recently visited in Delhi and interacted with her on many issues of mutual interest.
At the speed and the zeal, with which Dr. Raju is working to fulfil his mission of life to eradicate preventable blindness among children, it can be expected that he will set up more medical facilities, apart from the Goutami Hospital he is running at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, India. Of course, he alone cannot do it. He will need cooperation of government of India and people. Government of India could play a contributory role by providing certain facilities to set up such medical centers. And, people can contribute their bit by donating liberally to a humanitarian effort of great significance. I learn, Dr. Raju is already working on a plan to have a series of medical facilities in various States of India. It will be worthy of all lovers of humanity to chip in to support a historic mission of The Eye Foundation of America.
(The author is chief editor of the weekly English newspaper ‘The Indian Panorama’)
MORGANTOWN, WV (TIP): Dr. V.K. Raju, President of Goutami Eye Institute sent in a press note which said that Mr. Ram Mohan, retired Office Sales Manager of Geoffrey Manners, a Pharma company and Mrs. Amala Nagamani, retired Branch Manager of AP State Cooperative Bank, Hyderabad, desire that their self earned wealth should go for the service to mankind. They also believe that Goddess Durga bestowed on them her grace as well as the material possessions and hence they should utilise it for the well being of the fellow mankind. Recently, they approached Goutami Eye Institute, Rajahmundry, after hearing about their services and donated their house at Machilipatnam, in a plot of 832 sq. yards, to extend eye care services to the needy. They are simple and unassuming.
In line with their wishes, Goutami Eye Institute, Rajahmundry is planning to establish their Vision Centre and ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) Screening Centre catering to Krishna and Guntur districts. They are also planning to launch their program for Prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy in collaboration with GAPIO (Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) from this Centre during the 1st week of January 2018.
VIJAYWADA, INDIA (TIP): There are 1.2 Million physicians of Indian-origin providing healthcare in nearly 100 countries of the world and together they can eliminate preventable blindness in children from the globe, said Dr VK Raju, Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology at West Virginia University and Founder-President of The Eye Foundation of America in Morgantown, West Virginia.
He was addressing an international seminar – “Preventing blindness in childhood and beyond” organized by the Rotary Club of Vijayawada, Rotary Club of Morgantown, Eye Foundation of America and Goutami Eye Institute of Rajahmundry last week at Hotel Fortune Murali Park in Vijayawada in the State of Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. Leela Raju, world renowned cornea specialist, chief of ophthalmology, Bellevue Hospital, NY University Langone, New York, giving a presentation
Dr. Raju, an internationally-renowned ophthalmic surgeon, said there are about 700,000 physicians in India, 100,000 in the US, 60,000 in the UK and 25,000 in Australia and serving the patients even in small countries. Preventing blindness in children is crucial to nation’s progress as 80 percent of the blindness can be cured if detected early.
Combating childhood blindness is the most cost effective health intervention according to the World Bank. In times like these, headlines are grabbed by crises and scientific breakthroughs and prevention of disease is being totally neglected.
In 1900, the top three leading causes of death were- Influenza, tuberculosis and gastro-intestinal diseases. Thanks to public health programs such as sanitation, water supply and vaccines and preventive medicine, the rates of these diseases have plummeted over the last 100 years.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.Though preventive medicine had been a specialty for many decades in the US, it comprises only 0.8% of the physician work force. Most of the countries try to imitate US in many ways, he said.
” By eradicating blindness among infants and children, we are building a strong and healthy India and the world, and the future generation is protected,” he says.
The Eye Foundation of America plans to touch the lives of 100,000 people in India as a part of its ongoing efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness. The campaign is focused on those in rural India who suffers from diabetes and is at risk for, or may already be suffering from, diabetic retinopathy – a condition that often leads to blindness if left untreated.
The Eye Foundation of America plans to touch the lives of 100,000 people in India as a part of its ongoing efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness. The campaign is focused on those in rural India who suffers from diabetes and is at risk for, or may already be suffering from, diabetic retinopathy – a condition that often leads to blindness if left untreated, he said.
Eye Foundation of America with the motto world without childhood blindness is poised to take up with Rotary International as an international partner in eradication of childhood blindness.
Dr Raju was felicitated for his lifelong dedicated service in eradicating blindness among children at the one day conference by Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Dr. K. Srinivas, Past President of Rotary International K.R. Ravindran, District Governor of Rotary Clubs GV Rama Rao and former Mayor of Vijayawada Dr. Jandhayala Sankar.
Srinu Maddula, owner of Banks Apothecary Pharmacy in Philadelphia and a Roving Ambassador of Eye Research Foundation, who was felicitated for spearheading the Foundation’s relentless campaign to eradicate childhood blindness, said he was given a new lease of life by Dr Raju who successfully performed corneal transplant on him when he was 18 months old in West Virginia.
As an infant, Maddula was referred to Dr Raju during one of his eye camps in Vijayawada who found that was suffering from a disease where his brain cells will die leading to permanent blindness if not treated immediately. Dr Raju arranged for the American visa for the baby along with his parents and brought them to the US and performed cadaver transplant of cornea on both the eyes within a span of six months.
Maddula, 32, married last month enjoys a perfect vision now and owns a multi-million dollar specialized pharmaceutical company in Philadelphia. He is now the biggest supporter and an ambassador of goodwill for the foundation across the globe.
He refers Dr Raju as living god who gave him a new lease of life.
A galaxy of physicians, policymakers and Rotarians from the US were invited to address the seminar from the US and they include Dr. Rahul Gupta, Commissioner and State Health Officer, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, Ranjt K Majumdar, Past District Governor of District 7530, Morgantown, WV, Dr. Indira Majumdar, President of Rotary Club of Morgantown, WV and Dr. Leela Raju, world renowned cornea specialist, chief of ophthalmology, Bellevue Hospital, NY University Langone, New York.
Dr Rahul Gupta is partnering with the Eye Foundation of America to advance the preventive aspects of the childhood blindness and beyond.
HOUSTON, TX (TIP): When a Texas hospital called to request a rare disease medication, an Indian-American CEO of a pharmacy firm got it shipped by to Houston from Orlando by sending his employee to pick it up as all logistics company were unable to deliver overnight due to Hurricane Harvey.
Harish Katharani, founder and CEO of Southside Group of Companies, explained Impavido – only oral treatment drug used for critically ill patients with Leishmaniasis – costs about USD 49,000 and hence is not readily stocked by pharmacies.
Mr. Kathrani sent one of his employee to get the drug shipped to Texas Children’s Hospital in the midst of Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland in 13 years. Harvey has left a trail of destruction across Texas, pummeling the region with heavy rains. Around 13 million people have been battling “catastrophic” flooding in Texas.
In another incident, Medicare Advantage provider TexanPlus contacted Southside’s Texas Medical Centre to inquire if the firm could provide services to their patients during the hurricane weekend.
Despite not being contracted by this health maintenance organization, Southside readily volunteered to provide healthcare services to their patients during this crisis.
TexanPlus circulated an internal memo letting their case workers know about Southside’s availability during Hurricane Harvey.
The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston’s Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia stated that he was proud that one of their Chamber members was going above and beyond the call of duty to serve the community in this hour of need.
Southside is a pharmacist owned and operated company established in 1992. They ship specialty medication to over 35 states. Their pharmacies will remain open during the weekend’s regular hours but their pharmacist and nurses are on call 24/7 to help Texans tide over the troubles case by the hurricane.
Mr. Katharani, who came to the US in 1972, is a generous donor to various charitable organizations such as MS Society, Hep-C Clinic, Liver Foundations as well as to Cancer and HIV research institutions.
BANGKOK (TIP): The Supreme Court of Thailand on Friday issued an arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after she failed to appear for the verdict in her trial over a rice subsidies scheme.
The court scheduled the hearing for September 27 and issued the arrest warrant after her lawyer failed to provide documents proving her state of health, reports Efe news.
Yingluck is accused of negligence as part of the rice subsidies scheme which an anti-corruption commission said cost the country 600 billion baht ($18 billion) in losses and also led to corruption.
The scheme, introduced in 2011, pledged to pay farmers well above the market rate for their crop, and ended up costing the country billions, reports CNN.
Yingluck said the rice subsidy scheme was “beneficial for the farmers and the country” and that claims it lost money were wrong and motivated by political bias against her.
If convicted, the former leader faces upto 10 years in prison.
Thousands of Yingluck’s supporters gathered in front of the Supreme Court here despite a plea from her on Facebook to stay away due to security concerns.
More than 3,000 officers have been deployed to the streets outside the court.
When she was inaugurated in 2011, Yingluck became Thailand’s first female Prime Minister and its youngest in over 60 years.
The sister of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck was ousted by a coup in 2014 and was later impeached by Thailand’s military-appointed National Legislative Assembly.
The ruling barred her from political office for five years.
PATNA (TIP): Bihar’s premier government hospital, the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), kicked up a row by asking its new recruits to declare if they were “virgins” or married, but later replaced the word with “unmarried”.
Amid the furore, the Health Minister, sought to explain away the gaffe, saying the dictionary meaning of the word virgin was ‘kunwari’ or unmarried, which was not objectionable. The marital declaration form given to the recruits had asked them to declare whether “he/she was a bachelor/widower/virgin”.
The form also asked male recruits to mention whether they had one wife or more. “After the matter came to my notice, I ordered the word ‘virgin’ be deleted and in its place “unmarried” be used, which is the standard practice,” Health Minister Mangal Pandey said.
Talking to a TV channel, he had said, “I consulted the dictionary for the meaning of virgin and found that in Hindi,it means Kanya, Kunwari or Kanya rashi, which are not objectionable… But in view of the opposition, I got the word deleted and replaced.” Source: PTI
WASHINGTON D.C. (TIP): Zee entertainment launched an annual program to identify and honor individuals and organizations who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the media & entertainment sector.
Chairman Ajit Pai, was conferred with the inaugural “Zee Entertainment National Leadership Awards” at a special event on Capitol Hill this past week. He is the first Indian American to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. Zee Entertainment is the biggest multicultural programmer in the United States with 35 networks in 14 languages.
Amit Goenka, CEO International Broadcast Business said, “The selection of our inaugural honoree was not a difficult choice as he demonstrated a great commitment to promoting and protecting consumer interests particularly in our case in the areas of healthy living, wellness, news and entertainment.”
The exclusive, by invite-only event saw more than 200 people in attendance from Washington DC’s power corridors which included nearly 25 congressmen and other very notable dignitaries. The 44-year old Republican attorney, Ajit Pai came across as very affable, conscious of his humble beginnings and deeply appreciative of his meteoric rise to the top of the federal agency. At the event, Pai acknowledged Dr. Subhash Chandra’s incredible achievement in creating a company like Zee, quite literally from nothing into the multimedia conglomerate that entertains about a billion people worldwide, despite the many roadblocks. Where people did not have the option to watch Bollywood movies at home in the US, Zee pioneered and changed the way people had access to content from India accessible to the Indian diaspora across the world 20 years ago.
In continuation with Zee’s ethos; “Vasudhaiya Kutumbakam” (The World is my Family), Zee speaks not only to the Indians here but also to millions of Americans via Z Living which is a Health & Wellness network. It is America’s fastest growing network and stands firm behind its mantra “Prevention is better than cure”. Zee also speaks to the millions of Latino audiences in the country through its unique Bollywood in Spanish channel; Zee Mundo.
An extension to this core belief in Health and Wellness, Zee has a one of its kind Natural Wellness Center, YO1 which stands for Yoga and Oneness. The idea behind this Wellness Center which is spread over 1300 acres in upstate NY is to focus on bringing our mind, body and soul as one.
Along with Entertainment, Zee strongly believes in giving back to the community with its initiatives like Sarthi, ZEE is Green, Ekal Vidyalaya and the DSC foundation which just donated 1 Billion dollars for social entrepreneurship causes. The Zee is Green initiative was conferred a special Excellence award at IAA Olive Crown Awards 2016 for its leadership in various environmental projects. Also, Ekal Vidyalaya popularly known as A People’s Movement has been educating 1.5 million students across 54,000 free schools in India.
Since Zee Entertainment has become synonymous with the Indian culture and Indians globally, it was a natural choice for the republican party to engage and partner with Zee Network to engage the Indian diaspora during the Trump Presidential campaign, Zee not only effectively planned and executed a 360 degree campaign, but it also coined the winning phrase; Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkar (This time, A Trump Government). The Republicans were smart enough to understand Indian Americans influence on the larger canvas, said Sameer Targe. Efforts included a Bollywood gala in NJ which had Donald Trump as the keynote speaker and Zee’s own SRGMP singers who were the real crowd pullers.
WASHINGTON (TIP): After the Department of Justice released a heavily redacted, single-page document confirming that Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian government, House Judiciary Committee members, Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and David Cicilline (RI-01) introduced a resolution of inquiry requesting the Trump administration release any and all information pertaining to Attorney General Sessions’ involvement in the firing of FBI director James Comey in violation of his recusal and related matters.
“For six months, we have watched the Trump administration make a mockery of our laws and the highest office in our land while our Republican colleagues refuse to allow hearings on obstruction of justice and collusion with Russia,” said Rep. Jayapal. “Our resolution of inquiry will force the House Committee on the Judiciary to consider allegations of obstruction of justice involving the Justice Department. The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking action on the matter. We need the Republicans on our committee to wake up and take these issues seriously. We have a duty as members of Congress and the Judiciary Committee to exercise oversight over the administration and the Justice Department.”
“We’ve known for a while now that Paul Ryan and the Republicans don’t want to work with us on just about anything. That’s true for jobs, tax fairness, infrastructure, workforce training, and health care,” said Rep. Cicilline. “But what’s most outrageous is that they don’t even want to work with us to make sure the American people know the truth about allegations of obstruction of justice involving the Justice Department. There is no more serious responsibility than protecting our democracy and the American people deserve members of Congress who take this responsibility seriously.”
The two representatives demanded that House Republicans wake up and conduct oversight of the Trump administration. Attorney General Sessions has failed to disclose his meetings with the Russian government, largely ignored his recusal from the Russia investigation and helped to fire the FBI Director under false pretext. On July 13, the Department of Justice released a document that suggests the Attorney General failed to disclose any contacts with foreign governments on his security clearance application.
The Jayapal-Cicilline Resolution is designed to obtain information about these and other systemic problems at the highest levels of the Trump administration. The Majority has refused to conduct even basic oversight of the Department of Justice. This resolution will force the issue, and leave each member to choose whether the House Judiciary Committee will begin to address these urgent problems or continue to be complicit in the administration’s undermining of justice.
Jayapal and Cicilline will closely follow ongoing developments specifically pertaining to the role of Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner in potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. If the administration fails to be more forthcoming about these troubling developments, Jayapal and Cicilline plan to amend the resolution to demand more transparency and accountability to the American people.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Oversight Committee on July 19 successfully introduced an amendment ordering a review of White House security clearance procedures by requiring the National Background Investigations Bureau to report to Congress on the process for conducting and adjudicating security clearance requests for the Executive Office of the President.
The Krishnamoorthi amendment comes in the wake of Senior Advisors to the President Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions all omitting significant information about foreign contacts from their applications for security clearances. The measure passed the Oversight Committee by a unanimous voice vote and amended H.R.3210, a resolution regarding the national backlog of security clearance investigations.
Congressman Krishnamoorthi released the following statement on the passage of his amendment:
“It seems every day we learn of more undisclosed foreign contacts with senior Trump administration officials. In just the last two weeks, we have learned that Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner failed to disclose his participation in a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer and her associates, including a former Soviet intelligence officer and an individual linked to a federal money laundering investigation. This is just one example of a foreign contact Mr. Kushner failed to disclose when he reportedly omitted more than one hundred from his SF-86 security clearance application.
My amendment would require the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau to report to Congress on the processes by which senior administration officials apply for and receive security clearances. Access to our nation’s secrets should demand the highest levels of scrutiny and the strictest adherence to security procedure to protect against compromise by hostile foreign powers.
Mr. Kushner and other senior administration officials repeatedly failed to disclose their foreign contacts, including those with hostile powers. It is essential that we determine whether this failure puts them or our nation at risk.”
Krishnamoorthi represents the 8th District of Illinois and serves on Government Reform and Education and Workforce panels and also as the ranking member on the subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Hindu America Foundation (HAF) in partnership with the Sindhi Alliance, recently provide critical medical services to Pakistani Hindu refugees living in makeshift settlements and camps in Jodhpur, India. HAF raised $17,600, which is being disbursed as an ongoing grant to the Universal Just Action Society (UJAS), the primary non-governmental organization working with Pakistani Hindu refugees in Jodhpur.
So far, $8,533 has been used to help the refugees through the following initiatives:
Engaged with government stakeholders and assisted 900 refugees complete registration for migrant health cards to facilitate admission into health facilities that provide services beyond the scope of the health clinic
Established and staffed a health clinic in Jodhpur; hosted several medical camps in settlements; and provided medical consultations, medicinal support, and vaccinations
Held hygiene awareness and health education seminars and distributed health/hygiene education materials
Created community health and hygiene committees in three refugee settlements to empower refugees to take initiatives to improve community health
The refugees suffer from a wide range of physical and mental health conditions, such as situational depression, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, high incidence of respiratory disease, hypertension, malnutrition and lifestyle disorders, and infectious diseases. Women, children, and elderly refugees, in particular, remain vulnerable to various health risks and face psycho-social trauma from their experience of suffering religious persecution and fleeing their homes. Many of the refugees avoid going to healthcare facilities due to their illiteracy and lack of health awareness, as well as an absence of civil and legal documents required to access basic facilities. They also fear harassment if they disclose that they are Pakistani nationals.
Ms. Kaalu, a 67-year old woman that fled Pakistan and is now living in a refugee settlement in Aaganwa village in Jodhpur, for instance, is one of many refugees that has received assistance through this project.
Ms. Kaalu and her family, including her husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter, are struggling to survive economically and are dealing with several health issues. She had been experiencing chest pain for at least a month, but due to a lack of health education and awareness and an inability to access a medical facility, she was unable to receive adequate care for her condition. She indicated that she avoided going to government hospitals out of fear that she would be turned away as a refugee without proper identity documents and because of her poor family economic conditions.
When UJAS organized a health camp at her settlement, she was identified as a priority patient in critical health condition and was seen by a first aid doctor and the UJAS team helped facilitate her access to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Jodhpur. Ms. Kaalu is now hopeful that she will able to receive proper treatment to alleviate her critical health conditions and live a happy and healthy life again.
While it is a known fact that carrots are excellent for your eyes, there are other foods as well that are known to protect eyesight and promote eye health. Include the following food items in your diet…
Dark, leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, iceberg lettuce, kale, etc contain a lot of antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin that lower your chances of developing macular degeneration and cataracts.
While there are several people who are against consumption of eggs, when eaten in moderation, these can actually be beneficial for health. The yolk present in eggs contains lutein, zeaxanthin and zinc, which lower your chances of developing macular degeneration.
Consume citrusy fruits such as grapefruit, tangerine, oranges, lemons, sweet lime etc, which are packed with vitamin C, known to lower your risk of developing cataracts.
Consuming a handful of almonds daily will help slow down macular degeneration thanks to the vitamin E present in them. Tuck into fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, etc, which are packed with fatty acids that protect your eyes. Some studies also say that regularly consuming oysters is said to improve eyesight. Corn contains lutein and zeaxanthin, excellent for your eyes.
Nothing signals the end of the carefree days of youth than the appearance of the early signs of ageing. The first fine lines and the first grey hair all serve to remind us that the glory days of our easy-going beauty routines are over. After a certain age, you just cannot afford to go out without sunscreen or be careless with your health without the effects showing up on your face and body. Eating healthy, exercising, eliminating stress, sleeping well and, of course, genetics, will all determine how fast you will show your age. But there are certain time-tested natural therapies that will help you care for your skin and hair and, maintain a basic level of health and vitality.We got some of India’s top beauty experts to share their formulae with us.
Back to the basics
One way in which you can increase the potency of these remedies is by supplementing them with a clean lifestyle. According to Suparna Trikha, director, Suparna Herbs, a company that manufactures natural skin and hair products, “Ageing is a state of mind. You can be young at 90 or look haggard at 19. Lifestyles and our changing temperaments and tempers are responsible for early ageing.” The beauty guru advocates some simple changes that will make all the difference.
STOP WORRYING: “I see people worry all the time! Stop it because it will only give you more wrinkles and lines. If you have a problem without a solution, sleep over it.”
DESTRESS: “Most people spend a majority of their time doing things they don’t want to. To stay young, you should make the time to do something you enjoy at least four times a week. Play, follow a dream, listen to music, meditate, read a book or exercise.” Avoid luxury: “Too much luxury can be stifling. For instance, avoid air-conditioning as it completely ruins the skin. Breathe fresh air and let your skin hydrate naturally.”
STAY TRUE TO NATURE: “Walk outdoors, eat lunch under the open sky whenever you can, and meditate and exercise in the fresh air. Just being with nature calms the mind and eases tension.”
EAT FRESH: “Have healthy eating options for every meal and add plenty of fresh fruits, salads, dry fruits, greens and lean meats to your diet.”
LAUGH: “We don’t laugh often and enough! Try to spend time with people who make you happy.”
DRINK UP: “I call water ambrosia for the skin. No matter what your skin type is, water will keep you hydrated and younger-looking. It helps flush out toxins from the body and cleanses the skin like nothing else.”
Boost your reserves
According to Bharti Taneja, founder-director of the Alps Beauty Group, as one gets older, the skin naturally becomes less elastic and more fragile. Decreased production of natural oils dries the skin and makes it appear more wrinkled. Fat in the deeper layers of the skin diminishes and this causes loose, saggy skin and more pronounced lines and crevices. She advocates a good skincare regimen to look young.
CLEANSING: “First thing in the morning, wash your face with a deep-pore, soap-free and non-foaming cleanser, as the foaming ones tend to leave the skin drier. Take a little on your palm and massage your face for two to three minutes.Wash off with cool water and pat dry with a clean towel.”
TONING: “A toner is a liquid meant to close open pores while cleansing. Toning firms up the skin and should follow every cleansing ritual. You can also try making a homemade toner by boiling tulsi, neem and mint leaves together in a litre of water till half of it evaporates. Store and apply whenever needed.”
COLOMBO (TIP): Sri Lanka is suffering its worst-ever dengue outbreak, with the mosquito borne virus killed 225 people and infected more than 76,000 this year.
Alarmed by the magnitude of the crisis, the government deployed 400 soldiers and police officers to clear away rotting garbage, stagnant water pools and other potential mosquito breeding grounds.
Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni, Colombo’s chief medical officer, said people’s failure to clear puddles and piles of trash after last month’s heavy monsoon rains had compounded the problem. “It’s pathetic that they don’t keep clean their environment,” Wijayamuni said. “Some residents do not allow officials to inspect the houses and clean them. This is really unacceptable.”
The number of infections nationwide is already 38 percent higher than last year, when 55,150 people were diagnosed with dengue and 97 died, according to the Health Ministry. The highest number of cases is in the region around the main city of Colombo, though cases were being reported across the tropical island nation.
“This is mostly an urban disease” said Dr. Priscilla Samaraweera of the National Dengue Eradication Unit. Last month’s heavy rains left the cities waterlogged, with puddles and rain soaked garbage providing ideal spots for mosquitoes to breed and multiply.
In Colombo alone, 25 teams of soldiers, police officers and public health inspectors were knocking on doors at people’s homes, advising them to clear clogged drains and empty outdoor pots that might have filled with rainwater.
Health officials were also fumigating public spaces. This year’s strain is particularly dangerous, Samaraweera said. There is no cure for any of the four strains of the virus, which causes a high fever, weeks of exhaustion and in some cases a vicious skin rash. Patients most at risk of dying are the elderly, children or those with other medical complications.
Hospitals were so crowded with dengue patients, the army was building two temporary wards at Negombo Base Hospital, about 38 kilometers north of Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Roshan Senevirathna said.
President Maithripala Sirisena urged the public to cooperate with officials trying to fight the disease, saying it could affect the ” lives of all the citizens of the country.” (AP)
It was so pleasing to watch beautiful rendition of Urdu poetry through a classical dance by Anupma Sharda, student of guru Purvi Bhatt from Dance School, wearing traditional dress. This song was from1981 Urdu film, Umrao Jaan, which has a deep connection with Urdu literature and the Aligarh Muslim University. This and other songs in the film were written by Urdu poet Shaheryaar from the University and the film was directed by another Aligarian Muzaffar Ali, who excelled in promoting Urdu literature. The presentation of this song at this event also conveyed a message to the audience that they would be coming to these Urdu promotion events, like this Urdu Mela, again and again. Is anjuman mein aap ko aana hai baar, baar Deevaar-o-dar ko gaur se pehchaan lijiye.
Nuzaira Azam, Master of Ceremony
This first Urdu Cultural Mela was the brain child of Tahira Anwar and Dr. Razi Raziuddin. Held on 20thMay, 2017 at the Seneca Valley High School, Germantown, Maryland, it attracted a large number of people from Metropolitan Washington area. It was organized by the Urdu Academy of Maryland with the collaboration of the Aligarh Alumni Association Metropolitan Washington and Pakistan Association of Metropolitan Washington. and also present a bouquet of activities to give glimpses of Urdu culture to the audience. The main purpose of mela was to making aware the community of the richness of Urdu culture and heritage.
Audience
Tahira Anwar, who started the Urdu Academy of Maryland in 2013, said that the Academy has succeeded in launching Urdu teaching in two schools of Montgomery County. She was very happy to announce that she was receiving requests for expanding the program to other schools. However, due to lack of resources she was not able to meet the demand. She is hopeful that the program could be expanded to other schools in Montgomery County and nearby other counties with help from the community. “In addition to preservation of cultural heritage, learning of mother tongue helps strengthen family and friendship bonds. Recent research has also shown that children growing up with multiple languages perform much better in highly competitive society,” she added. Activities of the Academy are available at: www.uamd.og.
Dr. A. Abdullah—a stalwart worker of Urdu spoke about origin and significance of Urdu in the Indian Subcontinent and now in North America. He praised the work initiated by the Urdu Academy of Maryland in Montgomery County of Maryland and expressed confidence that the work started by the Academy will establish its roots, spread its branches like a banyan tree and others will get benefit from it. In the beginning it does require sacrifice, hard work, and patience, however.
Shilpa Sharma and Sheikh Abdur Rahman presenting ghazals
Shoaib Ali Hasan eloquently presented Idgah—a classic short story by Munshi Premchand. This powerful story about a 4-years old orphan boy conveys a strong message how affection, motherhood, care, sacrifice, and satisfaction bring happiness.
Farheen Abdullah helped organize a colorful cultural show depicting traditional dresses representing different regions of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Regional costumes showRegional costumes show
Mrs. Shilpa Sharma, a physical therapist by professions and Dr. Abdur Rehman, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health, respectively, presented ghazals from notable Urdu poets. The program also included several boutiques for ladies to do Eid shopping and delicious food and Urdu books for sale.
Program organizers (L to R): Rahat Yususf, A. Abdullah, Farheen Abdullah, Firoza Salahuddin, and Tahira Anwer.
Nuzaira Azam was the Master of Ceremony. Mohammad Akbar, president, Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington-DC thanked the organizers and participants of the program, and the audience.
WASHINGTON (TIP): With a delegation of over 60, the Hindu American Foundation hosted its second annual Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC, complete with a full day long policy conference, an evening reception, as well as an advocacy on the Hill day consisting of meetings with elected officials.
Monday, June 19, brought together leading members of government and civil society to discuss the protection of civil rights, ways to combat the rise of hate crimes in the US, and the spread of terrorism and violent extremism across South Asia.
Panelists included: Tom Wheeler, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, US Department of Justice; Michael Lieberman, Anti-Defamation League & Convener of the Hate Crimes Coalition Taskforce; Ron Mori, Japanese American Citizens League; Sushil Pandit, CEO of Hive Communication & Co-Founder of Roots in Kashmir; Seth Oldmixon, Founder of Liberty South Asia; and Anita Wadhwani, India Country Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Asian & Pacific Security Affairs.
“In 2015 the number of anti-religious hate crimes was the largest percentage of hate crimes in the 25 year history of the Hate Crimes Statistics Act,” Michael Lieberman told the audience. “This year was the first year ever that the FBI collected anti-Hindu hate crimes. The reason they did this was because of your advocacy.”
On how to prevent extremist terrorism at the broadest level, Seth Oldmixon concluded, “We [in the United States] have to be a city on the hill. We have to be a shining example of demonstrating that religious freedom and tolerance and inclusivity work. That is the biggest threat to these extremist groups.”
During HAF’s annual DC advocacy day, on June 20th, delegates met with 50 members of Congress to discuss community concerns about rising hate crimes, the spread of terrorism, and the lack of transparency and accountability at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The delegation also addressed the need to generate greater awareness of heart health among South Asian Americans.
The Advocacy Forum concluded with HAF’s Capitol Hill Reception, which garnered more than 200 attendees—including members of Congress such as Raja Krishnamoorthi. In addition, Charles Haynes, founder of the Religious Freedom Center and a vice-president at the Newseum Institute, was honored with the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Civil and Human Rights Coalition demanded that Senate must listen to the people and not take away health care from millions. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States.
Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following the announcement that the Senate is delaying consideration of legislation to take health care away from millions of Americans:
“Across the country, the people Congress serves are speaking out and demanding their elected officials protect their access to affordable health care. It’s high time for Congress to listen.
Republicans in Congress have no real plan to improve our nation’s health care. A massive tax cut for wealthy Americans, while conforming to the GOP playbook, does not help keep Americans healthy. No amount of delay will change that fact.
The Senate bill was drafted in secret and kept from public view for good reason – if passed, it would kick tens of millions of people off their health care plans and cause costs to skyrocket for many, including seniors and the most vulnerable, and destroy Medicaid. This bill cannot be fixed. If Republicans are serious about making our health care system work better, they must end their partisan approach and work across the aisle to achieve that goal.”
NEW YORK (TIP): Vegetarian Vision founded in 1992 by H.K. and Malti Shah is organizing its 25th year International convention, a two day event on September 9th and 10th in the heart of Manhattan at Penn Pavilion Convention Center opposite Madison Square Garden, 401 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 1001.
Chairman H.K. Shah and President, Chandra Mehta along with the entire team started the preparations a year ago to execute various activities planned for this mega event including a dozen world renowned speakers on ” Healthy Life / Healthy Planet ” plant based diet’s effect on health and planet by world renowned physicians, nutritionists, environmentalists, animal protectionists, vegetarian and vegan dignitaries.
Various food demonstrations and recipes will be displayed by celebrity chefs throughout the two day event. All ethnic mouthwatering food items will be available at various stalls and booths. About 100 exhibitor booths have been planned. World famous yoga gurus have been invited to speak and demonstrate.
For many, this will be a fun filled weekend enjoying the fashions shows, comedy, Mr. and Mrs. Vegetarian Pageant, Bollywood / Hollywood entertainment. Various dignitaries have been invited from all over the world. There will an appreciation Gala dinner on Saturday evening.
Vegetarian vision organizes multiple events every year. World renowned speakers are invited to discuss benefits of plant based diets on human health and the planet. Turkey free thanksgiving, vegetarian pageants, cruises are organized involving the community on a larger scale. The organization also strives to work with hospitals, airlines, schools, restaurants to introduce vegetarian food / add more options. Yoga, meditation, stress management are also significant part of organization’s activities.
Past Presidents Kenny Desai, Animesh Goenka, Naveeen Shah, AIA president Sunil Modi, Vinod Shah, Flora Parikh have been working tirelessly. Nitin Vyas has been working side by side with H. K. Shah and Chandra Mehta on daily basis.
In excess of 25,000 attendees are expected to participate in this event. Registration, Sponsorship, exhibitors and detail activities could be found on the website www.vegetarianvision.org
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