LONDON (TIP): Sophia Duleep Singh, the daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh – the last ruler of the Sikh empire – and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, is to be honored with a commemorative Blue Plaque in London.
Princess Sophia was among the leading suffragettes who fought for women’s right to vote in 1900s Britain.
The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honors the historic significance of particular buildings associated with historical figures and its 2023 cohort includes the 19th-century home of the British Indian Princess.
“Daughter of the deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh, who already has a plaque in Holland Park (London), and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was an active suffragette and made full use of her royal title to generate support for female enfranchisement,” notes English Heritage in its Blue Plaque announcement this week.
“She was a dedicated member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) and the Women’s Tax Resistance League (WTRL). The plaque will mark the large house near Hampton Court Palace which was granted to Sophia and her sisters as a grace and favor apartment by Queen Victoria in 1896,” it notes.
British Indian writer Anita Anand, the author of ‘Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary’, expressed her excitement at the historical heroine being recognized with a Blue Plaque.
“Princess Sophia Duleep Singh will finally get the recognition she deserves,” said Anand.
It is among six new plaques unveiled for the year, including fellow suffragette Emily Wilding Davison’s home in Kensington in London and violinist and composer Yehudi Menuhin’s six-story house in Belgravia, where he lived for the last 16 years of his life.
Others include anti-racism activist Claudia Jones, London’s first female Mayor Ada Salter and Pre-Raphaelite model Marie Spartali Stillman.
“Every year, English Heritage’s blue plaques offer a glimpse of the very best of human achievement,” said William Whyte, architectural historian and Professor of Social and Architectural History at Oxford University, who takes over as the new Chair of the Blue Plaques Panel at English Heritage.
“In my first year as Chair of the panel, I am particularly excited to recognize so many who fought for what they believed in. From Emily Wilding Davison, who famously died for her cause, to Claudia Jones, whose life-long struggle for social justice helped inspire the Notting Hill Carnival, these are people who made a difference and it’s an honor to play a part in making sure that their contributions are remembered,” he said.
Last year, to coincide with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence, the south London home where Dadabhai Naoroji lived for around eight years at the end of the 19th century was commemorated with a Blue Plaque.
The prominent member of the Indian freedom struggle and Britain’s first Indian parliamentarian, often referred to as the “grand old man of India”, is reported to have moved to Washington House, 72 Anerley Park, Penge, Bromley, at a time when his thoughts were turning increasingly towards full independence for India in 1897.
That red-brick home now has a plaque which reads: “Dadabhai Naoroji 1825-1917 Indian Nationalist and MP lived here”. He is among several Indian freedom struggle leaders commemorated with plaques, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Four prominent Indian American lawmakers — Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna — have been appointed members of three key House panels, reflecting the growing influence of the community in US politics.
Congresswoman Jayapal has been named Ranking Member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee’s panel on Immigration, making her the first immigrant to serve in a leadership role for the subcommittee.
Jayapal, 57, representing the 7th Congressional District of Washington State succeeds Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren to serve on the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, a media release said.
“As the first South Asian woman elected to the US House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalized citizens in Congress, I am honored and humbled to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement,” said Jayapal.
“I came to this country when I was 16, alone, and with nothing in my pockets. After 17 years on an alphabet soup of visas to become a US citizen, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live the American Dream, a dream that is out of reach for too many immigrants today,” she said.
“It is extremely meaningful to me that I will now be in this position to better move the needle and re-center our broken immigration system around dignity, humanity, and justice. As I step into this role, I would also like to thank Representative Lofgren for her years of dedicated leadership on the Subcommittee, and look forward to continuing to work with her,” Jayapal said.
Bera, 57, has been appointed as a member of a powerful US House committee handling intelligence-related matters.
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is charged with providing oversight of the country’s intelligence activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), National Security Agency (NSA), as well as military intelligence programs.
“I am honored to be appointed by Leader (Hakeem) Jeffries to serve on the House Intelligence Committee, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and national security of the United States,” Bera said.
A six-time Congressman, Bera represents the sixth Congressional District of California.
“At a time of increased threats, both at home and abroad, I take seriously this new role and the responsibility entrusted to me to protect and defend American families,” he said.
“With my decade of experience working on critical national security issues, I look forward to working with Committee members from both sides of the aisle to ensure our intelligence agencies are operating effectively to keep our nation safe,” Bera said.
Bera also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
During the 117th Congress, Bera served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation, where he spearheaded Congressional efforts to strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance the US economic and security interests.
Krishnamoorthi has been made Ranking Member of a newly created House committee on China that will investigate various aspects of Chinese behavior, its threat being posed to the US and the world.
US House of Representatives Minority Leader Jeffries on Wednesday announced the appointment of Krishnamoorthi as Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Another Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has also been made a member of this new committee, formed in the 118th Congress by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the specific purpose of investigating and developing policy to address the United States’ economic, technological and security competition with the Chinese Communist Party.
Krishnamoorthi, 49, is the four-term Congressman representing the eight Congressional districts of Illinois, while Khanna, 46, is the four-term lawmaker representing the 17th Congressional district of California.
“I am grateful to Leader Jeffries for appointing me to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Krishnamoorthi.
“The Chinese Communist Party poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan’s democracy, its weaponization of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American intellectual property,” he said.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties on this committee to counteract the CCP’s escalating aggression and ensure that our nation is prepared to overcome the economic and security challenges that the CCP presents to our country,” Krishnamoorthi said.
He said it was important to protect the interests of the American people.
“That said, at a time when anti-Asian hate and violence are on the rise, it’s essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Krishnamoorthi is also a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also the lead Democrat on Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which protects Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and several other foreign adversaries.
In the 117th Congress, he led bipartisan legislation that was signed into law, called the Gathering and Reporting Assessments Yielding Zero Overlooked Nefarious Efforts (GRAY ZONE) Act, which requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on different aspects of grey zone activities — actions that fall between ordinary statecraft and open warfare — that the PRC employs.
Krishnamoorthi was also the lead Democrats on the bipartisan Transparency for Malign Chinese Investments in Global Port Infrastructure Act, which requires the DNI to study and report to Congress information related to Chinese global investments in port infrastructure.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American astronaut Raja J Chari has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general.
The nomination was announced on Thursday and will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments, according to the US Defense Department.
Air Force Colonel Chari, 45, was nominated for the appointment to the grade of brigadier general, it said in a statement.
Chari is currently serving as the Crew-3 commander and astronaut, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Centre, Texas. He earned a master’s degree in aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. Chari served as the commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and is the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
SEATTLE, WA (TIP): Seattle City Council’s lone socialist Indian American member Kshama Sawant has introduced first-in-the-nation legislation for the city to ban caste-based discrimination, in solidarity with its South Asian and other immigrant communities.
If approved by the City Council, the legislation will ban caste-based discrimination in our city,” Mumbai born Sawant, 46, who has represented District 3, Central Seattle in the council since 2013, stated Tuesday, January 24.
The legislation will prohibit businesses from discriminating based on caste with respect to hiring, tenure, promotion, workplace conditions, or wages, she stated. It will ban discrimination based on caste in places of public accommodation, such as hotels, public transportation, public restrooms, or retail establishments. The law will also prohibit housing discrimination based on caste in rental housing leases, property sales, and mortgage loans.
“Caste discrimination doesn’t only take place in other countries. It is faced by South Asian American and other immigrant working people in their workplaces, including in the tech sector, in Seattle and in cities around the country,” Sawant stated.
“That’s why my office is proud to bring forward first-in-the-nation legislation for our city to ban caste-based discrimination, in solidarity with our South Asian and other immigrant community members, and all working people,” she stated.
“With over 167,000 people from South Asia living in Washington, largely concentrated in the Greater Seattle area, the region must address caste discrimination, and not allow it to remain invisible and unaddressed,” Sawant added.
Sawant said that caste discrimination has been growing in the United States across many industries, including technology, construction, restaurants and the service industry, and in domestic work.
“Caste discrimination is increasingly a grave contributor to workplace discrimination and bias—data from Equality Labs show that one in four caste-oppressed people faced physical and verbal assault, one in three faced education discrimination, and two in three (67%) faced workplace discrimination,” she stated. “Seattle is one of the cities where caste discrimination “remains a largely hidden and unreported issue,” Sawant stated citing a recent article in Real Change. It quotes a spokesperson from the City of Seattle Office of Civil Rights as saying, “Caste Status is not a recognized protected class in the City of Seattle and if our office were to receive a complaint based solely on caste discrimination, we would not be able to investigate it…”
“This is exactly why City Council Democrats must vote ‘Yes’ on the legislation from my office,” Sawant stated noting, “If the City Council supports our bill, Seattle will become the first city in the nation to outlaw caste discrimination!”
Sawant drafted the legislation alongside South Asian community leaders.
Thenmozhi Sounderarajan of Equality Labs commented, “Equality Labs is proud to join Councilmember Kshama Sawant and Seattle citizens in this historic ordinance to add caste as a protected category to its non-discrimination policy.
“As a national Dalit civil rights organization that has worked with many institutions around the country to add caste as a protected category, this act is the necessary first step to ensure the rights of all Seattle citizens.”
Shahira Kaur from Equality Labs said, “Through the proposed ordinance making caste discrimination illegal, Seattle is taking the lead in a historical battle for caste equity and is ensuring that the necessary protections are in place for caste-oppressed Americans.”
“The cancer of caste is very much present in the US,” said Anil Wagde of the Ambedkar International Center, “and the ordinance will provide much-needed teeth for the victims of caste discrimination to confront the perpetrators of caste violence. It will also play a big role in paving the way for future nationwide legislation.”
“With growing numbers of South Asians in the USA, the number of caste atrocities are growing, too,” said Maya Kamble from the Ambedkar Association of North America. “So, adding caste as a protected category is the need of the hour and a welcome step for caste oppressed communities.” “Legal protection is the only means to guard the vulnerable from caste exploitation in places where dominant castes have privilege and preponderance,” said Karthik of the Ambedkar King Study Circle.
“The Seattle city ordinance sponsored by Kshama Sawant to outlaw caste discrimination will set a strong precedent for the rest of the United States,” he said urging the City Council to pass the legislation.
“The struggle against racial and gender oppression in Seattle and all across America needs to be linked with the fight against all oppression, and against economic exploitation of the majority of working people,” added Sawant.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Twelve people, including nine Indian-Americans and Indian nationals, were charged in the US state of Pennsylvania for allegedly engaging in a multi-faceted racketeering conspiracy through a multi-state network of dental practices and related dental businesses.
According to court documents, the 12 individuals operated and participated in a series of dental practices and related companies (the Savani Group) that engaged in visa fraud, health care fraud, wire fraud involving federal tax evasion, and money-laundering.
Six of them have been charged with being part of a racketeer-influenced corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy based on their roles in the Savani Group, and another three charged with obstruction of justice, according to the US Department of Justice press release issued on Wednesday. Bhaskar Savani, 57, and Niranjan Savani, 51, from Pennsylvania and both licensed dentists, owned and controlled the Savani Group dental practices. Arun Savani, 55, owned and managed the Savani Group companies and was responsible for the Savani Group’s financial affairs, the press release said.
The three brothers – Bhaskar, Niranjan, and Arun – allegedly conspired to recruit foreign workers for US work visas while concealing the workers’ true job titles and responsibilities.
The three made their initial court appearances on January 20. Sunil Philip, 57, was an outside accountant for the Savani Group and personal accountant of Bhaskar, Arun and Niranjan.
Philip, along with Bhaskar, Arun and Niranjan, allegedly engaged in a wire fraud scheme to evade federal taxes, federal prosecutors charged, it said. Amen Dhyllon, 44, was a licensed dentist for the Savani Group. Aleksandra Radomiak, 45, was an employee and dental practice manager of the Savani Group.
LONDON (TIP): A British Sikh engineer behind an energy-efficient manual washing machine for low-income groups around the world, inspired by his volunteering work in India, has won Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Points of Light Award.
Navjot Sawhney, who set up his Washing Machine Project around four years ago, was honored for his hand-cranked machine invention which can be operated in regions without electricity.
Sawhney described the experience of winning the award from Sunak, announced earlier this month, as “surreal” after the British Indian leader praised his “ingenuity and compassion”.
“You have used your professional skills as an engineer to help thousands of people around the world who don’t have access to electric washing machines,” Sunak wrote in a personal letter to Sawhney.
“Your innovative, hand-cranked washing machines are giving families the dignity of clean clothes and the time you are saving them is empowering many women who have been held back from education and employment,” he said.
“I know that your machines are also helping Ukrainian families who have been forced to flee their homes and are currently living in humanitarian aid centers. Your ingenuity, compassion and dedication to improving the lives of others is an inspiration to us all,” he added.
Previously employed by Dyson, the technology firm well known for vacuum cleaners, Sawhney wanted to use his skills to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities.
It was while volunteering in southern India with “Engineers Without Borders” that he saw the disproportionate burden placed on women to carry out handwashing, inspiring him to design a manual, off-grid and fully sustainable machine which saves 50 per cent on water compared to handwashing, and 75 per cent on time.
He named his first machines after his neighbor Divya and the Washing Machine Project was created to manufacture the “Divya” devices on a wider scale, with over 300 machines so far distributed worldwide to places including refugee camps, schools and orphanages.
“Winning the Points of Light award and getting recognized by the Prime Minister is a phenomenal privilege,” said London-born Sawhney.
“The Washing Machine Project’s mission is to alleviate the burden of unpaid labor, mainly on women and children. I’m so proud that giving back the dignity of clean clothes to those who hand wash them is getting the recognition it deserves.
“Thank you to our team, volunteers, partners and beneficiaries who work tirelessly daily to make our mission a success,” he said.
According to Downing Street, his hand-cranked washing machines have benefitted over 1,000 families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries or refugee camps, including humanitarian aid centers in Poland for Ukrainian refugees.
The Washing Machine Project’s Go Fund Me crowdfunding campaign has raised over 91,000 pounds since July 2021.
Points of Light are outstanding individual volunteers and people seen as making a change in their community and are regularly honored by the British Prime Minister to recognize their inspirational work.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Five Indian American students are among 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, America’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, vying for over $1.8 million in prizes.
Finalists were selected by a national jury of professional scientists from a pool of 300 scholars from 34 schools across 14 states, based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientific leaders, according to a press release from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Society for Science.
The 2023 finalists’ research projects showcase their breadth of knowledge, their commitment to addressing issues important to modern society, and their passion for STEM, the release said.
Five Indian American students —Ambika Grover from Connecticut, Neel Moudgal from Michigan, Ishika Nag and Lavanya Natarajan from Florida and Siddhu Pachipala from Texas — will now compete with other finalists for a top prize of $250,000.
Grover of Greenwich High School, Greenwich, Connecticut, had a project titled: Design of a Novel, Dual-Functioning, Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Factor XI-Inhibiting Anticoagulant Therapeutic for Rapid Ischemic Stroke Treatment.
Moudgal of Saline High School, Saline, Michigan, had a project titled: Using Unassigned NMR Chemical Shifts to Model RNA Secondary Structure.
Nag of Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida, had a project titled: Development of an Engineered Face Mask with Optimized Nanoparticle Layering for Filtration of Air Pollutants and Viral Pathogens.
Lavanya Natarajan of Viera High School, Viera, Florida had a project titled: A Prescriptive IoT Solution to Detect and Mitigate Fugitive Methane Gas in Landfills via a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System.
Siddhu Pachipala of The Woodlands College Park High School, The Woodlands, Texas had a project titled: SuiSensor: A Novel, Low-Cost Machine Learning System for Real-Time Suicide Risk Identification and Treatment Optimization via Computational Linguistics.
“We are thrilled to welcome this inspiring and highly talented class of Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News.
“I am certain these extraordinary students will be following in the footsteps of our many accomplished alumni who are the forefront of breakthrough discoveries. The 2023 finalists will be using their leadership, intellect, creativity and STEM skills to solve our world’s most intractable challenges.”
Finalists will participate in a week-long competition in March 2023, during which they will undergo a rigorous judging process that goes beyond their own research to encompass other scientific disciplines and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards.
They will also have an opportunity to interact with leading scientists and share their research during a virtual “Public Day” event on March 12. The top 10 Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023 winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on March 14, streamed live from Washington, DC.
In total, more than $3 million in awards will be distributed throughout the Regeneron Science Talent Search. The finalists are each awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000.
Finalists may use their award prize money solely for educational purposes and can choose for those funds to be released directly to their college or university.
The top 300 scholars, each of whom receive $2,000, may use their awards as they see fit; each of their schools are also awarded $2,000 to support math and science programs, a critical investment toward their future in STEM, and our country’s future as a hub of innovation and progress.
Multiple students chose to explore research topics on climate change; for instance, one studied the environmental potential of human-made materials such as cement to help reduce emissions, and another evaluated the correlation between air pollution and Covid-19 cases, according to the release.
Some students invented health monitoring devices, like a color-changing sensor to help detect the presence of illicit drugs in drinks; others explored topics related to space, including a new method to test for the existence of large populations of black holes.
Other finalists dove into social and political issues, including an examination of media coverage about violent crimes to understand its impact on societal perceptions, and an evaluation of linguistic features in writing to predict suicide risk.
“Congratulations to an exceptional group of Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023 finalists,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron, and a 1976 Science Talent Search finalist and top winner.
“Inspiring and equipping the brightest minds to take on the world’s most pressing issues is one of the most important ways we can ensure the scientific advancements necessary to better our society. We know the future is bright for these young scientists and are excited to see the positive impact they will make.”
Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal welcomes the guests to the reception in celebration of the Republic Day of India.The distinguished gathering which included prominent members of the diaspora, elected officials, members of the diplomatic corps, friends from media and people from different walks of life.
NEW YORK (TIP): The 74th Republic Day of India was celebrated at the Consulate General of India, New York with a flag hoisting ceremony on Thursday, January 26th 2023.
Consul General Randhir Jaiswal unfurled the national flag after which the national anthem was sung. Consul General then read out the address of the President of India. A short cultural program of patriotic songs was presented by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA. A large number of members of Indian diaspora and friends of India participated in the celebration. The event was webcast live through the Consulate’s social media platforms.
The dignitaries who extended greetings on the occasion. Congresswoman Susan Wild, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick , NY State Senator Kevin Thomas, and NY Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar
In the evening, the Consul General hosted a reception which was attended by prominent members of the diaspora, elected officials, members of the diplomatic corps, friends from the media and people from different walks of life. The leading lights of Indian diaspora graced the occasion, including Prof. S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan, the recipient of Padma Vibhushan this year – the second highest civilian award. State Senator Kevin Thomas, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador R. Ravindra, Consuls General of Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Peru, Malaysia and Germany, besides diplomats from several other Consulates participated in the reception. More than 150 guests graced the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Jaiswal said: “Speaking to the nation on the eve of Republic, the Honorable President of India said and I quote: “With hope and confidence, we began an experiment unique in the history of humankind. Such a vast and diverse multitude of people coming together as one nation remains unprecedented. We did so with the belief that we are after all, one, that we are all Indians. We have succeeded as a democratic republic, because so many creeds and so many languages have not divided us; they have united us, that is the essence of India.” The ambassador added: “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to march on with speed and scale and more importantly, with humility and confidence. Our story today is both inspiring and assuring provided by transformative reforms, next generation infrastructure and empowering digital public goods. We are the fastest growing major economy. We recently became the fifth largest economy in the world and remain on course to achieve our targeted spot in the not so distant a future.”
Grammy Award winning singer Falguni Shah enthralled with patriotic songs.
The evening function began with singing of Indian and US national anthem by Master Ishaan Tangirala, a young talented singer of Indian origin from New Jersey. Consul General welcomed the guests and thanked everyone for their participation. He underlined the growing partnership between India and the US, the oldest and the largest democracies in the world and the key role of diaspora in strengthening these ties. Congratulatory video messages from Congresswoman Susan Wild and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick were played, followed by reading out of a citation from Congressman Michael Lawler. State Senator Kevin Thomas and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar delivered remarks conveying their greetings on the 74th Republic Day of India. This was followed by a video on the Consulate’s activities. Later, Grammy Award winning singer Falguni Shah gave an enthralling performance of patriotic songs. Guests were then invited for an Indian dinner where they were treated to a wide variety of regional cuisines. A special attraction on the menu was cuisines of millets from different parts of India, in celebration of International Year of Millets – 2023.
The event had a distinct flavor of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – the celebration of 75 years of India’s independence. Enthusiastic participation from the diaspora ensured Jan Bhagidari – or people’s participation in the celebration of 74th Republic Day.
The welcoming trio. From L to R: Shahana Bagban, Aastha Srivastava, Sandhya Parajuli.Celebrating “The Year of the Millets” . The hosts had delicious millets dishes served.
LONDON (TIP): A 25-year-old Sikh has man has been fined and banned from roads for 22 months by a UK court for driving under the influence of alcohol. Police found open cans of alcohol in Sukhpreet Singh’s car after he was followed through a Derbyshire town swerving across lanes in November last year, the Derbyshire Live reported.
The Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard that Singh, a Pizza Hut worker and a resident of Higher Albert Street, Chesterfield, was driving without a license.
According to prosecutor Becky Allsop, a witness informed that Singh’s car was swerving in and out of the zig-zag lines in the center of the road, and vehicles travelling in the opposite direction had to flash their lights at him. The witness, a driver, was following Singh’s car and had informed the police about him.
The witness described the vehicle as coming to a stop in the middle of the road for no reason and then drove off again, still swerving all the way down the road, the report said.
“The road he turned into had two lanes in each direction and Singh crossed both the carriageways, went over the central raised pavement and came to rest facing the opposite direction to the way he should have been,” Allsop was quoted as saying in Derbyshire Live.
Singh had a breath test reading of 77 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath — almost twice the legal limit of 35, the court was informed. Sajid Majeed, mitigating, said Singh has pleaded guilty, and had no previous convictions of any kind. Majeed told the court that his client had moved to the UK with his wife from India and still takes care of the financial needs of his elderly parents back there.
The court fined Singh 250 pounds, ordered him to pay 85 pound costs, a 100 pound victim surcharge and disqualified him from driving for 22 months, according to Derbyshire Live.
The report added that the ban will be reduced by 25 per cent on the successful completion of a drink-drive awareness course, which Singh has agreed to undergo.
SINGAPORE (TIP): Almost two years after a man allegedly kicked her in the chest and hurled racial slurs at her, Indian-origin woman Hindocha Nita Vishnubhai said she had not been able to overcome the trauma caused by the incident in Chua Chu Kang housing estate on May 7, 2021.
The 57-year-old was speaking in a district court on Wednesday, January 18, the first day of the trial of the accused, Wong Xing Fong, now aged 32. Wong has denied the allegations against him.
According to court documents, Wong is accused of hurling racial slurs at Hindocha with the deliberate intention of “wounding” her “racial feelings”. He is also accused of voluntarily causing hurt by kicking Hindocha’s chest in an attack aggravated by the racial element.
On Wednesday, Hindocha was called as the prosecution’s first witness, but she broke down as she walked into the courtroom, according to a media report.
It was not clear if she cried on seeing Wong but District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan stood the case down temporarily to allow time for her to compose herself and for a screen to be set up that shielded her from view, the report stated. As the trial resumed about 30 minutes later, Hindocha took the stand to tell the court what happened on the day of the attack.
Hindocha said she typically brisk walks to work as she does not have the time to do any other form of exercise before work and had pulled down her face mask to the chin to breathe more freely.
At the time, Singapore’s covid-19 regulations mandated that everyone keep their face masks on unless they were exercising. As Hindocha was approaching a bus stop beside the Northvale Condominium located along Choa Chu Kang Drive, she heard someone shouting at her from behind, she told the court.
She turned around to see “a couple”, Wong and an unnamed woman, gesturing at her and telling her to mask up. She gestured back to indicate that she was exercising and perspiring. At this point, Wong walked towards her and hurled the racial slur at her, Hindocha claimed. “I don’t like to fight, sir, so I said, ‘God bless you’,” she said, adding that then Wong ran towards her and gave her a “flying kick” in the chest.
The impact, said Hindocha, caused her to fall on her back, leaving her left forearm and palm bleeding.
She alleged that Wong and his female companion then “jogged” away as though nothing had happened.
“I was crying very loudly, sir. I was very scared. Till today, (if) you bring me (to) that road I will cry…I was very scared,” she said. A woman at the bus stop helped her up and gave her a first-aid plaster for her injuries, she said.
Hindocha said she narrated her ordeal to her husband and manager at work and reported the incident to the police only later that evening after she had finished her second job as an English tutor at a tuition center. She had her injuries examined by a doctor at a polyclinic on May 10.
When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Foo how the incident had affected her, Hindocha said she felt both scared and sad. Wong’s lawyer told Hindocha that it was his client’s position that she was not exercising and had no reason to pull her mask down.
He added that Wong had not used vulgarities against her and had also not kicked her in the chest.
Wong also claimed that Hindocha spat at him and told him sarcastically that she was brisk-walking and that he should mind his own business. Hindocha disagreed with all these statements.
During re-examination by DPP Foo, Hindocha said that while she had difficulty remembering the precise location of the attack, she clearly remembers Wong kicking her.
The second witness was the doctor who attended Hindocha.
The trial will continue Thursday and Friday before being adjourned until early February.
Anyone found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt can be jailed for up to three years or fined up to SGD 5,000 or both. However, in cases where the offence is racially or religiously aggravated, the court may sentence the person to 1.5 times the amount of punishment to which he or she would otherwise have been liable.
As for those found guilty of deliberately intending to wound the religious or racial feelings of any person, they can be jailed for up to three years or fined or both.
CANBERRA (TIP): A 21-year-old Indian from Punjab was killed in a fatal car crash in Australia’s Canberra, a media report said. Kunal Chopra from Hoshiarpur district, who held a student visa in Australia, was returning from work around 7 am when his car collided with a concrete pumping truck on William Hovell Drive in Canberra last week, SBS Punjabi, a multi-cultural and multi-lingual broadcaster in Australia, reported. According to the preliminary investigations, Chopra’s car crossed to the wrong side of the road into the path of the city-bound truck. Chopra was announced dead on the spot. This was Canberra territory’s first road fatality for 2023.
Acting Inspector for Road Policing Travis Mills said the major collisions team continued to investigate the accident of Chopra, who arrived in Australia in February last year.
“We are heartbroken, and his family back home is shattered and inconsolable,” Honey Malhotra, a cousin of Chopra who stayed with him in Canberra, told SBS Punjabi.
Malhotra said he was making arrangements to send Chopra’s mortal remains to his family in India.
Friend and community representative, Gurpreet Singh Gill, said the tragedy has left the tight-knit Indian community in Canberra in deep shock. “We are in touch with his family, and also with the Indian High Commission, which is helping with the repatriation of his mortal remains to India,” Gill told SBS Punjabi, urging young students to remain vigilant on the roads. Chopra’s accident comes days after the Shepparton crash that left four men of Indian origin dead, another tragedy that shocked the community in Australia.
LONDON (TIP): A British-Indian entrepreneur and founder of an ethnic minority-focused marketing agency has been conferred the Freedom of the City of London honor for his contributions to the financial hub of the UK capital. Manish Tiwari, founder of Here and Now 365, read the “Declaration of a Freeman” and signed the Freeman’s Declaration Book recently, when he was presented with the Copy of the Freedom—a parchment document inscribed by a calligrapher, along with a copy of the “Rules for the Conduct of Life” which date from the mid-eighteenth century. The honor is steeped in history and traditionally the recognition gave a “Freeman” the right to trade in the Square Mile or financial heart of London.
“On the strength of its multi-cultural legacy, the City of London continues to grow and prosper. It remains at the forefront of global finance by leveraging its past and embracing change and I am honored to be a part of this legacy,” said Tiwari. As one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies of the British capital still in existence today, the tradition of conferring the title is believed to have started in 1237. The title of Freeman is more symbolic today and comes with certain corresponding duties associated with the Lord Mayor’s office.
A previous Indian recipient of the honor is Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and other prominent recipients include South African leader Nelson Mandela and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Tiwari became the latest to join the ranks at a solemn admission ceremony at the Chamberlain’s Court in the iconic Guildhall in London earlier this month.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American doctor Nirav D. Shah, who played a pivotal role during Covid-19 pandemic, has been appointed Principal Deputy Director at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). Shah, 45, who serves as the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), will report to US CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in his new role starting March.
“In my new role, I will be honored to serve not just Maine, but the entire nation and carry forward the good work that we have done here. As I prepare for this next step, I thank the people of Maine for taking care of me, as I’ve always asked them to take care of each other,” he said in a statement. Shah was appointed to Maine CDC in 2019 with the mission of rebuilding the agency and the State’s public health infrastructure.
“Dr Shah has been a trusted advisor to me and an extraordinary leader of the Maine CDC. But even more than that, he was a trusted advisor and a leader to the people of Maine during one of the greatest public health crises of our time,” Maine Governor Janet Mills wrote in a tweet.
She added in her statement that Shah spoke calmly and directly to the people of Maine, many of whom were scared and uncertain, and answered their questions with “compassion, empathy, humor, and a clarity”.
Shah’s appointment as Principal Deputy Director comes as part of a planned, broader overhaul of that agency announced by the US CDC Director in August of last year. Born to Indian immigrants, Shah grew up in Wisconsin, and attended the University of Louisville where he majored in psychology and biology.
He studied economics at Oxford University and enrolled in medical school at the University of Chicago in 2000. Shah completed his Juris Doctor in 2007 and his Doctor of Medicine in 2008 -both from the University of Chicago and was a recipient of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.
SANTA CLARA, CA (TIP): Indian American billionaire Vinod Khosla wants the world’s elite to not go to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, and instead contribute that money to “a better cause.”
The founder of Khosla Ventures and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, who is a big champion of clean energy, tweeted on Monday, January 16: “Can the people going to Davos not go and contribute the money to a better cause? This is ridiculous.”
The tweet was in response to a tweet by Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital who is campaigning to channel $350 billion in Russian funds frozen since the beginning of the Ukraine war to be “used for the defense of Ukraine.”
The financier said he is skipping Davos “after 27 years as a regular” because “the Forum wanted to charge him $250,000, more than triple what he paid in the past.” Browder thinks he deserves to be “admitted for free, as a human rights activist.” “I’m in Davos to argue for the frozen Russian $350 billion to be used for the defense of Ukraine,” he wrote. “But I won’t be doing it in the halls of the WEF because they raised the price of attendance to $250k for me (3x what they charged before). Russians are happy.”
The 2023 edition of the Forum began in Davos Monday and runs through January 20. The theme this year is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.” CEOs of 1,000 member companies and leaders from a wide range of fields are expected to attend the event, covered by hundreds of global media organizations.
It is also a magnet for critics who denounce the gathering for being tone deaf to a number of global issues, including increasing income inequalities and climate change, just to name a few.
Khosla — who is worth $4.9 billion, according to the Forbes Real Time Network tracker on January 16 — himself is no stranger to Davos. The 557th richest person in the world has attended the Forum on multiple occasions.
Born in Pune, India, Khosla, 67, is considered one of the most successful and influential venture capitalists. An alumnus of IIT Delhi where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Khosla earned his master’s in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon and MBA from Stanford.
OAKLAND, CA (TIP): Janani Ramachandran, a 30-year-old Indian American attorney, has emerged as the youngest and the first woman of color to take oath as the Oakland City Council member in the US state of California.
Ramachandran took the ceremonial oath wearing a saree as the Oakland City Council member for District 4 in an inauguration ceremony held on January 10.
and helped build our movement. Honored to have my loved ones by my side as I took the ceremonial oath!” Ramachandran describes herself as “a daughter of immigrants from a small village in South India.
Ramachandran currently serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and has previously served as a Commissioner at the City of Oakland Public Ethics Commission, according to her website. The Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley pass-out has worked in several legal non-profits. As a first-time candidate in her 2021 run for State Assembly, she shocked political experts by advancing to the special election runoff, coming out on top amongst a field of previously elected officials, her website said.
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Amid a tight race for Republican Party leadership, Indian American attorney Harmeet Dhillon, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, has alleged that she is facing bigoted attacks from some party leaders owing to her Sikh faith.
But Dhillon, who represented Trump during the Jan 6 select committee’s probe that tried to subpoena him, has vowed that she would not drop out of the contest against current Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel, who has led the RNC since 2017.
“To be very clear, no amount of threats to me or my team, or bigoted attacks on my faith traceable directly to associates of the chair, will deter me from advancing positive change at the RNC, which includes new standards of accountability, transparency, integrity, and decency,” she wrote in a series of tweets.
“Threats incoming today. One of Ronna’s state chair supporters responded to my message about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy by threatening me with consequences if I didn’t make the “annoying” text messages from voters stop (no one on my team has asked anyone to text members),” she alleged.
“Another person on my team got a threatening call from a $$$ RNC consultant for raising questions about RNC’s highest-paid vendors. Message delivered was that my supporter would never work on a certain presidential campaign or for RNC if they didn’t shut up,” Dhillon wrote.
“It is hurtful to learn that a handful of RNC members, in a close race for RNC chair, have chosen to question my fitness to run the RNC by using my devout Sikh faith as a weapon against me,” Dhillon told media.
The committee’s 168 members will hold a vote on Jan 27 to determine the RNC chairmanship at the committee’s annual winter meeting in Dana Point, California.
A group of more than two dozen Republican donors threw their support behind Dhillon in a Jan 9 letter to RNC members, Fox News and The Hill have reported previously.
Several of the individuals listed on the letter have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Republican Party over the years, the news outlets noted.
“We cannot continue on our current trajectory as a Republican Party,” they wrote calling for a change in leadership. “We must change, in order to fulfill our promise to Republican voters to win elections.”
The donors warned the party “is on the verge of permanent irrelevance if we fail to come together to correct course.” The Hill described Dhillon’s campaign to oust McDanielk at the top of the party as “her toughest leadership challenge yet.” A poll released earlier this month cited by the Hill found a large majority of Republican voters backing a leadership change.
Media suggested last month that “A Dhillon candidacy would mark the most serious challenge to McDaniel to date.” Born in Chandigarh, India to a Punjabi Sikh family in 1969, Dhillon, has served as chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association and as a former chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Three Indian Americans, Anahita Dua, Sonia Singhvi, and Neil Vora are among this year’s 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program serving as a catalyst for a diverse network of established leaders. The eighth annual PLS class comprises accomplished leaders including service members, educators, physicians, public servants, and corporate professionals, the program announced Jan 12.
A partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson, the PLS program kicks off in Washington, DC, on Jan 24.
“Scholars were selected based on their leadership growth potential and their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community, the country, or the world,” according to a PLS news release.
Over the course of several months, Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics, it said.
They will study and put into practice varying leadership principles and exchange ideas to help maximize their impact in the communities they serve.
The latest class joins an active network of more than 400 Scholars who are applying lessons learned through the program to make a difference in the United States and around the world, the release said.
Scholars have consistently reported remarkable growth in skills, responsibilities, and opportunities for impact since the program began in 2015, it said.
For example, 94% of Scholars said their confidence in how they lead social change has improved as a result of PLS, and 98% of Scholars reported they are inspired to accomplish more since beginning the program.
2023 Indian American scholars
Anahita Dua, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Newton, Massachusetts.
She completed her vascular surgery fellowship at Stanford University Hospital, and her general surgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, she is the director of the Vascular Lab, and co-director of the Peripheral Artery Disease Center and Limb Evaluation and Amputation Program.
Last August, the 39-year-old Newton resident, a mother to two young children, took the plunge into politics, forming the Healthcare for Action PAC, “a federal political action committee that aims to elect Democratic health care workers to Congress,” as reported by the Commonwealth.
She told the media she started the PAC because of personal experiences she had with her patients and her 5-year-old daughter. “What I’m noticing is in each realm I’m not able to do what I want to do to protect these people, whether my patients or my daughter,” she said.
Sonia Singhvi, Global Head of Culture, Inclusion, & Diversity at the Boston-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals. A strategic, patient-centric, biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of industry experience across multiple therapeutic and functional areas, Singhvi joined the company and rose through the ranks, according to her LinkedIn profile. Singhvi says she’s “excited” to be accepted into the 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholars Program. “PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders to collaborate and create meaningful change in the United States and around the world as they learn from former US Presidents and their administrations.”
“I will leverage these insights to advance health equity, improve patient outcomes, and enhance diversity in clinical trials,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Neil Vora, a physician with the New York-based Conservation International where he leads its efforts on pandemic prevention.
“Throughout his career, he has focused on the link between human health and the health of the planet – particularly as it relates to the increasing threat of ‘spillover’ of viruses from animals to humans because of the destruction of nature,” according to his Conservation International profile.
He served for nearly a decade with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer and a Commander in the US Public Health Service (USPHS).
He deployed for CDC to Liberia in 2014 and to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2019 to assist in the responses to the two largest Ebola outbreaks ever.
He previously led the investigation of a newly discovered virus in the country of Georgia related to the smallpox virus. For his work, he has received numerous accolades including the USPHS Physician Researcher of the Year Award, CDC James H. Steele Veterinary Public Health Award, CDC Donald C. Mackel Memorial Award, and CDC Alexander D. Langmuir Prize Manuscript Award.
From 2020-2021, Vora developed and led New York City’s Covid-19 contact tracing program, overseeing a team of over 3,000 people. His program traced more than half a million people who had contracted the virus. He still sees patients in a public tuberculosis clinic in New York City.
He has published over 60 articles in various medical journals. He’s an Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Columbia University, and a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
He completed medical school at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2009 and his Internal Medicine training at Columbia University in 2012.
President Droupadi Murmu on January 10 graced the valedictory session of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention and conferred the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards today here upon 27 overseas Indians as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention on Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin, or an organization established and run by Non-Resident Indians in recognition of their outstanding achievements both in India and abroad. Speaking to ANI, the awardees expressed their contentment and gratification over receiving the prestigious awards and said that the Indian diaspora is giving examples of shining in foreign lands that they moved to with India in their hearts.
“This award has been amazing. First of all coming home, coming to India and my family, it is already humbling, and then to receive an award from the President herself has been a truly magical moment and a very big honour in my life,” said Archana Sharma from Switzerland who received the awards in the field of Science and Technology.
“The Indian diaspora is shining diamonds in Switzerland because in Switzerland we have a very – very highly skilled and highly educated Indian diaspora and they are actually dotting very key positions. For example, in the United Nations, the WHO, and in all these kinds of international organizations in multinationals, and in the business community as well. So, we have a sterling diaspora in Switzerland and they are all very connected with India”, added the awardee. Thanking the Government of India for this honour, Reena Vinod Pushkarna from Israel who got the award in the field of business and community welfare said that she was delighted that the government did not forget them even when they leave their Motherland and go to other places.
“Very honoured, extremely touched. My parents up in heaven must be very happy today. It started with food, led to culture then led to diplomacy. Now, there are so many exchange programs, between the citizens of India and Israel, and it all started with just two simple people so I thank the government of India for not forgetting its people and this is what PBD stands for, that they don’t forget their Indians even when they leave their Motherland and go to other places to carry on our journeys but with India in their hearts”, said Reena.
Another awardee from Canada said that he was honoured to receive the award from his Matribhoomi and he will continue to serve both in Canada and India.
“It is a privilege that I got this award from Bharat Mata our Mataribhumi and I will continue to offer our services I am blessed to be able to continue my service, for contributing to the field of education, health care, and clean technology, and continue to serve both Canada and India”, said Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan.
Getting the award for community welfare from Sri Lanka, Sivakumar Nadesan said that we can do better with the quality of life, improve it and make larger jobs and skills.
“I got the award for community welfare. They have also mentioned that I have done media. So, I think that it is the combination of both. But especially on the community welfare side, we are talking about the Indian origin people who went there four generations ago and they have planted tea, worked on the bridges, worked on the roads and actually done lot of development for Sri Lanka during their lifetime. But I think we can do better with the quality of life, improve it and kind of make them more free to make a larger jobs and skills and housing”, he said.
The 17th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was held at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The awards were conferred by the President during the valedictory session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations. The recipients were chosen by a jury-cum-awards committee chaired by the vice-president with the External affairs minister S Jaishankar as the vice-chair of the panel, whose other members are drawn from various walks of life.
Addressing the gathering, the President said that the Indian Diaspora today has become an important and unique force in the global system. It has grown into an energetic and confident community in every region and is making stellar contributions to world affairs in leadership positions.
Referring the theme of this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention – “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”, the President said that it reflects India’s desire to make its Diaspora a partner in the achievement of its national developmental goals.
In the next 25 years, India is going to embark on an ambitious journey of collective hard work, sacrifice, and intensive development to transform into a self-reliant world leader by 2047, when we would be celebrating the centenary of our independence, she said.
Prime minister Narendra Modi on January 9 addressed the 17th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention – this time in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore – and declared himself happy to see it organised in ‘the heart of India’. This year’s Pravasi Bharatitya Divyas theme is ‘Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal’.
Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the president of the Republic of Suriname, and Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, were among the special guests, as was Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. More than 3,500 diaspora members – from 70 countries – registered for the event, news agency ANI said.
Here are prime minister Modi’s top quotes from his address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
This Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is special in many ways. The nation has entered ‘Amrit Kaal’ for the next 25 years and our Pravasi Bhartiya community has a significant role to play in further elevating India’s role on global levels.
Each and every Pravasi Bhartiya present here has achieved unprecedented success in their respective fields. I’m happy that the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is being organised in Madhya Pradesh, which also is called the ‘Heart of India’.
I would like you all to relish food in Indore – a city which is known for its delicacies from namkeen to poha; everything here has an unforgettable taste. Chappan dukan is highly famous and the Sarafa market is a world-renowned venue.
The digital exhibition displaying our freedom struggle has been organised here and it brings the glorious era in front of you all again.
‘Swadesho Bhuvantrayam’ means ‘for us, the whole world is our country, only human beings are our brothers and sisters’. It was on this ideological foundation that our forefathers shaped the cultural expansion of India.
About the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Honour/Award) is the highest Indian award for Non-resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India or an organisation or institution established and run by Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin, constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Non-Resident Indian Day), to honour exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession. The award is given by the President of India. Since 2016, the Government of India has doubled the number of awardees each year to 30 after a decision to grant the award once every two years.
“A jury-cum-awards committee, with (the) Vice President as the chairman and External Affairs Minister as the vice-chair and other distinguished members from various walks of life considered the nominations…and unanimously selected the awardees,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a release.
When Pravasi Bharatiya Divas started?
A High-Level Committee on Indian Diaspora, headed by jurist and Parliamentarian LM Singhvi, had recommended in January 2002 that the government must renew and strengthen linkages of overseas Indians to their place of origin, and with each other.
The committee recommended that a Pravasi Bharatiya Bhavan should be set up to emerge as the focal point for networking between India and its overseas Indian community; and as a suitable place which to commemorate the stories of the Indian Diaspora. The idea of a day to have the government recognise the community flowed from this, and was held in 2003.
January 9 was selected as it was the date when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915. Over the years, he has often been described as the first non-resident Indian of the most famous NRI by various politicians, including PM Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Since 2015, the centenary year of Gandhi’s return, the format was revised for the meeting to be held once every two years. Since the pandemic, this will be the first in-person meeting.
List of Overseas Indians given the honor
Sr. No. Person Country Field
1 Jagadish Chennupati Australia Science & Tech/ Education
2 Sanjeev Mehta Bhutan Education
3 Dilip Loundo Brazil Art & Culture/Education
4 Alexander Maliakel John Brunei Medicine
5 Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan Canada Community Welfare
6 Joginder Singh Nijjar Croatia Art & Culture/Education
7 Ramjee Prasad Denmark Information Technology
8 Kannan Ambalam Ethiopia Community Welfare
9 Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay Germany Community Welfare
10 Mohamed Irfaan Ali Guyana Community Welfare
11 Reena Vinod Pushkarna Israel Business
12 Maqsooda Sarfi Shiotani Japan Education
13 Rajagopal Mexico Education
14 Amit Kailash Chandra Lath Poland Business
15 Parmanand Sukhumal Daswani Congo Community Welfare
16 Piyush Gupta Singapore Business
17 Mohanlal Hira South Africa Community Welfare
18 Sanjaykumar Shivabhai Patel South Sudan Business
19 Sivakumar Nadesan Sri Lanka Community Welfare
20 Dewanchandrebhose Sharman Suriname Community Welfare
Consul General of India at New York Mr. Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, a few days after joining the present position on 19th July 2020 in an interview with The Indian Panorama, had spelt out in brief his priorities which included nourishing and strengthening the already strong bonds between India and the US, and exploring new areas of cooperation and relationship in diverse fields of economy, trade, technology, and culture etc. Ambassador Jaiswal added that serving the Indian Diaspora remained the primary focused concern of the Consulate. The strengthening of multi-stake holders relationship will be another priority, he said. The Indian Panorama interviewed him a couple of times, and each time, Mr. Jaiswal was forthcoming on all issues raised ,and questions asked.
Three days to the end of the year 2022, Mr. Jaiswal agreed to sit with the editor of The Indian Panorama to share for the readers of the publication his thoughts. It was a long interview in which Ambassador Jaiswal touched upon all the aforementioned areas.
In the part 1 of the interview published two weeks ago, Ambassador Jaiswal focused on the vibrant Indian American community and its contribution.
In part 2 of the interview, we brought to readers Ambassador’s perspective on Indian students as a powerhouse of knowledge, catalysts of national integration, and promoters of Indian arts, culture and values.
In this third part of the interview, Ambassador Jaiswal speaks about promoting economic relations between the two nations as one of the important functions of the Consulate, besides reiterating what he had said in the first part of the interview that the Consulate is “committed to public service”.
Here are some excerpts from the interview.
Consul General Randhir Kumar Jaiswal in interview with Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, chief editor of The Indian Panorama. (File photo)
TIP:You spoke about the Consulate’s relationship with the Diaspora, and with the Indian students here. What else do you think is the function of this Consulate?
Ambassador:An important function of the consulate is to promote economic relations. So, we have product launches in the Consulate. Weare promoting “one district one product” scheme of government of India. When we had the parade this time, the consulate float was based on one district one product. The idea is thatthere’s so much of capacity in India that we must realize that capacity, produce goods and services for the Indian domestic market, and also bring those goods and services from India to the world outside. So, on trade side with the US we want to see how best we can leverage technology partnership with companies and link those companies with companies in India so that they can add value to a clean development or green growth or digital pathways or digital led development that we are committed to.
Then, also on the investment side, trying to identify the right partners for investors here how they can invest in India; how they can be partnered in a good story; how they can be part of the PM Shakti Infrastructure Program. Huge infrastructure projects are being undertaken in India- airports, expressways, cities, new cities, Film City; all those things are being built. We have to see how American companies can contribute to our growth and development. And then of course, you know, as part of our general overall friendship that we have to maintain, we are also in touch with US stakeholders, political stakeholders, so that we can inform them while that is happening in India on the economic side, on the reform side, so that there is a better appreciation of our relationship, and how India comes up with the overall strategic partnership.
TIP:Well, they say the number of complaints and grievances go to show the dissatisfaction of people with an organization. How satisfied you are after almost three years herewhen you find that the number of complaints and grievances has gone down considerably, almost non- existent?
Ambassador: The motto of the government of India is “people first”, and that has been an approach with us at the Consulate. If a person is there, if he has a problem, the problem needs to be solved. It is in line with the mission – Karm Yogi . This is another reform that we have undertaken. Prime Minister Modi has undertaken transformative reforms which have changed bureaucracy and the way it is perceived, the way it should be doing things for the society, from rule based to role based. That is the tagline- from rule based to role based. We have to have a helping attitude; we have to have a positive attitude. We have to have a problem-solving attitude.
In the last year we introduced three features in our consular services, bringing in more technology in a public service delivery. That is what is happening in India as well. We launched a mobile app of the consulate, so it becomes easy for people .If you go to a website and fill in a form, the form goes left, right, you don’t know where it goes. But on an app if you want to fill in a form it’s very easy. So that has made life easy for consular applicants. Most of the queries that are generated on PRAMIT were about status check. What is the status of my passport? What is the status of my visa? Of course, I mean, status of visa is not there because you know we tender it the same day or the following day. So, we introduced an interface which was somewhat difficult because we were dealing with two different technology platforms. We introduced a status check in the form itself . So, instead of asking us, they can themselves put their number and get the status check, and that has been a major hit. We have at least 5000 to 6000 applicants using status check mechanism on PRAMIT on a monthly basis, which means that the number of queries generated from a system has gone down substantially. And the third feature that we introduced is artificial intelligence based strong chatbot. If you have a query, you put your query, the chatbot will answer. Basically, chatbot is able to answer 99% of the questions. So, these three things have made life easy for everyone-people at the consulate and the public seeking consular services. They don’t have to run around. They don’t waste time and that savestheir time, and also their energy.
TIP: Well, you are making great use of the latest technology available to make things easier for both the consulate employees and the public, who until a few years ago, had to spend days together, running from pillar to post have a passport or visa issued, and of course, for other services.
Ambassador:Also, one more thing I would like to mention, that we are committed to public service and for that reason, this consulate is open seven days a week. This Saturday also, we had to keep the consulate open as there was a case of emergency at the airport. One young student who was flying out lost his passport after he had checked in. It was a problem. We called him here. We got the passport issued, and then he was able to take another flight. So, we are always there to attend to emergencies. I would encourage people to use the emergency helpline to request us even on a Saturday or a Sunday; we’ll be more than happy to render all assistance. But also, I would like to tell your readers that they should use the emergency helpline for emergency only, not for random questions on India or things that may not be related to emergency.
In the last several years, we have taken a problem-solving approach. People who applied for asylum can ask for a passport, and they will be given a passport.You ask for a visa; you will be given a visa. Similarly, if you don’t have your passport details etc. and you have I797 we are giving people passport services as well. So, it has helped everybody. This system has been helpful to people and we have also reformed the way we work.
TIP:And besides passport, visa and all other consular services, how do you help the Indian origin people or the Indian community in your jurisdiction?
Ambassador: There have been many death cases. If a person here is alone and there is no survivor, we take care of various needs, including cremation and sending the mortal remains to India. In fact, we do it almost on a weekly basis. For that sort of support, we team with theTeammate, which isan organization here and is very helpful. They deal with all sorts of trauma cases in the community, not just in the United States, but also in Canada. They can reach out within hours in any corner of the nation because they have their volunteers. We have been able to provide a lot of help to the community with support from Teammate.
Just a month back there was an accident in which seven students were involved. Three or four of them died. We immediately contacted the families and then we ensured that the mortal remains were sent back. These are critical situations, we understand. It’s very sensitive for the family; we understand their emotion.
We also render services in terms of reaching out to women folk who are disturbed here, for one reason or the other. We provide them. We connect them to NGOs. We provide legal services. We also provide some other assistance and required financial assistance at times. So, we have many people-to-people issues too to deal with, and we are doing our best tohelp them resolve them.
WASHINGTOON, D.C. (TIP): Indian-Americans who constitute about one per cent of the US population pay about six per cent of the taxes, a Congressman Rich McCormick told his Congressional colleagues on Thursday, January 12, noting that this ethnic community does not cause problems and follows the laws.
In his maiden speech on the House floor, Rich McCormick, 54, said that one of the five doctors in his community is from India and described Indian-Americans as great patriots, upstanding citizens and good friends.”Although they make up about one per cent of American society, they pay about six per cent of the taxes. They’re amongst the top producers, and they do not cause problems. They follow the laws,” McCormick said in a short speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
A physician by profession, Republican McCormick represents the 6th Congressional District of Georgia, which mainly constitutes the northern suburbs of Atlanta. He defeated Bob Christian of the Democratic Party in the November 8, 2022 midterm elections.
“They (Indian-Americans) don’t have the problems that we see other people have when they come to the emergency room for overdoses and depression anxiety because they’re the most productive or family-oriented and the best of what represents American citizens,” McCormick said. Georgia has a significant number of Indian-Americans. “I rise to this occasion to appreciate my constituents, especially those who have emigrated from India. We have a very large portion of my community that’s made up of almost 100,000 people who have emigrated directly from India,” he said. “One out of every five doctors in my community are from India. They represent some of the best citizens we have in America, we should make sure that we streamline the immigration process for those who come here to obey the law and pay their taxes and be the most creative and productive in society,” McCormick said.
“God bless my Indian constituents and I look forward to meeting with the (Indian) Ambassador,” McCormick said in his brief remarks.
WHITEHORSE (TIP): Indian-origin cabinet minister Ranj Pillai is set to be sworn in as the tenth Premier of the Canadian province of Yukon. He will be the second Premier of Indian descent to take oath after Ujjal Dosanjh who became the Premier of Canada’s British Columbia province between 2000 and 2001.
A deputy in Premier Sandy Silver’s government, Pillai was elected as the leader of the Yukon Liberal Party unopposed. “I am honored and humbled to be acclaimed as the leader of the Yukon Liberal Party. We have so much to be proud of and I’m very excited for what the future of the Yukon holds,” Pillai said in his campaign statement. “I am committed to working hard, seeking common ground, acting strategically and to fiercely defending the interests of the Yukon. I look forward to serving all Yukoners as our dedicated team continues to make this territory one of the best places to call home,” he added.
Pillai, who hails from Kerala, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as MLA for Porter Creek South in November 2016 and was inducted into the Cabinet as Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, and Economic Development.
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