WASHINGTON(TIP): In a show of unprecedented bipartisan support, 67 lawmakers from both chambers of the US Congress attended a Congressional reception on Capitol Hill Feb 7 for new Indian Ambassador Harsh Shringla. Among the attendees at the invitation-only reception were TV Asia chairman and CEO, Padma Shri H R Shah, several business associations and members of the media.
The Congressional reception was hosted by the Co-Chairs of the Senate India Caucus and Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Congressman George Holding (R-NC).
The event was attended by lawmakers from both the Senate and the House. In addition, prominent members of the Indian American community from across the US.
In their welcome remarks, Senator Warner, Senator Cornyn, Congressman Sherman and Congressman Holding, underlined the importance of the India-US strategic partnership and the critical role played by Congress, in particular, the India Caucus in strengthening relations.
They extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Shringla and committed to working together in building closer ties between the two countries.
The lawmakers also appreciated the significant role played by the Indian American community in building bridges of understanding across the two cultures and nations. They called upon the new members of Congress to join the India Caucus. Conspicuous by attendance were: Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ), one of the co-founders of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans; Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) as well as Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Ro Khanna (D-CA).
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), in her remarks mentioned she will be introducing a bill in the 116th Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi in this 150th Birth Anniversary year.
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said in his remarks that Mahatma Gandhi had been an inspiration for him. Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) mentioned her support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) also attended and spoke about the great contributions of the Indian American community across all fields in the US.
Ambassador Shringla thanked the Caucus Co-Chairs for their warm welcome. The Ambassador noted that the bipartisan support for the India-US strategic partnership was reflected in the turnout of the Members of Congress across the aisle for the event.
Further, the overwhelming support for the relationship with India is attested by the fact that the India Caucus is the largest country-specific Caucus on the Hill.
He thanked the Indian American Diaspora for serving as cultural Ambassadors of India and contributing to a strong foundation for the strategic partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies.
The Ambassador also spoke briefly about the progress made in bilateral ties over the past year across all domains – defense, economic and trade, energy cooperation, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
Following the Congressional reception, Ambassador Shringla hosted a meet and greet and dinner event at his residence.
Losing a dear friend is heartbreaking. Though life is uncertain, we all know, yet we do not expect a tragedy to befall so suddenly. We live in hope for the best. And here is the sudden shock.
My dear friend for the last 15 years here in the US , Mr. Vinod Kotahwala , a diamond merchant of New York and a well known person in the community had reportedly gone out of New York for a professional exhibition. According to his elder brother Haridass Kotahwala who I spoke with this morning , Vinod had a heart attack on Sunday night, followed by brain haemorrhage on Monday morning, to which he succumbed , after having been kept on life support, on Tuesday, Feb 12 morning.
I don’t know how his wife Sushma will bear this terrible life shattering loss. His lovely children who doted on their father must be in terrible pain. His friends, like me, must be in a state of shock, just as I am. Life will never be the same again for his family and friends.
I will miss his cheerful disposition, his cherubic smile, warmth of his affection, his concern for me , and for others like me. He was a spring of encouragement, hope and love. I don’t think the void his sudden and untimely demise has created can ever be filled. There can never be another like him.
I recall nostalgically my many meetings and sittings with him and the pleasure each encounter with him brought me, and feel a nerve shattering sense of loss at his sudden departure.
Like all others, I do understand we cannot prevent Death from plundering life at Will. I also know we cannot do anything but accept the Will of God. What is left to us is pray for eternal rest to the departed soul. So I do in all love for Vinod, and in all humility to the Almighty to grant eternal rest to my dear departed friend. I pray to God Almighty to give strength to the family to bear the terrible loss.
Vinod will for ever live in the heart of his family and friends. Amen!
NEWMAN, CA(TIP): An Indian-origin police officer in California has been killed after being shot by an “armed” unidentified gunman. Corporal Ronil Singh was shot and killed while conducting a vehicle stop at the intersection of Merced Street and Eucalyptus Avenue shortly before 1:00 am on December 26.
Approximately three minutes after initiating the stop he radioed dispatch that shots had been fired. Responding officers found Corporal Singh at the scene suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.
The subject he stopped fled the scene and remains at large. Police have launched a manhunt to find the suspected gunman. They also shared images on Facebook in the hopes that someone will spot the suspect. The suspect’s vehicle has been recovered. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department says police agencies throughout California and out of state have been alerted.
33-year-old Singh had served with the Newman Police Department for seven years. Newman is located in Stanislaus County in central California, east of San Jose. He had previously served with the Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Turlock Police Department.
The Stanislaus Sworn Deputies Association has established a Corporal Ronil Singh, Newman PD Memorial Fund.
TEMPLE TERRACE, FL(TIP): Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Kiran Patel in this northern Tampa suburb will provide free quality education to students from the area and beyond through a new state-of-the-art charter school.
The construction of Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School will be completed in the summer of 2019 and classes will begin in August. Ground for the more than 60,000-square-foot school, which will include a 11,000-square-foot gymnasium, was broken on December 13. The $20 million high school building, located on a 32-acre plot near the University of South Florida, will be funded fully by the Tampa-based philanthropist.
The groundbreaking in the waning days of the year marks the end of a hectic 15-month period for Patel and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel, during which they committed approximately a quarter-billion dollar for various philanthropic causes and made their second billion-dollar-plus exit from health insurance business in a decade and a half.
In this file photo, Dr. Kiran C. Patel and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel are seen with NSU President Dr. George Hanbury (extreme left) when the couple announced $200 million donation to Nova Southeastern University (NSU)
In September 2017, the Patels had committed a whopping $200 million — the single largest donation by an Indian American to date — to Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale. The gift, the largest in the university’s history, will impact healthcare delivery in the United States, India and globally.
Like the NSU donation, the latest philanthropic commitment also focuses on an area that’s close to the Zambia-born Patel’s heart, education. In fact, a vast majority of Drs. Kiran & Pallavi Patel Family Foundations’ works globally — including in the United States, India, Africa and the Caribbean — have been in healthcare and education.
Noted Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist from Tampa, Dr. Kiran Patel is the Chairman and President of Freedom Health, Inc. and Optimum Health, Inc. in Florida. He sees philanthropy as his responsibility and passion. Dr. Patel built the WellCare Management Group which he sold in 2002 to a private equity group. The Patel’s have used these proceeds to continue their generous philanthropic work in the Tampa Bay community. Recently, Dr. Patel purchased the former Clearwater Christian College property and has plans to create a college of osteopathic medicine to attract more doctors to this area. Their non-profit organization, the Kiran and Pallavi Patel Foundation for Global Understanding, funds a number of initiatives in health, education and culture. It even offers an annual scholarship to the underprivileged youth in the United States.
As longtime residents of the Carrollwood community, the Patels have been giving back to the Tampa Bay area for decades. In addition to their previous accomplishments, Dr. Patel served as an accomplished Cardiologist and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel specialized in Pediatrics.
BOSTON(TIP): Indian American Sruthi Palaniappan has been elected president of the powerful student’s body of the prestigious Harvard University.
Palaniappan, 20, whose parents migrated to the US from Chennai in 1992, was elected as president of the Harvard University Undergraduate Council.
Her running mate Julia Huesa, 20, was elected as vice president, according to an announcement by the Undergraduate Council Election Commission.
Ms Palaniappan said that Ms Huesa and her planned to work on improving the Council’s communication with the student body in their initial days in office.
“I think from the onset, better structuring the way we communicate with students is something that we need to already set the tone and plan for,” she said.
“I think we’re going to work on it before we even leave for break and just get off the ground running,” she said.
Ms Palaniappan was the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July 2016.
According to the report, Ms Palaniappan and Ms Huesa garnered nearly 41.5 per cent of the votes as against their nearest opponent Nadine M Khoury and Arnav Agrawal, who received 26.6 per cent of the votes.
They ran their campaign under the slogan “Make Harvard Home”.
The duo, a long-time member of the Undergraduate Council, are scheduled to take over from the outgoing president Catherine L Zhang ’19 and vice president Nicholas D Boucher ’19.
Ms Palaniappan is currently the council’s education committee chair.
RICHMOND HILL(TIP): Dedicated to the 549th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Founder of Sikhism, world’s youngest and the fifth largest religion, Sikhs of New York took out an impressive parade through Richmond Hill in Queens, New York, Saturday, November 17.
Organized by Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lubana, located in Richmond Hill, the colorful parade was a treat to watch. There was a gorgeously decorated float to carry the Living Guru of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Granth Sahib. This float was at the head of the parade. The Panj Piaras (the five beloveds of the Tenth Master Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji) marched ahead of the float carrying Shri Guru Granth Sahib , with ragis singing devotional hymns and the priests attending on Guru Granth Sahib.
Behind the float of Shri Guru Granth Sahib was a float of Sikh Martial Art. Behind this float young and the old displayed the traditional Sikh martial art, known as Gatka.
The large number of the Sikhs as also their friends from other communities joined the parade, which marched through the Liberty Avenue and then moved on to Atlantic Avenue, from where it headed towards Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society on 118thStreet . It finally terminated at the starting point- Gurdwara Makhan Shah Lubana on 114thStreet and 101 Avenue.
All along the route of the parade, participants and onlookers were served with snacks and food (langar). Sikhs follow a rich tradition of serving free food to all at all their shrines and at all celebrations.
Community leaders paid rich tributes to Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. They were joined by politicians and leaders from other communities who spoke highly of Guru Nanak, Sikhism, and the Sikh community.
Sikhs will be celebrating the 550thbirth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in November 2019.
Government of India has announced yearlong celebrations in all Indian missions abroad, in preparation for the grand 550thbirth anniversary celebration of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Government of Pakistan has extended invitation to Sikhs all over the world to visit Nanakana Sahib, the birth place of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, on the occasion of the Master’s birth anniversary
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, with headquarters in Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) Amritsar, as also Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) have announced ambitious plans to have year long celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550thbirth anniversary.
The Indian Panorama has launched with this edition year long celebration of the 550thbirth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. We will carry scholarly articles on Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and His faith to educate Sikh youth, as also non-Sikh readers of The Indian Panorama about the universal message of Guru Nanak who preached equality, brotherhood and charity- values which make life beautiful and the world a happier place to live in.
WASHINGTON(TIP): Indian Americans were praised by the US President Donald Trump for their “incredible” performance in his administration. Trump has appointed more than two dozen Indian Americans to senior positions since he assumed office in 2017.
“I’m grateful to have numerous Americans of Indian and Southeast Asian heritage who fulfill critical roles across my administration. And they’ve done an incredible job,” Trump said as he hosted Diwali celebrations in the Roosevelt Room, November 13.
Except for the former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, around two dozen of his top Indian-American lieutenants were present at the celebrations.
Ms Haley, the first-Indian-American appointed to top Cabinet-level position, resigned last month as the US ambassador to the UN.
In eight years, former president Barack Obama had appointed more than 50 Indian-Americans to key administration positions, including Raj Shah as United States Agency for International Development administrator; Nisha Desai Biswal as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia and Richard Verma as the US Ambassador to India.
By appointing more than two dozen Indian Americans in key administrative positions, Trump seems to be on the track to breaking the record set by his predecessor.
“Many of them are here today, including the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commissions, Ajit Pai,” Trump said as he called upon him.
“Ajit, where’s Ajit? Come here, Ajit. I just didn’t like one decision he made, but that’s all right,” he said as the small audience burst into laughter. “Not even a little bit. But he’s independent,” said the president.
Seema Verma, who in her capacity as administrator of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, is playing a key role in healthcare reforms, Trump said.
“Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Neil Chatterjee. Where is Neil? Good. Nice to see you,” said the US president indicating that he personally knows each one of these Indian-Americans.
“The acting administrator of Drug Enforcement, and another person that I’ve become very close to, Uttam Dhillon,” Trump said.
Record number of women win; Four Indian Americans re-elected to House
WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump has described the midterm election results as a “tremendous success” even as opposition Democrats wrested the House of Representatives from the ruling Republican party, which managed to retain its majority in the Senate in the highly polarized polls.
Trump, who campaigned aggressively in the last several weeks, Wednesday, November 7, offered an olive branch to Democrats, saying he wanted to work together with the Democratic leadership to continue delivering for the American people, including on economic growth, infrastructure, trade, lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
“Last night the Republican Party defied history to expand our Senate majority while significantly beating expectations in the House for the midterm year,” Trump told reporters, hours after the Republicans lost control of the House for the first time in eight years.
“These are some of the things that the Democrats do want to work on, and I really believe we’ll be able to do that. I think we’re going to have a lot of reason to do it,” he said as he termed the midterm poll results as a “tremendous success”.
The Democrats now have majority in the 435-member House, while Trump’s party has retained majority in the 100-member Senate.
At the time of going to press, late November 8 night, Democrats had won 229 House seats with Republicans getting 199, while 11 were still undecided.
Democrats polled 52% of votes in an election which has sent 99 women to the House, surpassing the previous record of 84 women elected to the House.
In the Senate, Democrats won 46 seats, a loss of 2 seats while Republicans won 51, a gain of 2 seats. 3 remain to be decided
The statements from the Democratic party leaders after the results indicated it would make it tough for President Trump, who wants major legislative changes on some of his signature issues including immigration, tax and healthcare reforms.
By capturing the House of Representatives, the Democrats may exert a major institutional check on Trump and break the Republican monopoly in Washington.
In the House of Representatives, the Democrats seized at least 30 seats from Republican hands, enough for the majority in the 435-membered chamber. In the outgoing House, the Republicans had 235 seats while the Democrats 193.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi hopes to return as Speaker when the new Democratic majority takes over in January. After House win, the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives pledged a new era of congressional scrutiny over President Donald Trump, shrugging off White House threats of political warfare if Democrats launch investigations into his affairs.
Emboldened Democrats want healthcare protected and Trump impeached.
Democrats have a clear message for party leaders who will take control of the US House of Representatives next year, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll: Protect their healthcare and impeach President Donald Trump.
The poll released on Thursday, November 8, found that 43 per cent of people who identified as Democrats want impeachment to be a top priority for Congress. That goal was second in priority only to healthcare
Party leaders on Wednesday, November 7, vowed to use their majority to impose a new level of scrutiny on the Trump White House, but said impeachment would require evidence of action to subvert the Constitution.
A divided country has much to worry in the coming months, even as the Republicans and Democrats head for a collision course.
Sri Kulkarni’s innovative midterms strategy: campaigning in 16 languages.
When Democrat Sri Kulkarni started campaigning in the deep-red Texas district once represented by Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, consultants told him not to even bother trying to get the district’s Asian-American vote.
“I was told, ‘Don’t chase after Asian voters, they don’t vote,’” Kulkarni said in a recent interview with Vox, adding: “Maybe they don’t vote because we don’t bother.”
Kulkarni, a 40-year-old former foreign service official under the Bush and Obama administrations, is doing the opposite of what the consultants told him. “Why don’t we try reaching out in other languages, not just English?” Kulkarni thought. He’s running a campaign with volunteers speaking to voters in 16 languages — aggressively trying to convince the district’s Asian-American voters to cast their ballots for him.
The district sits in the Houston suburbs, a rapidly diversifying part of Texas. The non-Hispanic white population has fallen to 40 percent, while the Asian community now makes up nearly 20 percent of the district.
It’s a simple premise: greeting a voter in his or her native language builds a relationship with that voter and opens a door to the community. Kulkarni already proved it worked in the primary, emerging on top in a field of five candidates. His campaign’s internal numbers suggested their outreach had dramatically increased Asian-American primary turnout, from 6 percent in 2014 to 28 percent in 2018.
“This thing that was a waste of time resulted in a 12-fold increase in people coming out in the Asian community,” Kulkarni told Vox.
Winning against Republican Rep. Pete Olson on Election Day will be tough. But Kulkarni and his campaign believe he has a fighting chance, and are buoyed by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently shifting the race to merely “Lean Republican.”
“I’d watch this one,” Cook’s Dave Wasserman tweeted.
Though Kulkarni appears to be proving the political consultants wrong, there was a reason they advised him not to chase the Asian-American vote.
Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters are a rapidly growing demographic; nationwide, the Asian-American population grew 72 percent between 2000 and 2015. They also have a tendency to register as Democrats. But the Democratic Party has had a tough time successfully courting this bloc.
A recent Pew study found 65 percent of Asian Americans identify as Democrats or lean Democrat, compared to 27 percent who identify as Republicans or lean Republican. But they don’t turn out as often as white voters: In the 2016 election, 49 percent of eligible Asian-American voters cast ballots, compared to 64 percent of white voters.
NEW YORK(TIP): Indian Americans have been named in the Time magazine’s 2018 list of the 50 most influential people whose work is transforming healthcare in the US.
The three Indian Americans included in the list are Divya Nag, Dr Raj Panjabi and Atul Gawande.
To put together the list, Time’s team of health editors and reporters nominated people who made significant contributions to the state of healthcare in America this year.
The publication then evaluated their work on originality, impact and quality. The list was broken up into four separate categories, including public health, treatments, cost and technology.
The list included physicians, scientists, business and political leaders, whose work is transforming healthcare.
At not even 30, Divya Nag is leading Apple’s special projects focusing on health. Ms Nag’s team developed ResearchKit, an open-source app developer for doctors and researchers to share patient results and clinical data, and this fall it announced groundbreaking new tools for the Apple Watch: the Series 4 includes an emergency response system, in case the wearer falls and doesn’t respond, and a medical-grade EKG heart-rate monitor.
A Harvard Medical School professor who came to the US as a refugee from Liberia, Raj Panjabi co-founded Last Mile Health to recruit and train community health workers in areas that lack local health services. Last Mile’s efforts were crucial in fighting Ebola from 2014 to 2016, and now Mr Panjabi is building Community Health Academy, a mobile platform for training health care workers remotely through video and audio instruction
Atul Gawande was tapped to lead a new nonprofit health care venture that will cover the more than 1 million employees of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. Though few details are public, it’s said to focus on transparent, low-cost corporate health care.
“The American health care system has been plagued for decades by major problems, from lack of access to uncontrolled costs to unacceptable rates of medical errors,” the Time editors wrote in a report unveiling the list. And yet, real as those issues remain, the field has also given rise to extraordinary innovation,” the editors added.
WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump has designated Indian-American Neil Chatterjee as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), charged with overseeing America’s power grid and deciding on multibillion-dollar energy projects. Chatterjee, who is FERC Commissioner, would replace Kevin McIntyre. This is for the second time that Chatterjee has been designated as FERC chairman. He served briefly in 2017.
Sam Pitroda, Kanak Golia Dr. Urmilesh Arya, Dr. Himanshu Pandya, Sher Singh Madra, Dr. Manjit Bains to be honored
LONG ISLAND , NY(TIP): The Board of Directors of Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation met, October 17, to finalize arrangements for the forthcoming Gala on October 28.
Mr. Inder Bindra, a Founder Member of the Foundation, said that all members of the Foundation were a family, and , as in a family, there may be differences at times, but ultimately, they all get together; in the same way, not all members may have the same view , but then a consensus needs to be built up for the smooth going together.
Mr. Bindra briefly described the past projects that the Foundation had done and spoke of some projects in hand which, he said, will be taken up .
The Treasurer Mr. Gurdip Singh Narula added that an amount of $10,000 was recently given for Kerala Flood Relief. He also disclosed that he, too, is a cancer survivor. In 1998, it was discovered that he suffered from cancer, but fortunately for him, it was treated in time.
Mrs. Shammi Singh who is a cancer survivor, spoke of her commitment to do all she can to provide for treatment to cancer patients. She said she knew now how terrible the disease is and how it destroys not only the patient but the entire family. She has involved her daughter Inesha Joneja and daughter in law Rohini Singh in the Foundation’s crusade against cancer.
Speaking on the occasion, a former President Mr. Sher Singh Madra mentioned the ongoing project of supporting Indore Cancer Foundation which has been receiving grants for buying equipment in the hospital. He said the entire board is committed to fulfilling the vision of Nargis Dutt of providing the best treatment to underprivileged and the poor cancer patients in India. Besides, Dr. Dharkar of the Indore Cancer Foundation requested for a hospice care , and the Foundation is considering the request.
Another former President Mr. Peter Bheddah said that in the more than 3 decades of Foundation’s history, a number of projects were taken up with a number of institutions, which included prestigious Tata Cancer Institute. It is a long list, he said.
Others who spoke included Ms Ashi Chhabra ,Mr. Shudh Prakash Singh, Mr. Zinda Singh, Ms. Tina Shah , General Secretary Mr. Hussain Baquery, Mr. Rahul, who described his mother’s encounter with cancer, and how it developed in him empathy for cancer patients, and Ms Inesha Joneja.
Mr. Andy Mansukhani, President of the Foundation, presided, and expressed the hope that gala will bring in enough funds.
Ms Rohini Singh briefed the media on the gala on October 28. Apart from honoring 6 eminent personalities, the gala attractions include a Fashion Show by Rana Noman, an award winning fashion designer. 20 female and 5 male models are taking part in the fashion show, which, Ms Singh claimed will simply be awesome. The theme, she said, is “The Great Gatsby”.
Another attraction is a tribute to Nargis Dutt in the form of a medley of songs and dances from the films in which Nargis Dutt appeared.
An auction is also a part of the program.
Sam Pitroda who is an honoree, is also the chief guest. The other honorees includeKanak Golia Dr. Urmilesh Arya, Dr. Himanshu Pandya, Sher Singh Madra, and Dr. Manjit Bains.
Former Member of Parliament Ms Priya Dutt, daughter of Nargis Dutt will be attending.
NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIA-NY) celebrated their 31st Annual Deepavali Festival at the South Street Seaport in New York City on Sunday October 7th, 2018 from 12 noon till 7pm.
The event was attended by thousands of people throughout the day, that enjoyed Indian culture and heritage, food, shopping, live performances and a spectacular display of live fireworks, sponsored by Cheapoair and Qatar Airways. Deepavali was a full day extravaganza with highlight performances by British Asian superstar Jaz Dhami; Bollywood playback singer, Shilpi Paul; Indian TV actors, Aman Dhaliwal and Karan Khanna; local NYC singer G. Sing and popular Gujarati Band all the way from India, KB Music with their lead vocalist, Jigardhan Gadhavi.
Jaz Dhami, the celebrity singer, with enthusiastic crowd behind. (Inset) Shilpi captivated with her song numbersJaz Dhami, the celebrity singer, with enthusiastic crowd behind. (Inset) Shilpi captivated with her song numbers
The highly sought after inter-collegiate dance competition, Naach Inferno presented by Star Bharat, in its fifth year saw first-time entrants East West Dance Academy as their winner this year. SA Grooves alongside its founders, Tanya Thanawalla & Asees Singh interacted with the audience and made the audience dance. Jaz Dhami had the entire South Street Seaport with their hands up in their air as he performed his hit song ‘High Heels’ and many more. Shilpi Paul had both families and the youth alike sing and dance to her tunes both on and off stage in the audience. Shilpi Paul & Jaz Dhami’s performances were presented by Sony TV.
Deepavali, meaning ‘A row of lamps’ is also popularly known as Diwali, or ‘Festival of Lights’. It signifies the triumph of ‘Good over Evil’, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. “The AIA-NY tries to spread this message of Hope and attempts to bridge the gap in the communities with events such as Deepavali and brings the community together”, said Gobind Munjal, President of AIA NY Chapter. “We invite all local communities to become a part of this mega festival. Deepavali has become an important part of American life committing to AIA’s role in the community.”
Although the Festival caters to all ages; children, youth, middle aged and the seniors. The emphasis recently has been shifted more towards youth, as their involvement is considered essential for the longevity of the association. With that objective in mind, AIA-NY launched “Desi Next”, and arranged a lot of activities geared towards the younger generation, including bringing young artists to perform at the Deepavali Festival. “AIA’s goal to incorporate more young adults into the mainstream activities of the community was accomplished,” said Munjal.
The children area came alive with the presence of Ronald McDonald himself and his coming and playing games with the children. The Health Fair attracted many. People enjoyed the variety of Food, shopping, and free coffee from McDonald’s Mccafe. Corporate sponsors gave away freebees. Qatar Airways was raffling two free air tickets to anywhere in the world.
Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York wished the Indian American community a Happy Diwali. Seen in the picture, from L to R: AIA-NY Chapter President Gobind Munjal, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Harish Thakkar
The event culminated with citations and addresses by the various dignitaries. Among others; Consul General Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, NY City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and John Liu graced the occasion.
In addition to the coverage of the event by ITV, TV Asia and other media partners; Jus Punjabi, 8K Radio and Radio Dil provided with the live broadcast of the entire program. The evening was indeed a memorable one for all. The grand finale of the festival was the display of live Fireworks dazzling the NY skyline over the East River, enthralling thousands of New Yorkers.
In addition to support from CheapOair and Qatar Airways, other corporate sponsors; such as McDonald’s, Pepsi, New York Life, Kotak Bank, among others; helped made this event possible.
Spectacular fireworksOrganizers all- the AIA-NY Chapter organizing committee
The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is one of the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians in America founded on August 20, 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in the United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment. For more info, please find us on Facebook and visit our website at www.theaiany.org.
WASHINGTON, DC(TIP): Indian American USIBC President Nisha Desai Biswal will deliver the keynote address at the Ekal Vidyalaya’s Washington, DC, area gala,which will be held at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, on October 12.
The event will consist of a dinner, auction, and fundraiser to support rural development in India.
Biswal, who served as an assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2014 to 2017, is one of a number of prominent Indian Americans scheduled to attend the event. Others include Sonal Shah, executive director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, and Vinod Prakash, president & CEO of the India Development and Relief Fund Inc. USA (IDRF).
Prakash, an economist who worked for the World Bank for several years, will be honored at the event for his lifetime of service.
“The goal of the gala is to raise money for the integrated development of Indian villages,” said Dr. Sudhir Sekhsaria, convener and chair of the gala. “Ekal mainly focuses on four areas for the development of villages: primary education, preventive healthcare, economic empowerment of villagers through skills training, and spreading awareness among villagers about right to information.”
Sekhsaria, a prominent physician in the Washington area, said Ekal’s village adoption program costs $1,000 per village, and the goal of the gala is to facilitate the adoption of 300 villages.
A number of prominent Ekal leaders, including Ekal USA President Suresh Iyer, its former President Vinod Jhunjhunwala, Executive Director Ranjani Saigal, Ekal Abhiyan Trust Board secretary Bajrang Lal Bagra and gala co-chair Dr. Suresh C. Gupta, will speak at the event.
Popular Indian American actor Omi Vaidya will be the master of ceremonies.
Another feature of the gala will be a concert by Bollywood playback singer Sumitra Iyer.
Congressman Tom Suozzi recommends Stronger US India relationship
HICKSVILLE, NY(TIP): Mrs. Vandana Sharma, Regional Manager of Air India was hosted to a warm send off by the Indian American community here, October 8.
Congressman Tom Suozzi presenting a Congressional Recognition to Mrs. Vandana Sharma, Regional Manager-Americas, Air India, October 8
The dinner co-hosted by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Publisher/Editor of The Indian Panorama, Attorney Ravi Batra and his wife Ranju Batra at Antun’s in Hicksville , was attended by over a hundred community representatives and officials, which included Consul General of India in New York , Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty who was accompanied by wife Taruna Chakravorty, and Congressman Tom Suozzi, besides leaders of various community organizations, officials from different sectors, and friends.
Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York had all praise for Mrs. Vandana Sharma
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty recalled the tremendous work done by Mrs. Vandana Sharma to take the Indian national carrier Air India to new heights. He mentioned how Mrs. Sharma played a leadership role in times of emergencies and set an example of customer care. He congratulated Mrs. Sharma for her achievements and wished her well in her new position.
Ambassador Chakravorty also spoke about the ever-strengthening relationship between India and the US and said much more needed to be done. He appreciated the large Indian Diaspora in the US for their contribution to ever growing relationship between India and US. H e mentioned briefly the enormous contribution of Indians in various spheres in the US.
Congressman Tom Suozzi extended his good wishes to Mrs. Sharma and presented her a Congressional Recognition for the great work she did as Regional Manager of Air India.
Congressman Tom Suozzi spoke at length about his long and happy relationship with the South Asian community, of which Indian American community is a large segment. He said he represents New York’s Congressional District 3 which includes the largest number of South Asians in a District in the whole of US. He spoke about how the Indian American community has been growing in his district both in numbers and in strength, economically and politically.
Speaking about US India relations, the Congressman commended both US and India for having worked in close cooperation in various fields. He said there was need to not only keep up the pace of cooperation but also to accelerate it. He referred to growing ambition of China to “dominate” the world “economically and militarily”. It is in the interest of both the US and India to come together to counter China’s growing power, he said. He called upon the Indian American community to continue their effort at strengthening the close cooperation between the two great democracies of the world.
Mr. Suozzi also recalled his memorable visit to India where besides meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi (The Indian Panorama had published the news report) and other leaders including India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, he went for sightseeing. He grew nostalgic about the Taj Mahal in Agra in his mention of the places. He said he found India a great place and Indians a great people.
Referring to the contribution of the Indian American community (which he never fails to do), he observed that the community has done well and is influential. However, he suggested that the community should get more involved in the political system.
All through his address, he repeatedly returned to Mrs. Vandana Sharma, praising her as a fine person and as an efficient administrator of India’s largest airline Air India. He wished her “continued success and 8happiness in your future endeavors” and presented the Congressional Recognition which said “I thank you for spending your time, talent and treasure with Air India-Americas. Your sincerity and dedication to those you serve has not gone unnoticed and is appreciated. Best wishes for continued success and happiness in your future endeavors”.
Attorney Ravi Batra, a co-host of the send off dinner, dwelt on how important it is for the Indian American community to intelligently define their relationship with the country of their adoption.
Attorney Ravi Batra spoke about the tremendous contribution in refurbishing the image of Air IndiaRanju Batra recalled how Mrs. Sharma helped her at every step in her effort to have the Diwali Stamp issued.
Ranju Batra who introduced Vandana Sharma, spoke very highly of Mrs. Sharma, describing her as the finest human being and a true friend. She recalled how Mrs. Sharma had extended all cooperation when she was waging a relentless struggle to have the Diwali stamp issued.
Mrs. Vandana Sharma expressed her gratitude to the Indian American community for their cooperation and loveMrs. Vandana Sharma surprised all with a soulful playing on Violin
Mrs. Vandana Sharma was visibly emotional while speaking to the gathering. She thanked the community for their cooperation and love during her 3 year stay in New York. She said she had received immense love from all quarters- he colleagues, customers, and community. She invited the gathering to Delhi where she said she would love to receive them with all warmth and live over the happy days spent in New York.
Prof. Indrajit S Saluja extending a word of welcome
Earlier, Prof. Indrajit Saluja extended a word of welcome and mentioned how Mrs. Sharma endeared herself to all with her affable nature. He described Mrs. Sharma is a pleasant person who will be deeply missed. However, he said, most people land at Delhi airport while visiting India, and since Mrs. Sharma is taking over as Deputy General Manager, Delhi Airport, it will be easier to look her up.
The presentation of bouquets to guests was ably handled by 7-year-old Kabir Raj Beri, Prof. Saluja’s grandson.
Mrs. Vandana Sharma with community leaders who penned down their good wishes for her on a Card which was presented on their behalf to Mrs. Sharma by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, presented, on behalf of the community a good wishes card signed by over 100 persons present in the room.
Kolkata based Sarod virtuoso Apratim Majumdar and Tabla Player Amit Chatterjee cast a magic spell on the audience
Kolkata based Sarod virtuoso Apratim Majumdar and Tabla Player Amit Chatterjee cast a magic spell on the audience. Apratim is the most thinking and creative Sarod player, a composer of a very special quality, and a brilliant performer.
Amit Chatterjee is a highly gifted Tabla player who received training from the famous internationally reputed Tabla Maestro Pandit Sankha Chatterjee.
The two were joined by another gifted artist- Suresh Kumar Ketwaroe who was not only incredible with his Guitar, but also entertained the gathering with superb rendering of Hindi and Punjabi songs.
Mrs. Purnima Desai, Founder and Director of Shikshayatan and Sriniketan- the two institutions dedicated to promoting Indian culture and classical music and dances, who had only last week organized a two-day International music concert in which around 50 eminent artists participated, was kind enough to invite all three to the send off dinner to Mrs. Vandana Sharma.
Pratibha Goyal who gave a superb performance of KathakA view of the gathering
Another extremely talented artist present and performing was Pratibha Goyal who gave a superb performance of Kathak. Mrs. Gunjan Rastogi, President of India Association of Long Island discovered the artist for the occasion.
FORDS, NJ(TIP): Kim Kumari was crowned as Miss India New Jersey 2018, while Esha Kode was crowned as Miss Teen India New Jersey 2018 and Ruchita Modi Shah was crowned as Mrs. India New Jersey 2018, at the 2018 Miss India New Jersey beauty pageant held on Sunday, September 30 at Royal Albert’s Palace, in Fords, NJ.
The 37th Miss India NJ 2018 was officially powered by Albert Jasani from Royal Albert Palace, with State Director Shobhana Patel.
The celebrated beauty pageant is the premier platform to promote women empowerment and Indian culture, in New Jersey. Showcasing compassion and connection, the event celebrated Indian American women and their identity through talent rounds, ramp walks, question/answer segments, and more.
Kumari is a trained Bhangra dancer who has had the opportunity to dance with Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan.
She is the co-president of the International Human Rights Club at JFK Memorial High School, where she is a senior and actively works to serve the local community.
Kode loves be onstage and has been trained in classical as well as Bollywood dancing. She has also performed at various Bollywood events and desires to pursue a career in the medical field.
Shah is an IT Professional who is currently working for the New York State Department. She is trained in Indian Classical music and loves cooking, Do-It-Yourself crafting, photography, digital arts and travelling.
Organizers with Dia Mirza. Seen L to R: Albert Jasani, Dia Mirza, Shobhana Patel
The evening consisted of 45 contestants with 12 in the Miss Category, 11 in the Miss Teen Category and 22 in the Mrs. Category, all of whom dazzled in their ethnic wear in the first round and kept it simple yet elegant in their evening gowns in the following round.
The third round featured the talent of the top seven contestants in the Miss & Miss Teen category, and top five contestants in the Mrs. Category.
The contestants then went on to Question-Answer round, where each was given a different kind of question to answer.
Talking about the essence of the pageant, Shobhana Patel stated that, “Miss India NJ provides a place to these young girls and women in which they can truly empower each other and see beyond beauty.”
Community pioneer Albert Jasani has supported this event whole heartedly every year saying that, “We want to bring more women to the forefront and have them succeed in whichever manner they look at success.”
Panel of Judges
The judges’ panel consisted of entrepreneur and State Director of Miss India Connecticut Sumathi Narayanan, physician & cosmetologist and wellness advisor Kavita Payyar, founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee and CEO of Touchdown Media Rahul Walia, actor Javed Pathan, Bollywood fashion designer Deepali Shah, entrepreneur and Mrs. India Worldwide 2017 Sarita Patnaik, classical dancer Bina Menon and promoter of Bollywood shows in the U.S. Kanu Chauhan.
At the beginning of the third round Bollywood star Dia Mirza walked the Miss India New Jersey ramp for the first time, to join the judges for the remainder of the show.
Mirza also crowned the winners of the Miss India New Jersey 2018 pageant.
CAMBRIDGE, MA (TIP):Indian American Gita Gopinath has been named by The International Monetary Fund as its Economic Counselor and Director of Research Department.
“Gita is one of the world’s outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a statement on Monday, October 1. “All this makes her exceptionally well-placed to lead our Research Department at this important juncture. I am delighted to name such a talented figure as our Chief Economist.”
Gopinath, the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and of Economics at Harvard University, will succeed the retiring Maurice Obstfeld.
A specialist in international macroeconomics and finance, she becomes the second Indian American to hold the position. Raghuram Rajan, a former Chief Economic Adviser to India’s Finance Ministry and a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School, served as the IMF Economic Counselor and Director of Research from 2003 to 2006.
Gopinath, who grew up in Mysore, Karnataka, currently also serves as an adviser to the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Kerala.
She did her undergraduate degree in economics from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, and a master’s from the Delhi School of Economics. She came to the United States to enroll for a master’s at the University of Washington. In 2001, she earned her PhD in economics from Princeton University in the fields of international macroeconomics and trade. Her advisers included former Fed chief Ben Bernanke, Harvard economist Ken Rogoff, and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, now a professor at UC Berkeley.
After her PhD, Gopinath worked as an assistant professor at the University of Chicago for four years before joining Harvard in 2005 in the same position. Five years later, she would become a tenured professor. Currently, she is one of the only three women to have tenure at the economics department at Harvard. She is also the first India-born woman to get tenure at the department.
Gopinath, now a US citizen, is married to Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, who heads the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They have a 14-year-old son, Rohil.
Signup to our Newsletter!
Don’t miss out on all the happenings around the world
