KANSAS (TIP): On June 6, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national South Asian racial justice and civil rights organization, participated in a critical hate crimes forum facilitated by the US Department of Justice Community Relations Service in Kansas. Representatives from government agencies, diverse community leaders, and advocacy organizations gathered at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City to examine and address the bigotry and hate violence targeting our communities nationwide.
The Kansas community is still reeling from the February killing of Indian origin Srinivas Kuchibhotla by a gunman who screamed “Get out of my country” before opening fire. This attack was neither the beginning nor the end of the epidemic of hate violence targeting South Asian, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and interfaith communities across the country.
“The United States was founded on religious liberty, yet our country is flooding with hatred and violence explicitly targeting communities based on their religion, race, nationality, and perceived identity,” stated Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of SAALT. “The President’s responses to the tragedy in Kansas along with many others have been deeply problematic. Multiple attempts at a ‘Muslim Ban’, careless words or complete silence following attacks on our communities, and his failure to name white supremacy as a clear and present danger to our country all combine to signal the lack of necessary interest, will, and leadership to address these fundamental issues.”
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): On June 9, over a hundred Indian Americans gathered at the Taj Pierre Hotel in Manhattan for the annual CRY America Charity gala event to celebrate the rights of children in New York. The evening was very special as celebrity guest Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal joined CRY America to support the cause & amplify the voices of underprivileged children. The annual event witnessed high profile guests come together to support the cause of children in distress.
CRY America President Shefali Sunderlal (left) with celebrity guest Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal (right) at the annual CRY America Charity gala, June 9th
Speaking at the event, Shefali Sunderlal, president of CRY America said: “Only 54 percent of children complete their education in India due to obstacles such as child labor, child marriage, and distance from schools and gender discrimination. With the support of over 20,885 donors and 2,000 volunteers, CRY America has impacted the lives of 660,632 children living across 3,350 villages and slums through support to about 73 Projects in India and USA.”
Addressing the gathering, Arjun Rampal said, “The first thing came in my mind was, am I the right person to advocate for child right? The answer was – Yes. Not only me – everyone. Together we can make the difference.”
Urging people to support CRY America and make a difference in a child’s life, Arjun, a doting father of two daughters, further said, “Only when children are given the right opportunities do they realize their full potential, aim for their dreams and achieve them. Raising awareness and fund support to CRY is a step forward in ensuring that children get these opportunities and a chance at a healthy, successful life. I am honored to be involved with CRY.”
Apart from raising awareness for this worthy cause, it was a memorable evening with a bit of everything – dinner, cocktails, Bollywood entertainment, Skype conversation with CRY India members, a trailer show of Arjun Rampal’s upcoming movie “Daddy” which is scheduled to release on July 21, 2017. The highlight of the evening was a live auction of items to raise funds. The auction was worth watching as Arjun took it to a new height with his humor and wit. And it was memorable for Arjun fans, especially ladies, who got the rare chance to pose and click with their teenage crush.
NEW YORK (TIP): RE (live) INDIA, a luxury travel portal for senior citizen NRIs (non-resident Indians) living in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, Africa & Australia, has been launched by O’Harani, in partnership with Rising Star Mediaand Bollywood actor, producer and director Viveck Vaswani.
RE (live) INDIA’S maiden voyage, called the Golden-Scarlet Odyssey, will lead travelers through the holy sites of North India: such as the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Paonta Sahib Gurudwara in Himachal Pradesh and Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra (Jammu and Kashmir). The fully-supervised, eight-day-journey kicks off this September, with additional trips offered in October and November (for exact dates and full itinerary, please visit www.oharani.com/relive-india/).
“Many NRIs who live in North America have aging parents and grandparents, and it is not always convenient for the entire family to travel together, either because of school schedules, finances or simply not having the time,” said O’Harani President Jitin Hingorani. “With our very experienced and capable team in India, we have custom-designed these ‘tirth yatras’ (Hindi for ‘holy pilgrimages’) for our aging uncles and aunties, while keeping their security, luxury and safety of utmost importance.”
The benefits of O’Harani Luxe’s luxury holy pilgrimage include:
Small, exclusive group of 10-12 travelers
Medical practitioner, along with first-aid kit, on the entire journey
Each passenger’s medical history will be ascertained in advance
24-hour hospital on call within a 50-mile radius of each destination
One-to-two senior citizen to travel concierge ratio for the entire trip
Advance ticketing and VIP access at all places of worship
Five-star rooms at all resorts, palaces and hotels
Customized vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, keeping in mind health and dietary restrictions for diabetic, Vegan and Jain travelers
First-class ground transportation, including Volvo buses and helicopters, when necessary
Daily yoga and spa treatments, exercise and entertainment, with ample time for rest and relaxation
Each tour will also include the company of an Indian entertainer (television or film)
“So many of our aging family members dream of going back to their homeland to visit with near and dear ones and fulfill their Hindu duty of cleansing their soul through a holy pilgrimage,” said actor, producer, director Viveck Vaswani. “This journey will create an engaging and educational experience for our senior citizens, while enabling the Indian entertainment industry veterans to respect their elders in a unique and fulfilling way.”
For pricing and the complete day-by-day itinerary for the September 2017 holy pilgrimage, please visit www.oharani.com/relive-india/. Limited spots available. Reservations and deposits must be made by July 30th.
WASHINGTON (TIP): As part of its ongoing strategic dialogue at Capitol Hill, The US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) held a meeting with members of the Trump-Pence administration. Key participants at the dialogue were Raju Chinthala, USINPAC Indiana Chair, who met with Micheal Cutrone, the Special Advisor to the Vice President for South and Central Asia and Mr. Paul Teller, the Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. In light of the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the nation and his meeting with President Trump, USINPAC was keen to provide valuable insight on matters pertaining to Indian Americans.
This will be Prime Minister Modi’s first to Washington under the Trump administration. Unlike his past meetings this current visit will be singularly focused on bilateral relations. The Modi-Trump meet also comes at a time when the H1-B visa program is under intense scrutiny and President Trump has announced to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords last week. President Trump had then called out India and China for being some of the world’s biggest polluters and had alleged that under the Climate accord the US would have to pay India ‘billions and billions of dollars.’ The Indian government is looking forward to smoothening out any wrinkles with the new administration, regarding immigration reform and reaffirm the US-India partnership in the spheres of international diplomacy and Defense & Security in the region.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer, in a press briefing announced: “President Trump looks forward to discussing the ways to strengthen our ties between the United States and India and advancing our common priorities fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Raju Chinthala remarked, “We had a very cordial and productive meeting with the Trump-Pence administration on various domestic and international issues. USINPAC will continue to develop dialogue between the US and India to strengthen our alliance and take it to the next level.”
NAPERVILLE, CHICAGO (TIP): Consulate General of India in Chicago, in collaboration with the City of Naperville, is all set to host 3rd edition of International Yoga Day on 24th June 2017 (Saturday) at Naperville Yard, 1603 Legacy Circle, Naperville, IL 60563.
City of Naperville issued a Proclamation and declared June 24th, 2017 as International Yoga Day in the City of Naperville. Mr. Steve Chirico, Naperville Mayor will be Chief Guest at the International Yoga Day, which will be attended by dignitaries, elected officials, and community leaders from different walks of life.
Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India in Chicago said that the program will commence at 10:00 am and end at 1200 noon, followed by a community festival and an array of cultural activities till 05:00 pm. Apart from the demonstration of common asanas (postures) under Common Yoga Protocol, breathing techniques, Meditation Workshop, etc., the Program will include a number of activities relating to yoga.
The event is free for all. However, as the space is limited, those interested in attending the event and knowing more about it are cordially requested to visit Facebook.com/IndiaInChicago. Participants are requested to bring their own yoga mats.
Ms. Bhushan said that about 2,500 guests, 100 community organizations, yoga and spiritual centers, business establishments, etc. will grace the occasion. She called upon Indian-Americans and all the nationalities to attend the event in large numbers in order to make it a resounding success.
(Photograph and Press release by: Asian Media USA)
WASHINGTON (TIP): Embassy of India, Washington DC celebrated Baisakhi on June 3 in the 350th Birth Anniversary year of Guru Gobind Singh ji. The event was attended by around 250 Indian American community members from various parts of United States.
The celebration was marked by an auspicious beginning with Shabad Kirtan, welcome remarks by Ambassador Navtej Sarna and a cultural performance consisting of Punjabi traditional music and dance (Bhangra and Giddha).
Sikh scholar Dr. Harbhajan Singh Ajrawat spoke on the teachings of Sikhism and highlighted the significance of Baisakhi.
The fun and festivity was enjoyed by all the guests.
OAKLAND, PITTSBURGH (TIP): Yuba Raj Sharma, an Indian-origin man has been arrested in Oakland, Pittsburgh after he went on a violent, naked rampage, threatening to shoot staffers at an Indian eatery. According to the complaint, he got into an argument with staff because they put onions in his food.
According to the complaint, Sharma told the owner that “he was going to shoot him,” and after 911 was called, Sharma pulled down his pants exposing himself while verbally taunting the owner and another staff member.
According to media reports, the 43-year-old man was arrested after the confrontation at the All India restaurant. Police charged him with terroristic threats, indecent exposure, resisting arrest and public drunkenness.
SACRAMENTO, CA (TIP): An Indian American former CEO of Systems America Inc., has been charged for violating federal security rules by allegedly misrepresenting facts about his company and engaging in manipulative penny stock trades to boost its share price.
The 49-year-old Adesh Kumar Tyagi issued exaggerated press releases and made misleading disclosures about his company, Law360 reported quoting a complaint filed on Wednesday by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in California federal court.
“His game plan was to grow the company through acquisitions. Lacking cash, however, he engaged in a fraudulent scheme to artificially inflate the per-share price of the company’s securities so that he could use Systems America stock to acquire other companies,” the legal news service reported.
Systems America, which was later renamed Cloudeeva was founded by Tyagi as a privately held company in 1994. In the mid-2000s the company started falling into neglect, but, in 2010, Tyagi wanted to revive the company.
The company claimed that it has eight full-time employees and Fortune 500 clients when it actually had no full-time employees and only two clients. Tyagi also said that no officer or director of the company had been named as a defendant in a criminal proceeding when he himself had two pending criminal proceedings as a defendant.
The SEC alleges that Tyagi tried to push up his company’s share price by ‘marking the close’ – buying the stock just before the close of the trading day at a slightly higher price than was on offer on at least 16 different dates.
According to Law360, he pleads guilty to criminal securities fraud charges brought over trading schemes in November 2016 and is scheduled for sentencing in January 2018.
SEC seeks disgorgement of the more than $274,000 from Tyagi, which he allegedly earned through the sales of inflated stock and unspecified civil monetary penalties. It also seeks prejudgment interest, officer-and-director bar, penny stock offering bar and permanent injunctions that refrain Tyagi from participating in transactions of any security of an entity that he is related to.
ATLANTA (TIP): In yet another incident of shooting of an Indian origin man in the US, a 24-year-old man from Sundher village in Patan, Gujarat, Sameer Hasmukh Patel, was shot at in a departmental store here late on Monday, June 12 night. Sameer was shot after two suspects robbed the departmental store in which he worked, according to information available with The Indian Panorama.
Sameer was closing the store when two unknown persons barged into the store and shot at him and fled with the cash chest. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but his condition was critical when family members spoke to his friends early June 13 morning.
A member of the family said that Sameer came to Atlanta three years ago to work at a departmental store and search for opportunities for his family members.”
According to information available with The Indian Panorama, Indian Consulate in Atlanta is also in touch with the family.
Rishi Shah came with a USD 600 million infusion of venture capital into Outcome Health
Rishi Shah's Outcome Health is now valued at $5.6 billion
The company took in more than $130 million in revenue last year
The company provides its services to medical providers for free
CHICAGO (TIP): In yet another refreshing success story, Indian-American Rishi Shah, who quit college 10 years back to pursue entrepreneurial dreams, has become tech’s newest billionaire. And his business partner, Shradha Agarwal, is close behind.
Their windfall came with a US $600 million infusion of venture capital into Outcome Health, the Chicago healthcare tech company they founded in 2006. It’s now valued at US $5.6 billion.
Shah grew up in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, the son of a doctor who emigrated from India; his mother managed his father’s medical practice. The initial idea for a company providing content to doctor’s offices was inspired, Shah says in an interview to local media, by his sister.
“My sister has type 1 diabetes,” Shah says. “If she gets on an insulin pump and she is able to achieve better blood sugar control and she is checking her blood sugar more effectively, the device manufacturer wins, the insulin manufacturer wins, the blood glucometer wins, the doctor wins, but the payor wins most of all. And she wins personally.”
He attended Northwestern University as a transfer student, where he met a woman named Shradha Agarwal, now Outcome’s president. Originally working on a campus magazine, they eventually founded a company called ContextMedia, out of Northwestern in 2008, funding it by taking loans that have over the years reached a combined USD 325 million instead of giving up equity. Knocking on doctor’s office doors around the Chicago area, the two found little appetite for their idea.
Some doctors didn’t see the value in digital education in their offices; others who did wanted to see revenue to feel comfortable committing to such a fledgling product. Without signing them, however, the entrepreneurs had no revenue with which to placate them. They eked out $1 million in revenue that first year. “Then we were off to the races,” says Shah, doubling most years since. “We had to build a profitable business, or at least a break-even business, from scratch,” says Shah. “We had no margin of error.”
Outcome Health is not only the newest unicorn company, having earned the honor just last week, but it is also already valued in the top 30 on the list of roughly 200 non-public companies worth $1 billion.
CEO Rishi Shah, 31 and president Shradha Agarwal founded ContextMedia in 2006 while the two were at Northwestern University. The company began to sell its video monitor services to physicians and hospitals without any outside investment.
Over the next decade, the company grew and big-time investors noticed, but Shah and Agarwal passed up offers in order to scale organically and retain ownership. In January, the company changed its name to Outcome Health as it slowly pushed towards its first major round of funding.
According to Crain’s, the company took in more than $130 million in revenue last year and posted an operating profit margin of roughly 40%. Outcome Health doubled its revenue in each of the last two years, and it also grew with its acquisition of AccentHealth last November.
Today, Outcome Health helps both patients and doctors by providing touch screen monitors to hospitals and health care offices around the country. The company installs large, interactive video boards that allow physicians to better explain a patient’s current health care needs or problems through the use of video, graphics and interactive visual aids.
On December 11 in 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21st as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his address to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated: “Yoga is a invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. ” In suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga, Narendra Modi had said that, “the date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. ” The first IYD was celebrated on June 21, 2015 at the United Nations, as also across the world. This 21 June will see the third edition of IDY at the United Nations, which is organized by the Permanent Mission of India.
Here are excerpts from the interview.
How you are going to celebrate International Day of Yoga here? We saw a decline in the enthusiasm in people last year. What could be the reason?
Let’s just go by facts. When the event was first organized in 2015, people were invited for only one day and the number was about 350 to 400.Last year if you had a look, more than 1000 people participated and there were two events. One was yoga demonstration in the UN premises in an open space and there were more than 1000 people from more than 130 countries. Also in addition, we started a new element of trying to express what yoga means at an intellectual level. So, we also had it at an economic and social platform where Sadguru talked about his own approach to yoga. This was called ‘Conversations with yoga masters’ and that attracted nearly 500 people. So, if you see both these events combined, this was much larger than the first year and let me add another thing. For the first time the UN building was decorated with yoga asanas projected on it. It has never happened before. So, if you look at how we progressed from one year to another – in terms of enthusiasm it was much more. Let me assure you, this year we will have something more. Last year the images were projected on the lateral side of UN building.This year, if you have seen Diwali images on the UN, it will be like that and we have requested Indian actor Anupam Kher to come and switch on the light. This will start on 18th June – 3 days before International Day of Yoga.
On 20th June, we plan to have a larger assembly of people coming for the yoga demonstration. This will be in the evening at 6 pm and every year we get different yoga masters. This year we are getting Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Vagwati from Rishikesh who are also associated with Hindu Jain Temple in Pittsburg. They will be leading the yoga on 20th June. On each of these days the UN building will lit up with yoga mudras to indicate to the world that the UN is celebrating the International Day of Yoga.
Finally, on the 21st, we will again have a conversation on ‘Yoga for Health’ because as you know the Prime Minister focused on yoga and its benefits in terms of health. So, this year we are having a very interesting combination of different people who have done very well. For example, we are working with WHO (World Health Organization). They will have a conversation on ‘Yoga for Health.’ So, we are having people from other walks of life who have benefitted from yoga. For example, we are having a leading yoga practitioner from Corporate America. His name is Mr Stanten Caber. He is the CEO of Bluechip Marketing Worldwide. It’s a Fortune 500 company. He is coming to say how he has used yoga to improve efficiency in business. So, we are moving from purely physical activities to intellectual to business to health. Let me assure you, there is no lack in terms of our interest and enthusiasm and activism for yoga.
The Prime Minister told me, this should be celebrated with higher interest every year than the last year. I can assure you, as far as we’re concerned, the effort and degree of interest will only keep increasing because yoga itself has become very popular. I went to a school in Bronx. For the students, yoga is India. That is their perception about India. We had a very interesting discussion with 7th 8th grade children and for them climate, environment, yoga – all are interlinked.
So, it will only be on an increase. Is there any special effort from your side to attract people from mainstream?
Yes. We have opened links. Anybody who is interested can register. We’ll provide them the opportunity to come. We have also tagged various yoga organizations to bring in people. So, come on 20th and see how much we’ve progressed compared to last year. There is no limitation on anyone who wants to come.
It’s an open event. You just have to register. It’s a simple online registration. It’s available on our Facebook page and our website. You have to click the link and give your details so that our security people have that information and can give you the entry pass.
How many people do you expect?
Certainly, we expect more people than last year. Last year, it was more than a thousand. This year we expect 1500 to 2000. The place can hold 2500 people. We need support from all organizations to enable us to get the numbers. Yoga is India’s offering but now it has gone global.
When will the registrations close?
48 hours before the event. The earlier people register, the better it is. Already several hundred have registered.
Anything else you want to share?
We are also working with Sahaja Yoga – another organization – on an exhibition at the UN premises. This will be again a first time exhibition on yoga. We will start it on June 19th and it will continue for the week.
An unrelated question, with your permission.What is the status of India’s bid for permanent seat in the Security Council?
The process began in 1995 when I was here. So, I know the evolution of the process. India’s aspiration to be in the Security Council is a reflection of India regaining its place in terms of where we desire to be in the comity of nations. This is an aspirational goal. We worked with certain belief that it will happen. The issue is when it would happen and it’s only a matter of time. The globe today is passing through some uncertainties. International organizations and the UN in particular are in a stressful situation because there is turbulence and uncertainty in interstate relations. That means the status Quo is no longer tenable. For a country like us, we feel that the status Quo needs to reflect the changed realities. How we work through this turbulence to reach the goal may take some time.
Nobody knows the time specifics. But a country of a billion can’t be kept out of any high table. We are in the era today of democratic governance. It may happen in a year or two years or more. The important thing is we reach the goal. India is now looked at very differently by the world.
It is not the same India that it was in the nineties. They lookat us with a different approach – as a more confident country. As the economy grows, we’ll bring many more things to the table. So, while we work on this we also need to strengthen our economy, our own growth patterns. As we keep growing, it’s only a matter of time. That will be reflected in international organizations.
The world is in a constant “turbulence” which means a permanent seat for India could be indefinitely delayed?
You have to reach a solution at some stage. Global order to survive requires some sort of stability at the end of turbulence. Otherwise what do you have? You have outdated institutions, you have turbulence. If you do not have reform then you have dysfunctional outcomes. We hope the countries work together to reform. A system or order will come out. We will get what we are aspiring for.
What is your call on India-Pakistan relations and the increasing hostility from Pakistan?
I’m not an optimist but a realist. As a realist, we can engage the world as it is now. The world sees India very differently than our neighbor. India has its growth story with an aspiration to live a good life. I do not want to say about others but the world does not see them that way. It is for them to decide what they want. They want to be an aspirational society or a society which is differently structured. It’s their call. As far as we are concerned, we are ready to engage with everyone but for that you need a conducive atmosphere. Unfortunately, Pakistan is not giving that atmosphere. If they give, we’ll certainly try to improve the tie. It is a call for them.
NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): “It’s very great joy that I want to invite you all to be part of the 35th annual American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Convention 2017 to be held at brand new state of the art Convention Centre, the prestigious Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey from June 21 – 25, 2017,” Dr. Ajay Lodha, President, AAPI, said here, June 7, 2017.
AAPI leadership and committee members
Dr. Lodha expressed his gratitude to AAPI’s executive committee members, including Dr. Gautam Samadder President-Elect; Dr. Naresh Parikh, Vice President; Dr. Suresh Reddy, Secretary; Dr. Manju Sachdev, Treasurer; Dr. Madhu Agarwal, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Aditya Desai, YPS president; and Atul Nakhasi, MSRF President; AAPI’s 2017 Convention committee chairs and members, volunteers and sponsors for their continued dedication and visionary leadership and efforts to make this convention truly a historic one for all.
The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s New York Chapter. Dr. Lodha expressed his gratitude to the organizers, various committee chairs and members, including Convention Chair, Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-chairs, Drs. Vinod Sanchetti, Kishen Kumar, Jayesh Kanuga, and Kusum Punjabi; Convention Advisory Committee Chair, Shashi Shah; and Drs. Hetal Gor, Jagdish Gupta, and Himanshu Pandya.
According to Dr. Lodha, the convention will have Continuing Medical Education, National and India based Health Policy Forums, Youth Seminars, New Physician and Resident Student meetings, Fashion Show, Women’s Forum, and mega Bollywood shows. Physicians attending this convention will benefit not only from cutting edge CMEs, but also the camaraderie of their alumni groups and share in our common heritage. Social events are being planned meticulously so that maximum benefit can be accomplished.
Attended by AAPI leadership, various committee members, community leaders, and media personnel from across the United States, the kickoff event was inaugurated by lighting of the traditional lamp by Ambassador Riva Ganaguly Das, Consul General of India in New York on Sunday, April 9, 2017. Ganguly Das lauded the achievements of AAPI and the leadership of Dr. Lodha. “We have watched how AAPI has grown over the years and how we want other NRI groups to emulate the success model of AAPI,” Ganguly Das told the cheering audience. Stating that the government of India “values our relationship with AAPI and the many initiatives and contributions you have made for the people in India,” the Indian envoy said.
Dr. Ajay Lodha, President of AAPI addresses the gathering
At the kickoff event, Dr. Lodha highlighted the many accomplishments under his leadership, including the Leadership Seminar at Columbia University, the Cruise to Brazil, participation and leading the Independence Day Parade in New York, the successful organization of Global Healthcare Summit in Rajasthan and the many initiatives at the Summit, Crash Courses in India for police officers as first responders in accidents, EPS lab studies, AYUSH, raising AAPI’s voice against hate crimes in the US and against violence against physicians in India and championing AAPI’s role in healthcare policy and agenda through AAPI’s legislative conference in Washington DC in April this year. Dr. Lodha has been successful in bringing in financial stability and carrying forward all the Chapters in a cohesive manner with visits and meetings with members and leaders of several Chapters. Dr. Lodha is ever grateful to the media for its continued support all along.
Many of the physicians who will attend this convention have excelled in different specialties and subspecialties and occupy high positions as faculty members of medical schools, heads of departments, and executives of hospital staff. The AAPI Convention offers an opportunity to meet directly with these physicians who are leaders in their fields and play an integral part in the decision-making process regarding new products and services.
Alumni meetings for networking, matchmaking, also an AAPI-India Strategic Engagement Forum to showcase the AAPI initiatives in India like Trauma Brain Injury Guidelines, MoU on TB Eradication in India and recognition of AAPI award winners will make this Convention unique.
The Convention offers 8-10 credit hours of cutting edge CMEs as per AMA guidelines by well renowned thought leaders in their respective areas, being organized by Drs. Jagat Narula and Atul Prakash. Spiritual session is to be led by renowned Brahmakumari Shivani Didi. The Women’s Forum will feature well renowned women leaders, politicians, academicians, artists, sports women, and is being coordinated by Drs. Purnima Kothari and Udaya Shivangi.
The CEO Forum, which is by invitation will have CEOs of leading healthcare firms, who will give their thought process on the development of medical science and current changes, especially with the ongoing national discussions on the repairing/repealing of the Healthcare delivery in the nation. Also, for the first time, AAPI is inviting CEOs preferably with their innovative technologies in the field of medicine. The AAPI Research Symposium is an exciting venue to learn about and present new and exciting research as well as case reports and discussions. The Convention 2017 will also offer special emphasis on Integrative Medicine (AYUSH) and Medical innovations.
The AAPI Research Symposium is an exciting venue to learn about and present new and exciting research as well as case reports and discussions. The Convention will also offer special emphasis on Integrative Medicine (AYUSH) and Medical innovations. AAPI Talent show at the Harrah’s newly built elegant Theatre will provide a perfect setting for our AAPI delegates to display their talents.
Being put together by Drs. Seema Arora and Amit Chakrabarty, the competitive session for the AAPI members will be judged by well renowned artists and philanthropists, has attractive prizes.
The dazzling Fashion Show will be one of a kind by famous fashion designers from the nation. The extravaganza mouth-watering ethnic cuisine with every day “Theme Menus” with variety of display of best of the culinary will be a treat for the young and the old.
AAPI Talent show at the newly built elegant Harrah’s Theatre will provide a perfect setting for our AAPI delegates to display their talents. Being put together by Drs. Seema Arora and Amit Chakrabarty, the competitive session for the AAPI members will be judged by well renowned artists and philanthropists, has attractive prizes.
In addition, the exhibition hall featuring large exhibit booth spaces in which the healthcare industry will have the opportunity to engage, inform and educate the physicians directly through one on one, hands on product demonstrations and discussions, there will be focused group and specialty Product Theater, Interactive Medical Device Trade Show, and special exhibition area for new innovations by young physicians.
AAPI members represent a variety of important medical specialties. Sponsors will be able to take advantage of the many sponsorship packages at the 35th annual convention, creating high-powered exposure to the highly coveted demographic of AAPI’s membership.
Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 35 years, AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.
“Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in Atlantic City, New Jersey!” said Dr. Ajay Lodha. For more details, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: www.aapiconvention.org and www.aapiusa.org
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Hindu Congressman Tulsi Gabbard lash out at the anchors for playing into stereotypes
WASHINGTON (TIP): Alisyn Camerota, host of CNN’s New Day, made a racially insensitive remark to a 12-year-old guest who had just won a national spelling bee while interviewing her on-air on Friday.
Camerota was interviewing Ananya Vinay, a young girl of Indian origin, about her recent win Thursday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, one of the most recognized spelling competitions in the U.S. Camerota and her co-host Chris Cuomo jokingly asked her to spell the word “covfefe.”
“Covfefe” is the unintentional typo made by President Donald Trump during an unfinished tweet that was accidentally published on Twitter. The word had become an internet meme since then, spawning a seemingly endless amount of jokes, including one from Trump himself.
Vinay attempted to spell the word, but left out the “v.” Camerota corrected her, calling it a “nonsense word,” then remarked to Vinay about not being sure if the root of the word comes from Sanskrit, “which is probably what you’re used to using.”
Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and HinduCongressman Tulsi Gabbard lashed out at the anchors for playing into stereotypes.
“It’s disappointing that a segment which should have honored the accomplishments of Vinay instead other-ised her and the Indian-American community by playing into stereotypes,” Indian American Congressman from Illinois Krishnamoorthi said.
“The hosts’ treatment of Sanskrit is also insensitive to the language’s rich, ongoing sacred tradition and continues a troubling trend in the network’s treatment of Hinduism which was also evident on the network’s program, Believer,” Krishnamoorthi said.
This is “Further evidence of the need for America in general, and CNN in particular, to get educated about Hinduism and India,” said Tulsi Gabbard, the Hindu Congresswoman from Hawaii.
Added to CNN slur was a comment by Roxanne Vaughan, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of North Dakota, reportedly “under fire” over a misinterpreted Facebook comment about Ananya Vinay. Professor has since clarified his comment about Indian American Spelling Bee Winner and apologized.
The Grand Forks Herald and WDAZ-ABC reported this week that Vaughan wrote of Vinay, who is of Indian descent, “I’m sure she’s an immigrant, not worthy of interacting with our pure Americans. Send her back.”
A campus spokesperson reportedly said Vaughan’s comment was “certainly not in keeping with university statement core values,” adding, “We know we have work to do in that area and this underscores the fact that we have a lot of work to do.” Vaughan said via email Tuesday that her remark — as many might suspect — was posted sarcastically, in response to current political rhetoric surrounding immigration. She attempted to clarify her point after someone misunderstood and removed the post within five minutes to avoid further confusion, she added.
“I was led to make a remark on my Facebook page that I phrased as sarcasm to convey my belief that our society is strengthened by the presence of diverse cultures and that exclusion of any group robs us of these benefits,” Vaughan said.
“I sincerely regret that I wrote this comment in a way that could be misinterpreted, and that it may have caused any pain or fear to [students], who above all else should trust their faculty.” (Source: Inside Higher Ed)
After 30th June, please don’t travel to India with a PIO card. You will be denied entry. Please don’t inconvenience yourselves. Either convert your PIO to OCI or apply for a Visa”, said India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das.
The Consul General appealed to the Indian American PIO card holders to immediately convert their cards. Now the consulate is doing the conversion free of cost but after 30th a penalty fee could be added.
PIO Card holders: Please note that the last date for conversion of PIO cards to OCI cards is 30th June 2017.
Beyond 30th June, 2017, PIO Cards will not be valid for travel to India. All PIO Card holders are requested to immediately apply for conversion of PIO Cards to OCI Cards at this link ” https://www.in.ckgs.us “. It may be noted that the processing time taken for conversion is 10 days minimum and applicants may plan their travel to India accordingly.
On the subject of issuing passports toIndians who sought political asylum here, the Consul General said, “Across the board now there is some liberalization. Those who are known to repeatedly criticize the Indian Government, questioning the idea of Indian nation, India’s territorial integrity/sovereigntyor who have serious issues, will still be denied passport. But that category apart, those who have sought asylum and want to have a passport can send email to us or come with their documents to the consulate at the open house on first and third Wednesdays in the morning and afternoon respectively. But please do not go to third parties because they really don’t know the rules and regulations. Don’t get misguided and don’t pay any extra money.”
After the overwhelming success of last two years International Day of Yoga celebrations, the Consulate General of India in New York is all set to make it larger in the third year.The Consulate General of India, New York in association with local Indian community and associations, is organizing a series of Yoga related events in New York City and States under its jurisdiction.
In an exclusive interview with The Indian Panorama, Consul General of India in New York, Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das shared the details of their flagship event and the preparations they are taking to make it ‘More successful’ than previous editions.
What kind of preparations you have made to go beyond the achievements in the last two years?
Like previous years, we are going to do a large number of events with the help of our valuable partners and Indian community, various temples, non-profits, and other cultural organizations.We have done a printed pamphlet this year with the list of events. Among all events, two stand out this year.
First one is the Times Square event on 21st morning which is organized by Times Square Alliance. It’s a magnificent event. They start very early in the morning and thousands of people gather there to participate. It presents a beautiful sight of people doing Surya Namaskar and yogic asanas in an impressive setting.
This year AAPI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) is doing a Yoga session with Baba Ramdev in Atlantic City on June 24, from 5 to 7 in the morning and we are joining them. This is a combined effort of AAPI and the Consulate. The hope is everybody will turn up in the morning. Baba Ramdev will conduct yoga exercises with the AAPI group. It’s very significant that the doctors’ group is doing yoga. That connection should not be missed.
What is different this year?
It’s our flagship event at the Battery Park – the iconic venue of New York City. We have been working for several months with the Public Advocate’s Office. We got excellent cooperation from the Mayor’s office and park authorities.
On the 19th June evening, we are hosting the session right in front of the CastleClinton from 5 to 8.30 pm. We are trying to target people from the offices around. Our partners are Art of Living Foundation, Hindu Temple, and Urban Yogis. The Urban Yogis are from Brooklyn and they are African Americans. Eddie Stern is their yoga guru who will conduct a session. Battery Park event will start with some music, yoga shlokas, Bharatnatyam dance.
There will be yoga session by Hindu temple. Children from Malakhamba Yoga will also participate.We will round up the evening with a music performance. The whole purpose is to make general New Yorkers understand how much yoga can help you in dealing with your everyday life.
Any other interesting thing you want to share?
Yes. Yoga is being done by NYPD. There is one inspector who is posted in Queens. Her name is Inspector Colleen Quinn who has been practicing yoga for a while. She is a great advocate of promoting yoga in the law enforcement and says yoga helps her to deal with the stress in her job. She will demonstrate yoga with NYPD officers.
Will there be any event at the airports?
Yes. Art of Living and Sahaja Yoga will be hosting sessions at Newark airport on June 15.
Have you ever considered that how yoga can be a source of big business?
Right now, we are in the phase of promoting yoga. Government is not into business. Now, the whole idea is to take ownership of yoga. Many people don’t even relate yoga to India. Yoga belongs to India and that is what we are promoting.
What is your message to people on this occasion?
As our life becomes more and more stressful, as we are dealing with health issues, Yoga shows us the way,Ayurveda shows us the way. Do come in large numbers on 19th June in Battery Park. There will be a red carpet where you can pose and take your pictures. We should all come together to show Indians can promote something which is so ancient.
Please do register on our website: http;//www.indiacgny.org. registration.php
EDISON, NJ (TIP): Shri Krishna Vrundavana Hindu temple in Edison is organizing “Shri Krishna Pratishtapana and Brahma Kalashothsava” from May 28 to June 15; involving ancient rituals, philosophical symposiums and festivities around the consecration of uniquely created Saligrama Krishna statue.
It took six months to sculpt this Lord Krishna statue from the Saligrama rock brought from the banks of Gandaki River in Nepal after months of search. This sacred statue has visited over one hundred homes of devotees in New Jersey in May after its arrival from India and before installation in the specially constructed Garbha Griham in the temple to become its main deity.
History of this Hindu temple, which now stands on the location which was earlier Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, goes back to 2002, when it was established in Iselin (New Jersey). Temple renovation began on May one and included importing about 3,000 cubic feet of teakwood from Burma for the Garba Gudi, besides other materials from India.
R i t u a l s – e v e n t s – f e s t i v i t i e s – symposiums during this period include Sapta Shudhi, Homas, Veda Paarayayanas, Japas, Balis, Samkeertanas, Saligrama Krishna Pratishtapana, various Poojas, Kalasha Pratishta, Avabhruta, Mantrakshate, discourse, music-dance performances, knowledge conference on Moksha and Karma, etc. Free lunch and dinner (Maha Prasada) is being served every day. Sri Sugunendra Teertha, the current pontiff of Shri Puthige Matha in Udupi (India), is participating.
Commending the temple leaders and area community for realizing this Hindu temple complex and organizing the ancient rituals, Rajan Zed, in a statement, pointed out that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would help in this direction.
This temple, on a 3.5 acres plot and built area of about 15,000 square feet in South Edison, opens daily at 06-30 am and conducts daily morning-evening Poojas. Besides worship services, it also celebrates many Hindu festivals and conducts various free classes on Sthotra, Geetha, Sanskrit, Sandhya Vandana, Slokas, Bhajan, etc. Its “Spiritual Sundays” programming includes “sessions focused on personal growth and development” and interactive session on “Dharma Tradition”.
Dress code in temple’s Pooja Hall includes covering “shoulders and knees”, and dhoti is compulsory “while reciting Veda mantras”. It also runs a Hindu matrimonial site called Dampathi.com, which states: “Marriage is not just living the outer life but the inner life as well.”
WASHINGTON (TIP): While four Indian- Americans received top awards in various categories, an Indian boy has won the world’s largest pre-college science competition in the US in environmental engineering category for his project on biodegradation of pesticides.
Prashant Ranganathan, a 12th grader from Jamshedpur, alongwith over 20 high school students from various parts of India, participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. “My project will actually help farmers in biodegrading the pesticide which is plaguing the country,” Prashant told PTI after he was declared winner in the environmental engineering category at this years’ competition.
In all, more than 1,700 students from across the world participated in the week-long event which concluded here on Friday.
Student of Carmel Junior College in Jamshedpur, Prashant’s project ‘Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria’ said that farmers should not use pesticides.
Prashant who bagged the coveted award for his innovation for fighting against pesticide and getting rid of its side effects through biodegradable use. “In almost all the states, like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Haryana and Bihar and Jharkhand, there’s extensive farming. Using excessive amounts of pesticides, is affecting the health and the environment around them,” he said.
While the topmost Gordon E Moore Award of $75,000 went to Ivo Zell, 18, of Germany for designing and constructing a remote-control prototype of a new “flying wing”, almost every participant of the Indian delegation returned from the annual competition with one award or the other.
“India really boasts really extraordinary mathematics, science, physics, education,” Maya Ajmera president and CEO of Society for Science and Public, told PTI in an interview. In fact, in every section the award ceremony had the budding Indian scientists on the stage.
So were the Indian American high schoolers, prompting one of the Intel official to say, “Indians and Indian Americans rock today” as the awards ceremony concluded at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Indian-American Pratik Naidu from Virginia bagged an award in the category of computational biology and bioinformatics, Adam Nayak from Oregon was declared the winner in earth and environmental sciences, Karthik Yegnesh from Pennsylvania in Mathematics and Rahul Subramaniam from Connecticut in the microbiology category.
As a result, Indians and Indian Americans accounted for nearly one-fifth of the top categories of the awards. “I think that many generations of Indian scientists and engineers and computer scientists, have truly paved the way of this generation of young people doing extraordinary things,” Ajmera said referring to the incredible and innovative projects of Indian students who participated in this year’s science competition.
For instance, a sister-brother team – Sairandi Sathyanarayanan & Sacheth Sathyanarayanan – from the National Public School in Chennai have invented a gearbox that generates electricity when a fisherman’s boat is lying idle at night, which they said is enough to meet the energy needs of a fisherman’s house for a day.
The team not only received accolades from the judges but were on the stage on Friday for receiving awards in various categories.
Shinjini Ghosh, a 12 grader from South Point High School, Kolkata was recognized for developing a language identification kit based on the variations in intonation using discrete markov-chain model.
Similarly, Sahithi Pingali from Inventure Academy, Bangalore received multiple awards for developing a new approach to monitoring lakes in developing countries in a crowdsourcing environmental science.
Kunj Siddharth Dedhia, from the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai has developed a smartphone application based on user feedback for cyclists to reduce incidence of lower back pain, while Chaitanya & Geeve George from the Little Rock Indian School in Udupi received an award for developing a smartphone-aided multispectral imaging system. (Source: PTI)
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): The most awaited cultural program of the year, Rangla Punjab, 2017 organized by the Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago was celebrated with a lot of zeal and fanfare by participants of all ages, with an electrified Chicago audience at Meadows Clubs, Rolling meadows, IL. The energy of the hall was palpable and the enthusiasm of the participants was contagious. Vaisakhi marks the foundation day of Khalsa panth or Sikh order by the tenth Sikh Guru, Sri Gobind Singh. In 1699 the tenth guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh, chose Vaisakhi as the occasion to transform the Sikhs into a family of soldier saints, known as the Khalsa Panth.
This memorable program encompassed a rare record-breaking number and variety of performances, with participants from Chicagoland as well as teams from neighboring states of Wisconsin and Indiana. The evening started with Shabad coordinated by Mr. Amardev Singh Bandesha followed by colorful dancing and singing performances that enthralled the crowd. The lineup of the cultural program performances was amazing and full of variety. The cultural program was very well anchored by four Emcees; Raskirath Singh, Parvinder Singh Nanua, Mona Bhalla and Paul Singh Lail. There were over thirty beautiful performances from all age groups.
Chicago Giddha, popular folk dance of women in Punjab region of India
The cultural bonanza was celebrated by Chicago with unencumbered enthusiasm shown through the number of attendees and participants alike; children as young as 4-year-old, through teenagers and adults put on a memorable show. Bhangra and Giddah along with the signature drum beats and ‘boli’s’, electrified the audience and they participated by howling and clapping along the lively beats. The colorful atmosphere shone through the authentic outfits worn by the young and old alike – seemingly transported everyone to the meandering streets of Punjab. As an Emcee reminisced about growing up in Punjab, the atmosphere was brought alive by the participants and their grand attires with great attention to detail.
Kaum Punzabi Bhangra Dance
Mr. Rajinder Singh Mago, one of the event organizers, introduced the dignitaries and distinguished guests to the audience. The chief guest Mr. Darshan Singh Dhaliwal of Dhaliwal Enterprises along with Mr. Sukhmel S. Atwal presented mementoes to the sponsors of the program Onkar Singh Sangha (Allstate Insurance), Dr. Bhupinder Singh Saini and Dr. Narinder S. Grewal. Grand sponsor Dr. Bhupinder Singh Saini congratulated everyone on the auspicious event of Vaisakhi. He credited PCS for keeping the Punjabi heritage alive through such celebrations far across the oceans that keep Punjabis connected with their culture. Dr. Saini, while making mention of the efforts and resources needed for such events said, “These things do not come cheap. I assure the organizers of my continuous support to this great cause.” Dr. Saini got sentimental while expressing his love and gratitude for his father who was also present there. The guests of honor for the evening was the Consulate General of India Ms. Neeta Bhushan represented by Mr. D. B. Bhati (Consul). Mr. Bhati addressed the audience and congratulated PCS for the grand event. Consulate General of Pakistan Faisal Niaz Tirmizi also graced the evening.
The Meadows Club hall became the microcosm of the Punjabi culture and entertainment; it felt as if we were sitting in Punjab amidst all the kaleidoscopic view of its heritage surrounding us. From the authentic props to the intricately designed bhangra and Gidah garbs, the event proved to be a hit once again. Parents’ eyes cherished the moments their children dressed in dance costumes performed on stage. Truly everyone was transported through time and space where one could smell the fragrance of corn and wheat being harvested from the villages of the mighty Punjab. The writer of this passages reminisced about her own childhood at this program; it was that powerful of an atmosphere. Gidah was performed by, to name a few, Bollywood Arts Academy, Shaukana Chicago Diyan, Milwaukee Gidah and Chicago Gidah Girls and so on. Bhangra teams included all age groups like Navi Paneeri, Punjabi Kaum, Warriors Bhangra and many more. Chicago’s renowned singers Mahijit Virdi, Mona Bhalla, Maddy Singh and Ashley Singh made everyone dance to their melodies.
Punjabi music reverberated in the Meadows club hall as gaily-dressed men and women sang and danced to celebrate the festival. The essence of Punjab was reflected in the hall, with kudos to Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago for putting up a grand show and bringing the community together for this memorable event. Truly, Chicagoland will be waiting with bated breath for the next Rangla Punjab from Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago in 2018.
NEW YORK (TIP): The 17th annual New York Indian Film Festival is a celebration of off-the-track movies produced in South Asia. Launched on April 30 with the screening of ‘Lipstick under my Burkha’, a story of struggle of women fighting for their freedom and aspirations, the festival was well appreciated by New Yorkers. Approximately 85 shorts, documentaries and feature films from South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh), made in Hindi, English and seven regional languages (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali) were entered in the festival.
‘Gypsy’, is based on Mulay’s autobiographical work ‘Maati, Pankh and Akash’, a celebrated Marathi literary work, depicting the struggle of a boy born in a remote village in Maharashtra. It is the story of a poet who rose to the post of the Consul General of India in New York with sheer hard work and perseverance.
Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay is a true son of the soil. He calls his journey as that of a gypsy, who travelled to Tokyo, Syria and New York negotiating meanings out of political and diplomatic developments, engaging in as a competent diplomat with a poetic flavor, winning the hearts of Indian settlers as well as counterparts in the host countries. With his vision deeply rooted in the socio-cultural domain of India, Mulay, currently Secretary in-charge of Overseas Indian affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs, represents the aspirations of all Indians who belong to the impoverished strata of India, an India that lacks drinking water and nutritious food even after 75 years of India’s independence. Mulay’s success is an indicator that kids from the poorest economic levels can succeed and rise to the top.
But does the movie, ‘Gypsy’, succeed in presenting the true colors of Mulay’s personality? Dhananjay, the young filmmaker from Maharashtra, captures a few touching moments of Mulay’s childhood life in Laat village of Kolhapur district, where he inherited traditional poverty and cultural richness, that was passed on to him from his teachers. He continued studying major literatures of the world during his teenage. The black and white visuals in the movie recreate social poverty and cultural richness of the village. We see Mulay walking around the streets of his native village where his school remains deprived of repair and his people continued living with traditions. We see ribbon cutting Mulay, and a number of his child hood friends and admirers including his mother, speaking highly about him as a young boy. The movie further depicts Mulay as an adult officer who pursued his dreams of joining the ranks of the bureaucrats of Delhi. He does well in UPSC interviews demonstrating his deep knowledge and understanding of Maharashtra’s socio-cultural traditions and relevance of Indian democracy. Finally, he joins the ranks of IFS officers rising to the position of an Ambassador.
Other than breaking the traditions to joining the elite club of Indian bureaucracy, what are the major contributions of Mulay as a diplomat? What did he do to raise India’s prestige abroad? He handled difficult situations during the two-week-long refuge of President Mohamed Nasheed in the Indian High Commission in Male’. As Ravi Batra, a leading New York attorney, said after the screening of the movie, the high points in Mulay’s diplomatic career came in the second decade of 21st century, first at Male, and then in New York during his tenure as the Consul General, when the then Deputy Consul General of India in New York was arrested and strip searched. Mulay is credited with handling both situations aptly that helped raise the prestige of India. Mulay is too modest to talk about these incidents in the movie or in public. However, it shouldn’t have prevented the filmmaker of ‘Gypsy’ from projecting it in the movie, through the professional voice-over that Tom Alter provided so well.
The movie also fails to underscore Mulay’s role in initiating the yearly organization of International Hindi Conferences in USA, now in its fifth year. It was an effort to reestablish the profile and importance of Hindi internationally that no other Consul General did in the past.
The filmmaker of ‘Gypsy’, who seemed very conscious about Mulay’s roots in Maharashtra, fails to depict him as a national symbol of India’s aspirations, an India that lives in the villages. We are left to watch Mulay’s friends talking and not what Mulay thinks today about his people’s ongoing struggle, especially in Maharashtra and India, where farmers and students are unable to face their failures, only resorting to actions like suicides.
NYIFF presented remarkable movies, such as, ‘A Death in the Gunj’, directed by Konkona Sen Sharma. The movie pays tribute to the late Om Puri, one of India’s most versatile character actors who starred in more than 147 films during his illustrious career and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990.
The closing movie, ‘You are my Sunday’, is a story of five young men in Mumbai who share same goal to play football (soccer) at Juhu Beach every Sunday. While each one has his reason to look forward to the Sunday morning, there’s no doubt it’s a high point of their week. One Sunday, as a result of the actions of a senile old stranger who joins their game, a ban is issued on playing games at Juhu Beach. The group now has to look for a new place to play in the crowded city of Mumbai. More than just football, the film is about each of their lives and how each one deals with their own physical and emotional space.
NYIFF presented a rich fare for which Aroon Sivadasani and her colleagues on board of directors deserve all appreciation. Here is a list of NYIFF 2017 National Award Winners.
Best Films – “Kaasav (Turtle)”
Best Director – Rajesh Mapuskar -“Ventilator”
Best Editing – “Ventilator”
Best Recordist For Final Mixed Track – “Ventilator”
Best Gujarati Film – “Wrong Side Raju”
Best Short Film – “Aaba”
Best Child Actors – “Colours of Innocence”
Special Mention – Adil Hussain – “Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation)”
The 17th New York Film Festival in Pictures
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the Independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Seven days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremony, special events, nightly networking parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain & educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City.
The 17th IAFF was held from April 30 to May 7, 2017 in New York City. A total of 85 entries were received.
Aroon Sivadasani, President and Executive Director heads a team of people deeply committed to promotion of cinema. Eminent persons from the world of arts and cinema which include Salman Rushdie, Shashi Throop, Mira Nair, Shabana Azmi, Deepa Mehta, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam, Madhur Jaffrey, Sabrina Dhawan and Sakina Jaffrey are on the advisory board of the film festival.
The Indo-American Arts Council, the organization which organizes the film festival says its missionis to promote and build the awareness, creation, production, exhibition, publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art forms in North America.
The Mission statement further says: “The IAAC supports all artistic disciplines in the classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding.
“Our focus is to work with artists and arts organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists and arts organizations from India to exhibit, perform and produce their works here”.
Well known photographer Jay Mandal who was on assignment with the IAFF 2017 has come up with some wonderful pictures of the event which we are happy to share with the readers of The Indian Panorama.
Alankrita Shrivastava, Director of the film, “Lipstick under my Burkha”, Actor Rahul Bose and Actress, Aahana Kumra
Alankrita Shrivastava, Director of the film, “Lipstick under my Burkha” and Actress, Aahana Kumra
From Left: Aroon Sivadasani, founder of NYIFF, Actress Aahana Kumra and Actress, Madhur Jaffrey
Consul General Riva Ganguly Das, Aroon Sivadasani and Aahana Kumra
Consul General Riva Ganguly Das and Rahul Bose
Author Salman Rushdie, Aahana Kumra and Aroon Sivadasani
Actor Rahul Bose takes a”Selfie” with Author Salman Rushdie
Air India Regional Manager Americas, Vandana Sharma, Aahana Kumra and Alankrita Shrivastava, Director of the film, “Lipstick under my Burkha”
‘Gypsy’ makersDhananjay Bhawalekar (left) and Sawani Arjun (center) at the post screening Q & A session with festival director Aroon Sivadasani (right)
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the Independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Seven days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremony, special events, nightly networking parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain & educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City.
The 17th IAFF was held from April 30 to May 7, 2017 in New York City. A total of 85 entries were received.
Aroon Sivadasani, President and Executive Director heads a team of people deeply committed to promotion of cinema. Eminent persons from the world of arts and cinema which include Salman Rushdie, Shashi Throop, Mira Nair, Shabana Azmi, Deepa Mehta, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam, Madhur Jaffrey, Sabrina Dhawan and Sakina Jaffrey are on the advisory board of the film festival.
The Indo-American Arts Council, the organization which organizes the film festival says its missionis to promote and build the awareness, creation, production, exhibition, publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art forms in North America.
The Mission statement further says: “The IAAC supports all artistic disciplines in the classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding.
“Our focus is to work with artists and arts organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists and arts organizations from India to exhibit, perform and produce their works here”.
Well known photographer Jay Mandal who was on assignment with the IAFF 2017 has come up with some wonderful pictures of the event which we are happy to share with the readers of The Indian Panorama.
Alankrita Shrivastava, Director of the film, “Lipstick under my Burkha”, Actor Rahul Bose and Actress, Aahana Kumra
Alankrita Shrivastava, Director of the film, “Lipstick under my Burkha” and Actress, Aahana Kumra
From Left: Aroon Sivadasani, founder of NYIFF, Actress Aahana Kumra and Actress, Madhur Jaffrey
Consul General Riva Ganguly Das, Aroon Sivadasani and Aahana Kumra
Consul General Riva Ganguly Das and Rahul Bose
Author Salman Rushdie, Aahana Kumra and Aroon Sivadasani
Actor Rahul Bose takes a”Selfie” with Author Salman Rushdie
Air India Regional Manager Americas, Vandana Sharma, Aahana Kumra and Alankrita Shrivastava, Director of the film, “Lipstick under my Burkha”
‘Gypsy’ makersDhananjay Bhawalekar (left) and Sawani Arjun (center) at the post screening Q & A session with festival director Aroon Sivadasani (right)
“Gypsy”, a documentary on the life of Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M Mulay, made by Dhananjay Bhawalekar and Sawani Arjun was selected for screening. The documentary received mixed reaction.
85 South Asian films screened at the 17thNYIFF
‘Gypsy’: Story of a village kid who rose to the top of Indian Bureaucracy received mixed reactions
By Ashok Ojha NEW YORK (TIP): The 17th annual New York Indian Film Festival is a celebration of off-the-track movies produced in South Asia. Launched on April 30 with the screening of ‘Lipstick under my Burkha’, a story of struggle of women fighting for their freedom and aspirations, the festival was well appreciated by New Yorkers. Approximately 85 shorts, documentaries and feature films from South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh), made in Hindi, English and seven regional languages (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali) were entered in the festival.
‘Gypsy’, is based on Mulay’s autobiographical work ‘Maati, Pankh and Akash’, a celebrated Marathi literary work, depicting the struggle of a boy born in a remote village in Maharashtra. It is the story of a poet who rose to the post of the Consul General of India in New York with sheer hard work and perseverance.
Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay is a true son of the soil. He calls his journey as that of a gypsy, who travelled to Tokyo, Syria and New York negotiating meanings out of political and diplomatic developments, engaging in as a competent diplomat with a poetic flavor, winning the hearts of Indian settlers as well as counterparts in the host countries. With his vision deeply rooted in the socio-cultural domain of India, Mulay, currently Secretary in-charge of Overseas Indian affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs, represents the aspirations of all Indians who belong to the impoverished strata of India, an India that lacks drinking water and nutritious food even after 75 years of India’s independence. Mulay’s success is an indicator that kids from the poorest economic levels can succeed and rise to the top.
But does the movie, ‘Gypsy’, succeed in presenting the true colors of Mulay’s personality? Dhananjay, the young filmmaker from Maharashtra, captures a few touching moments of Mulay’s childhood life in Laat village of Kolhapur district, where he inherited traditional poverty and cultural richness, that was passed on to him from his teachers. He continued studying major literatures of the world during his teenage. The black and white visuals in the movie recreate social poverty and cultural richness of the village. We see Mulay walking around the streets of his native village where his school remains deprived of repair and his people continued living with traditions. We see ribbon cutting Mulay, and a number of his child hood friends and admirers including his mother, speaking highly about him as a young boy. The movie further depicts Mulay as an adult officer who pursued his dreams of joining the ranks of the bureaucrats of Delhi. He does well in UPSC interviews demonstrating his deep knowledge and understanding of Maharashtra’s socio-cultural traditions and relevance of Indian democracy. Finally, he joins the ranks of IFS officers rising to the position of an Ambassador.
Other than breaking the traditions to joining the elite club of Indian bureaucracy, what are the major contributions of Mulay as a diplomat? What did he do to raise India’s prestige abroad? He handled difficult situations during the two-week-long refuge of President Mohamed Nasheed in the Indian High Commission in Male’. As Ravi Batra, a leading New York attorney, said after the screening of the movie, the high points in Mulay’s diplomatic career came in the second decade of 21st century, first at Male, and then in New York during his tenure as the Consul General, when the then Deputy Consul General of India in New York was arrested and strip searched. Mulay is credited with handling both situations aptly that helped raise the prestige of India. Mulay is too modest to talk about these incidents in the movie or in public. However, it shouldn’t have prevented the filmmaker of ‘Gypsy’ from projecting it in the movie, through the professional voice-over that Tom Alter provided so well.
The movie also fails to underscore Mulay’s role in initiating the yearly organization of International Hindi Conferences in USA, now in its fifth year. It was an effort to reestablish the profile and importance of Hindi internationally that no other Consul General did in the past.
The filmmaker of ‘Gypsy’, who seemed very conscious about Mulay’s roots in Maharashtra, fails to depict him as a national symbol of India’s aspirations, an India that lives in the villages. We are left to watch Mulay’s friends talking and not what Mulay thinks today about his people’s ongoing struggle, especially in Maharashtra and India, where farmers and students are unable to face their failures, only resorting to actions like suicides.
NYIFF presented remarkable movies, such as, ‘A Death in the Gunj’, directed by Konkona Sen Sharma. The movie pays tribute to the late Om Puri, one of India’s most versatile character actors who starred in more than 147 films during his illustrious career and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990.
The closing movie, ‘You are my Sunday’, is a story of five young men in Mumbai who share same goal to play football (soccer) at Juhu Beach every Sunday. While each one has his reason to look forward to the Sunday morning, there’s no doubt it’s a high point of their week. One Sunday, as a result of the actions of a senile old stranger who joins their game, a ban is issued on playing games at Juhu Beach. The group now has to look for a new place to play in the crowded city of Mumbai. More than just football, the film is about each of their lives and how each one deals with their own physical and emotional space.
NYIFF presented a rich fare for which Aroon Sivadasani and her colleagues on board of directors deserve all appreciation. Here is a list of NYIFF 2017 National Award Winners.
Best Films – “Kaasav (Turtle)”
Best Director – Rajesh Mapuskar -“Ventilator”
Best Editing – “Ventilator”
Best Recordist For Final Mixed Track – “Ventilator”
Best Gujarati Film – “Wrong Side Raju”
Best Short Film – “Aaba”
Best Child Actors – “Colours of Innocence”
Special Mention – Adil Hussain – “Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation)”
NEW YORK (TIP): Despite some showers, Sikh men, women and children in thousands thronged New York City to participate in the annual Sikh Day Parade, April 22. It is a day of the birth of Khalsa, the pure Sikhs. It was on the day of Vaisakhi in 1699 that the Tenth Master of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji created Khalsa, the pure among the Sikhs. The Master(Guru) enjoined upon his Sikhs to fight for basic human rights and against all kinds of injustice, oppression and tyranny. Which made them a martial community. During the British rule of India, the Sikh soldiers were recognized for their valor and the most Victoria Crosses, the highest gallantry award were won by them. In independent India, Sikhs have proved time and again they were the sword arm of the country.
The Sikhs number more than 25 million and are present in every part of the world. Their adventurous spirit has taken them far and wide in search of greener pastures. They created a great impression of themselves as honest and hardworking people. Many Sikhs have won laurels in various fields in countries across the world. The Sikh religion-Sikhism is one of the five major religions of the world. Sikhs believe in unity of mankind and seek good of all.
On or around the day of Vaisakhi, which usually falls in the middle of April, Sikhs organize parades and prayers to celebrate their birth. In New York, as elsewhere, every year, thousands of Sikhs gather to celebrate the day.
The huge crowds, following their Guru, at the Parade in Manhattan on April 22.
Unconfirmed estimates suggested presence of over 25000 Sikh men, women and children in the parade this year. Over the years, the size of parade has grown, with non-Sikhs also joining in the parade.
The Sikh Day Parade is more a religious affair than a mere social gathering. That is why, the parade is led by the Living Guru of the Sikhs- The Holy Guru Granth Sahib in whose presence a perfect decorum and an atmosphere of spirituality is maintained.
A display of Sikh martial arts
On display at the parade were Sikh history, culture and traditions, as also the Sikhs’holy places. Various forms of Sikh martial art were displayed by the young and not so young.
Many bands, including the NYPD band participated. NYPD Desi officers also were part of a contingent.
A conference was a part of the celebrations where community leaders spoke about their religion and the community. A few politicians and officials also attended the parade and the conference.
A community kitchen (Langar) proved to be a great attraction, with people enjoying many delectable dishes absolutely free. Sikhs are the only community in the world who have the unique tradition of langar. In every Sikh temple, food is provided free to everyone without any discrimination on any basis.The park at 23rd Street was a great place for people to sit in and enjoy the food which was served free to all.
NEW YORK (TIP): “On behalf of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), I want to applaud the many contributions and initiatives of Dr. Vivek Murthy, our AAPI member, in the healthcare sector in very short span of about two years since he became US Surgeon General in 2014,” said Dr. Ajay Lodha, President of AAPI.
Dr. Murthy has attended several AAPI meetings and has always acknowledged the contributions of AAPI and the Indian community in his statement which he quoted as, “I am proud of our community of Indian physicians for all the progress that we have made over the years, and I know that AAPI has been a critical force in making this process possible. The advice you shared and assistance you kindly offered were important pieces of this journey,”
The growing influence of doctors of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in the healthcare, academic, research and administrative positions across the nation. With their hard work, dedication, compassion, and skills, they have thus carved an enviable niche in the American medical community. AAPI’s role has come to be recognized as vital among members and among lawmakers.
The surgeon general represents the Health and Human Services Secretary in addressing public health practice in the nation. Murthy, 39, was America’s youngest-ever top doctor, and is also the first surgeon general of Indian-American representing the next generation of Indian American physician. His ethics, quiet leadership style and impeccable credentials made him the smart choice for this position.
Dr. Murthy, grandson of a farmer, second generation Indian American physician, said, he will always be grateful to “our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve.
Dr. Murthy played key role in bringing to the forefront many crucial health issues confronting the nation. In a landmark report on addiction released in November, said dependency on opioids and other substances must not be looked on as a “character flaw,” in the first publication from a surgeon general that has addressed drug and alcohol addiction.
Murthy embarked on a three-month listening tour of the U.S. ahead of a ceremonial swearing in to listen to the people and professionals before taking on this important role.
AAPI is shocked and saddened with his departure and wishes him well as he moves on to a new phase in life and is confident that his talents. skills, and experiences will be utilized effectively for the greater good of the nation.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American Vishal J Amin’s name has been sent by President Donald Trump to the Senate for confirmation as America’s new ‘IP czar’ to coordinate the country’s law-enforcement strategy around copyright, patents and trademarks.
If confirmed by the Senate, Vishal, who is currently Senior Counsel on House Judiciary Committee, would succeed Daniel Marti in the White House.
Earlier this month, Trump had tapped him as the US’ new Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator –dubbed as ‘IP czar’ — to coordinate US law-enforcement strategy around copyright, patents and trademarks.
Amin has served in the administration of former president George W Bush at the White House as Associate Director for Domestic Policy and at the US Department of Commerce as Special Assistant and Associate Director for Policy in the Office of the Secretary, the White House said.
Vishal received his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and his law degree from Washington University in St Louis.
The Recording Industry Association of America welcomed his nomination.
“The prompt appointment and consideration of this position is critical, and we commend President Trump for his choice. Vishal Amin is a smart, thoughtful leader and we look forward to working with him,” said Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American Avaneesh Krishnamoorthy has been charged with insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Avaneesh Krishnamoorthy, a Vice President in the risk management department of Nomura Securities, a New York-based investment bank, allegedly used the confidential information of a private equity firm’s acquisition to conduct insider trading, the American Bazaar online reported on Wednesday.
He was charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. According to the SEC’s complaint, Mr. Krishnamoorthy made approximately $48,000 in illicit profits through insider trading.
Federal prosecutors said Mr. Krishnamoorthy learned through the course of his work that the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital intended to acquire the online analytics and marketing firm Neustar.
Mr. Krishnamoorthy then began trading in Neustar securities through two brokerages accounts that he allegedly kept hidden from his employer, which had been approached by Golden Gate Capital to finance the transaction, according to the report.
“As alleged in our complaint, Krishnamoorthy was entrusted with confidential, market-moving information by his employer and he misused it for personal gain,” said Andrew M. Calamari, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.
Mr. Krishnamoorthy was presented in Manhattan federal court before US Magistrate judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox on Tuesday. Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim said Mr. Krishnamoorthy was charged with violating his duty to his company and trading on insider information.
“Avaneesh Krishnamoorthy allegedly exploited his access to information about a pending acquisition to purchase stock and options, making tens of thousands of dollars in illegal profit for himself,” she said.
This was the first criminal insider trading case filed by Ms Kim, who in March succeeded Indian-American Preet Bharara, who was sacked by new President Donald Trump as part of his administration reshuffling.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Indian American Hero Dr. Vivek Murthy, America’s top doctor, was dismissed by Donald Trump’s administration on Friday, April 21, 2017 as the US Surgeon General.
Dr. Vivek Murthy taking charge as the US Surgeon General cemented the reputation physicians of Indian origin have across America. President Obama made the right choice in naming a highly-qualified physician to serve as America’s surgeon general.
The surgeon general, known as “America’s doctor,” represents the Health and Human Services Secretary and Assistant Secretary in addressing public health practice in the nation. Murthy, 39, was America’s youngest-ever top doctor, and he is also the first surgeon general of Indian-American descent. Dr. Vivek Murthy represents the next generation of Indian American physician. His ethics, quiet leadership style and impeccable credentials made him the smart choice for this position.
Murthy was named America’s top doctor by President Barack Obama in 2014, making him the first Indian American ever named to the post, one among many growing achievement of a tiny but economically powerful ethnic community. In a very short span of time, Dr. Murthy had played key role in bringing to the forefront many crucial health issues confronting the nation. Dr. Murthy said, being picked for the job was a “uniquely American story” for the “grandson of a poor farmer from India.”
It was not immediately clear why Murthy was relieved from duty, the New York Times said while noting that employees at the Department of Health and Human Services privately expressed surprise at his sudden departure. Murthy, the 19th Surgeon General, and the first Indian American to hold this post said in a Facebook Post that it was an honor and privilege to work for this prestigious position.
“For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story. I will always be grateful to our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve,” he said.
In a post on Facebook, Murthy said. “For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story. I will always be grateful to our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve,” he added.
Murthy went on to recount his goals and achievements as surgeon general and said he “had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, (but) I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served”. He says he was the ‘grandson of a poor farmer from India’.
The US health and human services said in a statement on Friday he had been asked “to resign from his duties as surgeon general after assisting in a smooth transition into the new Trump Administration … (and stood) relieved of his duties”.
Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, a nurse by training and currently deputy surgeon general, was named to serve as the acting surgeon general and assume leadership of the US public health service commissioned corps.
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