The Indian Panorama

Tag: Indian-Americans

  • US diplomats surprise Indian Americans with a flourish of fluent Hindi

    US diplomats surprise Indian Americans with a flourish of fluent Hindi

    People of Indian origin, who are living in USA on refugee status, will soon be able to travel to India with a valid travel visa. The Government of India has decided to grant visa to applicants with refugee status living in USA.

    Deputy Consul General Mr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra took questions from the audience. To his right is Mr. Rohit Vyas, who anchored the program
    Deputy Consul General Mr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra took questions from the audience. To his right is Mr. Rohit Vyas, who anchored the program
    Photos / Gunjesh

    This was announced by Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, Deputy Consul General of India in New York, at an outreach event organized at TV Asia in Edison, NJ. Mohapatra said that the consulate was working on 24 hours and seven days basis in order to provide timely assistance to individual visa seekers, who were in dire and unique situations. He invited applicants to open houses at the Consulate so that their issues were resolved. The consulate holds open houses every first and third Wednesday of every month.

    Responding to a question about killing of Indian professional in Kansas, Dr. Mohapatra commented that Government of India was very concerned about cases of violence against Indian citizens who were victim of hate or other kinds of crimes. He pointed out the Government of India gave priority to the unfortunate incident that took place in Kansas where an Indian professional Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed by a gunman. “We acted very quickly to address the situation. As we talk here, Dr. S. Jaishankar, India’s foreign Secretary, was in Washington holding talks with senior members of the Donald Trump administration on various issues for mutual interests.

    The outreach event was also utilized to extend a warm reception to a group of diplomats from Washington who visited Indian market in Edison and Jersey City in New Jersey. The five US diplomats showcased their Hindi speaking proficiency. They surprised an audience of community leaders and professionals from wide areas of businesses and occupation, when they spoke in fluent Hindi. All diplomats were studying Hindi language at the institute prior to their postings in India.

    Michael Rosenthal, Political Unit Chief, Office of India Affairs, US Department of State, who led the group, said that he and his colleagues were due for their posting in India in the coming months. “We are learning Hindi and Indian culture at the Foreign Service Institute run by the State Department”, he said adding that thousands of US diplomats attend language and culture classes prior to their overseas postings. Rosenthal said that as a part of his language studies he and his four colleagues visited shops and interacted with businessmen in Jersey City and Edison townships. The group was welcomed by HR Shah, Chairman, TV Asia.

    A view of the gathering - US diplomats surprise Indian Americans with a flourish of fluent Hindi
    A view of the gathering – US diplomats surprise Indian Americans with a flourish of fluent Hindi

    Addressing the gathering Nathaniel Farrer, a member of the group, said in Hindi, “He and his colleagues enjoyed watching Hindi movies and often debate about the acting talents of Bollywood actors. “We are yet to agree about who among Amir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan is the better actor”, he said jokingly.

    Pushpa Patel, a Hindi instructor at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington, was visibly in tears to see her student perform so well in Hindi. “They prepared their own script for this occasion. I am so happy they are learning Hindi very well”, she commented.

  • NOOYI MEETS MODI, OFFERS HELP TO MEET ‘DEVELOPMENT GOALS’

    NOOYI MEETS MODI, OFFERS HELP TO MEET ‘DEVELOPMENT GOALS’

    NEW DELHI (TIP): #PepsiCo Chairperson #IndraNooyi today met Prime Minister @NarendraModi and offered the company’s participation in the government’s efforts to deliver on national development goals, especially in supporting farmers.

    She also apprised the Prime Minister on how PepsiCo’s new Quaker Oats products that take traditional recipes can contribute to improving health of Indian consumers.

    “As I shared with Prime Minister Modi, PepsiCo is well positioned to help the government deliver on the national development goals he has outlined for farmers and supporting their livelihoods,” she said in a statement. Nooyi further said: “The Prime Minister and I had an engaging dialogue on how PepsiCo is making investments to grow, process and use more Indian-grown fruit juice in our sparkling beverages.”

    She also said they discussed on how PepsiCo is focusing on new health-oriented products with local recipes. “We also discussed our launch of new Quaker Oats products that take traditional recipes and add in whole grain Quaker Oats to help Indians start their day in a healthy way,” Nooyi added.

  • Embassy of India hosts Memorial ceremony

    Embassy of India hosts Memorial ceremony

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Embassy of India organized a Memorial ceremony on February 21 to condole the passing away of two stalwarts of India-US journalism: Mr. Warren Unna (former South Asia Bureau Chief of Washington Post and longtime columnist for the Statesman) and Mr. T.V. Parasuram (veteran Press Trust of India/Indian Express correspondent). The event saw participation of the families and close friends of the departed souls, old India hands among the media and members of the Indian-American community.

    Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of India to the United States Navtej Sarna highlighted the stellar contributions of Mr. Parasuram and Mr. Unna in the field of journalism and promotion of greater empathy and deeper mutual understanding between the people of India and the world. Ambassador also drew attention to the passing away of another legendary journalist last night- Mr. Easwar Sagar [senior correspondent for The Hindu in the United States (1961-78)].

    Condolence messages penned by Editors of Press Trust of India and The Statesman- two organizations, with which Mr. Parasuram and Mr. Unna were closely associated, were also read out.

    The event concluded with fond recollections by families, friends and colleagues of Mr. Unna and Mr. Parasuram.

  • Indian student’s vision for glaucoma app wins national recognition

    Indian student’s vision for glaucoma app wins national recognition

    A 17-year-old Tesoro High senior Shalin Shah was one of four teenage recipients of the Young Innovators to Watch award, a part of Mobile Apps Showdown at the CES convention, the largest technology trade show in the world. He created Lumos, an affordable mobile application that will screen a person’s eyes for glaucoma. He developed the $30 lens that goes with it.

    It’s the second time Shah has been honored by Living in Digital Times, the organization that runs the Mobile Apps Showdown.

    He was chosen among 75 applicants from around the country based on the potential, creativity and sophistication of his invention. Judges included teachers, venture capitalists and software and hardware developers.

    “When you watch enough of these, you can spot out the real deal,” said Robin Raskin, founder and president of Living in Digital Times. “He is just an incredibly articulate, talented kid.”

    Shah spent months working on his mobile application, guided by Dr. Anand Bhatt of UCI Medical Center. Normally, a glaucoma screening requires a doctor’s visit and the use of an ophthalmoscope to view the fundus, the internal lining of the eye and measure the health of a patient’s retina.

    Shah created a lens that attaches to a smartphone and takes a digital image of the eye. Results show on the screen in real time.

  • Alaska Airlines names Charu Jain new Vice President and CIO

    Alaska Airlines names Charu Jain new Vice President and CIO

    WASHINGTON (TIP): On February 16, Alaska Airlines board of directors named Charu Jain vice president and chief information officer (CIO) of Alaska Airlines.

    Jain comes to the airline from IBM Global Business Services, where she led the team helping American Airlines integrate its IT systems. Prior to that she worked 20 years at United Airlines in progressive roles from programmer to senior managing director of airline operations technology and technology integration before leaving the company in 2012. As Alaska’s CIO, Jain will lead a department of more than 400 information technology professionals.

    “Charu’s experience as both an airline executive and consultant is perfectly suited to help Air Group successfully integrate Virgin America from a technology standpoint,” said Brandon Pedersen

    Alaska Airlines executive vice president of finance and CFO. “Throughout her 24-year career, Charu has been able to blend thoughtful leadership with a focus on results and we’re excited to have her onboard.”

    Jain has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Lucknow University in India and an MBA in International Management at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management

     

  • Pramila Jayapal Elected Vice Ranking Member of House Budget Committee

    Pramila Jayapal Elected Vice Ranking Member of House Budget Committee

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Last week, Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, announced that Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) will serve as the committee’s Vice Ranking Member.

    “I’m pleased to congratulate our new Vice Ranking Member Congresswoman Jayapal, whose years of experience in the private, non-profit, and public sectors will be invaluable to the committee as we prepare to take on a number of challenging issues this year,” said Rep. Yarmuth. “I look forward to working with her and all of the outstanding Democrats on the committee as we fight to enact smart budget priorities that build upon the progress of the past eight years, protect Americans’ health security, and increase economic opportunity for all American families.”

    “The budget, at the end of the day, is a powerful moral document,” said Rep. Jayapal. “It reflects our priorities and investments as a country. With every budget we pass, we should be standing up for the working class, protecting those who are most vulnerable, and fighting income inequality. I am honored to have this opportunity to help show what Democrats stand for, and to organize and engage people across the country in standing up for that vision. I thank my colleagues for electing me as Vice Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and look forward to working with them to put forth a budget that upholds our values.”

  • INDIAN-AMERICAN AUTHORS JOIN ANTI-TRAVEL BAN CHORUS

    INDIAN-AMERICAN AUTHORS JOIN ANTI-TRAVEL BAN CHORUS

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American authors Jhumpa Lahiri and Anish Kapoor joined scores of other writers to oppose the controversial travel ban by US President Donald Trump, asking him to “rescind” his last month’s executive order.

    “In barring people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US for 90 days, barring all refugees from entering the country for 120 days, and blocking migration from Syria indefinitely, your January Executive Order caused the chaos and hardship of families divided, lives disrupted, and law-abiding faced with handcuffs, detention, and deportation,” about 70 eminent American writers and artists wrote to Trump.

    They called on the US President to “rescind” his executive order of January 27, 2017, and refrain from introducing any alternative measure that similarly impairs freedom of movement and the global exchange of arts and ideas.

    In doing so, the executive order also hindered the free flow of artists and thinkers and did so at a time when vibrant, open intercultural dialogue is indispensable in the fight against terror and oppression, the writers and artists said in a letter dated February 21.

    Its restriction is inconsistent with the values of the US and the freedoms for which it stands, said the top US artists and writers under the banner of PEN America.

    Among those notable signatories to the letter include Chimamanda Adichie, Margaret Atwood, Rita Dove, Jonathan Franzen, Khaled Hosseini, Azar Nafisi and George Packer.

    According to the letter, the negative impact of the original Executive Order was felt immediately, creating stress and uncertainty for artists of global renown and disrupting major US cultural events.

    “Oscar-nominated director Asghar Farhadi, who is from Iran, expecting to be unable to travel to the Academy Awards ceremony in late February, announced that he will not attend,” it said.

    Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, who performed at the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, may now be prevented from singing at Brooklyn’s World Music Institute in May, 2017.

    The ability of Adonis, an 87-year-old globally celebrated poet who is a French national of Syrian extraction, to attend the May, 2017 PEN World Voices Festival in New York remains in question, the letter noted.

  • Indo-American Press Club to inaugurate new team on March 4

    Indo-American Press Club to inaugurate new team on March 4

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): The Indo-American Press Club (IAPC) will inaugurate its new executive committee at a gala at Antun’s by Minar here on March 4 in the presence of media personalities and community.

    Prof. Indrajit Singh Saluja, Editor-Publisher of The Indian Panorama

    Prof. Indrajit Singh Saluja, Editor-Publisher of The Indian Panorama, will take over as President from Parveen Chopra, Managing Editor of The South Asian Times. The Chief Guest, Hon. George Maragos, Comptroller of Nassau County, is set to administer the oath of office to the 2017 office-bearers, including Eapen George as General Secretary and Biju Chacko as Treasurer.

    Mr H.R. Shah, Chairman and CEO of TV Asia

    A highlight of the event will be felicitating Mr H.R. Shah, Chairman and CEO of TV Asia, on conferment of one of the highest civilian awards of India, Padma Shri.

    The keynote address will be given by Jehangir Khattak, Co-Director, Center for Community and Ethnic Media, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism,

    Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, Deputy Consul General, New York will presideover the function.

    A book, Musings on Medicine, Myth, and History – India’s Legacy, by Dr. VK Raju and Dr. Leela Raju will be launched. The authors will be present.

    The roaster of entertainment includes a skit by New Jersey street theater group, Prayog. Kalpita Chakote, who has performed at the UN and at Metropolitan Museum of Art, will present a classical dance. St. John’s College students will present Bhangra. Surya Makkar will play the dhol.

    #IAPC

    Under founder and chairman, Ginsmon Zacharia, IAPC has grown from strength to strength.

    It has organized three successful annual international conferences in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. A highlight of the conference last year was a presidential debate with representatives from Democratic and Republican sides.Prof. Indrajit S Saluja moderated the debate.

    IPAC has six active chapters in America and Canada. The Atlanta chapter celebrated India’s Republic Day this January in a big way. Last year, the Houston chapter hosted a debate and discussion on the presidential election to increase participation of the Indian community in the political process.

  • Indian American Shot Dead by American Spewing Racial Slurs in Kansas #RacismAlert

    Indian American Shot Dead by American Spewing Racial Slurs in Kansas #RacismAlert

    OLATHE, KANSAS (TIP): An Indian engineer was killed and two others injured when an American man opened fire on them after allegedly yelling “get out of my country”, with the local police calling it as a “possible hate crime”.

    Srinivas Kunchubhotla, 32was killed ina shooting on Wednesday, February 22 night
    Srinivas Kunchubhotla, 32was killed ina shooting on Wednesday, February 22 night

    Srinivas Kunchubhotla, 32, working at the Garmin headquarters in Olathe, was killed in the shooting on Wednesday night, while another Indian and his colleague Alok Madasani was critically injured and is battling for life at a local hospital.

    One other identified as Ian Grillot was also injured in the shooting.

    The accused, Adam Purinton, 51, was arrested on Thursday, February 23 morning, five hours after the incident.

    “It was a tragic and senseless act of violence,” Olathe Police Chief Steven Menke told reporters.

    According to local media reports, he yelled “get out of my country” at the Indians.

    Purinton, a navy veteran, later reportedly told a bartender in Clinton, Missouri, where he was hiding that he killed two Middle Eastern persons, the Kansas City Star said.

    The Indian Embassy has swung into action and two senior officials of the Indian Consulate in Houston have been sent to Kansas to assist the victims’ families.

    “Consul Ravindra Joshi and Vice Consul Harpal Singh rushed to Kansas to assist shooting victim.

    They are on their way and will reach by evening,” the consulate said in a tweet.

    The accused has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder and his bond has been set at USD 2 million.

    According to Garmin, Kuchubhotla and Madasani worked in the company’s aviation systems.

    “We’re saddened that two Garmin associates were involved in last night’s (Wednesday night) incident, and we express our condolences to the family and friends of our co-workers involved. Garmin will have grievance counsellors on-site and available for its associates today and tomorrow,” Garmin said in a statement.

  • Making an Environmental Impact through Fashion: Premal Badiani showcases clothes made from wood pulp

    Making an Environmental Impact through Fashion: Premal Badiani showcases clothes made from wood pulp

    She strongly believes that every individual has a social responsibility and they can make an impact in the society in any field they belong to. And India-born US-based designer Premal Badiani is trying to make global awareness on the human impact on environment through fashion.

    On February 15Premal Badiani’s “Root Cause” collection – clothes made from wood pulp – was showcased at the Indian Consulate in New York City. Indiaspopup.com, a premier online destination for luxury designer wear which promotes talented Indian designers by showcasing their work on an international level organized the event.

    “We are very proud of the craftsmanship and creativity of our Indian Designers and hope to make a major dent in the global fashion market,” said Dr. Shweta Reddy, Founder of Indiaspopup.com.

    Premal in her speech explained why she named her collection ‘Root Cause.’ “It has two reasons. First, I am proud of my Indian heritage. So, it ties me back to my roots. Second, it’s part of green initiative. The inspiration behind this collection is to bring awareness of the human impact on the environment and to promote social responsibility by adopting sustainable fashion as a lifestyle choice. Being eco-friendly is a lifetime choice. I want to promote 360 degree sustainability through fashion globally. It’s a small initiative but I am trying to make a difference in the industry I belong to.”

    Premal Badiani’s “Root Cause” collection –
    clothes made from wood pulp – was
    showcased at the Indian Consulate in New
    York City Photos/ Jay Mandal on assignment

    Badiani said that by using eco-friendly fabric, extracted from the outer bark of a special palm tree in South India without harming the tree, she is eyeing to promote plantation of more trees. She has also joined hands with NGO Hearts@Work foundation led by the successful entrepreneur Viral S. Desai who has been persistently making tremendous efforts with his various initiatives in the field of environmental awareness to bring in the 360-degree sustainability in the society. The brand is also associated itself with the ‘Clean India, Green India’ initiative.

    Consul General Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das in her welcome address stressed on the need of Indian Branding. “Indian designers are doing extremely well. But we need to do a little more to promote our(Indian) fabric. There is an issue with the branding. With every brand, association with India is needed”, she said.

    The event was held at the consulate as part of the New York Fashion week and helped open an avenue for an entire community of Indian Textile makers.

  • Mac Duggal makes an emphatic statement with his designs at New York Fashion Week

    Mac Duggal makes an emphatic statement with his designs at New York Fashion Week

    NEW YORK (TIP): Starting with designer Mac Duggal, sought after for his pageant and prom dress line, it was his first showing at #NYFW Feb. 11, featuring glamorous, gorgeous gowns with bling and an eye-popping wow factor, noted PRNewswire.

    In addition to the expected gowns with lots of shimmer and bejeweled adornments, there was the unexpected. This collection from Mac Duggal featured floor-length capes, unconventional slacks, shorts and even body suits.

    An Indian American designer who resides in Chicago, Mac Duggal’s enthusiasm for women’s couture fashion began with the merging of the vibrant designs of his homeland’s royal history and opulent traditions with a sophisticated and contemporary design aesthetic.

    Arriving in the United States in 1983 at the age of 23, Duggal began his road to success with his first collection, “Creative Creations,” a line of dazzling gowns blending Indian beauty and elegance with Western styling.

    The Mac Duggal brand further elevated itself with the introduction of designer couture gowns and pageant wear. It was his high fashion prom dresses that put him at the forefront of the emerging designer prom dress market, and won him such awards as the 1998 Diva Fashion Award for Designer of the Year in the Prom/Pageant category.

    Expanding his collection to 12 distinct social occasion lines, the Mac Duggal brand has transformed into a highly sought after label courted by A list celebrities including Shakira, Carrie Underwood, Gwenyth Paltrow, Khloe Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton and many more.

  • ITV Gold hosts appreciation event for ‘Insight Tonight with Ashok Vyas’

    ITV Gold hosts appreciation event for ‘Insight Tonight with Ashok Vyas’

    An afternoon of appreciation was organized here to mark three years of ‘Insight Tonight with Ashok Vyas’ and celebrate four decades of the popular Indian channel ITV Gold. The luncheon event at Heritage of India in Queens dwelled on intellectually stimulating themes for the select audience with the help of speakers as well as a satirical play performed by the NJ based theater group named ‘Prayaas’.

    ‘Insight Tonight with Ashok Vyas’ is a unique, interactive live show with panel discussions on contemporary social, political, cultural and philosophical issues every Monday and Tuesday on ITV Gold.

    The event emceed by Ashok Vyas began auspiciously with Vedic mantras chanted by Shastri Jagdish Tripathi. CEO of ITV Gold Deepak Viswanath thanked all program hosts and program producers of his channel.

    Author and motivational speaker Sunil Robert Vuppula spoke on the ‘Importance of dialogue’ and emphasized the need to be open to listen to others. Corporate coach and consultant Vibhuti Jha focused on the need of integrity and honesty for a TV news and conversation to be credible. ‘How media is playing its role in stimulating relevant dialogue’ was elaborated by Fellow of World Policy Institute Swadesh Rana.

    How politicians, religious leaders and media often exploit the plight of victims to their advantage — this thread ran through a small skit titled ‘Aaj Ka Gaddha’, which generated peals of laughter. The skit’s director Ameeya Mehta and performers Dhana Shri, Dhananjay, Himanshu Joshi and Deepak received generous applause from the audience.

    President of ITV Mrs Sathya Viswanath gave away token of appreciation to artists and panelists of the show as well as guests. She had co-founded ITV with her husband, Dr Banad Viswanath who left his mortal frame two years ago.

    This was also an afternoon of love and memories and inspirations. Dr Shashi Shah appreciated the role of ITV for the community and touched upon the versatility as well as interviewing skills of Ashok Vyas. In his speech, Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos also mentioned Ashok’s skill of asking pointed questions in polite but firm manner. He also urged Indian Americans to take active role in the political process of their adopted country. Maragos presented citations from his office to Mrs Sathya Viswanath, attorney Michael Phulwani, Dr Hetal Gor and Ashok Vyas.

    Leaders of the Indian community present on the occasion included senior advisor to  Comptroller Maragos, Dilip Chauhan, Publisher of The South Asian Times Kamlesh Mehta, Dr Narinder Kukar, CPA Rajeev Kaul, Prof A D Amar, Prof Maya Chaddha, Rashmin Master and Dr Rakesh Sharma.

  • Consulate General of India, New York hosts International Food Festival

    Consulate General of India, New York hosts International Food Festival

    The Society of Foreign Consuls (SOFC), New York, in association with the Consulate General of India, New York, organized the International Food Festival on February 09, 2017 at the Consulate premises.

    More than 25 countries showcased their rich cuisine and culture during the event. A large number of people including Manhattan Borough President Ms. Gale Brewer, Brooklyn Borough Deputy President, Ms. Diana Reyna and members of the Diplomatic Corps attended the festival.

    Consul General Riva Ganguly Das welcomed the guests while President of SOFC and Consul General of Columbia, María Isabel Nieto Jaramillo made the opening remarks. Cultural troupes from various participating countries enthralled the audience who got to taste the delectable flavors from around the world.

    Consul General Riva Ganguly Das with dignitaries
    Consul General Riva Ganguly Das with dignitaries
  • Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship commemoration at Consulate of India in New York Date: March 3, 2017

    Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship commemoration at Consulate of India in New York Date: March 3, 2017

    The Indian Diaspora Council (#IDC) will hold its New York, USA commemoration of Abolition of Indian Indentureshipat the Consulate of India at 3 East 64th Street in New York starting at 6:30pm on March 3, 2017. The theme of the event is: “Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indenturedship: Challenges, Achievements and Charting New Frontiers”.

    Year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the official abolition of Indian Indenturedship, an era spanning 1834-1917. Indian Indentureship was an intense and harrowing period of Indian migration from several Indian states to far way lands of then British colonies throughout the world: Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean regions. The majority of those laborers came from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

    The history and consequences of Indian Indenturedship are deeply embedded with tremendous significance, meaningful history and sometimes painful reflections to millions of descendants living in many countries which were the recipients of Indian Indentured laborers seeking better livelihoods: Mauritius, Fiji, S. Africa, Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana, Belize, Guadeloupe and other countries of the Caribbean; as well as second migration to USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, France and other countries.

    The upcoming New York event is commemorating the centennial of abolition of Indian Indenturedship in the NY-NJ-CT-PA-MA region where a significant population of PIOs and NRIs reside: Over 200,000 PIOs descendants of Indian Indentured immigrants from Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica, South Africa and other countries presently reside in the region.

    The March 3 program includes remarks by consul generals of India and other countries impacted by Indian indentureship, followed by prominent historians and speakers on: History of Indian Indenturedship; Impacted countries & second migration; Perspectives on the end of an era; Challenges, Unparalleled Progress and Achievement; Evolution of economic and political standing; Descendants of Indian Indenturedship and the PIOs experience. After an audience interactive Q/A, there would be presentation of music, dance and poetry on Indian migration, followed by an assortment of foods from the Caribbean and other PIO countries.

    Similar commemoration events are being held by Indian Diaspora Council (IDC) and its affiliates in several countries impacted by Indian indentureship during the month of March 2017, including a 2-day conference in New Delhi on April 22-23.

    This New York event precedes the Indian Diaspora World Convention 2017, the grand global commemoration on March 17-20, 2017 to be held in Trinidad & Tobago: Grand opening ceremonies, conferences, panel sessions, workshops, resolutions, action items team, future projects, cultural presentations and receptions. Several Indian officials as well as officials, civic and community leaders from neighboring Caribbean countries would be engaged in discussions on engagements and collaboration.

    For more information, please contact Ashook Ramsaran @ ashookramsaran@gmail.com

    Indian Diaspora Council (IDC) is an international non-profit organization of shared heritage, aspirations and interests.

  • Indian American Congressman Ami Bera named ranking member of House space subcommittee

    Indian American Congressman Ami Bera named ranking member of House space subcommittee

    WASHINGTON (TIP): House Democrats have named Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) as the new ranking member of the space subcommittee as they finalized the roster of members who will serve on that subcommittee.

    Bera, entering his third term in the House, succeeds Donna Edwards, a Maryland Democrat who previous served as the top Democrat on the subcommittee. Edwards chose not to run for reelection to the House in 2016, unsuccessfully running for the Senate instead.

    “As a kid who grew up during the height of the space race dreaming of what lay beyond us, it’s an honor to be selected to serve as the ranking member for the subcommittee on space,” Bera, 51, said in a Feb. 14 statement about his selection as subcommittee ranking member. His district, which covers part of the Sacramento area, includes a major Aerojet Rocketdyne facility.

  • Indian American State Representative Niraj Antani Named AMVETS 2016 ‘Legislator of the Year’

    Indian American State Representative Niraj Antani Named AMVETS 2016 ‘Legislator of the Year’

    COLUMBUS (TIP): State Representative Niraj Antani (R -Miami Township) has received the 2016 Legislator of the Year award by American Veterans (AMVETS) Department of Ohio.

    “I am very thankful to AMVETS for this award, but I am more thankful for all the veterans they serve who protected our nation while in the military,” Antani said. “I will continue to fight for our veterans at the Statehouse. The post 9/11 veteran unemployment rate in Ohio is abysmal. Our veterans deserve better when they return home, and I will fight for them.”

    Each year, AMVETS Department of Ohio recognizes legislators who have shown continued support of veterans issues and demonstrated the ideals and goals of the AMVETS Department of Ohio. Antani accepted this award on Saturday, February 11th, 2017 in Columbus.

    Antani is serving his second term in the Ohio House. He represents the 42nd District, which covers most of southern Montgomery County. Having been elected age 23, now 25, he is the youngest currently serving member of the House. In addition, he is the second Indian-American state elected official in Ohio history, and the first Indian-American Republican.

    Antani was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of the top “30 Under 30” people in the United States for Law & Politics in 2015. In 2016, the conservative media organization Newsmax named him the 2nd most influential Republican in the nation under age 30. In addition, in 2013 he was named to the “Top 30 Conservatives Under Age 30 in the United States” list by Red Alert Politics and the Montgomery County Republican Party named him the “Republican Man of the Year.”

  • Indian American NASA Scientist Detained at U.S. Border

    Indian American NASA Scientist Detained at U.S. Border

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A U.S.-born Indian American NASA scientist was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials and was not permitted to enter the country unless he unlocked his PIN-protected work phone.

    Sidd Bikkannavar, who works in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was detained Jan. 30 upon returning to the U.S. from Santiago, Chile, the Verge reported.

    Bikkannavar said he was pressured to give the CBP agents his phone and access PIN. Since the phone was issued by NASA, it may have contained sensitive material that wasn’t supposed to be shared.

    Bikkannavar’s phone was returned to him after it was searched by CBP, but he doesn’t know exactly what information officials might have taken from the device.

    Bikkannavar is a natural-born U.S. citizen enrolled in CBP’s Global Entry program, which allowed participants who have undergone a background check to speed up their entry into the U.S.

    He had not visited any of the countries mentioned in Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim’ travel ban, but Bikkannavar told the Verge that agents may have become suspicious about his family name, which is southern Indian.

    The JPL scientist returned to the U.S. four days after the signing of a sweeping and controversial executive order on travel into the country. The travel ban caused chaos at airports across the U.S., as people with visas and green cards found themselves detained, or facing deportation.

    Within days of its signing, the travel order was stayed, but not before more than 60,000 visas were revoked, according to the U.S. State Department.

    “Sorry for my absence. On my way back home to the U.S. last weekend, I was detained by Homeland Security and held with others who were stranded under the Muslim ban,” he wrote on Facebook.

    “CBP officers seized my phone and wouldn’t release me until I gave them my access PIN for them to copy the data.

    I initially refused since it’s a JPL-issued phone and I must protect access.”

    He added, “Just to be clear – I’m a U.S.-born citizen and NASA engineer, traveling with a valid U.S. visa.”

    Bikkannavar said he was eventually released. His employers gave him a new phone.

    According to the Verge, Bikkannavar was yet to receive an explanation for why he was stopped at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

    He had traveled to South America for personal reasons, pursuing his hobby of racing solar-powered cars. He had recently joined a Chilean team.

    “It was not that they were concerned with me bringing something dangerous in, because they didn’t even touch the bags,” he said. “They had no way of knowing I could have had something in there. You can say, ‘Okay well maybe it’s about making sure I’m not a dangerous person,’ but they have all the information to verify that.”

    Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said in a statement that people visiting the U.S. may be asked to give up passwords to their social media accounts.

    “We want to get on their social media, with passwords. What do you do? What do you say?” Kelly told the House Homeland Security Committee. “If they don’t want to cooperate, then you don’t come in.”

  • Indian Americans raise pitch against ‘travel ban’

    Indian Americans raise pitch against ‘travel ban’

    According to a study at California State University San Bernardino’s Center for Study for Hate and Extremism, the anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US rose sharply in 2015 to the highest levels since the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks. The study also suggested that President Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric could have contributed to this backlash against American Muslims.

    And recently we saw the President going as far as severely restricting the entry of nationals of seven majority Muslim countries, causing a rash of protests across the country with various Indian communities taking part in it.

    The Sikh Center of Seattle is one such religious organization raising its voice against the so-called travel ban. Recently, the Center deputed Harjinder Singh Sandhawalia for a roundtable discussion of all faith leaders of the Seattle held in the Redmond city mosque. This meeting was hosted by the Muslim community of the area. It was in this meeting that Congresswoman Suzan DelBene said she had introduced a bill (HR 489) in the Congress to stop the order registering Muslims in the country. Sandhawalia was present in the discussion and called for protecting religious freedom of minority communities.

    Members of other Sikh communities have also joined hands in the protest marches being organized across the country. Ravinder Singh, CEO of the Khalsa Aid Foundation who has been involved in humanitarian work at the Syria border, has also condemned the decision in his tweets. ‘Donald #Trump only BANNING MUSLIMS from countries where he has ZERO business interest! Well done USA’ reads one of his tweets.

    With more American Indian communities joining the protests, the anti-Trump voices are now being amplified collectively across the country. A Punjabi community calling itself Punjabi Aunties took to streets holding placards written in Hindi and Punjabi. Swaroop Kaur, homemaker from Seattle, has been running a Vegan store for 22 years now. Swaroop finds this decision demeaning and hurting. “22 years in Seattle, will you Mr Trump, still call me an immigrant?” she questions.

    On the other hand, Jamie Quinn consultant physiotherapist at Swasthya Kendra Clinic, vehemently opposes the decision on the Internet. She writes, “It’s not about who is banned and who isn’t. This is a **** move towards several refugees who are just trying to escape war and for several students and working people who want to earn money for a good life in the USA. Aaj unko ban Kiya toh kal hume bhi kar sakte Hai (today they have banned them, tomorrow it could be us).”

    While on ground, protests gain momentum, social networking sites, FB pages being run by Indian communities staying in America are also garnering support from non-Indian communities: ‘Stop Donald Trump’, ‘Stand Againist Trump’, ‘Trump O Bar’, ‘Hindi Hai Hum’ are some of the pages that have been rallying support against the President’s order.

    Anita Vohra, a Google employee in San Francisco led a silent protest in her vicinity with other Google employees joining her.

  • Indian American convicted for H-1B visa fraud

    Indian American convicted for H-1B visa fraud

    NEWARK, NJ (TIP): The 34-year-old Patel pleaded guilty before US District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court. Patel worked to fraudulently obtain visas for foreign workers visas. She recruited workers through two Information Technology (IT) firms in New Jersey. However, these workers were not employed full time or paid according to federal rules, PTI reported.

    Patel, who is from Jersey City, was the human resource manager of the IT companies SCM Data Inc and MMC Systems Inc. The companies offered consultants to clients in need of IT support, and recruited foreign nationals, often student visa holders or fresh graduates.

    She admitted her involvement in preparing false leave slips for the foreign workers on behalf of the companies in February and March 2015. Patel’s conspirators represented that the foreign workers they recruited had full-time positions and were paid an annual salary. They showed compliance with the visa requirements as laid by the US Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the news agency reported.

    In reality, however, the conspirators violated the H-1B program rules and paid the foreign workers only when they were place at a third-party client who entered into a contract with SCM Data and MMC Systems.

    They also asked foreign workers, who were not currently working, to come up with what their gross wage would be in cash and give it to companies in order to maintain their H-1B visa status. They also made the workers submit bogus payroll checks to USCIS as proof that they were working as full-time employees. The fraud was discovered by the US Department of Labor in an audit at SCM data and MMC Systems.

    The conspiracy to commit visa fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Patel faces sentence in June, 2017.

  • Indians in the United States of America: Significant Achievers

    Indians in the United States of America: Significant Achievers

    India gained independence from British raj on August 15,1947 and adapted a constitution becoming a Republic on 26th January 1950. On this occasion of 68th Republic Day, we can very proudly say that Indians have been contributing significantly in the building and progress of their homeland and adapted land-USA.With a population of about 3.8million (either born in India or reported Indian ancestry or race), they are among the wealthiest communities in the US, with a median annual household income of $88,000 compared with the national median of $49,800. They are among the most highly educated racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. According to the data from the American Community Survey, 40.6% of Indian Americans 25 and older have graduate or professional degrees, and 32.3% have bachelor’s degrees; an additional 10.4% have some college education. constitute ten percent of all medical students in America.

    Indian migrants began arriving in the United States in the beginning of 19th century. In 1813, a group of daring Indians established a Ghadar Party with dedicated patriots like Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Abdul Hafiz Mohamed Barakatullah, and Rashbehari Bose. They started a weekly Urdu newspaper “Ghadar” launching Ghadar Movement seeking India’s independence from Britain. Many members of this Party were later executed by the British Sarkar on their visit to India. The Washington Chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) launched centenary celebration of the Ghadar Movement that was followed up by multiple events at different parts of the USA. I had the great honor and privilege to be the president of GOPIO at that time.

    Indian Americans are becoming increasingly visible in US politics, journalism, academia, or business.In the field of science and technology, Indians have become back bone of recent inventions. Two Indians have been awarded Nobel Prize for their contributions to science and medicine. They are: Hargovind Khorana Nobel Prize for Physiology & Medicine in 1968, and S. Chandrashekar Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983.

    Indian doctors, numbering more than 35,000, constitute over five percent of all physicians in USA and about 36% of scientists at NASA are Indians.

    Indians with significant achievements as academicians, inventors, and high-level administrators include: Vinod Khosla (co-founder of Sun Microsystems), Vinod Dham (creator of the Pentium chip), Sabeer Bhatia (founder and creator of Hotmail), Arun Netravalli (president of AT & T-Bell Labs), Rajiv Gupta (GM of Hewlett Packard), Sanjay Tejwrika (Microsoft Testing Director of Windows 2000, Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar (Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart), Rakesh Khurana (Dean of Harvard College), Jamshed Bharucha, (President Emeritus of Cooper Union previously Dean of Arts & Sciences at Dartmouth College and Provost at Tufts University), Vijay K. Dhir (Dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science), Dinesh D’Souza (President of The King’s College, New York), Anjli Jain (Executive Director of CampusEAI Consortium, Dipak C. Jain (former Dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University), Vistasp Karbhari (President of the University of Texas at Arlington), Pramod P. Khargonekar (Vice Chancellor of Research, University of California, Irvine), Renu KhatorChancellor of the University of Houston System and President of the University of Houston), Pradeep Khosla (Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego), Vijay Kumar (Associate Dean of School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania), Geeta Menon (Dean of the Undergraduate College at New York University Stern School of Business), Nitin Nohria (Dean of Harvard Business School), Sethuraman Panchanathan (Executive Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer at Arizona State University), Michael Rao (President of Virginia Commonwealth University), Beheruz Sethna (President of the University of West Georgia), Dr. Paul Shrivastava ( Distinguished Professor and Director, David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, Concordia University), Molly Easo Smith (President of Manhattanville  College), Kumble R. Subbaswamy (Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst), Subra Suresh (President of Carnegie Mellon University), Satish K. Tripathi (President of University at Buffalo).

    Other academicians of international fame are: Manjul Bhargava (Professor of mathematics at Princeton University and winner of Fields Medal, 2014), Abhijit Banerjee (Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT), Kaushik Basu (Chief Economist of the World Bank), Jagdish Natwarlal Bhagwati (Professor of Economics at Columbia University), Raghuram Rajan, Professor University of Chicago and former Governor of Reserve Bank of India), (Salman Akhtar, Distinguished Professor at the Jefferson Medical College), Muzaffar Alam and C. M. Nain (Professors in South Asian Languages & Civilizations at the University of Chicago), Akhil Amar (Professor of Law at Yale Law School).

    Indra Nooyi (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google), Ajay Banga (President and CEO of MasterCard), Rono Dutta (former President of United Airlines; Chairman of Air Sahara), Rajiv Gupta (General Manager of Hewlett Packard), Anshu Jain (former co-CEO of Deutsche Bank), Sanjay Jha (CEO of Global Foundries and former CEO of Motorola Mobile Devices), Vyomesh Joshi (Executive Vice President of Imaging and Printing Group, Hewlett-Packard Company), Thomas Kurian (President of Product Development at Oracle Corporation), Victor Menezes (Chairman of Clearing House Association; former Chairman and CEO of Citibank), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), Ranji H. Nagaswami (Chief Investment Officer for AllianceBernstein Fund Investors), Shantanu Narayen (CEO of Adobe Systems), Dinesh Paliwal (Chairman and CEO of Harman International), Arati Prabhakar (Director of DARPA), Rajeev Suri (CEO of Nokia), Padmasree Warrior (CTO of Cisco Systems), Rakesh Gangwal (former CEO and Chairman of US Airways Group), Rajat Gupta (former Managing Director of McKinsey & Company), Vikram Pandit (former CEO of Citigroup), Kanwal Rekhi (former EVP and CTO of Novell), Deven Sharma (former president of Standard & Poor’s), Salman ‘Sal’ Khan (founder of Khan Academy, a free online education platform), Amar Bose (founder and chairman of Bose Corporation), Bharat Desai (co-founder and chairman of Syntel), Sant Singh Chatwal owner of the Bombay Palace chain of restaurants and Hampshire Hotels & Resorts), Vinod Khosla (founder of Khosla Ventures; co-founder of SUN Microsystems), Vinod Dham (designed the Intel Pentium Chip Processor).

    Indians are being recognized in the field of arts and entertainment. Some of the recent successes include:Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014; M. Night Shyamalan (Hollywood director), Mira Nair (director and producer), Kal Penn (actor), Omi Vaidya (actor), Sheetal Sheth (actress),Waris Ahluwalia (fashion designer), Aziz Ansari, Russell Peters, Aman Ali, Russell Peters,Rajiv Satyal, Anish Shah, Azhar Usman ((actors and comedians). Norah Jones (singer and winner of multiple Grammy Awards).

    Fareed Zakaria (columnist for Time magazine and host of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN), Zubin Mehta (former conductor, New York Philharmonic Orchestra; receiver of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame), Zarin Mehta (executive director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra), Nicki Minaj (pop singer and rapper), Nina Davuluri (crowned Miss America 2014).

    Kiran Desai (winner of the 2006 Man Booker Prize), Siddhartha Mukherjee (physician and 2011 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction), Anita Desai (novelist; shortlisted for the Booker prize three times), Vikram Seth (poet, novelist, travel writer), Uday Singh Taunque (first Indian American to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom; posthumously awarded Bronze Star and Purple Heart gallantry awards),

    Indians have started making their mark in political and administration both at local and national level. Notables include: Kamala Harris (United States Senator from California), Nikki Haley (former Governor of South Carolina and now US Ambassador to the UN), Kumar P. Barve (majority leader Maryland House of Delegates), Mervyn M. Dymally (41st Lieutenant Governor of California, (1975-1979); member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1981-1993), Kashmir Gill (mayor of Yuba City, California, Faz Husain (first native of India to win elected office in Michigan), Bobby Jindal (former Governor of Louisiana; Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association), Aruna Miller (member of the Maryland House of Delegates), Ami Bera (U.S. Representative for California’s 7th congressional district), Raja Krishnamoorthi (U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 8th congressional district), Ro Khanna (U.S. Representative for California’s 17th congressional district), Pramila Jayapal (U.S. Representative for Washington’s 7th congressional district), and Dalip Singh Saund (first Asian-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California).

    Preet Bharara (United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York), Cathy Bissoon (judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania), Nisha Desai Biswal (Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs), Joy Cherian (first Asian head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), Huma Abedin (aide to United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), Arif Alikhan (former Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles), Preeta D. Bansal (member and past chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; former Solicitor General of New York), Aneesh Chopra (Federal Chief Technology Officer of the US), Rashad Hussain (U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), Neel Kashkari (former interim Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability in the United States Department of the Treasury), Neal Katyal (Solicitor General of the United States), Gopal Khanna (Chief Information Officer of Minnesota), Narayana Kocherlakota (President of Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis), Kris Kolluri (New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation), Vivek Kundra (Federal Chief Information Officer of the US), Farah Pandith (Special Representative to Muslim Communities for the United States Department of State), Rachel Paulose (former United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota), Anant Raut (counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee), Rajiv Shah (formerUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics; current Administrator of USAID), Ambassador Islam A. Siddiqui (Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative), Rajen Anand (Executive Director, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion), Sabita Singh (first judge of Indian descent in Massachusetts history), Subra Suresh (Director of National Science Foundation), Vinai Thummalapally (served as U.S. Ambassador to Belize), Richard Verma (Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, at the Department of State), Vince Girdhari Chhabria (judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California), Manish S. Shah (judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois), Srikanth Srinivasan (judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit), Kalpana Chawla (NASA space shuttle astronaut, who died in space shuttle blast), Sunita Williams (NASA astronaut), Vivek Murthy (Surgeon General of U.S.; former Vice Admiral of U.S. Health Corps), Sanjay Gupta (neurosurgeon; CNN chief medical correspondent; declined offer by President Barack Obama to be nominated U.S. Surgeon General) Our young generation is making us proud. About 73% of National Spelling Bee winners since 1999 have been Indian Americans. Indian Americans Account for Nearly One-Third of Science Talent Search Finalists.

    (The author can be reached at 1509 Coat Ridge Road, Herndon, VA 20170; raabta.india@gmail.com)

  • Comptroller Stringer Debars Contractor that Cheated Immigrant Workers out of $1.7 million in Prevailing Wages and Benefits

    Comptroller Stringer Debars Contractor that Cheated Immigrant Workers out of $1.7 million in Prevailing Wages and Benefits

    (New York, NY) – New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today assessed $3.2 million in fines against K.S. Contracting Corporation and its owner, Paresh Shah, for cheating dozens of workers out of the prevailing wages and benefits they were owed under the New York State Labor Law. In addition to being assessed $3.2 million in unpaid wages, interest, and civil penalties, K.S Contracting and Mr. Shah will be barred from working on New York City and State contracts for five years.

    K.S. Contracting was named as one of the worst wage theft violators in New York in a report by the Center for Popular Democracy in 2015.

    “With President Trump taking clear aim at immigrants across the country, we need to stand up and protect the foreign-born New Yorkers who keep our City running. Every New Yorker has rights, and my office won’t back down in defending them,” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “Contractors might think they can take advantage of immigrants, but today we’re sending a strong message: my office will fight for every worker in New York City. This is about basic fairness and accountability.”

    K.S. Contracting was awarded more than $21 million in contracts by the City Departments of Design and Construction, Parks and Recreation, and Sanitation between 2007 and 2010. Projects included the Morrisania Health Center in the Bronx, the 122 Community Center in Manhattan, the Barbara S. Kleinman Men’s Residence in Brooklyn, the North Infirmary Command Building on Rikers Island, Bronx River Park, the District 15 Sanitation Garage in Brooklyn, and various City sidewalks in Queens.

    The Comptroller’s Office began investigating the company after an employee filed a complaint with the office in May 2010. The multi-year investigation used subpoenas, video evidence, union records, and City agency data to uncover a kickback scheme that preyed on immigrant workers.

    After a four-day administrative trial in May 2016, the Comptroller found that K.S. Contracting routinely issued paychecks to just half of its workforce and then required those employees to cash the checks and surrender the money to company supervisors. Those supervisors would then redistribute the cash to all of the employees on a jobsite, paying them at rates significantly below prevailing wages. K.S. Contracting, however, falsely reported to City agencies that all employees on the jobsite who received checks were paid the prevailing wage.

    Between August 2008 and November 2011, the company cheated at least 36 workers out of $1.7 million in wages and benefits on seven New York City public works projects. K.S. Contracting reported that it paid its workers combined wage and benefit rates starting at $50 per hour but actually paid daily cash salaries starting at $90 per day. The majority of the workers impacted were immigrants of Latino, South Asian, or West Indian descent.

    The New York City Comptroller’s office enforces state and local laws which require private contractors working on New York City public works projects or those with service contracts with City agencies to pay no less than the prevailing wage or living wage rate to their employees.


    When workers are underpaid, the New York City Comptroller’s office works to recoup the amount of the underpayment plus interest.

    Examples of Paysheets Used by K.S. Contracting
    https://gallery.mailchimp.com/bf606302e0aec6b092c87b850/images/f4826601-549b-4809-8a26-16fe4084040d.png

    https://gallery.mailchimp.com/bf606302e0aec6b092c87b850/images/9156f4d5-3926-4145-892f-5c399adaaf17.png
    https://gallery.mailchimp.com/bf606302e0aec6b092c87b850/images/5eb1841c-56b9-4363-b17c-9d47fba13364.pngSince taking office in 2014, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer’s Bureau of Labor Law has assessed over $20 million and barred 40 contractors from state and City contracts due to prevailing wage violations, both record amounts. The assessed violation number includes underpayment of wages and benefits with interest payable to workers, and civil penalties payable to the City treasury.

    “We applaud the Comptroller for standing up for the rights of immigrant workers and debarring bad actors like K.S. Contracting – a company identified by the Center for Popular Democracy as one of the worst violators of wage theft laws in New York. The Comptroller’s aggressive enforcement of prevailing wage law is a perfect example of what is needed to effectively combat wage theft throughout the city and state,” said Kate Hamaji, Center for Popular Democracy.

    “We commend Comptroller Stringer for defending the rights of immigrant workers and ensure that they receive the wages and benefits that they deserve,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. “In a time when immigrant communities are worried for their future in this country, it is essential that we have strong city advocates who will ensure that their rights are protected.”

    “At a time when exploitative employers are feeling increasingly emboldened by Trump’s hateful rhetoric, it is imperative that our City’s leaders are taking a strong stance in defense of immigrant workers. Wage theft is a persistent and pervasive problem in New York, with employers like Paresh Shah cheating their immigrant workers out of millions of dollars in lawful wages and benefits each year. We commend the Comptroller for fighting to recuperate wages for the workers at KS Contracting and for showing employers like Paresh Shah that their behavior will not be tolerated by the City of New York,” said Deborah Axt, Executive Director, Make the Road New York.

    “I want to thank New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer for taking the lead in fighting wage theft. Unfortunately wage theft is a crime that is running rampart throughout the construction industry. Hard working men and women, who expect nothing more than a fair day’s pay for a fair’s day’s work are constantly seeing their hard earned wages stolen by dishonest, criminal employers. By debarring KS Contracting for five years, Comptroller Stringer and his office have sent a message loud and clear – stealing workers’ wages will not be tolerated in New York.” said Robert Bonanza, Business Manager, Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York, LiUNA!.

    “I would like to thank Comptroller Stringer and his team in the Bureau of Labor Law for bringing justice to the workers at K.S. Contracting. Unfortunately the Comptroller’s task is made more difficult by the fact that many City agencies do not put top priority on monitoring projects for labor violations. Too many employers in New York City exploit minority and immigrant workers. And it’s no secret that many immigrant workers are fearful of retaliation for standing up for their rights, especially in an environment where they are afraid of being deported. This undercuts labor standards for all workers, and safe, educated workers are our City’s most valuable resource. We need more responsible and proactive leaders like Comptroller Stringer to protect that resource,” said Lowell Barton, Vice President/Organizing Director, Laborers Local 1010, LiUNA!.

    “In a city where diversity is our greatest strength, we will not let anyone target our immigrant workers for abuse. Undermining labor standards for immigrants it’s an attack on all workers. I commend Comptroller Stringer for standing up for immigrant workers and against wage theft at a time when our immigrant communities are under attack,” said Renata Pumarol, Communications Director, New York Communities for Change.

    “We at the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL) are extremely conscious of the rights of every human being who lives in this great nation no matter what their immigration status. Many hard working individuals are taken advantage of by unscrupulous employers. We greatly applaud Comptroller Scott Stringer’s aggressive approach to combat wage theft violations and in this way protect the rights of all workers. I applaud his historic record of debarring 40 contractors since taking office and assessing over $20 million in prevailing wage violations, including today’s order against K.S. Contracting,” said Maf Misbah Uddin, ASAAL National President.

    To read more about how the Comptroller’s Office sets and enforces prevailing wage and benefit rates on New York City public works projects, please click here.

  • Trump’s Next Executive Order on Immigration may cause H-4 Visa holders to lose work permit

    Trump’s Next Executive Order on Immigration may cause H-4 Visa holders to lose work permit

    Indian Americans overwhelmingly use H1-B or the work visa. Most recently, under Obama administration their spouses, who are on H-4 visa were allowed to work. However, things are changing with the new Trump administration at the healm and Republicans and some Democratic lawmakers consider that high-tech Indian workers are stealing away American jobs.

    The Trump administration, media reports suggest, has launched a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s immigration policies, especially on the H-4 visa holders — spouses of H-1B visa-holders.

    President Donald Trump said to be considering an executive order that would rescind employment authorization for H-4 visa holders, leaving 180,000 women, mostly from India, frantic about their ability to continue to work in the U.S.

    H-4 visas are given to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, highly-skilled foreign workers, the majority of whom are from India. Until 2015, H-4 visa holders – who often had skill levels comparable to their spouses – were not allowed to work. In 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that some H-4 visa holders, whose spouses were on track for permanent residency in the U.S., would be able to work.

    “Allowing the spouses of these visa holders to legally work in the United States makes perfect sense,” USCIS Director León Rodríguez said in February 2015. “It helps U.S. businesses keep their highly skilled workers by increasing the chances these workers will choose to stay in this country during the transition from temporary workers to permanent residents. It also provides more economic stability and better quality of life for the affected families.”

    At a press briefing on February 8th organized by New America Media, Sally Kinoshita, deputy director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, told reporters that a leaked memo from the Trump administration proposes to end work authorization for H-4 visa holders. “H-4s are vulnerable because the Department of Homeland Security extended work permits to them under the regulations in 2015 and this draft memo seeks to rescind those regulations,” she said.

    A leaked draft of an executive order titled “Protecting American jobs and workers by strengthening the integrity of foreign worker visa programs” appeared on the New York Times Web site Jan. 27. In the draft, Trump proposes sweeping changes to several highly-skilled foreign worker visa programs, including H-1B workers.

  • AVI DANDIYA: A Crusader for environmentally and socially clean India

    AVI DANDIYA: A Crusader for environmentally and socially clean India

    WE ARE UPDATING THIS STORY – PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON

  • US University Receives USD 1.5 Million Grant For Jainism Studies

    US University Receives USD 1.5 Million Grant For Jainism Studies

    Washington:  An Indian-origin philanthropist, Mohini Jain, has made a grant of USD 1.5 million to University of California (UC) Davis to advance studies in Jainism.

    Mohini Jain, a retired teacher, gave the gift which will establish the Mohini Jain Presidential Chair for Jain Studies in Department of Religious Studies as part of a larger effort to position UC Davis as a leader in the study of Indian religions and the interdisciplinary field of South Asia studies broadly.

    A formal announcement in this regard is expected to be made on February 21.

    “In our multicultural, global world, it is important to escape boxed-in points of view,” Jain said in a statement, hoping that the impact of the chair at UC Davis will be a broadening of minds and a renewed focus on dialogue and peace.

    The chair will be awarded to a scholar with a well- established record for creative, exceptional and interdisciplinary research on Jainism.

    As a member of the religious studies department, the holder of the chair will help develop curriculum in Jain studies, offer graduate courses in Jainism, pursue a vigorous research agenda, give public lectures, and contribute to the development of a religions of India and South Asia studies initiative at UC Davis by participating in community outreach, a media release said.

    “This gift will further diversify and strengthen our expertise in world religions and is another step toward UC Davis serving as a leader in India religions and Asia studies globally,” said Archana Venkatesan, chair of the religious studies department and associate professor of religious studies and comparative literature.

    Mohini Jain was a research scientist at UC Davis in the 1980’s and then served as a high school science teacher for 19 years, retiring in 2008.

    In 1988, she made her first gift in honor of her husband, the late Anil K. Jain, a distinguished faculty member in electrical and computer engineering.

    Each year, the College of Engineering recognizes outstanding students in the field through the Anil K. Jain Memorial Fund.

    The Mohini Jain Family Foundation established an endowment at the UC Davis School of Education to provide annual support for doctoral students whose research has the potential to improve public education and has made two matching gifts in response to the UC Davis Foundation’s matching fund for graduate students, in addition to many other gifts in support of the UC Davis Chancellor’s Fund and the School of Education, among others.

    Jain is a trustee of the UC Davis Foundation and a member of the foundation’s executive committee, the University said.

  • AS MANY AS 27 US LAWMAKERS TO VISIT INDIA

    AS MANY AS 27 US LAWMAKERS TO VISIT INDIA

    As many as 27 US lawmakers will be visiting India this month in what Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna regards as “a very important milestone” that is demonstrative of the high degree of American interest in India and the strong bipartisan support for the India-US relationship.

    Ambassador of India Navtej Sarna, who hosted a Congressional reception on Tuesday, Feb 14, to celebrate India’s engagement with the 115th US Congress, expressed the hope that the growing engagement would lead to a “more robust economic and commercial cooperation as India retains its spot as the fastest growing major economy”.

    The US lawmakers will be travelling as members of two different delegations. One, sponsored by the Aspen Institute, will bring 19 lawmakers of both Republican and Democratic parties from February 20 to 25, with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad, during which wide-ranging discussions will be held with government officials, politicians, think tanks and non-governmental organisations.

    The second one will be a bipartisan Congressional delegation, led by Republican lawmaker Bob Goodlatte, who heads the House Judiciary Committee. This team, which also includes George Holding, the Republican co-chair of the India Caucus, will be visiting New Delhi and Bangalore from February 20 to 23.

    House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer made a strong pitch for enhanced cooperation on security issues between the two big democracies, while Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats emphasized the importance of US-India cooperation in addressing the threat arising from extremist radical terrorism. He also spoke of the potential of US companies contributing in the economic transformation of India.

    Congressman Pete Olson spoke glowingly of the positive contributions of the Indian-American community in the way of life of Texans. He emphasized the significance of the port of Houston for energy exports.

    Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera, Democratic Chair of the House India Caucus said that the increase in number of elected Indian-Americans currently in Congress is a testimony to the remarkable strides that the Indian-American community has made and the growing closeness between the two countries that is based on shared values. He noted that the India Caucus is the largest one on the Hill and his firm belief that the US-India relationship will be a defining one for the 21st century.