Mayor of Seattle Bruce Harell signs the Visitor’s BookMayor Bruce Harrell expressed admiration for the Indian community in Seattle, praising their contributions in enriching the bonds between India and the USA.
SEATTLE (TIP): The Indian Consulate in Seattle inaugurated its new visa application center on Friday, July 12.
The facility will offer full visa and passport services to the greater Seattle area.
Local leaders, including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Port Commissioner Sam Cho, and State Rep. Vandana Slatter, were among those who attended the event.
Mayor Harrell presented the first Indian passport and visa to eager applicants, marking a special moment for the community. Mayor expressed admiration for the Indian community in Seattle, praising their contributions in enriching the bonds between India and the USA. In addition to the Seattle location, a drop-off facility is now open at Bellevue making it easier for Eastsiders to access these services.
Both the Seattle and Bellevue Indian Visa Application Centers (IVAC) are operated by VFS Global — the outsourced visa services partner of the Ministry of External Affairs. These centers are designed to streamline the visa process for Indian nationals and provide support for other consular needs.
Prakash Gupta, Consul General of India in Seattle, said, “The opening of the Indian consulate in Seattle reflects the government of India’s commitment to deepening relations with the Pacific Northwest states.” “These new centers in Seattle and Bellevue are designed to provide a more convenient experience for all consular applicants preparing for travel to India,” Gupta said.
Consul General Prakash Gupta addressing the diaspora community at the inauguration of India Consular Centre in Seattle.
The Seattle Center will be equipped with world-class facilities aimed at providing an easily accessible and a superior application experience for customers and will make the application process more convenient for travelers. These services are expected to benefit the nearly half million-strong Indian diaspora community in the consular jurisdiction of the Indian Consulate in Seattle which include nine pacific Northwestern states — Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.
Dignitaries at the inauguration of India Consular Centre in Seattle from left to right: CGI India Seattle Prakash Gupta, Mayor of Seattle Bruce Harell, State Rep Vandan Slatter, Shubhashish Ganguly, Western Regional Head- VFS Global, and Sam Cho, Port Commissioner, Port of Seattle.
Amit Kumar Sharma, Head – Americas, VFS Global, said, “VFS Global shares a long-standing relationship with the Government of India since 2008 and we are excited to expand our partnership further. The new center in Seattle and Bellevue, United States of America will play a crucial role in effectively catering to the growing demand for visa and consular services to India. We are confident that these visa application centers will enhance customer experience by making the visa application process even more smooth, thereby helping us serve the travelers and Indian diaspora better.”
VFS Office Location in Seattle: Suite 240, 3131 Elliot Avenue, Seattle 98131 VFS Drop Off Location in Bellevue: Suite 100, 1400 112th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal welcomes the guests to the reception in celebration of the Republic Day of India.The distinguished gathering which included prominent members of the diaspora, elected officials, members of the diplomatic corps, friends from media and people from different walks of life.
NEW YORK (TIP): The 74th Republic Day of India was celebrated at the Consulate General of India, New York with a flag hoisting ceremony on Thursday, January 26th 2023.
Consul General Randhir Jaiswal unfurled the national flag after which the national anthem was sung. Consul General then read out the address of the President of India. A short cultural program of patriotic songs was presented by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA. A large number of members of Indian diaspora and friends of India participated in the celebration. The event was webcast live through the Consulate’s social media platforms.
The dignitaries who extended greetings on the occasion. Congresswoman Susan Wild, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick , NY State Senator Kevin Thomas, and NY Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar
In the evening, the Consul General hosted a reception which was attended by prominent members of the diaspora, elected officials, members of the diplomatic corps, friends from the media and people from different walks of life. The leading lights of Indian diaspora graced the occasion, including Prof. S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan, the recipient of Padma Vibhushan this year – the second highest civilian award. State Senator Kevin Thomas, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador R. Ravindra, Consuls General of Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Peru, Malaysia and Germany, besides diplomats from several other Consulates participated in the reception. More than 150 guests graced the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Jaiswal said: “Speaking to the nation on the eve of Republic, the Honorable President of India said and I quote: “With hope and confidence, we began an experiment unique in the history of humankind. Such a vast and diverse multitude of people coming together as one nation remains unprecedented. We did so with the belief that we are after all, one, that we are all Indians. We have succeeded as a democratic republic, because so many creeds and so many languages have not divided us; they have united us, that is the essence of India.” The ambassador added: “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to march on with speed and scale and more importantly, with humility and confidence. Our story today is both inspiring and assuring provided by transformative reforms, next generation infrastructure and empowering digital public goods. We are the fastest growing major economy. We recently became the fifth largest economy in the world and remain on course to achieve our targeted spot in the not so distant a future.”
Grammy Award winning singer Falguni Shah enthralled with patriotic songs.
The evening function began with singing of Indian and US national anthem by Master Ishaan Tangirala, a young talented singer of Indian origin from New Jersey. Consul General welcomed the guests and thanked everyone for their participation. He underlined the growing partnership between India and the US, the oldest and the largest democracies in the world and the key role of diaspora in strengthening these ties. Congratulatory video messages from Congresswoman Susan Wild and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick were played, followed by reading out of a citation from Congressman Michael Lawler. State Senator Kevin Thomas and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar delivered remarks conveying their greetings on the 74th Republic Day of India. This was followed by a video on the Consulate’s activities. Later, Grammy Award winning singer Falguni Shah gave an enthralling performance of patriotic songs. Guests were then invited for an Indian dinner where they were treated to a wide variety of regional cuisines. A special attraction on the menu was cuisines of millets from different parts of India, in celebration of International Year of Millets – 2023.
The event had a distinct flavor of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – the celebration of 75 years of India’s independence. Enthusiastic participation from the diaspora ensured Jan Bhagidari – or people’s participation in the celebration of 74th Republic Day.
The welcoming trio. From L to R: Shahana Bagban, Aastha Srivastava, Sandhya Parajuli.Celebrating “The Year of the Millets” . The hosts had delicious millets dishes served.
India’s 10- Year Multiple Entry Visa is wrongly termed as Tourist Visa
Prem Bhandari recommends entry visa on departure (E-VoD)
I.S. Saluja
My friend Prem Bhandari who is Chairman, Jaipur Foot USA , was at JFK airport in New York on December 2, 2020 where he is a regular visitor to find for himself how NRI’s are being taken care of. Ever Since the government of India launched the Vande Bharat Mission to help stranded Indians to get back to India, Mr. Bhandari has been a regular visitor to extend a helping hand to travelers and Air India. In fact, he led from the front and exhibited rare courage in what he was doing for community at a time when most of us took refuge within the safe four walls of our homes. Undeterred by the raging pandemic, he was out at the airport day after days, helping people.
On December 2, he was, as usual visiting JFK to see if travelers were receiving proper attention of airline officials when he came across 6 persons who told him they were not allowed to board an Air India flight to India. One of them was a lady with 2 toddlers. Mr. Bhandari, a man well known in India and USA, particularly in New York, as a committed social activist and do-gooder was upset to find the lady in distress for not being able to board the flight.
Mr. Bhandari who has often raised issues impacting Indian Americans , among others, tried to get at the bottom of the situation. He spoke with the passengers who were denied travel. He spoke with Air India staff present at the JFK airport.
Prem Bhandari at JFK, New York with travelers he helped during Vande Bharat Mission in May 2020
Mr. Bhandari said the lady was traveling in an emergency to be with her people in India. She was not going for tourism. It was under compelling circumstances that she was going with the two toddlers, aged to India, in extreme weather and under dangerous COVID-19 conditions. Nobody goes to India these days for tourism, anyway. They all travel only driven by a desire to see a family member who may be sick, or to be with family to mourn the loss of a loved one. So it was with the lady.
The Air India people at JFK told the lady to visit the Consulate in New York to get an emergency visa for the kids. Now, this lady who has come from outside New York will need to hire a cab and go to the Indian Consulate in Midtown Manhattan. Pay for the cab. She may not get the emergency visa then and there. She may have to wait for a day. She will need a hotel room for which she will have to pay. If she is lucky, and if there are no intervening holidays, she gets the visa on the next day. Now the flight. She has to wait until she can be accommodated in the next available flight, subject of course to availability of seats. And when finally, the seats are available, she has to pay an extra amount for the change in her flight schedule. She does it. She settles the hotel bill for all these days of stay.
The next scene now. The lady with two toddlers in tow reaches Delhi. Now she is to go to a different destination in India. She has missed the flight originally booked. Her tickets are canceled. She has to rebook a flight and pay for it, besides waiting, may be, for a day or two to get seats. She spends again, another few hundred dollars on buying tickets and for stay in a hotel. What a colossal loss of time and money!, one may say. No, friends, it is much more than that. It is a stressful experience which may make one sick. It is only loss of time, money, inconvenience, stress, it is a frightening threat of being exposed to rampaging COVID-19.
Whose fault is it? Government officials will say the travel advisory is posted on website of each embassy and consulate, and travelers should look into guidelines before undertaking travel. Well, nobody can dispute this claim. All embassy and consulate websites carry the advisory.
A travelers’ advisory well publicized in print, electronic and social media can prove educative for travelers
The Indian Panorama asked Mr. Bhandari for his comment, because he was much upset to see the plight of the stranded travelers.
Mr. Bhandari concluded that the villain of the piece was a wrong term used for 10-Year Multiple Entry Visa. It is a misnomer to call this visa a Tourist Visa.
One can understand the constraint of the airline, which did not permit boarding to any tourist, because tourist visa has been cancelled in the wake of COVID-19.
In October this year, the Indian government had decided to restore with immediate effect the validity of all existing visas, except electronic, tourist and medical category visas, almost eight months after their suspension following the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent imposition of a nationwide lockdown.
Mr. Bhandari explained to The Indian Panorama that almost 80% Indians do not apply for OCI card for children. They feel quite comfortable with the 10-Year Multiple Entry Visa which is wrongly termed as Tourist Visa. The denial to board the flight arose out of the fact that the two kids had “Tourist Visa”. And because, government of India had canceled the Tourist Visa , as stated above, the kids could not be allowed to board the flight.
Mr. Bhandari had enough reason to sympathize with those denied boarding a flight to India, and at the same time think deep how the situation could be rectified. The first thing he did immediately was to call concerned officials in India government in Delhi. He called the Foreign Secretary Mr. Harsha Vardhan Shringla, Mr. Ajay Bhalla, the Home Secretary, and Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Khasola, and apprised them of the suffering of the passengers he had met at the airport. Each one of them appeared to sympathize with the harassed passengers, and assured Mr. Bhandari that a way will be found to remedy the situation. Mr. Bhandari told The Indian Panorama that he was very happy to see the positive attitude of the officials, and that he is grateful to them.
Mr. Bhandari followed up with an identical letter to each one of them, drawing their attention to the problem, and suggesting immediate solutions.
In his letter, Mr. Bhandari pointed out that the core of “ the issue is lack of information and deficiency in educating travelers on visa eligibility (visa issued prior to March 12, 2020 are ineligible)”.
His suggestions to all three Secretaries mentioned above are given below:-
All airlines flying into India under the air-bubble arrangement should proactively verify travelers with foreign passports have eligible visas at time of ticket booking
Key websites in this air-bubble program, namely Air Suvidha, Air India, United Airlines, MoCA, MHA, BOI.gov, MEA, all Consulates, Indianvisa.gov etc. must advertise eligible and ineligible visas
MoCA & AI have been very active in advertising flight schedules in social media. Similarly, it is imperative that the visa eligibility is broadly advertised on the same social platforms.
As a more considered solution to ease a broad swath of travelers all over the world facing similar situation, I propose the following , Mr. Bhandari wrote:-
Any Indian origin person with either of parents with Indian passport/PIO/OCI card be allowed to travel with their US born minor sons/daughter under the age of 14 with any unexpired visa obtained anytime without applying emergency visa at consulate. As per US federal law, children under 14 cannot be left alone without their legal custodians, which in almost all cases are their parents.
Likewise, all unexpired visas issued in the past should be restored to avoid unnecessary burden as well as expenses of obtaining the emergency visa. It is a fallacy to assume anyone will like to travel to India for tourism during Corona pandemic. This step will alleviate workload on embassy staff, smoothen out travel process for global diaspora and will generate goodwill for the country.
In case it is difficult to carry out above suggested measures, it may be explored to either grant Emergency Visa on Departure (E-VoD) on the line of Visa on arrival OR restore immediate e-Visa process for immediate approval online – travelers can be able to do so digitally from the airport. This small gesture will win heart of the NRI community not only from US but from all over the World.
LONDON / CHENNAI(TIP): An Indian-origin couple who won a major UK court appeal recently that prevented their children from losing their Indian citizenship are now appealing for authorities in Britain to allow their two minor children in foster care in Britain to be reunited with their family to live in India.
The parents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are originally from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and moved to the UK in 2004. They lost all contact with their children – a son aged 11 and daughter aged 9 – in August 2015 when they were taken into the care of the local childcare authorities in Birmingham.
Their case has been going through the family courts in Britain and last week, a UK Court of Appeal judgment concluded that the Birmingham Children’s Trust must seek the court’s approval before any attempt to apply for British citizenship for the children in the face of “parental opposition”.
“I am an Indian national. The children are Indian nationals too. We would love to go to India. We don’t want British citizenship for the children. We have made this clear,” said the 52-year-old father, a civil engineer struggling to make ends meet in Birmingham.
“The Indian High Commission supported the return of my children in the court proceedings,” he said.
The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Birmingham said it has been providing consular and legal assistance to the parents in their four-year-long legal battle.
“We had submitted in the honorable Family Court in Birmingham that the Indian Consulate wishes to provide assistance for the children’s welfare needs and provide the necessary arrangements to provide the Indian passports for the children and will fund the costs of the flights and transportation to India and overseeing their care arrangements,” the CGI in Birmingham noted in a statement.
The CGI said that it continues to offer support and monitor the progress in the case and had also assisted the parents to procure a home study report from the Child Welfare Committee, District Nagapattinam, regarding prospective custodians of the children in Tamil Nadu.
“We must understand that the case is sub-judice and any comments on this case may not be appropriate,” the Indian consulate noted.
The case was described by the UK Court of Appeal as a “challenging one for everyone”, with the Tamil-speaking parents requiring interpreters.
In the latest appeal, the father was represented by prominent Indian lawyer Harish Salve, who argued that a change of citizenship marks a “fundamental change” and “matter of great moment”, which may or may not be in the children’s interests.
The reasons behind the children’s removal from their parents” care were not revealed in court but a previous ruling in December last year determined that the minor boy and girl must remain in long-term foster care for the remainder of their childhoods.
“My sole purpose of staying back here [in Birmingham] is to get my children released from the UK authorities and have them returned to India, whether with or to approved relatives… The children will lead a peaceful life with safety and security in India,” said the father, speaking in Tamil.
His wife, a 45-year-old Indian national also from Tamil Nadu, is now living in Singapore with her mother and the couple’s four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, born after she left the UK while pregnant over fears of losing her third child to foster care as well.
“Don’t I care for my third child well now? Their accusations are just false. They separated my children from me… I was not able to comprehend what was happening and I was just stunned. I asked for an interpreter since I could not understand English much,” said the tearful mother from Singapore, also speaking in Tamil.
In court, she was assisted by Delhi-based advocate Nandita Rao, described as a legally qualified “McKenzie friend” – or someone who assists a litigant in UK court proceedings by giving advice.
“In my personal capacity, as a person interested in child rights, I would suggest that the Birmingham authority ought to assess its capacity to preserve the nationality of children (who are not citizens of the UK) in the foster care system,” said Mr Rao.
“Nationality has a de jure part (i.e. identity in law) and a de facto part (cultural identity). The latter includes preserving the language, food habits, social and family contacts of the child. If the authority is not in a position to ensure the cultural identity of a child is preserved… the local authority should explore foster care for the child in his home country, unless the child is an asylum seeker or has a risk of persecution in its home country,” she said.
The local authority, the Birmingham Children’s Trust, said it was considering the implications of the judgment handed down by the UK Court of Appeal on August 6.
“We have received the judgement and we will be considering the outcome and implications in our future practice,” said a spokesperson for the Birmingham Children’s Trust.
Last week’s ruling had acknowledged that changing a child’s citizenship was a “momentous step” and not a routine matter.
“Changing a child’s citizenship is a momentous step with profound and enduring consequences that requires the most careful consideration… The local authority should now indicate whether it wishes to progress the matter, in which case we will give appropriate directions,” it noted.
Consul General of India at New York, Sandeep Chakravorty, as his last name suggests, has indeed been a Chakravorty Samrat of his sprawling territory covering ten US States . He came, he saw and he conquered, can well go to describe his work, accomplishments and achievements.
Mr. Chakravorty’s tenure witnessed extraordinary situations which demanded extraordinary responses. In both, the government of India’s J&K action , including the abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to the State of Jammu & Kashmir, and later, the colossal human misery caused by COVID-19 calling for a gigantic effort to extend a helping hand to Indians , Ambassador Chakravorty proved himself equal to the occasion.
Ambassador Chakravorty ‘s work went well beyond the routine consular work. He strengthened the existing framework and created new and innovative ones. He strengthened institutions and organizations with his ideas, active participation and frontal leadership. In the process, he endeared himself to not only the Indian American community, but also to many from various communities . They will miss him .
Building bridges between India and U.S. and between Indian Americans and mainstream Americans has been his overriding passion. He can be credited with promoting amity and goodwill among communities here and the two nations. He leaves behind a rich legacy which his successor could well be proud of .
Ambassador Chakravorty’s fan following probably compares well with that of top film stars. He came to have many admirers, and quite a large number of friends, among whom I count myself. We will miss him a lot, and also his lovely wife Taruna Chakravorty, the kindly and caring First Lady at the Indian Consulate. Their twin daughters hardly ever made appearances but when they did as when they gave stellar Classical dance performances, they were amazing. God bless them!
New Yorkers tell me they will miss the friendly family. Of course, we will miss them.
We, at The Indian Panorama, Opinio Media , and International Media Arts, and my family who admire the Chakravorties, will miss the beautiful and admirable family. We wish them all health and happiness, and hope to see them remain connected.
WASHINGTON (TIP): As part of the citizen-centric service, Embassy of India, Washington DC and Consulates General of India in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco introduced the system of accepting GEP applications by Indian citizens residing in USA.
Global Entry is a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Members enter the United States through automatic kiosks at select U.S. airports .
How to Apply for Global Entry:
Citizens of India are eligible for Global Entry. Applications must be submitted through CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) website .
For those applicants presently living in USA, after completion of step ‘1’, he/she needs to submit the requisite information in the website of Global Passport Seva Project (https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/) for completion of background check in India. After completion of online submission, he/she should submit the application at CKGS office according to the Consular jurisdiction, along with the applicable fee.
NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Consulate New York, in partnership with Indo-American Lawyers Association,is providing free legal consultation from an expert Lawyer, Sanjay Chaubey to help distressed members of the community or those who need legal help. The inaugural session was hosted on August 30, 2019. Now the Consulate has decided to conduct this on a regular basis on the last working Friday of every month.
“Good start of “Free #Legal #Consultation” at the #Consulate on August 30th, 2019. We thank attorney Mr. Sanjay Chaubey, President of Indo American Lawyers Association for attending to the issues of various community members.
Observing the successful response, the Consulate has decided to conduct such free legal clinics on the last working #Friday of every month, between 11:00 hours to 12:00 hours”, the Consulate tweeted.
Free legal clinics will be hosted at the consulate on September 27, October 25, November 29, and December 27. To RSVP, please email at madad.newyork@mea.gov.in.
NEW YORK(TIP): The Consulate General of India, New York, would be issuing Emergency Visa on Weekends and closed holidays in order to further improve the overall quality and delivery of services at the consulate. The Emergency Service will be rendered only in emergencies arising due to death/serious illness of immediate family member of US Passport holders during the weekends/holidays.
For availing the Emergency Service:
The applicant may call Consulate’s Emergency Number +1 917-815-7066 (only in the case of death or serious sickness of immediate family member).
The designated Consulate official would ascertain the genuineness of the Emergency and direct the applicant to visit CKGS website to fill visa form and pay fee online.
CKGS shall liaison with the applicant directly and upon receipt of duly filled in application form CKGS would proceed with registering the same and will send the completed data to Consulate for grant of visa.
Upon receipt of the data, Consulate will issue appropriate visa to the applicant.
Following documents are mandatory for grant of visa on emergency basis:
(i) Submission of visa online application at CKGS website and hard copy thereof.
(ii) Photograph and signature in .JPG format
(iii) Document (s) to establish the emergency
(iv)Proof of local address such as utility bills etc.
(v) Certificate of renunciation of Indian citizenship or application for renunciation, wherever applicable.
(vi)Printed confirmed air ticket for India
(vii) US passport valid for at least six months.
In case of any issue, please contact Consulate’s Emergency No. +1 917-815-7066 or CKGS weekend services could be contacted at phone: (213)-213 5019 and email: emergencyvisa.holidays@ckgs.com
NEW YORK(TIP): A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed his country’s spy agency ISI provided information that helped the US track down and kill Osama bin Laden, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) General David Petraeus said he is “convinced” that the Pakistani intelligence did not know the Al-Qaeda chief was in Pakistan, even as he asserted that terror groups such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and other “internal extremists” are the real “existential threat” for Pakistan and are a “very diabolically difficult problem to deal with”.
“The challenge for Pakistan, of course, is that the existential threat is not the country to its east, it is not India. It is the internal extremists. It is a very diabolically difficult problem to deal with,” Petraeus said Tuesday during an interactive session at the Indian Consulate, following his address on the topic of the Indo-Pacific.
Petraeus, a partner in the international investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, was the special guest for the ‘New India Lecture’ series organized by the Consulate General of India, New York in partnership with the US India Strategic Partnership Forum.
General (Ret) David Howell Petraeus (Left), former Director of CIA and Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s Consul General in New York at the Consulate General of India in New York Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment
Responding to a question on US-Pakistan relationship, Petraeus said he has experienced the bilateral ties “on a very first hand basis” as the Commander of the US Central Command around the year 2009 and there have been some “positive” as well as “disappointing and frustrating periods” in ties between Washington and Islamabad. He added that the US has always provided “enormous” support to Pakistan, recalling that he and former special adviser on Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke went to the US Congress and got 7.5 billion dollars for economic assistance for Pakistan over a five year period, which was in addition to the two billion dollars already extended in various categories of defense assistance and counter-terrorism support. “At the end of the day, of course there was a degree of disappointment,” he said.
On a question from Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, editor of The Indian Panorama, about slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden living in Pakistan before he was killed, Petraeus asserted the US is convinced that the Pakistani intelligence was not aware that the terrorist leader was hiding in their country.
“We are quite convinced that the ISI, Pakistani intelligence, no one else knew that he (bin Laden) was there (in Pakistan). They were not harboring him or hiding him or anything like that. We have very good insights on that. We probably differ with those who said that the Pakistanis were allowing him to live in that particular compound” in Abbottabad.
Petraeus’s assertion runs counter to claims made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan that Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ISI provided information to the CIA which helped the US track down and kill the al-Qaeda chief. Khan’s comments are a significant revelation as Islamabad had so far denied having any knowledge of the terror chief until he was shot dead in 2011. Khan, who is visiting Washington on his maiden official trip, revealed this during an interview with Fox News when he was asked whether his country would release jailed Pakistani surgeon Shakeel Afridi who helped the CIA track down Osama. The Al Qaeda leader was killed in a covert raid by a US Navy SEAL team in Abbottabad, a garrison town north of Islamabad, on May 2, 2011.
“It was ISI that gave the information which led to the location of Osama bin Laden. If you ask CIA it was ISI which gave the initial location through the phone connection,” Khan has said.
A view of the audience Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment
Petraeus said that during counter-insurgency campaigns, Pakistani authorities could never close in on North Waziristan where terror outfits such as the Haqqani network, Al Qaeda and others had their headquarters and some of their forces. He added that the US learnt later on that bin Laden was not in that area but near the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad. “I figured out later that I had probably flown right over his compound in a helicopter as I went to address the cadets at the military academy one time,” he said referring to the Pakistan Military Academy.
Petraeus said he hopes Khan will be able to deal with the challenges of his country, where the economy is “very distorted” and where the “realities of the situation are really quite difficult.”
On Afghanistan, the veteran and decorated US military officer said while the Afghans are fighting and dying for their country, “sadly the momentum of recent years has been against Afghanistan rather than for it. It’s why I have some reservations about the prospects for a peace agreement that we would all support. What adds to my concern is the fact that the Taliban has not even been willing to allow the democratically elected government of Afghanistan to sit at the same negotiating table with them.”
He however expressed hope that President Donald Trump’s special adviser to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad “can produce magic here and can produce an agreement that would allow us to draw down further, still achieve our objectives and ensure that our Afghan partners are taken care of as well.
“But yet I think it is a very challenging situation,” he said recalling that the US was not able to get a negotiated agreement at a time when he commanded 150,000 coalition forces and “when we had the momentum on the battlefield… so it is a little difficult to see why the Taliban would agree to much more than our departure.”
Petraeus also highlighted that what is more challenging is that the Taliban is just one group of many insurgent and extremist elements operating on Afghan soil. “You also have the Haqqani group. I am not at all confident that they are reconcilable , if some of the elements of the Taliban are. By the way, not all of them would necessarily agree to a peace agreement.” He added that among the other groups operating in the region are the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, remnants of Al Qaeda, Islamic State. “And you even have the other Taliban – the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistani Taliban which along with some other groups, I want to contend is the true existential threat to Pakistan, not Pakistan’s neighbor to the east,” again a reference to India.
Further, the challenge has always been putting pressure on an enemy whose senior leaders are “beyond our reach in sanctuaries either in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas or in Balochistan.”
Petraeus said that the biggest lesson that the US has taken from the fight against the Islamic extremists since 9/11 is that “this is a generational struggle. This is not the fight of a decade or a few years. You can defeat this enemy, but you have to keep your eye on it. If you take your eyes off, what happens is that Al Qaeda in Iraq rises back up into the Islamic State, goes into Syria and takes advantage of the Syrian civil war and roars back into Iraq with an army.”
He added that just as the Taliban regrouped in Pakistan after it was destroyed in Afghanistan,it is essential that the pressure is kept on to defeat the terror groups and support the host nations,enabling them to do the frontline fighting, political reconciliation and reconstruction.
“I always remind folks that we went to Afghanistan for a reason and we have stayed for a reason. We went there because the 9/11 attacks were planned in eastern Afghanistan when Al Qaeda had a sanctuary there. We went in to eliminate that sanctuary and we have stayed to ensure that it is not re-established,” he said adding that the challenge now is that it’s not just the Al Qaeda trying to reestablish, it is the Islamic State that also has a “fascination” with this area (eastern Afghanistan).
He noted that the US has been helping the Afghan government and forces, who are fighting very hard and sustaining casualties. “India has helped Afghanistan considerably as well.”
The US is successfully drawing down its forces in Afghanistan, he said adding that another core interest for the US in Afghanistan is that the nation provides a platform from where Washington conducts counter-terrorism campaign in the region. “It is well known that the launch of the operation that killed Osama bin Laden was from a base in eastern Afghanistan.”
NEW YORK(TIP): In its first five years, the Modi government has done the foundational work for India’s targeted growth, and now it’s time to focus on accelerate the growth – which must be led by private sector, says Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Addressing a gathering at the ‘India Investment Seminar’ organized by the Indian Consulate at New York, July 17, Dr. Rajiv Kumar spoke on India’s Investment scenario and economic reforms and interacted with New York’s Investment Community.
In his welcome note, Consul General Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty gave a brief summary of accomplishments of Dr Kumar who took over as Vice Chairman NITI Aayog in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister, on 1 September 2017.
Highlighting the reform measures introduced in the recent budget, Dr Kumar said that there are more than a dozen provisions in the budget to encourage the private sector to lead India’s growth and it’s time to make space for them and give the private sectormore incentive.
“The intention and the sharp focus of the Modi government is very clear and it is that private enterprise must be given the space, the incentives to play its role in the economy. The government has no intention at all to try and be the main driver of growth in the country because it is not possible,” he said. “The next five years, India is going to be at the cusp of a major transformation and if we succeed, as this government is wanting to, you will see a decade plus more of sustained high growth which will be undertaken with inclusion but also with sustainability,” he further added.
Dr Kumar acknowledged that there is still space for bolder reforms like changing the mindset. Noting that agriculture needs corporate investment, as there have hardly been any investments in that sector, but for that structural reforms are essential, he pointed out. Focus is also being given for major transformation in the mining, oil and natural gas sectors, electric mobility sectors, textile and leather, as well as ‘sunshine’ industry like tourism, he added.
During a Q&A session, answering a question by Prof Indrajit S Saluja, Chief Editor of The Indian Panorama about water scarcity in different states, Dr Kumar said the water index, introduced by NITI Aayog, has raised the alarm. He said the problem and its solution both are associated with agriculture. At the moment about 90 percent of the water is consumed by agriculture, he said. The agriculture has to be more water efficient and if there is a shift to horticulture, water could be freed up for other uses, he suggested.
Dr. Kumar answering questions from The Indian Panorama Editor Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja
Later, in a brief interview with The Indian Panorama, Dr Kumar answered a few questions from Chief Editor Prof Indrajit S Saluja.
As in charge of policy planning in India, what would be your top priority? I am not talking about the government, what would be your top priority?
Ans. My top priority would be two – one is agricultural transformation and I stick by that. The other one is to eliminate mal nourishment. Our children and our women – 38% of our children are mal nourished – it’s a shame. Fifteen percent of our women are anemic. If we can’t change that, we are not going anywhere at all. And the third would be water. If I can solve these three, I would die as a satisfied person. I just headed a committee called the North East Water Management Authority. They did a very good job; we have to implement that. It would solve the Brahmaputra problem at least.
2. When it comes to human beings, what kind of quality of life do you think you would be able to provide for people of India under your supervisory capacity as chief planner of India?
Ans. I am not a planner. I gave up planning. I am just a thinker. Our problem is much bigger than quality of life. You know if I can tackle, get people sufficient amount of potable good water and a clean environment, if I can get them quality education and health – that in the five years I am not promising. But the beginning is being made. Those are the areas we want to work on. For that (We need) domestic private investment. FDI contributes no more than 3 to 4 percent in our total investment. We have to depend on domestic investment and domestic investors.
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): The Consulate General of India, New York has launched ‘Queue Management System’ to manage queues of applicants who come to the Consulate for various services and also to improve the overall quality and delivery of services rendered at the Consulate. The new Queue Management System (QMS) considerably reduces the waiting time in availing the consular services.
Ambassador of India to the United States Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla on July 15 inaugurated the Queue Management System at Consulate General of India, New York. Ambassador was also apprised of various initiatives taken by Consulate General of India, New York for the welfare of the applicants availing consular services at the Consulate, such as free coffee and free photocopying machine and Internet facilities. The Consulate provides about 150000 persons with various services annually.
Ambassador Shringla also interacted with applicants present at the Consulate. Applicants lauded various initiatives taken by CGI, New York to improve the overall quality and effective delivery of services. Queue Management System considerably reduces the waiting time and will make delivery of Consular services a hassle free and comfortable experience.
The year 2017 registered a 19 per cent growth in passport related services
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): The Indian government plans to open a ‘Passport Seva Kendra’ in each of the 543 parliamentary constituencies across the country by March next year to ensure convenient passport services to its people, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said here, November 21.
“We plan to have a Passport Kendra in each head post office (in India) so that any citizen doesn’t have to travel beyond 50-60 km for his or her passport services,” Singh said.
The government is trying to ensure that Indian citizens do not face any difficulty in obtaining their passports whether in India or abroad, he said as he launched the ‘Passport Seva’ project at India’s Consulate here.
Johann Dunet, the youngest recipient, accepts a new passport from the Minister Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment
The ‘Passport Seva’ project has brought in a huge transformation towards delivery of passport services in India, Singh said while handing over passports to a few Indian citizens who had used the new program to renew their passports.
“This project will ensure better services for our citizens abroad. It is a service which is truly meant for citizens,” he said at the global launch of the program here.
The new system will ensure an easy and convenient application submission process, usher-in standardization, digital overhauling, end-to-end status tracking and enhance security, the minister said.
The year 2017 registered a 19 per cent growth in passport related services. The monthly submission of applications has crossed one million mark for the first time and more than six crore passports have been issued through the ‘Passport Seva’ system, the minister said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has taken several measures to improve the passport service delivery experience, including by simplifying several passport rules and doing away with cumbersome requirements that delayed the process and led to unnecessary hurdles, he said.
The MEA with the Department of Posts took the decision to start ‘Passport Seva Kendras’ in head post offices.
Gen V.K. Singh said, “We plan to have a Passport Kendra in each head post office (in India) so that any citizen doesn’t have to travel beyond 50-60 km for his or her passport services, Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment
As a result, 236 ‘Post Office Passport Seva Kendras’ (POPSKs) have been operationalized to date and many more are in the pipeline. This, when added to 36 passport offices and 93 erstwhile ‘Passport Seva Kendras’, makes a total of 365 passport offices for public.
The MEA has also initiated the integration of ‘Passport Seva Program’ at all Indian Embassies and Consulates across the globe.
The MEA has successfully initiated a pilot project at the High Commission of India in London followed by the Consulate General of India in Birmingham and Edinburgh.
After launching the global ‘Passport Seva’ program at the Consulate General of India in New York for the Indian diaspora, the MEA will launch the program at the Indian Embassy in Washington followed by the Consulate in Atlanta.
It aims to operationalize all Embassy/Consulates in the US during the course of next 15 days.
The Indian government plans to roll out the global ‘Passport Seva’ program at all Embassies/Consulates within the next three to four months, a move that will ensure that “our ‘Passport Seva’ globally is inter-linked and centrally controlled,” Singh added.
To a question raised by the editor of The Indian Panorama with regard to those from Punjab who sought asylum, not being issued passport, the minister said the government was looking in to the issue.
Asked to make a statement on the dissolution of the Jammu & Kashmir State Assembly, the minister told The Indian Panorama that it was the Governor who in his wisdom considered the situation and recommended the dissolution of Assembly to the President. He admitted that the government in J & K, in which the BJP was a partner, was not exactly functioning for some time.
Asked if he thought it was the achievement of Indian diplomacy that the US cancelled its aid to Pakistan, the minister gave a smile and quipped that it as for the US to decide, and his government had no hand in the issue.
On Thursday, November 22, General Singh launched the Passport Seva Project and had an interaction with the community at TV Asia in Edison, New Jersey.
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): The Indian Consulate in New York hosted, November 9, Diwali with Media friends. The formal event had all the ease of informality, as the Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty sought to make it a memorable event, without the speeches and formal observances. The only formalities observed were the lighting of the lamp and words of welcome. The lamp was lighted by a group of ladies, led by the first lady of the Consulate Taruna Chakravorty.
Kevin Thomas is honored. Seen from L to R: Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Kevin Thomas, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty
The singers won the hearts of the audience with their mellifluous singing. The young dancers left all wondering their consummate performance.
Kevin Thomas, who won a Senate seat in New York Senate, happens to be the first Indian American ever to be elected to a State Senate. He was felicitated. Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations honored Kevin with a shawl while the Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty presented him a plaque.
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): The Asia Society of New York hosted a press conference at Asia Society Museum in New York City on September 13 to debut a landmark exhibition of works by members of the Progressive Artists’ Group, which was formed in Bombay, now Mumbai, in the aftermath of independence. India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty inaugurated the show.
In his brief speech Ambassador Chakraborty applauded Asia Society for hosting an exhibition of such magnitude. “I am aware of the hard work (of Asia Society) behind the show because it is not easy to convene such an exhibition. This is a rare exhibition because I think this kind of exhibition has not been organized ever before in the United States
Progressive Artists’ Group, Bombay 1949.The exhibition comprises of important works from the Group’s core founders—K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre, H. A. Gade, M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and F. N. Souza — as well as later members: V. S. Gaitonde, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, and Mohan Samant Image / Courtesy Raza Foundation Archives. The Raza Foundation, New Delhi
Just after India’s independence, six young firebrands came together in Bombay: K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre, H. A. Gade, M. F. Husain, F. N. Souza, and S. H. Razaunited to form the Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG). In the early 1950s, Krishen Khanna, V. S. Gaitonde, andMohan Samant joined their ranks; Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, andAkbar Padamseebecame closely affiliated with the Group. Together, the Progressives forged fresh art for an independent India and in time have come to be known as the country’s quintessential moderns.
The Progressive Revolution: Modern Art for a New Indiawill examine the founding ideology of the Progressives and explore the ways in which artists from different social, cultural, and religious backgrounds found common cause at a time of massive political and social upheaval.
Though the group disbanded in 1956, the movement continued to animate and give visual expression to India’s modern identity, with many of the group’s artists creating their most iconic works after this period. Works in the exhibition — primarily oil paintings from the 1940s to 1960s — underscore how these artists gave visual form to the idea of India as secular, heterogeneous, international, and united. Like their counterparts in the West, India’s modern masters mined multiple sources of inspiration while forging their own distinctive styles. Their consideration of the ways in which a new secular republic could emerge from a rich, multi-religious tradition continues to be relevant today.
The Progressive Artists’ Group, surrounded by artists, art critics, and patrons at the Bombay Art Society Salon in the 1940s. From Left to Right: (Seated in the first row): Mulk Raj Anand, K.H. Ara, M.F. Hussain. (Seated in the second row): Laxman Pai, Mrs. Langhammer, Emmanuel Schlesinger, Bal Chhabda, among others. (Standing): Khorshed Gandhy, Krishen Khanna, S.K. Bakre, V.S. Gaitonde, Walter Langhammer, and Kekoo Gandhy. Image / Courtesy Chemould Prescott Road Archive
The exhibition comprises of important works from the Group’s core founders—K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre, H. A. Gade, M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and F. N. Souza — as well as later members: V. S. Gaitonde, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, and Mohan Samant.
A Page from M.F. Hussain’s Scrap Book, with a drawing and annotated photographs. Image / Courtesy Private collection, France /Courtesy Grosvenor Gallery
The exhibition comprises of three sections. The first section, Progressives in Their Time, considers the Group’s origins as the artists struggled to cast off the old and invent a new artistic language for the new India. National/Internationalexplores the development of the Progressives’ styles, as they drew upon multiple sources of inspiration, not only Western motifs, but also South Asian high art and folk traditions, as well as those from Asia more generally. The last section, Masters of the Game, displays some of the most iconic artworks produced by the Progressives, many of which were created long after the Group dissolved, and individual members had developed their signature styles.
A must-see exhibition, it will be on view at Asia Society Museum from September 14, 2018 to January 20, 2019.
NEW YORK(TIP): The Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC) and its global affiliates join with other associations and organizations in expressing our concern and urging support for the people of Kerala (India) affected by the recent devastating floods which that have caused numerous deaths, displacement, suffering, pain and anguish. Several local and international news reports have compared this flooding as the worst in Kerala in a century.
Widespread downpours are forecast for the next 24 hours in the region, although rainfall intensity has declined over the past two days, according to a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department. Kerala’s monsoon showers this year have been 41 percent more than normal, contrasting with nationwide rainfall, which is 8 percent below average, the India Meteorological Department said.
People wading through flood waters to find a safe destination Photos https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45232327
IDC commends the efforts being made by the State of Kerala and the Government of India to bring desperately needed relief to the affected citizens to alleviate the difficulties being experienced and for the well-being of its citizens. We urge other countries, as well as local, regional and international relief agencies, individuals, organizations, associations to respond urgently to this disaster and provide needed relief and contributions in a timely manner.
Expressing grief over the unfortunate deaths and damage caused to property due to floods, India’s Prime Minister, Hon. Narendra Modi, observed that rescue of people who are still marooned remains the topmost priority.
“Lot of people are still marooned,” said P. H. Kurian, relief commissioner of Kerala, said, adding thousands were rescued on Saturday. “We will increase the relief efforts”, he said.
IDC urges relief contributions online and desperately needed clothing, materials and non-perishable food by contacting the nearest Indian High Commission or Indian Consulate, or via bona fide international relief agencies such as International Red Cross.
Consulate General of India celebrates India’s 72ndIndependence Day
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): India’s 72ndIndependence Day was celebrated by a very large gathering at the Indian Consulate in New York on August 15.
Congresswoman Grace Meng was the chief guest. Also present were Assemblyman David Weprin, New Jersey Senator Vin Gopal, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, and a couple of other politicians and officials, besides a large number of Indian Americans.
Consul General extends congratulations on India’s 72nd Independence Day
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty hoisted the Indian National Flag to the singing of the Indian national Anthem.
Consul General read out Indian President’s address to the nation and offered his congratulations to the gathering on the historic day. He spoke briefly about the achievements India has made in its 71-year journey as a democratic nation.
Congresswoman Grace Meng praised India as a great democratic nation
Congresswoman Grace Meng in her brief address, spoke of the greatness of India as a democratic nation and praised the contribution of the Indian American community in “so many ways”.
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher described India as a country with opportunities
Anupam Kher spoke feelingly about India, emphasizing the opportunities the country offers to all to grow.
A Kathak presentation Photos / Jay Mandal-on assignment
Speeches were followed by a cultural presentation, which included a Kathak presentation.
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): On Thursday, August 02, 2018 Consulate General of India & Navatman Inc. presented Drive East Opening Night at the Consulate wherein Navatman’s Co- Artistic Director – Sridhar Shanmugam and Sahasra Sambamoorthi announced the schedule for their annual Indian dance and music festival – Drive East. This year Consulate is participating in “Drive East” with an ICCR sponsored Kathak! Ensemble.
Navatman, Inc., is an organization dedicated to supporting the Indian classical arts, emphasizing Indian classical music and dance. This year, Navatman will present 35 concerts in 14 days and in 2 major cities – New York (August 13-19) and San Francisco (August 22-26) at the LaMama Experimental Theater Group and in San Francisco, California, at the Joe Goode Annex.
From Bharatanatyam to ghazals, Drive East will present international, award-winning artists from all over the world. However, the highly anticipated performance is in New York on Friday, August 17 of Kathak, by a group of acclaimed performers from India produced by Battery Dance Company, sponsored by Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Consulate General of India, New York. Kathak will feature acclaimed Kathak dancers – Sandip Mallick & group with Anuj Mishra and group. Joining them will be Piyush Chauhan and Preeti Sharma. The entire schedule for Drive East is available on http://www.driveeastnyc.org/index.html
Aroon Shivdasani, Executive and Artistic Director retires after 20 years of glorious service. Say, will continue as Brand Evangelist Advisor.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Dr. Nirmal Mattoo has been appointed by the Board of IAAC as its new Chairman effective July 1, 2018. In its evaluation, the Board concluded that Dr. Mattoo’s background as a philanthropist supporter of the arts and artists, educator, author, humanitarian doctor and successful businessman with a strong track record of building non-profit centers of excellence made him uniquely qualified to head and lead a precious asset of the Indo American community, says a press release issued by Sunil Hali.
This announcement was made at a gala gathering at the Indian Consulate in New York on July 30th attended by over 160 people from the arts, media and Indo American community. Consul General Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty welcomed the IAAC members in his opening remarks.
The IAAC Board thanks Aroon Shivdasani who has announced her retirement, for her exemplary sacrifices and contributions over the course of a lifetime in founding and building IAAC to the point that it is the premiere art and cultural organization of the Indo American community. The existing Board members and advisors have also retired, and their services are acknowledged with gratitude. Finally, the heart and soul of any community is its volunteers and it is gratifying that they will all continue to serve IAAC.
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty presents a plaque to Aroon Shivdasani
Dr. Mattoo stated, “Aroon has been a trailblazer in fostering the arts and the artist community in a non-judgmental, nurturing manner that has inspired love, understanding, pride and joy. Her pioneering effort has resulted in a vibrant week-long film festival, a stimulating book festival, ecstatic dance and music festivals, an art festival and much, much more. She has built a supportive group of patrons that exceeds 64,000 in the Tri State area which is an outstanding accomplishment. Many cultural organizations across America have been incubated by Aroon by interning those who wanted to emulate her creation.”
Aroon Shivdasani stated, “The IAAC Board had a choice among many parties who wanted to take responsibility for IAAC but concluded that nobody else could match the fiduciary spirit that Dr. Mattoo would bring to the IAAC mission and in taking it to the next level. I am truly fortunate that IAAC brand has generated such a positive response over the years from the community. I thank my key team members Aseem Chhabra, Ramneek Kang, Nili Lakhani, Rohan Gupta, Monty Kataria, Abhi Chintakunta, Suman Gollamudi and the hundreds of volunteers who joined me in this cause. I truly look forward to supporting the team and the new Board in achieving their goals.”
Ambassador Chakravorty presented Aroon Shivdasani with an award plaque and also a shawl in recognition of her services. He stressed the importance of propagating Indian arts. Dr. Mattoo also presented Aroon with a plaque on behalf of IAAC.
Rajeev Kaul, Board Member IACC, Aroon Shidasani and Dr Nirmal Mattoo, Chairman IACC
Dr. Mattoo announced the appointment of the new Executive Director of IAAC, Mr. Sunil Hali, as also incoming Vice Chairman of the Board, Rakesh Kaul, Board Members Anil Bansal, Anurag Harsh and Rajeev Kaul while Professor S. Sridhar, Yakub Mathew and Gaurav Verma join the Advisory Board.
Dr. Mattoo stated, “Sunil Hali is a leader in the field of South Asian media, art and entertainment field and marketing. Besides founding and guiding premium media properties such as The Indian Express North American Edition and Divya Bhaskar and biggest South Asian Radio Zindagi, and television channels such as GARV SHREE and PTC Punjabi, he has launched several iconic corporate brands in North America. He was the organizer for historic The Music Festival of India (1997), Building India Excellence Awards (2016), Zee Gold Bollywood Awards (2000) among others. In total, he has organized over 200 community festivals-events which is a testimony to the formidable strengths that he brings to the IAAC mission of community goodwill and understanding. We are fortunate that he has accepted this role.”
Executive Director, IAAC, Sunil Hali addressing the gathering
Sunil Hali said, “I am humbled by the community opportunity that has been entrusted in me by Dr. Mattoo. I will count on his support, and that of the Board and my IAAC executive team. I thank Aroon for her commitment to continue as an advocate of IAAC and support me. I am pleased to announce that our very first event will be a literary event with noted author Ramchandra Guha on October 2nd followed by a grand music festival featuring the world famous Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, and his sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, at the Zankel at Carnegie Hall in October 2018. We will hold the always exciting New York Indian Film Festival from May 7th to May 12th, 2019. More details and event announcements will follow in due course.”
Dr. Mattoo continued, “I am pleased to announce new IAAC Board appointments. They bring an eclectic background and exemplify the renaissance spirit that IAAC promotes.”
Rakesh Kaul will be joining as Vice Chairman of the Board and will support Dr. Mattoo in the mission ahead. Rakesh is a successful author, technologist, business leader with a strong record of contributing to the arts and nurturing non-profit initiatives. His experience and learnings as Chairman of the Board of the largest marketing services company in the world, serving the non-profit sector, will be invaluable in scaling up IAAC.
Anurag Harsh is a global leader in artificial intelligence, digital media and marketing. He was the founding executive of Ziff Davis, the world’s largest tech, health and lifestyle digital media company. Anurag is a published author of seven books and over 500 columns in the Huff Post, Forbes and other leading publications. Anurag is also a gifted Hindustani music vocalist with a Sangeet Alankar (Master’s in Music) inspired by and trained under Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Pandit Chandrakant Apte. He has performed two sold-out solo concerts at the Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center including contemporary collaborations with percussionist Sivamani, pianist Utsav Lal, and keyboardist Stephen Devassy. A Wharton and MIT grad, board member of the Elisabeth Morrow School and ex-broadcaster for BBC World, Anurag will serve as the patron and mentor of the music festivals of IAAC.
Anil Bansal is a successful finance, real estate and technology business leader. He was the co-founder and Chairman of Indus American Bank. He has incubated many startups. He is a regular supporter of many Indian cultural and religious organizations. He served as a President of Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce.
Professor Shikaripur Sridhar is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and Director of the Center of India Studies at State University of New York, Stonybrook. He is the author of several books and academic papers. He will serve as the Mentor for the Literary Festival.
Gaurav Verma is the Chief Operating Officer of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF.org), whose primary objective is of strengthening U.S-India bilateral and strategic partnership. Gaurav is an Advisory Council Member of the Global Institutional Investors Forum, Advisory Council Member of One Globe “Uniting Knowledge Communities” in New Delhi, and a Member of the Board of Women’s Education Project (WEP) in New York. He brings global corporate and sponsor connectivity to IAAC.
Yakub Mathew is a Managing Director with Citibank where his responsibilities include building and managing the Ultra High Net Worth business. He is a continuing Advisory Board member of IAAC and has taken a leading role in enabling Indo American non-profits to scale up.
Dr. Mattoo shared, “It is our intention to add to IAAC at the Board level, at an executive level, at a creative level and the advisor level. To ensure the highest standards of governance I have appointed Kaul Group, a leading CPA firm, to serve as accountants for IAAC. Rajeev Kaul, the founder, is a strong supporter of the arts and a good fit with IAAC. Along with agreeing to serve on the IAAC Board and also as it’s Secretary, he serves on the Board of WEP and has set up a non-profit in India to support girl’s education.
We look forward to serving the community and invite volunteers, interns, members and contributors to renew their commitment to IAAC and its mission.”
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Indian Consulate along with Shradhaa Foundation celebrated the Vijay Diwas at Indian Consulate in NY on 18thJuly 2018. It is the first time an event of this nature has been celebrated. The Victory at Kargil in 1999 was celebrated and all those who laid down their life in the service to nation were remembered.
Seema Jagtiani, co-founder of Shradha Foundation welcoming and speaking about the event
The event started with the Indian National anthem by Col (Ret.) Virendra Tavathia. Ms. Seema Jagtiani introduced the Shradhaa Foundation to the audience. A comprehensive presentation of the Kargil war in general and battle of Tololing and Tiger Hill was made by Col Tavathia. Entire audience was moved by the sacrifice made by the gallant soldiers of Indian Army fighting at the highest battlefield. The actions of Indian Air Force and Navy were appreciated. The audience was overwhelmed by the courage, determination and will power of our Infantry Soldiers who defied all odds to achieve impossible victory. Some soldiers who actually participated in the Kargil war were also present.
Col Virendra Tavathia, co-founder of Shradha Foundation, speaking about the Kargil operation
Shradhaa Foundation, a New Jersey Non-Profit Organization is committed to support the families and children of our martyrs organized the event in the true traditions of Indian Army. The Foundation has been helping the families of our martyrs since 2011. The efforts and support received from Tri Service Ex-servicemen Welfare Organization was well recognized. Major Krishna Chari gave a detailed account of the activities of Shradhaa Foundation.
Consul General Sandeep Chakravarti appreciated the efforts and sacrifices of the Indian soldiers in his emotional address to the audience. He appreciated the efforts of Shradhaa Foundation and announced that the Victory Diwas will be celebrated annually at the Indian Consulate.
On behalf of Shradhaa Foundation, Ratilal Patel, trustee, Dr Avtar Ganju and Lt Col Suresh Mehra, current President presented the painting of Major Vivek Gupta, Mahavir Chakra (Posthumous) to Consul General of India. Consul General thanked the office bearers of Foundation and said that this painting will find most appropriate place in the Indian Consulate. Young Yash Kansara and Vicky Kohli presented the emotional patriotic songs with perfection to bring tears in the eyes of listeners.
The entire Shradhaa Team including the volunteers Dhara Desai (Editor of the Video Presentation), Rajnish Balyan and Rajeev Chaudhary worked very hard to make the entire arena like a battle field. The delicious food was provided by Deewan Banquet Hall, Piscataway, NJ. Ms. Seema Jagtiani thanked Mr. Harpal Singh Obhan of Deewan Banquet Hall, and all the volunteers who helped in putting up this memorable event. The event culminated with the thank you note by the President.
A View of the audience
Shradhaa Foundation will be hosting their annual fund raiser on 03rdAugust at Akbar Banquet Hall in Edison, NJ. The stories of some unsung heroes will be presented to the community. An educational entertainment is in offing in honor of those who gave their TODAY for our TOMORROW.
GOVERNOR’S ISLAND, NY(TIP): The fourth International Day of Yoga was celebrated with enthusiasm and fervor at the historic Governor’s Island on 16th June 2018. The event organized by the Consulate General of India, New York saw enthusiastic participation from people of all ages.
It was on 11 December 2014, when UNGA approved the proposal by consensus, with a record of 177 countries, to designate 21st June, the day of the Summer Solstice, as International Day of Yoga (IDY). Since then the IDY has been celebrated annually by member countries of the UN with great enthusiasm.
Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline, which evolved thousands of years ago for physical and spiritual wellbeing of the humankind. The word ‘Yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Yoga had gained worldwide popularity due to its immense health benefits. It is in keeping with that thought that the theme of the event this year was ‘Let Yoga Govern your life’.
The historic setting of the event in many ways exemplified the eternal values of yoga. Governor’s Island is a 72-acre (70 ha) island in New York Harbor, approximately 800 yards (732 m) from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel, approximately 400 yards (366 m). Perhaps signifying the global influence of yoga, the famous skyline of downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty formed the backdrop of the event.
Consul General of India Sandeep Chakraborty (extreme left) and Congresswoman Maloney (Third from left) with participants
US Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was the chief guest for the event. While complimenting the organizers, she spoke of the benefits that yoga has on contemporary lifestyles.
“Yoga, which is derived from Sanskrit, means to join or unite and symbolizes the union of body and mind” said Congresswoman Maloney. “It is a unique way to approach an individual’s health and well-being. Practicing yoga has been shown to decrease stress, fatigue, and alleviate chronic pains, as well as improving physical fitness. I know first-hand the benefits of practicing yoga. It is an essential part of my life, I practice it as often as I can, and it helps me to find balance and peace.”
The event featured performances from Hindu Temple, Indian Cultural Association, Mallakhambh Federation, Sam Katz (David Lynch Foundation), Art of Living Foundation, Isha Foundation, World Yoga Community and the Battery Dance Co.
The performances included demonstration of yoga mudra, salutations, common yoga protocol, Yogasanas on the pole, Transcendental Meditation, desktop yoga, Yogic music and musical performances from the Salon Di Virtuosi and a dance performance by the Battery Dance Co.
ICICI Bank, Air India, State Bank of India, India Tourism Office, Bank of Baroda,
Federation of Indian Associations, Amity Education Foundation, Ashram Kant Darshan Darbar, and Bhakti Centre were partners/ sponsors of the event.
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): On May 2, the Federation of Indian Association of Tri-State and Gujarati Associations from various states in the U.S. organized an evening to celebrate 58th Gujarat Din at the Consulate General of India in New York. This was the second year where this group celebrated Gujarat Din at the Consulate General which was attended by more than 175 invited guests, dignitaries and the leaders of community organizations from the tristate area, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Honorable Consul General of India in New York, Mr. Sandeep Chakraborty was the Guest of Honor for the evening.
FIA President Srujal Parikh welcomed speech and introduced Consul General Sandeep Chakraborty and felicitated him with a memento of Gujarat.
In his address, Consul General Chakraborty welcomed and congratulated everyone on Gujarat Sthapana Divas and stated that “it is a proud moment that all organizations from the nearby states are here under one roof which is a biggest achievement and our endeavor should be a model and principles of our Government to be inclusive and you all are the best carriers of this message. Gujarat inspires our country with richness of its culture, diversity, architectural history and many other areas”. Furthermore, he urged everyone to be a part of the biggest India Day Parade organized by FIA-Tri-State on August 19, 2018 at Madison Avenue in New York.
An inspirational written message from Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Vijay Rupani was very well received by the audience. The Chief Minister congratulated various organizations from Gujarati communities and appreciated to celebrate Gujarat Divas under one roof by these organizations.
Mr. Yogesh Patel, MLA from Gujarat attended the event as a special guest and addressed the audience by congratulating everyone and described the progress of Gujarat. Radhika Meganathan, author of “The Gurukul Chronicles” book was launched by the dignitaries including the Consul General. Ramesh Patel, Chairman of FIA, Dr. Sudhir Parikh from Parikh World-wide media, Pinakin Pathak, Chairman of Ohmkara, Vishnu Patel of Gujarati Samaj of New York, Rupal Shah, Gujarati Samaj of Baltimore, Bhupesh Shah, Gujarati Samaj of Delaware Valley in Philadelphia, Rajeev Desai, Vaishnav Parivar of Connecticut, Smita (Miki) Patel of India Performing Arts Center and Arvind Patel of Rajbhog Foods were among the supporting organizations who addressed the audience and felicitated by the Consul General Mr. Chakraborty.
The master of ceremonies Nishi Parikh, member of the Gujarat Sthapana Divas Committee did a marvelous job. Local singers Umesh Patel and Foram Shah sang famous Gujarati songs in their melodious voice which was applauded by all. Traditional Gujarati folk performances in colorful costumes were wonderfully choreographed by Smita (Miki) Patel of India Performing arts center and Priya of SBU Raas group in New York were among the highlights of the evening.
Event concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. Tushar Patel, committee member of Gujarat Sthapana Divas who extended his sincere appreciation to all supporters and community organizations for their help and support to make Gujarat Sthapana Divas a huge success. A delicious and mouth-watering authentic Gujarati food was provided by Arvind Patel of Rajbhog Foods which was enjoyed by all.
FLORAL PARK, NY(TIP): ‘You are doing a valuable service with your social work within the Kerala Community, and I urge you to expand your horizon to include others,’ said Mr. Devadasan Nair, Consul for the Community Relations, Indian Consulate, New York. Mr. Nair was speaking at the annual dinner of the Pioneer Club of Keralites at Heritage India Restaurant, New Hyde Park New York. Mr. Jacob George, General Secretary of the Club, welcomed the guests.
Pioneer Club of the Keralites consists of members who have come to the United States in the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s. The club is also engaged in providing social services to the senior members of the Kerala Community who may be homebound or require other assistance.
George Abraham, President of the Pioneer Club, urged the members to keep their pioneering spirit high as they are special people who are dissatisfied with the status quo and have a vision of something better beyond their immediate world and ways. “It is not only about the camaraderie within the group but what we can collectively sacrifice to help those who are in dire need” he stated.
Rev. Achoy Mathews, one of the founders of the organization, spoke about the origins of the Pioneer Club and expressed his satisfaction on the level of work undertaken by the organization. Professor Joseph Cheruvelil reminded the audience how profoundly grateful he is to the United States for the opportunities it has provided to him and his community and yet he holds a special place in his heart for his motherland.
Mr. Ven Parameswaran, who came to the United States in 1954, spoke at length about his experience working with late V. K. Krishna Menon, at the United Nations. He urged the Pioneers to get involved with the mainstream politics in the U.S. and reiterated his support to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
Professor Indrajit Saluja, Editor of The Indian Panorama lauded the work of the Pioneer Club and urged its members not to slacken off in the sunset of their life. “Sunset is more colorful, and the view from certain vantage point can be truly inspirational” he added.
Mr. George Thaila submitted the report on the social work and requested for additional volunteers for increasing demand for their services.
Mr. VM. Chacko, Mr. Thomas T.Oommen, Ms. Leela Maret and Priscilla Parameswaran spoke on occasion. Mr. Mathew Zachariah entertained the guests with favorite melodies from the 60’s and 70’s.
The annual meeting also elected the new leadership for the 2018-19 periods:
Mr. Jacob George – President
Mr. Thomas T. Oommen – General Secretary
Mr. George Thaila – Director, Social Services
Mr. John Pazunkar – Treasurer
Mr. John Pazunkar expressed the vote of thanks.
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