SEATTLE (TIP): A Washington tech executive of Indian origin was taken into custody July 23 and charged with fraudulently seeking over $5.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and laundering the proceeds. Mukund Mohan, 48, of Clyde Hill, Washington, was charged by criminal complaint, unsealed after he was taken into custody, in the Western District of Washington with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Mohan currently serves as chief technology officer at BuildDirect.com Technologies Inc., a website that connects people with home contractors, according to its website. Before that, he worked for Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
The complaint alleges that Mohan submitted at least eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of six different companies to federally insured financial institutions. The complaint alleges that, in support of the fraudulent loan applications, Mohan made numerous false and misleading statements about the companies’ respective business operations and payroll expenses.
The complaint also alleges that, in further support of the fraudulent loan applications, Mohan submitted fake and altered documents, including fake federal tax filings and altered incorporation documents. For example, Mohan misrepresented to a lender that, in 2019, his company Mahenjo Inc., had dozens of employees and paid millions of dollars in employee wages and payroll taxes. In support of Mahenjo’s loan application, Mohan submitted incorporation documents showing that he incorporated the company in 2018 and filed federal unemployment tax forms for 2019. In truth, Mohan purchased Mahenjo on the Internet in May 2020 and, at time he purchased the company, it had no employees and no business activity. The incorporation documents he submitted to the lender were altered and the federal tax filings he submitted were fake.
The complaint further alleges that Mohan transferred at least $231,000 in fraudulently-obtained loan proceeds to his personal brokerage account for his personal benefit.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (TIP): Indian-American political organization IMPACT announced July 28 that public interest lawyer Neil Makhija will be its new Executive Director. The group also announced a $10 million commitment to support Indian American candidates nationwide, as well as plans to create a new program to identify, elevate, and support Indian American elected officials running for higher office.
The groundbreaking investment and prominent hire signals a new phase in the organization’s development at a time when Indian Americans – the second largest immigrant group in the U.S. – are beginning to flex their political muscle on the national stage: an Indian American woman is a top contender to be the Democratic nominee for Vice President; the number of Indian Americans in Congress has grown five-fold in just the past eight years; a record number of dollars are going to Indian American candidates; and just last week, the campaign arm charged with electing Democrats to Congress released its first-ever Hindi-language political ad.
All of these developments have come less than 75 years since South Asians began emigrating to the U.S., and 55 years after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended discriminatory quotas and opened the doors to Asian immigrants.
“I’m excited about the Indian-American community’s growing engagement in the political process — not just as an Indian American, but as someone who believes the more Americans of all ethnicities and backgrounds feel ownership in our democracy, the stronger our democracy will be,” said U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), whose mother immigrated to the U.S. from India. “As IMPACT moves to its next phase of leadership, I look forward to being joined in the Capitol by even more Indian Americans to move our country forward for everyone.”
Indian Americans are one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. population — doubling in size over the last two decades — ensuring their footprint on the political landscape will only grow in the coming decades.
“This is a pivotal moment for our community and our country,” said Executive Director Neil Makhija. “After significant gains in previous election cycles, Indian Americans are poised to assert our emerging power by electing more Indian American candidates at every level of government, and by supporting excellent candidates of all backgrounds who share our ideals of inclusivity, equity, and civil rights. Over the next 100 days, IMPACT will be laser-focused on supporting these efforts to maximize the far-reaching potential of the Indian American community through powerful fundraising, targeted outreach, and grassroots mobilization.”
“We’ve seen Indian American engagement grow from a community on the margins of American politics to a burgeoning force,” said investor Deepak Raj and Raj Goyle, co-founders of IMPACT. “We’re thrilled to have Neil lead IMPACT into the next chapter of growth and scaling Indian American political power.”
“By organizing to win elected office, Indian-Americans are infusing politics with new experiences, ideas, and global connections,” said Nikil Saval, State Senator-elect in Philadelphia and the first Indian American elected to the Pennsylvania legislature. “Though our history in the United States dates to the early 20th century, and the first Indian-American elected to Congress served in the 1950s, the last decade has seen our ranks grow up and down the ballot. I’m thrilled to see IMPACT expand its efforts to improve Indian-American representation, as part of a broader fight to bring more people of color to bear on the American politics.”
The son of Indian immigrants who made Pennsylvania’s coal country home, Neil Makhija is a public interest attorney and educator. He teaches election law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, has advised candidates and philanthropies in Pennsylvania and nationally, and was a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania legislature in 2016, outperforming the presidential ticket by 14 points in the district. As an attorney, Makhija has represented essential workers and communities impacted by the opioid epidemic.
The Dubai-based Indian-origin author is among the 13 authors longlisted for her debut novel ‘Burnt Sugar’
LONDON (TIP): Dubai-based Indian-origin author Avni Doshi is among the 13 authors longlisted for the prestigious 2020 Booker Prize for her debut novel ‘Burnt Sugar’, alongside double Booker winner Hilary Mantel for ‘The Mirror and The Light’.
The so-called “Booker Dozen” was unveiled on Tuesday, July 28, after judges evaluated 162 novels published in the UK or Ireland between October 2019 and September 2020, with a shortlist of six to be whittled down by September in time for the 50,000-pound literary prize in November.
“This utterly compelling read examines a complex and unusual mother-daughter relationship with honest, unflinching realism — sometimes emotionally wrenching but also cathartic, written with poignancy and memorability,” the judges said of Doshi’s longlisted entry.
Doshi, born in the US and now living in Dubai, has previously spoken about the long journey to her first novel, which was released in India last year as ‘Girl in White Cotton’ and gets a UK release this Thursday as ‘Burnt Sugar’.
For the coveted Booker, Doshi goes head to head with literary heavyweight Mantel, who is in the running for her final instalment in her series set in King Henry VIII’s 16th-century England.
“‘The Mirror and the Light’ completes a tragic arc in which Thomas Cromwell [Henry VII’s Minister] is finally brought down by the police state he designed. Mantel’s masterful exhibition of sly dialogue and exquisite description brings the Tudor world alive,” the judges said, in reference to her book.
British and Scottish nominees this year include Gabriel Krauze for ‘Who They Was’, Douglas Stuart for ‘Shuggie Bain’ and Sophie Ward for ‘Love and Other Thought Experiments’. Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga is nominated for the third novel in her trilogy – ‘This Mournable Body’.
The rest of the longlist is largely dominated by US-based authors, including Diane Cook for ‘The New Wilderness’, Colum McCann for ‘Apeirogon’, Maaza Mengiste for ‘The Shadow King’, Kiley Reid for ‘Such a Fun Age’, Brandon Taylor for ‘Real Life’, Anne Tyler for ‘Redhead by The Side of The Road’, and C Pam Zhang for ‘How Much of These Hills is Gold’.
“Each of these books carries an impact that has earned it a place on the longlist, deserving of a wide readership. Included are novels carried by the sweep of history with memorable characters brought to life and given visibility, novels that represent a moment of cultural change, or the pressures an individual faces in pre and post-dystopian society,” said editor and literary critic Margaret Busby, chair of the 2020 judging panel.
“Some of the books focus on interpersonal relationships that are complex, nuanced, emotionally charged. There are voices from minorities often unheard, stories that are fresh, bold and absorbing. The best fiction enables the reader to relate to other people’s lives; sharing experiences that we could not ourselves have imagined is as powerful as being able to identify with characters,” she said.
Gaby Wood, Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: “In this year of seismic change, visibility for new books published in the UK has been drastically low. So, however unintended the ratio, it’s especially heartening to know that some authors who have launched their careers in the midst of COVID-19 may now have a chance to reach the readers they deserve.”
The Booker Prize for Fiction is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English and published in the UK or Ireland. The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 15, with each shortlisted author receiving 2,500 pounds and a specially bound edition of their book at the prize ceremony scheduled for November.
The 2019 Booker Prize for Fiction was won jointly by ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Atwood and ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo. First awarded in 1969, the Booker Prize is recognized as the leading prize for literary fiction written in English.
The rules of the prize were changed at the end of 2013 to embrace the English language “in all its vigor, its vitality, its versatility and its glory”, opening it up to writers beyond the UK and Commonwealth, providing they were writing novels in English and published in the UK.
TEANECK, NJ (TIP): Anil Cheriyan, former director of the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services, will join Cognizant on Aug. 3 to serve as executive vice president of strategy and technology. Cheriyan will oversee the company’s Global IT, Global Security, Strategy, Alliances, and Business Development organizations and will report directly to chief executive Brian Humphries. As the company’s leader of Technology, he will be responsible for informing strategy, digitizing the business, and strengthening IT and Security capabilities and resilience, according to Cognizant.
Cheriyan stepped down from his post as head of TTS and deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at GSA on July 17. Mr. Cheriyan was appointed as Director of TTS in January 2019. In this position, he oversees the Presidential Innovation Fellows, 18F, the Office of Products and Programs, and the IT Modernization Centers of Excellence along with offices that provide support across TTS.
Prior to joining GSA, Mr. Cheriyan was the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at SunTrust Banks, where he led the transformation of the banks’ digital, data, and operations. Prior to SunTrust, he led several consulting practices at IBM and PwC Management Consulting, where he drove the business and technology transformation for the firms’ strategic clients.
Mr. Cheriyan earned his Master of Science and Master of Philosophy Degrees in Management as well as a Bachelor of Science in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Imperial College in London, UK. He has been the recipient of numerous industry awards throughout his career, including IDC CIO 100, Computerworld Premier 100 Leader, and Enterprise CIO of the Year.
NEW YORK (TIP): On July 27, in federal court in Central Islip, Tameshwar Ammar, a former medical doctor in Roslyn, New York, pleaded guilty via teleconference to conspiring to illegally distribute oxycodone. Ammar was indicted in November 2019. On June 22, 2020, he relinquished his license to practice medicine. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley. As part of his plea, Ammar agreed to forfeit approximately $245,700 as proceeds involved in the oxycodone offense. When sentenced, Ammar faces up to 20 years in prison.
Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
As set forth in the indictment and other court filings, between 2013 and 2019, Ammar illegally prescribed thousands of highly addictive oxycodone pills to two individuals identified in the indictment as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2. According to a review of Ammar’s medical files for the two individuals, Ammar wrote the prescriptions without any diagnostic proof that either had a legitimate medical necessity. Ammar prescribed oxycodone pills to John Doe 1, knowing that he intended to sell the pills to others. In addition, after learning that John Doe 2 had been admitted to a psychiatric facility in March 2018, Ammar continued to prescribe John Doe 2 with oxycodone as well as methadone. In July 2019, John Doe 2 died of a drug overdose caused by oxycodone, methadone and ketamine. After his arrest on November 7, 2019, Ammar was ordered by the Court to surrender his DEA registration.
“Dr. Ammar’s plea shows us that his motivation was greed, not the welfare and health of his patients. Instead of healing, he chose a dangerous path of causing addiction, overdose, and overwhelming suffering to many. I commend the DEA Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and our law enforcement partners for pursuing the investigation and prosecution with diligence and determination,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan.
“Today’s guilty plea establishes that the defendant, who was a doctor, essentially acted as a drug dealer, spreading injury and addiction without regard for the consequences,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office and our partners at the DEA are working tirelessly to combat the opioid epidemic on Long Island and elsewhere, including by prosecuting medical professionals who betray their oath to do no harm.” Mr. DuCharme also thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, for their assistance during the investigation.
‘Singapore’s legislatures have never had formally designated Leaders of the Opposition’
SINGAPORE (TIP): Indian-origin politician Pritam Singh was on Tuesday, July 28, designated as the Leader of the Opposition in Singapore, the first such appointment in the history of the city-state.
The 43-year old Singh’s Workers’ Party won 10 parliamentary seats out of the 93 contested in the July 10 general elections held, making it the biggest opposition presence in Singapore’s Parliament.
Singh is the Secretary-General of Workers’ Party.
“Singapore’s legislatures have never had formally designated Leaders of the Opposition, and such a position is not provided for in the Constitution or the Standing Orders of Parliament,” the parliamentary offices said in its statement on Tuesday.
“Singapore’s legislatures have never had formal Leaders of the Opposition, not even in the 1950s and early 1960s when there were substantial numbers of opposition legislative assemblymen,” the Channel News Asia quoted the statement as saying.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s ruling People’s Action Party won 83 seats in the general elections and his government was sworn in on Monday.
Singh will take on more duties and be accorded additional privileges in his role as the Leader of the Opposition, authorities said on Tuesday in a statement, laying out the details of the new post.
“Similar to other Westminster parliamentary systems, Singh will lead the Opposition in presenting alternative views in parliamentary debates on policies, Bills and motions,” said the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and Office of the Leader of the House in a joint statement.
He will also lead and organize the scrutiny of the government’s positions and actions in Parliament, and be consulted on the appointment of opposition members to Select Committees, such as the Public Accounts Committee.
Singh, who is also a lawyer, will receive an annual package of 385,000 Singapore dollars (USD 2,79,025.98) as allowances for his new role.
Prime Minister Lee said on July 11 that Singh will be designated the Leader of the Opposition.
After his swearing-in on Monday, Lee said the election results have shown a strong desire among Singaporeans for a greater diversity of views in politics and that the trend is here to stay.
“We have to give expression to it and evolve our political system to accommodate it while maintaining our cohesion and sense of national purpose,” said Lee.
“As with any new political appointment, the role of the LO (Leader of the Opposition) will evolve as our political system develops,” the statement from Parliament said.
“We look forward to working with the LO to create a robust but stable political system serving the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans,” it said.
The statement added that these duties and privileges have been conveyed to Singh, and the Leader of the House will make a statement in Parliament to formally set out these terms.
Singapore’s 14th Parliament will have its first sitting on August 24.
WASHINGTON (TIP): HighPoint, a provider of IT and digital services for government agencies, announced the addition of John Cyrus as Director of IT Strategy and Business Solutions. Cyrus brings more than 24 years of management and technology experience within the public and private sectors to HighPoint. In this new role as a senior leader, Cyrus will work across the organization to drive HighPoint’s solution design, architecture function and drive growth in intelligent automation (RPA), cloud migration, next gen software application development and DevOps pursuits for government clients.
Cyrus previously worked as an IT executive at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Food and Drug Administration, where he had a proven track record of managing successful engineering and technology portfolios and programs. Prior to his government service, Cyrus also supported key public sector programs at Deloitte Consulting, IBM and SAP America.
Cyrus is PMP certified and has a Certification of Cybersecurity from Harvard University. He has a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute (FEI), Charlottesville.
DALLAS (TIP): More than 35 million (and counting) pieces of personal protection equipment (PPE) have been shipped to hospitals, school districts and government agencies around the country through Nextt Shield, a new division of Dallas-based textiles company Nextt Affiliated, created during the pandemic. Known worldwide for its sheets, bedding and towels, Nextt has now pivoted to produce hand sanitizer, gloves, disposal face masks, face shields, customized reusable face masks and thermometers. Products like isolation gowns are made in its factory in India and shipped from its distribution center in Dallas, Texas.
“This has been a humbling initiative, to say the least,” said NEXTT CEO Arun Agarwal. “To be able to maneuver, meet expectations and under promise only to over deliver during this time of critical need is a true testament on how to make supply chain management work in your favor.”
Nextt has been innovating through various fabric driven industries since the 1980s. The focus has always been on providing new and improved solutions with everyday products. “Fabric is utilized all around us, which allows for the unique opportunity to weave solutions seamlessly into routines,” said Agarwal. “With a global presence, it is our duty to not only provide a superior product and experience, but to do so in an ethical and responsible manner.”
The company understands the severity of the current global pandemic, and because of its in-depth experience with fabrics and many health driven solutions, it has geared up production to help meet the needs of health care professionals in local communities and around the world.
WASHINGTON (TIP): Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on July 29 held a virtual meeting and discussed trade and investment as well as people-to-people relations between Wisconsin and India.
Both discussed strategies to tap the potential in the agriculture, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors common to India and Wisconsin that would lead to win-win outcomes for both. The Ambassador briefed the Governor about the initiatives India has taken in healthcare and education and discussed collaboration in these sectors.
India and Wisconsin share a robust trade and investment relationship. The total trade between India and Wisconsin is over US$ 1 billion. Many Indian companies in the IT, engineering services, medical equipment, and manufacturing sectors have invested in Wisconsin.
These companies have invested close to $185 million in Wisconsin, creating over 2,460 jobs in the state. They also add value to local economies and communities through their CSR initiatives. Similarly, Wisconsin-based companies in the automobile, electrical equipment, financial services and technology sectors have established a strong presence in India. They include Harley Davidson, Rockwell Automation Inc., ManPower Group, etc.
The Indian community has a vibrant presence in Wisconsin, which is also an important destination for Indian students. Close to 1,500 Indian students are studying in educational institutions in Wisconsin.
India has a strong education connection with Wisconsin. The tradition of Indian studies started on the University of Wisconsin campus in the mid-1880s, when a Professorship of Sanskrit was established. Renowned bio-chemist Dr. Hargobind Khorana received his Nobel Prize in 1968 for research he conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was on faculty.
The Ambassador underscored the need to revive and strengthen the university-to-university linkages between India and the U.S., including in the fields of R&D and bio-health.
Ambassador Sandhu and Governor Evers agreed to further strengthen the multifaceted engagement between India and the state of Wisconsin.
WASHINGTON (TIP): As COVID-19 infections continue to surge across America and nearly 30 states impose public mask-wearing requirements, Indian American Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and over three dozen of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate and House introduced lifesaving legislation July 28 to manufacture and distribute high-quality, reusable masks to everyone in America.
“If we can afford a $740 billion defense budget, we can afford to send every American a face mask,” said Rep. Khanna. “We are the wealthiest country on earth, yet our health care workers are still facing a shortage of N-95s, our essential workers are having to purchase their own protective face masks, and far too many vulnerable Americans are being left to figure out how to procure this basic need. Congress has a responsibility to step up where the White House has abdicated its responsibility and ensure every family has the equipment, they need to stay safe. If we’re asking folks to wear a mask, which is absolutely essential, it’s on us to provide one.”
“We are the only high-income country in the world where infections and deaths are skyrocketing instead of falling. Nearly 150,000 are dead and 1,000 more are dying every day. That is an absolute scandal,” said Sen. Sanders. “Dozens of my colleagues and I are proposing that we do what our public health experts and scientists say we must do. This is not a political or partisan issue. Providing all of our people with high-quality, reusable masks without cost could save tens of thousands of lives and avoid hundreds of billions of dollars in economic harm.”
According to one estimate, widespread mask wearing could save over 40,000 American lives by November 1, while another analysis predicted $1 trillion in the economic benefits of mask wearing through avoidance of strict lockdown measures. In questioning by Sanders at a recent Senate hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci voiced his support for the proposal, echoing the consensus of the medical community. “There’s no doubt that wearing masks protects you and gets you to be protected. So it’s people protecting each other,” Fauci said. “Anything that furthers the use of masks, whether it is giving out free masks or any other mechanism, I am thoroughly in favor of.”
This proposal, developed in consultation with health experts including Andy Slavitt, the former Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under President Obama, would use the United States Postal Service to distribute three free, reusable masks to every person in the country, including individuals who are experiencing homelessness or living in group settings such as prisons, shelters, college dorms, and assisted living facilities.
“Are the NRIs at the mercy of the authorities for a ‘right to return?’ Don’t they deserve a better reception when they arrive home during a crisis such as this? At the minimum, don’t the migrant laborers deserve an advance notice of an impending shutdown so they could safely plan for their right to return home? These questions cry out for answers from those who sit in the citadels of power and appear indifferent to the plights of the NRIs and poor migrant laborers.”
“Instead of bringing home the stranded nationals, during the lockdown, they were left to fend for themselves under trying conditions to the detriment of their health and wellbeing. A state like Kerala that lives off the foreign NRI remittances appeared to have placed several roadblocks before the returning residents even from neighboring States. By requiring COVID negative certificates and delaying entry clearance documents, Kerala has sent mixed signals of readiness. In their eagerness to score brownie points from the International media for their management expertise containing the contagion’s spread, NRI interests have become the sacrificial lambs at the altar of provincialism and self-indulgence.”
Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that ‘everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state, and everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own and to return to his country’. However, during the pandemic’s challenging times, these grand old principles have taken a severe beating. Many countries, including India, may not have said ‘No’ to their citizens but advertently or inadvertently put roadblocks in every which way of their timely return to the home country.
The right to return is a principle in international law that guarantees that everyone has a right of voluntary return to or re-entry to their country of origin or citizenship. International covenant on civil and political rights Article 12 (4) states that ‘No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country’. The right of a person to return to his own country recognizes the special relationship of a person to that country.
Aren’t we supposed to be a global village where our lives have been transcended into a borderless world? Well, COVID-19 has changed everything! The famous writer and columnist Thomas Friedman’s dream of the ‘world is flat, and the theory of globalization now shifted into warp drive’ appears to have gone out of the window. The countries one by one started erecting new barriers and preventing people from traveling to their desired destinations. They were soon deciding which foreign nationals are welcome and who are not. Next, they were closing borders and effectively shutting down all travel and thereby stranding millions of foreign nationals away from their homes.
What happened consequently is a story of people everywhere of pain and sufferings of immense proportions. Although many countries facilitated their nationals’ return through provisional means of transportation, millions more were left in a quandary without adequate finances or accommodations. Take, for example, the sad cases of Keralites, who got trapped in the Middle East due to the central government’s inaction or bureaucratic bungling. Many of them were confined to a single room, some infected with COVID, and few others either furloughed or out of work lacking resources for food or essential medicines.
After the initial evacuation of a few thousand NRIs from places like China, Italy, and few other places, India sealed its borders, closed the airports, and stopped train and bus services, and practically shut down the entire country. The Modi Government gave just four hours of notice before making the whole country comes to a standstill. Millions of migrant laborers who were caught off guard by these fast-moving developments became the ultimate victims of this horrific tragedy orchestrated by a government’s ill-advised action.
“Air India, the national carrier known for its money-losing ways, wasted no time exploiting the situation to its advantage in charging exorbitant prices for a one-way journey. It is not only the Government and the Bureaucracy that has done a disservice to the Indian nationals who are living abroad, but also the neighbors and friends who have targeted them and falsely accused them as carriers of Covid virus.”
A photograph of an Indian in the Guardian newspaper, his face contorted with anguish talking with his wife about his sick boy has come to symbolize the plight of the migrant laborers who are penniless but had to walk hundreds of miles under extreme conditions, to reach home! The right to return principle also applies to these migrant laborers within a country. In one of the court rulings by the International Court of Justice, a criterion established for the right of return includes “close and enduring connection,” “tradition,” “establishment,” “interests,” and “family ties.” It includes not only the right to return after having left one’s own country; it may also entitle a person to come to the country for the first time if he or she was born outside the country.
Many of these conventions and rules were allegedly circumvented or violated by those in power for political expediency. Instead of bringing home the stranded nationals, during the lockdown, they were left to fend for themselves under trying conditions to the detriment of their health and wellbeing. A state like Kerala that lives off the foreign NRI remittances appeared to have placed several roadblocks before the returning residents even from neighboring States. By requiring COVID negative certificates and delaying entry clearance documents, Kerala has sent mixed signals of readiness. In their eagerness to score brownie points from the International media for their management expertise containing the contagion’s spread, NRI interests have become the sacrificial lambs at the altar of provincialism and self-indulgence.
Thomas T. Oommen, a community activist in New York who is an intercessor for the NRIs regarding passports and visas with the consular offices, told a heartbreaking story of a family on an H-1B visa refused by Air India to board because their newborn baby only carried an OCI card. Having lost the job, this family vacated their apartment, sold off their possessions, and were ready to move back to India when they were turned back. This bureaucratic mischief not only denied the right to return of a national but also questioned the very validity and reliability of the OCI card itself. Even without an OCI card, that baby is entitled to come to India because of the “family ties.” Although the politicos continue to hail the rights and privileges of the OCI cards, the hollowness of it all was so vivid throughout this pandemic period.
Air India, the national carrier known for its money-losing ways, wasted no time exploiting the situation to its advantage in charging exorbitant prices for a one-way journey. It is not only the Government and the Bureaucracy that has done a disservice to the Indian nationals who are living abroad, but also the neighbors and friends who have targeted them and falsely accused them as carriers of Covid virus. I agree with the premise that returnees ought to be responsible for their conduct as per the rules and regulations. However, there are cases of People who were denied the rightful entry to their apartments and families refusing to receive their loved ones as if they are perpetrators, not anything but hapless victims. Those accolades and praises showered upon the NRIs in the past by the politicians and their fellow citizens not only ring hollow now but expose their duplicity and insincerity at its highest form.
According to Human Rights Watch, “like all rights, the right to return binds governments. No government can violate this right. Only individuals may elect not to exercise it. Government’s legitimate security or health concerns should be met consistently with these principles and other internationally recognized human rights”.
Are the NRIs at the mercy of the authorities for a ‘right to return?’ Don’t they deserve a better reception when they arrive home during a crisis such as this? At the minimum, don’t the migrant laborers deserve an advance notice of an impending shutdown so they could safely plan for their right to return home? These questions cry out for answers from those who sit in the citadels of power and appear indifferent to the plights of the NRIs and poor migrant laborers.
(The author is a former Chief technology officer of the United Nations and Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)
HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Mr. Peter Bheddah, a community stalwart in the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, passed away on July 21. He was 80.
A man of charitable disposition and generous to a fault, Mr. Bheddah was driven by an overriding impulse to help the needy. He delved deep into his own pockets and worked tirelessly to provide the much-needed succor to the needy in the US as well as India.
Mr. Bheddah was associated with a number of organizations , and won recognition for his community work from all quarters. He was a recipient of one of the highest civilian honors of US- the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, besides many other. awards.
Several community and business organizations and individuals have mourned the death of Mr. Bheddah who leaves behind his wife Dorothy, two daughters, and grandchildren .
TRIBUTE: Peter Bheddah – The Man with the milk of human kindness
My friend, Peter Bheddah is no more. His being no more means a lot to many people whose lives he touched. His being no more means a loss of world for his wife Dorothy and their daughters, and their grandchildren. His being no more means those who were running soup kitchens will probably miss his charity, until, of course, Dorothy decides to continue with the generosity Peter displayed.
Peter and wife Dorothy with President Bill and Hillary Clinton
Nothing pleased my friend more than serving people, particularly helping out the needy and the underprivileged. I know of his support to various organizations engaged in serving the poor in the communities. Peter would not hesitate for a minute if he was convinced that his money was being spent for a good cause.
I recall my conversation with him after he received the coveted highest civilian award for immigrants-the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. I asked him how he felt receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and pat came the reply: “another gift for the service I have been doing to community”. The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, America’s highest honor for immigrants, is a well-deserved, long overdue award bestowed in May 2012 on Peter Bheddah who has devoted 35 years of his life serving humanity.
The New Yorker, with origins in Gujarat, India, has been active in charitable activities and has held positions of responsibility in service projects and community organizations, both in India and the US.
Peter, a Jain Kutchi from Gujarat whose real name was Chhotalal Vijpal Bheddah, came to America as a student in 1960 after his college in Chennai. He started a business dealing in electronics. IDC Marketing started by him in 1972 from Manhattan grew to do millions of dollars of business annually in electronics wholesale trade selling telephones, television sets, VCRs, Sony Walkmans, cameras, etc. It was also the first Indian American company in the line. While business prospered, Bheddah never lost track of what he set out to achieve: to help the needy. He has delved deep into his own pockets and has worked tirelessly to provide the much needed succor to the needy in the US as well as India.
Having inherited altruistic genes from his grandfather who had set up hospitals and schools in their native place in Kutch, Bheddah’s own charitable activities started in 1994 when he originated and promoted the concept of assisting the less fortunate through India Association of Long Island (IALI). He has since been a Grand Sponsor every year and has obtained truckloads of food for IALI’s annual food drive. This has helped IALI to provide the Interfaith Nutrition Network, which operates 14 soup kitchens for the homeless people.
After the 2001 earthquake in Bhuj, Kutch, Bheddah visited the devastated area with President Bill Clinton. His commitment to the humanitarian cause has resulted in supporting projects worth $1,000,000 for rebuilding the region. The hospital in Bhujpur established by his forefathers in 1929 was demolished after the quake. However, with his efforts, a new 9,000 sq foot hospital was opened in 2006. The 20-bed Bheddah Hospital serves 23 villages with excellent medical care. He also built 500 houses and two schools in Kutch.
Bheddah was a past president and a director of the Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation based in Long Island. The fundraising and completion of projects during his presidency (1992-94) have been unsurpassed on many counts. Over the past 30 years, the New York chapter of the Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation has provided financial support for 50 projects worth more than $5,000,000. Numerous Indian hospitals have received equipment for detection and treatment of cancer for needy patients; Bheddah actively supported those efforts.
He was active for the last 35 years in a wide variety of community and service organizations. He was a trustee and past president of the Gujarati Samaj of New York. He was a trustee of the Samaj for 2009-2012. During his two-year term from 2001 to 2002, he was credited with raising a substantial amount of money and restructuring the finances of the Samaj.
Peter Bheddah’s association with and leadership of many organizations and institutions will always be remembered.
Mr. Bobby Kumar Kalottee, one of his close friends, recalled his long association with Mr. Bheddah and said he always looked upon him as an elder brother who encouraged him to continue to serve community and humanity, no matter what obstacle some may try to place in his way. Mr. Kalottee who was filled with grief at Mr. Bheddah’s passing away, lamented that the Indian American community had lost a leader, a guide a, a philosopher and a friend.
Another old time friend of Peter, Subhash (Sam) Kapadia recalled how Peter was the one who helped him set up his business. He said Peter was the one who guided and helped him in his business when nobody was willing to help him.
There are many who were helped and guided by Peter. The man was kindhearted, of charitable disposition and , at times, generous to a fault. When comes such another?
My heart goes out to his family who were so used to him. My heart goes out to his best friends- Shiv Dass, Subhash Kapadia, Bobby Kumar Kalottee who will find an emptiness in life with him having gone.
And, as for myself, I have lost a friend and a patron.. Life will not be the same again.
I pray for eternal peace to the departed soul. I pray for strength to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss. And, to friends and admirers of Peter, of whom I am one, I will suggest we carry forward his message and legacy which will be our true tribute to him.
NEW YORK (TIP): Venkatesan Guruswami, a Carnegie Mellon University professor of Theoretical Computer Science, has been named a 2020 Simons Investigator by the New York-based Simons Foundation.
Venkatesan Guruswami’s research has led to major advances in the theory of error-correcting codes, approximate optimization, pseudorandomness and related complexity-theoretic and mathematical aspects. His work on list decoding has yielded codes with minimum possible redundancy for correcting worst-case errors. His recent works include notable progress on polar codes, deletion-correcting codes, codes for cloud storage and constraint satisfaction problems.
The Simons Foundation names investigators each year who are outstanding scientists engaged in mathematics, physics, astrophysics, computer science, or several related fields. The designation, which comes with $100,000 per year for five years and is renewable for a second five-year term, is meant to support outstanding theoretical scientists in their early years, when they are establishing creative new research directions, providing leadership to the field and effectively mentoring junior scientists.
Venkatesan Guruswami received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras in 1997, and his PhD in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001. From 2002 to 2009, he was a faculty member at the University of Washington. He was a Miller Research Fellow at UC Berkeley from 2001 to 2002, and was a member in the School of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study from 2007 to 2008.
He currently serves on the editorial boards of the SIAM Journal on Computing, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, and the ACM Transactions on Computation Theory, and was program committee chair for the 2012 Computational Complexity conference. He was an invited speaker at the 2010 International Congress of Mathematicians. He is a recipient of the Presburger Award (2012), Packard Fellowship (2005), Sloan Fellowship (2005), NSF CAREER award (2004), ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award (2002), and IEEE Information Theory Society Paper Award (2000).
NEW YORK (TIP): Nina Kapur, a 26-year-old Indian origin reporter in New York, died after she fell from a moped that had been rented from Revel, a popular moped sharing service.
The accident, which a company spokeswoman said was believed to be the first fatality involving a Revel moped, happened about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18 near the intersection of Franklin and India Streets, the police said, in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn — a mostly residential area that is dotted with neighborhood bars and restaurants.
Kapur was a passenger on a scooter that was being operated by a 26-year-old man. According to authorities, the moped was northbound on Franklin Street when “the operator swerved for an unknown reason” and the two “fell to the roadway as a result.” Kapur was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“Reporter Nina Kapur joined the team in June 2019 and was known for her contagious smile and love for storytelling,” the station announced in a video tribute. Before joining CBS New York as an on-air reporter, Kapur had worked at News 12 Connecticut since 2017. “News 12 staff members are remembering Kapur for her incredible work ethic, as well as her sense of humor and smile,” a statement from the station said.
Nina, a native of Newtown, Pa. is survived by her mother, Monica, father, Anup, and her 24-year-old brother, Ajay.
NEW YORK (TIP): Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden announced his endorsement of Sara Gideon in the Maine U.S. Senate race, citing her record of fighting for Mainers by working to expand access to affordable health care, cracking down on the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs, and taking bold action on climate change.
“I want to congratulate Sara Gideon on her win in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. This November, we need to restore the soul of America by ending the Presidency of Donald Trump. To do that, I need the help of every voter in Maine,” said Joe Biden. “But ending the Trump nightmare is not enough. We can’t just go back to the way things were. We need to make progress on health care, the climate crisis, criminal justice reform, our courts, and so much more. And to do that, I need Sara Gideon in the U.S. Senate. Sara has been a leader on expanding health care coverage and lowering costs. On fighting against opioids and fighting for working families. She’s taken on the drug companies and she’s fought for the environment. I support Sara Gideon for U.S. Senate and hope you will too.”
“I’m so honored to have Vice President Biden’s support in this race and I know that together, we will make real progress on the issues that matter most to Mainers,” said U.S. Senate candidate Sara Gideon.“Here in Maine, we’ve fought to expand access to affordable health care, passed meaningful prescription drug reform, and set ambitious goals to fight climate change – and that’s the kind of leadership Mainers and Americans need in Washington. The future of our country is at stake in this election, and I’m proud to stand with Joe Biden to win back the White House and flip the Senate in November.”
Sara has visited all sixteen counties in Maine over the course of her campaign, holding in-person and virtual events to meet and talk with voters about their concerns and challenges they face. Sara has been endorsed by over 75 elected officials from across Maine, as well as the Maine AFL-CIO, Maine State Building and Construction Trades Council, Maine State Association of Letter Carriers, the Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborers District Council (LiUNA MNNELDC), the Painters and Allied Trades International Union District Council 35, the Human Rights Campaign, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, NARAL, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, End Citizens United, and Everytown for Gun Safety.
SINGAPORE (TIP): A 59-year-old Indian-origin nurse in Singapore has been conferred with the President’s Award for Nurses for serving on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kala Narayanasamy was among the five nurses given the award, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.
Each recipient was awarded a trophy, a certificate signed by President Halimah Yacob and SGD 10,000 (USD 7,228).
Narayanasamy, who is the Deputy Director of Nursing at Woodlands Health Campus, was awarded for using infection control practices, which she learned during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, in the current pandemic.
She tapped on this experience to introduce workflows and standard operating procedures to convert wards at the Yishun Community Hospital to care for COVID-19 patients.
“All that we learned from SARS, we can put into place now,” the Channel News Asia quoted Narayanasamy who pointed the short time period to put such procedures in place.
She has been involved with the modernization of nursing in Singapore, with her past projects including the implementation of a self-checkout inventory management vending machine to track the usage of items.
She was also involved in the introduction of the use of a streamlined wound assessment process that provides accurate wound measurements and image capture.
Both measures were implemented by the Woodlands Health Campus team at Yishun Community Hospital.
Narayanasamy is currently involved with the planning for the Woodlands Health Campus, scheduled to open in 2022, drawing on almost 40 years of experience to lead the development of nursing services for the division of medicine at the campus.
Noting her previous role as a clinical nurse educator, Narayanasamy said she is passionate about grooming the next generation of nurses.
“I will always tell our nurses who come and join us: ‘I think nursing will never fail to reward you’,” she said.
“All these awards and promotions and everything have your name (on them) and are just waiting there for you to come and claim … your full passion for what you’re doing is always rewarded.” The President’s Award for Nurses recognizes nurses who have shown sustained outstanding performance and contributions to patient care delivery, education, research and administration.
Seventy-seven nurses have received the award since its introduction in 2000.
It is open to all registered nurses from healthcare institutions in the public, private, and community care sectors, as well as those in educational institutions.
The award was also given to veteran nurses Tay Yee Kian, Patricia Yong Yueh Li, Alice Chua Foong Sin, Chin Soh Mun, all specialists in various medical fields.
WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Donald J. Trump has nominated Sutapa Ghosh Stricklett, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (Bureau for Asia).
Her nomination was sent to Senate July 22.
Sue Ghosh Stricklett is an attorney in private practice with over twenty-five years of experience in national security law and foreign affairs. The scope of her practice includes Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, intellectual property licensing and technology transfer, U.S. dual-use and defense trade control licensing, and sanctions law enforcement. She has served as an Asia policy advisor to three Presidential campaigns and several major Indo-American advocacy organizations.
Ms. Stricklett hails from Queens, New York, and is a graduate of the State University of New York, Buffalo. She earned her J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.
Stricklett has been the general counsel for American Hindu Coalition, which says it is a non-partisan organization that says its aims is to “build a stronger America through Hindu Enlightenment Principles.”
She is the author of several articles in US media advocating close relations with India and on “Trump’s outreach to Hindu Americans, both before and after his election” with a slew of important appointments in his administration.
NEW YORK (TIP): Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, professor and chair of radiology at the Stanford School of Medicine and an internationally recognized pioneer in molecular imaging, died July 18 of cancer. He was 57.
The Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research, Gambhir dedicated his career to developing methods of early disease detection, ushering in a new era of molecular imaging to flag signals of disease in its nascent stages. He was director of the Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, director of the Stanford and director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford.
“Sam was a true visionary and a scientist of the highest caliber. His research and innovations have, with no uncertainty, founded modern medicine’s approach to early disease diagnostics and will continue to guide the future of precision health,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. “Sam’s contributions to Stanford, to human health, to the science of diagnostics and to the many lives he has touched and impacted throughout his career have been immeasurable.”
Within the field of radiology, Gambhir was known for the development of positron emission tomography reporter genes, which can flag molecular activity that signals something’s gone awry in the body.
To colleagues far and wide, he was known as a leader and scientist with sprawling expertise and a work ethic to aspire to. More than that, colleagues said he was a kind and generous friend, a nurturing mentor and a catalyst for collaboration.
On the eve before his death, he was awarded the Dean’s Medal, the School of Medicine’s highest honor, for his “revolutionary contributions to biomedicine and to human health.” In tandem with the honor, Minor announced that a new professorship, the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professorship in Translational Medicine, would stand as a tribute to Gambhir’s remarkable career “to further recognize his unwavering leadership, compassion and commitment to science and medicine.”
DENVER (TIP): Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office has decided to add a hate crime charge against Eric Breemen for attacking Mr. Lakhwant Singh. Moving forward, Breemen will be charged with multiple counts–now including a bias-motivated crime–in the violent April 29 assault of Mr. Singh.
“I am so very grateful to everyone–Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike, from Lakewood, elsewhere in Colorado, across the country, and beyond–who have stood with me and my family in this incredibly difficult time,” said Lakwhant Singh. “I appreciate the Jefferson County authorities hearing my story and, through these charges, recognizing the role that hate played in my horrible attack.”
Nearly three months ago, Breemen verbally accosted Mr. Singh and his wife in their store in Lakewood, CO, repeatedly telling them both to “go back to your country.” Immediately afterwards, in the parking lot outside the store, Breemen struck Mr. Singh with his car and left him for dead; he later described Mr. Singh as an “older Arab” to the officers who arrested him.
“The decision to add a bias-motivated charge against Breemen is a resounding victory not just for Mr. Singh, but for minority communities who are threatened by bias and bigotry every day,” said Amrith Kaur, Sikh Coalition Legal Director. “Adding these charges sends a clear message: Hatred is not welcome in Jefferson County, and those who are targeted for being different know that this community will acknowledge it and stand with them in solidarity.”
The Sikh Coalition, along with support from local community members–including the leadership of Colorado Singh Sahba and the Colorado Coalition Against Hate–as well as the law firm of WilmerHale, has worked diligently over the past several weeks to push for the addition of this hate crime charge. Through these efforts, more than 2,600 people sent emails to Jefferson County District Attorney Peter Weir urging him to pursue a hate crime charge; in addition, 29 organizations joined a sign-on letter earlier this month urging for the same, and many others signed and delivered additional petitions from across the world. We extend our deep gratitude to all of the allies who came together to demand #JusticeForLakhwant.
The Sikh Coalition also helped raise awareness for this case through successful media coverage from the local to the national levels. We will continue to provide updates in this case and also work with Colorado authorities to minimize the risk of future attacks.
WASHINGTON (TIP): An Indian-American Republican businessman will run for the powerful office of Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and has launched a political action committee for it.
Puneet Ahluwalia, 55, in an e-mail to his supporters on Tuesday, announced: “I have taken the leap by launching the Proud American Political Action Committee to explore my run for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.”
A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt organization in the US that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation.
“I’m forming Proud American PAC because for those Virginians who believe, as I do, that America is the greatest nation in the world, but our political leaders are not living up to the promise of our great state,” said Ahluwalia, who was a member of the Trump Campaign’s Asia Advisory Committee in the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Delhi-born Ahluwalia migrated to the US in 1990. He serves as a consultant to businesses on client acquisition, marketing, and strategic affairs. His wife is from Pakistan and of Afghan heritage.
“As a person of color, I sympathize with those who are frustrated and angry about race in this country, but not for the same reasons as the progressive politicians in Richmond,” Ahluwalia said, referring to Left-leaning groups.
“We need to launch a real discussion among all Virginians about race and the ways we can bridge the gap in opportunities, income, and education,” he said.
In a press statement, the Proud American PAC said it will work to elect candidates who are aligned with the core principles that everyone is created equal, with personal dignity, and constitutional rights the government should never be allowed to take away.
“I believe with all my heart that American free market capitalism is the greatest engine of economic prosperity ever devised. But our economy has left too many people behind,” he said.
“We can and we should do better by making it easier to start and fund small businesses in minority communities, encouraging greater job creation, organizing private internships for every Virginia high school graduate, helping people climb the economic ladder, improving schools, and modernizing our infrastructure,” Ahluwalia said.
NEW YORK (TIP): Indian origin Seema Verma, Chief of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, violated federal contracting rules by steering millions of taxpayer dollars incontracts that ultimately benefited GOP-aligned communications consultants, according to a report by Inspector General, released July 16.
HHS is one of the largest contracting agencies in the Federal Government and in fiscal year 2019 awarded contracts totaling approximately $27 billion, of which $7 billion related to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts. Congress has expressed concerns about and the media has reported on CMS’s awarding of contracts for strategic communications services. Separately, OIG had begun preliminary work to review the strategic communications services contracts during CMS Administrator Seema Verma’s tenure. Based on this preliminary work, they conducted an audit of these CMS contracts.
According to the report “CMS prepared the required documentation for awarding contracts for strategic communications services in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). However, CMS (including the CMS Administrator and other senior leaders) did not administer and manage the contracts in accordance with Federal requirements. Specifically, CMS allowed a subcontractor individual to perform inherently governmental functions, such as making managerial decisions and directing CMS employees. CMS also administered its strategic communications services contracts as personal services contracts. CMS officials exerted a level of control over the contractors’ work that exceeded what is allowed under service contracts; in essence, CMS administered these contracts as if the services had been procured under CMS’s statutory authority to contract for experts and consultants. Lastly, CMS did not comply with FAR requirements in managing contract deliverables and approving the use of a subcontractor, did not maintain complete working files for all three contracts, and paid some questionable costs.”
President Trump nominated Seema Verma to be the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 29, 2016, and she was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 13, 2017. As Administrator of CMS, she oversees one of the largest federal agencies that administers vital healthcare programs to over 100 million Americans.
About 70 eminent Sikh leaders from across the country participated in the virtual meeting with India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu on July 13
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Sikh community in the US vowed to work for the development of Punjab, particularly in areas of education and environment, as they hailed the outreach efforts of the Indian Embassy here in resolving their issues.
The Sikhs in America are willing to invest in the development of Punjab, eminent Sikh American businessman Gary Grewal told PTI after the first-ever virtual meeting of the community with India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu last week.
About 100 eminent Sikh leaders from across the country participated in the virtual meeting with Sandhu, who organized the event as part of his outreach with the community.
“He encouraged us to do other good things. God has blessed us here, we should share with others…offering scholarships to students. Everybody (from the Sikh community) was very happy to be at the meeting. There was a lot of sharing of ideas and thoughts,” Grewal said, adding that many members of the community also discussed the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor with Pakistan.
“I appreciated that Ambassador Sandhu has invited the Sikh community members for this dialogue and it will be important there is concrete follow up to these suggestions which can engage many to contribute positively for the betterment of the younger generation in Punjab,” said Dr Rajwant Singh, president of EcoSikh, and co-founder, National Sikh Campaign.
He said it was important that the vast Punjabi and Sikh diaspora is engaged in rebuilding Punjab and create a brighter future for the state.
“We should be looking toward to future and India-US relations have great potential. Ambassador Taranjit Sandhu is the right person to move these forward,” said Surjeet Sidhu, an eminent Sikh American.
“I am committed to using technology for uplifting human lives. I’ll be thrilled to bring technology and technical jobs to Punjab in a real practical way,” tweeted Kuldip S Pabla after the event.
Sonia Dhami, a trustee of the Sikh Foundation and Fine Arts Commissioner for the city of Cupertino, said one of the ways they can work together was in the field of publications on Sikh arts, literature, religion and heritage.
According to Dr Singh, Sandhu invited the members on the call to support students in the rural areas and sponsor scholarships for education.
The Sikh Human Development Foundation, a charity organization based in Washington, the NRI Sikhs have given scholarships for higher education to 7,300 students from low-income families in Punjab and other neighboring Northern Indian States in the last 20 years, Singh said.
The results had been thrilling as most of these students have graduated and have found jobs, he said, adding that he suggested the initiative needed to be expanded with the support of the worldwide Punjabi and Sikh community.
EcoSikh had offered to plant more forests in other parts of India to mitigate the effects of climate change and was ready to partner with the Central and state governments on this challenge facing Punjab and India, he said.
EcoSikh has worked closely with Punjab governmental agencies on environmental issues and the state government has adopted its idea of planting 550 trees in each village in Punjab.
Nikki Guninder Kaur , a professor and author from Colby College, pointed out that there was ignorance about Guru Nanak in the country, asserting that it should be the top priority of the Sikh community to work to spread the message of Guru Nanak.
NEW YORK (TIP): Prominent Indian American community leader Dr. Sampat Shivangi has been elected as a Republican delegate for the fifth consecutive term to the party’s August convention in Florida that would formally nominate US President Donald Trump as its candidate for the November presidential elections.
Dr.Sampat S. Shivangi has been a conservative lifelong member of the Republican party, hailing from a strong republican state of Mississippi. He is the founding member of the Republican Indian council and of Republican Indian National Council which aims to work to help and assist in promoting President Elect Trump’s agenda and support his advocacy in the coming months. RINC is based on the principles of RJC and want to promote conservative ideas and principles.
Dr.Shivangi is the National President of Indian American Forum for Political Education which is the oldest Indian American association .For the last three decades he has lobbied for bills in US congress on behalf of India through his enormous contacts with US Senators and Congressmen. He is close to Bush family and was instrumental in lobbying for first Diwali celebration in the White house and President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India.
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