JOHANNESBURG(TIP): The ‘SA Musicians against COVID-19’ project helps artists to showcase their talent in Indian music and song, sometimes accompanied by dance as well.
The project was started by Johannesburg residents—Lexy Shunmoogam, Chitra Perumal, Kreasan Moodley and Guru Pooven Pillay—as a way to keep people entertained for a few hours in the weekend during the lockdown by bringing all singers and musicians together in a musical extravaganza via Facebook.
The initiative has now become an international hit. The group members said they now have their hands full every day of the week with demands from artists who want a slot on their Facebook page.
Almost every leading artist from South Africa who performs religious or cultural songs, especially in the Tamil community, has already been featured, with the organizers having to turn down many requests from performers in India and other countries.
“Our aim was to showcase the talent that we have right here at home, including providing a platform for children who are learning the art form with local teachers. We could hardly foresee how artists who have never ever performed together would be on the same platform at some stage,” Shunmoogam said.
“What started as a small and humble initiative has now become a unique and almost unequalled ‘Concert from Home’ event, galvanizing tens of thousands of people across the world through music,” he said.
Last week the ‘SA Musicians against COVID-19’ Facebook page featured priests from various temples across the country performing Kavady prayers.
“The demand for performances of light music and cover versions of Indian film songs has also been huge, so we had a special weekend from May 15-17 where artists will perform in this genre only,” Shunmoogam said.
ATLANTA (TIP): An Indian origin senior staff attorney at Cobb County Magistrate was shot and killed May 9 morning while confronting a gunman outside a home in Locust Grove, a report in Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
Rajesh Mehta, 45, was shot multiple times by 29-year-old Terrance Scott outside the home on Hansen Drive, said police.
Following the fatal shooting, Scott allegedly broke into the house, held a woman hostage and sexually assaulted her before an hours long standoff with officers, Locust Grove Police Chief Jesse Patton said. Children were inside the home at the time.
Mehta worked as the staff attorney for three separate chief magistrate judges since joining the court in 2008. Prior to that, the University of Georgia law school graduate worked under Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark.
NEW YORK (TIP): Three Indian American Students are among 26 recipients nationwide of a Department of Energy Computation Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF). They are Priya Donti from Carnegie Mellon University, and Dipti Jasrasaria and Amaresh Sahu, both from University of California, Berkeley.
The program, established in 1991, trains top leaders in computational science. As part of the program, fellows receive exceptional benefits including a yearly stipend; full payment of university tuition and required fees (during the appointment period); and an annual academic allowance.
Donti earned her B.S. degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College in 2015. Her work seeks to develop machine learning, optimization, and control methods for robust, emissions-minimal energy system management that are powerful enough to cope with the system’s large-scale nature.
Jasrasaria did M.Phil. Scientific Computing from University of Cambridge in 2017and B.A. Chemistry from Harvard University in 2016.
Sahu did his B.S. Chemical and Biological Engineering, from Princeton University in 2013. His research focuses on using a variety of techniques from statistical mechanics, continuum mechanics, and finite element methods to develop models that better explains cell membrane behavior.
NEW YORK (TIP): Alleging that coronavirus was genetically-engineered in a Wuhan lab, an Indian-American survivor of the deadly virus has urged President Donald Trump to seek compensation from China, running into trillions of dollars, for the thousands of deaths and harming the American economy.
“The unleashing of global death and suffering with the coronavirus, a plague upon all of us, is worse than Pearl Harbor, and given its deception, and later, cover-up, lack any semblance of Honor,” Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra said in a letter to the president.
“On the established rules of law, China is at least guilty of negligence in proximately causing a world pandemic, where nearly two million people have suffered its pain and suffering, and nearly 122,000 souls have lost their lives and left their families damaged and fractured,” he said in a letter dated April 14.
China owes us civil compensation – at least for negligence – a fair and reasonable amount, “which I recommend match our standard for 9/11, but no less than $USD1 million dollars for every American who tested positive for Coronavirus, $5 million for every American who died, and $100,000 for every American who has to be ‘locked down’,” he said.
“I recommend, given the cover-up, which exacerbated the injury, pain and suffering globally, as well as avoidable deaths, that China’s ownership of debts in every country – for example the USD1.2T in China’s ownership of our T-Bills – be cancelled,” Batra said.
In his letter, Batra charged China with hiding the actual source of coronavirus.
The Indian Panorama was sent a copy of the open letter addressed to President Donald J. Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. with copies to Sen. Chuck Schumer, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Chairman Eliot L. Engel, Ranker McCall, Chair Carolyn B. Maloney, Ranker Jim Jordan, Chairman-Senator Risch, Ranker-Senator Bob Menandez, Secretary Pompeo, Secretary Esper, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and A.G. Tish James.
Here is the text of the letter.
“Honorable Messrs Trump, Pelosi, and McConnell:
Let me begin with three obvious facts: first, the Chinese civilization is a great one, with many superlative contribution to humanity, including, empire building, martial arts, gun powder, tea, and perhaps, best of all, Confucius (who famously said: May you live in boring times); second, I am a Blessed survivor of Coronavirus, that at 104.3 fever, when I was on fire for 2-3 days, I was at the surreal edge between live and death, where I could calmly talk to God to allow me to live so I may serve and protect my family and serve the Greater Good. In my personal and intimate experience, I labeled Covid19 as a Trojan Horse, as it obviously has a very friendly “handshake” with every host’s auto immune system to gain entry, before turning to destroy one’s Walls of Troy; and third, today the known global Covid19 cases are 1,945,055, with 121,897 global deaths, total US cases of 584,073 with 23,700 deaths, and New York, our epicenter, nearly 11,000 New Yorker have died. As a disclaimer, I am an American first, a registered Democrat second, and I voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016. I applaud the President for standing up to China’s unfair trade with us, and I am most troubled with her 24/7 global efforts to gain military and economic superiority on land, air, water and space, well beyond OBOR, and her continuing and enhanced misbehavior in South China Sea. Finally, yesterday, I specifically tweeted to dear Amb. Zhang Jun, China’s PR, and to her bilateral Ambassador Cui – as “fairness, respect and personal honor requires me to invite you to respond to my Tweets I’ve made re China, WHO and Covid19.” Unlike, on April 4, 2020, when PR Zhang and I respectfully conversed on Twitter, albeit, about the serious need for China to disclose the “Raw Truth” about Covid19, China’s distinguished diplomats incredulously maintained “radio silence,” when being forthcoming was what was required – both as a duty, and as reciprocal honor.
Recently, on April 9, 2020, House Oversight and Reform’s Ranker Jim Jordon, and his colleagues, sent a gentle letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, DG, of the WHO. I join in said letter, albeit, I would not have been so gentle to a dishonest fiduciary, whose misconduct proximately caused the world’s public health to lay in ruins and the world’s economies were set adrift from both fiscal and monetary policies.
WHO breached its fiduciary-forensic duties owed to the world, as it dishonestly enjoyed being China’s lap dog and purposefully issued false statements and delayed declaring a pandemic so as to create a confusing record for nations’ leaders, reasonably causing miscalculation. I had in days prior to Rep. Jordan’s letter, called for an amendment to the UN Charter, to do away with the moth-balled Trusteeship Council and to replace it with a new Public Health UNSC, but named “UN Pandemic Council,” with 12 Permanent Members and 9 or 13 Rotating Members, charged with Responsibility to Protect, a sovereignty-piercing power, and have OPCW, as well as a reconstituted WHO, albeit, re-named, and then report to it. I am happy to say, Philippines Foreign Minister, dear Teddy Locsin has publicly – on Twitter – approved my proposal, and other nations’ Permanent Representatives have expressed interest in also supporting such a change to surgically remove the corruption-cancer and establish “clean margins” for honest fiduciary-forensics to protect the global Public Health.
It is a curious fact, that where-ever we have cut back in our contributions at the UN and her “organs,” China for merely giving UN the funding-shortfall we created, has become the “cherry on top” of all such organs. This is wrong, and an insult to our mammoth contributions still being contributed, but, incredulously, taken for granted. The WHO ought to be defrocked and defunded, while its function – only vital if the forensics are done consistent to high fiduciary duties – and then, it too, as reconstituted, report to the new proposed UN Pandemic Council.
The role and function of the United Nations is vital and important as ever, as the UNSC, charged with preventing WWIII has handsomely succeeded, even as the weeds of local and regional wars have mushroomed. UN is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Perfect time for some “spring-cleaning,” and re-calibration to achieve necessary reforms to better effectuate the high ideals of the UN Charter. It is, after all, a paraphrased amalgam of our Declaration of Independence and our cherished Constitution, to help form a more perfect world.
Wuhan Seafood Market
Coronavirus – as a matter of biochemistry (see, “1st documentary movie on the origins of CCP virus – Tracking Down the Origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus” (The 1st Documentary) http://youtu.be/Gdd7dtDaYmM).
I rely upon this cited evidence, see below, as it credibly shows, and I credit it, that the “story of the Wuhan Seafood Market” is a pretext and an elegant cover-up, which is exposed as such with biochemistry: China denied there was any “human-to-human” transmission. Well, we know that to be a Big Lie, as we are all under a Lockdown to prevent “community spread,” i.e. human-to-human transmission. Jon Cohen wrote in the Journal Science, “Wuhan seafood market may not be the source of novel virus spreading globally.” In a paper entitled, The clinical features of patients with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, published in The Lancet, whose first author Huang Chaolin, Deputy Director of Jin Yin-Tan Hospital, and Dr. Sean Lin, who said:
Symptom onset of the First Patient is on December 1, [2019] had NO relation to the Huanan Seafood market;
No epidemiological link was found between the first patient and later cases;
III. On December 10, [2019], there were 3 more cases, 2 cases of the 3 cases had NO relation to the Huanan Seafood Market;
Since December 15 [2019], a cluster of cases with a history of seafood market exposure have been reported;
NO one sells BATS at the Wuhanan Seafood Market and NO BATS have been found.
Judy A. Mikovits PhD, Molecular Biologist, Former Director of Lab of Antiviral Mechanisms NCI said: There were no bats, and the idea of the spread so fast through the population is highly unlikely and improbable.
There were 99 confirmed cases at Jin Yin-Tan Hospital, of which 50 had NO exposure to Wuhanan Seafood Market.
45 of the 425 confirmed cases before January 22 [2020], had NO contact with the Wuhanan Seafood market, albeit, the secondary source of a virus appears to be mushrooming and over-shadowing (cover-up) the original breach of the original virus.
Daniel Lucey, an epidemiologist at the University of Georgetown said the First case would have been infected by the virus already in November [2019] – if not earlier because there is an incubation time between infection and symptoms surfacing. [Means Wuhanan Seafood Market is a secondary source, not the primary source, and as a result of “community spread,” at best, or a separate virus introduced to cover up the earlier one, at worst].
Gordan Chang, Asian Affairs Expert, and columnist, said: We know that Beijing for six (6) weeks in December [2019] and January [2020] suppressed information, before acknowledging on January 20th, and they then started a campaign of suppression of information, and on January 26th created a panel, and it was very heavy with propaganda officials. Indeed, the vice chairman of the group is the Communist Party’s propaganda czar. The Communist Party Group imposed a false diagnostic criteria, starting with – must have contact with Wuhanan Seafood market, knowing a solid one-third of the cases had ZERO contact with Wuhanan Seafood Market. Thank God, they didn’t impose a Bat-Bite requirement for their investigation. Hence, it was the start of an organized cover-up, and to mislead the world as to what China was really up to.
Gen. Robert Spalding, Senior Fellow Hudson Institute, and former NSC Senior Strategy Director, was in China when SARS happened. Same playbook.
Critical Evidence – The Mysterious Gene Sequence (from the 1st Documentary):
The coronavirus, aka “2019-n-CoV” – has a 100% amino acid similarity in the nsp7 and E proteins with “Bat-SL-CoVZC45″ and “Bat-SL-CoVZXC21, but worst of all, the “2019-n-CoV” – has a reversed-engineered and grafted-on in a lab of the natural-to-bats “receptor-binding” domain structure, the “mushrooms” on the surface, of the “SARS-CoV” – i.e. a transplantation of the Spike Glycoprotein(S), the natural “mushroom” on the surface of “SARS-CoV” is in a lab genetically added/spliced/grafted onto o “2019-n-CoV” – which I have, from personal experience, called a Trojan Horse to have a friendly “handshake,” is in fact accurate biochemically – as the “receptor-binding” unlocks the human cell, and enters the human body much easier! The SARS’ “Bat-SL-CoVZc45″ and “Bat-SL-CoVZXC21″ – with its natural Bat-based “mushrooms” on the surface – did not enter humans.
CDC’s Error: Curiously, the CDC.Gov site publishes the January 29, 2020 article in The Lancet – which gets into the genome characteristics of the subject coronavirus, aka “2019-n-coV” aka “2019-nCov,” at
(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/genomic-characterization-of-2019-nCoV-Lancet-1-29-2020.pdf ), which states the predicate findings, as
“The ten genome sequences of 2019-nCoV obtained from the nine patients were extremely similar, exhibiting more than 99·98% sequence identity. Notably, 2019-nCoV was closely related (with 88% identity) to two bat-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronaviruses, bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC21, collected in 2018 in Zhoushan, eastern China, but were more distant from SARS-CoV (about 79%) and MERS-CoV (about 50%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 2019-nCoV fell within the subgenus Sarbecovirus of the genus Betacoronavirus, with a relatively long branch length to its closest relatives bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC21, and was genetically distinct from SARS-CoV. Notably, homology modelling revealed that 2019-nCoV had a similar receptor-binding domain structure to that of SARS-CoV, despite amino acid variation at some key residues.”
Despite finding that 2019-n-CoV had these “receptor-binding,” which is not natural, but was reverse engineered, like the WHO misleading the world, issued an “interpretation” that ignores the non-natural addition of these Spike Glycoprotein to Coronavirus!
Edgar Allan Poe: Purloined Letter
I well recall the famous American mystery writer, Edgar Allan Poe, who in his “Purloined Letter” – has the subject letter hiding in “plain sight” in a letter box on the desk, while everyone is looking for secret compartments. Here, the first case had NO exposure to Wuhanan Seafood Market, and there are NO bats at said market. Hence, Wuhanan is secondary source, after community spread, and can be ignored and discarded as a “cover up.” The actual and original source of the coronavirus is therefore elsewhere. That is an undeniable fact, well capable of meeting even the criminal standard of proof – “beyond a reasonable doubt.” I, therefore charge China with hiding the actual source of coronavirus, and ignore the fraudulent assertion by the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Czar that Wuhanan Seafood Market, with zero Bats, has any value to getting to the source, or finding the most precious item right now across the world: the most effective vaccine to this plague from China. China, it appears, is following an old playbook it developed in SARS outbreak
The question, then arises: where, oh where, did Coronavirus come from?
The answer, given the reverse-engineered receptor-binding, my “Trojan Horse” element, which makes this virus so contagious, since it took a natural element in the two SARS virus, and spliced it on to Covid19 to unlock human auto-immune system/defense.
Why did China allow its citizens to travel the world after November 2019, when she knew there were coroanvirus (with artificial receptor-binding) cases, which had nothing to do with Wuhanan Seafood Market? Was this negligence? Was this intentional? I cannot prove intent, but negligence, is overwhelming.
China had a duty to tell the WHO, and the world (not, do a “hit & run”):
The International Health Regulations (2005) are internationally binding rules upon member-states, which obligate them in handling public health issues, especially, for highly transmissible diseases. Ironically, they were adopted after the 2003 SARS outbreak in China – and then too, China was criticized for not promptly disclosing – what I have demanded – the “Raw Truth.” These rules are enforced by the WHO, China’s Lap Dog, and thru the ICJ. Among the Rules violated by China include, WHO’s Article 6 (Not notifying WHO of a Public Health Emergency – in November 2019), article 7 (Un-timely information-sharing during an emergency), Article 64 (not providing timely epidemiological reports – the core violation, given China’s active cover-up, and even substituting Wuhanan Seafood Market as a false source), and finally, violating the anti-corruption regulation, Article 37 (seeking to influence the WHO DG Dr. Ghebreysus, and staff – WHO has played well as a lap dog, and hence, China has violated this Article).
Pearl Harbor – FDR: “A Day That Will Live in Infamy” – when Kamikaze Pilots of the Imperial Forces of Japan hit us on December 7, 1941 in a sneak attack, but in broad daylight, their attack started at 7:55 am and lasted till 9:00am, a little over an hour, causing, according to the National Park Service, 1998 Navy personnel, 109 Marines, 233 Army personnel and 48 civilians killed at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941; a total of 2388 Americans killed. Still, the Japanese airmen were enemy combatants, and died in service to their Emperor – until General Douglas MacArthur had him abdicate divinity on the deck of the USS Missouri. Here, however, China used – negligently or heaven forbid, intentionally, her everyday unwitting citizen-tourists and businessmen, contaminated with Coronavirus, to spread the deadly and lab-engineered plague of death and destruction, and then covered it up and went ‘radio silent.” China is criminally guilty at least of a “Hit and Run.” If our Government was to find out that we were Pearl Harbored, even more sneakily than on December 7, 941, then China must lose her UNSC Permanent Seat, and give the world $100 Trillion in reparations, and disband her military.
Rule of Law in our Rules-based world – The Standard of Proof and Permitted Inferences: I honor the established standard of proof, and permitted inference – Civilly, when only compensation is due, the standard is “mere preponderance of the evidence,” and a “negative inference’ is charged, when a party who ought to speak up or produce documents, but doesn’t, such party is presumed to be hiding “inculpatory” evidence of said party’s guilt. My near 10-day Tweets in seeking to honesty crack the Coronavirus case – based upon reliable evidence – and a specific tweet, predicated upon fairness, respect and personal honor, to Ambassadors Zhang and Cui, including, even a tagging of “@China_mfa,” sadly, did not cause a tsunami of facts and documents showing China’s innocence to come my way today.
Instead, China has “closed” and “covered up” tighter than a drum used in parades. This behavior violates a core “duty” to speak up, let alone help find the best Coronvirus vaccine. Accordingly, on the established rules of law, China is at least guilty of negligence in proximately causing a world pandemic, where nearly 2 million people have suffered it’s pain and suffering, and nearly 122,000 souls have lost their lives and left their families damaged and fractured. A simple example: a trucking delivery service has two trucks, one that is a flat-bed, and the other, which is a closed truck-container. The Owner directs the driver to use the flat-bed truck, load it up with boxes, and then strap them down tightly. The driver, on the road, hits a few bumps, does a few hard brakes, and the next thing you know, as he is going around a turn his load becomes loose and shoots across the highway. The cars behind while trying to avoid being “shot at” by the bouncing boxes, crash into each other or the road divider, many suffering injuries, and some even dying. A lawfully negligent driver would stop his truck, get out, and try to help, or at least call 911 for ambulance and police. China didn’t do that. China kept driving, and when asked, told falsehoods to deceive. Hence, under established laws, China is at least guilty of a “Hit & Run,” which is a crime.
Additional facts: China has cancelled approximately 8 million cell phones in the last 3-4 months – each Chinese citizen is authenticated by their government by their cell phone. Unless you are dead, you don’t cancel your cell phone. This suggests that China’s coronavirus death toll far exceeds its official number of a mere 3,300. Since President trump has sought to impose fair trade between us, China’s FDI in the United States has dropped from over $45 Billion to just over $5 Billion. This shrinking footprint suggests evasion of expected sanctions for bad acts.
Recommendations and Conclusions to POTUS and U.S. Congress:
China owes us civil compensation – at least for negligence, which has been proven the legal standard – in a fair and reasonable amount, which I recommend match our standard for 9/11, but no less than $1 million dollars for every American who tested positive for Coronavirus, $5 million for every American who died, and $100,000 for every American who has to be “locked down.” Every other nation can negotiate – using our good offices of Secretary Pompeo – for their fair and reasonable settlement;
China owes criminal “hit & run” sanctions: I recommend, given the cover-up, which exacerbated the injury, pain and suffering globally, as well as avoidable deaths, that China’s ownership of debts in every country – for example the $1.2T in China’s ownership of our T-Bills – be cancelled. As a further example, it means Sri Lanka’s $9 B debt is cancelled, and she gets her largest port back. Furthermore, China must vacate Mischief Reef, and stop all aggression, such as blocking “freedom of navigation,” or just a few days ago, ramming a Vietnamese fishing boat, with eight fishermen fishing in Vietnamese waters. This outlaw behavior coupled with aggressive and active attempts to buy military enhancing capacities must stop.
As I respectfully told China’s distinguished Foreign Minster Wang three years ago in 2017 at the UNGA, China is inviting a Little War now, or a Big War later – and I prefer a Little War now. He responded, “No War; No War.”. The unleashing of global death and suffering with the coronavirus, a plague upon all of us, is worse than Pearl Harbor, and given its deception, and later, cover-up, lack any semblance of Honor.
Respectfully,
/s/
Ravi Batra”
(Ravi Batra is an attorney based in New York. He can be reached at ravi@ravibatralaw.com)
Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the UK, where the death toll has crossed 6,000, and its impact on frontline ministers, questions around leadership have been increasingly doing the rounds
LONDON (TIP): The UK’s Indian-origin finance minister, Rishi Sunak, is next in line to deputize for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he is in hospital with coronavirus and in case UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is unable to carry on amid the pandemic, Downing Street has said. Sunak, who has been leading the UK government’s economic response during the COVID-19 lockdown as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will automatically step in as part of an established order of precedence in the UK – which does not have a written constitution.
“There is an established order of precedence. The Prime Minister has appointed the Foreign Secretary [Raab] as his First Secretary of State. In line with the order of precedence, the Chancellor [Sunak] would follow from the Foreign Secretary,” Johnson’s spokesperson at Downing Street told reporters in response to a question about the chain of command at the top of the British government.
Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the UK, where the death toll has crossed 6,000, and its impact on frontline ministers, questions around leadership have been increasingly doing the rounds.
Sunak, 39, has had to table his maiden Budget as well as a series of mini budgets over the past few weeks to try and address the crisis faced by UK businesses as a result of the lockdown.
Johnson, 55, is said to be stable and responding to treatment after he was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital in London with persistent coronavirus symptoms and later moved to its intensive care unit (ICU) to be close to a ventilator.
“The Prime Minister’s condition is stable and he remains in intensive care for close monitoring. He is in good spirits,” a Downing Street spokesperson said earlier on Wednesday.
Lisa Nandy said her first focus will be on the “pressing matter” of Britons stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic worldwide lockdown.
LONDON (TIP): Indian-origin British parliamentarian Lisa Nandy on Monday promised a constructive Opposition to the UK government as she got to work as the shadow foreign secretary in the newly elected Labour Party leader Keir Starmer’s top team.
The 40-year-old MP for Wigan in Greater Manchester was one of the first appointments to be announced by Starmer, who took over from Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Opposition over the weekend, and makes Nandy effectively his second in command on the frontbenches of the House of Commons.
British Sikh Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill also made it to the new Starmer-led team as shadow international development secretary and Goan-origin Valerie Vaz was chosen as shadow leader of the House.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband also returned to the frontbenches as shadow business secretary.
Nandy thanked the new party leader for the “opportunity to serve” and in response to her counterpart in government, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s congratulatory message, said her first focus will be on the “pressing matter” of Britons stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic worldwide lockdown.
“You can be assured of constructive opposition and I look forward to speaking at the earliest opportunity about the coronavirus crisis and the pressing matter of Britons stranded abroad,” said Nandy, the daughter of India-born academic Dipak Nandy.
“It’s a real honor to be tasked with leading Labour’s foreign policy response in these difficult times,” she posted on Twitter soon after her shadow cabinet appointment on Sunday night.
Nandy came in third in a three-way Labour Party leadership postal ballot, which was won by Starmer who polled 275,780 votes followed by Rebecca Long-Bailey in distant second with 135,218 votes.
Though Long-Bailey was seen as aligned to the old guard led by Jeremy Corbyn, she has been appointed to the post of shadow education secretary.
Nandy, a vocal critic of the former leadership over its Brexit policies, is expected to emerge as a key Opposition voice under the new guard.
Her appointment in the top team is seen as among the many signs of Starmer’s plan to revamp the Opposition Labour Party, which had suffered a bruising defeat during the December 2019 General Election.
Besides Nandy, his top team includes Welsh parliamentarian Nick Thomas-Symonds as shadow home secretary and Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds as shadow chancellor.
Among the other appointments, Angela Rayner, the newly elected deputy leader, was also made the Labour Party chair.
“I will have in my shadow cabinet those that want to serve towards the future aim of winning that next General Election. It’ll be a talented, balanced shadow cabinet,” said Starmer, stressing that the party’s will be keeping an eye on the 2024 General Election.
“We just lost four elections in a row and therefore of course we need to change. If we don’t change, we will lose the next general election,” he said, in one of his first interviews as Labour leader.
His win has been welcomed by Indian diaspora groups, who hope for a new chapter in the party’s connect with the 1.5-million-strong Indian-origin voter base in the UK which felt increasingly alienated under Corbyn’s perceived anti-India focus on contentious issues such as human rights in Kashmir.
“I am confident that under your leadership the Labour Party will further strengthen its historic bonds with India and will build enduring bridges to connect with the Indian diaspora in the UK,” said Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, in her congratulatory message for Starmer.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TIP staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
LONDON (TIP): Jitendra Kumar Rathod a prominent Indian origin cardiac surgeon who worked for years in the National Health Service (NHS), has died after testing positive from coronavirus. Rathod, 58, was admitted to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff where he died on Monday, April 6 morning.
Rathod, who was based in Wales, was an associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW). His death was announced by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in a statement: “It is with profound sadness that we must inform you that Mr Jitendra Rathod, associate specialist in cardiothoracic surgery, has passed away. He died early this morning on our general intensive care unit after testing positive for Covid-19. Jitu had worked in the Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery since the mid-1990s and came back to UHW in 2006 after a brief stint abroad. He was an incredibly dedicated surgeon who cared deeply for his patients. He was well-liked and greatly resected by one and all. He was very compassionate and a wonderful human being. His commitment to the specialty was exemplary. He is survived by his wife and two sons. We will miss him greatly.”
Dr Rathod went to the UK after earning his MBBS degree from Bombay University. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
SYDNEY (TIP): Former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma – now a Liberal Party politician – created history by becoming the first Indian-origin lawmaker to win a seat in the country’s Parliament in the federal election.
Sharma defeated independent candidate Kerryn Phelps in the heavily Jewish district of Wentworth in eastern Sydney, once held by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
“Down at Edgecliff Station this morning to thank the people of Wentworth for putting their faith in me. I’m committed to being a full-time local representative and I won’t let them down!” he tweeted.
“Very humbled by the trust placed in me by the people of Wentworth. Look forward to being a voice for them in the parliament and the party room”, Sharma wrote earlier.
Sharma held a number of senior positions in the Australian public service, including from 2010 to 2012 as the head of the International Division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
LONDON(TIP): The 22-year-old Sikh soldier Charanpreet Singh Lall, who created history by becoming the first to wear a turban during an annual parade to mark British Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday ceremony, could be kicked out from his post after he was tested positive for cocaine, according to a media report.
Singh made headlines across the world for wearing the turban during Trooping the Color in June.
However, last week he failed a random drugs test at his barracks, with insiders claiming he registered “high levels” of cocaine, according to media reports.
“Guardsman Lall has been discussing it openly in the barracks. The Guards carry out public duties at the Palace, it’s disgraceful behavior,” a source was quoted as saying by the report.
Brigadier Christopher Coles, Head of Army Personnel Services Group, said: “I can confirm that a number of soldiers from the Coldstream Guards are under investigation for alleged drugs misuse.”
Mr Lall, who was born in Punjab, moved to the UK with his family as a baby. He later joined the British Army in January 2016.
He hit the headlines in June after he made history as part in the 1000-strong ceremony marking the Queen’s 92nd birthday.
While Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her actual birthday on April 21, the Trooping of the Color ceremony takes place on any Saturday of June.
The ceremony has commemorated the birthday of the sovereign for more than 250 years and also functions as a display of army drills, music and horsemanship.
LONDON (TIP): Indian-origin Conservative party lawmaker and former UK Cabinet minister Priti Patel has joined the race along with 20 other party rebels who are challenging British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit strategy with a ‘Stand Up 4 Brexit’ campaign.
The grassroots drive against any negotiations with the European Union (EU) that could lead to a so-called soft Brexit is being backed by another ex-minister Ian Duncan Smith and is expected to mount pressure on May to ditch her Chequers plan, which is rejected by Eurosceptic lawmakers within her Conservative party.
‘Stand Up 4 Brexit’ supporters, who also include former foreign secretary Boris Johnson’s key ally Tory lawmaker Conor Burns, pledge to fight plans to keep the EU rules on British goods and free movement in terms of migration.
Ms Patel, a leading pro-Brexit voice in the lead up to the referendum in favor of Britain’s exit from the EU in June 2016, has previously called on the government to be “tougher” in its negotiations with Brussels.
The Stand Up 4 Brexit campaign is building momentum as Mr Johnson, the poster boy for the pro-Brexit camp, launched a scathing attack on Theresa May’s plans in his weekly newspaper column in ‘The Daily Telegraph’ on Monday, saying the approach agreed at Chequers “means disaster” for Britain.
Mr Johnson said negotiations based on the Chequers plan had so far seen the EU take “every important trick”, adding, “The UK has agreed to hand over GBP 40 billion of taxpayers’ money for two-thirds of diddly squat [nothing].”
The so-called Chequers plan put forth by PM May would see Britain agreeing a “common rulebook” with the European Union for trading in goods, in an attempt to maintain frictionless trade at the border.
Critics of the strategy argue this would leave the UK tied to the EU rules even after it formally leaves the economic bloc on March 29 next year and prevent Britain from striking its own trade deals in years to come.
As the UK’s parliamentary recess period of August comes to an end and the political parties in the country prepare for their annual party conferences this month, the battle lines around Brexit are expected to deepen further.
Even after the UK and the EU have reached some sort of an agreement over their future trading relationship, any agreed plan will then be tabled before lawmakers for a vote – a process which will be accompanied with its own share of upheavals.
NEW YORK(TIP): Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four winners of mathematics’ prestigious Fields medal, known as the Nobel prize for math.
The Fields medals are awarded every four years to the most promising mathematicians under the age of 40.
Akshay Venkatesh, 36, who is currently teaching at Stanford University, has won the Fields Medal for his “profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in mathematics.”
The citation for his medal – awarded on August 1, at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro – highlights his “profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in mathematics” and his “strikingly far-reaching conjectures.”
Each winner received a 15,000 Canadian-dollar cash prize.
At least two, and preferably four people, are always honored in the award ceremony.
The prize was inaugurated in 1932 at the request of Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields, who ran the 1924 Mathematics Congress in Toronto.
From being a child prodigy to becoming one of the most renowned researchers in the field of mathematics, Mr Venkatesh’s journey has been full of achievements and accolades.
He moved to Perth, Australia, with his parents when he was 2 from New Delhi, India.
He participated in physics and math Olympiads – the premier international competitions for high school students and won medals in the two subjects at ages 11 and 12, respectively.
He finished high school when he was 13 and went to the University of Western Australia, graduating with first class honors in mathematics in 1997, at the age of 16.
In 2002, he earned his PhD at the age of 20. Since then, he has gone from holding a post-doctoral position at MIT to becoming a Clay Research Fellow and, now a professor at Stanford University.
Mr Venkatesh has worked at the highest level in number theory, arithmetic geometry, topology, automorphic forms and ergodic theory.NT
His research has been recognized with many awards, including the Ostrowski Prize, the Infosys Prize, the Salem Prize and Sastra Ramanujan Prize.
WASHINGTON(TIP): An Indian American is one among two other persons after two small planes collided mid-air in the US state of Florida, aviation authorities said.
Nisha Sejwal, 19, was killed in the accident on July 17, Tuesday along with Jorge Sanchez, 22, and Ralph Knight, 72, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The police said they were trying to trace the whereabouts of a possible fourth passenger after both planes belonging to the Dean International flight school crashed mid-air.
The search and rescue effort that were suspended due to low visibility late on Tuesday, would resume on Wednesday, an officer said.
The police established the identity of Nisha Sejwal from her social media page, while Jorge Sanchez was found to be a resident from the area.
The debris of the crashed planes was located in a region only accessible by airboats. Photos circulating online showed the wreckage resting on top of a swampy terrain covered by long grass.
Miami Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez told the media that the flight school has a history of more than two dozen incidents and accidents between 2007 and 2017.
TIRUPATI(TIP): Indian American Ika Ravi and Guthikonda Srinivas, who hail from Andhra Pradesh, donated INR 13.5 money to the temple ‘Hundi’ and various trusts run by Tirupathi temple authorities.
Mr Ravi, Founder CEO of Rx Advance, a pharmaceutical company based in Boston, donated INR 10 crore to ‘Hundi’, while Mr Srinivas, CEO of JCG Technologies, a software development and consulting firm based in Florida, donated INR 3.50 crore to the trusts.
They met the officials of Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the richest Hindu temple in the world, handed over the checks in the presence of Andhra Pradesh’s Industry Minister Amarnath Reddy. The Minister lauded the gesture of the NRIs.
Thousands of devotees, who visit the hill shrine every day, make their offerings in ‘Hundi’ while some devotees make their donations online. TTD runs several trusts engaged in social, religious, literary and educational activities.
According to TTD officials, the temple’s earnings during 2018-19 are expected to be INR 2,894 crore, of which the offerings in temple ‘Hundi’ are likely to be INR 1,156 crore.
LONDON(TIP): Indian-origin schoolboy who is the under-11 UK national yoga champion has been named the British Indian of the Year for his achievements in the field.
Ishwar Sharma, 8, has won a string of titles in both individual and artistic yoga, most recently a gold medal representing Great Britain at the World Student Games 2018 in Winnipeg, Canada, in June.
“I believe I am competing with myself rather than anyone else, which makes me challenge myself to do the difficult postures,” said the schoolboy, who studies at St Michael’s Preparatory School in Kent.
“I will always be a student of yoga and am deeply grateful to my teachers for the wisdom they have shared with me,” he said.
He was named British Indian of the Year in the Young Achiever category at the sixth annual awards ceremony held in Birmingham earlier this week.
“We feel proud of his achievements and it has improved his academic performance. We want him to inspire adults and other children with this lifestyle habit,” said his father Vishwanath, himself a keen yoga practitioner.
“He and I perform Vedic Yoga with choreography to music, which includes Hatha Yoga postures with Acroyoga and artistic yoga,” he said.
The family is originally from Mysore, home to world-renowned yoga gurus, and travel to the region annually.
“He rejuvenates himself there and would love to stay for more time and get yoga training with the teachers there,” added Vishwanath.
His son has performed in more over 100 events across the UK and worldwide and among his many skills is the ability to chant up to 50 ‘shlokas’ from the ‘Vedas’ and ‘Bhagavad Gita’. He won a gold medal at the Euro Asian Yoga Championships in Turkey in May and has also performed at a number of charity events to raise funds for the under-privileged.
Some of his upcoming competitions include one in Chile in December and then Beijing in January next year. He is also training for the World Games in Canada next year.
“Ishwar is determined to spread awareness about yoga and its benefits, especially among children,” his father said.
ABU DHABI(TIP): An Indian- origin banker working in UAE has been found dead, a week after he went missing, a media report said on July 18.
Jabar KP hails from Kerala. He stayed in Abu Dhabi city, but his body was found from Mussafah industrial area at city’s outskirts, as reported.
Jabar’s body was initially kept in the mortuary as an unidentified corpse. Later social workers and community groups stepped in to locate a relative.
On Monday his brother reached the mortuary and identified him, said the report.
“We hail from Kannur district of Kerala. Jabar was staying in Abu Dhabi for nine years and he went missing last week,” said Muneer, Jabar’s brother who works with the same bank.
“I don’t know about the day that the body was found on, but the location is Mussafah. Nor do I know the reason behind my brother’s death. He never had problem with anyone. I came to know about the news through social workers and identified the body. I have lost my brother,” he added.
Jabar is survived by his wife and two children. The cause of death will be known following an autopsy, the report said.
LONDON(TIP): Two Indian-origin individuals are among 10 shortlisted by Britain’s ruling Conservative party as prospective candidates to run for London Mayor in 2020 against Labour’s Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan.
Lucknow-born businesswoman Ruby McGregor-Smith joins the race alongside British Sikh politician Kulveer Ranger, both of whom will go head to head with the others at hustings next month before a vote on the final candidate by October.
“It’s time for a Mayor who will re-ignite the possibility, opportunity and the confidence of the greatest city on earth. That’s why I’m running to be London’s Mayor,” McGregor said in reference to her bid on Wednesday.
The 55-year-old peer in the House of Lords made history as the first Indian-origin woman to run a FTSE-250 company, Mitie Group, nearly a decade ago. She was awarded a Commander of British Empire (CBE) honor by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for services to business and promoting diversity.
Ranger, a former transport adviser in the London Mayor’s office, also made the Tory shortlist for the mayoral race held every four years. “I was born here, grew up, studied, have worked in and for London. I am proud and humbled to be part of this list,” he said.
NEW YORK(TIP): The Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) is investigating into an alleged securities fraud with a cryptocurrency Longfin company founded by an Indian American.
According to the complaint filed by SEC in federal court in Manhattan on April 4, shortly after Longfin began trading on NASDAQ and announced the acquisition of a purported cryptocurrency business, its stock price rose dramatically, and its market capitalization exceeded $3 billion.
The SEC alleges that Amro Izzelden “Andy” Altahawi, Dorababu Penumarthi, and Suresh Tammineedi then illegally sold large blocks of their restricted Longfin shares to the public while the stock price was highly elevated. Through their sales, Altahawi, Penumarthi, and Tammineedi collectively reaped more than $27 million in profits.
The complaint alleges that Meenavalli, caused the company to issue more than two million unregistered, restricted shares to Altahawi, who was the corporate secretary and a director of Longfin, and tens of thousands of restricted shares to two other affiliated individuals, Penumarthi and Tammineedi, who were allegedly acting as nominees for Meenavalli. The subsequent sales of those restricted shares violated federal securities laws that restrict trading in unregistered shares distributed to company affiliates.
Venkat Meenavalli, the founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency company Longfin, and his three associates are being investigated by the SEC authorities. The authorities have already frozen more than $27 million in trading proceeds from allegedly illegal distributions and sales of restricted shares of Longfin. Last week, the company was suspended from trading on Nasdaq.
“We acted quickly to prevent more than $27 million in alleged illicit trading profits from being transferred out of the country,” said Robert Cohen, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Cyber Unit. “Preventing defendants from transferring this money offshore will ensure that these funds remain available as the case continues.”
The SEC’s complaint, which was filed under seal on April 4, charges Longfin, Meenavalli, Altahawi, Penumarthi, and Tammineedi with violating Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933. The complaint seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and penalties, among other relief.
Cambridge, US (TIP) : Rajiv J Shah, the Indian American president of the Rockefeller Foundation, will visit India on February 12th as part of the US-based philanthropic organization’s efforts to help the government electrify villages across the country.
The Rockefeller Foundation is one of America’s largest and most influential philanthropies which commits USD 200 million every year towards social and philanthropic causes globally, including India.
“We have been working on what we think is the next big challenge to end poverty in India and that is bringing power and energy to rural communities that otherwise don’t have sufficient access to power,” Shah, 44, told PTI ahead of his maiden India visit in this capacity.
Formerly the head of USAID under former US president Barack Obama, Shah is the first-ever Indian American to serve as the president of the foundation which played a key role in India’s green revolution in the 1960s.
“We have an effort called Smart Power India that is helping to electrify villages across the country. That works with the government and private entrepreneurs who are bringing a solar mini grids and other new technologies to help families move themselves out of poverty by using electricity,” he said.
For several years, the foundation and its non-profit subsidiary Smart Power India have worked with a network of partners and private energy service companies to build rural mini-grids that serve off-grid populations for both domestic and productive uses.
As of now, more than 130 mini-grids are energizing more than 5,000 enterprises in India’s most energy-starved states, transforming the lives of over 45,000 Indians.
It’s the largest cohort of mini-grids in India and by some counts the world.
He said the purpose of his India visit from February 12 to 15 is to review progress in the foundation’s effort in this regard and advance partnerships with the government and other funders to “ensure that we can work to really fulfil Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s vision to end energy poverty” in India.
“And to make sure every single Indian family has access to power and electricity and therefore the ability to connect to a modern global economy,” Shah said.
He is also planning to meet and work with new philanthropists across the country who would like to partner with the foundation to extend the reach of their own philanthropic effort.
While in India, Shah will focus on engaging with the government, multilateral, corporate and philanthropists.
The overarching theme of his visit will be to underline the power of partnerships and collaboration in helping achieve India’s development goals across various areas from health, to energy access, to ‘Digital India’.
His India visit will focus on ‘Power of Partnerships’.
The Rockefeller Foundation has had a tremendous history in India for many years working to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families, he said.
“We were a big part in helping India achieve green revolution that helped to dramatically improve food production and save millions of people from hunger and starvation many decades ago,” Shah said.
During his four-day visit, he would travel to New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, and meet key government and political leaders and other significant philanthropists to discuss areas of interest such as energy, health, urban resilience and co- investment.
He is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the India Energy Access Summit where he will be making a couple of financial announcements in the energy sector and renewing the foundation’s commitment to working with the government’s Power for All agenda.
Shah said the first thing that India needs to do is to set a very high ambition which also requires a very significant investment and participation from the government as well as the private sectors.
“So, we hope that the State and the federal government in India will expand their approach to public-private partnerships and accelerate a collaboration with us and others in order to reach more families and difficult to reach areas with power, electricity,” he said.
Observing that India is making tremendous progress in bringing new power generation to the grid system, Shah said while the foundation’s work right now focuses on community that don’t have access to the grid, he hopes India will expand its grid and transmission system more aggressively into lower income communities.
India has dramatically increased the contribution of wind power and solar power to its total power sourcing, he said.
In India last spring, wholesale solar power prices reached a record low, dropping 40 per cent in a year to only 2.62 Rs per kilowatt hour.
Electricity can now be so abundant, low-cost and reliable that every person on the Earth should be able to access and consume as much as they need, he said, adding that it has also increased the use of coal.
“When you look at it, the cost of renewable power, in India, the tariff is now for some of the solar projects three cents per kilowatt hour or lower. That is very, very inexpensive, very efficient power.
“The technology curve in renewable energy is so powerful that in a few years it’s going to be so incredibly cheap and consistent and environmentally healthy to bring power to everybody that we really do believe that is the long-term and medium-term solution,” Shah said.
India has the chance to be on the technology frontier in renewable energy and they have suggested they want to be for the last many years, he said.
Renewable generation capacity has doubled over the last five years, with solar power capacity alone increasing more than 12-fold in that time.
A decade ago India had only 12 gigawatt of renewable capacity, and last year that number rose to over 60 gigawatt.
Overall, new capacity built under the 12th ‘Five Year Plan’ exceeded the target for the first time in decades adding over 100 gigawatt of generation capacity against a goal of 89 gigawatt.
This helped reduce India’s energy supply deficit so much that in 2017 India enjoyed an energy surplus for the first time.
The Dubai Police said that the victim had jumped from the fifth floor of the building at the Murdoch University campus.
DUBAI (TIP): A 19-year-old Indian Origin boy has committed suicide by allegedly jumping from a building at a university campus in the UAE, a media report said today.
Officials found the student lying in a pool of blood and pronounced him dead, Khaleej Times reported.
The Dubai Police said that he had jumped from the fifth floor of the building at the Murdoch University campus.
The identity of the victim was not revealed by the police.
According to a friend of the student, he had come to the university with his father to pay his fees and told his father that he wanted to use the washroom. It was after this that he jumped from the building.
“He was absolutely normal when he spoke to me last night before the incident,” the friend said, adding that he did not notice any signs of depression.
The police are currently carrying out an investigation to ascertain the cause of his extreme step and ruled out any criminal motive behind the incident.
In a statement, Murdoch University, Dubai said: “We wish to express our sincere condolences to family members, friends and colleagues.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities.
The University is also providing counselling services to all students and staff”.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Indian American community in the US celebrated the 69th Republic Day of India with much enthusiasm. From a small township in mid-West or down South to mega cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, Republic Day celebrations were organized by the Indian missions, Indian community activists and organizations.
In Washington, Indian Embassy celebrated Republic Day at Embassy premises. Ambassador Navtej Sarna paid floral tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in front of the Embassy. Thereafter, Ambassador unfurled the National Flag. The National Anthem was sung. Ambassador addressed the guests and read out the Address of President of India. This was followed by singing of patriotic songs by young Indian Americans. Over 200 members of the Indian American community attended the celebrations.
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty unfurls the National Flag at the Indian Consulate in New York
In New York, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty unfurled the National Flag and read out the President’s address to the nation. A cultural program was also presented. The over 150 guests included Consul Generals of Italy, Mexico, Israel, Nigeria and Lithuania.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Chakravorty highlighted the growth story of India and valuable contribution in it of the Indian diaspora. He praised the Indian American community for their hard work and love of both the country of their origin and of their adoption.
He assured the community of the best services by the Consulate General.
Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin speaking at the Permanent Mission of India Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations also held a celebration to mark the 69th Republic Day of India. Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin unfurled the national Flag at the Permanent Mission of India in midtown Manhattan in the presence of a large number of staff and guests. Later, in the evening a reception was organized at the United Nations which was attended by a large number of guests which included, besides the Indian American community members, diplomats from various countries. The highlight of the reception was presentation of Indian traditional music and dance.
Lighting of the lamp ceremony with guests at the United Nations Reception in celebration of Republic Day Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndiaGlimpses of the Reception organized by the PMI at the UN Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndiaGlimpses of the Reception organized by the PMI at the UN Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndiaGlimpses of the Reception organized by the PMI at the UN Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndiaGlimpses of the Reception organized by the PMI at the UN Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndiaGlimpses of the Reception organized by the PMI at the UN Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Various organizations in New York organized Republic Day celebrations. India Association of Long Island organized one with great enthusiasm. Nassau county Executive Laura Curran and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino were among the several guests at the event. IALI President Mrs. Gunjan Rastogi honored Veterans of Indian Armed Forces Wing Commander S.H Butani, Squadron Leader D. K Nagia, Major D. Gulati and Mr. P. Shilagani.
A Cultural program presented on the occasion featured patriotic songs by IALI members and admirably enacted performance by seniors of Happy Seniors Home, dances by young children from Arya Dance and Krishna Arts dance schools.
The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the Tristate (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), celebrated the Republic Day with its annual dance competition, “Dance Pe Chance”, at the prestigious State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
FIA has been celebrating Republic Day for over 40 years now, meticulously promoting the opulent culture and various dance styles of India.
The FIA’s incoming executive committee of 2018 was administered the oath of office by Sandeep Chakravorty. The committee included Srujal Parikh (President), Alok Kumar (Executive Vice-President), Chhavi Dharayan (Vice President), Daxa Amin (Secretary), Himanshu Bhatia (Treasurer), Haresh Shah (Joint Secretary) and Andy Bhatia (Immediate Past President). Photos / Paresh Gandhi- Official PhotographerWinners all
Dhruv Garg achieved 162 in his entry IQ test – the maximum possible, which places him in the top one per cent of people in the world, a report said.
“I’m really looking forward to the new school year, I really like school and want to use the app to help people,” Garg said.
LONDON (TIP): A 13-year-old Indian-origin boy in the UK has got the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test, placing him in the top one per cent people in the world who achieved this feat.
Dhruv Garg, from Wokingham in south east England, was looking for something to occupy his time during the summer holidays and decided to try out for the intellectual society.
The schoolboy achieved 162 in his entry IQ test – the maximum possible, which places him in the top one per cent of people in the world, the Daily Mirror reported.
He also scored in the highest mark in the second test, known as the Culture Fair scale, getting 152.
This score qualifies him amongst the rare one per cent of the population who take the Mensa exam worldwide in both the exams.
Garg, who goes to Reading School, a grammar in Berkshire, has also been developing an app to combat social isolation by helping lonely people meet up.
The app connects people who live in the same area who want to meet new people.
“I was just so surprised to get the result. I was looking for something to do over the summer holidays and so I thought I’d try taking the test, but did not expect to do so well,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to the new school year, I really like school and want to use the app to help people,” Garg said.
His mother, Divya, said the whole family is proud of their young prodigy, whose favorite subjects are maths and chemistry.
“When he got the maximum score, they told me it’s the highest mark possible but I didn’t realize what it meant. It was only when I spoke to Mensa that they told me I said, ‘oh my God’ this is special, this is really something worth celebrating,” she said.
A keen cricketer and table tennis player, Garg can also complete a Rubik’s Cube in under 100 seconds.
“In year, one was when we started to realize he was gifted as his teachers said he was very sharp and had to have special lessons, so all along he was always special. He is an avid reader and reads a lot of journals,” Garg’s mother said.
Mensa is believed to be the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. Membership is open to anyone who can demonstrate an IQ in the top two per cent of the population, measured by a recognized or approved IQ testing process.
LONDON (TIP): Britain on Friday, June 9, got its first female Sikh and first turban-wearing MP as the General Election results began pouring in with Indian-origin Labour Party candidates winning more seats than their rival Conservatives. Labour Party candidate Preet Kaur Gill won her Birmingham Edgbaston seat by polling 24,124 votes, defeating ruling Conservative party rival Caroline Squire by 6,917 votes.
“I am delighted I have been given the opportunity to become the next MP for Edgbaston where I was born and raised. I want to engage with the people of Edgbaston and with hard work, passion and determination I think we can achieve great things together,” she said.
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, known as Tan, won his Slough seat decisively polling 34,170 votes, to become Labour’s first turban wearing MP.
He defeated his Conservative party rival by a whopping 16,998 votes. Dhesi said he was “humbled” and wanted to serve the town where he was born and raised.
“Credit to the Labour Party leadership for taking the bold step of giving Sikhs the opportunity to fight for winnable seats.
Labour now needs to turn its attention to having visible Sikh representation in the House of Lords at the first opportunity so Sikhs are better represented and can bring fresh thinking and ideas,” Sikh Federation UK said in a statement.
“Although it is early in terms of results declared this appears to be a disastrous night for the Conservatives and Theresa May given what she had hoped to achieve and a good night for the Labour Party. Labour is taking some important Conservative scalps,” it added. A second turban-wearing Sikh of the Labour Party Kuldip Sahota lost out to his Conservative rival by just 720 votes.
Among some of the other Indian-origin contestants’ results declared so far, Conservative party’s Priti Patel has held on to her stronghold of Witham in Essex with a solid majority of 18,646 votes.
Alok Sharma has held on to Reading West by 2,876 votes and Shailesh Vara has won in Cambridgeshire North West by 18,008 votes.
The 2015 General Election first-timers for the Tories Rishi Sunak and Suella Fernandes have also held on to their seats decisively with a margin of 23,108 and 21,555 votes respectively.
For the Labour party, the longest serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz held on to his Leicester East seat attracting 35,116 votes and his sister Valerie Vaz also won a solid 25,286 votes to hold on to her Walsall South seat.
Lisa Nandy won in Wigan for Labour with 29,575 votes, Seema Malhotra held on to Feltham & Heston with 32,462 votes and Virendra Sharma polled 31,720 in his safe seat of Ealing Southall.
Among some of the prominent losses, Labour’s Neeraj Patil – the former mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth – lost to Justine Greening, the UK’s Education Minister.
He lost by a margin of 1,554 votes to Greening, who was defending her Conservative party stronghold.
Paul Uppal, who was expected to regain Wolverhampton South West for the Tories, also lost out to his Labour rival.
The Labour Party had selected 14 Indians and Conservative Party 13 as their parliamentary candidates. So far, the tally looks stronger for the Labour Party with seven Indian-origin MPs to Tory’s five. The ruling Conservative party is on course to be the single largest party in the UK general election as many of the results and leads become clear in the ongoing count.
The projections indicate that the party remains shy of an overall majority, expected to win around 322 seats, down from the 2015 General Election’s 331 and short of the magic 326 figure for an overall majority in the House of Commons.
LONDON (TIP): An Indian origin councilor has been elected as the mayor of populous Loughton town in the UK. Philip Abraham has been serving as the deputy mayor for the last one year. He has taken over the role from previous mayor Carol Davis. Loughton is the most populous town in the Epping Forest District of Essex. The Mayor represents the town at civic occasions, as well as at events held by the town’s schools, clubs and other community and charitable organizations. “I am absolutely thrilled to have been elected as the mayor,” he said after the election.
(Source: PTI)
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