The Indian Panorama

Tag: LeadStory

  • May 25 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    May 25 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-25-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92871″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-25-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-25-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92872″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-25-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • May 18 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    May 18 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-18-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92777″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-18-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-18-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92778″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-18-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • British Prime Minister May agrees with France, Germany on upholding N-pact with Iran

    British Prime Minister May agrees with France, Germany on upholding N-pact with Iran

    LONDON(TIP): In sharp variance to US position on Iran Nuclear deal, British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed with the leaders of Germany and France on Thursday, May 17 to uphold the Iran nuclear deal after meeting on the sidelines of an EU summit in Bulgaria, May’s spokeswoman said.

    May met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. Trump has since imposed new sanctions.

    “The leaders reiterated their firm commitment to ensuring the deal is upheld, stressing that it is important for our shared security,” the spokeswoman said.

    “They pledged to work with the many parties to the deal to this end. The leaders stressed that Iran must continue to meet its own obligations under the deal.”

    Merkel said EU countries agreed the Iran nuclear deal was “not perfect” but insisted it should be preserved, after the US withdrawal threw the accord into doubt.

    “Everyone in the European Union shares the view that the agreement is not perfect, but that we should remain in this agreement and conduct further negotiations with Iran on the basis of other issues such as the ballistic missile program,” Merkel said as she arrived for the summit.

    Macron said the bloc was working to keep the existing agreement alive “so that our businesses can remain” in Iran. This effort would run alongside work to “pursue negotiations on a vital broader agreement,” Macron said.

    “The 2015 agreement needs to be completed by a nuclear agreement beyond 2025, an agreement on ballistic activities and (Iran’s) regional presence,” Macron said.

    Meanwhile, the European Commission will launch on Friday, May 18 the process of activating a law that bans European companies from complying with US sanctions against Iran and does not recognize any court rulings that enforce American penalties.

    “As the European Commission we have the duty to protect European companies. We now need to act, and this is why we are launching the process to activate the ‘blocking statute’ from 1996. We will do that tomorrow morning at 1030,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.

    “We also decided to allow the European Investment Bank to facilitate European companies’ investment in Iran. The Commission itself will maintain its cooperation will Iran,” Juncker told a news conference after a meeting of EU leaders. (Source: Agencies)

  • Vaisakhi Celebrated at the Indian Consulate, New York

    Vaisakhi Celebrated at the Indian Consulate, New York

    Punjab’s history and rich culture presented in talk, film, music and dance

    Bidisha Roy

    NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): The Consulate General of India New York and The English language weekly newspaper The Indian Panorama teamed up to organize Vaisakhi celebrations at the consulate on May 11.

    The month of Vaisakh in India which corresponds roughly to mid-April to mid-May is full of celebrations in India. it is a harvest period in India which is celebrated widely with a lot of enthusiasm. In some parts of India, it is celebrated as the beginning of a new year.

    For the people of Punjab, and the Sikhs in particular, Vaisakhi holds a very significant and historic importance. Besides being Punjab’s foremost social festival to celebrate good crop, Vaisakhi came to acquire an importance as a historic day when in 1699 the tenth Master of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh created the order of the Khalsa. His followers, 25 million upwards today, are known as Sikhs and are easily distinguishable because of their appearance, the most distinguishable being the turban (the headgear). Sikhism is the youngest and the fifth largest religion in the world.

    Vaisakhi celebration at the Consulate was unique in more than one way. First, the gathering included not only the Sikhs and Punjabis but people hailing from many parts of India and adhering to different religions. Then there was a mix of non-Indians. Also present at the celebrations which lasted almost 2 hours were a few diplomats. A famous Indian classical dance guru Padma Shri Pratap Pawar from London who was in town also graced the occasion on an invitation routed through Malini Shah. Members of management from a number of gurdwaras which included gurdwara Nanak Naam Jahaj in Jersey City, gurdwara Nanak Darbar in Hicksville, and gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana in Richmond Hill participated.

    Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty spoke highly of the Sikh community’s contribution to making India a great nation and congratulated them on their achievements abroad

    Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty, the Consul General of India in New York who began with the Sikh greeting of Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh, described Guru Gobind Singh as a great person who changed the course of history. He praised the Sikhs for their valor and their charitable disposition. Expressing his happiness with the presence of the Sikh community to celebrate Vaisakhi, he said the Consulate’s door were open to all to come and celebrate their festivals. He congratulated Sikhs on their birthday.

    Jakiran Saluja Beri and her son Kabir Raj Beri welcomed Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty with a bouquet

    Ambassador Chakraborty was welcomed with a bouquet presented by Prof. Saluja’s daughter Jaskiran Saluja Beri and her son Kabir Raj Beri.

    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja in his welcome address, described Vaisakhi as the most important festival of Punjab which is also the birthday of the Khalsa, the modern-day Sikhs.

    Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, publisher and editor of The Indian Panorama described Vaisakhi as the most important festival of Punjab which is also the birthday of the Khalsa, the modern-day Sikhs. He called upon the gathering to celebrate the birthday of the Khalsa in a befitting manner.

    Dr. Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh makes a point

    The guest speaker, Dr. Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh, head of the Department of Religious Studies at Colby College, Waterville, a great scholar who has authored dozens of books and contributed hundreds of papers/ articles on religion and Sikhism, mesmerized the gathering with her profound knowledge of the subject and her forceful delivery. She spoke about the values held dear in Sikhism and mentioned that the Sikh Gurus were precursors of modern pluralism.

    Dr. Taruna Chakraborty greeted Dr. Nikky with a bouquet

    Dr. Taruna Chakraborty, the First Lady of Indian Consulate greeted Dr. Nikky with a bouquet.

    Prachi Makkar and Surya Makkar initiated Vaisakhi celebrations with a shabad “Deh Shiva Bar mohe ihe….”

    Prachi Makkar, a brilliant scholar and well known for her melodious shabad kirtan and Mata ki Bheta and her equally gifted brother Surya Makkar recited Mool Mantra and sang the shabad “Deh Shiva bar mohe ihe” which had the gathering spellbound.

    Glimpses of Gatka, Sikh martial art. Members of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Richmond Hill, New York presented a thrilling display of Gatka
    Glimpses of Gatka, Sikh martial art. Members of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Richmond Hill, New York presented a thrilling display of Gatka
    Glimpses of Gatka, Sikh martial art. Members of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Richmond Hill, New York presented a thrilling display of Gatka
    Gatka team with Consul General, guests of honor, and organizers

    Children from Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana gave an electrifying display of the Sikh traditional martial art called Gatka. This warfare involves use of various weapons, including sticks and swords. Going by the comments of the audience, Gatka performance impressed people the most. Mr. Daler Singh who is the senior most member of the Gatka Club also displayed his skill as did the coach

    Another attraction was a documentary on Vaisakhi produced and directed by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja. The 17-minute documentary traced briefly the 5000-year-old history and civilization of Punjab. It described creation of Khalsa and the celebration of Vaisakhi and finally listed the great Punjabis and their contribution in various fields. The documentary received much appreciation.

    On this occasion, Balwant Hothi who made a major contribution to making of the documentary was recognized.

    Soormay gave a scintillating Bhangra performance

    How can a Punjabi celebration be complete without Giddha or Bhangra? So, to cap it all, there was a thrilling Bhangra performance by the famous Bhangra group Soormay.

    One of the paintings Manoj Vyas exhibited

    Manoj Vyas exhibited his paintings on the occasion.

    Sikhs of the Tri-State are contributed hugely to the successful celebrations of Vaisakhi. Royal Indian Banquet and Restaurant (Mr. Himat S Sarpanch, Mr. Raghbir Singh Subhanpur, Mr. Balbir Singh Pahalwan, Mr. Pritam Singh Gilzian); Singh & Singh Distributors (Mr. Jatinder Singh Bakshi), and Richie Rich Palace (Mr. Jarnail Singh Gilzian) sponsored food and drinks. Pleased with the effort of Prof. Indrajit S Saluja in organizing Vaisakhi celebrations at the Consulate, Mr. Hardeep Singh Goldie, President of Akali Dal, New Jersey donated a sum of $1000.00.

    Mr. Himat Singh Sarpanch was recognized for his cooperation in organizing the Vaisakhi festival. Seen from L to R: Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty, Himat Singh Sarpanch, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja

    Mr. Himat Singh Sarpanch was recognized for his cooperation in organizing the Vaisakhi festival.

    Mr. Jatinder Singh Bakshi who lent great support in organizing the event (fourth from left), joined the celebrations with his friends. They are seen here with the Consul General (fifth from left).

    While Mr. Himat Singh Sarpanch, a former President of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah and his colleagues, Master Mohinder Singh ( founder President), Mr. Raghbir Singh Subhanpur (former President) , Mr. Raghbir Singh Babby, President, Mr. Gurmej Singh (former President) Mr. Dilbagh Singh (former Vice President), with Sikh leaders from New York and New Jersey joining them, presented Shawls to the guest speaker Dr. Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh, Ambassador Sandeep Chakraborty and Mrs. Taruna Chakraborty, Malini Shah, Community liaison to New York City Council Member Paul Vallone presented on behalf of the Council Member, citations from New York City Council to Dr. Nikky and Ambassador Chakraborty. Malini also presented citations to the classical dance guru from London Padma Shri Pratap Pawar, and Prof. Indrajit S Saluja.

    Malini Shah presenting New York City Council Citation to Prof. Indrajit S Saluja

    In his thank you remarks, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja expressed his gratitude to all present. The Fourth Estate -Media which was present in great strength, earned special appreciation and gratitude of the organizers. Those present included Bidisha Roy from The Indian Panorama, Parveen Chopra from the South Asian Times; Sonia Lalwani, Harvinder Singh and Peter from Parikh Worldwide; freelancer Anjali Sharma, Brahm Kanchibhotla; Renee Mehrra and Ashok Vyas from ITV; Jaya Sharma, Davender Singh and Balwant Hothi from PTC TV; Atma Singh from Car Studio; Jus Punjabi TV, TV Asia, and Global Punjab.

  • Karnataka floor test at 4 pm on May 19th: Supreme Court of India Order

    Karnataka floor test at 4 pm on May 19th: Supreme Court of India Order

    NEW DELHI(TIP): The Supreme Court on May 18thordered that the Yeddyurappa government seek majority on the floor of the House at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19th.

    Earlier, Yeddyurappa had been given 15 days’ time, but then the Congress-JDS leaders challenged the decision.

    BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa placed before the Supreme Court the letters he had sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala in which he had staked claim to form the government in Karnataka.

    The Supreme Court was hearing a petition moved by the Congress-JDS combine challenging the governor’s decision to invite the BJP to form the government.

    Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday, May 17, told a special bench headed by Justice AK Sikri that being the single largest party the BJP had the “mandate of people” of the state who had thrown out the Congress.

    Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Yeddyurappa, told the bench that there was no pre-poll alliance between the Congress and JDS and they had formed an “unholy alliance” after the elections.

    In the May 12 polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 members, while Congress secured 78, the JD(S) 37 and others three.

    (Agencies)

     

  • Can the BJP wrest Karnataka from the Congress?

    Can the BJP wrest Karnataka from the Congress?

    “Yes”, says Muralidhar Rao; Rajeev Gowda says “No”; For Sandeep Shastri, “It’s Complicated”

    Yes | Muralidhar Rao

    The JD(S) and the Congress are two faces of the same coin. The BJP will win with a majority

    Yes, we will definitely wrest power from the Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s preparation, both organizationally and politically, points to a victory for the party. We can also sense that the mood of the people in Karnataka has changed. People have problems, which the State government has failed to address. Whether it is in the agricultural sector, infrastructure, or urban management, mismanagement has become a major issue. People have been agitating for quite some time and their disillusionment with the ruling Congress is complete. The BJP leadership has worked hard to mobilize public opinion against the ruling party. The BJP will continue to do what it has been doing in the rest of the country, which is to fight against the Congress.

    Issues in Karnataka

    As far as the issues in the campaign are concerned, in the last two years, the farm sector has been in the grip of an acute crisis and the government has been unable to address and arrest the problem of farmers’ suicides. Close to 3,800 farmers have committed suicide in the last five years. The government has been insensitive to the issue. Even before the elections, we organized a special campaign for farmers, collected grains from them, and pledged to put an end to the crisis.

    Look at Bengaluru. It has become a city of crime. It is full of potholes. It faced floods. Even the Lokayukta, P. Vishwanath Shetty, is not safe in his office and the attack on him demonstrated how law and order has deteriorated in the State. Corruption, scams and scandals have added to people’s restlessness with the ruling party. The attitude of the State government to terror groups, particularly in coastal areas, is appalling. More than 24 activists have been killed by extremists. Not a single case has been pursued; arrests have not been made. The Congress’s silence on the Popular Front of India, which should have been banned a long time ago, appears to indicate that the PFI enjoys protection from the government.

    We have been accused of associating ourselves with the Bellary brothers. This has been completely misrepresented. Janardhana Reddy, who has been named in the FIR, has not been given a ticket and we have not used him in the campaign. His brother is a sitting MLA. There is no case against him. Also, don’t you think Chief Minister Siddaramaiah could have taken action against the two brothers? Why didn’t he?

    The BJP’s promises

    I think the promises made in our manifesto will persuade people to vote for us. In the farming sector, we have spelt out the issues we are going to pursue. For instance, to address the debt crisis, we have declared a ₹1 lakh loan waiver for farmers rom nationalized banks and co-operative banks.

    Bengaluru is a hub for translating the global ambitions of India. Instead, we now see the city being associated with crime and corruption. On the welfare front, we have conceptualized many programs for the people of Karnataka: free education for all students in government colleges, for BPL families, smartphones for women. We are working on a growth-centric plan and that’s our promise to the people of Karnataka. We will get more than 150 seats. I have no doubt that a massive majority will come to the BJP. The Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress are two faces of the same coin. Both are pursuing vote-bank politics and are family-driven parties. We will win on the promise of development alone.

    (Muralidhar Rao is a national general secretary of the BJP)

    (As told to Anuradha Raman)

     NO | Rajeev Gowda

    The voters prefer a stable government that has ensured inclusive growth

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi belatedly descended on Karnataka in a desperate attempt to revive the BJP’s collapsing campaign. Unfortunately for him, the ground reality will demonstrate that Karnataka is not Gujarat. Mr. Siddaramaiah’s inclusive welfare programs have ensured that voters remain steadfastly with the Congress.

    Achievements of the Congress

    Hunger will soon be history due to the Anna Bhagya scheme. Mathru Poorna is transforming the health of women, during and after pregnancy, while ensuring healthier children. Indira canteens help the urban poor access a nutritious meal at low cost. Dairy farmers received higher prices and children get milk in schools. Farmers gained from a loan waiver, subsidized rental equipment, and farm ponds. An integrated e-market increased farmer’s income by 38% in 2015-16, according to a Niti Aayog report.

    Karnataka leads India in investment intentions and follow through. The youth flock to Bengaluru, India’s start-up capital. A quarter of jobs created in India were in Karnataka, as reported in April 2016. Mainstays like IT and biotechnology crossed revenues of $50 billion. With an average GSDP growth of 8% over five years, people will be happy to stay with a government that works.

    Nightmare years of the BJP

    Voters have not forgotten the five nightmare years, which were marked by incompetence and instability, when the BJP ran Karnataka. Three Chief Ministers took turns to defend corruption on a scale that shamed the State. B.S. Yeddyurappa led his Cabinet colleagues, the Reddy brothers, Katta Jagadish, Krishnaiah Setty, Harta Halappa, etc. to jail. Mr. Modi’s rhetoric and flood of falsehoods cannot cover up that sorry track record, especially when the same crew is back helming the BJP’s election campaign.

    A track record in abetting instability is also true for the JD(S). Widely regarded as untrustworthy, it is now confined to the Old Mysore region. It will garner at least 10 seats less than its 40 in 2013. However, it has kept the BJP from gaining a foothold in Old Mysore. The BJP’s absence in Old Mysore means that in 10 of Karnataka’s 30 districts, it is likely to win only a handful of seats. Its old Hindutva laboratory, the coast, rejected it in 2013, and will do so again, turned off by polarization. The BJP won nearly half of Bengaluru Urban last time but will do worse now. It is in closely fought Mumbai-Karnataka and Central Karnataka that the BJP is hoping to gain seats. While it may be aided here by the Karnataka Janata Paksha and the Badavara Shramikara Raithara Congress coming back to the BJP fold, the chemistry has gone all awry owing to competing factions. In Hyderabad-Karnataka, it is counting on the eight seats given to the Reddy family to help it, but the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and the fact that the United Progressive Alliance granted 371(J) status to this region will ensure that the Congress stays ahead. Dalit anger at the BJP’s injustice nationwide is reflecting across Karnataka. In contrast, Mr. Siddaramaiah has allocated budgets in proportion to the population percentage of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

    Opinion polls show that Mr. Siddaramaiah remains the number one choice for Chief Minister. According to polls, voters consider the BJP to be the most corrupt party. A section of the Lingayats is expected to quietly vote for the party that responded to their aspirations. The Supreme Court awarding a larger share of Cauvery water to Karnataka has marked Mr. Siddaramaiah as a champion of the State’s interests. He has also highlighted Kannada pride. A stable government which has delivered to all sections and ensured inclusive growth is what the voters prefer. On May 15, the Congress will be back with a bang, setting the trend for 2019.

    (Rajeev Gowda is a Congress MP and chairman of the AICC’s research department)

     It’s Complicated | Sandeep Shastri

    In several constituencies, the BJP, JD(S) and the Congress are engaged in a three-way fight

    The Karnataka electoral contest seems to be heading for a photo finish and is fascinatingly complex and suspense-filled.

    Contradictory trends

    For the last three decades, Karnataka has never given a clear majority to the ruling party. This should make it easier to make predictions. The BJP could argue that it is the natural alternative to the Congress. Yet politics often defies logic. Karnataka was also witness to another trend during the same period: it has almost always gone against the national trend during Assembly elections. Karnataka seems set to negate one of these two trends, but the question is which one.

    The BJP is convinced that it will wrest Karnataka from the Congress and make a grand entry in the south on the strength of what it will term as an anti-incumbency vote. Even if one were to assume that there is anti-incumbency, the BJP does not become the natural beneficiary of that. Opinion polls have pointed to the split of the anti-Congress vote between the BJP and the JD(S). The BJP is also heavily banking on its star campaigner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to help it. The dependence of the party on the Prime Minister was evident in the last-minute increase in the number of rallies that Mr. Modi was scheduled to address. Yet, the impact of his campaign is still a matter of debate.

    This is the first major test of Mr. Modi’s capacity to sway an electorate in a State Assembly poll south of the Vindhyas. But can the faction-ridden State unit of the BJP and an increasingly sidelined chief ministerial candidate take the possible momentum generated by the Prime Minister’s whirlwind campaign to the ground and translate that into votes? More importantly, has the BJP pitched its campaign on appropriate and relevant State-level issues and has its chief ministerial candidate inspired the electorate to favor the party?

    The ruling Congress has its visible strengths but could well have peaked too early and lost the momentum in the crucial final week of the campaign. In the run-up to the campaign, it was clearly setting the agenda, pushing the BJP on the defensive. In its Chief Minister, the party found a campaigner who could bring together the diverse elements within the party to take on the opposition with a conscious focus on the local. Yet, there are factors that could halt this movement. The responsibility of defending the State government has virtually been left to the Chief Minister, with other Ministers busy managing their own small constituencies and contributing very little to the State-wide campaign.

    The JD(S) question

    Further, the unhappiness of the electorate with the track record of the State government on the key issues of tackling price rise, generating employment, and controlling corruption is visible. A key strategy of the Congress to win over the Lingayats by recommending them a minority religion status appears to have backfired.

    The presence of the JD(S) as a key player in select regions has converted the electoral battle in several constituencies into a three-way fight. By carving out for itself a segment of the anti-Congress vote, the JD(S) is surely eating into the BJP vote. Yet, the same could be said about the anti-BJP vote, which, especially in communally sensitive areas, could be split between the JD (S) and the Congress. The JD(S)’s efforts to be king-maker has led to a debate on whether Karnataka is once again heading for an Assembly with no party securing a clear majority.

    (Sandeep Shastri is a political scientist and the national coordinator of the Lokniti network)

    (Source: The Hindu)

     

     

  • May 11 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    May 11 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-11-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92685″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-11-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-11-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92686″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-11-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faces probe for laundering $4.9 bn to India: Reports

    Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faces probe for laundering $4.9 bn to India: Reports

    World Bank denies reports Sharif laundered US$ 4.9 billion to India

    ISLAMABAD(TIP): In further trouble to Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s top anti-corruption body on Tuesday, May 8, ordered a probe against the embattled former Prime Minister and others for allegedly laundering USD 4.9 billion to India, media reports said.

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a press release said its Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal took notice of reports making rounds on news channels claiming that Sharif allegedly laundered USD 4.9 billion to India, the Express Tribune reported.

    According to the media report, this incident is mentioned in the World Bank’s Migration and Remittance Book 2016, the release said.

    However, details of the media report in question have not been mentioned in the brief statement issued in Urdu, Geo TV reported.

    The statement claims that the amount was laundered to the Indian Finance Ministry after which Indian foreign exchange reserves witnessed an increase and Pakistan suffered as a result.

    Sharif is facing three corruption cases at the accountability court following the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case. An NAB inquiry is also under way against him for alleged illegal expansion of a road leading to his estate in Lahore’s Jati Umra locality.

    Once formulated, this will be the fifth case against the ousted premier by the NAB.

    Earlier today, the accountability court sought more time from the top court to end the trial on references filed by the NAB against members of the Sharif family.

    Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir, who presides over the hearings, has written a letter to the top court requesting for a second extension in the trial.

    Earlier in March, the Supreme Court had granted a two-month extension to the accountability court to wrap the proceedings.

    However, as the two-month deadline expires, the case is nowhere near its end, with the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments still untouched, the country’s top anti-graft body is running out of time.

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan had disqualified Sharif last year, forcing the three-time prime minister to resign. Sharif has dismissed the corruption charges as politically motivated.

    The political future of Sharif, who leads the country’s most powerful political family and his party, has been hanging in the balance since then. If convicted, he can be jailed.

    World Bank denies reports Sharif laundered US$ 4.9 billion to India

    Meanwhile, the World Bank has denied as “incorrect” the media reports in Pakistan that cited its report to allege that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif laundered US$ 4.9 billion to India.

    Pakistan’s top anti-corruption body, National Accountability Bureau, on Tuesday ordered a probe against the embattled former prime minister and others after reports of his involvement in the money laundering emerged in the media.

    The World Bank in a statement said, “In the past day, there have been media reports citing the World Bank’s Remittances and Migration Report of 2016. These media reports were incorrect.

    The World Bank’s Remittances and Migration Report is an effort by the World Bank to estimate migration and remittances numbers across the world, it said.

    “The report does not include any mention of money laundering nor does it name any individuals,” said the World Bank, which was issued after media reports cited its annual report for allegations that Sharif laundered US$ 4.9 billion from Pakistan to India.

    In its annual report, the statement said that the World Bank estimates bilateral remittances between countries using the methodology summarized in the World Bank Working Paper 102 South-South migration and remittances by the authors of the report.

    The World Bank also referred to a statement by the State Bank of Pakistan which rejects estimates of US$ 4.9 billion in remittances from Pakistan to India on September 21, 2016, and provides an explanation of the methodology used in the World Bank report and the official remittances numbers.

    (Source: PTI)

     

  • Trump scraps the Iran nuclear deal, calling it ’embarrassment’

    Trump scraps the Iran nuclear deal, calling it ’embarrassment’

    Iran will remain in N-deal, says Rouhani

    European leaders call on Washington to let them carry on with pact

    WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 8, pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, an Obama-era accord which he has repeatedly criticized.

    “It is clear to me that we cannot prevent Iran’s nuclear bomb. The Iran deal is defective at its core. Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal,” Trump said.

    Moments later he signed a fresh set of sanctions against Iran and warned countries against any cooperation with Iran on its nuclear weapons program.

    Ever since his election campaign, Trump has frequently criticized the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA.

    France, Germany, and the UK regret the U.S. decision to leave the JCPOA. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake.

        — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 8, 2018

    He had described the agreement, which was negotiated by then US secretary of state John Kerry, as a bad deal.

    I am deeply concerned by today’s announcement that the US will be withdrawing from the JCPOA & will begin reinstating US sanctions, says @antonioguterres. Full text here: https://t.co/LqC2WFJfAC

        — UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) May 8, 2018

    The Iran nuclear deal was reached in Vienna in July 2015 between Iran and the P5 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) plus Germany and the European Union.

    Trump’s decision would have global ramifications, straining Iranian economy and heightening tensions in the Middle East.

    Iran will remain in N-deal, says Rouhani

    Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, May 8, that Iran would remain committed to a multinational nuclear deal despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 agreement designed to deny Tehran the ability to build nuclear weapons.

    “If we achieve the deal’s goals in cooperation with other members of the deal, it will remain in place… By exiting the deal, America has officially undermined its commitment to an international treaty,” Rouhani said in a televised speech.

    “I have ordered the foreign ministry to negotiate with the European countries, China and Russia in coming weeks. If at the end of this short period we conclude that we can fully benefit from the JCPOA with the cooperation of all countries, the deal would remain,” he added.

    The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is the full name for the nuclear deal, struck in 2015 between Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — and Germany.

    Rouhani added that Iran was ready to resume its nuclear activities after consultations with the other world powers which are part of the agreement.

    Trump’s announcement was hailed by Washington’s principal allies in the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia, both sworn foes of Iran.

    Under the deal, Iran curbed its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of most sanctions imposed on the country.

    Trump said he would reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran immediately. His decision puts pressure on his European allies, who are key backers of the deal and reluctant to join the United States in reimposing sanctions on Iran.

    Banking turmoil

    Some Iranians had been cashing in their savings even before Trump’s announcement he would pull out from the international deal with Iran, straining a banking system weighed down by bad loans and years of isolation.

    An official with Iran’s biggest state-owned Melli Bank told Reuters savings had declined by an unspecified amount, although he said this was a temporary phenomenon and that they would recover once the uncertainty over Trump’s decision passed.

    “When there is political uncertainty, its psychological impact on people causes a drop in savings. But it will pass after Trump’s deadline,” the official said before the announcement, declining to be named. A senior Iranian central bank official said conditions within the banking system had deteriorated in the past year, and “we have still not passed the danger zone” but added that the central bank had “all the measures ready to prevent any crisis”.

    EU will stand by Iran

    Europe will stand by the international nuclear accord with Iran, EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a live press statement in Rome on Tuesday. “The EU is determined to preserve it,” she said. “We expect the rest of the international community to continue to preserve it, for the sake of collective security.” “The nuclear accord belongs to the whole of the international community,” Mogherini added. “To the Iranian people I say: do not let anyone dismantle this deal, one of the greatest achievements of the international community.”  “I am particularly worried about tonight’s announcement of further sanctions,” she said, adding that the deal with Iran “is the culmination of 12 years of diplomacy.”

    Most Americans reject move

    Less than one in three Americans agrees with President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll released on Tuesday, May 8.

    The poll, conducted on May 4-8, ahead of the President’s announcement to end the deal, found that 29 per cent of adults wanted to end the deal with Iran and five other world powers to ease sanctions and limit Iran’s nuclear program. Another 42 per cent said the US should remain in the deal, and the remaining 28 per cent said they “don’t know”. Even among those who are registered as Republicans, less than half — 44 per cent — advocated ending the US involvement in the deal. Another 28 per cent wanted to remain, and the remaining 28 percent said they did not know. — Agencies

    ‘US undermined commitment to treaty’

    If we achieve the deal’s goals in cooperation with other members of the deal, it will remain in place… By exiting the deal, America has officially undermined its commitment to an international treaty. Hassan Rouhani, Iranian President

    ‘Will work collectively’

    We will work collectively on a broader framework, covering (Iran’s) nuclear activity, the post-2025 period, ballistic activity, and stability in the Middle-East, notably Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. Emmanuel Macron, French President

    ‘It’s a historic move’

    Israel thinks that Trump made a historic move, and this is why Israel thanks him for his commitment to confront the terrorist regime in Tehran, and his commitment to ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

    ‘Decision misguided’

    Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal is misguided. I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranian violation of the deal is a serious mistake. Barack Obama, former US President.

    (Source: PTI and agencies)

     

  • May 04 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    May 04 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-4-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92593″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-4-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FTIP-May-4-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92592″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TIP-May-4-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Free press makes for a stronger democracy: PM Modi on World Press Freedom Day

    Free press makes for a stronger democracy: PM Modi on World Press Freedom Day

    The United Nations General Assembly had declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness about freedom of press.

    NEW DELHI(TIP): Multiplicity of ideas and human expression make us more vibrant as a society and a free press makes for a stronger democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on World Press Freedom Day on Thursday, May 3.

    “Today on #WorldPressFreedomDay, let us reaffirm our commitment towards steadfastly supporting a free press. It is the multiplicity of ideas and human expression that makes us more vibrant as a society,” he said in a series of tweets.

    Narendra Modi

    ✔@narendramodi

    A free press makes a stronger democracy! Today on #WorldPressFreedomDay, let us reaffirm our commitment towards steadfastly supporting a free press. It is the multiplicity of ideas and human expression that makes us more vibrant as a society.

    2:56 AM – May 3, 2018

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded all those who have been working tirelessly to uphold the freedom of press.

    “It is due to these countless women and men that the spirit of a free press is significantly enhanced…would once again like to appreciate the proactive role of everyone on social media for their commendable work towards safeguarding the freedom of press and expression,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

    Narendra Modi

    ✔@narendramodi

     I applaud all those who have been working tirelessly to uphold freedom of press. It is due to these countless women and men that the spirit of a free press is significantly enhanced. #WorldPressFreedomDay

    2:56 AM – May 3, 2018

    The United Nations General Assembly had declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness about freedom of press.

    (Source: PTI)

  • The Sikh Community Takes Out an Impressive Parade to Mark their Birthday

    The Sikh Community Takes Out an Impressive Parade to Mark their Birthday

    I.S. Saluja

    NEW YORK, NY(TIP): Organized by the Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill, New York, in cooperation with Sikh Temples and Sikh organizations of the Tri-States of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the 31stSikh Day Parade on April 28thin Manhattan, New York, attracted, as usual, large crowds of Sikh men, women and children. Contingents of Sikhs came from as far as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. An estimated 30,000 (according to the organizers, 50, 000) Sikhs participated.

    The parade that started from 37th Street and Madison Ave, wound its way through the city and ended up at 26th Street and Madison Ave for the conference on 23rdStreet.

    The Young Sikhs in traditional attire

    There were 9 floats depicting Sikh history and religion. Thousands marched in the parade singing hymns from the Holy Sikh Scripture.

    An interesting feature was participation in parade of NYPD band and police officers.

    A group of volunteers at one of the scores of stations serving langar (free food)

    Another impressive feature of the parade was langar (free food). The whole 26thStreet between Madison and Park was dedicated to food stalls where free food was served to the thousands who had come for the parade.

    NYPD officers being honored
    New Jersey State attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal is honored
    Hoboken City Mayor Ravinder Singh Bhalla is honored

    A conference was held as the closing part of the parade. Those who addressed the gathering included Sikh community leaders and officials from various departments of New York City and New Jersey State. The more prominent among them were New Jersey State Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal,James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of New York City, Mayor of Hoboken City, Ravinder Singh Bhalla, TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi, and Balbir Singh Freeholder, Burlington. They were honored by organizers of the parade.

    The event is held annually to mark Vaisakhi, the harvest festival of Punjab that coincides with the day the Tenth Master of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, created the order of Khalsa in 1699.

  • April 27 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    April 27 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-April-27-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92477″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-April-27-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-April-27-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92476″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-April-27-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • India, US need a full-scale relationship: former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma

    India, US need a full-scale relationship: former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma

    NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP):  India and the US need a “full scale relationship” that encompasses defense, strategic and economic ties, former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said stressing that the two countries cannot be “fighting every day on trade” while cooperating on defense. They need to fire on all cylinders to achieve their ambitious relationship.

    “We need a full-scale relationship, not just the defense relationship, not just the strategic relationship. We need to focus on the economic side too. We somehow need to navigate America First with Make in India,” Verma said, speaking at the third New India Lecture at Indian Consulate, April 23.

    Verma said Washington and New Delhi want an “ambitious relationship” and to become natural allies for that they need to be “firing on all cylinders”, including economic and military.

    “We can’t be fighting every day on trade, cooperating on defense and think we are just going to have a great relationship. We need to be firing on all cylinders, that means economic, that means military,” he said. He further stressed that the US needs to take its defense relationship with India to the next level. “That means we ought to be providing India with the most advanced technology, we ought to make sure that if India is in trouble they have the means to win, if they are challenged,” he said.

    Verma spoke at length on a wide range of topics pertaining to India-US relations, including H1B work visas, immigration as well as geo-political issues relating to China and Pakistan.

    Verma, Vice Chairman and Partner at the Asia Group and a board member of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), said the India-US relationship has been a “slightly underperforming” one for decades. “We have got some history that weighs us down. We still have some trust issues and neither side wants to be in an alliance,” he said in his address on ‘US-India: Natural Allies — Absent the Alliance.’

    Responding to a question on concerns among Indian workers over H1B visas, Verma said last year about 1.1 million visas were issued to Indian nationals to come to the US in every category and out of these, about 50,000-60,000 were H1B visas. “A very small percentage of the visa pool is for H1 B visas,” he said.

    Verma, who had served as the US Ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017, said he had conveyed to Indian CEOs and software companies that they have to be aware of the “political realities” in the US. While they should pay their employees in the US competitive wages, they also need to be “sensitive” towards people’s fear of losing jobs in an era of globalization.

    “If your consultants are coming here and advising about downsizing or scaling back and then that operation or function ends up in India, people are not going to be necessarily happy,” he said.

    “You have to understand the political realities that people are facing here, fear about globalization. I think we are getting to a better understanding. I hope we don’t run into a huge fight on H1B,” he said.

    Verma, who has previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, noted that “some reforms are probably necessary”, adding that the H1B visas are an important but “small part” of the overall people-to-people relationship between India and the US.

    “I think US-India trade relationship is one relationship where you can get distinct wins on both sides,” he said.

    Highlighting the critical role of the diaspora in strengthening relations between India and the US, Verma said “we have to increase our people-to-people connections and we should be celebrating and standing up for the immigrants who come into this country and not looking at ways to shrink the pool of people coming here.”

    On the trajectory of India-US relations under the Trump administration, Verma said looking at Washington’s all other bilateral relations, the one with India is “still on a pretty good trajectory.”

    While things have been moving along on the strategic side, on the economic side there are some growing pains. However, he said he is “more concerned about how we treat people who may not necessarily look like and sound like the rest of middle America and that’s the part I keep the most eye out for in this environment.”

    Recalling the journey of his parents from India to the US, Verma said that immigrants and immigration have played a hugely important role in America. “It is not just one group of immigrants or immigrants who look a certain way but immigrants from all over the world and it’s really important that we stand up for that group of people.”

    On ties with Pakistan, Verma said the US has made the message quite clear to Pakistani leaders that “this continuing support and facilitation” of terrorist groups along the border to create a “perpetual state of conflict” with India is “not sustainable.

    “It’s not in their interest, and it’s not the way to have that goal of a functioning normal state in the international system,” he said.

    He stressed that the US can’t lose the connections to all the people and moderate voices in Pakistan that want peace with India and a better future for their children.

    “It’s a very difficult situation but we have to get there with a variety of economic and political tools,” he said.

    Responding to a question on relations with China, Verma said India and the US have remarkably similar situations with regard to China, including economic inter-dependencies, trade and commercial activities.

    “But we also have security concerns. We have concerns about what China is doing in the international systems, we have concerns about their failure to adhere to rules and norms, we have concerns about the Belt and Road Initiative and what they are doing in the South China Seas,” he said.

    Verma stressed on the need to be able to balance some of these concerns.

    “No one wants to see a conflict with China. But we also have to be able to stand up for our basic values,” he added.

    He further noted that in India-China and US-China relations, there is a lot of dialogue at all levels.

    However, “it is a very difficult, complicated and contentious relationship but I don’t think anyone wants to see the spark that leads to an actual conflict,” he said.

    Verma emphasized that there is need for an international system that reflects India’s role in the world today. He lamented that India is not on the UN Security Council, is not a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and doesn’t play the kind of role that it probably should on the G-20 bloc of nations or in other international Institutions.

    “The US needs to pave the way forward for India so that it actually has the seat at the table in this century, a seat that is appropriate for a country of the size and stature of India. We have to be working very hard for that,” he said.

    Ambassador Verma, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Vaidyanathan Aiyer, and Air India Regional Manager Vandana Sharma pose for a photograph with the young students from Bangalore Engineering College
    Photos- Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    A group of students from a Bangalore Engineering College, who were on way to Boston to take part in an auto engineering fair also attended the lecture.

    Ambassador Verma, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Vaidyanathan Aiyer, and Air India Regional Manager Vandana Sharma posed for a photograph with the young students.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • Asaram gets jail till death: Co-accused sentenced to 20 years in prison

    Asaram gets jail till death: Co-accused sentenced to 20 years in prison

    JODHPUR(TIP): A special trial court set up at the heavily fortified Jodhpur Central Jail on Wednesday, April 25, sentenced self-styled godman Asaram Bapu to jail till death, finding him guilty of raping a teenaged girl in his ashram in August 2013.

    This is the second conviction in a high-profile sexual offence case involving a self-styled guru after Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sent to jail for 20 years last August.

    Special Judge Madhusudhan Sharma sentenced co-accused Shilpi and Sharad to 20 years’ jail each and acquitted two others, Prakash and Shiva. Besides, the court slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Asaram and Rs 50,000 each on the other convicts, public prosecutor Pokhar Ram Vishnoi said.

    “Soon after the verdict, 77-year-old Asaram and other convicts broke down. The court considered Asaram’s act under the heinous crime category,” victim-family’s counsel Rajendra Singh told media persons.

    “A self-claimed spiritual guru has done the disgusting act of sexual exploitation with his teenaged disciple who had full faith on him. The convict should not be spared, and the maximum punishment be awarded, lifer to Asaram till natural life time, and 20 years each to his assistants who felicitated him in the act,” Singh said, quoting from the 453-page verdict.

    “We had complete faith in the judiciary and are happy that we got justice,” the victim’s father said, adding that the family had been living in constant fear and their business had been hit.

    Asaram sexually exploited a 16-year-old girl from UP’s Shahjahanpur in his Manal ashram near Jodhpur on the intervening night of August 15-16, 2013. The charge sheet against Asaram and the four co-accused was filed by the police on November 6, 2013, under various Sections of the POSCO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code.

    But rape is not the only charge against Asaram. He is also facing prosecution in a Rs 700-crore land grab case of 2000 in Madhya Pradesh. The case pertains to 200 acres of land in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.

    Arrested in Indore and brought to Jodhpur on September 1, 2013, Asaram was under judicial custody since September 2, 2013. He also faces a rape case in Surat in which the Supreme Court earlier this month gave five weeks to the prosecution to complete the trial.

    Asaram unsuccessfully moved 12 bail applications, of which six were rejected by the trial court, three each by the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court in the last 56 months.

    The city of Jodhpur on Wednesday turned into a fortress with the deployment of the RAC, RPF and the state police in strength. Also, flag marches were held throughout the city, DCP-East Aman Deep Singh said.

    Several die-hard Asaram followers were detained early this morning from the railway station, bus terminals and in the vicinity of the jail. The Union Home Ministry had issued an advisory to Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana to remain alert.

    SAINT TO SINNER

    Aug 15, 2013: A 16-year-old girl accuses Asaram of raping her in his Jodhpur ashram

    Sept 1:Asaram brought to Jodhpur, remanded in custody

    October:Three women accuse Asaram and his son Narayan Sai of rape in Surat, Gujarat

    June 11:Surat case witness dies after being shot at in Rajkot hospital

    January 2015:Asaram’s cook Akhil Gupta, another witness, shot in Muzaffarnagar

    May 13:Mahendra Chawla, prime witness in case against Sai, shot at in Panipat

    March 14, 2016:Accused of killing Akhil Gupta, Asaram’s henchman Kartik Haldar held

    Nov 6: Charge sheet against Asaram and four co-accused

    March 19, 2017:Trial begins against Asaram in Jodhpur

    April 7, 2018:Special court hears final arguments

    April 17:Rajasthan High Court orders the special court to deliver verdict in Jodhpur Central Jail

    April 25:Special Judge Madhusudhan Sharma sentences co-accused Shilpi and Sharad to 20 years’ jail each and acquits two others, Prakash and Shiva. The court also slaps a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Asaram and Rs 50,000 each on the other convicts.

     

  • Modi will sink India if he does not rein in the rapists

    Modi will sink India if he does not rein in the rapists

    By Mike Ghouse
    “Whenever adharma takes over a nation, it needs a Krishna to restore faith and trust in the society, and that Krishna is the collective consciousness of Indians resting in women, businessmen, and young men.  They have to take their nation back from irresponsible chaotic governance and restore the good old days of the past where people were not afraid of each other and lived their lives instead of battling their lives.”

    The brutal rape of an 8-year old and the 4 –year-old is beyond anyone’s understanding. It was a brutal rape and murder. I hope as a nation we condemn what is bad and encourage what is good regardless of the politics or religion of the individual.

    This tragedy has united most of the Indians except a few party members of Mr. Modi and Mr. Yogi who are defending the rapists. What is disgusting is even women members of the party like Kirron Kher are discounting it by saying that the rape culture is not new in India.  With friends like her, BJP does not need enemies.

    My first response was apprehension.  How difficult must it have been for the child to endure the last few minutes of her life? Several images of 8-year-olds ran through my mind and could not help feel the anguish and anger.  How must mothers and fathers feel if their daughter is out on her way to school?

    My second response was, punish the criminals swiftly and restore the trust in society.

    I hoped the Prime Minister, and each Chief Minister with the State Police commissioners will jointly announce zero tolerance and severe punishment to criminals who hurt innocent people. If they don’t, we the people need to harass them to do it. At last, we the people have a right to decide whom we appoint to govern us, and how they are accountable to us.

    A Bill must be introduced in the Parliament that would require “married men and women” to run the public office, preference must be given to those candidates who have daughters. It is not to discriminate against single people but to ensure the men and women who are responsible for public safety have the heart to empathize with the pain of mothers.

    I urge Modi and Yogi to get married, and I am sure they are potent enough for God to bless them with a daughter each to understand at least the anguish of fathers, if not mothers. Sloganeering is good, but their actions determine if they are shooting their mouth off, or if they respect every man and woman of India.

    I would appeal to the moderate members of the BJP to take bold steps and correct the mistakes and restore justice and the rule of law in India.

    Ms. Prathiba Prahlad from New Delhi was one of the first few individuals in the nation to express her outrage well, and it reflects the sentiments of most mothers of India. Prathiba is a Dancer, Scholar, Culture Specialist, Festival Director at DIAF, Padma & Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee.

    “I’m sick in the pit of my stomach & in deep, deep anguish! Just imagine what horrendous pain, fright & brutality little baby Asifa would have gone through! I’m ashamed of our politicians, I’m ashamed of our society, I’m ashamed of myself & my helplessness! I wish I didn’t live to see this day! India – hang your head in shame … so many of our children, adolescents & youngsters are brutalized every other day! And we call our land a holy land??? A holy land filled with ugly, twisted, violent, brutal, heartless, soulless psychos who commit beastly crimes in the name of religion, caste, honour or just because they view the innocent & the vulnerable an easy prey ??? This land can never be holy unless justice is done to these innocents – unless laws are amended, justice is fast-tracked & the guilty are castrated, tortured & publicly killed … they don’t deserve a trial for god’s sake – even at the risk of being termed undemocratic!”

    Whenever adharma takes over a nation, it needs a Krishna to restore faith and trust in the society, and that Krishna is the collective consciousness of Indians resting in women, businessmen, and young men.  They have to take their nation back from irresponsible chaotic governance and restore the good old days of the past where people were not afraid of each other and lived their lives instead of battling their lives. We did not have the lynchings, harassments, and murdering of people who differed with us. We did not regulate what one should eat, and that freedom had offered relative peace.

    Why should a mother support BJP?  What security she has for her daughter if these men don’t feel the pain of the mothers? Women tourists are scared to go to Modi’s India and Yogi’s Taj Mahal for fear of being raped. Is this the India we want?

    Ban those lawyers from practicing the law for defending the rapists, and ban the politicians from holding public office if they support and abet rapists.

    I am not sure if Modi has the guts to do it, but I urge him to take action before people completely write him off.

    I urge Hindus and Muslims to feel the pain together and never let the divisive men pit Hindus against Muslims or vice versa.  Let them be the losers and not the general public.

    What we need is sane voices – and not a Hindu Muslim conflict which the politicians would love it, but you and I will lose it.   In the last two months, we had two fathers; a Hindu and a Muslim; two great heroic fathers in India. Each one of them lost their sons to hate by Muslim and Hindus each, but the patriotic fathers urged the politicians keep calm and not allow them to pit one group of Indians against the other.  It must have been painful for them not to seek revenge.  I hope Mr. Modi honors them as heroes of India. More at http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-way-out-of-hell-forgive-them-for-they.html

    Warning to Indians

    Let this be a warning to Indian businessmen, Indian women, and all the young people who are enjoying a good life at this time. All of this will come to an end if Law and Order are not restored.

    Modi and Yogi have nothing to lose, but ordinary people do, it is their livelihood.  Much of our prosperity hinges on foreign direct investments, export of software and contracting work and tourism including medical tourism.

    If the investors continue to see the chaos, rape, communal strife, lynching, harassment, and restrictions on what one eats and who he or she marries, they will pull out of India. Who wants to invest in a place where their investment is not secure?   Would you invest in Burma, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Ethiopia and even Pakistan?

    (The author is the president of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.)

  • April 20 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    April 20 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-April-20-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92379″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-April-20-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-April-20-Dallas.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92380″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-April-20-Dallas.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • North Korea offers to denuclearize without demanding withdrawal of US troops from peninsula

    North Korea offers to denuclearize without demanding withdrawal of US troops from peninsula

    Offer conveyed via South Korean president ahead of critical talks between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

    WASHINGTON(TIP): As a planned summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un approaches, Pyongyang has indicated it would abandon its nuclear program without requiring American troops to leave the Korean Peninsula.

    “The North is expressing a will for a complete denuclearization”, South Korean president Moon Jae-in said to reporters. “They have not attached any conditions that the U.S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea. All they are talking about is the end of hostile policies against North Korea, followed by a guarantee of security”.

    Achieving a deal on those terms would represent a resounding success for Mr Trump, who months earlier had threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea during a United Nations speech to world leaders.

    North Korea has long decried the presence of US troops, and their regular joint drills with South Korean forces, as provocations that could presage an invasion and necessitate Pyongyang’s military buildup.

    But any demands for an exit of US troops would likely be a nonstarter for America. Despite nascent diplomatic efforts, the Trump administration has stuck by a campaign of “maximum pressure” and harsh sanctions on the North Korean regime.

    The commitment to denuclearize while allowing US forces to remain, conveyed via a South Korean leader who has prioritized better relations with the North, continued diplomatic maneuvering ahead of high-stakes talks. Earlier this month CIA director Mike Pompeo met with Mr Kim in Pyongyang, and Mr Trump said efforts are on pace to convene talks by June.

    After spending the first stretch of Mr Trump’s term threatening to devastate other countries and testing increasingly sophisticated ballistic missiles believed to be capable of hitting the US mainland, North Korea pivoted to talking with the South and extending Mr Trump an invitation to meet with Mr Kim.

    Paralleling the American-led efforts to end the North Korean nuclear threat, South Korea is hoping to use the diplomatic opening to achieve a lasting change to the status quo on the Korean Peninsula.

    Earlier in the week, South Korean officials said they hoped to also strike a peace accord to formally bring an end to the Korean War, which halted with a 1953 armistice but never again technically ended in the decades the north and the south spent warily watching each other across a heavily fortified border.

    Taken together, the efforts to conclude the war and dismantle Pyongyang’s weapons program offer the contours of a sweeping response to one of the world’s most intractable issues.

    Mr Trump expressed both hopefulness and a willingness to abandon the talks if they prove futile, saying earlier this week that the US would do “everything possible to make it a worldwide success” but adding that America might still walk away.

    “If I think that it’s a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we’re not going to go”, Mr Trump told reporters. “If the meeting, when I’m there, is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting”.

     

  • Modi, May hold talks on infusing new energy into post-Brexit bilateral ties

    Modi, May hold talks on infusing new energy into post-Brexit bilateral ties

    Modi launches Bharat Ki Baat Sabke Saath at a meeting with NRIs

    LONDON(TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, April 16, assured his British counterpart Theresa May that the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union offers opportunities to “further increase” bilateral trade ties as the two leaders had “fruitful discussions” on multiple aspects of India-UK relations and issues like counter-terrorism, radicalization and online extremism.

    Modi, who arrived at 10 Downing Street for a breakfast meeting, was greeted with the customary handshake by May. “Very welcome to London, Prime Minister,” May said as she greeted Modi.

    Both leaders discussed ways to boost cooperation between India and UK.

    “Wonderful meeting with Prime Minister @theresa_may at 10, Downing Street. We had fruitful discussions on multiple aspects of India-UK relations,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted after the meeting.

    Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the two leaders had wide-ranging talks on redefining and infusing new energy into the bilateral engagement post-Brexit.

    A statement issued by 10 Downing Street after the meeting said that the Syria air strikes, counter-terrorism, radicalization and online extremism were among some of the key topics covered by both leaders.

    “Prime Minister Modi said there would be no dilution in the importance of the UK to India post-Brexit. He said the City of London was of great importance to India for accessing the global markets and would remain so,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

    “The Prime Minister (May) updated Prime Minister Modi on the progress of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, saying the implementation period agreed in March gives Indian companies and investors the confidence that market access will continue on current terms until the end of 2020,” the spokesperson said.

    May reiterated the UK’s position on Russia’s recent “destabilizing behavior”, underlined by the attack in Salisbury on former Russian double Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia and the protection provided for the Syrian regime’s repeated use of chemical weapons against its people.

    “They reflected on the progress made on bilateral defense and security cooperation since the Prime Minister’s visit to India in 2016 and the agreement to a number of Defense Capability Partnerships in key strategic areas, with closer military-to-military ties underpinned by a succession of high level visits and exchanges,” Downing Street said.

    During a discussion on cooperation between the two countries on legal matters, which is likely to have covered extradition matters, May also welcomed the return to the UK of the “Chennai Six”, the former British soldiers accused of piracy and were freed from an Indian jail last year.

    The two leaders said trade between the UK and India had grown strongly over the last year and agreed to build on the recommendations of the UK-India Joint Trade Review to reduce barriers to trade, to make it easier to do business in both countries and enable a stronger bilateral trade relationship for the future.

    May and Modi discussed a new UK-India Tech Partnership, which will create thousands of jobs and generate significant investment in both our economies.

    Looking ahead at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Thursday, they also agreed on the importance of working together to build a more “sustainable, prosperous, secure and fairer future” for all Commonwealth citizens.

    A “flash mob” of sari-clad women from Indian Ladies in UK, accompanied by dhols, had gathered outside Downing Street to welcome the Indian PM with banners such as “In India, Peace is always in Fashion”.

    After his meeting with the British Prime Minister, Modi visited the Science Museum to explore the ‘5000 Years of Science and Innovation’ exhibition and interact with Indian-origin and other scientists and innovators based in the UK.

    The event, hosted by Prince Charles, included the launch of a new Ayurvedic Centre of Excellence, aimed at creating a first-of-its-kind global network for evidence-based research on yoga and Ayurveda.

    A note said the exhibition celebrates India’s role in the history of science and technology by exploring its contributions to subjects including space exploration and engineering.

    Modi had landed in Britain from Stockholm for bilateral engagements as well as multilateral discussions as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

    He was received at the airport by UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who said he was “excited” that India-UK bilateral trade is growing at 15 per cent a year and the visit will help build on “huge economic advantages”. Both leaders held a late night meeting at Heathrow airport.

    According to official estimates, India-UK bilateral trade stands at USD 13 billion, with the UK among the largest G20 investors into India. Modi’s UK visit this week will have a particular focus on the India-UK technological partnership as well as an enhanced role in the Commonwealth.

    PM Modi also addressed a meeting of NRIs and launched Bharat Ki Baat Sabke Saath on April 18. He spoke candidly on a number of issues, from the rape of the 8-year-old girl in Kathua to surgical strike in Pakistan, to creating awareness about Yoga and Ayurveda for wellness. He took the opportunity also to bash the Nehru-Gandhi clan and held them responsible for the ills of the country.

    A series of demonstrations, including a silent protest to condemn the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, were staged by various groups at Parliament Square during Modi’s visit.

    (With inputs from PTI)

     

  • Speaker Paul Ryan Announces Retirement

    Speaker Paul Ryan Announces Retirement

    Does not want to be known by his children as “only a weekend dad”

    WASHINGTON(TIP): Congress’ most powerful lawmaker Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday, April 11th, he would not stand for another term in his Wisconsin district this November.

    Republicans already face a tough challenge from Democrats to keep control of the lower chamber.

    Ryan joins nearly 30 House Republicans who have announced this year they are retiring outright.

    Democrats need 23 seats to take over the House.

    In an April 11 morning news conference, Ryan said the decision was family-related.

    “You all know that I did not seek this job,” he said. “I took it reluctantly.

    “But I have given this job everything. I have no regrets whatsoever for having accepted this responsibility.”

    He continued: “But the truth is it’s easy for it to take over everything in your life and you can’t just let that happen.”

    The 48-year-old father-of-three said he did not want to be known by his children as “only a weekend dad”.

    Ryan said he would retire in January after finishing his congressional term.

  • April 13 New York & Dallas Print Edition

    April 13 New York & Dallas Print Edition

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Edition

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York & Dallas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-APRIL-13-NY-DALLAS-.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92308″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-APRIL-13-NY-DALLAS-.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”8″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Row over the film ‘Nanak Shah Fakir’: Punjab on tenterhooks

    Row over the film ‘Nanak Shah Fakir’: Punjab on tenterhooks

    Takht banishes filmmaker Sikka, calls upon Sikhs worldwide to boycott

    AMRITSAR, INDIA(TIP): The Akal Takht on Thursday, April 12, issued an edict to excommunicate Harinder Singh Sikka, the maker of “Nanak Shah Fakir”, from the Sikh panth.

    After deliberations with Sikh organizations, the Five High Priests directed Sikhs around the world to snap ties with the filmmaker. Any Sikh found “guilty” of sympathizing with him would be dealt with sternly, the edict said.

    Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh pronounced the decision in Sikka’s absence. He appealed to the Sikh community to boycott the film and stage peaceful protests.

    The Jathedar said members of the SGPC sub-committee that had endorsed the film in 2016 would be summoned to the Akal Takht. When Sikka had approached the SGPC for clearance, it had formed a sub-committee headed by SGPC executive member Rajinder Singh Mehta. The other members included Bavinder Singh Jaura, Diljit Singh Bedi, Simarjit Singh and the then Chief Secretary Harcharan Singh.

    Calling Sikka “stubborn”, the Jathedar said despite protests, the filmmaker was adamant on releasing the film by taking the legal route.

    Meanwhile, the Jathedar sought to clear the air surrounding a 2015 “congratulatory” letter by the Takht addressed to Sikka. “It was misinterpreted in English, whereas the one issued in Punjabi never approved of the film,” he claimed.

    Sikh organizations, owing allegiance to Damdami Taksal have issued threats to theater owners that they will be responsible for any losses to their theaters in case they exhibited the movie. Similarly, threats have been given to viewers who have been cautioned against going to theaters to watch the movie.  to exhibit the film.

    The film is due for release on the day of Vaisakhi, April 13.

    (Source: TNS)

  • The most interesting comment of the week

    The most interesting comment of the week

    “Sure, making use of Donald Trump to keep Hillary Clinton from being president is a fascinating flourish by history’s Author, but the idea that the Almighty might use a porn star to make Mike Pence president represents, if anything, an even more amazing miracle. So, anyone interested in looking for the hand of God in history should probably welcome that miracle’s arrival, rather than resisting in the name of MAGA.”

    (Ross Douthat, Opinion Columnist, New York Times April 11, 2018)

  • April 6 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    April 6 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-April-06-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92256″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-April-06-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F04%2FTIP-April-6-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”92255″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TIP-April-6-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 limit=”8″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Indian American inducted into 2018 RGV Walk of Fame in Texas

    Indian American inducted into 2018 RGV Walk of Fame in Texas

    DALLAS (TIP): Indian American Barry Patel has been inducted into 2018 Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame at State Farm Arena which was sponsored by the City of Hidalgo, Texas, according to a Valley Morning Star report.

    Patel was nominated by the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce for the impact he has had on the community.

    Patel has built seven hotels on South Padre Island and owns a total of 22 hotels in the Valley which has resulted in $400 million revenue with employment for 500 to 600 people.

    Patel is also dedicated to the community of South Padre Island as he has served on numerous committees throughout the years and has been the Mayor of South Padre Island for the last three, while he continues to share his vision for the future of South Padre.

    He is currently constructing a new Marriot Hotel on the Island and his numerous development projects have made the Island a premier tourist destination as well as a beautiful home to its residents.

    Patel has also made the beaches of South Padre Island more beautiful and safe.

    According to a Valley Morning Star report, Patel has been supporting local non-profit organizations, community events and public organizations, and currently serves as a Chairman on the Cameron County Beach & Dune Protection Committee along with being an active member of the Asian American Hotel Owner’s Association.

    Patel has also been recognized by the RGV Hispanic Chamber, the Indian Association of the RGV, the Gujarati Samaj RGV, the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce and the RGV Partnership.

    He has a Bachelors in Pharmacy from the University of Bradford in England, he began his career as a pharmacist from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and was registered in Texas, Florida and New York.

    Patel’s family includes five brothers and one sister, together they all have 11 children and six grandchildren, according to a Valley Morning Star report.

    Patel is married to Jayshree Patel.