The Indian Panorama

Tag: Naresh

  • UCCA hosts Grand Musical Christmas Banquet in Chicago

    UCCA hosts Grand Musical Christmas Banquet in Chicago

    CHICAGO, IL (TIP):  A glittering evening replete with stirring melodious carols, dance presentations, inspiring remarks and uplifting yuletide sermonette marked the Grand Christmas Banquet celebrations organized by United Christian Cultural Association [UCCA] on Friday, December 16, 2022 at the Cotillion Banquet in Palatine, Illinois that drew a large gathering of families Illustrating the spirit of Christmas with interludes of beautiful strains of Christmas carols presented by Tollywood’s blockbuster music director Anup Reuben that elevated the festive merriment. This Grand Christmas celebration was strikingly enhanced by the presence of Ambassador Somnath Ghosh, Consul General of India who was joined by a host of community/business leaders representing all major faiths complemented by a large presence of families who converged to celebrate the grand pre-Christmas banquet.

    The evening encompassed mesmerizing musical performances presented by Tollywood’s blockbuster music director Anup Reuben and his ensemble who enthralled the guests with uplifting Christmas carols and musical hits. He presented a new genre of music, a fusion of the traditional Christmas songs transposed with upbeat melodies. Anup Reuben energized the entire evening with his zestful music and was later collectively honored and blessed by the clergy.

    The evening celebrations set off with the inter-faith lighting of the Christmas Candles led by Ambassador Somnath Ghosh, Consul General of India – who in his remarks – said

    Christmas festival manifests joy, peace and fosters fellowship with each other in the spirit of goodwill and love. Ambassador Somnath Ghosh outlined the history and applauded the role of Christians in contributing to help build modern India.   Ambassador Somnath Ghosh expressed his profound appreciation to the UCCA leaders for inviting him to the Christmas celebration program and complimented them for hosting such a grand festivity.

    Dr. Heyer Devarapalli, Founder Chair of UCCA welcomed the gathering and said UCCA has been in the forefront taking initiatives in hosting medical camps, charitable drives and other humanitarian work to help fellow human beings  – which he said represents the spirit of Christmas and Christianity. Dr. Paul Heyer Devarapalli acknowledged and thanked the fellow board and directors for their unstinted cooperation in hosting this grand Christmas banquet and showcasing the community’s strength of unity and its growing significance.

    Earlier, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori welcomed the gathering and introduced the chief guest Ambassador Somnath Ghosh, Consul General of India and later joined by UCCA leaders honored the ambassador by presenting a silk shawl and flower bouquet by UCCA’s women leaders.

    Raju Enoch Pasumarthi, UCCA President thanked the gathering of the families by unitedly celebrating Christmas and added that UCCA is geared up to announce an exciting series of summer programs for the community. Emmanuel Neela, UCCA Vice President recognized some of the prominent telugu community leaders. While Vasanth Charles proposed a vote of thanks. Satish Dadepogu unveiled UCCA’s plans for hosting a summer cricket tournament in partnership with the Illinois Cricket Association. Pastor Zadda Chakravorthy delivered a Christmas sermonette. Youth presented a Christmas Nativity play directed by Deena Pasumarthi and performed by Tina Devarapallli and Sharon Dadepogu. Ms. Angel Varghese gave a special dance performance.

    The Christmas candlelight ceremony was led by Havilah Devarapalli, Margaret Charles, Saritha Pasumarthi, Ujwala Neela and Persis Dadepogu. The event was eloquently emceed by Margaret Charles. Several community leaders were acknowledged at the evening including Ajeet Singh, Madan Pamulpati, Sreenivas Bopanna, Nick Verma, Subbu Iyer, Mahesh Kakarla, Sheshu Reddy, Hemachandra, Ramakrishna Nuna, Naresh, Khurram Syed, Nageshwari Cherikonda, Malati Domaraju, Vijay Ravoori, Rahul Viratapu.

    In closing UCCA President Raju Pasumarthi honored, Chicago community’s pastors Rev. Dr. David Vidyasagar, Rajamani Gounu,  Mrs. Subhadra Vipparthi, Victor Omega, Mathew Vattiprolu, Zadda Chakravorthy and Madhukar Bushi.

    The evening celebrations concluded with the entire hall luminous with candlelights while singing the traditional carol “Silent Night” which was followed by the serving of the festive dinner.

    (Photograph by Asian Media USA ; Press release by Staff writer)

  • Farmers ready to protest till Modi govt lasts, says Narendra Tikait

    Farmers ready to protest till Modi govt lasts, says Narendra Tikait

    New Delhi (TIP): Farmers are ready to continue protests on the borders of Delhi, against the three agricultural laws, for the remaining three and half years of the Narendra Modi government’s second term, said farmer leader Narendra Tikait. The protests cannot be “culled” he said. The farmers’ protest has been continuing for more than 100 days. Narendra Tikait does not hold any official position in the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), formed by his father, Mahendra Singh Tikait, in 1986. He mostly focuses on the family’s farming activities but is as vocal on farmers’ issues as his two elder brothers, Naresh and Rakesh Tikait, who are leading from the front.

    Speaking to news agency PTI, at his home in Muzaffarnagar’s Sisauli,  the 45-year-old farmer also said his two brothers and the entire Tikait family would leave the protest if any wrongdoing is proved against a single family member. Narendra Tikait rejected allegations of making money from the agitation.

    The eldest brother, Naresh Tikait is the BKU president, while Rakesh Tikait holds the position of national spokesperson of the organisation. BKU under Mahendra Singh Tikait’s leadership in 1988 had laid a virtual siege of Meerut demanding higher prices for sugarcane, cancellation of loans and lowering of water and electricity rates. The same year, BKU held a week-long protest in Delhi’s Boat Club to focus on the plight of farmers.

    After Mahendra Singh Tikait’s death in 2011, Naresh and Rakesh Tikait have been leading the BKU in various roles, though a number of factions have emerged in various parts of the country over the years.

    Narendra Tikait said the Centre thinks that it can “cull” the farmers’ protest like it has “culled” other agitations in the past using various tactics. “I am here in Sisauli but my eyes are on the protest,” he said, adding that he keeps visiting Ghazipur border where hundreds of farmers and BKU supporters are camping since November 2020.

    “This government has a misconception, probably because it never faced such kind of protest, but we have seen agitations and been part of those for 35 years. This government only has an experience of facing smaller protests and of getting those culled through various tactics,” Mr Tikait said. “They cannot crush this protest by any means. This will continue for as long as our demands are not met. This government has a tenure of three and a half years left, and we can continue the movement till the end of its term,” he said.

    “If the government keeps saying again and again that crops would be bought at MSP, then why cannot they give this in writing? They keep harping about giving subsidies on LPG cylinders, but that subsidy is also gone,” he said. Mr Tikait alleged that the Centre has done the same to the school education sector where private institutes are thriving and minting money while the condition of government facilities are suffering.