The Indian Panorama

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  • President-elect Donald Trump’s transition says several of his Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks.”

    President-elect Donald Trump’s transition says several of his Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks,” Trump’s transition said on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, an AP Report said.

    “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

    She said the attacks “ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting.’ In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.” Swatting entails generating an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses.

    The FBI said in a statement that it is “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

    Among those targeted was New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Mr. Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations.

    Her office said that, Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County.

    “New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism,” her office said in a statement. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.”

    In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning.”

    While a family member resides at the address, they said “former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. “The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.”

    Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.

    The threats follow a political campaign marked by unusual violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The U.S. Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump’s West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing.

  • Diwali in US gains official holiday status in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York

    Diwali in US gains official holiday status in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York

    NEW YORK (TIP): As the glow of Diwali approaches, this festival of lights is gaining unprecedented recognition in the United States, showcasing the nation’s commitment to celebrating cultural diversity. With states like Pennsylvania leading the initiative, Diwali is being officially acknowledged, reflecting its growing significance in American society.

    In a historic move, Pennsylvania has become the first state in the US to officially declare Diwali as a public holiday. This decision underscores the state’s commitment to inclusivity and cultural appreciation. The recognition of Diwali not only honors the festival’s significance but also celebrates the diverse communities that partake in its festivities.

    Following Pennsylvania’s lead, Texas has also announced Diwali as an official public holiday. The state’s lively celebrations reflect the importance of the festival, inviting residents to engage in activities that promote hope and goodwill. Texas’s acknowledgment of Diwali exemplifies the growing appreciation for diverse cultural practices across the nation.

    New Jersey has joined the ranks of states celebrating Diwali, showcasing a commitment to fostering cultural diversity. The recognition of this festival of lights in New Jersey highlights the state’s dedication to creating an inclusive environment for its residents and embracing the rich tapestry of cultures that contribute to its identity.

    In New York, known for its cultural diversity, Diwali has been embraced as an official holiday. This recognition allows communities from various backgrounds to come together in joyous celebrations, fostering cultural exchange and unity. New York’s vibrant Diwali events reflect the importance of the festival in bringing people together to share in the spirit of togetherness.

    The celebration of Diwali extends beyond the United States, with numerous countries recognizing it as a public holiday.

    Nations such as Fiji, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago honor the festival’s significance and the universal values it represents, showcasing its global appeal and message of light triumphing over darkness.

  • Why did Modi return without meeting Trump, Kamala Harris?

    A comment from Trump the previous week, suggesting that PM Modi was coming to meet him, had sparked speculation as to whether the Republican candidate would appear in New York City or at the diaspora event at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island.
    However, according to the report, PM Modi’s tight schedule left limited time to meet either of the candidates, who themselves were engaged in election campaigning.
    The report added that polite inquiries about his schedule from those interested in arranging a meeting might have indeed occurred, and they proved enough for Trump to assume that PM Modi sought an audience with him.
    This would be in keeping with Trump’s past behaviour, according to the report. For example, during a 2019 meeting with then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Oval Office, Trump had claimed that PM Modi had requested him to mediate in the Kashmir dispute. New Delhi had to publicly deny Trump’s statement.
    However, PM Modi had invited Trump, then the US President, to the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston in 2019, where a crowd of 50,000 attendees had impressed Trump, who has a known fascination with crowd sizes.
    This event was followed by Trump’s 2020 visit to India, where he was welcomed with the “Namaste Trump” rally, organised by PM Modi in Ahmedabad, with 100,000 people packed into the newly-constructed stadium named after Modi.
    The tight schedule might not have been the only reason for PM Modi to miss out on any possible meetings with the candidates.
    According to the Times of India report, despite Trump praising PM Modi ahead of his US visit on Friday and calling him a “fantastic” leader, while hinting at a potential meeting, the Indian side might have decided to exercise caution based on past experience with American politics.
    For example, the 2019 rally, where PM Modi had appeared to openly endorse Trump’s re-election bid by echoing the slogan “Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar”, had led to some criticism.
    Given that this phrase was coined by Trump’s Indian-American supporters, who often see similarities between the two leaders as strong and assertive figures, some American commentators also suggested that PM Modi was backing Trump for a second term in 2020.
    After Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, New Delhi had to reportedly recalibrate its approach to the new Democratic administration in Washington, which included Kamala Harris as Vice-President.
    With this past experience in mind, the report said that PM Modi’s advisors appeared to have decided to avoid meeting either presidential candidate, with the excuse of “scheduling difficulties” due to everyone’s busy agendas.
    Trump was, in fact, speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Monday night while PM Modi departed for New Delhi. Meanwhile, Harris, balancing her vice-presidential duties with campaign commitments, was in Washington DC, preparing to head to Pennsylvania, the most crucial among battleground states in the US elections.

  • 42nd India Day Parade carries the message “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”- the world is a family

    42nd India Day Parade carries the message “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”- the world is a family

    Mr. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York, is being welcomed by the master of ceremonies at the Review Stand. They are flanked by a former president of FIA Alok Kumar (left) and Dr. Avinash Gupta, FIA President (right) , Senior Advisor to FIA Dr. Sudhir Parikh.

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): With 26 floats and scores of marching groups, the New York City came alive on Sunday, August 18, as the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) hosted the world’s largest annual India Day Parade outside India, honoring India’s Independence Day.

    This year marked the 42nd celebration, drawing thousands of participants and spectators from the Indian-American community to celebrate their rich culture. The parade started at 12 PM local time at 38th Street and Madison Avenue. This year’s theme, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is One Family,” emphasizes social harmony and cultural unity, fostering a sense of belonging that transcends boundaries. The Consulate General of India, led by CG Binaya S. Pradhan and DCG Dr. Varun Jeph, provided invaluable support for the event. CG Pradhan expressed his pride, stating, “It’s a moment to see the best of India represented here. We celebrate our cultural, historic, and educational achievements today.”

    Grand Marshall Pankaj Tripathi addresses the spectators from the Review stand.
    Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, a spiritual leader, blesses the crowd at the Ram Mandir replica float.

    Our phenomenal Grand Marshal Sonakshi Sinha took the lead at the parade, with her husband, Bollywood actor Zaheer Iqbal by her side. The guests of honor included the talented Indian actor Pankaj Tripathi and the charismatic Bhojpuri celebrity and public figure Manoj Tiwari.

    FIA President Dr. Avinash Gupta highlighted the importance of the parade’s theme, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” on India’s Independence Day. He stated, “On this day, we celebrate democracy, unity in diversity, and inclusiveness.” The parade showcased vibrant floats representing India’s diverse communities, including a grand 18x9x8 foot replica of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, symbolizing a historic victory for all Indians. Other notable floats included the newly constructed Nalanda University, the world’s first residential university, founded in 427 CE and led by BJANA, GANA depicting the state of Gujarat in India, and many more.

    Dr. Samin Sharma, Grand sponsor waves the national flag
    Manoj Sinha is seen on BJANA float

    The Indian Panorama float highlighted the Sikh tradition of martyrdom, heroism and sacrifices for the country. It had the pictures of the supreme martyr Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Four Sahibzadas , and of freedom fighters like Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh. Also, the float displayed pictures of modern-day Sikh soldiers like Air Chief Marshall Arjan Singh, Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, and General J.S. Arora, the hero of the surrender of 95000 Pakistani troops led by General Niazi in Bangla Desh in 1971.

    The Indian Panorama float
    Begumpura Society Dr. Ambedkar float

    The crowd was as loud and lively as the music played and colors worn as those in attendance celebrated 78 years of India’s independence. It was an inspiring display of inclusivity and unity in diversity, as individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and religions came together to celebrate their love and pride for India. Each person proudly represented their unique Indian identity, transcending prejudices and celebrating their country by waving Indian and American flags in unison as one big family.

    Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, the respected spiritual leader of Juna Akhada, also graced the event, attracting a large crowd of devotees seeking his blessings. He mentioned that he had come to New York to take part in the India Day Parade at the request of the Indian-American community. “People are enthusiastic as they participate in the India Day Parade. Different tableaus featuring India’s divine culture, our Kalajayi, Mrityunjaya, and Sanatan culture, and its values are seen here. All tableaus are very wonderful here,’ he stated looking impressed.

    Desis in NYPD march in the parade.

    Following the parade, attendees gathered at the Cultural Stage, where a variety of performances showcased India’s rich and diverse traditions. Manoj Tiwari, looking at the cheering crowds, said, “Itna pyar dekhkar mujhe yakeen hai ki America mai bhi Bharat basata hai (Seeing so much love, I am convinced that India resides in America too) ”

    Dhol Tasha group was a great attraction.

    Sonakshi Sinha expressed her gratitude for representing the nation, sharing her excitement as her father, Shatrughan Sinha, had served as Grand Marshal in 1985. All celebrities warmly engaged and entertained the audience, bringing their unique talents to the stage.

    Pankaj Tripathi was visibly emotional upon seeing the Baba Ambedkar float, expressing his heartfelt gratitude: “The sheer amount of love and support from the diaspora here in the United States is truly overwhelming. Your presence makes us all proud.’”

    The festival featured a vibrant stage for cultural performances, where artists presented both traditional and contemporary Indian music and dance. The performances beautifully epitomized the theme of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one family.

    Sonakshi and Zaheer Iqbal entertained the spectators.

    Each dance told a unique story, harmonizing the grace of Bharatnatyam and Kathak with the energetic beats of Bhangra and the joyful movements of Garba. This fusion created a breathtaking experience, celebrating unity in diversity. With over 45 booths and food stalls, attendees enjoyed a sensory feast of Indian cuisine and crafts. From spicy street food to handcrafted goods, the festival was a lively celebration of Indian culture in all its forms.

    The India Day Parade 2024 was a resounding success, offering a joyful and immersive experience of Indian culture to New Yorkers and visitors alike. When asked about the mantra behind the parade’s success each year, FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya stated, “Our mantra is our vibrant community and thriving diaspora, who are proud, inclusive, diverse, and, most importantly, united. May the United States and our motherland, India, reach new heights of success.”

    Manoj Sinha regaled the audience with his songs
    Pankaj Tripathi stole the heart of the pleased crowd

    This mega undertaking was made possible through the generous support of partners, including Holtech, Mount Sinai, The Consulate General of India-NY, State Bank of India, RWJ Barnabas, ICICI, Simplify TARA, Bombino, Andaaz, Landeed, Dunkin, Times Group, Bansal Foundation, Siddhivinayak Temple-USA, BJANA, GANA, AAPI, MOCAAPI, and ESB. Media outlets such as TV Asia, Parikh Worldwide Media, New India Abroad, The Indian Panorama, South Asian Times, and many others who played a crucial role in elevating this landmark event.

    The festivities concluded with a grand Independence Gala held at the National Museum of the American Indians that brought together over 450 members of the Indian community and esteemed guests. Attendees enjoyed a diverse menu provided by Andaaz Restaurant, located in Franklin Park, NJ, which offered a delectable array of traditional Indian dishes. Manan Saxena, owner of Andaaz, also took the stage to discuss the banquet menu and its significance in supporting this initiative.

    A key focus of the evening was the “Zero Food Waste Mission,” emphasized by Nirali and Rohit Korat, founders of Gracia Marcom, a purpose-driven agency that highlighted the importance of sustainability and minimizing food waste during the event.

    Local artists gave a dance performance.

    The parade left a lasting impression of the vibrant spirit and unity of the Indian diaspora in New York City, celebrating not just a day, but a shared heritage that continues to thrive.

    FIA, in the press release said it was grateful for the heartfelt turnout and all those who attended, participated, and volunteered to make this iconic celebration a memorable one.

    (Based on a press release)

    A view of the general gathering in the parade.
  • 12 years since Wisconsin gurdwara shooting in Oak Creek, ‘the lessons learnt since then’

    12 years since Wisconsin gurdwara shooting in Oak Creek, ‘the lessons learnt since then’

    US lawmakers pay tributes to Sikh victims on 12th anniversary of massacre

    NEW YORK (TIP): US lawmakers paid tributes to the members of the Sikh community who were killed in a massacre at a Milwaukee gurdwara 12 years ago, underscoring the need to reject bigotry and recommit to fighting hate and racism, as well as ending the gun violence epidemic in America. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited the Oak Creek Sikh Temple in the Wisconsin city on the 12th anniversary of the “deadliest massacre of Sikhs on US soil” when a white supremacist claimed the lives of seven members of the Sikh community, according to a statement issued here Monday by the US Mission to the United Nations Spokesperson Nate Evans. “The Ambassador joined the victims’ families, community members, and temple leaders to honor those lives lost and lead a conversation on their ongoing efforts to combat hate against marginalized communities,” the statement said.

    Thomas-Greenfield “heard firsthand accounts of the impact of hate crimes, reiterated the ongoing efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration and across the UN to promote religious freedom, and commended the families of the victims, whose remarkable resilience allowed the tragedy to become a point of necessary reform”.

    On August 5, 2012, Wade Michael Page (40) entered the gurdwara in Oak Creek and opened fire, as members of the congregation had gathered to prepare for Sunday service.

    The victims of the massacre were Suveg Singh Khattra (84), Satwant Singh Kaleka (65), Ranjit Singh (49), Sita Singh (41), Paramjit Kaur (41), Prakash Singh (39) and Baba Punjab Singh (72).

    Baba Punjab Singh had remained almost fully paralyzed after being shot during the attack and passed away in March 2020 from complications related to his injuries.

    Members of The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released statements in observance of the anniversary. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois said that Sikh Americans were killed and others injured after the white supremacist, driven by hate and bigotry, opened fire at the Oak Creek Gurdwara in Wisconsin.

    “Today, as we remember the lives lost and impacted by this senseless act of violence, we must recommit ourselves to fighting hate, racism, and prejudice in all its forms, as well as ending the gun violence epidemic in America,” he said.

    Krishnamoorthi said that all Americans should be able to worship and practice their faiths without fear, and “it falls on all of us to make the United States a better and more tolerant country for people of all faiths and backgrounds”.

    Representative Ro Khanna of California said that the Sikh community was devastated by a senseless act of hate, bigotry and violence. “As my CAPAC colleagues and I remember and grieve the six innocent lives lost, we are more committed than ever to pushing for transformative gun legislation. It is our duty as a nation to work together to remove weapons of war and ensure everyone is safe to worship without fear,” he said.

    Representative Shri Thanedar of Michigan said that on the anniversary of this tragic event, “we reaffirm that violence against any group is never acceptable. As the Chair of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain American Congressional Caucus, I am committed to ensuring that Sikhs and all other religious groups can practice their religion freely without fearing for their safety.” Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington stressed the need to “recommit to fighting the scourge of bigotry and racism that we see directed at the AAPI community. On this difficult day, I send my prayers and strength to the Oak Creek community and Sikh communities across the country and stand with them in the battle against both hate and gun violence”.

    CAPAC Chair Representative Judy Chu of California said the “horrific act of hate and gun violence” in the place of worship should not happen anywhere.

    “Sikh Americans, and all Americans, deserve to live, learn, worship, and play with a sense of safety. White supremacy, hate, and xenophobia rip apart the fabric of equality and unity that binds our nation, and we must reject any bigotry that puts more lives at risk,” Chu said.

    CAPAC First Vice Chair Representative Grace Meng of New York said, “We must remain committed to standing up against bigotry and racism in all its forms. In the United States diversity is our strength.

    CAPAC Chair Representative Judy Chu of California said the “horrific act of hate and gun violence” in the place of worship should not happen anywhere.

    “Sikh Americans, and all Americans, deserve to live, learn, worship, and play with a sense of safety. White supremacy, hate, and xenophobia rip apart the fabric of equality and unity that binds our nation, and we must reject any bigotry that puts more lives at risk,” Chu said.

    CAPAC First Vice Chair Representative Grace Meng of New York said, “We must remain committed to standing up against bigotry and racism in all its forms. In the United States diversity is our strength.

    “There is no place for the mass violence and religious intolerance that took place in Oak Creek. As a nation we must remain committed to creating a more tolerant and accepting society where everyone can freely and safely worship without the fear of violence and persecution.”

    CAPAC Whip Rep. Ted Lieu of California said white supremacy and xenophobia have no place in America. “Together, we must ensure that all individuals, regardless of religion, race, or ethnicity, can live without fear for their safety.” Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers proclaimed August 5 2024 as ’12th Anniversary of the Oak Creek Sikh Temple Shooting’ throughout the state. It said that the “anniversary remains a painful reminder of the work that still must be done to protect all communities in the United States against the rising threat of targeted, hate-fueled violence, it is also a shining example of resilience in the face of tragedy, and a continued, shared hope that a better tomorrow can exist for all.”

  • A Conversation with Dr. Avinash Gupta, President of FIA NY NJ CT NE on the forthcoming India Day Parade in New York City

    A Conversation with Dr. Avinash Gupta, President of FIA NY NJ CT NE on the forthcoming India Day Parade in New York City

    The India Day Parade organized by the FIA NY NJ CT NE in New York City is billed as the largest India Day Parade outside of India. And it is just a few days away. The Indian Panorama spoke with the FIA President Dr. Avinash Gupta on August 4 to know about the preparations for the 42nd edition of the parade on August 18.

    Here are some excerpts.

    TIP: Thank you for taking out your time to speak with the Indian Panama. The world famous, one of the largest India Day parades, and the largest India Day Parade outside of India is just about a few days away now, and as the time  comes nearer, in spite of the arrangements that you have had in place till now, you might be quite nervous. Are you?

    Avinash: It’s natural to be nervous, but I’m very much at it because of our hardworking and dedicated team. And you will be surprised to know that our preparation starts the day after the parade for next year. So,  it was a long time and long way.

    TIP: So, you got the whole year to prepare for it.

    Avinash: Yes, we have to take the New York City permits; we have to have floats. We have to put up the review stand, press stand. Then we have to arrange for a gala. We have to select caterers. Then  there is a cultural program. And the biggest and most difficult is to get the celebrities from India.

    TIP: You have a very impressive array of guests this year,  I think, topped by the  famous Bihari origin  famous Bollywood actress Sonakshi  Sinha.  If I am not mistaken, she is going to be the Grand Marshal.

    Avinash: Yes. Our theme this year is Vasudhaiv   Kutambakam. World is one family. And we are celebrating unity and diversity and inclusiveness.  I’m proud to announce that our Grand Marshal is Bollywood superstar  Sonakshi Sinha, and we have two guests of honor. One is a versatile actor, Mr. Pankaj Tripathy,  and the other is Member of Indian Parliament,  and  actor and singer, Mr. Manoj Tiwari.

    TIP: Is it a coincidence, or it’s by design that you have all the three coming from Bihar.

    Avinash:  It’s just a coincidence.

    TIP: Somebody was saying, look here the president this year is from Bihar or Jharkhand, if you prefer to say.  Because he’s from there  so he has a preference for people from his own state .Is that so?

    Avinash: No, that’s not true. It was just a coincidence. Just a coincidence, because these three names are recognized all over India. They are pan global stars.

    TIP: The head of the organization  is a Bihari. And the three  guests that are coming to the to bring glory to your career, they also happen to be Bihari. So, do we call it a Bihar affair?

    Avinash:  Not at all. I’m a proud Bihari, but before that, I’m a proud Indian, and we are celebrating India’s Independence Day.  We have to show our strength. There are 5 million of us in this country, and we don’t have a say. But I’m very much excited that more and more people are coming into mainstream, whether it is science, technology or even politics. And that day, just like you saw the sea of blue after the World Cup win, you will see a sea of American Indians, or I would say, Indian Americans in Madison Avenue, between 38th Street and 28th Street.

    TIP:  Besides those three names that you have taken, who are celebrities in their own right, and they are coming here as your special guests, what other celebrities or VIPs do you think would be appearing at the parade?

    Avinash:  I’m proud to announce that Mayor of New York City  has always come. And this year also he has he’s coming. And this year, Governor of New York State Kathy Hochul will also be there.

    TIP: Can you give us an outline of the program for the 18th, the day of the parade?

    Avinash: Actually, before the parade which is on the 18th ,  we have 15th of August, which is the Independence Day. We  hoist a tricolor on Times Square, and we have been doing it for three years.

    TIP: And what time is that?

    Avinash: It’s at 1030 AM at  Times Square.

    TIP:  And is it  open to public?

    Avinash:  It’s open to public, and usually the Consul General  hoists the flag,  and we invite all the local congressmen, senators. And then in the evening, we have lighting of the Empire State Building in tricolor. And we are going to get a celebrity to do that. And then after  the 15th of August, on  Sunday, August 18 is the parade. We start at 12  noon  from 38th Street and Madison Avenue  and march all the way down to 28th Street. And then there are  booths. We have lot of booths, and they are all filled up. We have food booths. Vendors are there. They are promoting local business. So, although the premium booth is  for $2500 and standard booth is for $1500 there is a special pricing for  women entrepreneur. We just don’t talk women empowerment; we practice it also. For women entrepreneur it is only $500. Then we have the Gala.  It’s a grand Gala, and this year it is a very relevant location- Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian in Battery Park, One Bowling Green, from  six o’clock to 10 o’clock .

    TIP: Is it on the same day- August 18?

    Avinash: Yes, the same day, same day, the 18th. All the celebrities will be there. The governor will be there. And all the businesspeople, who’s who of New York City and tri state area are there. So,  it’s a good opportunity to meet with the celebrities and also network with the businesspeople. And like I said, Who’s Who of New York is there.

    TIP: That apart.  What is there for the common people who would be coming to the parade? They would of course, be watching the parade. And also, you said there is a cultural program. Is it  open to public?

    Avinash: Yes. Cultural program is open to public.

    TIP: And what my readers would like to know from you, the kind of program that you are presenting, the artist who are coming?

    Avinash: There is a patriotic dress competition.

    TIP: That’s something new.

    Avinash:  And that’s very popular. And there is cash prize for that, and a ticket to the gala also. And then in the cultural program which is  actually very top class, because all the famous dance schools will participate. And this year, Mr. Manoj Tiwari has agreed to sing there. So,  that will be an added attraction, in addition to all the dance schools.

    TIP: Are the celebrities  going to appear on the stage?

    Avinash: Yes, all three celebrities, and that’s on 25th Street from 2. 30 PM to 5 PM.

    TIP: How  many people do you expect in this parade this year?

    Avinash: We are expecting more people this year because of all the three celebrities and so,  definitely more than 100,000 or  150,000 people  on both sides of the street, and the highlight of this year is the  Ram Mandir afloat.

    TIP Can you  please talk about Ram Mandir float?

    Avinash: Yeah. So, this is the exact replica of the Ram Mandir, which was built in Ayodhya after 500 years of wait, and  all the Ram bhaktas  are going to march with the float. And this float has already been built and shipped from India, and it’s being assembled as we speak. And there are   nine streets and  18 corners. There will be Ram Bhaktas  there. Each corner is assigned to a temple, and the people are coming by  bus to the corner, and there they will be provided refreshment  when they reach there, and they will be given  flower petals to shower on the Ram Mandir when the Ram Mandir float passes through that street.

    TIP: Some time ago, there was  a mention about FIA organizing a bhandara. Can you comment on that?

    Avinash: Yeah.  So,  we are still planning on that. We are talking to Mr. Vikas Khanna who is the celebrity Chef.  He was planning to do the bhandara.  We will give to  5000 people  the Prasad,  some of it is coming from Ayodhya directly

    TIP: This food will not be for everybody, because there will be so many people?

    Avinash: Yeah. first come, first served.

    TIP: And where will it be served ?

    Avinash: It will be in the booth area.

    TIP: So, Mr. Khanna will have a booth there?

    Avinash: Yes.  that would be after the parade.

    TIP: How  many booths you  think are there?

    Avinash: Now, there are 50 booths, and 30 of them are already filled up.

    TIP: 30 of them?  20 are left?  You said, for women, it’s a subsidized rate at $500?

    Avinash: Yes.

    TIP: Another thing about the floats. How many floats are going to be there, besides the Ram Mandir float?  Is it going to be the first float?

    Avinash: Actually, every year we have a Siddhi  Vinayak temple float . They come first.  Ram Mandir float will be the second. And then FIA float, then Consulate float,  State Bank of India float. So, that’s like that.

    TIP: How many floats are there?

    Avinash: 25 floats are already registered, but we are expecting at least 10 more. And we have invited all religious entities, all ethnic entities, all states. And I have been talking constantly to everybody. So, the Christians are participating, Muslims are participating, and Sikhs hopefully will participate also.

    TIP: I remember you mentioning this at the time of the curtain raiser in the Consulate. Very clearly you said that you invite to all people, people belonging to all faiths, to come with their religious signs. People belonging  to all states, all kinds of people are welcome because it is India Day Parade.  I remember very distinctly you said that, and that was very good of you. It was taken in a very good spirit, in the right spirit that you wanted to convey to people. So, is there  anything that you would expect in particular from community?

    Avinash: Yes, definitely.  I appeal to all the community members with family and friends to give your three hours and come to the parade and enjoy. There will be something for everybody. The colorful floats, the food stalls, the DJ music,  Gala, cultural program. So,  there will be something for everybody. So,  everybody should come and show our strength, show our unity in diversity and inclusiveness, and enjoy the parade.

    I hope readers of The Indian Panorama have a fairly  good idea of what they can expect at the world famous, the largest India Day Parade outside of India in New York City on Sunday, August 18. Get set and come over for a lovely experience. Let me tell you, the weather god is pleased , and it is going to be a perfect weather for an outing. Come yourself, bring your family, friends and neighbors, in particular the non-Indian ones. Let them know who we are and what we value.

    Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

     

  • Indian Consulate in New York is worried about travel agents’ malpractices

    Indian Consulate in New York is worried about travel agents’ malpractices

    They overcharge and submit fake documents

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Consul General of India in New York Mr. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan on August 7, invited the media persons to the Consulate to brief them on the consular services and to share with them his worries about the malpractices indulged in by the travel agents.

    Mr. Pradhan first spoke about the growing Indian student population  in his jurisdiction which has 10 States. They face  various kinds of situations to meet which they need the guidance from the community. The  Consulate, Mr. Pradhan said, is constantly in touch with the students, and their needs are always considered on a priority basis. The various services being provided and the digital platforms created by the Consulate for providing information  etc. were part of the Consul General’s address.

    Finally, the Consul General touched upon the issue for which he had invited the media persons. He said that several instances have come to the notice of the Consulate where travel agents have overcharged applicants for assistance in getting Consular services. He said the Consulate or the VFS do not charge any extra fee other than the one stipulated by the Consulate. Mr. Pradhan  spoke about fake documents being submitted by these agents. He also said that a number of fake E-Visa websites, claiming to provide E-visa services, were active on the internet.

    He sought the help of the TV channels and newspapers in cautioning the public against falling prey to the unscrupulous agents, and avail the services directly from the Consulate and the VFS Global, the designated agents to provide consular services.

    The information about the fees for various services can easily be found at the Consulate’s website https://www.indiainnewyork.gov.in, and at the VFS Global website https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/ind/.

  • Pakistani man charged for plotting to kill Donald Trump

    Pakistani man charged for plotting to kill Donald Trump

    NEW YORK (TIP): A Pakistani citizen has been charged in an elaborate plot that reads like a spy thriller to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

    US Attorney General Merrick Garland, who announced the charges against Asif Merchant on Tuesday, August 5, indicated that the target was Trump, but did not name him.

    “For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani,” he said. Trump was the US President who ordered the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020, which points the assassination plot towards Trump. According to court documents, others may also have been intended victims because of the mention of targets in the plural.

    Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) Chief Christopher Wray said, “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook.”

    The alleged plotter, who is also known as Asif Raza Merchant, told officials that he has two wives, one each in Pakistan and in Iran, as well as children in both countries.

    In the complaint filed in the Federal court in Brooklyn, the plot reads like a spy thriller with an elaborate scheme to burglarize the home of a target, creating diversions with protests and rallies, and killing the politician. It also included a show of bonding between Merchant, 46, and the undercover officers he thought were professional killers.

    The court papers said the plot involved multiple elements: stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; planning protests, and killing a politician or government official.

    Merchant made up code names for each element in the plot: “tee-shirt” for protests, “flannel shirt” for stealing documents, “fleece jacket” for the assassination, and “yarn-dye” for their meetings. To entice the person, he contacted first and who informed officials, Merchant told him that he has an uncle in the “yarn-dyed” business in Pakistan and he could go into business with them.He asked the government source he thought was an assassin for hire to explain how the target would die in different scenarios.

    The revelation about this plot comes less than a month after the July 13 failed assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. However, there does not seem to be a connection between the plot by Merchant and that attempt, which officials have said was carried out by a lone wolf, a person unconnected to any group or organization.

    The plot failed because Merchant tried to recruit FBI agents for the assassination attempt.

    “Fortunately, the assassins Merchant tried to hire were undercover FBI agents,” said Christie Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director of the New York FBI Field Office.

    He was arrested on July 12 as he was getting ready to catch a flight out of the country.

    Merchant arrived in the US in April from Pakistan after spending time in Iran, according to the version of the plot in court papers.

    He contacted a person he thought could help him and that person reported it to law enforcement and became a confidential source. In mid-June, Merchant met with people he thought were hitmen, but were undercover US law enforcement officers (the UCs) in New York.

    He told them he wanted them to steal documents, arrange protests at political rallies, and kill a “political person”.

    The plot would have to be carried out after he left the country and in either the last week of August or the first week of September they would be told who the target was, Merchant told the undercover officers. He received $5,000 from overseas and made a down payment to the undercover agents.

    According to the court papers, one of the agents said after getting the money, “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant responded: “Yes, absolutely.”

    Political violence is a constant worry in the US.

    Last week, a man was arrested in Virginia for allegedly threatening to kill the Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris. “Kamala Harris needs to be put on fire alive. I will do it personally if no one else does… I want her to suffer a slow agonizing death,” Frank Lucio Carillo posted on a right-wing social media site, according to the FBI complaint in a Federal court. He also allegedly threatened President Joe Biden and FBI Chief Wray.

  • Pelosi raises doubts about Biden’s presidential race, Clooney asks him to end campaign

    Pelosi raises doubts about Biden’s presidential race, Clooney asks him to end campaign

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden must decide quickly whether to stay in the 2024 White House race, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a long-time Biden ally, said on Wednesday, July 10, while declining to say definitively that she wanted him to run, says a Reuters report.

    In an opinion piece published on Wednesday in the New York Times, Hollywood star George Clooney, a Democrat who co-hosted a fundraiser for Biden last month, withdrew his support.

    Pelosi’s remarks, which ignored Biden’s repeated insistence that he remains in the race, suggested he could face a fresh wave of doubts from fellow Democrats.

    For nearly two weeks the 81-year-old Biden has sought to stem defections by Democratic lawmakers, donors and other allies worried he might lose the Nov 5 vote to Republican Donald Trump, 78, after Biden’s halting June 27 debate performance.

    Pelosi said on MSNBC she was encouraging her colleagues on Capitol Hill with concerns about Biden to refrain from airing them while he hosts NATO leaders in Washington this week.

    “I’ve said to everyone: let’s just hold off. Whatever you’re thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don’t have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week,” she said, describing Biden’s strong remarks at the NATO summit on Tuesday as “spectacular”. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”

    In his opinion piece, Clooney wrote: “It’s devastating to say it… He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” Clooney wrote. “We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate.”

  • President meets with Democratic governors for ‘candid’ talks as he seeks to reassure his party and the public

    President meets with Democratic governors for ‘candid’ talks as he seeks to reassure his party and the public

    Governors admit worries but rally behind Biden : ‘We have his back’

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A group of leading Democratic governors offered words of support for Joe Biden on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the president to leave the race. The governors, including Tim Walz of Minnesota, Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York, held a closed-door meeting with Biden in Washington as he sought to reassure his party – and the public – that he is up to the job after a shaky debate performance.

    Biden met for more than an hour at the White House in person and virtually with more than 20 governors from his party. The governors told reporters afterward that the conversation was “candid” and said they expressed concerns about Biden’s debate performance last week. They reiterated that defeating Donald Trump in November was the priority, but said they were still standing behind Biden and did not join other Democrats who have been urging him to withdraw his candidacy.

    “We, like many Americans, are worried,” Walz of Minnesota said. “We are all looking for the path to win – all the governors agree with that. President Biden agrees with that. He has had our backs through Covid … the governors have his back. We’re working together just to make very, very clear that a path to victory in November is the No 1 priority and that’s the No 1 priority of the president … The feedback was good. The conversation was honest.” “The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” added Moore of Maryland. He said Biden “was very clear that he’s in this to win it”.

    “We were honest about the feedback we’re getting … and the concerns we’re hearing from people,” Moore said. “We’re going to have his back … the results we’ve been able to see under this administration have been undeniable.”

    The meeting capped a tumultuous day for Biden as members of his own party, and a major democratic donor, urged him to step aside amid questions over his fitness for office. Two Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to exit the race, and a third Congressman said he had “grave concerns” about Biden’s ability to beat Trump. The White House, meanwhile, was forced to deny reports that Biden is weighing whether his candidacy is still viable. Biden, for his part, has forcefully insisted that he is staying in the race.

    “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out,” Biden said on a call with staffers from his re-election campaign. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”

    Kamala Harris has also stood by his side, despite some insiders reportedly rallying around her as a possible replacement. “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead,” the vice-president reportedly told staffers on Wednesday.

    Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer also threw her support behind Biden. “He is in it to win it and I support him,” she said on Twitter/X after the meeting.

    Whitmer is one of several Democratic governors who have been cited as possible replacements if Biden were to withdraw his candidacy. Gavin Newsom, whose name has also been floated, flew in for the governors’ meeting on Wednesday, saying afterwards: “I heard three words from the president tonight – he’s all in. And so am I.”

    Newsom has been a top surrogate for Biden’s re-election campaign, but has also garnered increasing buzz as a potential replacement if Biden were to withdraw. He was swarmed by reporters after the debate ended last week, some asking him if he’d replace Biden.

    A Siena College/New York Times poll released Wednesday suggested Trump’s lead had increased since the debate, with him winning 49% of likely voters compared to 43% for Biden. Only 48% of Democrats in the poll said Biden should remain the nominee. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday, July 2,  said that former first lady Michelle Obama is the only hypothetical candidate to definitively defeat Trump, but she has previously said she’s not running. That poll had Biden and Trump tied.

    Meanwhile, as Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to withdraw his candidacy following last week’s poor debate performance, Kamala Harris has emerged as the frontrunner to replace him.

    Senior sources at the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee  told the media  that the vice-president was the top alternative.

    Harris, a former senator from California, has stood by the president’s side as he weathers the debate fallout this week, and reportedly told campaign staffers on Wednesday: “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead.”

    A CNN poll published Tuesday, July 2,   found Harris “within striking distance of Trump in a hypothetical matchup” – 47% supporting the former president, and 45% supporting Harris, a result within the margin of error. The Biden-Trump matchup in that poll had Trump earning 49% of votes and Biden earning 43%. Harris’s modest advantage was due partly to her having broader support from women and independents, CNN said.

    With two Democratic congressmen now publicly calling on Biden to step aside, other party leaders have privately suggested they favor Harris as his potential replacement, according to reports. Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader, signaled to members that she would be the best option, the Washington Post reported.

    James Clyburn, a senior congressional Democrat, said publicly he’d support Harris if Biden were to withdraw his candidacy, urging Democrats to “do everything to bolster her, whether she’s in second place or at the top of the ticket”. Summer Lee, a House Democrat from Pennsylvania, also said Wednesday that Harris was the “obvious choice” to replace Biden, if he decided not to run.

    Some Harris supporters who are advocating she take over the campaign have argued that she would perform better than Biden with Black and Latino communities, and that she is a more powerful abortion-rights spokesperson than Biden.

    Skeptics, however, have noted that Harris also remains fairly unpopular and have pointed to polls suggesting she has vulnerabilities in terms of voters’ trust in her ability to handle immigration, China relations and Israel’s war on Gaza.

    The other names that have been floated as possible replacements include California governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois governor J B Pritzker and Kentucky governor Andy Beshear. The Reuters poll, however, suggested they would all perform worse than Biden and Harris. If Harris became the presidential candidate, she could take over the funds raised by the campaign since the account is registered under Biden and Harris.

    On Wednesday, the White House also announced a series of “summer of engagement” events for Harris, including visits to New Orleans, Las Vegas, Dallas and Indianapolis.

    (Agencies)

  • The US Supreme Court upholds access to a widely available abortion pill

    The US Supreme Court upholds access to a widely available abortion pill

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 13, maintained access to a widely available abortion pill, rejecting a bid from a group of anti-abortion organizations and doctors to undo the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.

    In a unanimous decision, written by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, the court held that the anti-abortion groups lacked a direct stake in the dispute, a requirement to challenge the F.D.A.’s approval of the pill, mifepristone.

    “The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone,” Justice Kavanaugh wrote. “And F.D.A. is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything.”

    He added, “A plaintiff ’s desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue.”

    The case originally sought to erase the F.D.A.’s approval of mifepristone. But by the time it reached the Supreme Court, the question had been narrowed to whether the agency had acted legally in 2016 and 2021, when it broadened distribution of the pill, eventually including telemedicine and mail options.

    The ruling handed a muted victory to abortion rights groups. Even as they praised the decision for averting severe restrictions on the availability of the pill, they warned that the outcome could be short-lived. Anti-abortion groups vowed to press ahead, promising that the fight was far from over and raising the possibility that other plaintiffs, states in particular, would mount challenges to the drug.

    The ruling did not affect separate restrictions on the pill in more than a dozen states that have passed near-total bans on abortion since the court eliminated a constitutional right to the procedure in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. (The bans do not distinguish between medication and surgical abortion.)

    Access to abortion remains broadly popular, and ever since the court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, prompting some states to swiftly enact bans, the issue has been a major focus of political campaigns. Democrats have succeeded in galvanizing voters to defeat anti-abortion measures and plan to highlight abortion rights in the November elections.

    By dodging a ruling on the substance of the case, the justices avoided delivering a clear, substantive win to either political party or a decision they could use to motivate their base.

    President Biden said in a statement that the “decision does not change the fact that the fight for reproductive freedom continues.”

    He added, “It does not change the fact that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, and women lost a fundamental freedom.”

    The Biden campaign also raised concerns that the ruling would not be enough to protect access to abortion medication if former President Donald J. Trump wins a second term, saying his administration would move to enforce new restrictions through executive action.

    Mr. Trump had wrestled with what position to take on abortion access after the Supreme Court, whose conservative supermajority he appointed, overturned the Roe v. Wade landmark abortion-rights case. Several weeks ago, he said it was up to states to set their own policies.

    His campaign suggested he staked out a similar position on the abortion pill ruling, without addressing how his administration would handle regulation of the drug. “The Supreme Court has unanimously decided 9-0; the matter is settled,” Danielle Alvarez, a Trump spokeswoman, said.

    Abortion rights groups cautioned that the ruling only maintained the status quo.

    “The anti-abortion movement sees how critical abortion pills are in this post-Roe world, and they are hell bent on cutting off access,” Nancy Northup, the president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement.

    Erin Hawley, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal organization that represented the plaintiffs, suggested that the case could be revived through three Republican-led states, Idaho, Kansas and Missouri, which had intervened as plaintiffs at the lower court level.

    “We are grateful that three states stand ready to hold the F.D.A. accountable for jeopardizing the health and safety of women and girls across this country,” Ms. Hawley said in a statement.

    Mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen, is used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States. Many studies have found the pill to be safe, and years of research have shown that serious complications are rare.

    After the F.D.A. loosened restrictions on the drug’s availability during the pandemic, allowing for it to be prescribed online or sent by mail, its use only increased. A rising number of medication abortions are prescribed by telemedicine. By one count, about one in six abortions, or around 14,000 a month, happened via telehealth from July through September 2023.

    Medication abortion has become a practical form of abortion for women in states where the procedure is banned. Clinicians, protected by so-called shield laws in several states where abortion is legal, have mailed pills to women based in states with bans.

    Justice Kavanaugh focused part of the majority opinion on why the justices disagreed with rulings by lower courts, which all determined the groups had standing to bring the case.

    Citing Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Kavanaugh wrote that to bring a suit, a plaintiff first must answer a basic question: “What’s it to you?”

    Plaintiffs must show “a predictable chain of events leading from the government action to the asserted injury,” Justice Kavanaugh wrote.

    In this instance, he wrote, the doctors and medical associations trying to challenge F.D.A.’s regulation failed to show an actual injury because the plaintiffs did not include people actually involved with the pill, such as doctors who prescribed mifepristone or pregnant women who took it.

    The plaintiffs’ claims that they have “sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to mifepristone being prescribed and used by others” do not meet the threshold of standing to sue, Justice Kavanaugh wrote.

    The justices also rejected an argument by the anti-abortion doctors that they had standing to sue because they could be required to provide emergency abortions against their conscience.

    Federal conscience laws already protect doctors from being required to perform abortions or other treatment that violates their consciences, and none of the doctors had shown otherwise, Justice Kavanaugh wrote.

    In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas noted that he supported the decision “in full,” but cautioned that the court should take a limited view of when to allow organizations to claim standing on behalf of their members.

    The case returned the issue of abortion to the Supreme Court, even as the conservative majority had declared, in overturning Roe v. Wade, that it would cede the question of access “to the people and their elected representatives.”

    Its decision on Thursday appeared to vindicate that promise, although the court will soon decide another major case on abortion, involving a clash between federal law and tightened state restrictions.

    The abortion pill case, F.D.A. v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, reflected a new front in the fierce fight over abortion.

    In the fall of 2022, an umbrella group of anti-abortion medical organizations, along with several doctors, challenged the F.D.A.’s approval of mifepristone more than two decades ago. In a preliminary ruling, a federal judge in Texas, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, said that the F.D.A.’s approval of the drug should be suspended, removing mifepristone from the market.

    Judge Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, joined the federal bench after years litigating at a conservative religious freedom firm, First Liberty Institute.

    An appeals court, in New Orleans, overturned the part of Judge Kacsmaryk’s ruling that invalidated the F.D.A.’s approval of the pill, but it imposed certain restrictions on its distribution. Those restrictions included prohibiting the medication from being sent by mail or prescribed by telemedicine.
    (Source: New York Times)

  • New Israeli settlements in West Bank are illegal and inconsistent with international law: Antony Blinken

    New Israeli settlements in West Bank are illegal and inconsistent with international law: Antony Blinken

    Charleston (US) (TIP): The new Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal and inconsistent with international law, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, reversing a Trump-era policy.
    Blinken, at a joint press conference with the Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino in Buenos Aires, said he was disappointed with Israel’s latest plans for settlement expansion.
    “We have seen the reports, and I have to say we’re disappointed in the announcement. It’s been long-standing US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,” Blinken said in response to a question.
    “They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgement, this only weakens — it doesn’t strengthen — Israel’s security,” said the top American diplomat, a day after Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich indicated that more than 3,000 new residences would be added to settlements. The statement comes as the Biden administration’s latest shift away from the pro-Israel policies pursued by former president Donald Trump.
    The Trump administration reversed the US policy to declare that settlements did not violate international law. In 2019, under Trump, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that “the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law”.
    Blinken’s statement was defended by the White House in Washington DC.
    “(We have) seen those reports and, frankly, disappointed in the announcement. It’s been long-standing US policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations that new settlements are counterproductive to the cause of peace. Frankly, they’re also inconsistent with international law. And this administration maintains our firm opposition to settlement expansion,” John Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters.
    The New York Times reported that in November 2019, the then Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, under then-president Donald Trump reversed four decades of US policy by saying that settlements did not violate international law.
    “State Department lawyers never issued a new legal determination that buttressed that policy change and Blinken’s shift back to the old policy is consistent with a long-standing legal finding of the department,” the daily reported.
    “We are simply reaffirming the fundamental conclusion that these settlements are inconsistent with international law. This is a position that has been consistent over a range of Republican and Democratic administrations. If there’s an administration that is being inconsistent, it was the previous one,” Kirby told reporters.
    In Buenos Aires, Blinken said he had seen reports about the post-war Gaza plan.
    “I haven’t seen the plan, so I want to reserve judgment until we see the details. Having said that, you know that there are certain basic principles that we set out many months ago that we feel are very important when it comes to Gaza’s future, including that it cannot be a platform for terrorism,” he said.
    “There should be no Israeli reoccupation of Gaza. The size of Gaza’s territory should not be reduced. So, we want to make sure that any plan that emerges is consistent with those principles. There are other principles, but those are three of the most important ones,” Blinken said.
    “At the same time, we have many countries in the region that are working together on a plan for post-conflict Gaza. I think that’s very important, and I’ve spent some time with some of our Arab partners, including recently on the margins of the G20, talking about just as we did when we were at the Munich Security Conference together. So, it’s important that we have, again, a necessary plan, but one also that’s consistent with basic principles that I think many countries share about what has to be Gaza’s future,” said the Secretary of State. (PTI)

  • Indian American Educationist Uma Sengupta honored with street sign in New York

    Indian American Educationist Uma Sengupta honored with street sign in New York

    NEW YORK (TIP) : Uma Sengupta, an Indian American educationist, activist, and community leader, who died in March last year, has been honored with a street sign bearing her name in Queens, New York.
    Elected officials as well as friends and family of the trailblazer attended the street co-naming ceremony on Oct 16 at the intersection of 152nd Street and Union Turnpike in the Briarwood section of Queens.
    New York Attorney General Letitia James also attended the event. “I was proud to attend the street renaming to honor Uma Sengupta today,” she wrote on X. “Uma spent decades fighting for social, racial and economic justice. She embodied the very spirit of Queens, and now her legacy will not be forgotten.”
    City Council member James F. Gennaro, who authored the Council resolution to honor Sengupta, said “well known for her activism and decades of community service,” she was a trailblazer in the political scene here in Queens and beyond.” “It is my hope that anytime someone comes down 152nd Street and Union Turnpike, they are reminded of the great legacy she leaves behind.”
    Sengupta’s son Sumit described his mother as “a pioneer for women, educators and underserved as well as emerging immigrant groups. She was “affectionately known as the ‘mother of the community.”
    The family hopes that the street sign will help “New Yorkers and visitors feel the warmth of a mother’s words of encouragement, inspiring them to continue in my mother’s legacy of community development, philanthropic service and progress for society,” he said.
    Sengupta came to New York over 60 years ago with her husband — the late Suprabhat Sengupta — and three children to build a new life.
    She founded a Montessori School that provided high-quality early childhood education and ran in Flushing for over 38 years. She is also remembered for her work in the community in which she diligently worked for Indian Americans to have a voice, access, and equity.
    Sengupta made history in January 2004, by becoming the first Indian American woman to be sworn in as the Democratic Party District Leader of the 25th Assembly District, Part B, in Queens.

  • Israeli forces conduct 2nd ground raid into Gaza, US jets strike targets in Syria

    Israeli forces conduct 2nd ground raid into Gaza, US jets strike targets in Syria

    Palestinian death toll soars past 7,000 as Israel prepares for widely expected ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory

    NEW YORK (TIP): Israeli forces backed by fighter jets and drones carried out a second ground raid into Gaza in as many days and struck targets on the outskirts of Gaza City, the military said Friday, as it prepares for a widely expected ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory, says an October 27 AP report from Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip).

    US warplanes, meanwhile, struck targets in eastern Syria that the Pentagon said were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard after a string of attacks on American forces, and two mysterious objects hit towns in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, adding to the already high tensions fueled by the three-week-old Gaza war. The Palestinian death toll has soared past 7,000 as Israel has carried out waves of devastating air strikes in response to a bloody Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7. The Health Ministry in Gaza, which tracks the toll, released a detailed list of names and identification numbers on Thursday. The toll includes more than 2,900 minors and more than 1,500 women. The overall number of deaths far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous wars between Israel and Hamas, estimated at around 4,000.

    More than 1,400 people in Israel, mostly civilians, were slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas is holding at least 229 captives inside Gaza, including men, women, children and older adults.

    The air strikes have flattened entire neighborhoods, causing a level of death and destruction unseen in the last four wars between Israel and Hamas. More than a million people have fled their homes, with many heeding Israeli orders to evacuate to the south, despite continuing Israeli strikes across the sealed-off territory.

    The military said ground forces raided inside Gaza, striking dozens of militant targets over the past 24 hours. It said aircraft and artillery bombed targets in Shijaiyah, a neighborhood on Gaza City’s outskirts that was the scene of an urban battle in the 2014 Gaza war.

    The military said the soldiers exited the territory without suffering any casualties. It reported an earlier, hours long raid into northern Gaza early Thursday.

    Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said the raids enable forces to “uncover the enemy,” to kill militants and to remove explosives and launch pads. The aim is “to prepare the ground for the next stages of the war,” he added.

    The damage to Gaza from nearly three weeks of bombardment showed in satellite photos of several locations taken before the war and again in recent days.

    Entire rows of residential buildings simply disappear in the photos, reduced to smears of dust and rubble. A complex of 13 high-rises by the sea was pounded to dust near Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp, leaving only a few tottering bits of facade, according to the photos by Maxar Technologies. The military says it only strikes militant targets and accuses Hamas of operating among civilians in an attempt to protect its fighters. The Israeli military said that an airstrike killed one of two masterminds of the October 7 massacre, Shadi Barud, the head of Hamas’ intelligence unit. Palestinian militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel since the war began. Hamas’ military wing said Thursday that Israeli bombardment has so far killed about 50 of the hostages. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials, who have denied previous, similar claims. The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region.

    Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed ally of Hamas in Lebanon, has repeatedly traded fire with Israel along the border, and Israel has carried out air strikes targeting Iran-linked groups in Syria. The United States has sent two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, along with additional fighter jets and other weaponry and personnel, in part to deter Iran and its allies from entering the war on the side of Hamas. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the strikes in eastern Syria were “a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17.” He said the operation was separate from the Israel-Hamas war.

    Iran-backed fighters later fired rockets at an oil facility housing US troops in eastern Syria, according to Syrian opposition activists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the US strikes had wounded seven Iran-backed Iraqi fighters.

    Egypt’s military said a drone crashed into a building in the Red Sea town of Taba, on the border with Israel, slightly wounding six people. State media had initially said it was a rocket. In a separate incident, the state-run Al-Qahera news said a “strange object” landed near a power station in the Red Sea town of Nuweiba, further south. Footage showed debris and smoke rising from the side of a nearby mountain. Hagari, the Israeli military spokesperson, said “an aerial threat was identified in the area of the Red Sea,” which appeared to be the source of the Taba incident. He said that fighter jets were dispatched to the area and that Israel, Egypt and the U.S. were tightening their defenses in the region.

    Last week, a US Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea shot down three cruise missiles and several drones launched toward Israel by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in northern Yemen.

    The war has also sparked protests across the region, and more demonstrations were held Friday in cities across the Middle East after weekly Muslim prayers.

    In Gaza, supplies of food, medicine and fuel for powering emergency generators are running low. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, which provides basic services to hundreds of thousands of people, including operating schools turned into shelters, has said it may run out of fuel within days. Gaza’s sole power station shut down because of a lack of fuel days after the start of the war, and Israel has barred all fuel deliveries, saying it believes Hamas would steal them for military purposes. About 1.4 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, with nearly half of them crowding into UN shelters. Hundreds of thousands remain in northern Gaza, despite Israel ordering them to evacuate to the south and saying that those who remain might be considered “accomplices” of Hamas.

    Over the past week, Israel has allowed more than 80 trucks with aid enter from Egypt through the Rafah crossing, the only entry point into Gaza not controlled by Israel. But aid workers say the convoys meet only a tiny fraction of the territory’s mounting humanitarian needs. Before the war, an average of 500 trucks entered Gaza each day, according to the United Nations.

    The US has been working with other mediators to send in more humanitarian aid, but Israel is insisting on strict screening procedures for all trucks that enter. Washington says Hamas has refused to open the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing to let hundreds of foreign passport holders leave. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said that its aid operations were crumbling, citing distressing reports from local staff.

    “For the first time ever, they report that now people are hungry.” Philippe Lazarini told reporters in Jerusalem. “Civil order is collapsing.”
    (Source: Agencies)

  • Weekly Horoscope-January16, 2023  to January 22, 2023

    Weekly Horoscope-January16, 2023  to January 22, 2023

    Aries

    Ganesha saysthis week is a great week to put goodness into reality. Eventually, you’ll own up to your bad relationships. You’ll eliminate the unhealthy practices this week and swap it out for something constructive. This week, you will create a beautiful vibe and attitude that will permeate both your work and personal existence. You will be devoid of all negative thoughts and temptations this week. Your partnership will have some small problems this week. You should take excellent treatment of both your lover and yourself. You’ll be in good health. Be at ease.

    Taurus

    Ganesha says,this week, you’ll be a part of the trailblazing. You invested to improve your career chances, and it will show amazing results this week. Big businesses will be eager to collaborate with you. You will become one of the most useful workers for the organisation thanks to your professional skills and working methods. You have a terrific week set of you professionally. Your lover will help you feel unique and happy this week. The psychological assistance you offer them will be appreciated by them. You’ll be in good condition.

    Gemini

    Ganesha says,you’ll be interacting with important consumers this week, which is essential. Your concentration will be on intellectual and spiritual pursuits in the latter part of the week. Your understanding of religion will help you appreciate your existence and its delights. You will devise a strategy with your partner to develop a tighter relationship. You will be mindful of your body’s needs this week and try to meet them. You will have a difficult time keeping up with your health instead of trying to shed pounds.

    Cancer 

    Ganesha says,youwill rush for the amazing results you achieve this week. It will be great for you to choose whatever you do. You will enjoy this week’s happiness with your colleague. This week, your rage will subside and you’ll interact with people in a humble and grounded manner. You will probably get good news by the evening. Everything in your connection will be in order. Black should be avoided this week. Just be careful behind the wheel and pay heed to your wellness.

    Leo 

    Ganesha says,you should use every bit of your annoyance this week. You’ll accurately complete all of your outstanding duties and obligations. You will increase your confidence and consciousness this week. Your dedication and resolve will amaze colleagues who had doubts about your abilities. This week, your buddy will be prepared to make the most of your moment with them. In the event that you get wedded this week, God Dhanvantri will favor you. You’ll be in good health.

    Virgo

    Ganesha says,this week is significant for you personally and in respect of your household. Your journey to a more fulfilling and peaceful life begins this week. You’ll get help from a totally distinct person when it comes to money. This act of kindness will increase your trust in human nature. You and your household will be allowed to take pleasure in life’s finer pleasures this week. Your friend will help you sort out your muddle in thought. Your physique is struggling as a result of your inconsistent adherence to your exercise schedule.

     Libra 

    Ganesha says, you are a calm and self-assured individual, and this week, your serenity will be a beautiful present to you. You will manage a difficult situation with comfort and understanding. You won’t think anything unfavorable. Your dedication will motivate the people you work with and are among. You can improve conditions for yourself with the assistance of your companion. This week, your condition will improve. This week you will start to feel better if you have been struggling with an old illness.

    Scorpio 

    Ganesha says,you will be engaged in educational activities and conversations this week. You will be given the chance to participate in a very educational and mentally stimulating programmed this week. You’ll be adequately nourished this week. You’ll either personally or unintentionally help a lot of people this week. You will sort matters out with your companion this week. Your relationship can struggle a little because your partner will be negatively influenced by someone else. There won’t be anything wrong with your wellness this week. This week, make sure to look after your kids.

    Sagittarius 

    Ganesha says,this week, you will plant the seeds of success and understanding. You will be pleased with your efforts this week. You’ll get paid for your work this week. Your statement will be the greatest essential element to you this week. Despite the aid of outside motivations, your ambition and planetary qualities will bring you to enlightenment and put you on a pathway to success. This week, your spouse will be particularly receptive to your thoughts, therefore you will need to work extra difficult to help them comprehend. This week, your wellness will be excellent. This week, stay away from harmful foods.

    Capricorn 

    Ganesha saysany animosity or anger you have toward another of your friends will fade this week. You and your friend will become closer as a result of the interaction. The new phase of your connection will begin this week. You and your spouse will speak for lengthy periods of time this week. Your companion will be accepted by your parents. This week, your partner will serve as your rock. This week, your back aches will cause you a very bit discomfort.

    Aquarius 

    Ganesha saysthis coming week is promising to be fantastic. Collaborate with somebody whose zodiac sign is Taurus since they will help you get the recognition you need. You will be capable to acquire a lot from the person this week. You may use the knowledge you’ve gained to enhance your profession. This week will give your profession the push it requires. This week, you and your companion will talk about your careers, which will help you resolve a few issues on economic frontiers. This week, there won’t be any concerns about your wellness.

    Pisces

    Ganesha says,your week’s shining point will be teamwork. You will be compelled to operate in an environment this week that will hone your synchronization skills. You’ll be ready to contribute suggestions and be in rhythm with the remainder of the company. The organization and the work you’ll be doing this week will benefit greatly from you. This week, both you and your lover will be more enthusiastic about your connection. You’ll be blessed by Jupiter this week. This week, you’ll need to pay good attention to your wellness since you can get sporadic migraines.

  • Indian Overseas Congress USA stages protest against Modi policies at the United Nations

    Indian Overseas Congress USA stages protest against Modi policies at the United Nations

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Overseas Congress, USA, an advocacy organization that promotes democracy, human rights, and equal justice together with its supporters and friends, held a protest rally in front of the United Nations on Saturday, September 25, 2021, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was delivering his address to the General Assembly.

     “Although we have no issues with a Prime Minister of India visiting the U.S. or the U.N. and promoting better bi-lateral relations or promoting world peace, it is imperative to let him know at the same time that we do not approve of his misgovernance in dealing with COVID epidemic or undermining the democratic institutions,” said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the IOCUSA. “If there is to be genuine economic progress and social development in India, political tranquility and social harmony is a pre-requisite without which there would be very little hope for the future. Let us, at the minimum, raise our voices, no matter how feeble it may be, because one day our next generation might ask where you have been when India took a turn towards authoritarianism and fascism,” Abraham added.

    “I am glad to state that IOCUSA stands firmly behind India’s farmers who have been denied their rightful voice and concerns to be heard by the Modi government which has pushed a set of bills through the parliament for the benefit of the crony capitalists and to the detriment of our farmers” Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the IOCUSA said.  “We want Modi to know that the NRI voice will continue to be raised in support of their protest unless and until he resolves these issues,” Mr. Gilzian added.

    Indian Overseas Congress, USA held a protest rally against Modi policies in front of the United Nations on Saturday, September 25, 2021

    The protesters carried slogans and chanted examples to point out the failures of the Modi government, e.g., “Anti-Narendra Modi isn’t anti-national,” “We are all Indians. Stop discrimination based on religion, caste and language”, “Protect India’s constitution”, “IOCUSA supports democracy, freedom, and human rights”,” IOCUSA supports India’s farmers”, “IOCUSA -proud supporter of pluralistic India” and so forth.

    Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the IOCUSA, Mr. Harbachen Singh, Secretary-General, Mr. George Abraham, Vice-Chairman, Mr. John Thomas, Ms. Sophia Sharma, General Secretary, Vice-President, Ms. Leela Maret, President, Kerala Chapter, Mr. Amar Singh Gulshan and President, Haryana Chapter were among those who took part in the protest.