AUCKLAND (TIP): A gas station owned by an Indian-origin businessman was attacked by unknown assailants in New Zealand, a media report has said, in yet another instance of violence against small-scale businesses in the country. The gas station on Kaurilands Road owned by Kanna Sharma in Auckland was ram-raided by robbers in the early hours on Thursday, a police statement said. Around 2.20 am, the store was rammed through the front door at least three times, shattering the glass and damaging the front grille, media reported. The thieves stole cigarettes, vapes, and many other products from Sharma’s shop, the report said. Sharma said it’s the third such attack on his business, it said. “It’s a nightmare,” Sharma told the media.
“This is the third time I’ve been ram-raided, and I’m shattered. My family is shattered. It’s hard to believe a place like New Zealand can be such a nightmare,” he added.
New Zealand has seen an uptick in the cases of violence against small-scale businesses in recent times. A 34-year-old Indian-origin dairy shop worker, Janak Patel, was murdered in Sandringham in November last year.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): An Indian American aerospace industry expert has been appointed as NASA’s new chief technologist to serve as principal advisor to Administrator Bill Nelson on technology policy and programs at the space agency’s headquarters here.
In his position, AC Charania will align NASA’s agencywide technology investments with mission needs across six mission directorates and oversee technology collaboration with other federal agencies, the private sector, and external stakeholders, NASA said in a statement on Monday.
The position works within NASA’s Office for Technology, Policy, and Strategy.
“Technology plays a vital role in every NASA mission. Making sure that we’re pursuing the best policy objectives allows this agency to continue to serve as a global leader in innovation,” Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“Charania is an experienced leader in managing large, rapidly shifting technology portfolios. I am eager for him to apply his knowledge and enthusiasm at NASA,” Lal said. Lal served as acting chief technologist prior to the appointment of Charania, whose first day working at NASA Headquarters was January 3.
“The rate of advancement we seek in the 21st century is dependent upon selecting and maturing a portfolio of technologies into systems to execute our missions,” Charania said in the statement.
“With this in mind, there are incredible opportunities in partnerships within and outside of NASA. I now look forward to the opportunity to work with the entire community to increase the rate of space and aviation progress,” he added. Prior to joining NASA, he served as vice president of product strategy at Reliable Robotics, a firm that works to bring certified autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation.
His previous experience also includes working at Blue Origin to mature its lunar permanence strategy, Blue Moon lunar lander program, and multiple technology initiatives with NASA.
Charania has also worked in strategy and business development for the Virgin Galactic (now Virgin Orbit) LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle program. Charania led the formation of the Fast Forward industry group focused on high-speed point-to-point transportation, was a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts fellow, and served on the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Commercial Advisory Board, according to the release. He received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s in economics from Emory University.
MCKINNEY, TX (TIP): An Indian American man in Texas faces capital murder charges for allegedly stabbing his nine-year-old son to death, police said. Subramanian Ponnazhakan, 39, of McKinney, is in police custody at a hospital for “self-inflicted wounds” and his bail has been set at $1 million, the McKinney Police Department said in a statement on Sunday, January 8. Police said they got a call from a neighbor last week who said that a woman had found her son “unconscious and bleeding” inside a home near Highway 380 and Custer Road. When officers entered the house “forcefully”, they found the woman’s husband in the act of inflicting self-harm with a knife. The boy, who was found with multiple stab wounds in the garage, was pronounced dead on the spot. Police said that further investigations are on in the case. “We continue to keep the child’s mother and their entire family in our thoughts and prayers during this unspeakably difficult time,” a McKinney Police Department spokeswoman said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): An Indian American body has welcomed the nomination of lawyer diplomat Richard Verma for Deputy Secretary of State, a top diplomatic position in the State Department.
In December, the White House in a statement said that Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate 54-year-old Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. If confirmed by the US Senate, Verma, also a former US ambassador to India, would be the highest-ranking Indian American in the State Department.
“This nomination is yet another historic addition by President Biden in his campaign pledge to diversify the current administration,” Indian American Impact Fund said in a statement. Verma’s historic opportunity to join the State Department is the culmination of his long and illustrious career in public service.
“We at Indian American Impact are thrilled to witness and potentially welcome the historic confirmation of yet another visionary South Asian leader,” said Neil Makhija, executive director of Indian American Impact Fund.
HOUSTON (TIP): Indian-origin Manpreet Monica Singh has been sworn in as a Harris County judge, becoming the first female Sikh judge in the US. Singh was born and raised in Houston and now lives in Bellaire with her husband and two children. She was sworn in as a judge of the Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4 in Texas on Friday, January 6. Singh’s father immigrated to the US in the early 1970s. A trial lawyer for 20 years, she has been involved in numerous civil rights organizations at the local, state, and national levels.
“It means a lot to me because I represent H-town (a nickname of Houston) the most, so for it to be us, I’m happy for it,” she said at the oath ceremony.
Indian American Judge Ravi Sandill, the state’s first South Asian judge, presided over the ceremony, which took place in a packed courtroom. “It’s a really big moment for the Sikh community,” Sandill said.
“When they see someone of color, someone a little different, they know that possibility is available to them. Manpreet is not only an ambassador for Sikhs, but she’s an ambassador for all women of color,” he said.
There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the US, with 20,000 Sikhs living in the Houston area.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said: “It was a proud day for the Sikh Community, but also a proud day for all people of Color who see the Diversity of the City of Houston in the Diversity of the Court”.
ATLANTA (TIP): An Indian American doctor has agreed to pay approximately $1,850,000 for allegedly billing the government for cataract surgeries and diagnostic tests that were not medically required.
Aarti D. Pandya and her Pandya Practice Group violated the False Claims Act by also performing and billing for tests that were incomplete or of worthless value, and office visits that did not provide the level of service claimed.
“Physicians who perform procedures and tests without a legitimate medical need place profits ahead of patients and subject those patients to unnecessary risk,” told US Attorney Ryan K Buchanan in a statement released on Monday. “This settlement represents our office’s commitment to ensuring accountability for physicians who subject patients to unwarranted medical care and waste taxpayer funds,” Buchanan said.
From January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2016, Pandya knowingly submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary cataract extraction surgeries and YAG laser capsulotomies, according to a Justice Department release.
The prosecution alleged that Pandya performed these procedures on patients that did not qualify for the procedure under accepted standards of medical practice and, in some cases, caused injury to her patients.
Additionally, it accused Pandya of falsely diagnosing patients with glaucoma to justify unnecessary diagnostic testing and treatment that was billed to Medicare.
The prosecution also said that many of the diagnostic tests that Pandya ordered were not properly performed, were performed on a broken machine, or were not interpreted in the medical record, as required by Medicare.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) imposed in 2019 a payment suspension on the Pandya Practice Group that precluded it from receiving any reimbursement from Medicare for Part B claims.
As part of the settlement of the government’s claims in this case, the Pandya Practice Group agreed to forfeit the suspension amount to the government. The payment suspension will also be lifted as part of the settlement.
To protect federal healthcare programs and beneficiaries going forward, Pandya and the Pandya Practice Group have entered into a detailed, multi-year Integrity Agreement and Conditional Exclusion Release (IA) with the Office of Inspector General. “We must assure patients and taxpayers that healthcare is dictated by clinical needs, not fiscal greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This settlement should serve as a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate healthcare providers who engage in schemes that defraud the industry and put innocent patients at risk.”
PANIPAT (TIP): Indian American academic Prof Sheila Sen Jasanoff Holberg Awardee, 2022, along with Prof Jay H. Jasanoff and social science students Alan Jasanoff and Hilton Simmet from Harvard University USA, joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra on Friday, January 6 morning.
The yatra resumed from the Sanoli-Panipat Road in Haryana.
A public meeting will also be addressed by Rahul Gandhi in Panipat. Thousands of people welcomed the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in the Panipat district of Haryana with fireworks. Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on Thursday, January 5 completed its Uttar Pradesh leg and re-entered the state of Haryana.
Talking to ANI about the Yatra, Congress leader Selja Kumari said, “Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, we will walk from the border to Panipat. We will have a massive rally, where Rahul Gandhi will address the public. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the people of Haryana, as they look up to Rahul Gandhi for their future. Taking inspiration from Rahul Gandhi, Congress will work hard in Haryana,” she added.
Launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress leader said, “BJP is anxious because what started as a ‘Yatra’ has now become a ‘Jan Aandolan’.
Selja Kumari alleged that the industries in Panipat were in bad shape. “We should have been top in export, but we are not,” she said. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has been leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra which started from Kanyakumari last year.
NEW DELHI (TIP): A national helpline for women deserted in Non-Resident Indian (NRI) marriages and the need for a dedicated fund to provide assistance to them are among the recommendations made at a consultation on Wednesday, June 1, organized by the National Commission for Women (NCW) on ensuring access to justice to such women. Among issues discussed was ways to serve non-bailable warrant against male offender residing abroad.
The NCW invited experts from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, women victims, State police departments, NGOs, Indian missions in Australia and Canada, among others. The consultation was held on two broad topics — identifying problems faced by Indian women married to Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and NRIs, and challenges faced by deserted wives in the legal system in India and abroad. “The meeting took up issues such as ways to serve a non-bailable warrant against a male offender residing abroad who has abandoned his wife. Often, these men keep changing their address and it gets challenging to track them. So, we have suggested that a special website be set up, so that summons posted there are deemed as served on a person. Another way to track them would be through their Social Security Number,” ex-Chairman, Punjab State Commission for NRIs, Justice (Retd) Rakesh Kumar Garg told The Hindu.
Other matters discussed were ex-parte judgments on divorce obtained by husbands abroad, which are already addressed under Section 13 of the Civil Procedure Code that deals with conditions under which foreign judgments are not conclusive, said Mr. Garg.
Instances of child custody disputes were also raised. “For such matters, when a habeas corpus writ is brought to India for producing a child before a foreign court, Indian courts have often held that both parents are natural guardians under Indian laws and, in fact, mother is the guardian of a child under five years. We are also not signatories to the Hague convention, so we don’t have to return the child.”
The consultation did not, however, discuss whether India should sign the Hague Convention, which requires that if a parent has run away with a child from one country to another due to a marital dispute, the child has to be returned to the country from where he or she has been removed. The Indian government maintains that it is not ready to sign the treaty. Another person who attended the meeting said on condition of anonymity that ways to ensure maintenance for such wives, legal assistance, and financial support through a dedicated fund were also raised.
Many of the suggestions made are not new. They were part of the report of an expert committee formed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and headed by Justice Arvind Kumar Goel, ex-Chairperson, NRI Commission, Punjab, submitted in August 2017. On the basis of these suggestions, a meeting chaired by the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in November 2017 took a decision to ensure compulsory registration of NRI marriages and set up a website of MEA for posting summons.
Following this, in February 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs introduced the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019, in Rajya Sabha. The Bill was sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which approved it with some recommendations. But after the passing of Sushma Swaraj in August 2019, the Bill has been put in cold storage.
(Source: The Hindu)
PHAGWARA , INDIA (TIP): Various farmers unions honored Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, MP from Slough, UK, at an event in Mauli village, Phagwara, on Friday, April 8, for raising the farmers’ issue vociferously on the floor of the British Parliament during debates and questions during ‘Kisan Andolan’. At this special programme organized by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba), farmer leaders and supporters of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha gathered in large numbers to show their appreciation for those who had shown solidarity during the largest protest on the planet. Dhesi spoke at length on the NRI support for the Indian farmers and the daily information updates he had received from many, especially his uncle Paramjit Singh Raipur, member SGPC, from Adampur. Dhesi said he had organized an initiative by drafting a letter which was signed by 36 MPs to the UK Foreign Minister so as to raise the human rights issue of the peacefully protesting farmers with the Indian Foreign Minister, which he duly did. Interacting with farmer leaders, he said he had penned another letter to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, signed by over 100 British MPs, to ensure that farmers were not mistreated by the authorities, when footage of the tear gas and lathicharge became viral. In his address, Dhesi raised various NRI issues, such as the need to have more direct flights from the UK to Amritsar and Chandigarh. UK MP also highlighted other ongoing work that he was leading on, involving constructing a memorial in central London for Sikh soldiers who served during the World Wars and promoting the marital art gatka by holding annual UK Gatka Championships for seven years.
If you are an NRI visitor like me who often takes a trip to Kerala, there will always be some surprises in store for you. Despite all that the doomsayers say, Kerala is on an upward trajectory, building infrastructure and modernizing every facet of people’s lives. Although mostly two-lanes, the roads have never been better, at least in the Central Travancore area where I belong. Commercial and Residential buildings are rising on both sides of the highways or significant roadways, and heavy traffic is on most of the main arteries. Main Central Road (M.C. Road) passes through my small town called Kallissery, which used to be a sleepy little village where I grew up and now transformed into a shopping paradise with appliance stores and a Reliance supermarket. Traveling just one Kilometer away from the Center of the town is the newly built ‘K.M. Cherian Hospital’ with some of the most modern facilities anywhere in the world. The nonstop flow of the vehicles and the constant sirens of Ambulances heading toward the hospitals might make one yearns for those good old days of peaceful and serene times. Traveling from Chengannur to Changanassery on the M.C. Road, it almost appears as one long contiguous town (a mini megapolis) with shops and multi-cuisine eateries on both sides. Yes, Kerala has progressed, and transformative changes come with its rewards and infliction.
On the political front, it has always been noisy. Both sides are impatient to listen to each other, and it is almost as if one is shouting over the other just to offset each other. These days, the most heated topic is the K-RAIL, a Semi–High-Speed Rail development project that the current LDF government is vigorously promoting under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. I cannot argue against this Silver Line project that could reduce travel time and pollute less. Moreover, high-speed transportation systems are an integral part of development anywhere, whether highways or Rail. The Shanghai Maglev in China is the world’s first high-speed commercial magnetic levitation (“maglev”) line, whose trains run on the non-conventional track and reach a top speed of 430 KM/h (267 mph). In 2020, China started testing a maglev prototype train that ran 600 km/h and planned a 2025 launch date.
If we go back in history, the semi-High-Speed train project was the brainchild of the Oommen Chandy government and is now carried on by the current administration. As we all know, Trivandrum, the Capital of the State, is located at the far end of an elongated State where travel by road could often take almost half a day to reach from one end to the other. After decades of efforts in developing M.C. Road, it is a two-lane road, and an express highway remains a distant dream. Some would also argue that it may be a boon for tourism and open faster access to Kovalam and Vayanad on a single vacation trip. Commuting between the Capital and the commercial hub (Cochin) may become further effortless. Considering the project’s scope, as many experts demand, an environmental impact study may shed light on the flood impact on low-lying areas during the monsoon season. However, development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive if we are to create jobs and prevent scores of our young people from exiting the State after their studies. What is the point of having a beautiful state while people have little or no means to survive?
The real problem is how the current government has addressed this very important project. A level of arrogance and missteps has marred the positive aspects of this rail project. We should not undertake an ambitious project of this magnitude without transparency to all stakeholders. The government has failed miserably in making its constituents understand either the necessity or vitality of this giant undertaking. Average folks in Kerala have an inherent suspicion of any project due to a history of corruption and misdeeds. On top of that, there is a failure to deliver on past promises; whether it is OKHI cyclone or big flood of 2018, some of the victims are still waiting for rehabilitation. How then, all those who would be dispossessed due to this new venture trust the Government or any empowered Institution to compensate them in a timely fashion? It is a credibility issue that couldn’t resolve overnight. As a matter of fact, a government must work hard to create trust among its people, making it easier for any project proposal to succeed in a timely fashion. However, the challenge of maintaining trust is complicated by a faster and more diversified flow of information, such as through the Internet and social networks.
It is a sorry state of affairs as well when some of the Members of Parliament from Kerala appeal to the BJP government not to fund this project. For the UDF, it is not a shining moment in its history! The BJP government at the Center hasn’t been very forthcoming to the growing financial needs of Kerala in general, and now they have been provided a support base from none other than the grand old party itself! If anyone from the party rank and files disagrees, they would become the object of scorn and threatened with disciplinary action! A healthy and open debate is an integral part of the democratic process. This issue should have been sorted out at the State level rather than setting up a bad precedent of one party appealing for funds and another demanding a denial of the same to the Center.
There are also vibrant discussions on the project’s financial viability and whether the K-RAIL would be solvent. However, if you look around the world, public transportation systems are not self-sustaining, and government subsidies and other financial assistance are integral to daily operations. Amtrak in the USA and MTA in New York City are prime examples of transport systems that rely heavily on government handouts to provide affordable commuting or long-distance services to their citizens.
Another valid issue that has been raised by the opposition leader V.D. Satheesan is whether we are buying some outdated technology from Japan that may be eager to recoup some money for their discarded products. If we are to embark on a project of this magnitude, we must seek state-of-the-art technology and look forward well into the future. Kerala’s mindset typically drives towards only thinking about the short-term, and we ought to alter that to think about tomorrow. Nevertheless, the Congress party must be conscious to avoid attaching itself to an anti-development tag going into the next election. It was the Communist Party that stood against automation, and the people of Kerala have paid a heavy price for it over the years. Their intransigence barred multi-national companies from setting up commercial hubs in the State. The K-Rail issue should not become a distraction as well from monitoring other governance issues that are critical to the well-being of the people of the State.
From my point of view, this project is doomed unless the LDF government brings the opposition to the table for dialogue while convincing the community at large and assuring the directly affected residents of fair and timely compensation. In a democracy, dialogue and building consensus are imperative, and steps need to be taken for transparency and confidence-building measures. Knocking down the kitchen doors with the help of the Police and bureaucrats to lay the survey stones would not help the cause. The current government appears to be inebriated with power, and they might pay a high price for the overreach unless there is a course correction. CPM hasn’t learned a lesson from Nandigram in West Bengal, and K-RAIL could be their undoing in Kerala!
(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and the Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA. He can be reached at gta777@gmail.com)
AMRITSAR/TORONTO (TIP): While the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has worried the families of those stranded in Ukraine, it has also troubled the NRIs ready to return to Canada after spending their winter in Punjab. The NRIs said flights, especially those connecting via Montreal and Toronto were getting delayed. They, however, said that flights going via Vancouver were comparatively less troublesome.
Kanwaljit Singh Sekhon of Wadala village, near Baba Bakala, who took the flight to Canada via Vancouver on Wednesday, March 2 morning, said he had to wait for six hours at the Delhi airport as the flight was late.” He said due to delay from Delhi, he would now have to spend eight hours extra at the Vancouver airport. Sekhon had to go to Edmonton, but now there was no flight available from Vancouver to Edmonton. So, he had booked a ticket for Calgary, from where he would take another flight. “Those travelling via Montreal and Toronto have to face delay of almost 25 to 26 hours,” said Gurjant Singh, who took a flight from Delhi on February 2 after a 24-hour delay. Gurjant said as the airlines did not provide boarding during the delay, they had to sleep at the airport itself. With such stories of hardships, those who had plans to return to Canada shortly are worried. Some are even planning to leave children and women behind.
“It is very difficult to travel in such crisis especially with small children,” said Gurpreet Singh, who was scheduled to travel next week. He said he was making calls to his travel agent and co-travelers, but nobody had any concrete information.
Family rejects offer of compensation; demands punishment to the guilty
November 16, 2021
3.45 PM
I.S. Saluja
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Kamani Bhandari, an 85-year-old lady who is a US Citizen and an OCI card holder had a taste of Air India mismanagement on November 15 when she was denied boarding because the airline said there was no seat available. The lady was having a confirmed seat Number 9F in the Business class. The boarding agent said the seat was defective, and no other seat was available.
Passenger Kamani Bhandari
Kamani Bhandari was booked on Air India Flight AI184 from San Francisco to Delhi, and for onward flight to Jodhpur. She was to fly out on November 15 at 8.30 PM (PT).
After the check-in and obtaining a boarding pass with Business class Seat 9 F the special assistance took her for security check and then to the boarding gate. Meanwhile, the son of Kamani, Sanjay Bhandari, a former President of Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) who had come to the airport to see her off left for home,
It was at the boarding gate that a boarding manager informed Kamani Bhandari that she will not be boarding the flight because some seats are unserviceable and because of overbooking, no alternative seat could be found for her. Mrs. Bhandari was taken to the lobby where her luggage was handed over to her.
The worried lady informed her son of the development.
Mr. Prem Bhandari, a well-known Community leader, Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA and associated in important capacity with several other organizations called the offices of The Indian Panorama this morning to narrate the story of harassment to the old lady. Mr. Bhandari is known to have helped Air India and Air India passengers on many occasions, particularly during COVID-19. He told the editor that the old lady’s son Mr. Sanjay Bhandari would call him to give the details.
Mr. Sanjay Bhandari narrated the sequence of the event and said Air India offered to send his mother to Delhi by a United Airlines flight on November 16. But then there was no connecting flight available for onward flight to Jodhpur until the 19th, almost 30 hours after her arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport. It meant she was to have over 30 hours’ lay off. It could not have worked for the old lady.
Mr. Sanjay Bhandari got in touch with Anju Sahani, Air India Station Manager for a convenient flight for his mother but found Sahani evasive. Incidentally, Anju Sahani was present at the boarding gate when the boarding manager was telling the lady that she could not go by the flight AI 184 because of non-availability of a seat.
The Indian Panorama editor called Anju Sahani on her number 650-942-3131 at 8 AM (PT) on November 16. The phone was not answered. A message was left in the voice mail detailing the reason for the call and a request was left for a call back. There has been no call back more than 4 hours after the message was left.
The Editor of this newspaper then called Air India Regional Manager Mr. Sunil Daware to have the update. Mr. Daware said he would get back after getting the information. He called back in a few minutes and informed the editor of the arrangements being worked out with the family of Kamani Bhandari to put her on a convenient flight. Mr. Daware said the family preferred to go by an Air India flight to Delhi from where a convenient connecting flight to Jodhpur was available, and that Monday, November 22 was the date they were working on.
Asked if it was not a serious case of mismanagement, Mr. Daware said Air India considers the safety and comfort of passengers of paramount importance, and therefore, when the seat was found to be unserviceable, the passenger was told about non availability of the seat. Asked if the airline will give a compensation to the passenger for the loss of time and inconvenience, Mr. Daware said “Yes, as per regulation”.
Mr. Sanjay Bhandari, Kamani Bhandari’s son said in a note: “They (Air India) said $1550 .00 is the compensation but I never agreed to the amount. My mother already had a Business Class ticket before the incident. This incident has caused so much trauma to my mother that no amount of money can compensate for what Air India has done with her”.
The Bhandari family insists that an inquiry into the incident be held and the guilty be punished.
The Indian Panorama has been told that the incident is not the first of its kind. Air India has earned a certain amount of notoriety for being deficient in providing services and treating passengers rather callously. A friend who is a lifelong friend of Air India admitted that Air India itself is responsible for its doom.
The Indian Panorama editor called Anju Sahani on her number 650-942-3131 at 8 AM (PT) on November 16. The phone was not answered. A message was left in the voice mail detailing the reason for the call and a request was left for a call back. There has been no call back more than 4 hours after the message was left.