DALLAS(TIP): Texas lawmakers have passed several measures protecting the rights of gun holders. From protecting licensed gun holders during natural disasters to raising the number of armed school marshals allowed on school campuses, Texas lawmakers have passed several measures protecting the rights of gun holders.
Those licensed to carry firearms will soon be able do so in places of worship, such as a synagogue or a church.
Legislators also created laws prohibiting residential or commercial property owners from restricting possession of firearms by residents or their guests.
The Texas India Forum, a Houston-based non-profit, will host “Howdy, Modi!” a large community summit that will host India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the region on September 22, 2019. “Howdy”, shorthand for “How do you do?,” is a friendly greeting commonly used in the southwestern United States.
The event is expected to bring together tens of thousands of people to encourage and explore common interests and an expanded partnership between the United States and India’s fast growing economy. Texas alone has over 500,000 people of Indian descent, contributing significantly to signature sectors including space, energy, medicine, education, information technology, and business.
“There is unprecedented synergy between our region and the aspirations of a ‘New India’ that Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents. The American dream shares many similarities with emerging Indian dream, and an event of this scale suggests an opportunity to build bridges across two great democracies,” said Jugal Malani, a convener of the “Howdy, Modi!” organizing committee.
Attendance at the summit will be free, but passes will be required. Passes are available on a first-come-first- serve basis and exclusively through an online registration process (www.howdymodi.org). Hundreds of prominent business and community leaders from across America are expected to attend.
In addition to the Prime Minister’s address, the program is expected to include a cultural program that showcases the Indian-American community and will be broadcast live online and on television channels reaching over 1 Billion people across the United States and India.
This will be the first trip to the United States for Prime Minister Modi after his landslide victory in Indian elections earlier this year. The Prime Minister of India has previously addressed similar gatherings at Madison Square Garden in New York and the SAP Center in San Jose.
DALLAS (TIP): Three weeks after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the death of his adopted three-year-old child, an Indian-origin man in Dallas, Texas, has requested a new trial.
Wesley Mathews (39) was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 26 for the death of his daughter, Sherin Mathews, in Richardson near Dallas in October 2017. Sherin was adopted from an orphanage in Bihar in 2016.
The Dallas Morning News reported that the lawyers for Wesley had moved a court motion earlier this week, requesting a new trial, “arguing that evidence presented against him was prejudicial”.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the lawyers for Wesley Mathews argued that the prosecutors had shown the jury, which sentenced Wesley to life imprisonment, images of the decomposed body of Sherin. Brook A. Busbee, one of the lawyers for Wesley, claimed jurors “expressed visible emotion when shown the exhibits” of the body of Sherin. Busbee also argued the prosecution lacked evidence to prove Wesley was responsible for causing broken bones that Sherin had suffered when alive.
Wesley had reported Sherin missing on October 7, 2017. Wesley claimed he had left Sherin outside their house after midnight as punishment as she did not drink her milk. The decomposed body of Sherin was found in a culvert near their home on October 22 that year. After her body was found, Wesley changed his version of events to claim that Sherin had choked to death while drinking milk late at night.
Wesley had avoided a full-fledged trial in June by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of causing a felony injury to a child. Ironically, Wesley had claimed during the trial that he would be “more than happy” to take a life sentence if the jury decided so.
Before the debate Kamala Harris had the name recognition problem. Vice President Biden was well known and was enjoying a commanding lead in the polls. Kamala Harris had to formulate strategy to become most competitive. She knew the power and influence of the national TV audience could make a difference. Therefore, she came to the debate very well prepared.
Born to her mother from Chennai, India and father from Jamaica, both Ph.D.’s, Kamala Harris is a smart student and had accumulated political skills by serving as San Francisco’s District Attorney and California’s Attorney General, before she was elected U.S. Senator, first for Indian American.
Kamala Harris knew that unless she is most competitive with Biden and Sanders, she had no chance to emerge out of 20 candidates. Thus, she applied the principle: WHO INFUENCES WHOM WHEN WHERE AND HOW IS THE ESSENCE OF POLITICS.
She was well aware that the national debate would draw a large audience and if she makes a difference she could break out. She turned out to be right. The second debate drew an audience of 18 million people against 24 million for first Trump debate.
She knew that once she impresses such a large audience, political equilibrium and polls would change. She was right. How did she do it? What was her strategy?
NBC had several anchors, who were not well organized. The debate was not well programmed. Different anchors were asking questions after questions giving very little time for the candidate to answer. As a result, the competition to be heard was stiff. It was not easy to break in especially when several were attempting to speak. There was total confusion and no order. This is where Kamala Harris emerged as a big winner. Her tactics and strategy succeeded.
Kamala Harris was bent upon taking the big elephant Biden blocking her march to the convention.
Gentlemen, you can’t fight here, this is the debate stage! Senator Kamala Harris’s first attempt at a breakout moment in this debate was a painfully rehearsed line designed to be dropped the minute there was some crosstalk she could break into:
“Hey guys, America does not want to witness a food fight. They want us to know how we are going to put food on their table.”
It won immediate applause, sustained applause, undermining their party’s political well-being. This is a debate. Everyone on stage is supposed to be making a case for why they should be president, which when facing other candidates in an election, is traditionally done by drawing distinctions between yourself and your opponents.
More broadly, the line speaks to the self-defeating tendency of Democrats to imagine that their own affinity for compromise reflects the median voter’s preference for conciliatory politics. People say they have partisan conflict, yes—but they vote for people who draw sharp distinctions between themselves and their (negatively defined)opponents. It was a good line for Harris in the moment, but it was a cynical line masquerading as a plea for unity.
Kamala Harris ( extreme right) gives Joe Biden (extreme left) the punch in the debate. Seen in the center is Bernie Sanders. CNN Screenshot
“I believe you are not a racist. It was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two U.S. Senators who built their reputations and career on segregation of race in this country. And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose bussing. And you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the Second Class to integrate her public schools and she was bussed to school every day and that little girl was me.”
Almost immediately after she punched Biden, a video of Kamala Harris as a child dressed for school was circulated in the social media.
Biden was flustered, caught off-guard by this unexpected expression of lived experience. Biden was not just criticized for his nostalgia play. He was confronted with the fact that his efforts as a young senator would have ended one of the country’s few attempts to make equal treatment a reality, to give black students the kind of education that white students took for granted . And while it is tempting to portray this as ancient history, it is not. Harris was born in 1964, just three months after President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill. Biden joined the Senate in 1973. It was 1977 when Biden introduced Bill that would, in his words, “strike at the injustice of court-ordered busing.”
A string of recent polls suggest that Kamala Harris’s performance in the debate last week has propelled her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in July 2020. A Quinnipiac University poll of Democrats and Democratic leaning voters nationally showed Kamala Harris, whose criticism of Biden’s record on race was one of the most discussed moments of the second debate last week, gaining significant momentum in the campaign.
KAMALA HARRIS POLLS AT 20% IN THE QUINNIPIAC POLL, TRAILING FRONT RUNNING BIDEN BY JUST 2 POINTS.
Other polls also show strong support for the California Democrat. A Suffolk University/USA Today poll of likely Iowa Democratic caucus goers also showed her in second place to Biden. The former Vice President led that poll with 24% of respondents saying they support him, and 15.6% reported favoring Harris.
In a poll of Democrats and Democratic leaning independents conducted by CNN and SSRS in the days after the debate, 17% of respondents said they supported Harris, again placing her in second place to Biden. That represented a jump from 8% from the month before.
After the second debate, it is clear that both Biden and Sanders have lost their momentum to the women candidates, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. 56% of the primary voters are women. If so, it is possible that the voters may prefer to elect a woman.
ROADMAP TO NOMINATION
I list below the number of delegates from early States till March 3, 2020: Iowa 49; New Hampshire 33; Nevada 48; S.C. 63 – total of 193. CA 495; Texas 262; NY 270, MA 114, IL 184, FL 248, MI 147. Before March 3, we would have elected 193. By the end of March, two thirds of all delegates would have been elected.
Therefore, if Kamala Harris does reasonably well in Iowa, NH, S.C. and Nevada, she would become the front runner on March 3 after the primaries because CA has 495 delegates. Right now, the wind in California is blowing in her favor. Biden has lost his territory big.
Kamala Harris has already tested the national waters thru her first debate. It is easier for her to challenge her competitors Biden, Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren in the second and future debates. Kamala Harris is continuing to receive wide media coverage.
STRATEGIC SKILLS AND ABILITY TO CHALLENGE THE OPPONENT IN THE GENERAL ELECTION WILL BE THE DECIDING FACTOR FOR SELECTING THE NOMINEE. Based on Kamala Harris’ performance and her competitiveness, there is no doubt in my mind that she will be able to convince the delegates at the nominating convention that she is second to none. Patrick Buchanan, political pundit and the former Speaker, Newt Gingrich have also said that Kamala Harris is likely to be the candidate.
Winning the nomination is one thing. Can Kamala Harris challenge President Trump in the General Election in November 2020? Will she able to draw working class white votes from the rust belt states of PA, WI, OH, MI? Will the moderate and conservative White women vote for her? Will she compromise too much with the extreme left to get the nomination but only to lose in the general election? Can she suggest a workable bipartisan solution to the Immigration problem? These questions cannot be answered now until the political process takes place.
If Kamala Harris clinches the nomination for the President from the Democratic Party, it would be a great achievement for her, and the Indian Americans will be proud.
(The author is MBA, Columbia School of Business and Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)
WASHINGTON (TIP): On Monday June 24th, more than 300 people filled the Foreign Affairs Committee Room in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC for the Hindu American Foundation’s 16th annual Capitol Hill Reception.
In a first, this year’s Capitol Hill Reception was co-hosted by HAF and the Indian American Kashmir Forum, with the partnership of Kashmir Hindu Foundation — all groups advocating for justice for the Hindu Kashmiri Pandit community.
“For too long the religio-ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandit community from the Valley of Kashmir has been overlooked by the international community,” noted HAF Board Member Rajiv Pandit, himself a member of the Kashmiri Pandit community, now living in Texas.
“Some three decades ago thousands of Hindus were killed by their neighbors and Pakistan-sponsored militants, with several hundred thousand forced to flee under threat of horrific violence. Some of us emigrated from India entirely, but the majority of our community remains as internally displaced persons in other parts of India. All of us would like to see a time when we are able to return home safely,” Pandit added.
In the wake of heightened violence in the Valley, HAF honored stalwarts of the Kashmiri Hindu community who have made significant and positive contributions in a variety of fields, including human rights, science, and the arts, as were individuals who have worked towards fighting for religious freedom of people around the world.
“We’re humbled by the selflessness and achievements of these individuals in protecting, preserving, and promoting the indigenous cultural heritage of Kashmir, and in making incredible advances in a variety of fields,” said Suhag Shukla, HAF’s Executive Director. “And, after 30 years of largely remaining unheard, we were honored to recognize the efforts of American policy makers who have used their platforms to highlight the need for religious freedom and human rights for this and other minority communities.”
Receiving awards in 2019 were: Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA) — Friend of the Community
Ambassador Sam Brownback — Mahatma Gandhi Award for Advancing Pluralism
Bansi Pandit — Dharma Seva Award
Subhash Kak, Ashok Koul, Arti Tiku Kaul — Award for the Advancement of Dharmic Arts and Sciences
Vijay Sazawal, Deepak Ganju, Sunil Fotedar— Award for the Advancement of Hindu Human Rights
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Indian American foster father Wesley Mathews, accused of killing his three-year-old daughter Sherin Mathews and hiding her body in a ditch in Texas in 2017, has been sentenced to life in jail. Mathews, 39, on June 24 pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of injury to a child. He was originally charged for capital murder.
The 12-member jury deliberated on June 26 for about three hours before coming to a united decision to give Wesley Mathews a sentence of life term in prison. Mathews and his wife Sini adopted Sherin in June 2016 from Bihar. Sherin Mathews disappeared on October 7, 2017. Her body was found in a culvert in Richardson under a road about one kilometer from her home in suburban Dallas on Oct 22, 2018.
Mathews’ wife Sini was also charged with child abandonment, but her case was dismissed earlier this year due to lack of evidence.
HOUSTON, TX (TIP): The Consulate General of India, Houston in collaboration with Friends of Yoga, is organizing several events across Texas to celebrate the 5th International Day of Yoga.
This ancient Indian practice received unprecedented global attention four years ago when the United Nations recognized June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. An initiative of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who himself starts his morning with yoga, the first IDY in 2015 saw people turning out in huge numbers stretching and breathing mindfully at public parks, convention centers and open spaces.
Yoga’s soaring popularity can be seen from the crowds that join in the celebration every year. From serious yoga practitioners to curious beginners, each successive IDY has been drawing bigger crowds and garnering greater interest. As with every year, this year too will feature a lineup of common yoga practices, relaxation techniques and guided meditation by well-known yoga instructors. An added attraction is an Indian Vegetarian Food Festival which will be held at select places to mark the 150th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary,
Houston will celebrate IDY on Friday, June 21 on the lush green lawns of Midtown Park (2811, Travis St, Houston Texas 77006).
The event will begin at 6:00 pm with a demonstration of some of the more difficult yoga postures (asanas) and a cultural program. After brief remarks from the Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray, the guided group yoga (Asanas or Postures), Relaxation, Pranayama and Meditation will be led by different yoga experts. The event will wrap up at 7:30 pm with a color powder dance party or Holi as it is known in India. (RSVP at yogadayoftexas2019.eventbrite.com)
Coordinator of Houston’s yoga events and a firm believer in yoga for optimum health, Sharad Amin expressed his appreciation for the cooperation from Houston’s yoga community in celebrating IDY for the past four years. Yoga is a precious gift given by Indian sages to humanity, he noted, and emphasized the importance of practicing yoga for good health every day. “Each one should teach one” the health benefits of yoga as it is key to “being and well-being,” he added.
The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands will host the event on Saturday June 22 from 7:30 -10am at the Town Green Park. (2099 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380). Opening remarks will be made by Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray followed by yoga practices from participating yoga studios, Surya Namaskars or the Sun Salutation practice by HTW Yoga Group and the 35-minute yoga protocol set by the Government of India led by renowned yoga instructors Sriram Sarvotam and his wife Ekaterina Jeleva. The morning will conclude with a guided meditation session.
Yoga Teachers
The Consulate General of India, Houston has also planned a series of events in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.
IDY will be observed in front of the stately State Capitol building in Austin on Saturday June 15 at 6:00 pm (1100 Congress Ave. Austin, Texas 78701), in Dallas on 22nd June, Saturday at 8:00 am at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza (1201 Hidden Ridge Dr., Irving, Texas, 75038) and in San Antonio on 21st June, Friday at 6:00 pm at the Riverwalk Mall (San Antonio, TX – 78205).
In addition to these main events, multiple events are being organized at churches, temples, community centers, Arya Samaj Greater Houston, Brahma Kumaris, India House, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Shakas (HSS), Jamatkhanas and Patanjali Yogpeeth USA Trust between 15th and 23rd June.
Please visit the following links for more information:
The events are free and open to all. Bring your yoga mats and plan to arrive 20 minutes ahead to find a comfortable spot.
(The events are being organized in association with The Art of Living Foundation, Arya Samaj Greater Houston, Brahma Kumaris Texas, Ekal Vidyalaya, Hindus of Greater Houston, Hindus Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Temple of the Woodlands, His Highness Aga Khan Council for the Southwestern United States, IMAGH, India House, IDoYoga, Isha Foundation, JK Yog, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas, Midtown Houston, Patanjali Yogapeeth USA Trust, Pralaya Yoga, Sahaj Yoga, Sewa International, Youniversoul Fest, Vyasa USA, Yoga Studios, Yoga Friends and volunteers.)
DALLAS, TX (TIP): BollyX is a cardio class based on Indian Bollywood dance. The program launched in 2013 and it’s gaining fans in North Texas.
“It really makes you feel like you’re in a movie, like you’re dancing in a movie,” Kelley Rowland of Plano said.
The 50-minute workout keeps participants moving using Bhangra dance, as well as traditional Indian-style folk dances.
Classes are offered at various gyms across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“It improves your mood, you feel refreshed. You want to come back for more,” said Nisha Ala, group fitness instructor. She said participants can burn 500 to 900 calories in a class and it’s designed for everyone, no matter their fitness level.
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Rohena Gera’s feature directorial debut, SIR, wins big at the 5th annual DFW South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota, which took place from May 16th to 19th in Dallas, Texas. The opening night feature won for “Best Director” (Rohena Gera), “Best Actor” (Vivek Gomber, in attendance) and “Best Film.”
“The modern-day Indian Cinderella story about the relationship between a maid and her handsome employer clearly struck a chord with our international jury,” said Founder and Festival Director Jitin Hingorani. “We had a feeling this film would do well at our festival, given the recent success of ROMA, as it is such a nuanced portrayal of the classism that is alive and well in the domestic servitude relationships of third world countries.”
This the first year the festival has chosen to appoint a jury and present award. Thus the theme…’Five Years: Five Awards.’
“We wanted to wait until we had international gravitas, so that an award from us actually meant something,” explains Hingorani.
Other winners include:
Best Actress – Kalyanee Mulay for NUDE
Best Short Film – Gaurav Sharma’s THAT MAN IN THE PICTURE (Eros Now)
Audience Favorite: Aijaz Khan’s HAMID, now available on Netflix
Best Child Actor: Sunny Pawar for CHIPPA
(From L to R): Director Vasan Bala and Actor Abhimanyu Dassani (Bhagyashree’s son) for the U.S. premiere of their film MARD KO DARD NAHIN HOTA
(From L to R): TV Asia reporter Gupri Dosanjh with child actor Sunny Pawar on the red carpet
(From L to R): Vinay Shahani, VP of Integrated Marketing Operations for Toyota Motor North America, Festival Director Jitin Hingorani and actor Vivek Gomber
Toyota RAV 4 on display at the festival All Photo Credit: Le Taang
WASHINGTON (TIP): In a testimony to the strength of India-US relations, unprecedented congratulatory messages have been received from over 50 US leaders in every domain, including the Administration, Congress, business, academia/think tanks on the historic electoral victory of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ADMINISTRATION
President Donald Trump
Just spoke to Prime Minister @NarendraModiwhere I congratulated him on his big political victory. He is a great man and leader for the people of India -they are lucky to have him!
Vice President Mike Pence
Congrats to an American ally & friend PM @narendramodi, on his party’s win in India’s parliamentary election. This was a strong display of the Indian people’s commitment to democracy! We look forward to continuing to work with India for a freer, safer, & more prosperous region.
Secretary Mike Pompeo
Congratulations to @narendramodi and the NDA for their victory in India’s election, and to the Indian people for casting their votes in such historic numbers. As the world’s largest exercise in democracy, #India’s election is an inspiration around the world.
Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President
Congratulations @narendramodi on a great victory! Exciting times ahead for the wonderful people of India!
Governor Phil Murphy (New Jersey)
Congrats to Prime Minister @narendramodi and the NDA on your historic election! New Jersey has a vibrant Indian American population and deep ties to the world’s largest democracy –we look forward to strengthening our relationship in the years ahead.
Governor Greg Abbott (Texas)
Prime MinisterModi, Congratulations on your election win. I view it as a very important to the future of India. Texas looks forward to continuing to work with you as we advance the economies of India and Texas
CONGRESS
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)
Congratulations to the new government and the people of India for concluding the world’s largest democratic election in which 600 million votes were cast for the country’s leadership.·I look forward to continuing my work to strengthen and deepen ties between the United States and India, two of the world’s great democracies, in the years ahead.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)
As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I want to congratulate the Indian people on today’s historic election —the largest democratic election in history. I look forward to continuing our work with PM Modi’s administration to strengthen our important alliance with India.
Senator Kevin Thomas
Congratulations to @narendramodi on his win in the Indian elections today. India and the U.S. share a great relationship and looking forward to continuing cooperation going forward.
Senator John Cornyn
Congratulations @narendramodi on your historic victory. Looking forward to seeing you soon
enator Dan Sullivan
I want to congratulate @PMOIndia@narendramodion achieving a commanding victory in his reelection bid today. Modi, a steadfast friend of America and free people everywhere, has clearly earned a strong and lasting confidence among the people of India.
Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL)
The world’s largest democracy and one of our strongest partners in the Indo-Pacific has chosen their leadership in free and fair elections. Congratulations to @BJP4India and @narenbramodi on your historic re-election.
Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN)
Congratulations to @narendramodi and his party for their landslide victory in India’s election. The relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger!
Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY)
Congratulations to @narendramodi on his re-election! The India-U.S. relationship is based upon shared values. This alliance will be very important overthe next 50 years & I am looking forward to continuing our work with PM Modi & Indian government to strengthen our alliance.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi
Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his re-election —it was truly an inspiration to see so many Indians exercise their democratic rights, and I look forward to working with PM Modi and the Indian government to strengthen the US-India partnership.
Congressman Steny Hoyer
Congratulations @NarendraModi on winning re-election this week. I look forward to strengthening the important U.S.-India partnership.
Congressman Ami Bera
Great job to the people of #India on their historic election. Never before have so many voted in a single democratic election. Congratulations to PM Modi for his win and I look forward to working with his government to strengthen the ties between our two great nations.
Congressman Ro Khanna
One lesson from Modi’s win is that dynastic, establishment candidates are weak. Democrats need to make sure that our candidate against Trump can connect with people’s frustration and offer a positive vision for change.
Congrats to @narendramodi on a decisive reelection and to the Indian people on the largest display of participation in democracy in the history of the world. Looking forward to furthering the strong bilateral ties between our two great democracies. @IndiainNewYork
THINK TANKS/ ACADEMICS
Ambassador Nikki Haley , Stand for America
India continues to have amazing potential and is a strong US partner. Congratulations to @narendramodi on your success with the elections and the direction you are taking India. We look forward to seeing our partnership continue to strengthen
Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School
A major victory for PM Modi and the BJP in #India. The Trump Administration now has an opportunity to expand our military and economic partnership with Delhi, particularly to limit China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.
Renu Khator, President of University of Houston ·Congratulations to Prime Minister Modi on his decisive victory in election…1.3 billion people have chosen their leader to continue to shape India’s future at home and abroad!
BUSINESS
Bill Gates, Microsoft
Congratulations @NarendraModi on a remarkable win in #IndianElections2019. Your continued commitment to improve health, nutrition, and development will significantly improve lives of many.
IBM CEO Ginni Rometty
IBM congratulates Prime Minister Modi on his reelection, and I look forward to continuing to work with him on issues that are critical to India and its people -from skills to emerging technologies like AI.
Ajay Banga, President & CEO, Mastercard
Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this historic win with this decisive mandate from the world’s largest democracy, he will propel the country further on all fronts. We are proud of our long-standing commitment to India and its citizens. And, we are excited to expand our investments and local partnerships in the country to deliver on the Digital India vision and help power it’s continued economic growth.
