NEW YORK (TIP): Mr. Shatrughna Sinha, the Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate General in New York who is moving over to New Delhi to take up a new assignment at the Ministry of External Affairs, was given a farewell dinner here on Thursday, August 26. The dinner hosted by Prof. Indrajit Saluja, publisher and editor of The Indian Panorama was attended by leaders of the Indian American community, officials of the government of India undertakings, elected officials and the mediapersons.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sinha expressed his appreciation of the Indian American community which, he said, had given him abundant cooperation and made his task of discharging his duties easier and pleasant. Mr. Sinha related with a touch of feeling how the Indian Americans community came forward to help out their brethren in the difficult period of Covid-19. The amount of donations in terms of equipment and otherwise is historic, he added. He said he was overwhelmed by the love the community gave him during his tenure and now that he was leaving. He wished the gathering all happiness and prosperity.
Earlier, Prof. Saluja extended a warm welcome to Mr. Sinha who was accompanied by his wife and their two children – a daughter and a son. In his brief remarks, Prof. Saluja described Mr. Sinha as the most upright officer he had come across at the Consulate during the last 20 years. Prof. Saluja appreciated Mr. Sinha for being helpful to all for which, he said, the Indian American community would always remember him. The very fact that so many people from so many walks of life had come to the farewell dinner to him is a testimony of how much love and respect he has earned with his work and his friendly disposition.
Mr. Ravi Batra, an eminent attorney and Chair National Advisory Council of South Asian Affairs, who has known every senior official at the consulate for decades praised Mr. Sinha for his dedicated services to the community. He said the consulate had to work under very pressing circumstances created by the pandemic which required much help to Indian American community as well as to people in India. The selfless and dedicated services of Mr. Sinha will always be remembered, he said.
Mr. Prem Bhandari, Chairman, Jaipur Foot USA said that Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, envisioned an India where the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary would evolve as public servantsof the citizens of the country in every sense of the word. Mr. Bhandari said Mr. Sinha proved himself to be the one that Dr, Prasad spoke of,and expressed gratification in collaborating with Mr. Sinha, especially during the Vande Bharat Mission, and wished him a bright future ahead.
New York State Senator John Liu and New York State Assemblyman David Weprin who presented a Citation to Mr. Sinha also had word of praise for Mr. Sinha.
Many community leaders, and there were many representing dozens of organizations, spoke appreciatively of Mr. Sinha and wished him well. They included Leela Maret, President FOKANA, Mr. Harish Thakkar, President of AIA, Beena Kothari, President of GOPIO, New York, Indu Jaiswal, President AIF, Mr. Somnath Ghimire, President of Nepalese Association, Master Mohinder Singh, Founder President of Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana, Mr. Harpreet Singh Toor, Former Chairman of Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society, and Paramjit S Bedi, a leader of Afghan Sikhs. Mr. Tirlok Malik. Emmy nominated Film maker, Mr. Sudhir Vaishnav, Executive Director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sunil Hali, a senior journalist and Yoshita Singh, PTI special correspondent at the United Nations also addressed the gathering.
Citations were presented to Mr. Sinha on behalf of Congressman Tom Suozzi and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar while Assemblyman David Weprin was himself around to present the citation.
Padma Bhushan Sant Chatwal, Padma Shri Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori and Dr. VK Raju sent their greetings and good wishes to Mr. Sinha.
Several organizations presented souvenirs and plaques to Mr. Sinha which included GOPIO, New York, FOKANA, Global Indian Trade and Cultural Council, Afghan Sikh Association, The Indian Panorama, among others
Souvenirs were presented by Mr. Ravi Batra, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Mr. Somnath Ghimire, and some others.
The gathering which received Prof. Saluja’s immense gratitude for their presence, wished the Sinha family all happiness and hoped Mr. Sinha will come back to the U.S. soon on a new assignment, and give us again the pleasure of his sweet company.
Mr. Jarnail Singh, the owner of the Richi Rich Palace, the venue of the dinner, received much appreciation for the warm hospitality and the delicious food.
The Indian Panorama loves its readers and values their views. It has always been our effort to get the readers to express their views on various subjects and issues. This way, The Indian Panorama gets enriched even as readers other than those who commented get the benefit of the perspectives of those who contributed.
For the Independence Day special edition, we requested readers to write on India of their dreams. We received an enthusiastic response. We thank the readers who have contributed. Here is what they said.
Anu Jain Realtor, Long Island, NY
India is a great nation with loving people, and it is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and a multi-religious society. I dream of an India that is free from corruption at all levels. It would be a place where the betterment of the country and its people would be the sole agenda of the government. In India, corruption has been at the high side of the Indian politics for years and it has been filled with many greedy politicians whose interest is above the nation’s people; The rate of corruption is growing day by day and the common man suffers in the hands of politicians who are only interested in fulfilling their own selfish motives. Once corruption is out of the system many things will fall automatically in place such as the usage of the public fund. The public fund shall be utilized in improving India’s infrastructure, education, medical care, agriculture, military, and other sectors. It will also be used to make the atmosphere cleaner and healthier for the citizens of India. My dream India should have no discrimination on castes or religion, we are all Indian. We are not divided into Jain, Sikh, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or any other religions. Different ethnic groups should be able to live in perfect harmony with each other. I want to see equality in education and employment, a nicely funded education system where the poor and the rich are able to acquire the same opportunity in order to gain the best education.
Arish K Sahani, New York Life Agent, Queens, NY
Being born in India, I feel proud to say that I was born in a great civilization.
India is one of the few places in the world where different family members are living with your one family and because of that, I feel proud to say that before I attended school and learned from my neighborhood uncles and aunts about the rights and wrongs in life. I was made to realize that – I am a Human and I need to learn HOW TO LIVE LIKE A HUMAN. It is only the humans of this world that need to know and learn how to live like a human. Animals don’t have to learn or be educated in a school system to learn the ways of life like we do. No one understands the importance of DNA, place of birth, and the culture you are born in unless you grow up and see the differences in each area.
The importance of good and honest leadership is recognized when you see the working of two different leaders from two different parties. When living in a democracy, if you have not realized and used the power to VOTE in your life, you are not fit to live in a democracy.
In today’s world, everyone is running towards money. But no one ever thinks that you come empty handed into this world and you leave empty handed from this world.
Sanatana Dharma teaches life principles. You carry and take with you the load of all your Karmas, and you are reborn again to carry on your desires and wishes.
All Indians who love India should be proud of the present leadership who has made India a world of focus.
It is a surprise for many that one billion Hindus have no Hindu nation as of yet. The world is watching and wondering if India will survive and if the locals of India are free to convert to any enemy culture and the right to destroy India by using political games.
I have been living in the United States for the past 50 years but I wish for myself to be born as a Hindu again in India.
I feel sad when our media and our education system have no programs to teach our young how to live like a human and how to develop the will to fight evil and to learn the non-truth. Millions living with the non-truth have no will to gain freedom from the corrupt systems of the unfortunate education system that we have today.
Arish Sahani, Born Hindu Grav Se Kaho Main Hindu Hoon.
Gobind Bathija, C.E.O/ President GBN Enterprises, Group of Companies, Long Island, NY
India’s society is divided by Caste, Religion, Region and Gender, however, are unified in Celebration of its’ Independence. The Nation has seen substantial progress in many areas including rise in income levels, global growth, and advancement in literacy and life expectancies. The per capita income increased in real terms despite a significant increase in the population of the country.
Sophisticated and modern technology has led to reduced prevalence of diseases leading to longevity. The increase in the gross enrollment ratios in school and rise in the number of recognized educational institutes in the country provided for the advancement of literacy levels. India has emerged as the top exporter of IT services and their IT sills are renowned all over the world. These, as well as significant infrastructure development, booming Agriculture and tremendous advancement in manufacturing, construction, electricity and gas and water supply sectors have positioned India as a Global leader.
India of the future – A Global Superpower with a primary focus on protecting their citizens through continued infrastructure spending in conjunction with:
controlling pollution levels,
public health care to reduce maternal and childhood deaths,
public safety, utility and water supply
reducing economic inequality,
housing.
No amount of economic growth with outweigh the safety and health of its people.
Harbachan Singh, Secretary General, Indian Overseas Congress, USA. Queens, NY
Significance of Independence Day
We celebrate Independence Day for several reasons. Firstly, to rejoice the Independence from a colonial power who had all this while been siphoning away all the treasures and wealth away from our country and always gave us a raw deal in our lives. They made easy money and enriched themselves, enjoyed luxurious lives and kept us subdued as servants. Independence Day is also to remind us that we must make sure that our own people will not do the same and keep us downtrodden. That they will not be corrupt, will not enrich their own, will not keep us jobless, will not destroy our environment, our children, our seniors and our health and education systems, will not practice rotten demonetization schemes, will not leave black money overseas, will not do Rafael type deals and make tons of corrupt money, will not punish our farmers who demonstrate peacefully against tyranny, who fail to keep campaign promises, who fail to protect us adequately from Corona and Delta Virus, who practice religious divide and exploit devious IT manipulations to win elections etc. and in the end make us more unhappy and desperate than we were under the colonial rulers. Independence is to enjoy a better quality of life, of love and co-exist with mutual respect, built with our sweat. Let us not shortchange ourselves. Everyone, regardless of class or creed must get a fair share of a country’s prosperity. We can lose our freedom by making a wrong choice at the ballot box.
Harish Thakkar, President, AIA New York Chapter, Queens, NY
India enjoys a rich cultural heritage. People belonging to various castes, creeds, and religions live peacefully in this country. I dream of India that progresses at an even greater pace and joins the list of the developed countries in no time. I want the government to provide equal employment opportunities for all so that the youth get deserving jobs and contribute towards the growth of the nation. I want the country to become technologically advanced and see growth in all the sectors.
Indu Jaiswal RDN Chair IAF, Long Island, NY
INDIA AT 75
On behalf of Board of trustees, members of Indian American forum and Indian American Community we want to wish everyone Happy Independence Day on August 15. As we celebrate 75th year of independence of the country, we salute the freedom fighters and their sacrifices made. We pay tribute to the martyrs of the country and continue to develop India of their dreams. As we are all still facing the challenges during the pandemic years,India and the whole world is working towards prevention and treatments of the invisible COVID -19 virus. India faces the biggest challenge for providing affordable and quality medical facilities and hospitals for its people. Our children are still suffering from Malnutrition and poverty. We also need to continue to empower and strengthen women in the field of business, politics and other areas. We need to continue to introduce schools and colleges providing quality education in India. We also see that use of Ayurveda, Yoga, and holistic treatments originating from India are benefiting people all over the world. The Green revolution in India is also leading towards high yielding varieties of rice and wheat to increase food production in order to alleviate hunger and poverty.Mahatma Gandhi said that our greatest ability is not to change the world but to change ourselves. Pearce is the most powerful weapon of mankind.
Happy Independence Day. JAI HIND!and VANDE MATARAM!
Dr. Renee Mehrra, President Reenbow Media, Queens, NY
As a proud Indian American who for several years has co emceed India Day Parade in NYC, I salute our freedom fighters and our unsung heroes whose dedication, courage, and sacrifices for their motherland will never be forgotten. Despite these unprecedented and challenging times, our passion to rejoice, celebrate, and revisit India’s vibrant history, rich cultural heritage and eternal values remain undiminished. Moving forward from India’s 75th year of independence, I envision My India as a country that leads the world in unity in diversity, where the next generation is an ambassador of peace, harmony, and goodwill, where more and more youth script history in the Olympics like our young hero Neeraj Chopra. where the girl child is respected and nurtured, and there is social equity and inclusion in every sphere.
Tirlok Malik, Filmmaker Emmy Nominated, Restaurateur, Happy Life Yoga Speaker, New York City, NY
An NRI’s view on India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations
My name is Tirlok Malik. I am an Emmy nominated filmmaker, an Ayurveda Restaurateur, and a Happy Life Yoga speaker. I consider myself a world citizen, blessed to be born in India and now living in America. Many major American corporations including Microsoft, Google, IBM, FedEx, Master card, and Vimeo have Indian American CEOs. And many Indian Americans have found major success in diverse fields such as medicine, hospitality industry, real estate, IT as well as other areas. Indian Americans living all over America are celebrating the 75th Independence Day of India with parades, floats, band, music, dancers, and having Bollywood actors as grand marshals, local politiciansand celebrity sponsors as chief guests, etc. in many cities across America. There is a great sense of pride in it. And it’s also fun to attend these parades, meet many people, watch actors dance to the music, listen to patriotic speeches about how great India is. The food stalls are always great at these events. When I look around at attendees, I mostly see Indian Americans of all ages, including young people born in America, clapping and cheering. The whole atmosphere makes me remember how much I miss India, love India, it is a part of my DNA till I die and even after that as I believe in reincarnation and a part of me will always want to be born in India.
Now, I also know most people who are attending will not go to live in India permanently. It makes me question and at the same time I know the answer. I have made all my films about the migration conflicts and its effects on human feelings: be it ‘Lonely in America,’ ‘Love Lust and Marriage’, ‘Khushiyaan’ and ‘On Golden Years or my new short film ‘To New India with Love’. I remember when I was studying in the 5th grade in a school in Delhi, I was told that once upon a time India used to be a Golden Bird and people from all over the world came there for education, trade, cultural exchange, etc. As a student being raised without much worldly things, I desired more and also saw most students’ fathers working very hard to make a living. I used to secretly hope and wish for India to become the Golden Bird again so that every Indian living in India could have worldly comforts. But as I grew older the reality was very different. I still hope for India to become the Golden Bird again. After finishing college my destiny brought me to America where I have been fortunate enough to realize my American Dream. But, during my emotional moments I have always missed India and hoped for India to have half of the life’s comforts which we have in US.
When I visited my folks back in India for the first time, I realized that the country could be the Golden Bird again, but it can only be done only by Indians living in India. Yes, NRIs can also help towards this in many ways but ultimately the onus lies with the resident Indians. Every time I visit India, I see it’s getting better but it can do more. I still have that desire to see India become the Golden Bird in my lifetime. It is possible when all citizens of India are truly free from self-created emotional conflicts, greed, laziness, discrimination, intolerance, corruption, lack of trust and be independent and focused towards having true independence.
It is my request to India to celebrate the 75th Independence Day not only as a freedom from the British but as freedom from the negative attitude and thinking. Let’s make India again the Golden Bird for the citizens of India, a Guru for the rest of the world. This is my salute to the 75th Independence Day of my beloved India. No matter where I live, India will always be part of me. I love you, India.
Urmilesh Arya MD FACP National President, AIA Long Island, NY
Future of India
This is the 75th Independence Day of India. This is the time to revise, what we have achieved and what we have to achieve. India is recovering from the Covid Crisis and moving to achieve its goals to make the country, strong, peaceful and prosperous. India is progressing in the leadership of a very strong and patriotic leader Prime Minister NarendraModi who wanted “Sabka Sath and Sabka Vikas.”
He said on this 75th celebration of independence the country will reflect “pride of Sanatan India and the glow of modern India “. He titled it Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav.”
The dream of future India is the developed India. An India free of poverty and illiteracy, where poor are empowered, the bridge between the poor and rich is within acceptable limits. The underprivileged youth succeed. An India which realizes its full potential in every domain and the educated souls understand the importance of giving back what they have taken from the society. People of India should be mobilized towards boundless energy, spirit and strength so that youth of India can carry out activities aimed at the betterment of life. India has won 5 medals this year Olympics should win many more in future. It will be a country where women are respected and people from all religions co-exists and where every citizen is proud to be an Indian.
Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York inaugurating the event.Speakers and organizers at the Virtual Yoga Day Celebration. From L to R: Top Row: Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Host Tirlok Malik, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, Speaker Anil Narang. 2nd Row: Singer Pallavi Belwariar, Speaker Prof. Indrajit Saluja, GOPIO-Manhattan President Shivender Sofat, Program Coordinator and Board member Sid Jain. 3rd Row: Speakers Dr. Bhuvan Lal, Sangeeta Agrawal, Andrea and Neil, Board Members and Zoom Coordinator Chitranjan Belwariar. 4th Row: Speakers Renee Mehrra, Ranju Narang, Deborah Fishman and Indu Jaiswal.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The GOPIO-Manhattan (NYC) and Happy Life Yoga in cooperation with The Indian Panorama and Indian American Forum (Long Island) organized an International Yoga Event to raise awareness of Yoga and raise funds for “The Covid-19 Relief in India”.
Mr. Siddharth Deoraj Jain, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; introduced Mr. Tirlok Malik, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Happy Life Yoga speaker and invited him to start The International Yoga Day-2021.
Mr. Malik hosted a highly interactive and informative Yoga session featuring experts and speakers across various walks of life. He explained his vision, “A way of living inspired by the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga and Indian Philosophy is beneficial for everyone. In the aftermath of COVID, the world has realized that it is of paramount importance to have a good health, physically and emotionally, and the Happy Life Yoga platform can show how to achieve it.”
Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, the Chief Guest, commented “Yoga is a way of life. The idea of Yoga is truly universal and it must be heard, celebrated and promoted in each and every part of our society and community. The key is to not just celebrate Yoga as a health practice, for it needs to be celebrated in its entirety,” asserted Jaiswal. He highlighted how the International Yoga Day has evolved into in major annual event that’s celebrated across the globe ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly back in September 2014.
Dr. Bhuvan Lall, the award-winning filmmaker, international entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author, touched upon the importance of Yoga in our day-to-day life and advised “Everybody wants to be happy. Everybody wants to have a long life and Yoga provides the answer by teaching us how to deal with unhappy situations that we come across. So, Yoga is really the way forward.”
Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Chief Editor/Publisher, The Indian Panorama said, “The key is to love yourself and love the world around you. When you are trying to achieve equilibrium among the various faculties in your life that’s where Yoga comes into play.”
Ms. Sangeeta Agrawal, CEO and Founder, Helpsy added “The first step involves preparing oneself as that equips one to deal with the situation. Further one must reach out to experts for their advice and guidance allowing one to make and execute plans aimed at recovery from the ailment.”
Ms. Deborah Fishman Shelby, Founder & Executive Director, FED talked about teachings of Judaism while sharing examples from Torah and exploring the idea of happiness.
Ms. Ranju Narang emphasized upon the need to inhaling and exhaling out all the negativity and toxicity.
Ms. Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson, Indian American Forum, an accomplished dietician and nutritionist spoke about the importance of balance diet for happy life.
Neil and Andrea Garvey, Publishers/Editors of the Creations Magazine, who have been vegans for over three decades emphasized about the need for communication between partners.
Mr. Anil Narang, Vegan activist, talked about the benefits of vegan diet for a healthy living. While talking about the importance of harmony between mind, body and spirit, he stressed upon the need to go vegan during the COVID-19 times in order to boost immunity and health.
Dr. Renee Mehrra talked about meditation and the need to control thoughts as a means to calm down the brain.
Ms. Pallavi Verma Belwariar, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; entertained the viewers with her melodious voice with Malik egging on the viewers to dance in their chairs.
Mr. Shivender Sofat, President GOPIO-Manhattan; spoke about importance of Yoga in daily life, discussed chapter activities and motivated everyone to donate generously towards the GOPIO Manhattan Fund Raising for The Covid-19 Relief in India.
Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO Chairman; complimented GOPIO-Manhattan, NYC for taking this initiative and organizing several other programs during the last one year. Dr. Abraham also appealed the audience to support the Covid Indian Relief Fund and GOPIO-Manhattan’s Community Feeding conducted every last Monday of the month.
Mr. Chitranjan Sahay Belwariar, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; concluded with the Vote of Thanks to all Speakers at the event and provided technical support with Zoom streaming and recording.
The event ended with a thunderous applause even as Malik promised to bring more Happy Life Yoga events in the near future.
Happy Life Yoga is the creation of Mr. Tirlok Malik and the Ayurveda Cafe team. It is essentially an educational platform that offers a unique holistic approach to health and happiness using tools from Ayurveda, Indian Philosophy, and Yoga to help better manage modern-day challenges such as work, finances, relationships, family and other social pressures. It was launched in June 2019 in New York.
In accordance with its mission to serve the larger society and those in need, GOPIO-Manhattan Chapter has taken several initiatives in the recent past. A Community Feeding is organized by the Chapter providing vegan or vegetarian lunch for the homeless and needy at Tomkins Square Park in Manhattan on the last Monday of every month. The chapter appeals to the community to support the initiative by being a volunteer and/or a sponsor.
For more info on GOPIO Manhattan, call President Shivender Sofat at 731-988-6969, e-mail: info@gopiomanhattan.org or visit here: https://gopiomanhattan.org/
“I was / am a good son or daughter to my parents,that’s the greatest reward or award you got in life for yourself.
“MERE PASS MAA HAI” (I have my mother with me).
These words spoken by Shashi Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan in Yash Chopra’s movie “DEEWAAR “provokes an emotion in most human beings that the woman who gives youbirth and unconditional love throughout your life, and if you have her with you today, it is the greatest real priceless wealth
If she is not alive today and you feel her everlasting love and memories and If you are truly able to say to yourself “I was /am a good son or daughter to my parents,that is the greatest reward or award you got in life for yourself.
Humbly and happily, I can say that for myself that I was there for my parents when they needed me.
I like to suggest to all readersbe there for your parents when they need you.Tell them you love them as often as possible. we all have wonderful loving memories and fights with our mothers, it’s good to revisit them quietly in our heart and smile.
I personally put my mother before God.
I recall my childhood memories of her loving care, her teaching me discipline, cookinghealthy Indian food,respecting elders and women, about spirituality,about being grateful to the universe for what I was given, and a lot more I learnt from her.
I always felt loved and cared for by my mother, even though many times I was scolded by her even in my adult life for good reasons when my behavior was not to her standard.
When I look back at those scolded moments today, I smile.
She was married to a great man. Amrit Malik, my loving caring father, my friend, myguide. I also have three good,loving siblings Chander, Raaj and Niru.
My mother Tara Malik left for her spiritual home in heaven in 2004, but here I say to her:Every day is a Mother’s Day for me.
I love you very much and I always feel your presence with me. Thank you for all you did for me.
NEW YORK (TIP): New York Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik, the creator of Ayurveda Cafe in Manhattan, New York and a Happy Life Yoga speaker, is a guest speaker at the 2021 Vegan Spring Fest. The 14th annual event is scheduled to take place on April 11, 2021. Vegan Spring Fest (formerly known as Veggie Pride Parade) is a free annual event that brings the vegan and veg-curious community together to celebrate a healthy lifestyle. The event will be held at Union Square Park in Manhattan from 12 Noon to 4 PM. At the event, Malik will be speaking about the health advantages of living on a vegetarian/vegan diet. Malik being a vegetarian himself promotes Ayurveda and believes that being a vegetarian, living on a diet made from plant foods, is a better choice to stay healthy. Malik has been a regular speaker at the event for the last 10 years and has been sharing the wisdom of Ayurveda as well the benefits of eating the right vegetarian food for one’s body. Malik’s sessions are informative as well as highly entertaining as he is able to fully engage with his audience utilizing his communication skills that he has developed over the years as a trained actor on stage as well as in the movies. The vegan activist and author of “101 Reasons I’m a Vegetarian”, Pamela Rice started this event, formerly called Veggie Pride Parade, 14 years ago. This year the name had to be changed because there is no parade happening due to Covid-19 and so the organizers didn’t want the word “parade” in the name to confuse people. Pamela will be speaking this year in detail about the government’s role in the oppression of animals. This year the event is organized by Maggie Sargent. Tirlok Malik is also a member of World Vegan Vision (https://worldveganvision.org/), which a non-profit Indian association founded by H.K. Shah and Avinash Kachy, Nitin Vyas as Board of Directors. It is committed to increasing public awareness about main aspects of veganism. World Vegan Vison endeavors to promote, encourage and inspire people to become vegan or vegetarian and provide educational information on the benefits of a plant based vegan or vegetarian lifestyle while simultaneously promoting Animal Welfare and Environmental Conservation. Malik is happy to promote Ayurveda for Health along with all the New Yorkers present at the Vegan Spring Fest 2021.
(The author is an Indian Film & TV Critic / Journalist who has been covering the world of entertainment for over 10 years. He can be reached at: murtaza@apotpourriofvestiges.com. His video essays / commentaries can be watched on his YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/MurtazaAliKhan88).
A colorful welcome to the chief guest and his family. L to R: Ms Jaiswal, Dr. Abha Jaiswal, Consul general Randhir Jaiswal, Pinky Jaggi, Indu Gajwani, Amita Karwal, Jyoti Gupta, Anu Jain, Rizwan Qureshi and Prof. Saluja. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Jaskiran Saluja, a member of the organizing committee welcoming guests on behalf of The Indian Panorama, the organizing committee, and the community. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Ambassador Randhir Jaiswal pays a floral tribute at Dr. Ajay Lodha’s portrait to all those who died of COVID-19. Dr. Ajay Lodha, a darling of the Indian American community died of COVID last year after an eight-month long struggle to survive. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Consul General Jaiswal remarked that it was a great pleasure to see people from diverse communities getting to celebrate in a spirit of brotherhood the Holi and the Hola festivals. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Guest of Honor Harry Bolla, Chairman/ CEO of Bolla Group of Companies was very appreciative of the Gatka players. He announced a gift of $1100 to the group. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Gatka players with the chief guest, guests of honor, organizers and community representatives. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Attorney Ravi Batra shared his experience and impressions of COVID-19 (Photo / Vijay Shah)Gayatri Balsara and Anjana Moolayfrom Muktambar Fine Arts Academy, New Hyde Park performing a classical dance. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Prachi Makkar (left) sang a Punjabi song with her brother Surya Makkar providing exciting Dhol beats. And they made guests dance. (Photo / Vijay Shah)Vicky Kohli, in the background, made ladies dance to his melodious singing. L to R: Pinky Jaggi, Abha Jaiswal, Jyoti Gupta, Ranju Batra, Indu Gajwani (Photo / Vijay Shah)Mr. Balasubramaniam Elango, Chief Executive, Bank of Baroda, New York, chosen in a draw of lots the Mahamoorkha, an old tradition at Holi celebration, is being crowned by Consul General Randhir Jaiswal. To Mr. Elango’s left is seen the Mahamoorkha of 2019 Mr. Ravi Batra.A view of the gathering (Photo / Vijay Shah)Consul General Randhir Jaiswal being honored with a shawl by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, publisher of The Indian Panorama on behalf of the organizing committee and the community (Photo / Vijay Shah)Consul General Jaiswal (seated 6th from left) and Dr. Abha Jaiswal (seated 5th from left) with ladies at the event (Photo / Vijay Shah)Ambassador Jaiswal (seated 4th from left) with male guests at the event. (Photo : Vijay ShahAmbassador Jaiswal)
GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): The Indian Panorama, the leading English language Indian American newspaper, hosted a Holi /Hola celebration April 4 at the Metropolitan Banquet in Glen cove.
The celebrations were attended by 100 persons drawn from various walks of life, who came despite the COVID-19 threats. However, CDC and New York State guidelines were strictly followed, and guests wore masks, and maintained social distancing, as far as possible.
Consul General of India in New York, Randhir Jaiswal was the chief guest. He was accompanied by his wife Dr. Abha Jaiswal, and their teenaged daughter.
Guests of honor included Attorney Ravi Batra, Chair, U.S. National Advisory Council of South Asian Affairs; Ranju Batra, Chair, Diwali Stamp Project; Harry Bolla, Chairman/ CEO of Bolla Group of Companies; Bobby Kalotee, Chairman, Human Rights Commission, Nassau County, and Tirlok Malik,Emmy Award nominee and Happy life Yoga Guru. A riot of colors,a thrilling display of the Sikh martial art -Gatka, dances and songs gave the guest the value of their time.
Guests were welcomed with a tika of colors by members of the organizing committee- Anu Jain, Indu Gajwani, Jaskiran Saluja, Jyoti Gupta and Pnky Jaggi.
Jaskiran Saluja extended a brief formal welcome which was followed by a tribute to those who lost their lives to COVID-19. Ambassador Jaiswal and Dr. Abha Jaiswal led guests in paying floral tribute to Dr. Ajay Lodha, a darling of the Indian American community who died of COVID-19 in 2020, after battling for life for close to 8 months.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Jaiswal praised the Indian American community for their love of their festivals and their spirit of brotherhood. He said he was happy to see Holi and Hola being celebrated together, with the presence of people from all faiths, particularly the Hindu and the Sikh. He praised Prof. Indrajit S Saluja who organized the event, and hoped The Indian Panorama will continue the tradition, having been the founder of the event in 2018.
Appreciating the great performances, Ambassador Jaiswal congratulated the gatka players for giving a thrilling performance. He said, he had earlier also watched gatka performances in India, and was deeply impressed with the performance he witnessed. He also praised the dance performances by the young artists from Muktambar Fine Arts,and singers – Vicky Kohli and. Prachi Makkar, and Surya Makkar who gave a thrilling performance on Dhol.
Mr. Ravi Batra spoke about his own encounter with COVID-19 and warned that the only protection against the disease is takingprecaution and following the CDC guidelines.
Mr. Harry Bolla was all praise for the festivities. The gatka performance, in particular, came in for his great praise. He announced a gift of $1100.00 to the Gatka party. He spoke briefly about the plight of farmers in India and appealed to the gathering to support the Indianfarmers’’movement for justice.
Mr. Bobby Kalotee,in his brief remarks, spoke about how important it was for him to try to help people during the pandemic.
Mr. Tirlok Malik, the well-known Indian American film maker who was nominated for Emmy Award, and who is a happy Life Yoga Guru spoke about the importance of keeping good health. He recommended a dose of laughter to keep the mind, body and soul in good shape.
In a draw of lots, Balasubramaniam Elango, Chief Executive of Bank of Baroda, New York was chosen “The
Mmahamoorkha” – an old age practice of having some fun on the occasion of Holi. He was crowned by the chief guest and the Mahamoorkha of 2019 Ravi Batra, with the host committee and guests of honor joining.
The Indian American electronic media in attendance included TV Asia (Zahid Ali), PTC TV (Gurinder Hothi), Global Punjab TV (Pardeep Gill),and Punjabi Hub TV (Balwant Hothi).
Friends and colleagues from print media- Sharanjit SinghThind, Publisher of The South Asian Insider and Punjabi Duniya, and Sonia Lalwani fromDesi Talkwere kind enough to grace the occasion with their presence. Prof. Indrajit S Saluja acknowledged their presence and thanked them, as also the guests, the organizing committee, the volunteers, family and friends, and all service providers.
Prof. Saluja had a special word of thanks for the performers. He said the performances were excellent as also the artists. He thanked Savitri Anand, Director of Muktambar Fine Arts for the Academy’s participation in the celebrations. The performances by the young students- Gayatri Balsara and Anjana Moolay- of Ms Anand’s academy were outstanding, he said. Also, the soulful singing of a Punjabi song by the talented Prachi Makkar, he said had added to the pleasure of the guests. Vicky Kohli (often confused with Vicky Kaushal) was superb. Prof. Saluja thanked the artists and wished them a great future, and hoped they would be ever obliging to him, whatever their preoccupations.
Rajeev Maini and Onkar Singh, owners of the Metropolitan Banquet were appreciatedfor the venue and wonderful catering. Parminder Singh was thanked for the sound system; Anmol Dhawan for providing lovely banners, and Gurinder Singh and Vijay Shah for photography. Special thanks were given to Gurinder Singh Hothi for videography and Balwant Hothi for live streaming the event.
New York Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik
NEW YORK (TIP): New York Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik’s On Golden Years wasscreened on TV Asia on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. The film, written and directed byMalik, and produced by Golden Movies. Iggy Ignatius is the co-director of the film. The filmhas been shot at the Indian retirement community Shantiniketan in Florida, conceived and founded by Iggy Ignatius .A great place to retire. On Golden Years portrays complex emotions, which come at the time of retirement forimmigrants. Through various characters, who are residents of an Indian retirementcommunity, the film deals with the conflicts such as India versus America, contentmentversus regrets, and of course, where to retire. This is the story about the realization ofthe American Dream. The story is also about remembering to live every day asValentine’s Day. “Tell your loved ones ’I love you’ every day or as often as possible,”entreats Malik. “COVID-19 has shown us the uncertainty of life. It has taught us never totake relationships for granted,” asserts Malik. Malik’s film meditates upon the true meaning and purpose of Valentine’s Day. “The wayI look at this Valentine’s Day applies to all ages and to all relationships, lovers, friends,family members, co-workers, parents, brothers, sisters and to people we know, we carefor. On Golden Years endeavors to communicate this thought at large,” explains Malikwho sees it as “one of those films that is capable of providing the healing touch to theviewer.” The movie stars late Ranjit Chowdhary, Jyoti Singh, Reeves Lehmann, Shetal Shah, NoorNaghmi, Tirlok Malik, Shruti Tewari, FarokhDaruwala, InduGajwani, Prof. IndrajitSaluja, Lovllien Kaurr, Sandeep Suri, Iggy Ignatius, and Kamlesh Gupta, among others.
Malik who is an Indian American and a New Yorker has made many films starting fromLonely in America, Love, Lust & Marriage, Khushiyaan, On Golden Years and manymore. They all deal with the effects of migration in America.
Malik has won many awards,including the New York Citizens’ Award from the New York Mayor’s office, and his workis acclaimed worldwide. Malik and the cast of On Golden Years are glad to have thispremiere on TV Asia—the first cable television channel developed for the InternationalSouth Asian community.
Malik considers himself a filmmaker and a healer. His new educational platform isdedicated to promoting healthy and happy living. It is called ‘Happy Life Yoga’. The concept of Happy Life Yoga draws itself from his strong belief that the Indian philosophyholds the key to living a healthy and fulfilling life. The platform endeavours to provide aholistic approach towards life by leveraging upon the combined power of Yoga,Ayurveda, and Indian Philosophy at large. It was launched in New York on the occasionof International Yoga Day 2019.
(Murtaza Ali Khan is a Delhi-based Film/ TV Critic / Journalist who has been coveringentertainment for over 10 years. He can be reached at murtaza@apotpourriofvestiges.com )
MUMBAI/ NEW YORK (TIP): Film, television and theater actor Ranjit Chowdhry passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday, April 15 at the age of 65.
Ranjit was the son of Mumbai theatre heavyweight Pearl Padamsee and the stepson of ad film maverick, Alyque Padamsee, also remembered for playing MA Jinnah in Ben Kingsley’s Gandhi.
According to a report in Pinkvilla, Ranit had moved to the US in 1980 and been active as a writer and actor there too. Ranjit is best remembered for playing Jagan Gupta in Hrithikesh Mukherjee’s iconic film, Khubsoorat. The song Saare Niyam Tod Do, where he features alongside Rekha, is still fondly remembered by all. During that period he worked in films such Basu Chatterjee’s Khatta Meetha and Baaton Mein.
After moving to the US, Ranjit worked in a number of US shows, the most famous being The Office. He appeared as Vikram. He reportedly also wrote the screenplay for Deepta Mehta’s Sam & Me, for which he also found an honorable mention at the Cannes Film Festival.
I got an opportunity to work with him in Tirlok Malik’s film ‘On Golden Years’ . I have lost a friend and mentor.
Tirlok Malik and the entire cast of ‘On Golden Years’ mourned the passing away of the great artist.
We will miss you. RIP.
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