Meghan Pasricha named recipient of 2017 World of Children Hero

April 7, 2017 Staff ReporterCommunity 0

The World of Children organization, which funds and recognizes individuals globally who are exclusively serving the needs of vulnerable children, named Megan Pasricha as one of its recipients of the 2017 World of Children Hero Awards. Pasricha is a co-founder of Global Youth H.E.L.P., a nonprofit that runs health, education, and leadership training programs for children in India and the United States.

When she was only five years old, Meghan Pasricha began changing the world with community service work. When she entered high school, Meghan – an asthma sufferer – decided to become a passionate advocate for tobacco control and health. In 2001, she worked to mobilize youth for the successful passage of Delaware’s Statewide Smoking Ban.

While studying at Harvard University, Meghan co-founded Global Youth H.E.L.P., Inc. together with her sister, working to create a global network of youth leaders who are dedicated to making a difference in the world.

In 2007, Meghan received the World of Children Youth Award for her leadership in mobilizing young people to change the world. Since then, the organization has transformed from an anti-tobacco organization into a global youth movement. Today, the organization offers a variety of programs, including anti-tobacco education, leadership training, health camps for underprivileged children, computer literacy, school supply donation programs, and more. For more information, visit www.globalyouthhelp.org.

Meghan received the 2017 World of Children Alumni Award for her extraordinary dedication to global youth empowerment. The Indian American social entrepreneur was chosen for expanding her impact and continuing to unlock the future for even more children with disabilities.

“This award will give us the tools and resources to continue expanding our youth leadership and empowerment programs, and to provide more young people with the tools to become leaders today,” she said in a statement.

Pasricha thrusted herself into community service as a teenager. A sufferer of asthma, Pasricha became an advocate for tobacco control and health when she started high school. And in 2001, she worked to mobilize youth for the successful passage of Delaware’s Statewide Smoking Ban.

Applications for U.S. visa lottery more than doubled since 2007

April 7, 2017 Staff ReporterTravel 0

A U.S. visa program that faces elimination under several bills being considered by Congress has attracted more than 156 million applicants from around the world over the past decade, even though only a small fraction of those applicants end up receiving visas through it.

During the application period for fiscal year 2017, about 19 million people applied for the U.S. diversity visa program, otherwise known as the visa lottery. That’s more than twice as many as the 9 million who applied a decade ago, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. State Department data. During the same period, the number of visas issued to the principal applicants, spouses and children via the lottery has remained stable at about 50,000 per year (due to an annual ceiling set by Congress), or a little more than 500,000 since 2007.

In operation since 1995, the visa lottery seeks to diversify the U.S. immigrant population by granting visas to underrepresented nations. Citizens of countries with the most legal immigrant arrivals in recent years – such as Mexico, Canada, China and India – are not eligible to apply. Legal immigrants entering the U.S. on a diversity visa account for about 5% of the roughly 1 million people who are awarded green cards each year.

Those eligible for the lottery face few barriers when applying. There is no fee to apply; applications are available in many languages and only limited biographical information must be submitted. If selected for a diversity visa, however, individuals must provide detailed background information and submit to visa interviews, security checks and health screenings and pay $330. Upon entry into the U.S., diversity visa recipients are given lawful permanent residence status, which gives them permission to work and live permanently in the U.S.

The U.S. visa lottery program is unique in the world. (New Zealand has a similar program, but it is smaller in scale and only open to neighboring countries in Oceania.) Immigration programs in many other countries prioritize skills, family relationships or humanitarian need.

Open to eligible people from around the globe, the U.S. visa lottery provides a window of opportunity to countries where the idea of “the American dream” holds the most appeal. In fiscal 2015 (the most recent year for detailed data on application countries), about 12% of the 14.4 million people who applied for the visa lottery were citizens of Ghana (1.7 million). An additional 10%, or nearly 1.4 million applicants, were from Uzbekistan. Other top application countries included Ukraine (nearly 1.3 million applicants), Iran (more than 900,000) and Nepal (nearly 900,000). Numbers include principal applicants, their spouses and their children.

In some countries, a marked share of the population has applied for the program. In the Republic of Congo, for example, 10% of the country’s citizens applied for the program in fiscal 2015. Other African countries with high shares of applicants included Liberia (8%), Sierra Leone (8%) and Ghana (7%). European countries such as Albania (7%), Moldova (5%) and Ukraine (3%) also saw substantial shares of their populations submitting applications. In Asia, Uzbekistan (5%) and Nepal (3%) also had vast shares of their populations apply.

Since the program’s start in 1995, the U.S. has awarded about 20,000 visas annually to African citizens and another 20,000 to European citizens. Roughly 8,000 citizens of Asian countries, including islands in Oceania, have received diversity visas each year. Nearly 2,000 are given annually to those from the Americas. (Since 1999, the U.S. has awarded up to an additional 5,000 visas each year to citizens of Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador and Guatemala under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central America Relief Act.)

The origins of those eligible to apply for the lottery have changed over time. When at least 50,000 citizens of a country have immigrated to the U.S. over the previous five years, the citizens of that country becomes ineligible for the visa lottery. For example, due to an increase in immigration to the U.S., citizens of Bangladesh became ineligible to apply to the program beginning in 2013 (which could explain the drop in total applicants in 2013), while Nigerians became ineligible in 2015. Russians became eligible to enter the lottery in 2010 and Poles could begin applying in 2014 because immigration to the U.S. from these countries had declined.

Correction: A previous version of the map graphic gave an incorrect number for Russia. About 265,000 Russians applied for diversity visas in the application period for fiscal 2015 (map rounds to nearest 10,000).

Indian American woman & son found in ‘pool of blood’ in NJ

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, India 0

An Indian American software engineer and her young son were found dead in their Maple Shade, New Jersey, home, in what police are saying is not a hate crime. Sasikala Narra, 38, and her son Anish, 6, were found by Narra’s, husband N. Hanumantha Rao, in the bedroom of their home on March 23^rd. An autopsy was conducted later on March 24 to identify the murderer.

Bewley said he could not reveal whether there was evidence of forced entry. He also would not state if the husband, Hanumantha Rao, was a person of interest in the ongoing investigation. “No charges have been filed. We’re investigating multiple people at this time, including the neighbors,” he said.

Bewley emphatically stated that the case was not a hate crime. “We have no reason to believe that this is a hate crime based on Indian origin,” he said, adding that that theory was developed early on, and he wanted to dispel that line of thinking. Asked what evidence the police had to prove the fatal stabbings were not motivated by hate, Bewley said simply: “We’re still investigating these crimes.”

Indian-American community leader Prasad Thotakura claimed that Mr Rao allegedly found his wife and child “in a pool of blood” and “with their throats slit”. But in India, Ms Sasikala’s mother, Krishna Kumari, told news agency ANI: “We suspect that they have been murdered following an affair of my son-in-law with another woman there.”

Rao and Sasikala both were software professionals and had lived in the US for 12 years. She worked from home and reportedly picked up her son from school last afternoon before they headed home.

The killing was raised in the Indian Parliament last week. “This is a serious matter. This is very dangerous. Just two weeks back, two Indians were killed and now two more people have been killed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take (it) up with the President of America,” said Congress Rajya Sabha member T Subbarami Reddy.Hanumantha Rao – also known as Hanu Narra – had not returned India-West’s calls by press time.

Mohan Nannapaneni, president of the Telugu Association of North America and a friend of the family, told India-West he had spoken to Narra on the morning after the gruesome incident. Narra is a life member of TANA and volunteers with the organization’s crisis services program, known as TEAM Square. “Hanu is in a state of trauma,” said Nannapaneni.

TANA is making arrangements to send the bodies of Sasikala and her son back to a town near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The organization is not collecting funds to transport the bodies back to India, as the family has not requested financial help. Sasikala Narra and her husband had lived in the U.S. for about nine years. Anish was born in the U.S.

Sikh-American girl harassed in US, asked to ‘go back to Lebanon’

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

NEW YORK: A Sikh-American girl was harassed on a subway train here when a white man, mistaking her to be from the Middle East, allegedly shouted “go back to Lebanon” and “you don’t belong in this country,” the latest in a series of hate crimes against people of South-Asian origin.

Rajpreet Heir was taking the subway train to a friend’s birthday party in Manhattan this month when the white man began shouting at her, according to a report in the New York Times.
Heir recounted the ordeal in a video for a Times section called ‘This Week in Hate’, which highlights hate crimes and harassment around the country since the election of President Donald Trump.

Heir said she was looking at her phone when the white man shouted at her saying, “Do you even know what a Marine looks like? Do you know what they have to see? What they do for this country? Because of people like you.”

He told Heir he hoped she was sent “back to Lebanon” and using expletives said, “You don’t belong in this country,” before he left the subway. Heir, a Sikh, said she was born 30 miles from Lebanon, not the Middle Eastern country but a namesake city in the American state of Indiana. Heir said as the man left the train, she saw a young white woman in the train staring at her “with tears in her eyes.”

“What had just happened provided evidence of what I had sensed beneath the surface for a long time – racism that can turn violent and lately does,” she said. The report added that two fellow passengers stepped in to help Heir after the incident on the train. One woman tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she was all right. “That meant something because when you’re a minority, you’re so used to just experiencing things on your own,” Heir said.

Another woman reported the incident to a police officer at a subway station. The report said that as New York City works to respond to a rise in reports of discrimination and harassment, subways have emerged as a source of special concern.

It said the anti-harassment group Hollaback has received nearly double the usual number of reports of harassment on the subway and more than usual involve racist, Islamophobic or anti-immigrant comments since the election of Trump. Heir’s case is a yet another disturbing incident of racial discrimination in which people of South Asian origin have been targets of abuse and hate crime.

Last month, Indian-origin woman Ekta Desai had posted a video online of an African-American man racially abusing her and calling her inappropriate names as she was traveling on a subway train.

India ranks 131 on Human Development Index

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterIndia 0

New York, March 22: India came down by one slot and was ranked 131st among 188 countries on Human Development Index (HDI) 2016 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

India fell under the “medium human development category” and its HDI, at 0.624, was behind Sri Lanka and the Maldives in South Asia.

Sri Lanka and the Maldives were ranked 73 and 105 respectively and figure in the “high human development” section.

India was placed behind countries like Gabon (109), Egypt (111), Indonesia (113), South Africa (119) and Iraq (121) among others. The report lists a total of 188 countries.

China occupies the 90th spot. Bhutan is at 132, Bangladesh 139, Nepal 144 and Pakistan is at 147.

Devised and launched in 1990, HDI is a statistic which ranks countries into four tiers of human development on the basis of indicators like life expectancy, education and per capita income.

A higher lifespan, higher level of education and higher GDP per capita results in a country scoring higher HDI.

The top three countries in HDI were Norway (0.949), Australia (0.939) and Switzerland (0.939).

“Identifying those who have been left out of the progress in human development and mapping their locations are essential for useful advocacy and effective policymaking,” according to the report.

“Such mapping can help development activists demand action and guide policymakers in formulating and implementing policies to improve the well-being of marginalised and vulnerable people,” it added.

The report said gender equality and women’s empowerment were fundamental dimensions of human development.

However, globally, women have a lower HDI than men, despite having higher life expectancy at birth, said the report.

South Asia’s Gender Development Index (GDI) is the lowest.

The GDI takes into account the disparity between the HDI of men and women — the higher the disparity, the lower the GDI.

India’s GDI is 0.819, compared to the developing country average of 0.913.

The UNDP report said the sustainable development goals, critical in their own right, were also crucial for human development and helped them realise their full potential in life.

SBI Chief, Raj Panjabi named to Fortune’s ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ List

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterIndia, Profiles 0

SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya and Indian-origin physician Raj Panjabi have been named by Fortune magazine among the world’s 50 greatest leaders who are transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same.

Bhattacharya, Chairman of India’s largest bank and the first-ever woman to do so, has been ranked 26th on the list while Panjabi, founder and CEO of Last Mile Health, follows closely on the 28th spot.A Indian American physician and social entrepreneur originally from Liberia, Raj Panjabi, has been named by Fortune magazine to its list of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” released March 24.

Panjabi is co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit Last Mile Health, which tackles the “last mile” — the final, critical step of delivering products or services to consumers—a conundrum for businesses and in health care, where last-mile problems hit poor regions especially hard, according to the organization’s Web site.

The nonprofit is striving to change that by training locals in developing countries in lifesaving measures, such as protecting themselves against pandemics and safely burying victims killed by infectious diseases. Last Mile has already proved its mettle; its work in Liberia helped stanch the spread of Ebola during the 2014 outbreak, noted Fortune.

Panjabi, who placed 28th on the Fortune list, also serves on the faculty of the Division of Global Health Equity at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. In 2016, TIME Magazine named Panjabi to its annual list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

Bhattacharya has steered the SBI through an ongoing battle with bad loans, the surprise demonetization move and will be overseeing the upcoming six-bank merger, an SBI statement said.

“She’s been transformative to convert the 211-year-old institution into the digital era and overhauling human resource for her 200,000-plus employees. The complex six-bank merger she is orchestrating will catapult the SBI into the ranks of the world’s 50 largest banks,” Fortune said.

It noted that Bhattacharya’s effectiveness, frank and outspoken style is well recognized and she has been granted a rare extension to her three-year term at the SBI in October 2016. The 61-year-old professional banker was ranked by Forbes as the 25th most powerful woman in the world in 2016.

Hindu arti worship held weekly at Harvard

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

A weekly arti is reportedly held at Harvard University (HU), one of the world’s top and United States’ oldest institution of higher education established in 1636. Organized by Harvard Dharma (Harvard’s Hindu Students Association), it is held in Dharma Prayer Space at Canaday Basement in Harvard Yard of HU in Cambridge (Massachusetts) on Fridays at five pm, reports suggest.

Arti is a Hindu worship ceremony/offering performed in adoration/honor of deity/deities by circular movement of a lighted lamp accompanied by hymn singing and may include sounding of handbells and other instruments. Worshippers pass their hands over the flames of the lighted lamp and then touch their faces/heads with these hands, thus transferring the deity’s blessings.

Applauding Harvard for reported provision of dedicated prayer space, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, described it as a step in the positive direction. Zed commended Harvard for recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education, which was important in Hinduism.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged all USA universities, colleges and residential schools; both public and private; to respond to the spiritual needs of diverse student body and provide permanent and dedicated Hindu prayer/meditation room for rituals, quiet reflection, festivals and spiritual exercise. It would help in the personal growth of Hindu students who were present in substantial numbers on various campuses. It was important to meet the spiritual needs of these students, Zed added.

Rajan Zed suggested that these Hindu prayer rooms should have an altar containing murtis (statues) of popular Hindu deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Venkateshwara, Ganesha, Murugan, Saraswati, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Kali, etc.; besides being equipped with ghanta (big metallic bell hanging from the ceiling), dholak (two-headed hand-drum), Shiva-linga, etc. He or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help, if asked, regarding the structure of “Hindu Prayer Room”, Zed indicated.

Harvard Dharma, focusing on Hindu spiritual and cultural life at Harvard University, also celebrates various Hindu festivals like Deepavali, Holi, etc.; organizes discussions and speaker events about Hinduism and related issues on the campus; etc. Priyanka Kumar, Gunjari Raychaudhuri and Aniket Zinzuwadia are Co-Presidents.

HU, whose motto is Veritas (Latin for “truth”) and which has about 22,000 students, boasts of “48 Nobel Laureates, 32 heads of state, 48 Pulitzer Prize winners”. The Harvard Library—claimed to be the “largest academic library in the world”—includes about 20.4 million volumes. Drew Gilpin Faust is the HU President, while Kenji Yoshino is President of its Board of Overseers. It was named after John Harvard, a Christian minister. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Indian American Postal Supervisor charged with embezzlement

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Amar D. Patel, from Delran, New Jersey, faces charges that he abused his position as a U.S. Postal Service supervisor to steal cash deposits, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced earlier this month.

Patel, 35, is charged by complaint with knowingly embezzling, stealing, purloining, and converting to his use U.S. Postal Service funds exceeding $1,000, according to the Justice Department.

According to the complaint: in July 2016, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General started investigating shortages in cash deposits reported by the Riverside, New Jersey, Delanco, New Jersey, and Delran post offices. Patel – who was a supervisor at those three offices – had access to deposit bags containing cash acquired during retail operations.

As part of the investigation, agents installed covert surveillance cameras inside the Riverside post office. On Jan. 14, 2017, one of the surveillance cameras captured images of Patel tearing open a sealed deposit bag, removing cash deposits, and placing the funds into his pocket. According to U.S. Postal Service financial records and bank deposit records, the Riverside office’s deposit was short $1,650 on Jan. 14, 2017.

Based on this and other information, Patel is accused of stealing $15,700 in U.S. Postal Service funds on 12 separate occasions from Feb. 20, 2016, through Jan. 14, 2017.

The embezzlement charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Diwali declared holiday in New York’s Herricks Public Schools

March 30, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Hindus have welcomed the inclusion of Diwali, most popular of their festival, as holiday by Herricks Union Free School District (HUFSD) in New York State on its School Calendar for 2017-2018.

Nearby Syosset Central School District, East Meadow School District, Half Hollow Hills Central School District and East Williston Union Free School District recently declared Diwali as an official holiday; while Mineola Union Free School District announced that no home work or examinations would be given on Diwali, reports suggest.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, describing it as a step in the right direction, urged all other public school districts and private-charter-independent schools in New York State to do the same.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that it would be a positive thing to do in view of presence of a substantial number of Hindu students at schools around the state, as it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of these pupils.

Rajan Zed indicated that schools should make efforts to accommodate the religious requirements of Hindu students and show respect to their faith by not conducting regular business and scheduling classes on Diwali. We did not want our students to be put at an unnecessary disadvantage for missing tests/examinations/papers, assignments, class work, etc., by taking a day-off to observe Diwali.

If schools had declared other religious holidays, why not Diwali, Zed asked. Holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion, Zed added

Rajan Zed suggested all New York State schools, public-private-charter-independent, to seriously look into declaring Diwali as an official holiday, thus recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education. Zed noted that awareness about other religions thus created by such holidays like Diwali would make New York State students well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow.

Zed urged New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Education Department Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa and New York State Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia; to work towards adding Diwali as an official holiday in all the 728 school districts, and persuading the private-charter-independent schools to follow.

Rajan Zed further says that Hinduism is rich in festivals and religious festivals are very dear and sacred to Hindus. Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Besides Hindus; Sikhs and Jains and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali, which falls on October 19 in 2017.

Zed thanked HUFSD Board of Education President Nancy Feinstein and other Board members for supporting Diwali holiday. HUFSD, headquartered in New Hyde Park; operates schools in Williston Park, New Hyde Park and Albertson; and its Mission includes promoting “intellectual curiosity and creative expression”. It runs a free half-day Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program and has a Department of Spanish Language Immersion. Dr. Fino M. Celano is Superintendent.

Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Sojas Wagle leads sweep of Brain Bee Championship win by NRI kids

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles 0

Sojas Wagle, an Indian American teenager, led the victory at the USA Brain Bee Championship here earlier this month, by winning the 2017 national championship at the end of the three-day competition. Sojas Wagle is a 15-year-old sophomore at Springdale’s Har-Ber High School in Arkansas, The championship is held annually at the University of Maryland, according to a report on arkansasonline.com.

Wagle beat runner-up Aarthi Vijayakumar of Minneapolis, and Amit Kannan of Indianapolis, who came in at third place. In addition to going to Washington, D.C., in August for the International Brain Bee Championship, Wagle won an eight-week internship in a neuroscience laboratory. A donation will also be given to the brain-disorder charity of his choice, the Alzheimer’s Association, the website reported. The international competition will be held Aug. 3-6, in conjunction with the American Psychological Association conference.
Winners from 51 Brain Bee chapters in 30 states competed March 17-19 in Baltimore in the event hosted by the University of Maryland, and featured written and oral exams, patient diagnoses using actor patients, and microscopic slide studies.
“I studied harder and kind of perfected the neuroanatomy section to make sure I was familiar with all parts of the brain and could point those out on a brain model,” Wagle told arkansasonline.com.

Amul R. Thapar nominated to top judicial post by Trump

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles, U.S. 0

Indian American Judge Amul R. Thapar of Kentucky has been nominated by President Donald J. Trump on March 20, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. If confirmed, Amul R. Thapar of Kentucky will serve as a Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The son of Indian-American immigrants, Judge Thapar serves on the District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. With his 2008 nomination by President George W. Bush and subsequent confirmation and appointment, Judge Thapar became the nation’s first Article III judge of South Asian descent.

Before his service on the bench, he was the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Before that, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio and the District of Columbia. He began his legal career in private practice, after clerkships with Judge S. Arthur Spiegel on the District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and then with Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Thapar received his BS from Boston College in 1991 and his JD from the University of California, Berkeley.

Welcoming Trump’s decision, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “I applaud the President for announcing his intent to nominate my friend, Judge Amul Thapar, to serve on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Throughout his already impressive career of public service, Amul has shown an incredible intellect and an unshakable dedication to the law. He has earned the respect of his colleagues, and I know that he will bring to the Sixth Circuit the same wisdom, fairness, and ability that he has shown on the District Court. President Trump made an outstanding choice and I look forward to the Senate’s confirmation of Judge Thapar.”

Over 100 U.S lawmakers urge India to lift curbs on Christian charity

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

A group of 107 members of U.S Congress have written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to temporarily lift the restrictions on American Christian charity Compassion International (CI) until a permanent solution can be found. The union government has ordered banks in India to stop processing wire transfers from CI to its Indian partners, bringing the charity’s operations to halt. CI supports 145000 children in India with donations raised in the U.S.

The U.S lawmakers said they were “long time supporters of U.S -India partnership” but the Indian government’s treatment of CI has “caused serious concern within the U.S Congress.”

“It is with this in mind that we write to express our deep concern over the lack of transparency and consistency in your government’s enforcement of the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act,” the members wrote.

The Indian government has put CI on a priority watch list, accusing it of carrying out religious conversion in the country. No case has been filed against the organization. American lawmakers, most of them staunch supporters of India, have raised the issue with the Prime Minister’s Office earlier, but the Indian government has not budged.

The letter to the Home Minister has been organized by the Republican Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce and Democrat Ranking Member Eliot Engel.

“As long time supporters of the U.S.-India partnership, we have worked diligently to deepen ties between our two countries. As the largest and oldest democracies in the world, India and the United States share bonds rooted in political pluralism and respect for the rule of law. It is with this in mind that we write to express our deep concern over the lack of transparency and consistency in your government’s enforcement of the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act.

The ongoing case of U.S.-based Compassion International, which will have harmful consequences for many Indian children, has caused serious concern within the U.S. Congress. As you may know, Compassion International has worked in India since 1968, and today, its programs support over 145,000 Indian children, providing critical tutoring, health and nutrition, and medical services,” they said in the letter to Mr. Singh.

The members of Congress said: “Tragically, Compassion will soon be forced to terminate its service to India after nearly 50 years of working in your country. We are writing because we believe the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an inter-bank circular preventing all commercial banks in India from processing CI’s wire transfers without prior Ministry approval. As a result, Compassion is unable to process the funds it needs to continue, and will be forced to close its sponsorship programs on March 15th, to the detriment of the hundreds of thousands of children Compassion serves in India. Many of our constituents, who have built emotional attachments through years of building relationships with these kids, are devastated by this wrenching cutoff.”

John Prabhudoss, President of Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations said in statement that the CI program “helps break the cycle of poverty and indignity these children have experienced.”

“We believe that this action by Modi government against Christian aid agencies is an attempt by the political-Hinduism to hijack the rich religious traditions of religious Hinduism and the people of India,” he said. “The hardline approach of the Hindu nationalist government under Modi has the potential to cause serious damage to the US-India relationship,” said Mr. Prabhudoss.

7 Indian American Entrepreneurs on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, India 0

Seven Indian Americans have made it to the prestigious Forbes World’s Billionaires list for 2017, released on March 20 and featured more than 2,000 billionaires. The total combined net worth of this year’s billionaires was $7.67 trillion, up from $6.48 trillion last year. The 2,043 billionaires in 2017 is up from 1,810 in 2016, with an average net worth of $3.75 billion.

A total of 101 Indian-origin people made to the list, including Mukesh Ambani at No. 33 and $23.2 billion, Lakshmi Mittal at No. 56 and $16.4 billion, Azim Premji at No. 72 and $14.9 billion, and Dilip Shanghvi at No. 84 and $13.7 billion in the top 100 of the overall list.

Bill Gates of Microsoft fame was once again No. 1 on the list with a net worth of $86 billion. Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett with $75.6 billion, Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos with $72.8 billion, Spain-based Zara’s Amancio Ortega with $71.3 billion and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg with $56 billion rounded out the top five on the list.

Romesh Wadhwani, an Indian American who made his money in the software industry is valued at $3 billion, came in at No. 660. He is the chairman and CEO of Symphony Technology Group, a group of 18 data, technology, healthcare and analytics companies that together take in more than $2.8 billion in annual revenue.

Rakesh Gangwal was ranked at No. 973 with his $2.1 billion worth. The 63-year-old airline veteran made his fortune at InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of his budget airline IndiGo, India’s largest by market share. The India-born mechanical engineer studied at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur before getting his M.B.A. at Wharton.

John Kapoor, with a value of $1.7 billion, was ranked No. 1,234 on the Forbes list. Kapoor came to the U.S. from India to get his doctorate in medicinal chemistry. He stepped down as CEO and chairman of opioid manufacturer Insys Therapeutics in January 2017. He remains chairman of Akorn, which specializes in “difficult-to-manufacture” prescription drugs. He also owns the Roka Akor Japanese eateries in Chicago, Scottsdale and San Francisco.

Vinod Khosla, who achieved his fortune through venture capitalism, ranks No. 1,290 with a net worth of $1.6 billion. Khosla has run his own venture capital firm, Khosla Ventures, since 2004,

Aneel Bhusri, the CEO and co-founder of Workday, with a net worth of $1.3 billion, following nearly two decades at VC firm Kleiner Perkins, is at No. 1,567 on the list. Bhusri notched up big returns at Greylock in 2007 when storage software outfit PolyServe sold to Hewlett-Packard for $200 million, and OutlookSoft was acquired by SAP.

Brian Sheth, of Austin, Texas, co-founded Vista Equity Partners in 2000 and is the firm’s president. Since then, Sheth has racked up a net worth of $1.1 billion and slides in at No. 1,795 on the list. Additionally, he helped boost his net worth by buying and fixing up a less-than glamorous collection of enterprise software companies.

Bharat Desai, at No. 1,940 on the list with a net worth of $1 billion, fell from the second-ranked Indian American a year ago — No. 688 and $2.6 billion net worth. Desai and his wife Neerja Sethi Desai founded IT consulting and outsourcing company Syntel in their apartment in Troy, Mich., in 1980. They turned it into a multi-million dollar operation.

“iCAN Awards Night Rocked Chicago–A Dazzling Display of Professionalism and Perfection”

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

Rolling Meadows, IL – iCAN finale night was a dazzling affair as the crème-de-la-crème of Chicagoland added to the glamour quotient and made it a memorable evening on March 18th 2017, The event started with red carpet welcome for all the iCAN nominees. The evening celebrated the achievements of real community heroes with much fanfare and spirit. The show saw some of the most prolific personalities from Chicago’s Indian American Political, Social, Business and Entertainment community walk in along with 200 Plus Award nominees. Amidst fabulous performances, entertainment and glamour, iCAN honored the contributions of these community heroes by giving away its 1st iCAN Trophies to the most deserving social workers, community leaders, and performers across various categories.

With about 700 nominations in various categories and over 100,000 votes, the event had all the trappings of the world famous Academy Awards. The electrifying performance of 150 artists was an icing on the cake. The presence of the 40 generous sponsors was a great morale booster for all those who were associated with the conceptualization and execution of the whole event.

Neeta Bhushan, Hon’ble Consul General of India in Chicago, who was the Chief Guest at the event, had great appreciation for the high profile event which, she said, reminded her of the Oscars!!!! “It’s a moment of great pride to bring the community leaders from different walks of life under one roof and to recognize their spectacular services to the community in a grand function”, she said.

The event, which was a star-studded affair, had all the looks of the world famous Academy Awards. The evening had it all from the Red carpet to the interviews of the top listed nominees, with a special social hour to interact with gorgeous people all around surrounded by yummy appetizers to start and then the show began! Many nominees were heard saying that they felt like a STAR! Jassi Parmar and Mohan Rawat, the very versatile and highly talented EMCEE’s, made the evening a memorable experience for the audience.

The awards ceremony started with presenting Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Bharat Barai-Panna, who is a very eminent Indian Community Leader and recipient of President award. Dr. Deepak Kant Vyas, Chairman & CEO of Redberri Corporation was awarded with Special Jury Award. Harold D’Souza was awarded with iCAN Humanitarian Services Award. Pride of Community Award was awarded to Sonal Rawal. The winner of the Best Community Promoter Award was presented to Dr. Uma Katiki. The awards night continued with Best Restaurant Award – and the winner for the award was Cuisine of India- Rahul Sehgal. Best Chef award was awarded to Chef Raghu Singh from India House. Community Health and Fitness award was awarded to Vidya Nahar. iCAN Friend of India was Mayor Bill McLeod from Hoffman Estates, He said he is very proud and humbled to receive this award on behalf of the people of Hoffman Estates.

Lifetime Achievement Award 2 for Outstanding Humanitarian Service was presented to Satnam Singh Aulakh. iCAN Jury Award 2 was awarded to Ami Patel. Best Entrepreneur Female was awarded to Dr. Anuja Gupta, Fashion Icon Female was awarded to Aishwarya Sharma. iCAN Jury Award 2 for Outstanding Community Service was presented to Hemangini Shastri, iCAN Youth Achiever Award was awarded to Saloni and Savani Nagarkar sisters that teach kids about coding. Youth Icon Award was won by Suhanee Patel. Student of the Year Award winner was Nipun Dubey iCAN Jury Award 3, Young Achiever award was presented to Roni Akurati.

Best Singer Male was Mandeep Singh Saini, Best Singer Female was Nipa Shah, Best Volunteer award winner was Rajeev Bharel, and Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Senior Service was Haribhai Patel. Best Dancer Female was Kajol Topiwala, Best Choreographer was Sweta Bhagwakar, Best Entrepreneur Male was Rahul Wahi, Best Innovator was Anil Oroskar. Lifetime Achievement Award 4 for Outstanding Community Service was Jayantilal Thakkar. Best Performing Artist was awarded to Ashley Singh, Most Emerging Personality winner was Natasha Trikha. Fashion Icon Male was Syed Hussaini. Most Humble Person was Swapna Pula. Social Media King winner was Noman Khan, Social Media Queen was Farah Khan, Best wife Biwi No 1 winner was Farhana Bukhari, Best Couple Jodi No 1 winner was Puneet and Sim Sabarwal. Best Show Promoter Group was SAHIL and LA TAN, Best Dance Group/ Academy was Kalashree Dance Academy. Best Community Leader was awarded to Moon Khan. Best Community Organization was Blind Foundation for India. iCAN Jury Award for Best Community volunteer Organization was Sant Nirankari Mission, Chicago.

The iCAN Awards Night was launched in association with Star Plus & Life OK, 2 of the leading TV channels along with 40+ local sponsors. The event felicitated people from the Chicagoland’s Indian Community, who have done a remarkable job in their field and have served as an inspiration to others. A total of 38 awards were presented in the field of dance, music, community, health, performing arts et al. The event was lit with vibrant performers, a total of 108 to be exact. “I have been to a lot of community events, but have never witnessed an award show of this magnitude”, opined the audience unanimously.

Indra Nooyi, Fareed Zakaria among 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

PepsiCo chief executive officer Indra Nooyi and journalist and author Fareed Zakaria are among six Indian-Americans named recipients of this year’s Ellis Island Medal of Honor. A total of 88 honorees were announced on March 21. Joining Nooyi and Zakaria are Harman International Industries Chairman and CEO Dinesh Paliwal, cardiologist and a Professor of Cardiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City Dr. Annapoorna S. Kini, Yashvant Patel, Mohan H. Patel, and Pakistani American Dr. Adil Haider.

The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations – NECO is the sponsor of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor that are presented each year on historic Ellis Island to a select group of individuals whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to our nation are cause for celebration.

Nooyi has been the CEO at PepsiCo since 2006 and chairman since 2007. She was previously the president and chief financial officer at the company, as well as senior vice president, and senior vice president of corporate strategy and development, reported Connected to India, an online publishing platform serving NRIs and Indian diaspora.

Nooyi has also worked at Asea Brown Boveri, Motorola, The Boston Consulting Group, Johnson & Johnson and Mettur Beardsell Ltd. She earned a Bachelor’s from Madras Christian College, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata and a Master’s from Yale University.

Zakaria is the host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” as well as a columnist for The Washington Post. He has also served as a columnist at Newsweek, an editor at Newsweek International and editor-at-large of Time.

Paliwal has worked and lived in six countries on four continents, including the United States, China, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, and India. Dr. Kini performs over 1,000 minimally invasive coronary interventions annually (the highest number by a female interventionalist in the United States) with extremely low complication rate, less than 0.5 percent.

‘We are here to stay’, say Indian-Americans amid growing hate crime incidents in the US

March 29, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

WASHINGTON: “We are here to stay”, Indian-Americans have vowed while holding a series of meetings to express their concern over growing hate crime incidents against ethnic and religious minorities in the US.

“No matter what gunmen or the President (Donald Trump) say, this is our country, we are here to stay, and we will keep demanding our rightful and equal place in this quintessential nation of immigrants,” said Suman Raghunathan from the South Asian Americans leading Together (SAALT) at a town hall discussion here on Friday.

Initiated by SAALT, South Asian groups are planning to organise a number of similar town halls across the country. Prominent community leaders who addressed the town hall were Arjun Sethi of the Georgetown University Law Center, Dr Revathi Vikram of ASHA for Women, Shabab Ahmed Mirza of KhushDC, Darakshan Raja of Washington Peace Center and Kathy Doan of the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.

“This is a seminal moment for our communities to be united for action, to take stock of what our communities need, for our communities to know our rights as we come into contact with law enforcement, and for our communities to build power through deep solidarity,” Raghunathan said.

Indian-Americans also joined Jewish and Muslims for a candle light vigil to express solidarity against the hate crimes that have hit them in recent weeks. “This is about having peace throughout all communities and religions and races,” Rochelle Berman was quoted as saying by local WJLA TV, an affiliate of ABC News. “There should be no discrimination based on race, or gender or skin color,” Shruti Vhatnagar told the news channel as the participants lit candles and stood in solidarity.

“Immigrant, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, Hindu and South Asian American communities continue to be targets of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric. It remains critical for elected officials to speak out early, loudly and often against hate violence and the policies that fan the flames of violence,” New York Congresswoman Grace Meng said in a statement.

Appreciating the efforts of SAALT in supporting the South Asian community, she hoped that through collective efforts, they can reverse the “horrible trend” of heightened intolerance and violence. At another round table discussion, Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held Trump responsible for the current anti-immigrant atmosphere.

“It starts with the leadership. President Trump’s comments as a candidate and a President is just the opposite of what you need,” Cardin said. A recent SAALT report documents over 200 instances of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric during last year’s general election. “There is an acute relationship between policies and rhetoric that criminalise Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American communities and the hate violence targeting these communities,” said Lakshmi Sridaran.

“While the judiciary doggedly blocks the President’s ‘Muslim Bans’, the damage continues to be done as each week uncovers a new inventory of victims of racially motivated attacks,” she added.

300 attend vigil in memory of Srinivas Kuchibhotla

March 24, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles 0

Over 300 people attended a vigil in memory of Srinivas Kuchibhotla on March 10 in Boston, Mass on Saturday, March 19th. The vigil was the first of its kind in Massachusetts to honor Kuchibhotla and address the recent wave of hate crimes across the country, Sonali Lappin, organizer of the event and President of the Indian American Forum for Political Education-Massachusetts (IAFPE-MA), told the media. Lappin also noted that even though the majority of the attendees were Indian-American, members of other communities and ethnicities were also spotted at the event.

“It is incredible how many people volunteered and participated in this vigil. Among our donations were lights, flowers, money, and notes for the victim and his family,” she said. “This is a tragedy that transcends religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or race and one that demands we unite, and stand together in the face of hate.”

Lappin said the vigil sought to peacefully gather Massachusetts-based Indian- Americans to honor the life and memory of Kuchibhotla, who was tragically killed on Feb. 22, by Adam Purinton who, according to witnesses, shouted anti-immigrant slurs, and yelled “Get out of my country”, and later admitted to shooting two men who he thought were Iranian. Three more attacks on Indians and Indian-Americans have been recorded within the two weeks since Kuchibhotla was murdered.

The vigil encouraged participants to raise tea lights in silent demonstration of their feelings towards hate crimes and people sang and chanted together to honor Kuchibhotla, his family and other victims of hate-fueled violence.Vigil attendees were joined in solidarity by members of communities across Massachusetts and drew bipartisan support from elected officials. Vigil attendees included families and youth from across the state as well as Indian American community leaders and representatives of Massachusetts based organizations, including Encore Boston, IIT AGNE, TiE-Boston, Massachusetts Historical Society, Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, MetroWest Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), MA Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Massachusetts Commonwealth Seminar, State Representative Tackey Chan, and State Representative Donald Wong.

Many groups came out to declare this a hate crime fueled by the racism and xenophobia that continues to grip the United States. This vigil also sought to denounce hate, violence, and hate fueled violence towards people based on the color of their skin, minority status or their cultural, social or political differences.“Violence is unacceptable. This vigil helps us to remember the fallen and reminds us not to tolerate any prejudice,” said Commissioner Jonjy Ananth, Asian American Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Raj Melville, President of IIT AGNE, said that it was heartening to see the support from a wide cross-section of both South Asia and other community members coming together peacefully to show their support for the family of the victims of the tragedy in Olathe, Kansas. “The strong, diverse turnout showed that love and hope is universal and will ultimately triumph over hate and hate-filled violence,” said Melville.

Rita Advani, an Indian-American community leader, added: “I felt it was important for me to show up for the vigil in honor of Srinivas Kuchibhotla to honor his life and what his horrific death represented to our community. We grieve together and stand together against hate. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that hate does not win.”

NJ Town rejects mosque proposal

March 24, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

A local Muslim community in Bayonne, New Jersey, was, last week, denied space for building a mosque by the zoning board. The proposal for a mosque and community center at the site of an empty 8,500-square-foot warehouse has been the subject of much debate and discussion for the past year-and-a-half, Waheed Akbar, founder and secretary of the nonprofit group Bayonne Muslims, was quoted to have told the media.

The proposal for a mosque and community center at the site of an old warehouse on East 24th Street has been the subject of much debate for more than a year. After a lengthy and crowded held at the high school instead of City Hall, the board failed by one vote to pass the motion to allow creation of the mosque and community center.

Residents who chose to comment at the meeting were in some cases reprimanded by the board for their “anti-Muslim rhetoric.” There was even “fist-shaking by some neighbors, shouting down and rounds of applause and cheers,” according to reports by PIX 11.

“Everyone’s turning it into a religious issue, but we are only fighting it because it’s in the wrong area,” one resident said. The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called the decision “bias motivated.”

“As has happened with several New Jersey Muslim communities, local anti-Muslim opponents to new mosque construction have attempted to hide their bigoted intentions behind zoning technicalities,” CAIR-NJ executive director James Sues said.

“In the case of Bayonne, these intentions were not very well hidden. The zoning board has a moral obligation to rule on the basis of the benefits to the community, and that includes community members of all faiths.”

Despite paying $1 million for the property in 2015, Akbar said he and his group have faced an angry campaign by local residents, graffiti slurs outside their temporary prayer hall in a local school and numerous zoning and planning hurdles.

The group is also planning to file a federal lawsuit to contest the denial, Akbar said. The federal Justice Department is also undergoing its own separate investigation, he added.

‘Taj Express’ celebrates Bollywood, Indian culture, traditions

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, Entertainment 0

A new musical that’s exploding with the sounds of Bollywood and capturing its vibrant, expressive spirit is currently touring the U.S., taking viewers on a cinematic journey of dance, drama and music.

Taj Express has been touring across the US showcasing Indian culture and traditions with the sounds of India and Bollywood, that have been entertaining billions of people in India for generations. Through a fusion of film, dance, and music. This dazzling international sensation takes audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society during their 2017 US tour. The production is a high energy celebration of new India’s pop music, Bollywood culture, and deep traditions featuring colorful costumes, joyful dance, and thrilling live music.

Created by the sisters Vaibhavi and Shruti Merchant, whose grandfather B. Hiralal, is considered a founding father of Bollywood, the tour began in February and has been described by critics and audience alike as a high energy celebration of new India’s pop music, Bollywood culture, and deep traditions featuring colorful costumes, joyful dance, and thrilling live music.

Shruti Merchant has been seen as a judge on India’s dance reality show “Dance India Dance”, while Vaibhavi Merchant has worked in over 75 Bollywood films and is known for hits such as “Dhol Baaje”, “Jhoom Barabar”, “Kajra Re” and “Kamli.” Her recent work includes songs for “Sultan”, “Fan” and “Befikre”. She has received numerous awards for her choreography, including the National Award for Choreography, IIFA, and the American Choreography Award.

In this internationally acclaimed stage production, the sisters weave an intoxicating tale of Varsha, an Indian journalist living in Europe. After traveling home to write a story about Bollywood and discover “The Greatest Indian Love Story Ever Told,” Varsha is swept up in a glittery, joyful musical extravaganza all of her own.

“Taj Express” is loaded with action, romance, comedy, a royal wedding Bollywood-style, and larger-than-life dance numbers set to India’s latest pop hits and its folk-music classics. When you hop aboard the “Taj Express”, you’ll embark on an exotic adventure that will have your feet moving, your hands clapping, and your heart soaring.

This years marks the fifth anniversary of the show’s international touring, and the North American tour marks the second leg of finishing a decade. The show is presented in the U.S. by Columbia Artist Management LLC. (CAMI). CAMI is an international leader in managing the careers and touring activities of the world’s most prominent performing artists and institutions. CAMI has been on the forefront of performing arts management and production throughout the world for nine decades.

To learn more about “Taj Express”, visit: http://www.tajexpressthemusical.com/bollywoodmusical/index.html

Indrani Das of NJ wins top prize in Regeneron Science Talent Search

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles, Science & Technology 0

Society for Science & the Public and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) announced that Indrani Das, 17, of Oradell, New Jersey, won the top award in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition. Forty finalists, including Indrani, were honored tonight at the annual Regeneron Science Talent Search Awards Gala for their research projects demonstrating exceptional scientific and mathematical ability, taking home more than $1.8 million in awards provided by Regeneron.

Indrani Das, 17, of Oradell, New Jersey, won the top award of $250,000 for her study of a possible approach to treating the death of neurons due to brain injury or neurodegenerative disease. A contributor to neuron death is astrogliosis, a condition that occurs when cells called astrocytes react to injury by growing, dividing and reducing their uptake of glutamate, which in excess is toxic to neurons. In a laboratory model, she showed that exosomes isolated from astrocytes transfected with microRNA-124a both improved astrocyte uptake of glutamate and increased neuron survival. Indrani mentors younger researchers and tutors math in addition to playing the piccolo trumpet in a four-person jazz ensemble.

In a laboratory model, Das showed that exosomes isolated from astrocytes transfected with microRNA-124a both improved astrocyte uptake of glutamate and increased neuron survival, it said. Indian American Arjun Ramani, 18 of West Lafayette, Ind., took third place in the competition, winning $150,000. Ramani was chosen for blending the mathematical field of graph theory with computer programming to answer questions about networks, the statement said.

“Now more than ever, we need our nation’s best and brightest young minds to pursue their interest in science and use their talents to solve our world’s most intractable problems,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News, in a statement.

The winners announced at the gala took home more than $1.8 million in awards provided by main competition sponsor, Regeneron. Nearly one-third of the 40 finalists were Indian Americans. Three other Indian American students also placed in the top 10, including Archana Verma in fifth place, Prathik Naidu in seventh, and Vrinda Madan in ninth. Verma, 17, of Jericho, N.Y., received a $90,000 award for her study of the molecular orbital energy dynamics of dyes, which may someday result in windows that produce solar energy. Naidu, 18, of Potomac Falls, Va., received a $70,000 award for his creation of a new machine learning software to study 3-D interactions of the human genome in cancer. Madan, 17, of Orlando, Fla., received a $50,000 award for her study of 24 potential compounds for the treatment of malaria, in which she found two potential candidates that appear to target the disease-causing organism in a novel way and may warrant further study.

Arjun Rampal in NJ joins efforts to end hate crimes

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, Profiles 0

Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal joined the local community activists in New Jersey to combat rising hate crimes in the United States, especially against minorities. Rampal was speaking at a panel discussion held March 11 at the TV Asia studios here on hate crimes targeted at the Indian-Americans and the South Asian-American community.

According to the popular star from India, the best way to beat the negative around us is through love and not through hate. “By keeping quiet about hate crimes or discrimination, we are giving victory to the terrorists and the hate mongers,” he said.

Moderated by Dr. Kavita Gupta, panelists included Rampal; Hirsh Vardhan Singh, a New Jersey-based businessman, who has announced his run for the governor’s race; Dr. Sudhir Parikh, publisher of Parikh Media; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a New Jersey-based physician and executive producer of HealthTime TV; Dia Mathews, an immigration attorney from the Chug firm and Woodbridge Township Councilman Viru Patel.

Diwali on Times Square on Oct. 7

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

New York, NY (March 20, 2017) – EventGuru Inc. is delighted to announce Saturday, October 7, 2017 as the date for this year’s DIWALI AT TIMES SQUARE celebration. Mark your calendars! Diwali is the “Festival of Lights,” is the one holiday that unifies the diversity of Indian regional cultures.This annual celebration is the largest celebration of Diwali outside of India, and it brings the South Asian community together for a fun-filled day showcasing cultural dance and musical performances, a Diwali bazaar, and mouth-watering Indian cuisine. The celebration lights up Times Square with interactive, traditional Diya (lamp) lighting ceremonies, and the world’s best digital fireworks display. There will be a Bollywood celebrity filled evening concert ,and opportunities to interact with your favorite stars. The fun will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2017 in Times Square!

Diwali at Times Square was established in 2013 by Neeta Bhasin – a nationally recognized business leader specializing in multicultural marketing . She wanted to bring the most vibrant, national festival of India to the “Center of Universe” – New York’s Times Square – to showcase India’s rich culture, heritage, and arts to the world, while invoking a sense of pride among South Asians. This historic event is managed by ASB Communications, a New York-based multicultural marketing agency now celebrating its 20th anniversary which was founded by Ms. Bhasin. Advertising and sponsorship opportunities for Diwali at Times Square are available for businesses and organizations looking to deepen relationships with the South Asian community.

Event Guru World Wide is a premier full service event company specializing in festivals, concerts, trade shows, gala dinners and press conferences. We conceptualize and implement events of all sizes and statures. We have built a team of passionate individuals who are sure to create impactful and memorable experiences for its clients.

Shreya Ghoshal 1st Indian singer at Madame Tussauds

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, Entertainment, Profiles 0

Shreya Ghoshal has become the first Indian singer to make it to Madame Tussauds, with her wax figure set to be showcased at the upcoming Delhi wing of the museum. Ghoshal’s statue will be seen striking a singing pose.

“I am thrilled to be a part of history here at Madame Tussauds and it is an honor to be featured among such talented stars, artists, historians and renowned celebrities. To be immortalized forever is a fabulous feeling. With its brilliant concept, Madame Tussauds has always been famous for bringing joy all across the world,” Ghoshal said.

The installation seeks to celebrate her 15-year-long illustrious career, since her debut in 2002 with songs like “Silsila Ye Chahat Ka” and “Bairi Piya” from the film “Devdas.”

“We are pleased to unveil Shreya’s figure in the Delhi attraction. She is one of the most loved singers of today’s generation. We are excited to see our visitors sing along with her,” Anshul Jain, General Manager and Director, Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd, said.

“She was one of the most requested figures for us to include in the attraction, and we are delighted to be able to honour those fans with this wax figure.”

The museum, which will be housed in the iconic Regal Building, also will also have wax statues of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Indian-Americans hold rally in front of the White House to protest against hate crimes

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, India 0

Indian-Americans across the nation have become victims of Islamophobia and xenophobia, the community members said as they held an awareness rally against hate crimes in front of the White House last weekend seeking President Donald Trump’s intervention in the matter.

“Hindus have been recently affected and victimised (in the US) as a result of Islamophobia. It does affect our community as well,” Vindhya Adapa, 27, a Virginia-based corporate lawyer, told e media outside the White House on Sunday, March 20th.

Adapa along with a few dozen Indian-Americans representing various Indian-American groups from in and around the Greater Washington Area held a peaceful demonstration in view of the recent surge in hate crimes against the community.

“A recent example of that is recent shooting and murder of an IT personnel in Kansas, who was mistaken for being an Arab and a Muslim. I do think that the current political climate is eventually going to target all communities including Hindu-Americans,” said S Sheshadri, a young Indian-American doctor and Adapa’s friend.

“We are here today to raise awareness against hate crimes particularly against people of Indian origin. This is not necessarily a protest against the Trump Administration. We are here to seek bipartisan support against the hate crimes that has been happening recently against Indian-Americans,” Adapa said, urging the President to acknowledge and condemn what is happening.

“I would say what is happening against the Indian-American community is a result of xenophobia, Islamic phobia and the anti-immigrant statements that have come out from the Administration,” she alleged.

“A lot of Sikh people and Hindu people are mistaken for being Muslim, for being Middle eastern,” she said, adding that the way to tackle that is to spread awareness about these different communities.

In a petition memorandum submitted to President Trump, the recently established Coalition of Indian American organisations of the USA, which organised the event, urged him to intervene in the matter and take steps to punish the culprits under federal hate crimes law. It also urged the President to allay the fears of the Indian-American community and show his support, and take remediation steps to eliminate the hate. The peaceful protest was organised in the aftermath of a series of hate crime incidents against Indian-Americans.

US to India: No major change in H-1B visa rules

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterBusiness, India 0

The United States has conveyed to India that there is no significant change in the H-1B visa regime, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is reported to have said. Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha that India is articulating its concerns regarding the visa policy vigorously with the new administration in the US.

However, the Minister said, there is no significant change in the H-1B visa regime. US President Donald Trump is said to be preparing to issue executive orders on H-1B visas as part of larger immigration reform efforts, which could impact technology companies such as Infosys, Wipro and TCS that use these visas to send Indian professionals to the US. H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that enables the visa holder to work in a “specialty occupation, in the US for three years, with extensions possible in most cases.

“The fear, at least for 2017, is not proved to be correct. They (US authorities) are saying their current priority is to deal with the illegal immigrants,” she said during Question Hour. Sitharaman said the issue was also taken up by the Commerce Minister recently with visiting Congressional delegation led by Bob Goodlatte and during the visit of Commerce Secretary and Foreign Secretary to the US during first week of March 2017.

The Minister said India’s concerns on visa issues were articulated during the Strategic and Commerce Dialogue 2016 and Trade Policy Forum 2016 held in October, 2016. She said India had decided to continue their engagement on visa issues and reiterated their shared resolve to facilitate the movement of professionals.

Sitharaman said a number of industry bodies have raised concerns on visa policies of the US and these concerns were conveyed to the US authorities by the government. The Minister said the US monitors policies of 73 countries and India may be one of them. “But we don’t recognise any monitoring by any countries. No unilateral policing is acceptable for India,” she said.

Started under President George H Bush, who signed The Immigration Act, 1990, increasing legal immigration by 40%, the total number of years of visa stay allowed was six years including a three year extension. The H-1B cap was 65,000 and the base filing fees was $365. The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act was enacted during the presidency of Bill Clinton. Under the Act, the number of H-1B visas allotted nearly doubled from 65,000 to 115,000 for the fiscal years 1999 and 2000 respectively.

An amount of $500 was added to the base filing fees of $365 to fund the scholarship and training program. In 2000, the AC21 Act made it easy for H-1B visa holders to change company

American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act was enacted to change rules related to H-1B portability and increase the annual cap quota, allowing them to change employers in certain situations. This Act, under Clinton, raised the cap to 195,000 for fiscal years 2001, 2002 and 2003 respectively.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act came into effect under George W Bush. It reduced the annual H-1B cap to 65,000 and introduced a separate pool of 20,000 H-1B visas under the H-1B Advanced Degree Exemption for people having a US Master’s degree. It introduced anti-fraud fees of $500.

The H-1B Visa Reforms Act came under President Barack Obama in the year 2013, and it aimed to cut down the inconsistencies in the H-1B visa program with a focus to prevent misuse and fraud, as well as it doubled H-1B visa fee to $4,000 for companies having more than 50 employees and with more than 50% of them being H-1B or L-1 visa employees.

A joyous celebration of womanhood at ATA women’s day

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterWomen 0

Chicago IL: American Telugu Association -ATA celebrated International women’s day (IWD) on March 19, 2017 at Royal Palace Banquets, Chicago Ridge, IL. International Women’s Day is is celebrated every year on March 8th since 1913.

ATA celebrated women’s day with great dignity & pride to honor women’s rights & celebrate the accomplishments of women in geo, political, economic and social sectors as well as great enthusiasm to showcase the achievements & issues facing women of their respective cultures and to come up with better solutions for a better tomorrow. The venue was packed with almost 250 exuberant women who actively participated in various activities. The theme of International Women’s Day was “Be Bold for Change” resonated with everyone.

The event started with a prayer song and lamp lighting ceremony followed by welcome speech and history of IWD by Sunitha Reddy and opening remarks by Dr. Meher Medavaram speaking on importance and the theme of the women’s day stressing the need for women to come together to work towards reducing the gender parity and recognizing IWD’s important agenda to call to action for gender parity, offering clear actions and solutions to help both individuals and organizations to create inclusive spaces for all the people all over the world.

They also had prominent Physician Dr. Sheela Konda- Vice chair of Radiology, Amita health care speaking on breast cancer awareness which was very informative and educational. She made a slide presentation on facts relating to breast cancer screening and prevention. This was followed by Mary Bedel, President of National Alliance on Mental Illness from Indiana, who spoke on the importance of recognizing the signs of mental illness and how women can reach out to help themselves and their families. She shared community resources that are available for the treatment of mental illness. Swapna Reddy an Attorney and Co-Director of ASAP at Urban Justice Center spoke on the burning issue of Immigration and her work with the refugee population.

The event included various games, like Jeopardy and Telugu speaking competition. Women enthusiastically participated and winners were awarded prizes. Women were entertained by Hari Madhuri with her live singing and they danced to the beats of the DJ. It was an overwhelmingly successful and memorable event made possible with active participation and help of the entire ATA Chicago team. Women from all walks of life shared a wonderful afternoon of learning, networking and empowering themselves.

Researchers find yoga reducing depression

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterHealth 0

Columbia and Harvard researchers have found yoga and controlled breathing reduce depressive symptoms, according to The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine which has published this study on March one. A new study demonstrated that individuals with major depressive disorder had a significant reduction in depressive symptoms during a 12-week integrative health intervention that included Iyengar yoga classes and coherent breathing. Participants who took three yoga classes a week were more likely to achieve lower depression scores after 12 weeks than subjects who took two classes, according to the study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

This randomized controlled dosing study “Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Iyengar Yoga and Coherent Breathing” claims to provide evidence that participation in an intervention composed of Iyengar yoga and coherent breathing is associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). It also included researchers from Boston University, Boston Medical, McLean Hospital, ENRM Veterans Hospital, New York Medical, Biostatistical Solutions, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

This published article states that during this 12-week intervention of yoga plus coherent breathing, depressive symptoms declined significantly in patients with MDD. This study supports the use of an Iyengar yoga and coherent breathing intervention as a treatment to alleviate depressive symptoms in MDD.

This article points out that MDD is common, recurrent, chronic, and disabling…depression is globally responsible for more years lost to disability than any other disease…Up to 50% of individuals treated with antidepressant medications for MDD do not achieve full remission…Yoga-based therapies offer promise…

Yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.

Rajan Zed further said that yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.

According to US National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to a “2016 Yoga in America Study”, about 37 million Americans (which included many celebrities) now practice yoga; and yoga is strongly correlated with having a positive self image. Yoga is the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Zed added.

China outpaces India in internet access, smartphone ownership

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

India and China, the world’s two most populous countries, have long had a competitive relationship and have emerged as major economic powers. But in the digital space, China has a clear advantage. Since Pew Research Center began tracking advanced technology adoption in the two countries in 2013, the Chinese have consistently reported rates of internet and smartphone use that are at least triple that of Indians. That trend has continued through 2016.

In our latest poll, 71% of Chinese say they use the internet at least occasionally or own a smartphone, our definition of internet users. In contrast, only 21% of Indians say they use the internet or own a smartphone.

The gap between China and India is similarly large when it comes to smartphone ownership alone. Nearly seven-in-ten Chinese (68%) say they own one as of spring 2016, compared with 18% of Indians. Reported smartphone ownership in China has jumped 31 percentage points since 2013, but only 6 points in India over the same time period. And while virtually every Chinese person surveyed owns at least a basic mobile phone (98%), only 72% of Indians can say the same.

The digital divide between the two countries mirrors differences in their broader economic trajectories. Between 2001 and 2011, the share of middle-income Chinese, those making $10.01-$20 a day, jumped from 3% to 18%. In India over the same decade, the middle class share of the population grew from 1% to 3%. In 2015, China’s gross domestic product per capita (PPP) was over five times that of India. Our own research has shown a strong correlation between per capita income and levels of internet access and reported smartphone ownership. Furthermore, some analysts have argued that Chinese investment in digital infrastructure accounts for China’s technological lead over India.

In addition to the difference between China and India, digital divides persist within the countries. As is the case across much of the world, younger, more educated and higher-income Chinese and Indian people are more likely to own a smartphone than their older, less educated and poorer brethren.

For example, 94% of Chinese ages 18 to 34 own a smartphone, compared with only three-in-ten Chinese age 50 and older. And nearly four-in-ten Indians with a secondary education or more (38%) own a smartphone, compared with only 9% of less educated Indians. The gap holds for Chinese and Indians above and below their respective countries’ median incomes.

There is also an urban-rural gap on smartphone ownership. More urban Chinese (72%) own a smartphone compared with rural Chinese (63%), and the same goes for urban Indians (29%) compared with rural Indians (13%). In India, there is a gender gap on smartphone ownership. Indian men (23%) are more likely than women (14%) to own a smartphone.

And one more digital gap exists between China and India: social media use. Six-in-ten Chinese say they use social media, compared with only 14% of Indians. Much of this disparity is due to the fact that more people have access to the internet in China. Nearly two-thirds of Indians with internet access (65%) say they use social media. Still, this figure among the Chinese is 84% and has increased sharply since we first began asking the question in 2013.

Note: See here for topline results of our survey, a list of smartphone and social networking examples used in each country and methodology.

Puran Nebhnani appointed Chief Technology Officer of RNC

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles 0

An Indian-American engineer was appointed as the chief technology officer of the Republican party’s national committee.Puran Nebhnani, an Indian American electronics engineer, is an electronics engineering graduate of the University of Mumbai. He was earlier responsible for the architecture, design and development of the Republican Party’s website as its deputy chief technology officer, the party said in a statement.

Along with Nebhnani, the RNC also appointed Samantha Osborne as its chief digital officer. “The RNC’s investment in our digital operation and technology development paid off in dividends last year when we won back the White House,” said RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

“The additions of Samantha Osborne as Chief Digital Officer and Puran Nebhnani as Chief Technology Officer ensures that we will continue to have the best and brightest leading the way at the RNC. “Our commitment to staying on the cutting edge will give us the tools to help Republicans up and down the ticket win for years to come,” she said.

Nebhnani, who has a master’s of science degree in software engineering from Monmouth University, joined the RNC in 2014 as a lead engineer. He went on to serve the RNC as engineering director and deputy chief technology officer.

Nebhnani, who has done his Master’s of Science in Software Engineering from Monmouth University, joined the RNC in 2014 as a Lead Engineer. He went on to serve the RNC as Engineering Director and Deputy Chief Technology Officer.

Previously, he has held numerous contracting position with National Geographic Society, helping them build their new Content Management System for their website. He had also held various senior technical positions at Corvis Corporation, Pharad, Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs.

Kansas proclaims Indian-American Appreciation Day

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

The US state of Kansas has declared March 16 as “Indian American Appreciation Day” to honour Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was killed in an apparent hate crime. Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed and his friend Alok Madasani was injured when Adam W. Purinton, a white man who earlier served in the US Navy, shot them at the Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe on February 22.

Purinton reportedly got into a row with the victims and hurled racial slurs. He yelled “Get out of my country” and “terrorist” before shooting them. An American, Ian Grillot, was injured in the attack.

“Kansas will remain committed to standing with the Indian community,” Kansas Governor Sam Brownback said at an event to commemorate the life of Kuchibhotla. Brownback issued a proclamation at the event to recognize March 16 as the “Indian American Appreciation Day”, reported The Kansas City Star. “We will always reject acts of violence and harm. We reject hatred in all its forms,” he said in Topeka, the state capital. “This is a deplorable act that happened,” Brownback said. “We will not let it define us as a people.”

The March 16 Proclamation expresses “heartfelt condolences” to Kuchibhotla’s family, and notes that “Kansas values of respect, faith, family, friendship and hard work are shared by our Indian-American neighbors.” The Indian community, it recognizes, is employed in high-performance jobs and industries such as computer and software engineering; the medical field; the tech sector; education; and many serve in the military and hold local and state government positions.”

“Thousands of Indian-Americans who have called Kansas home over generations have enjoyed tremendous success through their ingenuity, hard work and determination,” the Proclamation says. Gov. Brownback said the perpetrator would be dealt with to the furthest extent of the law. “Acts of hate and intolerance have no place in Kansas and since the state’s founding, Kansans have fought against injustice and senseless hatred,” the Proclamation says. “We will continue to be committed to protecting our families, our neighbors and our guests; and … we welcome all Indians that wish to come to Kansas to live, work and raise a family in our communities and we thank them for contributing to our state’s prosperity.”

Indian American group to organize events in US to help prevent hate crimes

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

A Chicago-based Indian-American Public Affairs Committee (IAPAC) has launched a campaign across the US to spread awareness about hate crimes against the community. The committee plans to organize a series of grass root events and town halls across the country. “There is a need to bring understanding about the people of Indian-American and represent their interests,” Ashwani Dhall, one of the founding members of IAPAC, said in a statement.

The group plans to launch a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of the Indian Diaspora in the United States – the intrinsic part they pay in contributing to society and the economy, and subsequently to help cut down hate crimes against the community.

IAPAC touts itself as a bipartisan and grassroots organization to advocate and safeguard the India-US relationship and the interests of Indian Americans. IAPAC hopes to spread the word about how Indian Americans have been an intrinsic part of the American fabric for more than 100 years, according to a statement.

The core feature of the initiative would be events organized by the IAPAC in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas and Seattle. “By bringing together elected officials, local and business leaders and the media, the aim is to assure the Indian-American community that incidents like the hate-crime in Kansas City are not tolerated or repeated,” the statement said.

IAPAC wants to ensure that correct information about any existing policies is disseminated to people and there is no room left for rumors, it said.

“It was heartening to hear President Donald Trump denounce the Kansas City incident right at the start of his address to the Congress,” said Vinesh Virani, president of IAPAC. “We have hope that the current administration will work to bring everyone together.”

He added: “We are a group of people of Indian-origin who are doctors, small business owners, hoteliers, IT professionals, executives, essentially people from all fields, who had been closely involved in the local politics during last year’s general elections.”

Though IAPAC has not termed itself as a political committee, it seems to be on the lines of the Israeli American Political Action Committee, which also is one of the biggest lobbying groups on Capitol Hill. It’s important that local Indian American groups all over the US follow the same initiative by IAPAC and create more awareness in their local communities.

INOC, USA expresses disappointment over Yogi Adityanath as the CM of U.P.

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterPolitics, Profiles 0

‘It is a recipe for disaster for the state of Uttar Pradesh however; it is part of a carefully calibrated plan by the BJP to further sow the seeds of polarization and conflict to profit from especially looking at the upcoming Parliamentary election. The real face of the RSS will be on full display soon’ said George Abraham, Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA.

‘We are indeed shocked to see that this firebrand Yogi Adityanath whose virulent public pronouncements often borders outright contempt for the minorities in India is anointed by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India’ said Harbachan Singh, the Secretary-General of INOC.

According to the New York Times report, Mr. Adityanath, 44, was born Ajay Mohan Bisht, and studied mathematics before joining the priesthood. He rose to prominence as part of the campaign to rebuild the Ram temple, and has repeatedly been charged with fanning religious tensions.

In 2007, he spent 15 days in jail on charges of inciting riots, The Hindustan Times reported. He was booked again later in the year, when riots broke out after he made a speech. He is still facing trial in the two cases, the newspaper reported.

Adityanath was a forceful defender of the Hindu mob who lynched Muhammad Ikhlaq, a Muslim man suspected of slaughtering a cow, and argued that Mr. Ikhlaq’s family should be prosecuted for possessing the meat. When some Indians complained that they should not be required perform a “sun salutation” as part of International Yoga Day celebrations, saying it was a religious act, he recommended that those who were offended should “drown themselves in the sea.”

Adityanath has openly called for India to be enshrined as a “Hindu Rashtra” and supports the rebuilding of the temple in Ayodhya in place of razed 16th-century mosque. During the State Assembly polls, Adityanath was a major campaigner for the party across UP. The Gorakhpur-based politician enjoys a substantial following in Eastern U.P. where he founded Hindu Yuva Vahini whose volunteers are known to use strong-arm tactics during communal riots, cow-protection drives and to prevent ‘love-jihad.’

INOC urges the NRIs in America to strongly express their disapproval of the selection of a Hindutva extremist to be the leader of the most important state in India. ‘Opposing Trumpism in America while remaining silent on the fundamentalist ascendance in India would tantamount to nothing less than duplicity’ the statement added.

Maryland Hindu temple has plans for $20 million expansion with 36’ Hanuman statue

March 23, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Sri Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple (SBAT) in Ijamsville (Maryland) reportedly has plans for second phase $20 million expansion including another about 51,000 square-foot temple with 36 foot Lord Hanuman statue.

According to reports, designs have been finalized for the second phase, which has already been approved, and funds are being raised for it. The existing about 5,000 square-foot Temple, launched in 2015, cost about $8 million.

Besides worship services and Vedic rituals, SBAT, which opens 365-days a year at 06-30 am; organizes Sanskrit workshops, cultural events, children’s activities, poojas, festivals, summer cultural camps; holds bhajans every second Saturday and concerts every first Saturday of the month; and offers classes in Bharatnatyam, slokas, Ramayanam, Srimad Bhagavatham, Bhagavad-Gita, yoga, etc. It plans to launch some Indian music-dance-languages classes. It also serves as gathering place for the community; besides participating in various community welfare activities, like cooking food for the homeless, donating to area food banks, providing support in disaster relief, etc.

Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of temple leaders and area community towards realizing this Hindu temple and planning a grand expansion.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

Mission of SBAT, which is open to all, includes to “Promote Hindu traditions, values, culture and heritage including music, dance, slokas and Sanskrit”. Free-food is available at the temple during its opening hours. It reportedly has ten priests and two shilpis and Bragadeesh Balasubramanian is temple manager.

Suggested donation at SBAT for “Life time pooja for all Deities” is $6,001, “Paaravana Shraadham” pooja is $575 and for “Vehicle Pooja” is $51. Its policies include using dairy products made from the milk of its own cows only, and it strictly discourages “short, revealing, knee-high attire”.

Lord Hanuman is known for incredible strength and was a perfect grammarian. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Jubilant crowd in USA welcomes Capt. Amarinder Singh’s party’s landslide victory in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Elections

March 16, 2017 Staff ReporterPolitics 0

New York, NY: A large crowd of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA officials, members and supporters welcomed the long-awaited news of Capt. Amarinder Singh’s party’s landslide victory (77/117) in the state elections in Punjab.

Led by Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General of INOC, USA, loud chants of “Congress Party Zindabad, and Capt. Amarinder Singh Zindabad,” resonated in the hall where a large gathering had assembled. He congratulated the gathering and announced”, “Congress party has scored a phenomenal success. The vibrant Congress spirit is fully focused again. There is no stopping now.” Singh, who congratulated party president Sonia Gandhi and each MLA for his or her victory, was addressing the assembly in the absence of George Abraham, Chairman and Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of INOC, USA. who were both in Punjab to welcome the election results.

Tejinder Singh Gill, Senior Vice President, Karamjit Singh Dhaliwal, Vice President, and Jasvir Singh Nawanshr, President of Punjab Chapter of INOC, USA greeted the crowd and thanked everyone for their hard work and expressed full confidence in the great leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh. They believed that the enthusiasm which Capt. Amarinder Singh witnessed in New York during his last visit strengthened his resolve to fight harder for the people. It was acknowledged that Mohinder Singh Gilzian and Tejinder Singh Gill had spent considerable time meeting people in Punjab. Others had kept in touch with their relatives and friends from here.

Harbachan Singh declared that voters are very educated now and know how to stand for their rights and for what is right. The respect for truth and integrity is on the rise as evidenced by the social media stronghold. “Let’s therefore stand up and roll up the sleeves now and respond to the Capt.’s call, “he added. The Capt. wants to hit the ground running and immediately begin work on his progressive agenda and with the help of science and technology, bring hope and relief to people. The Congress Party is over 127 years old and has the most experience of all the political parties in India. “Economic recovery is paramount,” the Capt. laid out, “and it is the will of the people that shall guide his administration in all areas, using state of the art strategies, in the creation of jobs, improving health and education system, eliminating drugs, increasing development, dealing severely with corruption, encouraging industries, modernizing agriculture, transportation and infrastructure, etc.”

Several prominent community leaders took the rostrum and spoke passionately about the dire needs of Punjab which had been neglected for the past 10 years and which, for sure, will be addressed now. Kulbir Singh, Jagir Singh, Piara Singh Bernala, Harminder Singh Panam, Ms.Malani Sshah, Harry Singh, Ms.Jaya Sundram, John Joseph, Baldev Singh, Rajesh Alladad, Ms.Leila Maret, Shangara Singh Rana and Devindra Vora were amongst the many important speakers.

New York launch of centennial commemoration of Indian indentureship

March 16, 2017 Staff ReporterIndia, Uncategorized 0

The 100th anniversary commemoration of the abolition of Indian indentureship was launched at New York by the Indian Diaspora Council, in collaboration with its global affiliates and partners, at the Consulate General of India in New York on March 3rd.

The theme of the event was ”Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship: Challenges, Progress, Achievements and Charting New Frontiers.” It was an over-capacity participatory event with speakers and invited guests focusing on the commemoration of the centennial of abolition of Indian Indentureship; history of Indian Indentureship; perspectives on the end of an era; challenges, progress and achievement; descendants of Indian Indentureship and the PIOs experience, an IDC press release said.

The tristate area of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as Connecticut and Massachusetts have significant population of PIOs and NRIs who are descendants of Indian Indentured laborers originally from Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica, South Africa and other countries.

March 20, 2017 marks the centennial of the official abolition of Indian Indentureship, an era spanning the years 1834-1917, starting immediately after the formal Emancipation of Slaves in 1834. Indian Indentureship was an intense and harrowing period of Indian migration from several Indian states to far way lands of then British colonies around the world.

The history and consequences of Indian Indentureship are deeply embedded in people belonging to Mauritius, Fiji, Malaysia, South Africa, East Africa, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica, Belize, Grenada, St. Lucia and other countries of the Caribbean, as well as former French colonies of Reunion Island, Seychelles, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana.

Commemoration events are held by the IDC and its affiliates in several countries that are impacted by Indian indentureship, including a two-day conference in New Delhi on April 22-23. The New York event precedes the Indian Diaspora World Convention 2017 to be held in Trinidad & Tobago March 17 to 20.

Padma Shri HR Shah honored during IAPC new team inaugural event

March 16, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

The Indian American Press Club (IAPC) held the inauguration of its new Executive Committee on March 4th in New York in the presence of community leaders and officials. H.R. Shah, Chairman and CEO of TV Asia conferred Padma Shri this year, was warmly felicitated at the gala event at Antun’s by Minar.

Professor Indrajit S Saluja, editor-publisher of The Indian Panorama, was sworn in as the new President, taking over from Parveen Chopra, Managing Editor of The South Asian Times and The Asian Era. Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos administered the oath of office to the new IAPC office-bearers including George Eapen (General Secretary) and Biju Chacko (Treasurer).

Ginsmon Zacharia, founder Chairman of IPAC who has interests in print and TV, stepped down after shepherding the organization for three years. The new Chairman Dr. Babu Stephen, who assumed charge as the Chairman of Board of Directors, publishes two community newspapers from the Washington DC area: Express India and India This Week, and is the CEO of DC Healthcare Inc, and president of SM Reality LLC.

H.R. Shah, in his speech, dwelt on his initial struggles in media but said he did not give up. Under him, TV Asia is today the largest TV network for the Indian community in America. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government for conferring on him one of the highest civilian awards of India. He also thanked Prof. Saluja for IAPC felicitating him.

Comptroller Maragos underscored the role of media in a democracy and lauded Indian American media for doing a great job to promote interests of the community and serving the great American nation in the best fashion. He also revealed his intention to run for Nassau County Executive.

In his keynote address, Jehangir Khattak, Co-Director, Center for Community and Ethnic Media, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, spoke about how he has been fighting for more government dollars for the ethnic media, including desi media. A book, ‘Musings on Medicine, Myth, and History – India’s Legacy’, by Dr. VK Raju and Dr. Leela Raju was launched on the occasion.

IAPC, with six active chapters in the US and Canada, has organized three successful annual international media conferences in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut over the past three years. A highlight of the conference last year was a presidential debate with representatives from Democratic and Republican sides

US Diplomats recognized after visit to Indian markets in Edison, Jersey City

March 16, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

A group of diplomats from Washington who visited Indian market in Edison and Jersey City in New Jersey were recognized at an event held on March 3rd at TV Asia studios in Edison, New Jersey.

The five U.S. diplomats showcased their Hindi speaking proficiency much to the surprise of the audience of prominent community members and professionals. The diplomats studied Hindi at the Foreign Service Institute run by the State Department, prior to their postings in India.

Michael Rosenthal, Political Unit Chief, Office of India Affairs, U.S. Department of State, who led the group, said that he and his colleagues were due for their posting in India in the coming months. “We are learning Hindi and Indian culture at the Foreign Service Institute run by the State Department”, he told the audience. Thousands of U.S. diplomats attend language and culture classes prior to their overseas postings. Rosenthal said that as a part of his language studies he and his four colleagues visited shops and interacted with businessmen in Jersey City and Edison townships.

Addressing the gathering, Nathaniel Farrer, a member of the group, who spoke in Hindi said he and his colleagues enjoyed watching Hindi movies and often debated about the acting talents of Bollywood actors. “We are yet to agree about who among Amir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan is the better actor”, he joked.

The evening also included an outreach event hosted by the Consulate General of India in New York. The event was facilitated by Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, deputy consul general, who announced that people of Indian origin, who are living in the U.S. on a refugee status, will soon be able to travel to India with a valid travel visa. Mohapatra said the consulate was working on a 24 hours and seven days a week basis in order to provide timely assistance to individual visa seekers, who were in dire and unique situations. He invited applicants to open houses at the consulate so that their issues could be resolved. The consulate holds open houses every first and third Wednesday of every month.

Picture caption: TV Asia Chairman H.R. Shah speaks at an event hosted at the TV Asia studios in Edison, New Jersey, March 3 (Photo: Gunjesh Desai / nayaface.com)

Indian American businesses destroyed in fire in New York

March 16, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, India 0

A fire on Liberty Avenue in South Richmond Hill, New York City, on March 4^th has destroyed at least 7 businesses, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) announced here last week. Among them are several Indian-Americans, who are left homeless and their businesses destroyed. As per reports, a seven-alarm fire that has caused the fires, leaving dozens of people scrambling for alternatives and upset with local elected representatives.

According to community organizations, more than 50 people, young and old, have been displaced and are put up temporarily in hotels. However, they were housed only until March 6, and are now in limbo. Local organizations like Chhaya Community Development Corporation are stepping in to help.

The Indian-American community as well as advocacy groups are demanding Mayor Bill de Blasio and local elected officials step forward to help the scores of people displaced by the devastating seven-alarm fire that destroyed numerous businesses and apartments in south Richmond Hill, March 4.

As per reports, it took FDNY almost four hours to bring it under control with the help of dozens of units from around the city. Luckily, there were no fatalities but several people were injured. Frank Dwyer, spokesperson for FDNY said the station got a call at 10:52 p.m. on March 4 from 110-14 Liberty Ave. Fire trucks arrived at the scene within 3 minutes but it took till 2:40 am next morning to bring the fire under control. The fire started in a two-story building, but it escalated into a 7-alarm fire which took 200 fire fighters from 50 units to put out, Dwyer said.

The affected area is between what locals call “mini-Guyana” and “mini-Punjab.” One of the residents of mini-Punjab who was visiting mini-Guyana told Desi Talk the Wine & Liquor Store as well as Ghazal Beauty Parlor, were owned by Indians.

“The fire extended to 7 buildings which suffered fire damage and an additional 3 building were affected by water,” Dwyer said. Three civilians and two fire fighters suffered non-life threatening injuries. Fire Marshalls are investigating and will update the public on any new developments via their Twitter feed @fdny.

“The city has to do something. Why hasn’t the Mayor showed up? Even the local politicians have no reactions,” Annetta Seecharan, executive director of Chhaya CDC, said. Chhaya deals with housing issues and has already approached small business and other relevant agencies in city government to possibly extended the length of stay for the vulnerable individuals displaced, Seecharan said. “It’s not just the businesses that are affected. It is those living in apartments above the shops, poorer, more vulnerable people.” On March 9, an information session has been scheduled at Tulsi Mandir, 110-24, 111th Street, which organizers hope will update those affected about what the city and elected officials are doing.

New Jersey seniors to hold annual convention in August

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

The Federation of Indo-American Seniors Associations of North America will hold its annual convention from Aug. 25-27. The announcement was made by President Popat Patel at a FISANA meeting held last month at Gurudev restaurant in Rahway, New Jersey.

In his speech, Poptal Patel promised to bring FISANA to a higher level than where it stands now and announced a bigger and more colorful convention for this year.

The president also introduced Dhiren Parikh, who highlighted future programs and asked all members their inputs to be forwarded to Ratilal Patel or Popat Patel.

Women’s Wing Chair Bina Joshi of the Indo-American Seniors Association of Woodbridge township requested all FISANA members to donate new and used clothes for women and girls for a container she is shipping to Gujarat.

9-year-old Indian American NJ girl battling leukemia needs bone marrow donor

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterHealth 0

Anya LeFrancis, an Indian American fourth grade girl from Chester, New Jersey is battling leukemia and looking for a bone marrow donor with similar ancestry: South Asian and European. The little girl’s parents are in search for a donor and asking anyone, regardless of race, to register through DKMS, a bone marrow donation registry. The transplant must take place by May 2017 to save her life.

Out of 25 million registered donors, the bone marrow transplant team at Hackensack University Medical Center did not find one full match, according to an email by her father Robert LeFrancis. Anya’s unique heritage makes it even more difficult to find a perfect match from the donor registries – Anya is part Caucasian/European and part Indian. Only 3 percent of registered donors are of mixed race, and of that 3 percent, finding her mix of heritage in a donor is very challenging, the email said.

“It is unknown at this time if there will be a match at the registry, but we are trying to get as many people to sign up as possible using the link posted on her page,” said Anya’s mother Pratibha LeFrancis, the Patch reported.

The fourth grader is battling leukemia, and doctors believe her best chance at recovery is a bone marrow transplant. She was first diagnosed in kindergarten and went into remission in third grade. During this school year, Anya began complaining of pain again, and on Jan. 11, doctors diagnosed her with relapsed leukemia.

Pramila Jayapal, Joe Cowley introduce resolution asking Trump to end hate rhetoric

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

A resolution introduced by Indian-American member Pramila Jayapal and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in the U.S. House of Representative on Friday, last week asked the Department of Justice to commit sufficient resources to investigate hate crimes against South Asians and Jews in the country and urged President Donald Trump to “end his inflammatory rhetoric.”

Sixty-seven members of the House have signed the resolution, Jayapal said, addressing a gathering of protesters at Capitol Hill. Crowley and Indian American members Ami Bera and Ro Khanna also spoke at the protest event on Friday, March 10th. Bera and Jayapal were of the opinion that the violence against minority groups in America could not be considered isolated incidents, and there is now a pattern to it. Mr. Khanna, however, has said the South Asian community must remain positive while standing united against hate, given the wide support it gets from other Americans. The Congressman from Silicon Valley pointed out that Google has an Indian-origin CEO and while MasterCard CEO is an Indian-American Sikh.

‘America is our country’

“The victims of recent attacks in Kansas and Washington State were told to go back to their country. I have been told that numerous times. America is our country,” Jayapal said. “I came to this country as a 16-year old student without a penny. I could go on to become a Congressperson and that is the greatness of America,” she said at the event organised by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a group that works for racial justice and civil rights.

Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT, said a recent study by the group has documented over 200 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Arab, and Middle Eastern Americans during the 2016 elections. “Ninety-five percent of incidents motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment. Notably, President Trump was responsible for 21% of the xenophobic political rhetoric we tracked,” she said.

“What we see today is violence against those perceived to be foreign and a slew of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies coming out of the White House. That toxic mix is causing a palpable level of fear in the Indian-American and broader South Asian community. I’m committed to doing anything within my power to stop these acts of violence,” said Crowley.

“The resolution is an act of resistance to Donald Trump’s hateful vilification and ‘otherising’ of immigrants and communities of colour. Acts of violence rooted in racism have spiked since his campaign,” Jayapal said. “Attacking someone based on where they come from or what they look like insults the very core of everything that we stand for as a nation of immigrants. As a nation, we must stand up to these hateful attacks, which means doubling down on our commitments to safety, equality, and the American values of liberty and justice for all,” Mr. Bera said.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is away from Washington, told reporters on a teleconference that he was working with lawmakers to press Trump administration to take urgent action against hate crimes. “All Indian-American members of Congress are from the minority Democratic minority. We are trying to work with Republican members of Congress to use the legislative branch’s oversight powers over Justice and Homeland Security departments to effect more active response to the situation,” he said.

Man tries to set fire on store of Indian American in Florida

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion, India 0

In an another incident of hate crime in the US, a 64-year-old man has been arrested after he had attempted to burn down a convenience store owned by Indian Americans in Florida as he mistakenly thought it was owned by Muslims.

Richard Lloyd, who wanted to “run the Arabs out of our country,” pushed a dumpster in front of the Port St. Lucie store and set the contents on fire on March 10. As per reports, the store was not open at the time of the incident and firefighters quickly extinguished the fire without it causing any property damage.

“It’s unfortunate that Mr. Lloyd made the assumption that the store owners were Arabic when, in fact, they are of Indian descent,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said. Mascara said Lloyd’s mental health will be evaluated and the state attorney’s office will decide if this was a hate crime.

Lloyd told investigators he tried to buy a bottle of juice at the store a few days ago but was told they did not have any. He was also upset because he assumed the store employee was Muslim, CNN affiliate WPEC reported.

He said he was angry with what followers of Islam “are doing in the Middle East” and thought the store owners were Muslims. Lloyd was charged with first-degree arson and remained at the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of a $30,000 bond as of Mar. 11, the news channel reported.

He told investigators he “was doing my part for America,” and planned to burn the entire building. According to WPTV, deputies said that Lloyd told them his plan was to get a big enough fire in the dumpster to catch the building on fire, and once it was burning he thought the alcohol from the beer and wine inside would burn it to the ground.

Hate crimes against Muslims increased by over 65 percent in 2015, according to FBI statistics. Some religious leaders attribute the crime spike to the rise of President Donald Trump, who critics say fueled Islamophobia and racism as a candidate.

Barack Obama really wants you to read this letter from an Indian-American woman

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterIndia, Profiles 0

When former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle got back recently from a much needed vacation, awaiting them was a letter by an American of Indian origin which the couple now wants everyone to read because they found it exceptionally inspiring.

The letter is from a woman called Sindhu and its subject line reads “I’m in.” Sindhu starts the letter by recalling a day in 1996 and how it changed her life. At the time, Sindhu was a freshman at the University of Chicago.

“One day in Fall 1996, an idealistic 17-year old Indian girl was inspired while sitting in a chapel. She didn’t remember the name of the woman who spoke. But she will never forget the fire that was lit to make something of her life, and to use that life to serve others,” Sindhu says.

That woman was Michelle Obama, a year before her husband entered active politics. vacation+ , we found this note from a woman named Sindhu waiting for us… I’m inspired by Sindhu’s story –so I thought I’d share it with you today…Read to the end (you won’t regret it),” writes Obama who shared the entire letter on Medium.com on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

So moved was Sindhu by the “inspirational powerhouse” that Michelle Obama was, or is, it led her to public and social work that very week. Sindhu signed up to be a volunteer at a hospital and also joined an after-school program teaching creative writing and literature to underserved children in the community.

Sindhu is now 38 and as she puts it, she’s “a bit older in body, sometimes a bit jaded, but much younger in spirit.” In the letter, Sindhu thanks the Obamas “for teaching by both words and example that the best uses of power and influence are in the service of others and our community. “I want a different world. I need a different world. So when you get back from your vacation, I wanted to let you know. I’m in,” Sindhu concludes.

Sikh man’s shooting in Washington investigated as hate crime

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

It was yet another incident, where the shooter shouted: “Go back to your country,” at a Sikh man, Deep Rai, and shooting and injuring him on Friday, March 10^th in a suburb of Seattle, WA. According to news reports, the gunman – who is still at large – told him to “go back to your own country.” Local authorities have confirmed that the shooting is being investigated as a potential hate crime.

Working with local Sikh community members in Washington, the Sikh Coalition has helped facilitate widespread local and national media coverage and worked with local, state and federal officials, urging them to: conduct a thorough hate crime investigation; improve laws and regulations relating to bias prevention; organize Know Your Rights forums to build resilience in targeted communities; partner with Sikh Americans to expand Sikh awareness and appreciation; and, the Sikh Coalition has urged the Sikhs around the world to practice their faith fearlessly.

Meanwhile, thousands Have Joined the #LoveMyNeighbor Campaign. The U.S. government’s orders on immigration continue to fan the flames of xenophobic backlash. In addition to backlash against Sikhs, threats and violence have targeted Muslim and Jewish communities. It is for this reason that the Sikh Coalition has partnered with Auburn Seminary to launch an interfaith letter-writing campaign to show our solidarity with both communities. This initiative emphasizes to our American Muslim and Jewish classmates, neighbors and colleagues that we are strongest as a nation when we stand together. #LoveMyNeighbor.

Vigil on Capitol Hill honors victims of hate violence

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

On March 10, 2017, the Sikh Coalition joined allied civil rights organizations on Capitol Hill to honor victims of hate violence. Earlier in the day, Interim Program Director, Rajdeep Singh, asked Congressional staffers to push for the creation of a federal hate crime task force. The Sikh Coalition made this request of the White House in an op-ed on CNN in response to a spate of hate crimes targeting Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish American communities nationwide.

Dozens of people held a candlelight vigil in southern India March 9 to mark the birthday of an Indian American engineer shot dead last month in Kansas in an attack the FBI is investigating as a possible hate crime.

In addition to marking Srinivas Kuchibhotla’s 33rd birthday, the people in technology hub Hyderabad also protested what they say is a rising wave of hate crimes in America.

According to witnesses, the gunman yelled “Get out of my country” at Kuchibhotla and his colleague Alok Madasani before opening fire at a bar in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. Madasani and another bar patron were wounded. Adam Purinton of Olathe was arrested at another bar after telling a bartender he shot two people he described as Iranian. He remains jailed on murder and attempted murder charges.

The participants in Hyderabad included the family of Kuchibhotla. The marchers held candles as well as posters decrying attacks on Indians in the United States in recent days. The placards had slogans such as “Wake up India” and “Stop Racism, Stop Hate Crime.”

Last week a Sikh man, Deep Rai, was shot at by an unidentified man as he worked on his car in Kent, Wash., a suburb of Seattle. Another Indian, Harnish Patel, was killed in South Carolina 10 days ago, but the killing was not identified as a hate crime.

“This gathering is a reflection of the growing concern and disquiet among Indians over the safety and security of their people in the United States,” M. Rajkumar, who heads an organization of parents who have children living and working outside India, said in an Associated Press report.

Rajkumar said he blames U.S. President Donald Trump’s speeches for the increasing attacks against Indians in America. India raised the issue of the killing of Kuchibhotla in “very strong terms,” a top official said March 9, adding that the security of Indians and persons of Indian origin is a matter of serious concern for the Indian government, according to an IANS report.

On a day the issue featured in a major way in Parliament and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the Lok Sabha that the government is taking the issue very seriously, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a briefing that Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar was conveyed by U.S. officials during his talks in Washington that the Feb. 22 attack on Kuchibhotla and Madasani was an “individual case,” IANS reported.

Baglay said that the Indian Consulate reached out to the families of Kuchibhotla and Madasani, as well as Rai. “You would have also seen the response of the U.S. authorities, beginning with President Trump who referred to the Kansas incident in his address to the Congress. The U.S. Embassy had put out a press release condemning the Kansas killing. Speaker of the House has also condemned it,” said the spokesperson, according to the IANS report.

“This point has also been highlighted by various prominent U.S. dignitaries that such crimes do not represent the views of the vast majority in that country. In fact, several senior U.S. dignitaries have explicitly mentioned in the recent days that Indians are welcome in the United States,” he added.

“Given the high priority the government attaches to the security and wellbeing of Indians and persons of Indian origin abroad, we will continue to remain strongly engaged with the concerned authorities wherever required.”

He also said that the government of Kansas has offered to provide support to the family of Kuchibhotla and has welcomed Indians to the state. Referring to the letter of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Baglay said, “There is a sense of regret at the unfortunate shooting, commitment to prosecute the matter, support to the family of the deceased, and recognition of the qualities and contribution of Srinivas to Kansas.” Brownback March 8 wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing regret over the violence against Indians.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh March 9 asserted that the center has taken very serious note of the hate crimes against Indians in the U.S. and said the Modi government will come out with a statement on the issue.

“Want to assure the house that the government has taken up incidents against Indians in the U.S. very seriously and the government will give a statement on it next week,” Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha after resumption of the budget session of Parliament, IANS reported.

Protest marches have been held in India too. On March 9, the All India Students’ Association held a protest march against hate crimes against Indians in the U.S. and demanded strict action from the government. Members of the left wing student organization marched from Teen Murti to the U.S. Embassy to protest rising cases of racist attacks against Indians in the U.S., IANS reported.

The association demanded the government should hold Trump “accountable for propagating hate against racial minorities.” They asked for a tough diplomatic stand by Modi against increasing cases of hate crimes in the U.S.

The protesters raised slogans such as “America ki dalali nahi chalegi,” “Trump ki dalali nahi chalegi,” which translates to “The American and Trump interference will not be tolerated.”

“We will try to make this a civil society protest later. We are raising an initial voice against the deaths of the Indian Americans in the U.S. Not only Indian Americans, there have also been attacks on racial and religious minorities,” AISA’s national president Sucheta De told IANS.

“The racist attackers see minorities and shout, ‘This is not your country, go back to your country.’ Very interestingly, the Ministry of External Affairs and the prime minister are silent because their own party tells religious minorities here to go (back) to their countries,” she said. “We are here to say that hate makes no country great and that there is a need to be proactive to end hate crimes in the U.S.,” she added

USCIS wants legal aliens to carry documents, or else be fined, jailed

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has ruled that Green Card holders and visa holders, like those on H-1B, L-1, J or F-1, H4 visa, and even those having an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) must carry legal documents papers when traveling in and out of the country and at all times within the United States, or face the risk of being fined or imprisoned, or even both.

With a large-scale immigration crackdown on undocumented foreigners imminent after President Donald Trump’s new executive orders, it’s important for all documented residents in the US to keep proof of their legal status in the country.

And for those in the pipeline for a Green Card, a misdemeanor charge could have terrible repercussions when it comes to being adjudicated for legal permanent resident status. The same applies for Green Card holders who wish to become US citizen.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services rule states: ‘Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection (d). Any alien who fails to comply with the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction for each offense be fined not to exceed $100 or be imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.’

Another sub-section of the rule says: ‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Attorney General is authorized to require any alien to provide the alien’s social security account number for purposes of inclusion in any record of the alien maintained by the Attorney General or the Service.’

USCIS suspends Premium Processing for All H-1B Petitions

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

Starting April 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions, a statement issued by the USCIS stated. This suspension may last up to 6 months. While H-1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker which requests the H-1B nonimmigrant classification. We will notify the public before resuming premium processing for H-1B petitions.

The premium processing service allows an applicant or his potential employer to pay $1,225 to receive a response to his petition within 15 days. If USCIS has not responded within 15 days, the fee is refunded, though the application still receives expedited processing, according to a bulletin issued by the agency March 3. H-1B visas are used by U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers, most often from India, in specialty occupations.

“This temporary suspension will help us to reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, we will be able to process long-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years; and prioritize adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240 day mark,” said the agency in a bulletin.

USCIS has said the temporary suspension of premium processing could last as long as six months. The agency has said it will reject any form I-907 – request for premium processing – filed with an H-1B petition. If a check is issued to cover both applications, USCIS noted it will have to reject the H-1B application as well.

“Since FY18 cap-subject H-1B petitions cannot be filed before April 3, this suspension will apply to all petitions filed for the FY18 H-1B regular cap and master’s advanced degree cap exemption (the ‘master’s cap’),” noted USCIS, adding that the suspension also applies to petitions that may be cap-exempt.

H-1B petitioners can still expedite their applications if they meet one of the following criteria: a severe financial loss to company or person; an emergency situation; humanitarian reasons; a non-profit organization whose work benefits the cultural and social interests of the U.S., certain Defense Department situations; or USCIS errors. Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The temporary suspension does not apply to other non-immigrant classifications.

Devinder Malhotra Named Interim Chancellor of Minnesota State

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterEducation 0

The board of trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Feb. 9 announced that Indian American educator Devinder Malhotra was unanimously voted to serve as the interim chancellor at Minnesota State. Malhotra was chosen on an interim basis following an extensive search that didn’t yield a person to hold the post on a permanent basis, the board said in a news release. He will serve in his capacity until a permanent chancellor is named.

“I am very pleased that Devinder Malhotra has agreed to serve in this critical role,” said Michael Vekich, chair of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. “Dr. Malhotra is a gifted leader with the experience, the understanding of our system, and the collaborative skills required to lead the system while the search continues. In his previous service to Minnesota State as an interim president of Metropolitan State University, he demonstrated his ability to keep us moving forward. Dr. Malhotra will ensure our ability to serve students and communities across Minnesota so we can meet the state’s need for talent. I thank him for his willingness to serve.”

Malhotra has previously served as an interim president of Metropolitan State University from 2014 until his retirement in 2016, demonstrating the ability to keep MSCU moving forward, Vekich noted.

“Dr. Malhotra will ensure our ability to serve students and communities across Minnesota so we can meet the state’s need for talent. I thank him for his willingness to serve,” the board chair added. “I appreciate the confidence that chair Vekich and the board of trustees has placed in me,” said Malhotra in a statement. “And I look forward to once again serving the students of Minnesota State as we continue our critical work.”

In additional to Metropolitan State, Malhotra served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at St. Cloud State University from 2009 to 2014.

He has also been dean of the University of Southern Maine’s College of Arts and Sciences from 2005 to 2009 and the University of Akron Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences associate dean before that. A tenured professor of economics for more than three decades, he has served on the faculty of the University of Southern Maine and the University of Akron. Malhotra holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s from the University of Delhi, and a doctorate from Kansas State University.

Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy given Thomas Jefferson Medal in Global Innovation

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Entrepreneur and founder of Infosys N.R. Narayana Murthy has been chosen by The University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello to receive 2017 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals in Architecture, Law, Citizen Leadership and Global Innovation, who included Murthy – the recipient of the Global Innovation medal – founded Infosys in 1981 and grew the Bangalore-based global software consulting company into an IT powerhouse through the design and implementation of its global delivery model for outsourcing services, the foundation said in a news release.

At Infosys, which was listed on NASDAQ in 1999, Murthy served as the chief executive officer from 1981 until 2002, as chair and chief mentor from 1981 to 2011, and as chair emeritus from August 2011 to May 2013.

“In the early ’80s, as a computer engineer, Murthy seized what he saw as great potential in software services and built a company and ultimately an industry that has pioneered major changes in India’s business culture – creating jobs, raising business standards and launching a foundation to help the underprivileged,” said Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, in a statement. “His innovations and leadership in the creation of a global software and services industry have created true value for humanity.”

In addition to Infosys, the entrepreneur serves on several boards, including at the Ford Foundation, United Nations Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., as well as a member of the University of Tokyo’s Global Advisory Board.

Previously he served as a member of the HSBC board and the Unilever board, as well as the boards of Cornell University, Wharton School, Rhodes Trust and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He has also chaired the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

Among his accolades, Murthy was considered one of the “12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time” by Fortune magazine in 2012, among the most admired global business leaders by the Economist in 2005, one of the 25 best global business leaders by CNBC in 2014, and among the Financial Times’ list of business pioneers in technology in 2015. He was also the first Indian winner of Ernst and Young’s World Entrepreneur of the Year award, among many other honors.

Other medal recipients included Loretta Lynch, the first African American female attorney general in U.S. history; Alice Waters, founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project; and Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, founders and directors of Grafton Architects.

The awards, which are presented jointly by the university, which Jefferson founded in Charlottesville in 1819, and by the foundation, the independent, nonprofit organization that owns and operates his Monticello home, will be presented April 13, which is Jefferson’s birthday and also known locally as Founder’s Day.

Centenary Celebration of Osmania University in Chicago -An Invitation to Participate

March 15, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

“Glory of Hyderabad”, is organizing “Centenary Celebration of Osmania University”, Hyderabad, India on May 14th, 2017– Sunday, 03:00 pm to 10:00 pm, at Shalimar Banquets, 280 W. North Ave, Addison, IL 60101. Prof S. Ramachandram, Vice Chancellor, Osmania University will be the Chief Guest. Her Excellency Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India, Chicago will preside. Mr. Hardik Bhatt, CIO, office of the Governor, IL will be Guest of Honor.

Glory of Hyderabad will also present Osmania University & Siasat Calligraphy Exhibition during the celebration at 3.00 pm and authentic Hyderabadi Dinner and Musical Extravaganza. Osmania University, with 300,000 students and 5000 Staff members, is the seventh oldest in India and the third oldest in South India. It is a multi-faculty and multidisciplinary university, offering rich and varied courses in the faculties of Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Education, Engineering, Technology, Commerce, Management, Informatics, Pharmacy, and Oriental Languages.

In the recent past, Glory of Hyderabad hosted Mr. Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. A.K. Khan, Advisor to Government of Telangana for Minorities, Padmashri Mohammad Ali Baig, Founder Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation and Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, Editor Siasat Daily, among many notable Hyderabadis. In addition, Glory of Hyderabad hosted a number of Mayors, Diplomats, Congressmen, etc.

All Osmania’s living in the US and Canada are requested to attend this historic event, along with their families and friends, in large numbers. They are advised to reserve their seats or table at the earliest as the seats are limited. For further details :

Annual New England Gala 2017

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

On March 18th, Jaaved Jaaferi from Bollywood will be in Boston for the AIF New England gala at the Copley Marriott. Two surprises wait that night. Jaaved Jaaferi or “JJ” as he is known among friends, is a multifaceted creative and production talent, known for donning various hats with flamboyance: actor, producer, dancer, singer, choreographer, VJ, MC, ad filmmaker among others.

Carrying on the lineage of India’s most popular and legendary actor/comedian, Jagdeep, Jaaved burst on the Indian cinema screens in 1985. The film titled “Meri Jung” had him in a negative role which turned iconic overnight. His dance performance in the song ‘Bol Baby Bol Rock & Roll’ incorporated a path breaking style showcasing his dancing excellence. Jaaved has also been a noted singer and voice artist with a signature baritone that a generation of Indians grew up on.

He has been a part of the choreography for most of his dance performances on film and stage. Along with his regular assignments that continue, Jaaved has recently produced and acted in a Hindi feature film titled ‘BMW- Bombay’s Most Wanted’ which is in post production.

He is also a founder member and patron of IDF (Indian Documentary Foundation), committed to producing and supporting path breaking documentaries and documentary makers in India. Under his patronage IDF has organized TRIGGER PITCH during INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF KERALA (2011 & 2012)

His latest venture is a principal role in MONSOON WEDDING a musical theatre production, directed by Mira Nair and Composed by Vishal Bharadwaj, to be performed in Berkeley CA from 5th May to 7th July. Register early http://aif.org/event/negala2017/ to watch the night come alive!

Ekta Desai racially abused in NJ PATH Train

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Hate crimes against Indian-Americans seem to be on the rise. Barely a week after Srivinas Kuchibhotla was shot in a bar in Olathe, Kansas, another Indian-American has reported a hate crime incident in a crowded New York City train.

An Indian-origin girl was racially abused by a stranger in a New York train while she was on way to work. A video of the incident is now going viral on social media. Ekta Desai, a physiotherapist in New York, posted a video on her Facebook profile that shows a man hurling racial slurs at her and another Asian woman on a train.

“So this is something that happened while I was on my way from work today!! This man was on the same PATH train as me along with 100 other passengers, I had my headphones on and was like any other day. Next thing I know he is yelling on my face (Did not bother to listen/react). Knowing it’s pointless I step away, next target alongside an Asian lady!” Desai wrote.

The video as well as Desai’s Facebook page have since been removed after the video went viral. In the video, an unidentified man hurled racial slurs at both Desai and another Asian woman. Desai, who works as a physiotherapist in New York, shared a video of her traveling on the New York subway on her way to work.

“Asian piece of s*** to I will F*** you all right here to get your F***ing ^$$es back to your country etc etc etc” (putting it in the best words here) he went on relentlessly!” Desai said in the Facebook post.

Following the racially-charged, expletive-filled tirade, Desai threatened to inform police of his actions, to which the man continually yelled at the Indian American to stop shooting the video of him and explaining how he didn’t touch anybody. “I just expressed what I feel. Freedom of speech,” the man was heard saying in the video. Not sure the cops found him or even took any action, though they showed up 15 mins after all this drama and he walked away with his friends!” Desai said in her Feb. 22 post.

The video was posted on Facebook Feb. 22 and within six days it got more than 49,000 views. It is being widely discussed after Indian American engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead in Kansas last week which is being probed as a hate crime.

Ekta Desai,a physiotherapist in New York, shared a video of her traveling on the New York train when she was abused by an African American man. The video which shows the man asking her to go back to her country and yelling at her. Desai says she contacted the metro authorities and the police, but the police were not able to find or take any action against him.

Indian immigrant sentenced to 9 years for multimillion-dollar identity-theft scheme

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Amit Chaudhry said it was family loyalty that brought him in an international identity theft scheme so vast it ensnared a television actress. “I never really dreamt of being a felon,” the 44-year-old from Ashburn, Virginia, said in Alexandria federal court on Thursday before being sentenced to nine years in prison. “This is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.” On Sept. 21 he pleaded guilty to identity theft and money laundering. He faced up to 20 years in prison.

A native of India, Chaudhry helped relatives overseas operate a multimillion-dollar scam that involved laundering money from stolen credit cards and identities through shell bank accounts. He was part of a related scheme advertising cheap travel packages. Customers’ money would be stolen, and their hotel and airfare would be paid for with stolen credit cards. Many of the more than 1,000 victims found parts of their trips canceled after the fraudulent charges were discovered.

The group made over $25 million off fake credit cards, helped by a co-conspirator working at American Express in India. When their charges were challenged, they would use images of fake passports to back them up.

The scheme was uncovered in part because an FBI agent recognized actress Laura Vandervoort in one of those passports. The image was taken from a scene from the television show “V” involving visas, authorities said. Vandervoort, a Canadian, also played Supergirl on the TV series “Smallville” and last year appeared as the character Indigo on the “Supergirl” series.;

The image, authorities said, helped make clear some of the group’s online behavior. Chaudhry’s attorneys said he was acting at the behest of relatives in India. “This was all done out of family loyalty,” defense attorney Danny Onorato said.

GOPIO-CT officials at Columbia University lecture by India’s Niti Ayog

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

GOPIO-CT officials were invited by Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) to a lecture by India’s Niti Ayog Vice Chairman Prof. Arvind Panagariya on February 6th at the Italian Academy at Columbia University. GOPIO-CT President Anita Bhat, Immediate Past President Shelly Nichani, Treasurer Biru Sharma and Trustees, Dr. Thomas Abraham and Sanjay Santham interacted with Prof. Panagariya before and after the talk. Prof. Panagariya, holder of Jagadish Bhagvati Chair at Columbia University, is currently on leave of absence from Columbia since he took up the position in India. GOPIO-CT had hosted Prof. Panagariya earlier in 2008 after his book “The Indian Emerging Giant” was published.

Beena Kothari to lead GOPIO-NY new team

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

GOPIO International called up a meeting of GOPIO-New York, which has not been a good standing chapter for the last couple of years, even though GOPIO-New York has been the first GOPIO Chapter. As per GOPIO-Executive Council discussion, GOPIO Vice President in charge of chapters Mr. Ram Gadhavi called a meeting of the GOPIO-New York members as well as others who want to become chapter members. It was held at the Indian American Kerala Center, Elmont, NY. The meeting was chaired by GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham. Founder President, GOPIO-New York Chapter, Mr. Lal Motwani briefly shared with the attendees, some of GOPIO-New York Chapter’s accomplishments since its inception in 2003.

Dr. Abraham mentioned the most active GOPIO-Chapter, Connecticut’s “exemplary” accomplishments over the years; this chapter’s focus being civic and community-oriented events and activities. After discussing how to make the chapter active again the following officers were elected with a floor nominations.

President: Mrs. Beena Kothari, Executive Vice President: Mr. Inderjit Singh, Vice President: Mr. Mihir Patel, Secretary: Dr. Rohini B. Ramanathan, Joint Secretary: Ms. Meenakshi Varadnani, Treasurer: Mr. John Paul. Board of Directors: Dr. Yusuf Syed; Mr. Shiva Bhashyam; Mr. Amar Malla; Lal Motwani was endorsed as Honorary Chair of the GOPIO-New York Chapter will Dr. Abraham will serve as an Advisor. According to reports, GOPIO-New York plans to undertake several activities in 2017.

GOPIO-New York Team for 2017-’18 with GOPIO Intl and Kerala Center officials. Sitting from l. to r.: GOPIO Intl Assistant Secretary Jaswant Modi, Dr. Rohini Ramanathan, GOPIO Intl Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, Beena Kothari, GOPIO Intl. New York Coordinator Lal Motwani, Standing from l. to r. Shiva Bhashyan, Kerala Center Exec. Director E.M. Stephen, Kerala Center President Thambi Thalappillil, John Paul, Amar Malla and Dr. Yusuf Syed

Indian-American to build 8 cricket stadiums in US

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterSports 0

An Indian-American cricket enthusiast has announced plans to build as many as eight cricket stadiums across the US at an estimated cost of $2.4 billion to professionalize the game in the country.

The eight proposed stadiums, each having a capacity of 26,000 people in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois and California, would create as many as 17,800 new jobs in the US, said Jignesh (Jay) Pandya, chairman of Global Sports Ventures.

Gujarat-born Pandya is a real estate developer in the US and had been travelling across the globe with his two sons to watch popular international cricket matches.

Pandya, chairman Global Sports Ventures, feels he can professionalize cricket in the United States by creating a league that allows athletes to compete at the highest level and allow fans to enjoy the game at these world-class facilities.

These cricket stadiums, Pandya said, would be a part of “lifestyle centers” comprising high-rise residential complexes, shopping centers, entertainment centers and office complexes.

Pandya feels that Americans, are the biggest sports lovers in the world and sports economy in the US is around $87 billion. This leads him to be confident that there is “a great market and a readymade audience for cricket in the US”.

He hopes that this plan will fructify when the International Cricket Council (ICC) hosts any tournaments in line with its strategic framework for USA cricket, potentially hosting the ICC World Twenty20 in 2024.

New Leadership team takes charge at Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America (MMNA)

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

Vikas Bhutada (from Michigan) has been unanimously elected as the New President of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of MMNA (Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America) for the four year (2017- 2020) term. A newly elected 9 member team of NEC represents different regional chapters of MMNA in USA and Canada. The leadership team at MMNA is elected by the life members of MMNA as per the election guidelines and the bylaws. Shyam Maheshwari (from Michigan) has been elected as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of MMNA for a 2 year term. A 10 member team of BoT manages the bylaws and provides overall governance.

Highlighting the “Vision 2020” for MMNA, Vikas has defined a roadmap for the next 4 years for MMNA. He has reiterated MMNA’s commitment to its ongoing initiatives for Women Empowerment (SAKHI), Youth ( RAYS), Matrimonial matchmaking and Education Support to needy students in the community. In addition, MMNA would also start new efforts to support its Senior Citizens in the community; promote business – entrepreneurship in the community; and launch the MMNA digital initiative to enable enhanced fellowship amongst its members and efficient implementation of its planned initiatives. Importantly, as per the new vision, MMNA will also significantly enhance its outreach and philanthropic activities in the local communities where its regional chapters are located in North America.

MMNA also organizes its flagship biannual International Maheshwari Rajasthani Convention (IMRC) in North America, that is widely attended by its members and the international community. The next IMRC is expected to take place in the second half of 2018.

MMNA NEC Team members include Jitendra Muchhal, Mukul Rathi, Lata Maheshwari , Abhilasha Rathi,Ashish Daga,Vijayshri Choudhary,Baldev Bhojwani,Rajesh Rathi & Arun Mundra. MMNA BoT Team members include Sushma Pallod, Suresh Deopura, Giridhar Heda, Rajesh Kabra, Vinod Maheshwari, Ghanshyam Heda, Dev Maheshwari, Ghanshyam Birla and PJRathi. For more information about MMNA and its activities, please visit www.mmna.org

Extravaganza to raise funds for people with disabilities

March 11, 2017 Staff ReporterCommunity 0

Enable, Inc., a New Jersey-based non-profit providing services, resources and support for adults and children with disabilities and seniors, will host a fundraiser featuring Indian music and dance. To be held on March 11 at West Windsor Plainsboro High School South Theater at 4:30 p.m., Winter Manmohini 2017 will include performances by the Satrangi School of Fusion, the Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick, Sparsh Shah; and Sumukh Bhatia.

“Winter Manmohini 2017 raises funds for Enable’s critical services for seniors and people with disabilities,” a press release quoted Sharon Copeland, Enable’s chief executive officer as saying. “The community comes together to enjoy dance, theater and singing, and self-expression. It is a fun, inspirational event.”

This South Asian entertainment extravaganza supports independent living for children and adults with disabilities and seniors. Open seating tickets cost $20 for adults; $15 for children and students. VIP reserved seats cost $50 (tickets at the door are $25/$20/$50). Doors open at 4 pm at West Windsor Plainsboro High School South Theater; performances start at 4:30 pm.

“The community comes together at Winter Manmohini 2017 to enjoy dance, theater, singing, and self-expression — while raising critical funds that make it possible for people with disabilities and seniors to live independently in the community,” said Sharon Copeland, MSW, LSW, Enable’s Chief Executive Officer. “You won’t want to miss this fun, inspirational event! Or, if you can’t attend, donate a ticket so a child or adult with a disability can attend in your place.”

Led by Rohheet Baxi, Satrangi School of Fusion highlights the event with over 300 dancers and thousands of costumes. Baxi, who lost a leg to cancer as a child, founded the non-profit Dance with Wings which provides free dance lessons to children and families living with autism, Down syndrome and developmental challenges. Dance with Wings students are included in Winter Manmohini 2017.

The Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick Theater Group will perform “Romance in the Garden: Bhagavad-Ajjuka”. The witty one-act play was adapted from a 7th century Sanskrit farce by director Dr. Farley Richmond, Professor and Director of the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Georgia/Athens. Barkha Kishnani is assistant director.

Singer and child prodigy Sparsh Shah will also perform. The 13-year-old uses a wheelchair because he was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, an incurable disease that makes his bones extremely brittle.

Gourmet Indian food will be provided by renowned Princeton restaurant Mehek (at an additional cost). Sponsors include: Stark & Stark Attorneys at Law; Saint Peter’s Healthcare System; Provident Bank; Santander; New York Life; NJM Insurance Group; House of Spices (India), Inc.; and Indus American Bank. Winter Manmohini 2017 Co-chairs are Shashi Airi and Gulshan Chhabra. Committee members are Sharon Copeland; Frank DiSanzo; Kadambary Joshi; Vidya Kallur; Diana Kennedy; Barkha Kishnani; Anu Mehta; Abishek Mishra; Cynthia Perri-Rock; Kendall Popowski; Toni Ricigliano; Domenic Sanginiti; Vashvi Shah; Christina Teel; Anthony W. Simmons; John Trench; Frances Chaves.

Nearly one in ten live with a severe disability. Established as a non-profit in 1989, Enable, Inc. serves over 500 New Jersey individuals with disabilities, seniors, and their families. Through in home, residential and day services, Enable helps sustain healthy, independent lives in an environment that provides dignity, respect, and personal fulfillment. For more information, go to http://www.enablenj.org.

For more information, sponsorship, advertising and tickets, go to: http://www.enablenj.org/events or contact Frances Chaves at 609-987-5003 x 138 or email fchaves(at)enablenj(dot)org.

Jaishankar in DC to plan for Modi-Trump Summit

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

With the Trump administration’s state department in disarray amid reports of being downgraded and downsized, India’s foreign secretary S. Jaishankar was at the White House to meet with National Security Council Advisor H.R.McMaster on March 1st to seek a continuation of ever-improving ties with Washington.

According to reports, India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar met Donald Trump’s new National Security Advisor, ahead of the possible Summit between India’s premier Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Among other things, safety of Indian immigrants and working professionals in the US was discussed in the meeting. The first personal engagement between Trump and PM Modi is expected to take place in May this year.

“Overall, our sense was that the (US) administration has a very positive view of the relationship and a very positive view of India,” foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who led the Indian delegation, told reporters on Friday after the talks.

“It is natural that any new administration that comes in, takes stock of the progress made, sets new targets and bigger ambitions,” he said. And fixing them is the task that lies ahead for the two sides.

On H-1B, the team, which included Indian commerce secretary Rita Teaotia, told Americans the temporary visa scheme, which is in the crosshairs of several Trump officials including the president himself, will “actually help the American economy to be more competitive”, especially as, and when, the administration brings American companies home. Did it carry? They were met with “a degree of understanding”, Jaishankar said.

The Trump administration urged the Indian delegation in these meetings, and at the highest level in the cabinet, to treat the killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian aviation engineer, in a case of hate-crime in Olathe, Kansas, last week as an “act by an individual” and that the “American justice system was at work” and the arrested perpetrator would be brought to justice.

The high-ranking Indian official, considered one of the architects of burgeoning US-India ties, met with Trump’s new National Security Advisor H.R.McMaster even as the new dispensation in Washington is struggling to find its feet. Among his remits is laying the groundwork for the first personal engagement between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi that could take place as early as May by way of a visit, ahead of a possible meeting already on the diplomatic calendar on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg on July 7-8.

Ironing out matters relating to movement of professionals, visa issues, trade barriers, and a defense cooperation agenda, including on the manufacturing front that has already been agreed to by the previous dispensation, are part of the discussions with the new players in Washington, with some familiar faces providing an element of continuity. Jaishankar also met House Speaker Paul Ryan in the familiar Indian outreach that goes beyond the executive to the Congress, where there is bipartisan support for strong ties with India.

The safety of Indian immigrants and working professionals in the U.S following the killing of an engineer from Hyderabad in an apparent hate crime in Kansas featured high in the list of Jaishankar’s talking points going by the statement from Ryan on the meeting, absent a readout from the Indian side. Expressing condolences over the ”senseless murder” of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, Ryan said ”our peoples must stand together,” while calling for building on what he described as a ”critical partnership… by discussing ways to enhance our economic and defense cooperation.”

India, just as many countries across the world, is having to deal with the new reality of a powerful White House and an emasculated State Department, and to that extent, Jaishankar’s experience in Washington, where he was the ambassador before being recalled to New Delhi to become foreign secretary, is seen as an advantage.

Speaker Ryan meets Jaishankar, condoles ‘senseless murder’ of techie

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

After President Donald Trump condemned the killing, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan has offered the condolences of the House for the “senseless” murder of Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla, during his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar here.

Ryan, in a statement, also said that the two sides discussed ways to enhance the bilateral economic and defense cooperation. The Indian Foreign Secretary arrived here on Feb. 28 on a four-day visit to hold talks with top officials of the Trump Administration.

“The relationship between the U.S. and India is rooted in shared values of democracy and freedom,” Ryan said in a statement after his meeting with Jaishankar. “We had a great opportunity today to build on this critical partnership by discussing ways to enhance our economic and defense cooperation,” he stated.

“In our meeting, I expressed the House’s condolences on the death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was senselessly murdered last week in Kansas. Our peoples must continue to stand together, and I look forward to working with Foreign Secretary Jaishankar in the years ahead.”

Ohio man stalks NRIs, posts video saying they are taking away our jobs

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Coming days after the fatal shooting of Indian-born engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, on going anti-immigrants postings and hate crimes have been reported from many parts of the US. An anti-immigration website that features photos and videos of Indian families relaxing in the city of Columbus, Ohio, has alarmed community members in the United States.

A post on the website SaveAmericanITJobs.com called ‘Welcome to Columbus Ohio suburbs – Lets take a walk to Indian park’ features a video of Indian families hanging out in a public park in suburban Ohio. The video’s description mentions how wealthy Indian families have ‘moved in’ to suburban homes in Ohio as “displacement of Americans has occurred”. As of March 6, the video has over 41,000 views on YouTube.

A Buzzfeed report says that the website is created and maintained by Steve Pushor, a 66-year-old computer programmer from Virginia. In the video, Pushor’s camera pans over people playing volleyball and children riding bikes, as he narrates: “The number of people from foreign countries blows my mind out here. You see this whole area is all Indian, amazing. It’s an amazing number of jobs have been taken away from Americans. The Indian crowd has ravished the Midwest. It’s a takeover.(sic)” Pushor sarcastically describes the park as a “mini Mumbai”.

Pushor initially posted this video and the accompanying document ‘Ohio – A Journey To Indian Park’ in August. The document labels India as a “hell hole” and highlights the loss of “Norman Rockwell white people class” in the US. A link to the document now directs to a 403-error page, but an archived version of the page are still available online.

The recent shooting of Kuchibhotla and the anti-immigration rhetoric of the Trump government has caused the video and document to resurface on Facebook posts, forums and WhatsApp groups of Indian immigrants in the US.

Bhavin Bavalia, a US-born IT professional and son of Indian immigrants, said he came across the site and the video when a friend shared it on Facebook. Talking to Buzzfeed news, Bavalia said, “To think that there could be some weirdo filming my cousin’s kids as they’re playing at the park, and possibly fomenting resentment towards them, is just disturbing.”

The website SaveAmericanITJobs.org calls the “Indian IT mafia” as one of the “public enemies” of American IT professionals. A snippet on the website says: “The Indian IT Mafia Mega firms have greatly harmed the American Information Technology Workforce for decades. Their notorious practices and collaborations with greedy US Corporations have resulted in USA IT professionals training their H-1B or L-1 Indian replacements in order to receive severance pay. This is outrageous.”

H-1B visas: Nasscom has a suggestion for Indian IT companies

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterBusiness 0

IT sector needs to work more to educate US policymakers on the mutual benefits of strong India-US trade relations in the software services market, industry body Nasscom said today. This is important as in some cases those “benefits and the actual workings of the visa programs are not well understood”, Nasscom President R Chandrasekhar said.

The comments come after Nasscom took a delegation to Washington DC (February 27-March 2) to discuss issues like clampdown on work visas and flow of skilled manpower between the two nations.

“From recent meetings, it is clear that IT sector has more work to do in educating US policymakers on the mutual benefits of strong India-US trade in IT services… In some cases, those benefits and the actual workings of the visa programs are not well understood,” Chandrasekhar said.

Over the past few months, there have been concerns over the protectionist stance taken by the US administration under President Donald Trump. The US accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenues of Indian IT services firms. While India has been pressing for a fair approach, a number of steps have been proposed by the new administration that is likely to impact the USD 110 Indian IT exports market.

Last week, US temporarily suspended the expedited premium processing of H-1B visas that will lead to process delays for Indian IT firms seeking to send employees on urgent projects. Chandrasekhar said he remains hopeful that further dialogue between government and business leaders in both nations will lead to a better understanding of the high-skill visa issues, which will in turn inform “constructive reforms”.

“We appreciated the openness of the policymakers and their advisors to engage in substantive, candid discussions,” he said. Specific topics of discussion included the H-1B visa program, which faces calls for new restrictions by some members of Congress and allies of President Trump. The delegation met officials like Darrell Issa and Zoe Lofgren, influential members of Congress who have sponsored legislation on the issue.

Nasscom also pushed for a level-playing field, saying any new requirements aimed at protecting US workers should be applied to all visa sponsors. Most of the existing legislative and administrative proposals would not actually protect American workers, since the proposed restrictions would be applicable only to a small group of companies that account for a minority of new visas issued, it added. Any changes in visa regime may result in higher operational costs and shortage of skilled workers for the Indian outsourcing industry.

As per reports, US President Donald Trump is said to be preparing to issue executive orders on H1-B visas, the visas primarily used by Indian IT companies to send Indian professionals to the US. Also, a legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives which among other things calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000.

Indian-origin businessman shot dead in South Carolina

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

With the nation still in shock from the killing of an Indian engineer Feb. 22, an Indian American businessman who was well-liked in his neighborhood was shot dead outside his home in Lancaster, South Carolina, on the night of Marvh 2.

A 43-year-old Indian-origin store owner in the US has been shot dead outside his home, just days after an Indian engineer was killed in Kansas in a hate crime shooting that had sent shockwaves across the country, reports PTI.

Harnish Patel, the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home on Thursday, coroner and police officials said.

Patel closed his store and drove in his silver minivan to his nearby home where authorities believe he was confronted by his killer. The store is about 6 km from his house, The Herald reported. He had locked up his nearby store less than 10 minutes before he was found dead, police said.

Patel’s death comes two days after President Donald Trump had said the nation condemned as “hate and evil” the killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was shot dead in a bar in Olathe, Kansas, by a white man who screamed, “Get out of my country.”

Local officials in Lancaster said they do not believe that Patel’s killing was a hate crime and that investigations are continuing, according to The Herald. “I don’t have any reason to believe that this was racially motivated,” County Sheriff Barry Faile said Mar. 3.

WSOCTV said that in Lancaster there was a lot of anger over the killing of Patel, who was considered an important member of the community and a kind person who treated his customers as friends and helped law enforcement. A sign on the shop door read, “Store closed for few days because of family emergency. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

A tearful customer, Nicole Jones, told the station that when someone didn’t have money, Patel gave them food. “I would have no idea who would do this to him as good as he is to everybody,” she said. A store employee, Keira Baskin, said that he only wanted the best for his employees and his family.

An IANS report from New Delhi adds: The Indian Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, has deputed an official to meet the family of Harnish Patel, it was learnt Mar. 4. “CGI Atlanta is in touch with the family. It is deputing a consular official to meet the family and offer condolences and any required assistance,” a source here said.

Reshma Shamasunder appointed Deputy Director of National Immigration

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterCommunity, Profiles 0

While the nation is dealing with the new, and the old immigration orders promulgated by the Trump administration, The National Immigration Law Center announced on February 27 that it has appointed long-time immigration rights advocate Reshma Shamasunder to serve as the organization’s deputy director. “The National Immigration Law Center is and has been a leading advocate for low-income immigrants and their families for many years,” Shamasunder, an Indian American activist, said in a press statement.

“In these challenging times, NILC’s role in fighting back against a xenophobic and nativist-driven agenda is crucial. I am humbled to take on a leadership role in these efforts at a time when they are more important than ever. I intend to take on my new role with the seriousness and passion this moment warrants,” she said.

In this role, Shamasunder will oversee the organization’s legal, policy and advocacy, and communications strategies. She will also serve as a key member of NILC’s Senior Leadership Team.

“The National Immigration Law Center is and has been a leading advocate for low-income immigrants and their families for many years,” Shamasunder said. “In these challenging times, NILC’s role in fighting back against a xenophobic and nativist-driven agenda is crucial. I am humbled to take on a leadership role in these efforts at a time when they are more important than ever. I intend to take on my new role with the seriousness and passion this moment warrants.”

Prior to joining NILC, Shamasunder played a key role in state-level campaigns in California that benefit low-income, immigrant, and vulnerable communities. For 12 years she served as the executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), helping to spearhead important policy wins, including placing limits on cooperation between local law enforcement and immigration authorities, preserving important health and human services programs, providing access to driver’s licenses for all Californians, and furthering important immigrant integration efforts. Under Shamasunder’s leadership, CIPC became a vibrant statewide organization that now not only helps shape California’s most inclusive policies, but also helps to build the capacity of nascent immigrants’ rights organizations and coalitions throughout California.

Shamasunder also served on the boards of Health Access California and the South Asian Network in Los Angeles, and was an inaugural fellow of the Rockwood Fellowship for a New California, a leadership program for California’s immigrant rights leaders. Shamasunder most recently received Families USA’s Health Equity Advocate Award. Last year she received a NILC Courageous Luminaries Award.

“I am thrilled to have Reshma join NILC’s leadership. For more than a decade she has helped transform the lives of countless California families, and she is poised to help us do the same across the country,” said NILC Executive Director Marielena Hincapié. “Her many years of service to immigrant communities will be a tremendous asset as we advance our mission of ensuring that all people, regardless of where they were born or their income, have access to opportunities that have helped generations of new Americans thrive and contribute to our communities. We are incredibly proud and grateful to welcome Reshma to our team.”

Shamasunder is the daughter of Indian immigrants and was raised in California’s Mojave Desert. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA and a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She will start in her new role at NILC on March 1 and will be based in NILC’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Sikhs respond to shooting near Seattle with fear, disbelief

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

KENT, Washington: Deepak Rai, a Sikh man (who has chosen to remain anonymous) was shot and injured late Friday in Kent, Washington. According to news reports, the gunman – who is still at large – told him to “go back to your own country.” In an email to the Sikh Coalition, the local police department has confirmed that the shooting is being investigated as a potential hate crime.

This shooting is the latest in a string of attacks on minorities throughout the country – including bomb threats to Jewish community centers, arson attacks on mosques, and the murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian-American engineer who was told “get out of my country” before being shot along with two others in Kansas last month.

Fear, hurt and disbelief weighed on the minds of those who gathered at a Sikh temple Sunday after the shooting of a Sikh man who said a gunman approached him in his suburban Seattle driveway and told him “go back to your own country.”

“Everybody who is part of this community needs to be vigilant,” Satwinder Kaur, a Sikh community leader, said as several hundred people poured into a temple in Renton for worship services about one mile from Friday night’s shooting. “It is scary,” she added. “The community has been shaken up.”

Authorities said a gunman approached the 39-year-old Sikh man+ as he worked on his car in his driveway in the city of Kent, about 20 miles south of Seattle. The FBI will help investigate the shooting, authorities said.

Kent Police chief Ken Thomas said the department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime+ . He said no arrests have been made yet after the victim was shot in the arm+ but that he did not believe anyone was in imminent danger.

“This is a top priority investigation, and we are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspect,” Thomas said in an email, adding that residents in the city of about 125,000 should “be vigilant” but also not let the shooting hurt their quality of life.

The FBI’s Seattle office said in a statement on Sunday that it is “committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated,” the Seattle Times reported. The shooting comes after an Indian man was killed and another wounded in a recent shooting at a Kansas bar that federal agencies are investigating as a hate crime after witnesses say the suspect yelled “get out of my country.”

The shooting was on the minds of many who gathered at a gurdwara in nearby Renton on Sunday morning for worship. Women in colorful saris and headscarves and men wearing turbans sat on the floor on opposite sides inside the worship space.

As they entered and left the services, many expressed fear that one of their own was targeted and said they’re scared to go to the store or other public places. Some said they have noticed an uptick in name-calling and other racist incidents in recent months. Still others expressed hurt and disbelief at the lack of understanding and ignorance.

“Sikhism teaches about equality and peace,” said Sandeep Singh, 24. “It’s sad to see that’s what it has come to,” he said of the violence. “This is our country. This is everyone’s country.” Gurjot Singh, 39, who served in the Marine Corps and is an Iraq war veteran, said he was dismayed that people think others who look different aren’t equal or don’t contribute equally to the community.
“This is equally my country as it is your country,” he said. “It doesn’t anger me. It hurts me.”

Hira Singh, a Sikh community leader, said there have been increasing complaints recently from Sikhs near Seattle who say they have been the target of foul language or other comments. “This kind of incident shakes up the whole community,” he said, adding that about 50,000 members of the faith live in Washington state.

Kent police have not identified the man or released other information. But India’s foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, identified the victim on Twitter early Sunday, saying, “I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a US national of Indian origin.” She said she had spoken to Rai’s father, who told her Rai is out of danger and recovering in a hospital.

Rai told police a man he didn’t know came up to him Friday night and they got into an argument, with the suspect telling Rai to go back to his homeland. He described the shooter as 6 feet tall and white with a stocky build, police said. He said the man was wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. “All of the information that I have available at this time suggests that the information provided by the victim is credible,” Thomas, the police chief, wrote.

Sikhs have previously been the target of assaults in the US after the September 11, 2001, attacks, the backlash that hit Muslims around the country expanded to include those of the Sikh faith. Men often cover their heads with turbans, which are considered sacred, and refrain from shaving their beards. In 2012, a man shot and killed six Sikh worshippers and wounded four others at a gurdwara near Milwaukee before killing himself.

“Stress Reduction through Yoga” workshop by Sewa

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterHealth 0

Sewa team recently conducted yoga workshop “Stress Reduction through Yoga” at Baker Ripley Neighborhood Center on 4th of February, 2017. Most of the members at Baker Ripley center come from low income families and encounter tremendous amount of stress in their daily life. This everyday stress takes a toll on their health and eventually affects the quality of life. Therefore, it is essential that the community members should have access to low cost health care options.

To address this issue, Sewa started an initiative in 2016 by name of Yoga for Sewa. Under this initiative, the “Stress Reduction through Yoga” Workshop is designed for people who have to deal with difficult situations in daily life. The workshop started with warm up exercises, followed by sun salutations to bring up the heart rate, followed by yoga postures to help reduce stress, and breathing practice at the end to calm down the mind.

The workshop was highly successful with attendance of 15+ participants and with interest to make this a regular session at the community center. Sewa team, that designed and implemented the workshop include, Yoga therapist Ms. Hasita Kartick, coordinator Ms. Anuja Deshpande, project coordinator Kavita Tewary, and volunteer/translator Ms. Camila Escobar.

Sewa team is working tirelessly to arrange these free workshops for low income communities in order to serve people who cannot afford high end yoga studios or expensive health care options. If you or your community center is interested in conducting “Stress Reduction through Yoga” Workshop, please give us a call at (281)546 8202 or reach us at contact@sewausa.org. For more information, visit us at https://sewausa.org/chapter/houston/houston-overview.

AAHOA Launches Two-Day Hotel-Development Workshop in Dallas

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterBusiness 0

ATLANTA, March 2, 2017 – The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) launched its “How to Develop a Hotel Workshop” today in Grapevine, Texas, just outside Dallas.

The workshop will span two days and is the second of its kind. The first two-day AAHOA workshop, “How to Form a Management Company,” was held last November. Both workshops sold out in just a few weeks, indicating a demand for intensive high-level instruction that AAHOA will meet with additional workshop dates throughout 2017 and beyond.

This week’s event will be facilitated by Tarun Kapoor, managing director of Kapoor & Kapoor Hospitality. The workshop will cover site and franchisor selection, pre-opening and ramp-up, financing, and design and development.

A panel titled “Lessons from Successful AAHOA Developers” will be moderated by Mr. Kapoor and feature CEOs from some of Texas’ most prolific hoteliers and AAHOA members. Other speakers include Kirsten Mathews, a senior loan officer at Live Oak Bank, and Patrick Campbell, managing member and founding principal at Construction 1.

“We’ve assembled an all-star slate of panelists and speakers for this workshop and have received an incredibly enthusiastic response,” said AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “Providing first-class opportunities for professional development is a top priority for AAHOA and this workshop is the best available of its kind.”

The workshop will be held at the Courtyard & TownePlace Suites DFW Airport North. Registration and the waiting list are now closed. For information on future AAHOA workshops, please visit AAHOA.com.

Founded in 1989, AAHOA (www.aahoa.com) is the largest hotel owners association in the world, with more than 16,000 small business owner-members. AAHOA members own almost one in every two hotels in the United States.

Indian Americans decry increasing hate crimes in the US;

March 9, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

appreciate support from fellow Americans against bias and harassment

Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC – iamc.com) a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting the shared values of pluralism, tolerance, and respect for human rights, today condemned increasing hate crimes in the US, including those targeting Indian Americans.

On 22 February, Indian engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani were shot by suspected gunman Adam Purinton in Kansas, who yelled “get out of my country,” when opening fire at them. Kuchibhotla died while Madasani was injured. Ian Grillot, who was shot while trying to intervene, has been rightly called a “hero” by Indians, including India’s foreign minister, Ms. Sushma Swaraj.

On March 03, a Sikh man was shot and injured in Kent, WA, near Seattle, with the gunman yelling a similar hateful sentiment asking the victim to “go back to your own country.” Police have confirmed the incident is being investigated as a…

6 students charged in death of Indian American run over after party in Connecticut

March 2, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

STORRS, Conn. — Six University of Connecticut students were charged Friday, February 24th with alcohol-related offenses related to the death of a student who was run over by a fire department vehicle after leaving a party last fall.

According to media reports, the students had been hosting an off-campus party at a fraternity-affiliated house Oct. 16 last year during homecoming weekend. One of the attendees was Jeffny Pally, a 19-year-old sophomore from West Hartford.

Police say Pally had been sitting with her back against a garage door of the UConn Public Safety Complex at around 1 a.m. when she was run over by a fire vehicle responding to a call that turned out to be a false alarm. Two additional students have been charged in connection with the false alarm.

Pally’s body wasn’t found until about 30 minutes later when firefighters returned. She died from injuries to her head and torso, the medical examiner’s office determined. The driver of the vehicle hasn’t been charged and the tragedy was ruled an accident.

The charged students are Patrick Callahan, Matthew Moll, Dylan Morose, Austin Custodio, Dominic Godi and Jonathan Polansky. They range in age from 21 to 22 and are from Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Some were charged with permitting a minor to illegally possess alcohol.

They were all released pending their arraignment in Superior Court in Rockville on March 8. It couldn’t be immediately determined if they had lawyers.

A university spokeswoman confirmed the students are still enrolled at UConn but said federal student privacy law prevents the university from saying whether any of them face discipline by the school. UConn said all but Godi were seniors, CBS affiliate WFSB reports.

The university noted the Kappa Sigma fraternity recently lost its recognition and housing due to off-campus incidents in September and October unrelated to Pally’s death. The fraternity’s national office also has revoked the local group’s charter.

“Jeffny Pally was a talented, ambitious, promising young woman and her death was a terrible tragedy,” the university said. “The entire university community joins her family and friends in continuing to mourn her loss.”

An arrest warrant revealed Pally had been with her sorority sisters from Delta Gamma during the day, WFSB reports. They were working on a homecoming float and then, she met back up with them later that evening in a dorm where they were drinking before heading to a fraternity party in Manchester hosted by Kappa Sigma.

When police interviewed some of those arrested, they told investigators they did have a fraternity party, but said there was a bouncer hired to check identifications and give wristbands to make sure only those over 21 were drinking.

But, eyewitnesses told police “there were approximately 50 people there and nobody was wearing wrist bands.” Another eyewitness said “nobody asked for identification.” All of the alcohol was provided by the Kappa Sigma house, according to the arrest warrant.

“There were six or seven guys handing out beers in the shed, and at some points there was nobody in the shed,” one eyewitness told police, according to the arrest warrant. “There were six or seven guys handing out beers in the shed, and at some points there was nobody in the shed,” one eyewitness told police, according to the arrest warrant.

That same eyewitness said “after about an hour, the victim and [another girl] were learning on [her] because they were intoxicated.” According to the arrest warrant, Pally’s blood alcohol level was 0.25 that’s more than three times the legal limit.

Eyewitnesses told police Pally left with friends in an Uber and was dropped off in front of her dorm. But, no one said they actually saw her go inside her dorm.

Kappa Sigma recently “lost its UConn recognition and housing based on off-campus incidents in September and October,” but it was “unrelated to Jeffny’s death.” The national office for Kappa Sigma “evoked the local group’s charter.

Bhairavi Desai leads taxi workers to protest

March 2, 2017 Staff ReporterTravel 0

Taxis For All Campaign & the New York Taxi Workers Alliance held a press conference to highlight how deregulating taxi services will destroy NYC jobs and preempt wheelchair accessibility programs by flooding NYC streets with unregulated for-hire vehicles

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which has a significant number of Indian and South Asian-origin cabbies, has issued a statement supporting taxi drivers on strike against Uber’s poverty pay in Qatar and India. The NYTWA is led by Indian-American activist Bhairavi Desai.

In a message issued here, Desai said, “Rights groups are concerned that the proposed Uber legislation discriminates against people with disabilities by not mandating wheelchair-accessibility standards, hurts consumers, erodes labor rights, and will destroy full-time work for professional drivers. Although the bill does not include NYC, it includes all of its surrounding cities and counties, meaning that NYC streets will be flooded with unregulated for-hire vehicles with no wheelchair accessibility mandates, hurting both passengers and professional drivers.”

In New Delhi, thousands of Uber drivers are on strike over issues of rate cuts and what they consider Uber’s global monopoly tactic of flooding streets with vehicles making it harder for each driver to make a living.

“Our brothers in India mobilized after a fellow Uber driver committed suicide from the persistent poverty and pressure to make lease payment,” the statement from NYTWA said, adding that Uber’s only response has been to file an injunction against the drivers’ organizations for striking.

“While multi-nationals often explain away deplorable treatment by pointing out lack of labor law in countries like Qatar, the reality is, Uber does not respect labor law anywhere, whether in Doha, New Delhi or New York,” the statement said.

The NYTWA said its 19,000-members stand in solidarity with the 700 Uber drivers in Qatar who are on their fifth day of strike. “We salute your courage, your determination, your loyalty to each other, and your passion for a world that is just to workers. We understand your strike is over Uber’s low wages and that this poverty for you brings the dire risks of deportation, as you risk losing your work visas when you cannot keep up with your car leases due to low pay.”

According to the NYTWA, the Uber drivers on strike in Doha, Qatar reached out to to them for solidarity after they saw the strength of their strike against the Muslim Ban and the #DeleteUber campaign.

Founded in 1998, NYTWA is the 19,000-member strong union of NYC taxicab drivers, representing yellow cab drivers, green car, and black car drivers, including drivers for Uber and Lyft. We fight for justice, rights, respect and dignity for the over 50,000 licensed men and women who often labor 12 hour shifts with little pay and few protections in the city’s mobile sweatshop. Our members come from every community, garage, and neighborhood. To find out more visit NYTWA.org, follow us on Twitter.com/NYTWA, or like us on facebook.com/nytwa.

INOC confident of Congress Victory in Punjab

March 2, 2017 Staff ReporterPolitics 0

Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of INOC, USA met with some senior Congress Party Leaders in New Delhi to debrief on his efforts to energize the various Party candidates in their respective election bid in Punjab. As per a report from the INOC office, Gilzian spent almost two months in accompanying the party leader Capt. Amarinder Singh in some of his campaign swings throughout Punjab as well as spent considerable time to help his brother Sangat Singh Gilzian who was running from the Tanda District for an MLA seat in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections.

Mohinder Singh Gilzian visited Shri Anand Sharma, a member of the Raj Sabha followed by visits to Shri K. Raju (Chief ST/SC wing of AICC) and Shri Oscar Fernandes (AICC General Secretary). He informed them that the Congress party expectations of victory were very high and the party apparatus was very much in top gear throughout the campaign period. He was very encouraged and pleased with the great response they received from the voters who recalled the great advancement in education, employment, industries and infrastructure by Congress Party under the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh. Voters desperately wanted a change from the present regime, and they were very happy that the Congress Party offered an excellent option. The great achievements of Capt. Amarinder Singh was strong and glorious testimony as to his capability, experience and integrity in their favor. He received solid endorsements from voters that the fielded candidates had brilliant credentials.

George Abraham, Chairman and Harbachan Singh, Secretary General of INOC, USA noted that the President’s efforts were augmented by the visit of Tejinder Singh Gill Sr. Vice President who also visited Punjab in the last few days of the campaign. He too traveled to several areas of Punjab and lent his support to Congress party candidates to boost their victory. Tejinder Singh Gill stated that the voters appreciated his traveling from New York to give them confidence and reassurance that better days are yet to come under the Congress Party administration.

INOC, USA had been actively helping in all legitimate ways to support the Congress Party initiative in Punjab. The election results are scheduled to be released on March 11, 2017. The mood is indeed upbeat in the Congress Party camp.

Photo attached.

INOC, USA President with AICC spokesperson and Deputy Chairman of Foreign Affairs and MP Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, AICC Secretary Oscar Fernandez and AICC SC/ST Chief of AICC section K. Raju

Indian American Forum to honor Outstanding women at Gala

March 2, 2017 Staff ReporterWomen 0

The Indian American Forum (IAF) will honor Ranju Batra, Chair DIWALI STAMP; Kalpana Patel, CEO Unique Comp Inc; Binita Shah, MD, FAAP Distinguished Professor; and, Vandana Sharma, Regional director of AIR INDIA during the sixth annual Outstanding Women’s Achievement Gala.

This program is part of the National Women’s History Month Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, Commitment and Accomplishments. The annual Gala Banquet will be held on Friday March 24, 2017 at Antuns by Minar, 244 West Old Country Road, Hicksville, NY 11801, (516) 681 3300. The Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the Gala will be Hon. Madeline Singas, Nassau County District Attorney.

Chamber of Commerce honors H R Shah

March 2, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles, Uncategorized 0

H R Shah, Chairman and CEO of TV Asia was honored by the Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey on February 22 at Hotel Edison in Edison, N.J. Attended by nearly 100 guests, the award was given to Shah for his contributions to the community and for achievements. Shah has also been selected by the government of India to receive the 2017 Padma Shri award.

Among the guests at the event were New Jersey State Sen. Samuel Thompson and James S. Choma, chief development officer of the St. Peters Healthcare System. Also present were Piscataway Township Councilman Kapil Shah, who is also the vice-president of the Chamber and President Priti Pandya Patel, as well as members of the board of the organization.

Patel introduced Shah highlighting his achievements and mentorship of upcoming Indian-American business community and the South Asian community. He was presented a plaque for outstanding achievements and Thompson awarded him a citation praising his work and listing all the non-profit organizations Shah has founded and is a member of their advisory boards.

Shilpa Shetty to lead International Women’s Day event in New Jersey

March 2, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles, Women 0

Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty-Kundra will attend a women’s empowerment gala in the U.S. The actress earlier in the week took to Twitter, where she shared a poster of the event and also the tour dates. Shetty will be starting her tour from Feb. 26 through March 26.

“Ok America here I come… Starting with Orlando… Looking forward,” Shilpa captioned the poster. The poster also read: “Celebrating Women’s Day and creating awareness for various non-profit organizations.”

In New Jersey, she will headline the Women Empowerment Gala 2017 at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, March 5. The event is hosted by Priyanka Shah of Royal Events and Entertainment and Business NJ. The event will honor women achievers Miss New Jersey 2016 Brenna Weick, Mani Kamboj and Rashmee Sharma of Roshnee Media; Pratibha Kataria, principal owner of Allstate, N.J.; Rashmi Gupta, entrepreneur -in-residence and advisor of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Janhavi Rane, president and CEO of Rane’s Dental Group; Dr. Kavita Gupta, chair of the American India Foundation, Pennsylvania chapter; Usha Krishnakumar, senior partner, New York Life; Dr. Anju Madnani, CEO, Kaaya Med Spa; among others.

On the work front, Shetty-Kundra was last seen on the small screen judging children dance-based reality show “Super Dance” with director Anurag Basu and choreographer Geeta Kapoor. Meanwhile, the Government of India has roped in Shetty-Kundra as a Swachh Bharat brand ambassador. The 41-year-old actress will feature in television and radio campaigns aimed at discouraging people from littering on roads.

Shetty is the latest entrant in the list of the mission’s ambassadors like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and Sachin Tendulkar. Shilpa Shetty is currently in San Jose, California, with her team attending a couple of events.

“While she kicked off the NBA game in Orlando, the best part of her tour has been her visits to the Google and Facebook offices. When she went to the Google headquarters in San Jose, she was pleasantly surprised when their cafetaria gave her a menu of her film songs. They had put in a lot of effort. Shilpa was taken on a tour of Google and found it to be a city within a city. She was stunned at the kind of facilities that are offered to the employees there. Everything there is free –— from food to spa, massages, dentists and vending machines where you get from the smallest to the biggest of things. Shilpa took a yoga class with some Google employees and taught people in FB how to do the Pranayam.”

Indians shine at Oscar 2017

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

The 89th Academy Awards kicked off to a gorgeous beginning on Sunday night, February 26th. The stars looked amazing on the red carpet: From the ladies in their flowing gowns to the dapper men in their tuxedos, it doesn’t get fancier than this. The main event, where artists were honored for their stellar work in cinema in 2016.

Priyanka Chopra and Dev Patel rocked in white ensembles. Best actress nominees Emma Stone looked stunning in a fringy, golden dress. One of the most memorable moments of the night at the 89th Academy Awards was the one shared between host Jimmy Kimmel and Indian actor Sunny Pawar.

Hollywood actor Samuel Jackson was also one among many fans of Pawar. The 68-year-old actor took to Instagram to share what he thought of Pawar’s performance in “Lion.” He wrote: “This is who should have won Best Actor tonight, Sunny Pawar of Lion! Totally Killed It!”

The tearjerker family drama starring British Indian actor Dev Patel, Pawar and Nicole Kidman, went into the night with six nominations, including ‘Best Picture,’ but came back empty-handed. Many had anticipated the film to secure the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award for Nicole Kidman and the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award for Patel. The film, which is adapted from Saroo Brierley’s memoir “A Long Way Home,” and which tells the incredible true story of an adopted Indian boy who searches for his family after he was stranded at a train station as a child, and later adopted by an Australian couple, was also predicted to register a win in the “Best Adapted Screenplay’ category.

Sporting a white tuxedo, Patel, who eventually lost the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award to “Moonlight’s” Mahershala Ali, attended the ceremony with his mother, who wore a black saree with a golden border.

Priyanka Chopra has been winning a legion of fans with her fashion style. The Bollywood actress, who is not afraid to take fashion risks, zeroed in on a white gown by Ralph & Russo, which accentuated her curves, for her second appearance at the star-studded event. She complemented the form-fitting geometric gown with Lorraine Schwartz jewels and sleek, side-parted hair with minimal makeup. In our view, though she stood out at the glam event, this wasn’t her best look. But she did look stunning at the Vanity Fair after-Oscar party, which she attended in a black shimmery Michael Kors Collection gown.

IANS adds: Indian actor Om Puri, whose repertoire as an actor reflected a rare realism and was popular for films like “East Is East,” “Gandhi,” “City of Joy” and “Wolf,” was honored in the “In Memoriam” montage at the Academy Awards. Puri, who died after a heart attack in Mumbai in January earlier this year, got a musical tribute by Grammy and Tony-nominated singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles.

He was included in the annual montage along with Carrie Fisher, Prince, Gene Wilder, Michael Cimino, Patty Duke, Garry Marshall, Anton Yelchin, Mary Tyler Moore, Curtis Hanson and John Hurt. Bareilles delivered a special performance of the Joni Mitchell song, “Both sides now.” A visibly emotional actress Jennifer Aniston introduced the memoriam segment.

Puri was known for his deep baritone and different acting style, as well as craggy, pockmarked but distinctive face. He had an affinity for socially relevant cinema.

GOPIO condemns shooting on Indian Americans

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has condemned the recent shooting death of Indian American Srinivas Kuchibhotla of Kansas. GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham said that the “apparent hate crime” is vicious and GOPIO stands together with the victims’ families at their time of distress.

The 32-year-old Indian engineer Kuchibhotla, who was working in aviation systems for Olathe-based Garmin Ltd, died after he was shot by navy veteran Adam Purinton who, according to witnesses, yelled “get out of my country” and “terrorist” at a bar on the night of February 22nd, 2017 before opening fire.

Kuchibhotla’s colleague Alok Madasani, also an engineer from Hyderabad, was critically injured in the attack. Another bar patron, 24-year old Ian Grillot, who had tried to apprehend the gunman, was also injured in the shooting and reportedly put his life in risk to save the Indians.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and families shaken by the shooting in Kansas and we do not have place for senseless acts of violence in our country,’ said GOPIO President Niraj Baxi.

GOPIO news release stated that any act of violence fueled by hatred, xenophobia and prejudice cannot be tolerated. The local and federal law enforcement must investigate the shooting as a hate crime. “The FBI and other state agencies must initiate quick legal proceedings against the murderer and the incident must be treated as a hate crime,” said GOPIO Vice President Ram Gadhavi. We also want White House to issue a statement against such senseless violence against immigrants who are legally in America and contribute to the economy of our country,” said Dr. Rajeev Mehta, GOPIO’s International Coordinator for North America.

GOPIO has also urged the community to sign the petition to the White House https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/indian-engineers-target-hate-crime.GOPIO Chapters have also planned Candlelight Vigils around the US. One such vigil has been planned in Riverside, Southern California by GOPIO-Inland Empire Chapter on March 5th.

GOPIO, with its many chapters in the USA and other parts of the world, has been working for the welfare of Diaspora Indians since 1989. It has taken up issues of the Indian Diaspora and has been promoting its interest and that of Indian around the world.
Contact: GOPIO International, Tel: 203-329-8010, gopio@optonline.net.

450,000 Indians may be impacted by Trump directive

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Indian immigrants in the U.S. has spiked from about 200,000 in the 1980s to more than 2 million today, as Indian American scientists and engineers fueled the American tech boom. India received more H-1B visas in the U.S. for its temporary high-skilled workers, about 70 percent, than any other country in 2014. And it is reported that as many as half million illegal residents are of Indian origin.

These and several millions of people living in the US illegally will be affected by the Indian Americans A new set of deportation priorities announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 20 will not immediately target undocumented youth who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protection, but may affect as many as 450,000 Indian residents living in the U.S. without requisite immigration documents.

DHS Secretary John Kelly rolled out two memos that he said are in line with President Donald Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order on border security and immigration enforcement. The new directives greatly expand the definition of “criminal aliens” to include those who have entered or re-entered the U.S. illegally, committed visa fraud, received public benefits, or received a final order of removal. The memos also grant enforcement officials wide berth to determine as deportable someone who poses a risk to public safety or national security.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer clarified the memo in a Feb. 23 press briefing, noting that people who had overstayed a visa would be considered deportable. “We are a nation of laws, and we have to have a system of legal immigration that is respected,” he said. Previously, deportable criminal aliens were defined as those who had committed felony crimes.

The memos also hasten deportation procedures and allow Customs and Border Patrol to determine at the border whether an arriving alien is eligible for entry – including those who have asked for asylum – without a further hearing or review.

The directives also hasten the process of deportation for those currently awaiting a hearing on their application for asylum. At least 1,500 Indian nationals are being held at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities around the country – some for longer than two years – waiting for their asylum case to be heard.

President Barack Obama implemented the DACA initiative – also known as the DREAM Act – in 2012. More than 1.7 million undocumented youngsters are currently eligible for the program; about 750,000 are currently receiving relief from deportation, work authorization, and driver’s licenses under the provisions of the initiative.

About 17,000 Indian students are eligible for DACA, but only 3,608 have applied, according to statistics from the Migration Policy Institute. About 3,000 Indian students in California are eligible for DACA, noted the MPI.

Shortly after he was elected last year, Trump set out what immigration activists have labelled “draconian” policies for immigrants, both legal and undocumented. But in an interview with Time magazine last year, the president said he would “work something out” to help immigrants who were brought to the United States undocumented as children.

“We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud,” Trump told the magazine. He did not offer details, but said: “They got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.” Kelly’s memos make brief mention of DACA recipients, noting they are exempted from the new directives.

South Asian Americans Leading Together, a national South Asian advocacy organization, said in a press statement Feb. 22 that it “resolutely objects” to the new DHS memos. “We believe these memos further relegate South Asian and all immigrant communities to second-class citizenship, questioning our very place in the quintessential nation of immigrants,” stated Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT.

“These policies massively expand and accelerate detentions and deportations, trample upon due process by in many cases removing the requirement for hearings and convictions prior to deportation, deputize local law enforcement to serve as immigration enforcement authorities, and increase the profiling and targeting of immigrant communities already under siege in the wake of recent and controversial executive orders released by this administration,” she said.

“The scale of the president’s anti-immigrant policies is extreme, and the new administration appears hell-bent on targeting and demonizing immigrant communities through orders that actively undermine safety and public trust in law enforcement,” said the Indian American community activist. “Short-circuiting due process is not a crackdown on crime, but a crackdown on rights and our very founding values as a nation, and these measures must be opposed by all communities of color.”

As rumors swirl over President Donald Trump’s Executive Actions on immigration, there’s trepidation among some legal residents from India in the United States. A prime concern: is it okay to travel overseas? What if there are new directives from the White House while on vacation? What if the ‘American Dream’ turns into an ‘American nightmare’, like it did for even Green Card holders from the seven Muslim-majority countries who were shunned at borders, barred from getting back to their home and normal life, targeted with a Travel Ban. Made to feel like social pariahs.

Indian Embassy hosts memorial ceremony for 2 stalwarts of India-U.S. journalism

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., organized a memorial ceremony Feb. 21 to condole the passing away of two stalwarts of India-U.S. journalism – Warren Unna, former South Asia Bureau Chief of Washington Post and longtime columnist for the Statesman and T.V. Parasuram, a veteran Press Trust of India/Indian Express correspondent. Unna, 93, died Feb. 9 of congestive heart failure at a retirement community in Mitchellville, Md, while Parasuram, also 93, died at his home in Bethesda, Md., Feb. 13.

The event saw participation of the families and close friends, old India hands among the media and members of the Indian-American community, an embassy press release said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of India to the United States Navtej Sarna, highlighted the stellar contributions of Parasuram and Unna in the field of journalism and promotion of greater empathy and deeper mutual understanding between the people of India and the world. The Ambassador also drew attention to the passing away of another legendary journalist – Ambassador Sarna also paid trubute to (1961-78).

The ‘Domestic Violence Green Card’: Immigrant Visa Petitions for Victims

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterU.S. 0

If you’re the victim of domestic violence and you’re not a United States citizen or permanent resident, you may be eligible to file your own application for what is commonly called a “domestic violence green card.” Typically, green cards (permanent resident status documents) are obtained when a family member or an employer sponsors an immigrant’s application to reside in the United States on a permanent or long-term basis.

However, if you’re residing in the U.S. and suffering as a victim of domestic violence, you are able to self-petition for a green card under a provision of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). If you’re not currently residing in the U.S. but your abuser is an employee of the U.S. government or a member of the uniformed services, you can still file for your own green card if you were abused by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident while present in the United States. Finally, if you’re an illegal immigrant suffering domestic violence, you aren’t immediately eligible for the “domestic violence green card” but you can still receive protection from the government if you qualify for a special non-immigrant visa called a U visa.

The U visa doesn’t grant you automatic access to government benefits, but you’ll become eligible for consideration for benefits by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department (USCIS). For more information on the U visa, visit the USCIS website or U.S. Immigration Support.

A federal immigration form that allows some immigrant domestic violence survivors on H4 visa to apply for independent Employment Authorization Document (EAD), is being applauded by Indian-American advocacy organizations. According to activists this is the final step to activate Section 814(c) of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2005 which was intended to address this problem. It was announced on the last day of the Obama administration Jan. 19, and the Trump administration let it stand on Feb. 14 after a review.

Section 814(c) amended the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide eligibility for employment authorization to certain abused spouses of non-immigrants admitted under 15 separate immigration categories. More than 10 years later, the final rule implementing this section has finally become effective, advocates say.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued Form I-765V, “Application for Employment Authorization for Abused Nonimmigrant Spouse,” Jan. 19. The document, which is available on the USCIS website (uscis.gov/i-765v), is confidential, thus preventing the abuser from learning of the application and helping an applicant gain security and independence.

Satya Nadella unveils program helping semi-skilled poor

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles 0

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has made a strong case for using digital technologies to empower the common man and launched a slew of India-centric initiatives, including a platform to connect semi-skilled workers with employers as per reports here on February 22nd. The technology giant also launched a ‘lite’ version of its video interaction platform Skype.

“If digital technology is only the purview of the large businesses and the start-ups, I think that is not sufficient for an economy to make progress,” the Indian American executive said, speaking at a company event here. We can celebrate technology, but if it doesn’t truly empower every Indian and every Indian organization to achieve more…we would have achieved nothing,” he said.

The global giant introduced the ‘Sangam’ platform, which is based on the world’s largest professional networking site LinkedIn, also owned by the company, which will help semi-skilled workers get job opportunities.

“We now need to extend this (LinkedIn) to middle skill and low-skill (workers), (provide) vocational training for job opportunities for everyone,” he said, adding that sectors like hospitality can benefit from it.

The platform will also work on helping people gain skills for the jobs which are getting created, he said, adding that it is yet to go public and is at the “private preview” stage.

Nadella also announced a new service on LinkedIn called ‘Placements’, which will help Indian college graduates land job opportunities in a “democratic” manner as per their skill sets, while pointing out that finding the right job is a “challenge” for graduates in India.

With bandwidth being a concern in India, the company also showcased ‘lite’ versions of LinkedIn as well as Skype, its video interaction service. LinkedIn has 39 million members in India and the new ‘lite’ platform can work even at 2G speeds, he said. Nadella was quite appreciative of the progress on Aadhaar, and said that ‘India Stack’ is driving a lot of innovation at Microsoft.

India Stack is a part of the ‘Digital India’ program aimed at treating information as a utility. Instead of having a top down approach, the government has launched an open application programming interface policy.

Skype’s ‘lite’ version, which is available in nine Indian languages, also has an Aadhaar identity tool built-in that can help businesses for purposes like background checks in applications for interviews.

Nadella said there have been improvements in the lives of people in the first digital village of Harisal in the malnutrition-prone Melghat region of Maharashtra and announced intentions to scale up the digital village concept to 100 villages.

The digital village concept touches various facets including banking, payments, public distribution system, classrooms and vocational education, among others, he said, adding that the focus is on electronification.

Nadella also announced that the country’s largest lender SBI has decided to move to the Cloud and will be adopting its Office 365 solution.

University of California announces new Endowed Chair in Jain Studies

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterEducation 0

After instituting Endowment Chair in Sikh culture, the University of California is on way to create a Chair on Jainism with the active support and collaboration of the Indian community. The chair is part of a larger effort to position U.C. Davis as one of the leaders in the study of Indian religions and the interdisciplinary field of South Asia studies broadly, the university said in a news release.

U.C. Riverside’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and the Department of Religious Studies has announced the establishment of its latest endowed chair, the Shrimad Rajchandra Endowed Chair in Jain Studies on February 17th.

The chair is named after renowned Indian poet, philosopher, scholar and reformer of Jain principles Shrimad Rajchandra, who lived from 1867 until 1901. Several institutions and places throughout India use Rajchandra’s name in dedication for charitable activities. The U.C. Riverside chair is the first to bestow the Rajchandra name as a dedication outside India.

Lasy year, Harkeerat and Deepta Dhillon, an Indian-American couple donated $100,000 to the top American university to support graduate students studying Sikh and Punjabi culture there. The endowment by Harkeerat and Deepta Dhillon to University of California, Riverside, was to help attract graduate students with an interest in Sikh and Punjabi culture, and support fieldwork on Sikh communities in the United States, the univestity said in a statement.

The university requires $1 million to endow a chair. The Indian American families of Mahesh Wadher and Jasvant Modi each pledged $250,000 but have signed for $1 million, while the Jain Center of Southern California and Jain Temple of Los Angeles have agreed to help raise the remaining funds. Additionally, the family of Vijay Chheda has pledged $100,000 towards reaching the $1 million threshold.

Meanwhile, Mohini Jain, an Indian American philanthropist, retired teacher and longtime resident of Davis, Calif., made a $1.5 million donation to U.C. Davis on February 21^st to advance the study of Jainism. As part of the gift, the university will establish the Mohini Jain Presidential Chair for Jain Studies in the Department of Religious Studies.

“Jainism is a very ancient and important religion and philosophy that champions truth, nonviolence and a multiplicity of viewpoints,” said Jain in a statement. “In our multicultural, global world, it is important to escape boxed-in points of view. I am hopeful the impact of the chair at U.C. Davis will be a broadening of minds and a renewed focus on dialogue and peace.”

Jain was a research scientist at U.C. Davis in the 1980s and then served as a high school science teacher for 19 years, retiring in 2008. For decades, she has made giving to U.C. Davis a priority, the university said.

The presidential chair will be awarded to a scholar with a well-established record for creative, exceptional and interdisciplinary research on Jainism, the university said.

As a member of the religious studies department, the holder of the chair will help develop curriculum in Jain studies, offer graduate courses in Jainism, pursue a vigorous research agenda, give public lectures, and contribute to the development of a religions of India and South Asia studies initiative at U.C. Davis by participating in community outreach, it said.

“This gift will further diversify and strengthen our expertise in world religions and is another step toward U.C. Davis serving as a leader in India religions and Asia studies globally,” said Archana Venkatesan, chair of the religious studies department and associate professor of religious studies and comparative literature, in a statement.

The Chair will be focused on Jain religious principles with the chair expected to teach classes in Jain studies. “To teach Jain religion, principles, culture, etc., to undergraduate students,” Dr. Nitin Shah, past-president of JCSC, told India-West when asked about the goals of the chair. Shah is also chair of the External Education Committee at JCSC, professor of anesthesiology at Loma Linda University and chief of surgical ICU at Long Beach VA Healthcare System.

Maha Shivarathri celebration energizes the city with chants and prayer at Hanuman Mandir

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Chicago, IL: Maha Shivarathri celebrations at Hanuman Mandir filled Chicagoland with divinity on February 24, 2017. The temple located at 3623 West Lake Avenue, Glenview, IL 60026 organized a beautiful Maha Shivarathri program under the guidance of Dr Khurana, where about 5,000 devotees enjoyed this Utsav.

The temple was decorated with fruits. Bhasam Alankar was performed and over 3000 devotees (men, women, & children) offered milk to Lord Shiva. The youngest child who performed this was 1&1/2 years old. This was witnessed by many devotees present at the ceremony and was applauded by everyone present.

Maha Shivaratri symbolizes “the great night of Shiva.” There is a legend about the fight between Vishnu and Brahma about who is the greatest in the universe. Then Shiva manifested himself as a huge column of light without beginning nor ending. Vishnu and Brahma gave up their fight and recognized Shiva as the One. This manifestation of Shiva as an infinite light lingam took place on the day of Maha Shivaratri and from there this day has acquired its special significance.

This day fills our planet with incredible spiritual energy enabling many of us to easily experience oneness through meditation and connect with our own self. This palpable energy helps us purify our mind by helping us get rid of unwanted thoughts bringing peace to one’s mind. The repetition of the powerful Mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” benefits mind, body and soul.

Reghu Nair, Onni Nair, Raj Nair, Reji Nair, Jayraj Narayan, Mahesh Nair, Deepak Nair, Nitya Nair, Ashok Kumar from Omkaram Bhajans group Chanted Shiv Stotram

Asian Media Editor, Prachi Jaitly talked to devotees about their experiences. She asked kids about what they think about auspicious day and received some amazing response from them Kids related the Holy day with world peace and bringing community together. Per ancient scriptures, Lingam is the shape through which Lord Shiva is worshipped.

The temple gave the opportunity to each devotee to offer milk to Lord Shiva the whole day. The program, started with Maha Sankalp followed by Ganapathi and Kumbh Puja. The chanting of prayers was followed by various Bhajans that kept the atmosphere thrilled with spirituality. The devotees were provided with the holy Prasad. The celebration concluded with Abhishek, Aarti and melodious Bhajans. At 12 midnight, Maha Arti was performed and devotees received Prasad and blessings from Lord Shiva.

April 26, 2014 marked the historic day for the Hanuman Mandir of Greater Chicago, Glenview, IL, as a large number of devotees thronged to participate in the much awaited holy ceremony of Bhoomi Poojan (ground-breaking) for the upcoming Mandir. This Hanuman Ji is 22.5’ tall carved from 25’ one piece of best marble of Jaipur Curi. This unique art Dviva Shareera (double body) is exactly the same on both sides which makes it one of a kind in the whole world. Murti arrived in Chicago in July 2014 and was worshipped by his beloved devotee’s everyday with all love and devotion for 6 months while Hanuman Ji was resting in its original metal container.

On December 12, 2014, the Sthapna procedure was done & devotees did Darshan. Finally, the day came and Mandir was opened and Pranpratishtha of 13 idols including original Namadashivalinga was done on the 15th, 16th, & 17th of April 2016 with the help of 7 priests and 5000 devotees. From April 17th to December 31st 2016, all religious events were performed at the temple. Many high profile saints visited and blessed the temple and the devotees. New Year of 2017 was celebrated by thousands of devotees.

Hindus seek apology as Amazon sells Lord Hanuman underwear

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Upset Hindus are urging online retailer Amazon.com for the immediate withdrawal of men’s underwear, doormat and sweatpants carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Hanuman, besides a Hanuman cloth doll; calling these highly inappropriate. Hanuman men’s underwear, made from satin cloth, sells for $49.62 at Amazon.com.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that Lord Hanuman was greatly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to wear on your hip/crotch or legs or put your feet on or touch with your feet or to be randomly thrown around (in case of a cloth doll). Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the faithful.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Amazon.com President Jeffrey P. Bezos to offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing these products, as this was not the first time for the company to offer such products which were deemed offensive by Hindu devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed indicated.

Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

Amazon.com, Inc., a Fortune 500 company founded in 1994, and headquartered in Seattle (USA), claims to offer earth’s biggest selection.

INOC, USA condemns senseless killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian Techie.

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

“Any Senseless killing is deplorable and has no place in a civilized society”, said George Abraham, Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA, “we strongly condemn this heinous act against an innocent victim and call upon the authorities to prevent any copycat action” he added. Mr. Abraham was referring to the recent shooting death of an Indian techie in Olathe, Kansas for no apparent reason other than bigotry and racism. INOC, USA, a secular organization dedicated to promoting democracy, human rights and pluralism believes that communal and racist remarks must be avoided in order not to spark any disruption of peaceful co-existence amongst the various communities in the USA.

Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of INOC, USA sympathized with the family and offered condolences to the grieved friends and relatives and appealed that assistance is given to Ms. Sunayana Dumla, the widow of the deceased victim.

Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General of INOC, USA condemned the merciless killing and stressed the critical importance of calm and cool heads to prevail especially now when the world was experiencing some difficult moments, and any harm befalling on victims especially based on racial bias or divide must be strenuously avoided. It is incumbent on all, especially leaders, to refrain from any act or utterance which could lead to irrational and irresponsible acts of disturbance in the diverse communities we live in. As it is, building cohesiveness and mutual trust is already a challenging process between the various peoples and that harm directed against any one community is harm inflicted on all the communities. While it is paramount that the perpetrator be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for this vicious crime, it is equally important that leaders and enforcement authorities take steps to restore confidence and reassurance in the community since many feel that the climate of hostility towards foreigners in U.S. is beginning to erode their sense of security.

Harbachan Singh applauded the community at large for raising funds and rallying around the bereaved families and holding their hand at this hour of grief. The support of the Indian government is also very much appreciated.

Graphic India launches new Baahubali story for fans

March 1, 2017 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

Graphic India, Arka Mediaworks and acclaimed filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, announced the release of, “Baahubali: Battle Of The Bold,” an exclusive new digital comic available for FREE this week, only on the Graphic Pop app available in Google Play for all Android devices.

The Graphic Pop app is currently being featured on Google Play and available at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.graphicpop.reader.asia&hl=en

“Graphic India has been the leading force in original comics and animation for India. I am thrilled to be working with them to finally bring our fans this untold story of Baahubali which will reveal new insights about the characters from the film in a story about an epic tournament that shaped Prince Baahubali’s life early on,” said acclaimed filmmaker and Baahubali creator, S.S. Rajamouli.

Baahubali : Battle Of The Bold, takes place years before the events of the film, this never before seen story showcases a younger Baahubali and Bhallaladeva taking part in an epic and deadly tournament of champions, competing against fearsome warriors from around the world. At stake is the honor of Sivagami and the kingdom of Mahishmati. The price for failure? Death! The comic book adventure is an essential new piece to the Baahubali story and a must read for all fans of the film.

“Baahubali has redefined Indian cinema and created a world that transcends the movie screen and can embrace its fans with experiences across comics, animation and games,” added Graphic India Co-Founder & CEO, Sharad Devarajan. “As a gift to all the fans of the film, this new Baahubali adventure is available for free to everyone this week through the Graphic POP app on Google Play.”

“We are excited to continue to expand our partnership with Graphic India to release this new Baahubali digital comic experience.” Commented Shobu Yarlagadda, CEO of Arka Mediaworks, “The quality of this first Baahubali graphic novel captures the high visual art and storytelling that we are sure will appeal to both the fans of the film as well as to comic book readers across the country.”

In addition to the new comics, Graphic and Arka are also working on a larger animated series event, entitled, “Baahubali: The Lost Legends,” which is in production and was recently announced in partnership with Amazon Prime Video.

As India’s leading comic creator, the Graphic POP! app also features numerous other Graphic India comics available for FREE including, CHAKRA THE INVINCIBLE; 18 DAYS; DEVI, SHADOW TIGER, MYTHS OF INDIA, THE MIGHTY YETI and many more, with new FREE comics added every week, available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

“Baahubali”, India’s most expensive film, is Arka’s most ambitious project till date. A two-part film, Part I – “Baahubali: The Beginning” released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam simultaneously in 5000 plus screens world-wide and collecting over Rs 600 crores at the Box Office.

Indian Business Association hosts ‘Know Your Rights’ seminar

February 24, 2017 Staff ReporterBusiness 0

With the new Trump administration’s policies of targeting immigrants in various ways, the Indian Business Association (IBA) Legal Policy Group organized a non-political and educational seminar on Know Your Rights at the TV Asia Studios in Edison, New Jersey on February 8th.

Attended by over 200 people, the event was organized in coordination with the Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey and the Middlesex County Chief of Detectives, Gerard McAleer, who discussed community policing efforts. The county prosecutor also reiterated the important relationship between immigrant/minority communities and local law enforcement. Chief McAleer discussed the efforts of local law enforcement in Middlesex County to recruit South Asian American and other minority candidates.

Following the county prosecutor’s presentation, a distinguished panel of lawyers, including Ehsan Chowdhry, Kunal Shah, Asma Warsi, and Punita Amin discussed the law and the rights of individuals. The IBA Legal Panel was moderated by attorney Bhaveen Jani. The event was supported by the New Jersey South Asian Bar Association and the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association.

Issues covered by the IBA Legal Panel included the processing of visa applications, rights of individuals interviewed by ICE, and the deportation process. The panelists also discussed the ramifications of recent Executive Orders. The IBA Legal Panel also fielded dozens of questions from the audience.

This is the latest in a series of seminars hosted by the Indian Business Association. Past topics have included teenage drug use, the Affordable Care Act, neighborhood security, and economic opportunities for businesses in Newark.

Hiral Patel pleads guilty to obstructing justice in H-1B visa fraud investigation

February 24, 2017 Staff ReporterCommunity 0

NEW YORK: Hiral Patel,an Indian American human resources manager for two information technology companies in New Jersey, Hiral Patel, 34, has pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain H-1B visas.

Patel, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to obstruct justice, , U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

A human resources manager of two IT firms — one of them based in Jersey City — admitted Tuesday that she obstructed a federal investigation into visa fraud involving foreign workers hired by the company.

That sponsorship involved assuring the government the workers had full-time positions and annual salaries, according to prosecutors. Instead, authorities say, the workers were only paid when the companies contracted them out to an unspecified third-party client.

Workers who weren’t placed with the client were required to pay the companies what would have been their gross wages, so the companies could re-disburse the funds through payroll as “proof” for the government that the workers were employed full-time.

The U.S. Department of Labor later launched an audit of the companies, during which time Patel helped prepare fake leave slips for employees who weren’t working, as required by law, she admitted in court.

Both MMC Systems, based in Virginia, and SCM Data, of Jersey City, are part-owned by Sowrabh Sharma, of New York, who was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in September 2016 with conspiring to commit visa fraud and to obstruct justice, and “conspiring to harbor aliens.” Patel faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Her sentencing has been scheduled for June 1.

Indian IT Industry faces challenges of Trump, Automation: Media reports say

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterBusiness 0

Automation and the new U.S. administration were the big unknowns at the Indian tech sector’s annual shindig this week, with machines threatening to take away thousands of jobs and concerns over possible visa rule changes in the key American market, a report by REUTERS stated.

In a New York Times story last week, it was reported that senior executives from the $150 billion industry, which rose to prominence at the turn of the century by helping Western firms solve the “Y2K” bug, said companies with skilled English-speaking staff and low costs could not be written off yet.

The sector, led by Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Wipro Ltd, is lobbying hard as the new U.S. administration under President Donald Trump considers putting in place visa restrictions.

The administration may also raise salaries paid to H1-B visa holders, a move that could significantly increase costs for IT companies that are already facing pressure on margins, the REUTERS report stated.

The longer-term challenge and opportunity for the sector was automation, executives said, as global corporations from plane-makers to consumer firms bet on the use of machines to further cut costs and boost efficiency. That threatens lower-end software services and outsourcing jobs in a sector which employs more than 3.5 million people.

Summing up the mood at the three-day NASSCOM leadership event in Mumbai ending on Friday, Malcolm Frank, Chief Strategy Officer at Cognizant which has most of its operations in India, spoke of “fear and optimism.” Even top IT executives were “fearing the machines”, he said.

According to REUTERS, some Indian executives, including Infosys’ Chief Operating Officer Pravin Rao, said that greater automation was expected to help engineers and developers shed repetitive jobs for more creative roles.

“Some part of the work we’ll be automating 100 percent, you don’t require people to do that kind of work,” Rao was quoted to have told Reuters. “But there are always newer things, where we will be able to re-purpose employees who are released from those areas.”

Meanwhile, with rapidly changing technology, Indian IT firms are emphasizing the need for retraining their workforce, in many cases setting up experience centers and learning zones on their sprawling campuses.

Some companies are partnering with universities to design and fund education programs, while staff members spoke of employers laying on training and webinars to help develop skills in automation and cloud computing.

“The threat from automation killing jobs is more than Trump’s anticipated visa rule changes,” a general manager-level employee at a top Indian IT firm said.

NASSCOM chairman and Tech Mahindra CEO C.P. Gurnani said technology would create new roles where “man will manage machines,” even if a fourth of Indian IT jobs were to be replaced by machines over the next four years.

Hiring patterns may also change, with unconventional, high-value graduates likely to be more attractive, to the possible detriment of hiring from India’s engineering colleges.

Infosys, which traditionally recruited only engineering graduates, is considering hiring people educated in liberal arts to add creative skills to its workforce, COO Rao said.

In a first, NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), the leading Indian IT lobby group, delayed its initial growth forecast for fiscal 2017/18, citing market uncertainty.

NASSCOM officials said it had deferred its predictions by three months to give it time to gauge policy announcements in the United States which could make immigration rules tougher.

“A certain level of … uncertainty will continue over the medium-term,” said NASSCOM President R. Chandrashekhar. “And businesses therefore have to take essential decisions on new technology in the face of a certain degree of uncertainty.”

Air India to launch nonstop service between Washington and Delhi in July

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterTravel 0

In a welcome development enhancing connectivity, Air India, India’s premier carrier has announced that it will operate direct flights thrice a week from Washington to Delhi, beginning this summer in July this year.

With this new plan, India’s state-owned national carrier will be the only airline offering nonstop service, on its Boeing 777 aircraft, linking the capitals of the world’s largest and oldest democracy. And quite expeditiously given the distance — duration of the flight is about 14 hours.

As per reports, the national capital region is all set to become Air India’s fifth US destination, following New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco. Addressing an event to announce the new route, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe noted that Air India’s ‘capital connection’ will benefit the Washington metropolitan region (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) by bringing an estimated 30,000 people from India, generating about 30 million dollars in revenue, fostering educational opportunities, and reuniting families.

In 2015, the capital area received 122,000 visitors from India, a 25 percent increase from the previous year, making India the fourth largest overseas market. By 2020, arrivals from India are estimated to increase by 7 percent and by 2025, they are projected to double.

“We committed 1.25 million dollars to this project for Air India because we understand that tourism is such an important revenue generator”, McAuliffe said. “Tourists who will now come here from India will help strengthen our communities, make us stronger”.

The event was held at the Washington Dulles International Airport which is situated in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, Virginia, approximately 26 miles west of downtown Washington, and serves the entire national capital area and beyond. A few days before, McAuliffe had come to the airport to support those protesting President Trump’s executive order which bans travel for people from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

Heralding Air India’s new service, McAuliffe said, “Today, is an exciting time for us. Instead of putting walls up around our country, we are taking barriers down and building a bridge which is 7,480 miles, opening up new opportunities to link the Commonwealth of Virginia to the great country of India”. The Democratic Governor underscored, “We are open and welcoming to everyone. We do not discriminate here in the Commonwealth of Virginia”, he said, to applause.

Pankaj Srivastava, Director of Commercial at Air India Limited, focused on the expansion of the airline on the global circuit mentioning that in the last three years it has added eleven international destinations, and Washington will be the twelfth. “The turnaround has been tremendous”, he said, predicting that with the addition of the new route, it will be even faster. “We would be part of the success story of Virginia”, he affirmed.

Jack Potter, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), enthused, “We are very excited about this announcement. We serve thirty capitals around the world and we are looking forward this summer to adding another one”, he said. Cognizant of the reciprocity, Potter mentioned that people in India are “super excited” about the opportunity to travel to the Washington metropolitan area.

To Srivastava and the Air India representatives on hand at the event, he said, “We are honored that you chose to come to Dulles. We know you are going to grow here because this population is looking forward to the direct service to India and the many connections you will offer once you get to Dulles”.

It is noteworthy that when Governor McAuliffe led a large trade and marketing mission to India in November 2015, he was accompanied by Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade, and they both underscored the importance of Delhi to the Washington capital area. It was there that they met with executives of Air India who agreed on a new route to Dulles Airport.

Haymore spoke about economic development in Virginia and the role of tourism which is the state’s second largest private sector industry. Noting that tourism generates about 23 billion dollars in annual revenue, 1.6 billion dollars in taxes, and accounts for 223,000 jobs across the Commonwealth, he believed Air India’s capital connection “is going to enhance those numbers even further”.

President Trump’s travel ban is seen as having a detrimental impact on tourism and Governor McAuliffe didn’t mince any words when it came to denouncing the executive order on immigration. “It’s unconstitutional. He needs to rescind his order”, he said, emphatically. “It violates our First and Fifth Amendments, the establishment clause, due process clause, and equal protection clause”. Virginia has joined a federal lawsuit against the president and members of his administration for the “unlawful order”.

Noting that “India is a country with over a billion people which will have the largest Muslim population in the world by 2050″, the Governor said, “We don’t want to send any message to anybody” which is contrary to the values of being open and welcoming.

“We are a beacon of democracy for the globe”, he emphasized. “This is the land of immigrants unless you are native American. You came from somewhere”.

Referring to the early immigrants who came on ships to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, he said, “They were not turned back from the water’s edge. They were welcomed in what is now the United States of America. We are going to foster that as we go forward”, he pledged.

Indian American designers impress audience at New York Fashion Week

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterFashion 0

Indian American designers made a distinct impression and impressed the audiences at New York Fashion Week with plenty of glitz and glamor starting on February 1th. Prominent among them was the Indian American and Chicago-based fashion designer Mac Duggal, who had made his New York Fashion Week debut this year, among the items featured this year from his highly-acclaimed ‘Fabulouss!’ line were a prom collection for plus-sized teens, who often go unrepresented in the fashion industry.

Duggal’s line has become the gold standard in plus size clothing for those seeking a full-figured option. His enthusiasm for women’s fashion was originally conceived from merging the colorfully rich designs of India’s royal history and opulent traditions. His early creations have stamped his legacy as a force to be reckoned with in the world of prom dresses and apparel.

Mac Duggal’s enthusiasm for women’s couture fashion began with the merging of the vibrant designs of his homeland’s royal history and opulent traditions with a sophisticated and contemporary design aesthetic.
Arriving in the United States in 1983 at the age of 23, Duggal began his road to success with his first collection, “Creative Creations,” a line of dazzling gowns blending Indian beauty and elegance with Western styling.
Expanding his collection to 12 distinct social occasion lines, the Mac Duggal brand has transformed into a highly sought after label courted by A list celebrities including Shakira, Carrie Underwood, Gwenyth Paltrow, Khloe Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton and many more.
As Khan’s final design made its way down the runway Feb. 14 — a grand, glistening, golden bridal gown, with a gold floral crown and a cascading veil with a black-and-gold train — the soundtrack played Maya Angelou reading her poem, “Human Family.”
“The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight, brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white,” the poem reads in part. It closes by saying, three times: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”
Actress Sara Jessica Parker was seen sitting in the front row for Duggal’s show, and was seen standing and cheering, as well.

Designer Naeem Khan’s gowns have become a favorite of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Raised in Mumbai, Khan’s vast knowledge of textiles was influenced by his father and grandfather, both of whom designed clothing for India’s royal families. Khan started his own line in 2003 and has dressed other well-known names, including Beyonce, Kate Middleton, and Taylor Swift.

“My family has been in the fashion business for over one hundred years in India, so it has always been a part of my life,” he said. “I have brought the tradition and craftsmanship of my heritage to very classic and sleek shapes, and I think that is what sets me apart,” he said.

IANS reports that Indian American designer Premal Badiani also showcased her latest collection, titled “Root Cause,” at the New York Fashion Week and her inspiration was to “bring awareness of the human impact on the environment.”
“The inspiration behind this collection is to bring awareness of the human impact on the environment and to promote social responsibility by adopting sustainable fashion as a lifestyle choice,” she said in a statement.
“The primary fabric used that is made from natural cellulosic fibers and produced from wood pulp, a natural renewable resource. This highlights the brand’s philosophy of environmental awareness that believes caring about the planet is not a seasonal choice but needs to be done all year round. Through this collection, the brand wants to promote sustainable fashion in the luxury market,” added Badiani.

Most religious groups in USA rate Hindus fairly warmly, according to “polling and analysis” posted by Washington DC headquartered Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank, on February 15.
Asked to rate a variety of groups on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100, Americans’ feelings toward Hindus have shifted from relatively neutral place of 50 in 2014 on the thermometer to somewhat warmer rating of 58.
Americans aged 18-29 put the Hindus at 64 on the thermometer, which is higher than Jews, Atheists, Evangelical Christians, Mainline Protestants, Muslims and Mormons. Jews gave Hindus a thermometer rating of 70, which is highest given to Hindus by any religious group.
Hindus were rated at 70 by those who had personal connections with someone in the Hindu community, as compared to 54 given by those who had no such connection.
But only 22% of Americans say they personally know a Hindu. These were among the findings of a new Pew Research Center survey of 4,248 adults conducted between January nine to 23 on the Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel.
Meanwhile Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, congratulating the American Hindu community on climbing higher on the warmth scale; urged them to continue with the traditional values of hard work, higher morals, stress on education, sanctity of marriage, etc.; amidst so many distractions.
Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, advised Hindus to focus on inner search, stay pure, explore the vast wisdom of scriptures, make spirituality more attractive to youth and children, stay away from the greed, and always keep God in the life.

Record 27 US lawmakers to visit India this month

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Washington may be wracked by internecine political battles, but when it comes to India, love is in the air. A record number of 27 US lawmakers will visit India this month in two separate delegations, it was announced at a Congressional reception on Tuesday, reflecting one of the rare bipartisan mandates in a fractious town – support for stronger ties with New Delhi.

One delegation of 19 lawmakers will visit New Delhi and Hyderabad from February 20 to 25 to discuss US-India strategic ties under the aegis of Aspen Institute. Another CoDel (Congressional Delegation) of eight members will visit New Delhi and Bangalore from February 20 to 23. Together they will constitution the arguably the largest group of US lawmakers to visit any country at one time.

There have been previous such large visits to India, most notably in 2013 when 21 lawmakers visited for an Aspen Congressional program to examine policy challenges for US in South Asia. But the fact that this is happening at time Washington is riven with rancorous partisanship in the early weeks of the Trump administration is not lost on anyone, least of all the lawmakers themselves.

At a Capitol Hill reception “to celebrate India’s engagement with the 115th US Congress,” Steny Hoyer, the House Democratic Whip, spoke of the bipartisan support for the India relationship and emphasized cooperation on security issues between the two countries, while Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher zoned in on the importance of addressing the threat arising from extremist radical terrorism.

Others, such as Texas’s Pete Olsen had business opportunities (particularly energy exports from his home turf of Houston) on the mind. But the overwhelming sentiment was one of goodwill towards a fellow democracy with a large market.

The Congressional sorties are also seen as an important building block leading up to a visit to US later this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Instead of rushing to Washington DC as leaders of many US allies and friends have done (leaders of Britain, Japan, Israel among them), New Delhi clearly prefers a slower, more deliberative process involving a wider canvas, backed by grassroots and legislative support.

“The visit would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement,” Navtej Sarna, India’s new ambassador to the US who came to Washington just days before the November 8 election, told the gathering.

Sarna has had a brief meeting with President Trump at a reception for foreign ambassadors, even as Indian officials have quietly begun connecting with their US counterparts as the new administration begins filling in posts vacated by previous Obama appointees. The Trump administration has appointed Brig. Robin Fontes, till recently the Defence Attache at the US embassy in New Delhi (and the first female attache at that) as the new new Senior Director for the South Asia region at the National Security Council.

Importantly, the CoDel visit also comes at a time the Hill has a record five lawmakers of Indian-origin, a fact that Congressman Ami Bera, Democratic Chair of the House India Caucus said is a testimony to the remarkable strides that the Indian-American community has made and the growing closeness between the two countries that is based on shared values.

INOC, USA expresses serious concern over USCIRF report on India’s deteriorating religious freedom

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Indian National Overseas Congress, USA expressed serious concern over the recently issued annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a powerful freedom body that exercises considerable influence on the US Senate and Administration, which cited that religious tolerance has deteriorated and religious freedom violations have increased in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime. “It is unfortunate that the last two years have witnessed a steady deterioration of religious freedom and human rights in India especially that of the minorities and the current administration cannot shirk their responsibility in that regard,” said George Abraham, Chairman of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA.

According to the recently released report, India faces serious challenges to both its pluralistic traditions and its religious minorities. “Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Jains generally are fearful of what the future portends. Dalits also are increasingly being attacked and harassed”.

It further urged the Indian government to immediately lift its sanctions against non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are working for the welfare of the minorities in India. It also pointed out that FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) is increasingly being used as a tool to shut down foreign-funded minority NGOs.

In an unusually sharp criticism of the Modi Administration, the USCIRF wants the US administration to identify and act against “Hindutva groups that raise funds from US citizens and support hate campaigns in India”, adding “such groups should be banned from operating in the US if they are found to spread hatred against religious minorities in India.”

INOC, USA urges the growing Indian community in the United States to refrain from funding these organizations that promote hatred and bigotry against the minorities in India. More than ever, as minorities in the United States, it is incumbent upon us to uphold the democratic and pluralistic values that are a hallmark of this country and it is in our own ‘vested interests’ to see that those values preserved and protected.

Justin Bieber to perform in India in May

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

Grammy Award winner and global pop sensation Justin Bieber will make his way to India with his Purpose World Tour in May this year, media reports here say. The 22-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter will perform hits like “Where Are Ace Now”, “Boyfriend”, “Love Yourself”, “Company”, “As Long As You Love Me”, “What Do You Mean?”, “Baby” and “Purpose”, at the DY Patil Stadium here on May 10.

“Justin Bieber is the biggest artiste of our time and attracts a universal fan base across all ages. This tour is one of the most successful in the world at the moment and will further enhance India’s current cultural repertoire,” Arjun Jain, Director, White Fox India, the sole promoters of the tour, said in a statement.

The organizers are working towards making it one of the biggest live music act witnessed in recent times in India. “Justin Bieber will be bringing an extraordinarily epic show propelled by state of the art production and of a magnitude that the country has not witnessed in recent times. There are few artistes who warrant such a dedicated fan base as Justin Bieber,” Jain said.

“He enjoys over 80 per cent dedicated fan following in India and we envisage one of the biggest live events of the year,” Jain added. The negotiations for bringing the Purpose Tour to India were on for six months.

“We are expecting a full house on May 10… This tour will place India on the global map and open up avenues for other artistes of the similar stature who may want to consider India as part of their touring roster,” Jain said. Bieber’s latest jaunt is in support of his fourth album “Purpose”, wherein he has experimented with more exploratory electronic sounds.

Sidd Bikkannavar, NASA scientist detained at US border

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Sidd Bikkannavar, a U.S.-born Indian American NASA scientist was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials and was not permitted to enter the country unless he unlocked his PIN-protected work phone. Sidd Bikkannavar, who works in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was detained Jan. 30 upon returning to the U.S. from Santiago, Chile, the Verge reported.

Bikkannavar said he was pressured to give the CBP agents his phone and access PIN. Since the phone was issued by NASA, it may have contained sensitive material that wasn’t supposed to be shared. Bikkannavar’s phone was returned to him after it was searched by CBP, but he doesn’t know exactly what information officials might have taken from the device.

Seemingly, Bikkannavar’s reentry into the country should not have raised any flags. Not only is he a natural-born US citizen, but he’s also enrolled in Global Entry — a program through CBP that allows individuals who have undergone background checks to have expedited entry into the country. He hasn’t visited the countries listed in the immigration ban and he has worked at JPL — a major center at a US federal agency — for 10 years. There, he works on “wavefront sensing and control,” a type of optics technology that will be used on the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.

“CBP officers seized my phone and wouldn’t release me until I gave them my access PIN for them to copy the data. I initially refused since it’s a JPL-issued phone and I must protect access.” He added, “Just to be clear — I’m a U.S.-born citizen and NASA engineer, traveling with a valid U.S. visa.”

Bikkannavar was yet to receive an explanation for why he was stopped at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. “I don’t know what to think about this,” Bikkannavar recently told The Verge in aphone call. “…I was caught a little off guard by the whole thing.”

Rep. Ami Bera is new top Democrat on House space subcommittee

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterProfiles 0

House Democrats have named Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) as the new ranking member of the space subcommittee as they finalized the roster of members who will serve on that subcommittee.

The Indian American third-term Congressman Ami Bera, D-California, has been appointed ranking member of the space subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He succeeds Donna Edwards, a Maryland Democrat who previously had served as the top Democrat on the subcommittee. Edwards chose not to run for reelection to the House in 2016, unsuccessfully running for the Senate instead.

“As a kid who grew up during the height of the space race dreaming of what lay beyond us, it’s an honor to be selected to serve as the ranking member for the subcommittee on space,” Bera, 51, said in a Feb. 14 statement about his selection as subcommittee ranking member. His district, which covers part of the Sacramento area, includes a major Aerojet Rocketdyne facility.

House Democrats announced the new appointments to the various subcommittees, Feb. 14. This is the first subcommittee on which Bera has been made the top Democrat. He is also among the Democratic members of the Research & Technology Subcommittee of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Bera was also named vice ranking member of the full House Committee on Foreign Affairs, a new deputy position, a significant step-up from being a member of the committee since he came into office.

Bera’s District 7, covers Sacramento County that includes a major space technology company, Aerojet Rocketdyne in Rancho Cordova, apart from other space research facilities around the state. The Space Subcommittee is led by Republican Rep. Brian Babin of Texas whose district houses the NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Chicago celebrates romantic musical Valentine’s evening organized by Payal Shah

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

By Asian Media USA ©

Chicago IL: One of the very successful female promoters of Chicagoland, Payal Shah organized a romantic evening “Love Ke liye Kuch Bhi Karega” on February 17,2017 at Ashton Place, 75th Street, Willowbrook, IL. The party was full of class, dance and romance. The theme of the party was Bollywood and the guests showed up dressed up as their favorite Bollywood stars. The party hall looked stunning with beautiful floral and lighting effects. Amit Desai and Bharti Desai and many more helped with registrations at the ticket counter and were appreciated for their help by Payal Shah.

Yeh Cheez Party Planning did a phenomenal job with the decoration. Payal and her team kept props and extra accessories for the guests to add filmy fun to the pictures in front of the stunning black and red rose backdrop. The tables had a nice black and red theme, the stage looked beautiful with red and black stars and red hearts on black plain fabric. The venue was lit with red led lights. The Dj had a five-screen setup that displayed the live feed as the event was going on. All in all, the venue and stage looked grand and mesmerizing.

The couples competed for the title of best Bollywood Style Outfit to win some amazing prizes. Starting with “Gift Cards to your favorite restaurant or boutique” to a “Paid Cruise to Bahama for a Couple”. Watching these couples walking on the red carpet and dancing on the dance floor on the song of their choice was something new, creative and fun. The event was emceed by Noman Khan and Mohan Rawat, along with the beautiful, Prabh Khaira. Their comic timing was impeccable and kept the audience on their toes throughout the evening. All the singers like Anil Shah and Saarang Sane did a great job and sang some beautiful romantic numbers.

The food had a lot of variety and it was super delicious. Guests had many vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The food was catered by one of the finest restaurants of Chicago, Shree Restaurant. No event is complete without its sponsors, even this event had a list of elite sponsors, such as Sahil, Shree Restaurant, Suga Builders, World’s Money Exchange, Xchange Tax & Accounting, New York Life, LIVE 2 U, Atlantic Travels, Raj Jewels, Bombay Styles, Insurance World, Saris and Things, Yeh Cheez, Shreeji Builders, New Life Medical Center, Adbhut, Hi India, Dvdj Sohbash and Lake Street Dental.

The grand finale dance performance by Yeh Cheez Dance Group gave the perfect closing to the evening. The group performed on some famous romantic Bollywood numbers, such as “Zoobie Doobie”, “Chura Ke Dil Mera”, “Tumse Milke Dil Ka”, “Nashe Si Chadgayi” “Meri Mehbooba”, “Hamma Hamma” and “Woh Ladki Hain Kahan” and created magic on the dance floor. It was a very elegant and very synchronize performance.

Payal Shah’s Valentine’s Day set the standards of Valentine’s Day Parties high. It was a packed house. Every known face of the community was present at this event and went home with a big smile. The event was a grand success and elicited an outpouring of appreciation from the attendees. The guests said that they are eagerly looking forward to Payal Shah’s next event.

Shekar Narasimhan, Maulik Pancholy AAPIs members resigns in protest of Trump’s policies

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Shekar Narasimhan and Maulik Pancholy are among the members of the President Donald Trump’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who have announced to resign from the job in an open letter to the president that they have resigned from their posts.

Other commissioners who have resigned included Nina Ahmad, Lian Cheun, Diane Narasaki, Bo Thao-Urabe and Paul Watanabe from January, as well as Tung T. Nguyen, Mary Okada, Michael Byun, Kathy Ko Chin, Jacob Fitisemanu Jr., Daphne Kwok, Dee Jay Mailer, Linda Phan and Sanjita Pradhan. The reason behind the resignation was the president’s policies that have “adversely affected Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” the outgoing commission wrote.

“February 19, 2017, will be the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 which led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II,” Pancholy said in a statement. “Protecting civil rights and fighting against bullying were pillars of our commission’s work. We cannot serve under an administration that seeks to exclude members of our society or take away their rights, especially the Muslim community, which is very much part of our AAPI community.”

The letter, addressed to Trump, stated that, following not receiving a response to a letter sent Jan. 13, “Although the commissioners’ term ends (Sept. 30, 2017), we can no longer serve a president whose policies aim to create outcomes that are diametrically opposite to our principles, goals and charge.”

The commissioners said that under previous administrations — namely Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — the charge to commissioners has been to help the federal government better serve AAPIs by engaging our communities, identifying needs and priorities, and increasing access to the government.

“The commissioners have engaged with AAPIs throughout our country, from all walks of life, and across the political spectrum,” they continued. “Since your inauguration, the executive orders you have issued and policies you promulgated have greatly impeded the ability of the federal government to serve all who live here.”

The letter concluded, “AAPIs are an integral part of the mosaic of our great country and have been since the 1500s. We share the same dreams as other Americans for a stronger, brighter and more inclusive America.

Pancholy, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014. The Indian American film, television and stage actor is widely known for playing the role of Jonathan for six seasons on NBC’s award-winning series “30 Rock.”

Narasimhan, also appointed in 2014, has been the managing partner at Beekman Advisors since 2003 and chairman of Papillon Capital since 2012. Previously, he was the managing director at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company from 2000 to 2003 and the chairman and CEO of The WMF Group Ltd. from 1988 to 2000.

Narasimhan is the co-founder of the Emergent Institute in Bangalore, a nonprofit institution training entrepreneurs to build social ventures. He received a B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi and an M.B.A. from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

“We urge you and every member of your administration to respect all Americans by protecting civil rights and civil liberties for everyone, promoting broader dialogue and understanding, and keeping the federal government accessible to all people living in the United States — regardless of their status as citizens, immigrants or refugees,” the letter stated.

‘Uma and Devan Namaste!’ stars Indian American siblings

February 22, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

Toonz Media Group and New York-based Sharmaji Productions have partnered on the production of a full season of Uma and Devan Namaste!, a new animated series that is the first to explore the daily lives of Indian-American families. Targeting preschoolers, the show follows sister Uma (age 5) and brother Devan (almost 4) as they balance growing up in the US while staying true to their Indian heritage.

“For Toonz, it is of utmost importance to find creative and philosophical synergies with our partners, and we found it in Sharmaji Productions,” Toonz Media, CEO, P. Jayakumar said. “Uma and Devan Namaste! is an amazing series which will connect well with kids across the world. We have great hopes for the show and this wonderful collaboration.”

Kerala-based Toonz Media Group and New York-based Sharmaji Productions have partnered on the production of a full season of “Uma and Devan Namaste!”, a new animated pre-school series that aims to explore the daily lives of Indian American families. The show follows the sibling duo of Uma, 5, and Devan, almost 4, as they balance growing up in the U.S. while staying true to their Indian heritage.

As the siblings navigate their multicultural world (with the help of family and friends), each episode highlights important, universal lessons while incorporating aspects of Indian culture, stated a press release. Uma and Devan also encounter the unique cultural practices of their friends, learning to respect and celebrate the diversity within modern America.

The series also features Uma and Devan’s family members: their grandparents dadi and dadu, first-generation immigrants; their U.S.-born parents; and their eccentric uncle, mamu. Among the siblings’ planned adventures for the series are making rangoli, playing cricket, practicing yoga, baking roti and celebrating Holi.

The show explores the wonders of childhood through the eyes of Uma and Devan as they learn to live, play and conquer obstacles in the multi-cultural society. Childhood is a fun, imaginative experience, often presenting many challenges to overcome. Each episode highlights a key lesson as well as an aspect of Indian culture, as the children learn about themselves and the world around them.

Kathak exponent Janaki Patrik, Kiran Ahluwalia to showcase “We Sinful Women” in New York

February 17, 2017 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

The Indian dance performance collective The Kathak Ensemble & Friends returns to New York this spring in an all new Indian-influenced contemporary dance work speaking to the universal repression of women. Based on the eight groundbreaking (Pakistani) Urdu poems first published in 1990, WE SINFUL WOMEN will premiere at Danspace Project, St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, 131 East 10th Street, Thursday, March 2 through Saturday March 4 at 8pm, with an artist Q/A following the performance on Friday, March 3.

Created by Kathak Ensemble & Friends Artistic Director Janaki Patrik, the work will feature six female dancers and original commissioned music by two-time Canadian Grammy winner and composer Kiran Ahluwalia.

In WE SINFUL WOMEN, Janaki Patrik seeks to give voice, through melody and movement, to the words of the female Urdu poets Ishrat Aafreen, Kishwar Naheed, Zehra Nigah and Fahmida Riaz. Protesting the suffocating repression in their physical and emotional lives, these poets courageously wrote with both confrontational anger and ecstatic lyricism.

Combining classical and modern genres from far and wide have become a norm among artists in the greater New York City area and beyond. Schooled in Indian music, these artists combine not just Eastern and Western music, but also the traditional and modern music from different countries including in Africa and Latin America.

According to Ms. Patrik, “I was first introduced to WE SINFUL WOMEN while at Columbia University studying Indic languages, and the poems resonated. I tried to create a work not about the polish and speed of classical Kathak, but about women’s fierce assertion of their selfhood. Each poem projects it’s own distinct mood – humorous, sad, ironic, romantic, tongue-in-cheek, triumphant. Musical accompaniment is similarly unique for each poem: COUNTERCLOCKWISE starts with the sound of a tape rewinding; JURAT is sung in the intimate style developed in a 19th Century mehfil (gathering); IMAGE/Reflection is structured like a question-answer straight out of North Indian classical music.

“This is not classical Indian dance. And the poets do not consider their texts “feminist” poetry either. Instead the dance, poetry and music join in expressing what it is to be a woman – her tender feelings, her pride, her resistance to efforts to destroy her selfhood, her sadness at consistent denigration by those in power – whether political or religious – who made it impossible for her to worship, love, create and even live with an open heart,” she said.

According to composer Kiran Ahluwalia, “for each poem I listened to Janaki’s ideas of the type of movement that it suggested to her, the images that she associated with it, and the mood that it elicited for her. This is a daring project and it is challenging to put such politically charged text to dance and even to music – but Janaki has unique ideas for the poems and her vision inspired me in composing the melodies and rhythms.”

First published in 1990 in Lahore, Pakistan, and in 1991 in London, the poetry collection WE SINFUL WOMEN (edited by Rukhsana Ahmad) gave a glimpse of the situation in which women had few rights, and their dance and poetry were considered blasphemous. The production embodies the outrage and tenderness encapsulated in the concentrated language of poetry and dance.

KATHAK has its roots in North Indian village storytelling. It’s vocabulary of gestures and facial expressions are perfectly suited to representing the emotions and situations in these poems. This March 2-4, her dance troupe, Kathak Ensemble & Friends, presents “We Sinful Women” at Danspace Project, St. Mark’s Church in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

International Food Festival 2017

February 17, 2017 Staff ReporterCulture/Religion 0

The Society of Foreign Consuls (SOFC), New York, in association with the Consulate General of India, New York, organized the International Food Festival from on February 09, 2017 at the Consulate premises. More than 25 countries showcased their rich cuisine and culture during the event. A large number of people including Manhattan Borough President Ms. Gale Brewer, Brooklyn Borough Deputy President, Ms. Diana Reyna and members of the Diplomatic Corps attended the festival. Consul General (Mrs.) Riva Ganguly Das welcomed the guests while President of SOFC and Consul General of Columbia, María Isabel Nieto Jaramillo made the opening remarks. Cultural troupes from various participating countries enthralled the audience who got to taste the delectable flavors from around the world.

TheUNN Corporation

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