Category: Community

Chicago IL: The Senior Friendship Group Chicago, welcomed the New Year 2023 with enthusiasm by celebrating 74th Republic Day of India and Makar Sankranti during their Annual New Board Commencement event on Sunday Jan 15 2023 at Golf Maine Park District (Kathy Hall) , 8800 W Kathy Ln, Niles, IL. The celebration was attended by a large number of members and was made memorable with religious festivities and patriotic fervor.

Running successfully for the past 3 years, the senior citizen group has made a lot of progress for the last two years under the leadership of President Harshad Parekh along with the supporters like Pinky Thakkar and the committee members, Dilipbhai Patel, Mukesh Patel and several other team members. Pinky Thakkar started the program with Shri Ganesh Aarti followed by Yamunashtakam and Hanuman Chalisa.

Pinky Thakkar is a very well recognized community leader and serves on the advisory board of multiple organizations. She and her husband Dinesh Thakkar have been generously supporting many charitable initiatives in the Chicagoland area. The Thakkar family is also a big supporter of Senior Friendship Group Chicago, and the entire community adores them for their lively spirit and positive attitude.

On the occasion of the Republic Day, the two nations paid tribute by singing the National Anthems of India as well as the US.  On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, everyone remembered the festival as per the Indian tradition with different types of Chikki and Mamra Ladoo and had a lot of fun taking different photographs in the beautiful attires and tri-color decorations.

President Harshad Parekh addressed the guests and acknowledged the generous donors who had supported the group throughout the year. Ritaben Shah start with Ganesh Sutati and Bhadraben shah sing devotional songs. He also welcomed all the new group members and other special guests who joined the celebration. He also thanked the team Asian Media USA and video team led by Shobhana Kothari , for their support to the community events.

Other distinguished guests who attended the event were included the well-known vocalist and philanthropist Rita Shah, and the emerging community leader and well known anchor Prachi Jaitly. Prachi Jaitly along with her husband presented a bouquet and a scrumptious cake to Pinky Thakkar while Rita Shah sang a melodious birthday song for her.

President Shri Harshadbhai Parekh celebrated Pinkiben Thakkar’s birthday with a beautiful introduction to Pinkiben Thakkar’s personality. After the cake cutting ceremony, there was a musical song dance Karaoke session led by Pinkyben Thakkar and her good friend Richa Chand. They both sang the famous Bollywood fun songs and brought everyone to their feet and entertained all guests. Everyone danced together and rejoiced. In the end the program concluded with a delicious Kathiawadi meal followed by more dancing that included garba and musical entertainment.

The Gandhian Society is organizing an Essay competition and prayer meet on January 29th, 2023 to mark the 75th martyrdom anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This essay competition will have students from different schools in east coast participate in the competition on the life and message from Mahatma Gandhi.

The Gandhian Society will be giving away prizes to the winners of the essay competition and honor the students who participate in the competition. The event will be organized on January 29th at 11 am in New Jersey in the premises of Gandhian Society in Edison (321 Middlesex Ave, Colonia, NJ 07067) and also virtually and participants of the essay competition will have to submit the essays before 27th January to be able to participate in the essay competition.

The link for participants to submit their essay is – http://www.tinyurl.com/gandhi-essay. Dr.Sudarshan Iyengar (Former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University) will be the guest of honor for the event and will give away the prizes for the winners of the essay competition.

The Gandhian Society Founder Shri Badra Butala has also said that the society will continue to make efforts in spreading the message and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi in USA and this Essay Competition is an effort in that direction. He said that this essay is to educate and make aware of the life and sacrifices of Mahatma Gandhi for the second generation American Indian Children so that they can learn and imbibe the values of one of the greatest men to have walked the planet – Mahatma Gandhi.

The children who participate in the essay and win the competition will be awarded special prizes by the Gandhian Society. The project is spearheaded by Shri Bhadra Butala, Mahesh Wani, Brijesh Kachalia, Anita Amar, Bani Dabur, Sonal Gadhvi and Sravan Natakala.

The Gandhian Society members – Asha Samanth, Dr.Deepak Naran, Varsha Gandhi Joshi, Sravan Natakala, Fashion Designer Sonal Gadhvi, Rajendar Dichpally, Balaji Jilla, Shiva Kumar, Mahesh Wani, Hasmukh Patel, Kamal Daga and Brijesh Kachalia will be assisting the Gandhian Society in spreading the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi in USA and helping the society undertake several charitable, cultural and patriotic events in USA.

The Gandhian Society will also be doing the winter clothing drive in Atlantic City and Parsippany along with other supporting organizations like Rotary, Zakir Husain Circle etc in distributing winter clothing (Jackets, Blankets etc). This initiative is one of the many efforts of the Gandhian partnership with other participating Organizations to serve the society and do charitable activities as part of its community outreach initiative.

The Gandhian Society will set up collection centers in over half a dozen centers in partnership with Organizations like Rotary Club of Parsippany, Telugu Fine Arts Society (TFAS), Rajni Restaurant, E&T Food Market, PAL (Police Athletic League (Parsippany) Durga Temple (East Brunswick), Zakir Husain Circle etc to collect new or gently used winter clothes to donate them at various places and organizations in East Coast. The Society will also purchase over 3000 dollars’ worth winter jackets in addition to the winter clothes that will be collected at highly discounted prices. This project will be done under the leadership of Rajender Dichpally and Santosh Peddi (Rotary President – Parsippany)

The Gandhian Society is also organizing a prayer meet on January 30th to observe the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi and plans to have an all-religious prayer meet. This Gandhian Society has invited eminent Gandhian’s to take part in the prayer meet and pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and his martyrdom.

“Advancing Women’s Health Through Awareness and Action” was the theme at the much-anticipated Women’s Leadership Forum that featured extraordinarily successful Women Leaders representing a diversity of professions, involving public, private and government organizations, during the recently concluded Global Healthcare Summit organized by the American Association of Physici9ans of Indian origin (AAPI) in Visakhapatnam, India from January 6^th to 8^th, 2023.

ZDr. Smt. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Honorable Governor of Telangana & Honorable Lt. Governor of Puducherry delivered the keynote address at the Women’s Forum virtually. She urged everyone to “Pay attention to little things and how changes can be brought in. Ensure that the much-needed healthcare services reach everyone. There are many plans and programs initiated by the state government, but people need to be made aware of them and be helped to utilize the programs,” she said. She lauded “the great work by AAPI members for promoting health globally, particularly in India and the United States.”

Shri. MVV Satyavathi, Member of Parliament, representing Anakapalli in Andhra Pradesh was the Guest of Honor at the Women’s Forum. In her address, she congratulated AAPI, whose members having been born and educated in India, settled down in the US with success, have come back to India to serve the people of India, and  work together for the betterment of humanity.

While congratulating the members of AAPI’s Women’s Forum and lauding them for some of the major initiatives of the Women’s Forum, Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI said, “In collaboration with national AAPI, the Forum has successfully organized events like HPV vaccination drive, fundraiser for suicide prevention awareness, scholarship for medical students, and many others.” In the next 2 years, the Forum aims to conduct CPR and AED trainings and install more AEDs in areas such as the railway stations, bus stations, malls, schools,  and colleges. We plan to organize certified training workshops on Neonatal resuscitation, basic life support and emergency medicine for emergency responders and healthcare professionals.

Dr. Udaya Shivangi, Chair of AAPI’s Women’s Committee, in her opening remarks provided an overview of the Forum and the many initiatives by the Forum both in India and the United States.  “It is my privilege and great honor to serve as the Chair of AAPI‘s Women Leadership Forum. We are fortunate to have with us.  leaders and decision makers who have made a significant impact on the society and share a common vision of a healthier and stronger India,” she said.

“Each year, the Women’s Forum has played a significant role in organizing events, fundraisers and service projects that represent the core values of AAPI and our collective mission of giving back to our motherland. These events serve as a platform to expand our resources,  share technological advancements and establish new partnerships, dr. Shivangi added.

Panelists at the Women’s Forum included: Dr. Suneela Garg, Dir. Professor & Head of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College; Dr. Anuradha Medoju, Senior Regional Director at Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India; Dr. S. Radha Rani, Former Professor and Superintendent, Hospital of Mental Health; and Ms. Meghna Chalasani, Team Lead, Advisory Committees, Program Lead, Science Office Strategies for New Drugs at Center for Drug Education and Research, US Food & Drug Administration.

Dr. Anuradha Medoju, Senior Regional Director at Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India spoke about how she is able to work as a mother and government servant. “Working with balance is challenging. We should have boundaries for everything while needing to balance our personal life, our family life and our passion,” she said.

Dr. Suneela Garg, Dir. Professor & Head of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College pointed out that women are 55% of the total population of India. “We have made progress in so many areas of health indicators and infant mortality. I urge AAPI to come forward to work with local organizations and help spread wellness initiatives among the people.”

Dr. S. Radha Rani, Former Professor and Superintendent, Hospital of Mental Health spoke about why is mental health important and how to improve one’s overall health. “Woman is an important member of the family and the society. Her mental health is vital, as it affects everyone in the family and therefore caring for her mental health is important. Major life events impact women, who in turn affect all other members of the family.”

Women’s Forum is chaired by Dr. Udaya Shivangi and Dr. T. Radha, while Dr. Uma Jonnalagadda is the Advisor and Dr. B. Devi Madhavi is serving as the Co-Chair. Dr. Jonnalagadda, while proposing the vote of thanks, said, “I thank you for being with us today and advocating for women’s rights.” For more details, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

A protest rally was held against the release of the 11 rape convicts in the Bilkis Bano case from life sentence at the Freedom Park, Bengaluru on 27th August, 2022.

The culprits were sentenced to life imprisonment after the Courts found them guilty of gang-raping Bilkis Bano, a young mother at the time, during the communal riots that had killed thousands of innocent people across the Indian state of Gujarat. The 11 men were also held responsible for killing her six-year-old daughter, reportedly “smashing” the girl to the ground, and hacking to death several members of Bano’s family.

The 11 persons convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano rape case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail under the Gujarat government’s remission policy. According to reports, senior state officials told news agencies that they were considered for release from life imprisonment as the convicts had completed 14 years in prison, which is the term given for a life sentence.

Similar protests were held across the state of Karnataka with the objective of raising awareness and seeking justice to the victims. Protesters used posters, Placards, and banners stating “Justice for Bilkis,” “Karnataka stands with Bilkis.” The rallyists also raised slogans, such as “Justice from rape: Justice from lawlessness” expressing their condemnation of setting free the convicted rapists and murderers.

A student protester from St Joseph’s University, Bangalore, Riya said, “There’s no gender or caste or religion for rapists or for someone getting raped. Political support being given to these rapists are illegal.”

K S Vimala, a member of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, (AIDWA) expressed her opposition to the government for letting these convicts go free by asking, “Why are the rapists welcomed back as war heroes” Why is the government releasing them from prison?”

The protesters raised their concerns about the safety and well-being of women in society, where rapists are treated as celebrities and declared innocent.

Commemorating the 17th “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas,” which was attended by notable diaspora from all over the world, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO), and India Africa Trade Council (IATC) collaborated to host the NRI Council Conference and Awards on Jan. 10^th, 2023.”

Inaugurating the conference, India’s Minister of State for external affairs and culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, who also launched the Global India Organization, Asia Chapter, said: “Happy to inaugurate the NRI Council Conference 2023 & launch the Global Indian Organisation (GIO) Asia Chapter in Indore.
Had a lively interaction with our vibrant Indian diaspora and discussed the numerous initiatives undertaken by the Modi Govt. for our diaspora.”

Global Indian Business Council

With a mission to facilitate global economic development with emphasis on India, Global Indian Business Council (GIBC) launched and helped promote the Pravasi Divas 2015 in Gandhi Nagar and Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gujarat, India by organizing a meaningful half-day economic seminar on November 22, 2012, in metro Atlanta.

GIBC is a network of business and technology leaders across the globe based in USA to promote and facilitate greater cooperation in trade and commerce between India, USA, and the rest of the world following the new vision offered by the pragmatic and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.

The seminar was well attended by several distinguished speakers, processionals, corporate executives, and leaders of governments, chambers of commerce and academics.

The program started with a cocktail/social hour, which gave the opportunity to the conference attendees to network with each other and explore the opportunities for a successful Indo-USA trade and commerce partnership.

In welcoming address, Dhiru Shah, President-elect of GIBC, President-Suraj International, Inc., Alumnus of London School of Economics and Harvard Business School with 40 plus years of international management and business experience, dwelt upon the need to have an organization like GIBC to promote and facilitate bilateral trade, commerce and investment between all countries particularly at a time when the global economic situation is facing severe recessionary trends.  Shah pointed out that both European Union andJapanare already facing recession andChinais slowing down. He further stated that while theUSeconomy is stable, it is very important that massive investments inIndiafrom overseas can help stimulate further the economy ofIndia. For this effort, GIBC (which strives to help) can become a major player in facilitating investment, trade and business inIndia.

Dr. Mahesh Mehta-President of GIBC, an eminent scientist and research scholar in Membrane technology, explained the basic mission and objectives of GIBC. Dr. Mehta stated that the election of 2014 has for the first time brought a party to power with a clear majority which in turn has elected the most dynamic, visionary, incorruptible and pragmatic leader, Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India.

He felt confident that the time has come for India to become an economic powerhouse under the leadership of Modi and his hard working team to lead India to its new zenith.  GIBC with it networking abilities with the Indian government and the state governments,USAand the rest of the world will be able to provide its (GIBC) services fromUSAand the rest of the world to set up businesses and industries inIndia.

Hon. Consul R. Srinvasan of the Indian Consulate-Atlanta conveyed his best wishes for the success of GIBC. He explained the role of theAtlantaconsulate in furthering the economic development ofIndiaby offering different services to facilitate investment inIndia. Consul Srinivasan informed that theAtlantaconsulate serves eightUSstates with about 300,000 NRIs and PIOs by offering Visa and other facilities. Currently he, at the Consulate, also deals with economic, trade and commerce wing to help US and NRIs businesses and companies by providing information relating to the Indian economy and various Indian government economic entities.

As a keynote speaker, Hon. Kwanza Hall, Council member of city ofAtlanta, felt that there was a big need to invest in small and medium scale industries and business inGeorgia, which would generate massive employment for the poor African American people. Hon. Hall wanted that theAtlantaCitywould welcome investments inAtlantafromIndiaand Indian diaspora inAmericaon a reciprocal basis

Hon. Yasukata Fukahori,Deputy ConsulGeneral,JapanAtlantaConsulate talked about the close economic relationshipJapanhas withIndia. He stated that the recent meeting of Prime Ministers of India andJapanhas further strengthened the economic ties between the two countries. He praised the efforts made by GIBC in helping facilitate the trade and commerce between Indian and other countries. Hon. Fukahori stated thatJapanhas a very large investment in GA even though the number of the Japanese living in GA is very small compared to Indian Americans. There were some hilarious moments when Hon. Fukahori talked about reservations of Japanese speakers to speak beyond the protocol and how the Indian speakers like to continue speaking. He narrated one experience in which the Japanese Speaker in India spoke for 5 minutes but the interpreter in India explained for 30 minutes explaining what the Japanese spoke in 5 minutes.

Andjela Kessler, President-Incentive Travel & meetings, talking about the Indo-Global tourism, informed the audience that her company has been successful in developing tourism in India and particularly in Gujarat. She spoke about the success of the short Gujarat tourism advertisement videos/films by engaging the Bollywood film star like Amitabh Bachchan and her good fortune to interact with then CM. Narendra Modi of Gujarat She pointed out about the great success story of tourist industry in Thailand and felt that India can also become a major tourist nation in the world if the Indian government and businesses developed the basic infrastructures like good hotels, roads, and reliable transportation. At hisMadisonSquareGardenrally in NY on September 27, Prime Minister Modi had made a direct pitch to NRIs to woo tourism for the progress ofIndia.

Raj Anand, CEO of Southern States LLC and an alumni of IIT India, narrated how successful his company has been able to develop a close and mutually beneficial business relationship with a few Indian companies like Crompton Greaves. He stated that there is a large pool of qualified engineers and technically trained workers inIndiawho will help the country to develop economically fast with the help of the Indian government, foreign investment and established Indian business corporations. He hinted that for a success of operations inIndiaby overseas companies, it is desired that they have at least some control in the day-to-day operations inIndia. He went on to elaborate the success story of the Southern States LLC which has introduced ground breaking products like the Load and Line Switchers.

Charles Wood of ETech Global Services,Dallas,TXspoke about the US-India Collaborative success in the field of IT industry. His company has set up two offices in Gujarat employing about 500 IT executives who are responsible for software development for their global operations includingUSA. Their first office in Gandhinagar was inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi (then Chief Minister ofGujarat). ITech CEO, Matt Raco conveyed the message that his company will join hands with GIBC in facilitating investment inIndiaand congratulated its President Dr. Mahesh Mehta for this visionary and timely endeavor.

On the topic of Medical Tourism inIndia, Dr. Raghunath Katragadda, Asst. Prof. of Medicine, Div. of Cardiology,EmoryHeart & VascularCenter, talked about his success story of setting up a top class Hospital chain inHyderabad,Indiato cater to the medical tourism fromUSAand other countries. He stated that in order to build a successful medical tourist industry inIndia, it is necessary to have top class hospitals, reliable nursing, follow up care, trained doctors and surgeons with affordable pricing. Currently, there are only a few hospitals inIndia, which can treat patients from the western world. He also pointed out that there are other countries likeSingapore,Thailandwho are also competing withIndiato attract medical tourists in their countries.

Kanchan Banerjee, VP, GIBC, CEO- Ipremm, Inc. and Editor in Chief of the New Global Indian Magazine, made a power point presentation on Vibrant Gujarat 2015 and urged audience to join the GIBC delegation to Vibrant Gujarat program scheduled to be held on Jan. 9-11, 2015 which will give them the opportunity to meet industrialists, the Chief Minister and top government bureaucrats of the Gujarat government for signing MOUs in investing in Gujarat. He added, never before has the business environment so friendly inGujarat. “So, take advantage of it!”

Subash Razdan, VP-GIBC, an active participant and recipient of PBD Samman Award 2013 and Director, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, gave a brief overview of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD-People of Indian origin), the opportunities to invest in India and encouraged the audience to attend the 2015 event to be held in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat on Jan. 7-9, 2015, especially so when it is followed by the Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS). He underscored the importance of this year’s PBD as it will celebrate the centennial celebrations of return of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi from S. Africa toIndiain 1915 and for further details, one could get in touch with the Consulate General of India (CGI) and/or members of GIBC.

Ashwin Patel, VP- GIBC, Chairman-Apsilon Hotels LLC, Supreme Hospitality Supply LLC and Alpha Renewable Energy LLC, offered the vote of thanks to the distinguished dignitaries, invited guests, media persons, officials and volunteers and the hospitality of Staybridge Suites staff. He thanked Dr. Narayanan Komerath, Prof. of Aerospace Eng. at GA tech for his design of the GIBC website. He thanked Madhu Tata of Swapna Indian Cuisine for catering an exotic dinner and Sanjay Pandya of Davis Printing. The event saw many prominent and other dignitaries present such as Hon. Greg Pridgeon, former Council Member of Atlanta and former Chief of Staff of City of Atlanta under Mayor Shirley Franklin and key proponent of the Atlanta-Ahmedabad Sister City relationship; Hon. Eric De Groot of Sandy Springs International Economic Affairs and President of the Holland Chamber of Commerce; Wayne Lazarus of the prominent law firm Stokes, Lazarus and Carmichael who has drafted articles of Incorporation of many Asian (also Indian) American non-profit organizations,  Jitu Patel, Chair of the Atlanta-Ahmedabad Sister City Exchange Committee (AASCE) et al. TheSisterCityproposal of twining of Atlanta-Ahmedabad was approved by the public hearing of over 300 attendees in favor of Ahmedabad by near unanimity, but had to be shelved due to scale back and economic recession in Georgia and the rest ofUSAunder mayor Shirley Franklin. Fortunately, Mayor Kaseem Reed is looking at it favorably now with special connection of Gandhi (Ahmedabad) and King (Atlanta).

The Indian-American lawmakers of the ‘Samosa Caucus’ have welcomed Shri Thanedar’s addition to the exclusive group of Democratic leaders representing the community in the US House of Representatives.

Entrepreneur-turned-politician and Democrat, Mr Thanedar became the fifth Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives in November last year. His victory had come after all four Indian-American Democratic lawmakers – Dr. Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi – were re-elected to the US House of Representatives.

The ‘Samosa Caucus’ is an informal grouping of Indian-American lawmakers who are either part of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The term was coined by Congressman Krishnamoorthi to give credence to the growing number of “desi” lawmakers in the US Congress.

“When I first took office in 2013, I was the only Indian American Member of Congress and the third ever in history. Since that day, I have been committed to ensuring we grow our representation in Congress,” said Congressman Bera.

In 2013, Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, was the sole Indian American in the House, representing portions of Sacramento; the Indian American community also held the physician politician to the tacit agreement that he would represent the 4 million plus diaspora.

A decade later, Bera no longer bears the sole responsibility for that Herculean task: the four Indian American incumbents in the House will be joined by newly-elected Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan.

“In the past decade, I am proud to be joined by incredible Indian-American colleagues from around the country – Representatives Jayapal, Khanna, and Krishnamoorthi. With the swearing-in of the 118th Congress, our coalition has grown to a record number with the election of Representative Thanedar,” he said.

The Indian-American community has emerged as a force to reckon with in the US presidential elections. In the last election, both the Democrat and the Republican campaigns initiated several measures to woo the approximately 1.8 million members of the community who have emerged as a critical voting bloc in the battleground states of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

“It’s important that we reflect on the historic progress our country is making. I look forward to welcoming even more Indian American Members of Congress in the future!” Mr Bera said.

“As we enter the most diverse Congress ever, I am reminded how much representation matters, for every community and culture across our country. I am a proud naturalised citizen, the first South Asian American woman elected to the House, and an immigrant woman of colour,” Ms Jayapal said.

She said serving in Congress was a “distinct honour”, not only because she was able to deliver for her constituents, but also to show other South Asians that if she can make it into the halls of Congress, so can they.

“I am so grateful to serve with such an inspiring cohort of fellow Indian Americans and I look forward to seeing our numbers continue to grow!” she said.

“I’m so proud to serve in this diverse Congress alongside a record number of Indian Americans. Representation is crucial to serving Indian American communities and working to strengthen America’s defense and strategic partnership with India. I look forward to continuing our work together in the 118th Congress,” said Ro Khanna.

Indian-Americans have made countless contributions to American society, including in tech, science, medicine, and the military.

Indian-Americans currently serve as the CEOs of major companies including Microsoft (Satya Nadella), Google (Sundar Pichai), IMB (Arvind Krishna), and MasterCard (Ajay Banga).

According to the 2010 census, 70 per cent of Indian Americans over the age of 25 had college degrees, 2.5 times higher than the national average.

“As the Indian-American community remains one of our nation’s fastest-growing, with a population of more than four million, I am excited to see our representation expanding in Congress as well,” said Mr Krishnamoorthi.

“I look forward to working with Reps. Bera, Jayapal, Khanna, and now Thanedar to continue to address the key issues facing our community, including high-skilled immigration reform and strengthening the partnership between the US and India,” he said.

“As a new member of Congress and the latest addition to an incredible group of Indian-American lawmakers, I look forward to getting to work for the American people,” said Mr Thanedar.

The American dream is alive when an immigrant from India can come to this country, earn a degree, become a citizen, start a business, and be elected by the people to represent them in the Michigan State House and the United States House of Representatives, he said.

“I hope to join Representatives Bera, Jayapal, Khanna, and Krishnamoorthi in growing our historic representation in Congress by inspiring future generations,” Thanedar said.

The first Asian-American and Indian-American Member of Congress was Dalip Singh Saund, who served in the US House of Representatives from 1957 to 1963.

In the 66 years between Representative Saund’s election and the 2012 election of Bera, Piyush “Bobby” Jindal was the only other member of Indian American descent elected to the legislative branch of the federal government.

Following the 2016 election, Kamala Harris made history as the first Indian-American to be sworn into the United States Senate.

Harris continued to make history in 2020 when she was elected as the first woman and first person of colour in history to serve as Vice President of the United States of America, said a joint statement issue by the five lawmakers.

Harris’ historic success opened a door with Indian-Americans across the country running for office at every level of government to ensure the community’s voice continues to be at the decision-making table.

In the past decade, the number of Indian-American voices in government has grown rapidly, with signs that the next decade will see the representation grow even further, it said.

Since its inception in 2004, the Indian Nurses Association of New York, as the representative voice of all Indian nurses who came to America, has been opening up unique and innovative socio-professional paths.  In the early years, the goals were to attract more people to the nursing field through scholarships and tuition waivers, while widening the pathways to higher education and continuing education credits required for certification for those already practicing nurses.

The preceding years were aiming at health workshops, seminars and health fares to improving the health and well-being of the community and the society at large. Health fair was instrumental in providing essential services from vital signs to blood tests to mammograms to individuals and families living in areas where public welfare schemes do not reach them.

Rockland Legislative County Vice Chairwoman Dr. Aney Paul was the founding president. The successive presidents could use the strong foundation and organizational structure for vibrant expansion and advancement for INANY. Sosamma Andrews, Usha George, prominent social activist Mary Philip, Tara Shajan, and Dr. Anna George were leading INANY to new heights as a professional nursing association.

INANY has received praise and recognition from New York State Senators to New York City Mayor and Governor Cathy Hochul. In the face of increasing anti-Asian hate related incidents, INANY has partnered with Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) to raise awareness of the concerning social in the community and to help them address in safe and evidence-based manner.

INANY is preparing to install its new leadership team for the 2023 – 2024 operating year, promising more extensive professional services to multiple stakeholders. In the election held in October, the current president Dr. Anna George was re-elected as the president unopposed. Vice President Dr. Shyla Roshin, Secretary Alphy Sundroop, Joint Secretary Dr. Jessy Kurian, Treasurer Jaya Thomas and Joint Treasurer Aleyamma Appukuttan are the other executive board members.

President Anna George, PhD, APRN, RN, FNP-C, is an associate professor at Molloy University and a nurse practitioner at Northwell Health, the largest private healthcare network and employer in New York state. As the president she has shown all-round transformational leadership force throughout the last two years in driving INANY in the last two years. Dr. George exemplified how a nurse, aside from its role at work, could bring good things to the health and wellbeing of others and the society.

The presentations she gave at her colleges in New Delhi and Kerala highlighted the contributions nursing and advanced practice nursing contribute to healthcare and showcased the recognition and respect that Nursing as a profession receives in the United States.  She was also the coordinator of religious education at the Saint Mary’s Syro Malabar Catholic parish in Long Island and is teaching the tenth-grade religious classes.

Dr. Shyla Roshin DNP, RN, the incoming vice president is a director of nursing at a New York City Health and Hospital Corporation. She was serving as the chair of the Education Committee in the current term.  To answer the call of the time, she planned and virtually presented multiple mental health programs to the public designed to counter the consequences of the COVID pandemic on the community and healthcare workers.  She also led organization’s continuing education programs for professional nurses.

Secretary-elect Alphy Sundroop MSN, RN is a critical care educator at Nassau University Medical Center. Alphy who serves as the secretary of the Marian Mothers of Long Island’s Saint Mary’s Syro Malabar Catholic parish, has facilitated an easy and smooth election process for INANY during her tenure as the chair of the election committee.

New Joint Secretary Dr. Jessy Kurian DNP, PMHNP-BC, RN, who works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Northwell Health, is a comfort to thousands of individuals and families struggling with mental illness.  Dr. Jessy Kurian has made her mark in the treatment of mental illness by providing the most comprehensive treatment regimens available in the medical field with the compassion of a nurse. She has earned the appreciation of doctors, administration and the nursing community at her workplace.  Dr. Kurian who is taking the title as the joint secretary, has led the INANY’s Byelaws and APRN committees in the past.

New Treasurer Jaya Thomas, PMHNP-BC, FNP, APRN, RN, MSc, who serves as the Assistant Director of Nursing at New York State-owned Creed Moore Psychiatric Center, has been serving as a member of INANY’s Education Committee and Rockland County Coordinator.  She was one of the panelists in a mental health education seminar held for healthcare workers.  She was also the winner of INANY’s annual essay contest in 2022.  She is a ward secretary of Saint Alphonsa Ward of the Saint Mary’s Syro Malabar Catholic parish in Long Island.

The new Joint Treasurer Aleyamma Appukuttan is an active member worker of the organization for a long time.  She has been engaged in various philanthropic and life-saving activities for many years and has invested selfless service for the needy. A nurse of fifty years in Indian military and in the United States, she dedicated a good part of her life to the good of others with extraordinary modesty by organizing soup kitchens, collecting clothes, personal donations to low profile poor and needy and raising funds for projects. In recognition of her all-round humanitarian services, she was awarded the prestigious ‘Global Woman of Excellence’ award in May 2022.  She received the award at a special gala event in the Conference Room of speaker Nancy Pelosi at Capitol Hill in Washington DC.

The term of the governing board is two years.  The formal inauguration of the new committee will take place on January 7th starting at 10 am at a special ceremony at the Tyson Center in Nassau County, Long Island. Elected officials in the area like New York State senator Kevin Thomas, INANY’s founding president and Rockland County Legislative Vice Chair Dr. Aney Paul, North Hempstead Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava, and a prominent nephrologist and Chancellor Xavier University School of Medicine in Aruba, Dr. Ganesh Bhatt will be among the guests.  Suja Thomas, the new president of National Association of Indian Nurses of America will be a keynote speaker. Dr. Anna George noted that the event is open and welcome for all nurses, regardless of their membership status, their families and other well-wishers.

Indian American Business Council [IABC] in collaboration with the office of the Consulate General of India under the leadership of Ambassador Somnath Ghosh held Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Promotional Community Meet & Reception with the express purpose of mobilizing robust representation and participation of the Indian diaspora from the Chicagoland area held at the Marriot Northwest in Hoffman Estate, Illinois. This promotional community meet attracted 20 community organizations who have stepped up to showcase enthusiastic support and interest in participating at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Indore City, India from January 8-10, 2023.

Several Chicago community’s high profile leaders spoke with Ambassador Somnath Ghosh, Consul General of India taking the lead.  Consul General Somnath Ghosh thanked Indian American Business Council and the participating organizations for their enthusiastic participation and said that it augurs well that the representation from Illinois at PBD will be robust. Consul General Somnath Ghosh eloquently outlined the success story of India and the trajectory of India accelerating economic growth and its march towards global eminence.  Consul General Ghosh urged Indian diaspora to take this opportunity to visit India to attend the PBD to discuss and participate in nation building. Consul General Somnath Ghosh spent time interacting with each organizational groups and acknowledging them for their warm reception.

Earlier, Ajeet Singh, President of Indian American Business Council in his welcome address explained that it is our collective mission to ensure substantial representation of Indian Americans from Illinois at PBD.

Ajeet Singh thanked and acknowledged each of the twenty community organizations for their fervent support and particularly thanked Ambassador Somnath Ghosh and acknowledged Amarbir Ghoman and Harry Ghoman for graciously opening their magnificent Marriot facility to showcase Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event. Ajeet Singh announced IABC will host the ‘Global India Conclave’ in July 2023 in Chicago that will celebrate the magnificent transformational story of India and the sizeable contributions made by the Indian diaspora in India’s march towards global eminence.

Dr. Bharat Barai, prominent leader who was a recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Award from the then President of India – in his remarks – presented an overview and how Pravasi Bharatiya Divas meet has evolved since its inception. Dr. Bharat Barai passionately advocated Indian Americans to attend and participate at the NRI Divas to engage in a conversation that seeks to bring about meaningful outcomes.

Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, Chairman of Illinois Medical Board and a leading Vascular/Interventional Radiologist highlighted the noteworthy role and the contributions of the Indian diaspora in nation rebuilding especially during the pandemic.  Dr. Sreenivas Reddy thanked Consul General Somnath Ghosh for his spirited efforts in galvanizing the community to appraise the significance of participation at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and add that the year 2023 is a momentous year with Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, The Global India Conclave in Chicago, Global Peace Festival with Shree Shree Ravi Shankar ji and the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Earlier, Mr. Amarbir Ghoman, CEO of the Marriot Northwest welcomed the guests and said he is deepy honored to be the host for this important PBD promotional reception.

Indore City Mayor Shri. Pushyamitra Bhargav came on ‘live’ and addressed the gathering and said a historic welcome awaits the Indian diaspora at the PBD meet in his city which he said bears a rich history and rapid industrialization, Indore is famously known for its hospitable people, magnificent palaces and temples, street food, night markets, and more and added it is becoming a preferred destination.  Kailash Vijayvargiya former Mayor of Indore and National General Secretary of BJP party also joined in inviting Indian Americans to join in him at PBD meet.

FIA Chairman Sunil Shah in his introductory remarks said that Federation of Indian Associations are excited to be a part of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas promotional event and said under the aegis of FIA we will mobilize good representation at the Pravasi Divas in Indore, India.

Anand Tiwari of Madhya Pradesh association made a power point presentation that exhibited the evolving beauty of Indore City and how it is rapidly transforming to be the ‘Silicon Valley of the Madhya [middle] Pradesh.

Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, Chair of Indian American Business Council served as the moderator for the event. Dr. Vemuri Murthy of Chicago Medical Society spoke at the event. Vinesh Virani, Executive Vice President of IABC proposed a vote of thanks and especially acknowledge Consular officers Vinod Gautham, Ranjit Singh and TD Bhutiya and others.

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Queens Long Island, AAPIQLI, celebrated its 26^th Annual Convention at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Dec 17th, 2022, under the leadership of President Dr. Vinni Jayam, and Convention Chair, Dr. Jagat Rawal.

More than 550 people attended according to organizers. The Chief Guest was Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, CEO of Catholic Health Services. Guests of Honor included Dr. Chuck Lucore, CEO of St. Francis Hospital and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a press release from AAPIQLI said. The attendees included physicians, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and industry leaders.

“The presence of illustrious community leaders like Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Dr. Rap Anumolu, Nassau County Republican Party head and numerous state legislators made the event more memorable,” Dr. Jayam told Desi Talk.

Speaking at the event about AAPIQLI activities and accomplishments through the year, Dr. Jayam elaborated on the ‘Three Pillars’ – Educational, Service and Charitable endeavors, that underlie the initiatives that the organization undertakes.

Under the Service category, the organization created a Service Committee to oversee activities to encourage members to engage with their local communities. A number of blood donation camps, flu shot camps, and medical seminars were among the activities. “One of the biggest upshots has been the creation of a Mental Health Hotline,” Dr. Jayam said. “And the other crown jewel is the Annual Continuing Medical symposium Education,” held in Nov 2022, with illustrious speakers, he noted. The AAPIQLI also held a student medical research day to recognize outstanding students from New York State. For the first time a Mentorship Committee was formed to help students coming from India, with finding jobs, skills to apply, and even including legal counsel.

The Chief Guest Dr. O’Shaughnessy and the Guests of Honor Dr. Lucore, and Blakeman, during their speeches, praised AAPIQLI for work done. “They were amazed at the breadth of achievements of the organization,” Dr. Jayam told Desi Talk.

One of the highlights of the event was honoring some of the most accomplished physicians in the Greater New York Tri-state area. The Honorees this year were: Richard Shlofmitz, Chairman of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital and Service Line Director of Cardiology for the Catholic Health; Meena Bansal, Professor of Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine and Director of Transplant Hepatology Fellowship and Translational Research in the Division of Liver Diseases at Mount Sinai Health center; Rohan Ramakrishna, Chief of Neurosurgery at New York-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital & Weill Cornell Medical College; and, Bhavani Srinivasan, the Lifetime Service Awardee.

The celebration included a dance performance by the AATMA Group with music by Dr. Biba Singh. Program was conducted by Dr. Sunil Mehra. The AAPIQLI leadership praised the efforts of the team including – Dr. Jagdish Gupta, chair of the Board of Trustees; Dr. Abhay Malhotra, immediate Past President; Dr. Devendra Shrivastava, co chair, Dr. Venu Pall, co-chair; Dr. Raj Bhayani, media chair and others.

Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media told ITV Gold which covered the event, described the event as “a great gathering of doctors” from the greater New York area. He praised the organization for doing “great work.”

The AAPIQLI is a non-profit organization formed in June 1995, under the leadership of Dr. Narendra Hadpawat. The Inaugural dinner was held at Leonard’s of Great Neck, NY attended by about 150 physicians. Today AAPIQLI is the largest chapter of the national American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

A statue of Mahatma Gandhiji, the founding father of India, was unveiled at the United Nations headquarters on the North lawn, among other statues and artifacts, on 14th Dec 2022, which is meticulously translated as a proud historic moment for Indians worldwide. The bust was a gift to the United Nations from India, which holds the Security Council’s presidency this month.

Mahatma Gandhi led a non-violent movement that helped end British rule in India in 1947, and his legacy inspired many social campaigns and civil resistance.

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, “Today, when the world grapples with violence, armed conflicts, and humanitarian emergencies, these Gandhian ideals must continue to guide our actions in ensuring peace and stability around the world.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Gandhi an uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence, non-discrimination, and pluralism. He said the bust would serve as a reminder of the values Gandhi upheld. The United Nations and the principle of Gandhi’s non-violence are wanted more than ever and are needed at this time of trials humanity faces. Let’s break the division among nations and bring peace with non- violence messages for a sustainable and politically stable world.

Gandhi, laid the proper foundation of the largest democracy in the world with the principles of non-violence. Let Gandhi’s message of non-violence be a cornerstone for nation-building and an example to all world leaders.

Gandhiji’s principle of non-violence is reflected in the United Nations Charter.

Mahatma Gandhi was honored not only at this time but from 2007 United Nations is observing his birthday on October 2nd as ‘The Day of Non-Violence’ around the world.

The International Day of Non-Violence

(October 2nd, the Birthday of Mahatma Karamchand Gandhi)

The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on October 2nd, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of June 15th, 2007, which established the commemoration, International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.” The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding, and non-violence.”

India co-hosted the event and South Africa on October 2nd, 2007, at the General Assembly Hall. INC leader Ms. Sonia Gandhi, former Indian President and Foreign Minister, late Shri Pranab Mukerji (at the time), Shri Rahul Gandhi, Rev. Jessie Jackson, and Congress leaders from Kerala were attended

Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the broad and diverse sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mahatma Gandhi and the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late leader’s own words, he said: “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”.

The name Mahatma Gandhi transcends the bounds of race, religion, and nation-states and has emerged as the prophetic voice of the twenty-first century. The world remembers Gandhi not just for his passionate adherence to the practice of non-violence and supreme humanism but as the benchmark against which we test men and women in public life, political ideas and government policies, and the hopes and wishes of our shared planet.

The principle of non-violence — also known as non-violent resistance — rejects physical violence to achieve social or political change. Often described as “the politics of ordinary people,” this form of social struggle has been adopted by mass populations worldwide in campaigns for social justice.

Observance of ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ Oct. 2nd, 2013

A special event at the UN marked the International Day of Non-Violence, held annually on Oct. 2nd, the birthday of non-violence pioneer Mahatma Gandhi.

During the event, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) receives a gift from Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN. General Assembly President also attended. Singer Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and sons performed a musical concert at the event dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi’s life. This life-size portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was displayed at the General Assembly Building.

Observance of ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ Oct. 2nd, 2014

Sam Kahamba Kutesa, President of the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly, greets Sushma Swaraj, Minister for External Affairs of India, at the special event on the occasion of the International Day of Non-Violence, organized by the Permanent Mission of India. The Day of Non-Violence is commemorated on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the non-violence philosophy, as an occasion to disseminate the message of non-violence. The Portrait of Gandhi was displayed at the UN GA Hall.

Global Indian Council Leaders’ views of Mahatma Gandhi, on the occasion of Gandhiji’s bust was unveiled at the United Nations’ headquarters on the North lawn on 14th Dec 2022.

“The great Mahatma who touched the hearts of the villagers of India and who became potential for our freedom, everlasting respect and honor to Gandhiji”, stated P C Mathew, President of Global Indian Council.

Mahatma Gandhi fought for the freedom of India and won. He inspired and lit the fire everywhere for fights against shackles of all kinds. Shackles of colonization, race, and gender as well. It is appropriate that Mahatma Gandhi’s statue is being put up in the UN as the epitome of Freedom, Peace & Tolerance: – Jija Harisingh, GIC Goodwill Ambassador.

Mahatma, as the father of a great nation, was trying to put himself last among all his fellow- creatures. This mindset is what we do not see among our current political leaders and even the so-called religious leaders. Let the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the UN headquarters remind the Global leaders and Nations about his still relevant principles: remarked Prof. Joy Pallattumadom, VP GIC.

Gandhiji, who laid the true foundation of the largest democracy in the world with the principles of non-violence, an icon of the world and an iconic figure of Ahimsa, will decorate the United Nations to remind the world of the way to work towards peace: -Sudhir Nambiar, GIC, General Secretary.

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most outstanding leaders of his time, and he proved that one man had the power to take on an empire using ethics and intelligence. Having the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the UN complex is a proud moment for every Indian: -Tara Shajan, GIC, Treasurer.

The concept of Gandhi’s non-violence became more necessary at this point in life. Every Indian must be so proud that our national father has some place in the United Nations. Being an Indian American, Gandhi is always in our hearts. Let Gandhi’s message of non-violence reach the world for peace. Let the war stop in people’s hearts: – Tom Kolath, GIC, Associate Treasurer.

Unveiling Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the UN is an utmost honor not only for Indians but to mankind, recognizing his legacy and principles in this modern age speaks volumes. As GIC is embarking on it journey in integrating and connecting professionals of Indian origin across the globe, this recognition of Gandhi in UN is a catalyst for our mission: said Dr. Anil Paulose, President, GIC NY Chapter

In fact, Global Indian Council has recently produced a short film “The footprints” touching the life Gandhiji, which proudly won six Awards at the International Film Festival held at Mumbai last month.

Created & reported by:

Saji Charuvil Thomas

Media and Business Promoter, GIC New York Chapter

Founding Member & Brand Ambassador, GIC National

Former International Civil Servant at the United Nations, New York

US-based diaspora organizations have enumerated a list of suggestions that will benefit the international delegates attending the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) conference, set to take place in Indore on January 8-10, 2023.

In a letter addressed to V. Muraleedharan, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA), Federation of Indian Associations of NY NJ CT NE (FIA), Association of Indians in America (AIA), Bihar Jharkhand Assoc. of North America (BAJNA), Gujarati Assoc. of North America (GANA) and the Brahmin Samaj of North America, presented their demands and expectations from the upcoming conference.

The 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 will take place in January in Indore. Every year on the 9th of January, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas holiday is observed to honour the contribution of the Indian community living abroad who contributes to the growth of India. Additionally, it honours Gandhi’s journey back to India from South Africa on the 9th of January, 1915.

Since 2015, its structure has changed to recognize Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) once every 2 years and to organize Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Conferences with involvement from policymakers, stakeholders, and experts from the abroad community.

Dr. Avinash Gupta, chief of Cardiology and president-elect of the medical staff at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC) in New Jersey has been elected the Executive Vice President of The Federation of Indian Associations. Current President Kenny Desai will continue in his 2nd term as the President of the FIA.

The largest Indian American organization along with its member bodies held its Annual General Meeting on Sunday, December 4th, 2023. The general body meeting was to share an overview of the compliance of all member organizations and to assess the overall workings of the FIA and its activities. In addition, the meeting motioned and approved 6 FIA resolutions to the FIA bylaws.

The Unanimously elected Executive Committee for the year 2023 was announced during the event. FIA Election Board praised the efforts and participation of the FIA women’s team, three of whom have been elected to serve in the 2023 Executive team.

The new 2023 Executive team that will lead the FIA efforts:
President Kenny Desai will continue in his 2nd term as the President of the FIA
Executive Vice President: Dr. Avinash Gupta
Vice President: Saurin Parikh
Vice President: Smitamiki Patel
General Secretary: Nishi Dhami
Joint Secretary: Mahesh Dubbal
Treasurer: Priti Patel
Joint Treasurer: Haresh Shah
Immediate Past President: Anil Bansal

Kenny Desai who was elected unanimously for the second term said that he is honored to be heading the committee yet again and looked forward to another year of successful events which will make our motherland India shine again in our homeland the United States of America.

Dr. Avinash Gupta, who was awarded the Humanitarian Award in October this year, for his exemplary work in public health and social service during the pandemic, in the U.S. and in India, is an alumni of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi

The award was given for Dr. Gupta’s remarkable services and involvement in Covid relief work, a press release said. He launched a tele-consultation service for the needy during the 2021 wave of Covid-19 in India; attended to over 1,000 patients with his wife Dr. Geeta Gupta; helped raise over $250,000 for medical relief in India; helped Patna based non profit AASTHA to establish a 10-bed Covid Care Center; and was part of the team of doctors who sent medicines and oxygen concentrators to India. In the U.S., he virtually consulted Indians without medical insurance during the pandemic lockdown.

“Dr Gupta’s service is an inspiration for many. His community leadership continues to glow,” Consul General Jaiswal said. Deputy Consul General Jeph also congratulated Gupta praising his online consultations with Covid patients in Jharkhand and Bihar.

FIA Chairman Vaidya praised Gupta saying his service as a cardiologist shows his love and care for India and the U.S. Bihar Foundation chairman Kumar said Gupta getting the award on the eve of Diwali was remarkable, and also complimented the good work Gupta and his wife have been doing of providing assistance to Indian medical students in the U.S.

In the U.S., Gupta led a team of 50 doctors and healthcare professionals to vaccinate 3,500 Indian Americans in Ocean County, New Jersey. As a president of Monmouth Country American Association of Physicians from India (AAPI), he helped raise $150,000 to Monmouth and Ocean County Food Bank. Gupta led the community leaders’ team in establishing the Siddhivinayak Temple and Indian Cultural Center in Toms River in 2012.

The Sai Pariwar North Brunswick (SPNB) celebrated Ayyappa Swamy Padi Puja (Sastha Preethi) on Sunday, December 4, 2022, at the Sai Mandir in North Brunswick.

Attended by more than 200 devotees, the celebration comprised of more than four hours of spiritual activities including Saibaba Kakada Aarathi, Lord Ganesha & Lord Murugan Puja, Abhishekham, Parayanam, Alankaram, Bhajans & Archana, which were followed by Saibaba Madhyahna Aarathi and Prasadam. Sai Pariwar’s volunteers, supporters and devotees worked together to make the event a success.

Lord Ayyappa is also known as Sastha, Dharmasastha, and Manikantha, and is widely worshiped in the South of India, especially in Kerala. Known as the God of Self-Control, Ayyappa is believed to embody truth, righteousness and dharma and is considered to annihilate evil.

The North Brunswick Saibaba Temple was established by the Sai Pariwar to meet the community’s  need for a cultural and community center for all. Like all Saibaba temples, the SPNB has been open to all and conducts programs to help build strong communities through imbibing cultural values.

The temple holds regular aarati, and Bhajans, and also undertakes other religious services such as abhishekam, gruha pravesham, homam, aksharabhyasam, archana, saibaba ashtothara archana, gruha puja, ground breaking, weddings, engagements, namakaranam, sai vratham, satyanarayana vratham, baby shower, 60th birthday celebrations, upnayanam, car puja, both at the temple and outside locations.

Other activities of SPNB include workshops in Yoga and Holistic Healing, classes in Dance, Mathematics, Hindi and Sanskrit. Among the temple’s upcoming events are a Hanuman Puja and a Free Healthcare Camp on December 8, 2022.

SPNB is managed by a board of trustees which include President Surendra Katthula, Treasurer Anil Bhatt, Ananda Aravapalli, Srinivasa Eswarapu, Mukund Parikh, Parul Patel, Dr. Annankoil Srinivasan, and Surendra Velagapudi.

To continue its activities on a bigger scale, SPNB has planned a large new Saibaba Temple and Cultural Center in North Brunswick Township, on Route 130, next to Shoprite Complex. The new temple will have parking facility on premises and handicap access. The trustees and the executive committee of SPNB aims to complete the construction soon on the land which is already acquired, by raising $3 million in philanthropical support and donations. The new temple will be five minutes away from the current location, and, like the current one, will bring devotees from various communities together under one roof to worship Saibaba.Ar

“As the wintry weather is upon us, we at AAPI want to continue the tradition of providing comfort and warmth to those that need the help most during this holiday season,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). “Therefore, we are renewing the tradition under the `Share the Warmth AAPI 2022 Blanket Drive` and request your support to make this initiative a success and impactful.”

For several years, AAPI at the national level and various local chapters at the state level have been jointly leading efforts to bring warmth and cheer into the lives of the needy across the United States. This program was started in 2019 and it has now become an annual tradition of giving by AAPI to local communities. AAPI’s “Share the Warmth” project has donated thousands of blankets to the poor and the needy in several homeless shelters  across the nation.

“I am very happy to inform you that AAPI with local chapters Share a Blanket program going extremely well and I am proud to say that more than 30 Chapters have come ahead to join the program, said Dr. Raghu Lolabhattu, Vice Chair AAPI Board of Trustees and Chair, Share A Blanket program.

“The goal of the program is for AAPI to work with as many local chapters throughout the nation and function as one entity which is working very well. I request every one of you to make a generous donation to this fund and your contribution would surely give great comfort to the needy and bring a big smile to their faces. Anything would help. Every dollar you donate would make a difference for someone.”

“We at AAPI are extremely grateful for the opportunities we have been blessed with to serve the communities we live in and work in,” said Dr. V. Ranga, Chair of APPI BOT. “ As a token of our appreciation and gratitude, we believe we need to give back and serve the less fortunate in our society in times of their need. Please contribute generously of any amount and each $15 dollars you donate can provide a blanket to the person in need.”

Dr. Kolli, while expressing gratitude and appreciation to the numerous AAPI chapters for organizing the blanket drives around the nation said, “Realizing how this initiative benefits several needy in the community, gives us the motivation to organize many such events and give back to the local community. We strongly feel that we can accomplish much more with support and participation from all our generous AAPI physicians. So, please click this link https://aapiusa.org/blanket-program/ to donate and  your contributions are being matched up to the first $10,000 by the generous sponsor ATG Tours”

AAPI launched the “Share-A-Blanket” project during the holiday season in 2019 during the presidency of Dr. Suresh Reddy to bring warmth to the needy and Dr. Binod Sinha, founder President of NJ AAPI in New Jersey organized and conducted it successfully that year and since then it has been held annually by AAPI and local patron chapters of AAPI.

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), founded in 1982  is the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States, representing the interests of over 120,000 physicians of Indian origin. In addition to several programs in India, AAPI  and has been advocating for the interests of the medical fraternity and organizes regular CME programs, health & wellness events,  and financial workshops for its members and outreach, public health education, and advocacy activities for the community both locally and internationally. For more details and to join the Share-A-Blanket Drive in your state/community, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

Hundreds of people happy with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s return to power in the recent state elections, came together to celebrate the victory at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, New Jersey. It marks the beginning of many such events being organized and held around the United States and the rest of the Indian diaspora.

Tri-state community leaders from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and surrounding areas, joined in congratulating leaders in India who were instrumental in achieving the BJP victory. They all praised the “hard work and dedication” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who hails from Gujarat, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for carrying out the vision of the Prime Minister and the task of development in that Indian state.

Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold television which covered the visibly joyous event, called it a historic moment, and congratulated Prime Minister Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, adding, “Let us know what we can do to help Mother India.”

Dr. Vithal Dhaduk also described Modi as a superb, hardworking and dedicated leader and thanked the people of Gujarat for recognizing his qualities and bringing BJP back to the helm, as well as reinstalling Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Speaking later to Parikh Worldwide Mdiea, Dhaduk emphasized how the people of Gujarat who put their trust in Modi, “did what was best for the state. I wish the same success for national elections in 2024.”

Shobhna Patel of Royal Albert’s Palace, noted this was the first time that the venue was holding a BJP victory party, and called it an honor. She expressed the hope that BJP would win the 2024 general election in India, calling Modi a visionary, hardworking leader who had “made India Number One globally.” Addressing the crowd, she said BJP truly represents its name – a party of the people.

Dr. Sudha Parikh said she was proud of Modi and called it a historic victory, adding, “It is a one man show. We are very proud of his work for all of India.”

Pramod Bhagat of World Peace and Health Foundation, also lauded the BJP victory and thanked Parikh Worldwide Media for covering the celebrations, hoped that “Bharat Vishwa-guru bane” – that India become a teacher of the world. Speaking to ITV Gold, Bhagat praised Indians and Indian-Americans present for braving sub-zero temperatures to make it to the event in the middle of a work week.

Jagdish Sewhani called the Royal Albert’s Palace event, the biggest celebration outside India to date, with many more to come. The “younger generation can say they were here when the historic moment happened. Thanks to all for coming at such short notice,” Sewhani added. Speaking to ITV Gold he said, “People were pro-incumbency, for development, development, development,” he said. “Gujarrati Janata is smart – it believes nothing comes for free for the state or the country.” He praised Modi as a charismatic leader who held not only 31 public meetings, but also led a road-show for 50 kms where streets were lined with people.

Albert Jasani, founder of Royal Albert’s Palace, said he was grateful to organizers including Parikh Worldwide Media/ITV Gold, and the many people attending. He praised Modi and said he was a longtime friend of the Prime Minister.

Mukesh Kashiwala of the Indian American Community of North America said tri-state organizers and leaders had come together to celebrate the event. “Today we are celebrating the greatest victory in India and Gujarat. Today, we have gathered people from the tristate area organizations, to show their solidarity.” He also thanked Parikh Worldwide Media/ITV Gold for covering the event for viewers to see. “We should support whoever is doing good for India,” he said.

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin Edison NJ Chapter (GOPIO-Edison, NJ) hosted the “Diwali & Thanksgiving” celebration at North Branch of Library in Edison, NJ. The event was fully subscribed, and the audience came with family and children to participate. This was the third successful event organized by GOPIO-Edison since it was relaunched in March 2022.

The program started with lightening of lamps by dignitaries including Edison Councilman Ajay Patil, GOPIO Edison Chapter President Pallavi Verma Belwariar and GOPIO Life member Dr. Ramesh Pandey. GOPIO-Edison Team members also joined to light the lamp. The Library Hall was beautifully decorated with garlands, photobooth and welcome desk.

The Diwali Event Started with registration networking with tea that had generated lots of interest and people started coming from the Tristate area. Many came with their families to join the celebration and cultural event at the Edison Public Library. Before the start of the event, audiences enjoyed the tea and snacks and the opportunity for attendees to interact freely.

GOPIO–Edison Chapter President Pallavi Verma welcomed everyone. She appreciated the community coming together for the two major celebrations. She gave a brief about GOPIO-Edison which was relaunched in March 2022 and successfully conducted a “India Book Launch” event on April 10th in the same library in partnership with Indian Consulate, NY and another event on November 6th for “Investment and retirement planning” with experts. The community had very enthusiastically participated in both the events and was fully subscribed. Emcees for the Diwali event were Srishti Agrawal and Anumegha Saxena and both conducted the program very well, engaging the audiences with games and bringing each participant to stage.

The cultural celebration event participants were Mohita, Arhan, Dyksha, Verchas, Verad, Kaivalya and Hanshit. The event also saw singing by Pratibha, Yogesh, along with Pallavi singing some popular bollywood numbers for entertainment.

At the end, all participants were given appreciation certificates for their participation. The program ended with GOPIO-Edison Board member Chitranjan Sahay Belwariar giving vote of thanks to all the participants, Library staff, media partners, and audiences. 

He also thanked Dr Thomas Abraham, Chairman GOPIO International for his guidance for the GOPIO-Edison. Ritesh agrawal managed the registration desk and guided the audience for the event and provided the benefits of becoming a member of GOPIO-Edison Chapter. The link for membership is tinyurl.com/GOPIO-EDISON-MEMBERSHIP.

The president of the chapter, Pallavi Verma and GOPIO Edison team were very encouraged to see audience turnout of the event and they have lined up some more events in Edison Public Library which they explained in details and can be found on GOPIO-Edison Facebook page www.Facebook.com/GOPIO-Edison Those who want to donate may contact GOPIO-Edison at 848-459-5918 or send an e-mail [email protected] or send donation using www.paypal.me/GOPIOEdison

Over 2500 devotees and deputy commissioner Dilp Chauhan attended Vaishnav Temple of New York’s Grand Annakut Mahotsav and Govardhan Puja On Octobr 30th, 2022. Vaishnav Temple of New York held its annual Annakut  as part of Diwali Celebration. Annakut celebration was attended by more than  2,500 devotees. 

As per a press release, all the devotees experienced a divine darshan of Lord Shrinathji to began their new year. The festiveness were enjoyed by all ages both young and old. All Devotees were invited to take Mahaprasad before leaving the temple. Vaishnav Temple of New York is always glad to such a tremendous turnout for this special event. 

Established in 1988, The Vaishnav Temple of New York is the first traditional ‘Pushtimargiya’ temple in North America. We have been fortunate enough to have Shri Govardhannathji Prabhu enhance our lifestyles by his presence in New York for For more than twenty five years through our beloved temple.  The Vaishnav Temple of New York holds many religious activities every year. 

The Vaishnav Temple of New York also, serves as community service center whose purpose is to enrich people lives. Vaishnav Temple of New York participates in many community services such as Senior Citizen Center, Computer Classes, Gujarati Class, Yoga Class, and Health Fairs. Vaishnav temple also supports HELP ( Human Enrichment by Love & Peace) which aids those struggling after facing natural disasters.

Anil Shah, Trustee  of Temple said –  With divine grace of God we have some many devotees participated in todays Annakutotsav,  I really appreciate my Trustees, Board members  Temple committee, Volunteers for their hard work.

President Jaymin Shah stated that Vaisnavs celebrate Annakut because this day Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill at his fingertips to save the people of Vrindavan from natur’s fury. Annakut, or mountain of food, is symbolic of the Govradhan Hill.

Special Guest Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan mentioned in his speech that “I command the great volunteers work to organize such an amazing Annakutotsav.  I appreciate the  President Jaimin Shah   as well as Trustee  Anil Shah for putting this amazing event together. This event Lifestylecan not possible without tireless work from the Volunteers.”

Current Trustee Board members are: Anil Shah – Chairman, Harshad Patel, Arvind Dharia, Govind Akruwala, Govind Butala, Harish Parikh, Hiten Shah, Mayur Shah, Mukund Mehta, Narendra Shah, Dr. Padmakant Shah, Pravin Parikh, Rohit Sakaria, Setu Shah, Vinod Shah. President – Jaimin Shah, Vice Presidents are Atul Sakaria, Manish Shah, Parthiv Shah, Pradip Parikh, Secretary – Kumar Mathuria, and Treasurer – Pravin Parikh.

The New Jersey-based Share & Care has announced two significant milestones of humanitarian service Nov. 29, 2022. According to the non-profit, by the year’s end 2022, it will have distributed more than $80 million in aid in its 40-year history. The Foundation has provided vital aid to more than 100,000 men, women, and children thus far in 2022 alone, a press release from SCF said.

“I would like to thank our loyal donors, 12,000 strong, for their tremendous outpouring of support throughout the years, and I look forward to meeting them in person in 2023 at our 40th annual gala celebration,” Saumil Parikh, Share & Care Foundation president is quoted saying in the press release. Parikh also recognized the more than 70 volunteers from different generations and lifelong volunteers for working “tirelessly to ensure every donation goes to those most in need.”

The organization is urging donors to help it reach its goal of impacting 150,000 individuals in 2022, by visiting its website. As pandemic-related needs ease, the Foundation says it has renewed its focus on core pre-Covid pillars of support: Women’s empowerment, healthcare to unreached, educate for success, educate to graduate, and village upliftment.

To prove its success on the ground, SCF offered the story of two beneficiaries, Annapurna Parmar who lived in a community where there were many lepers, and members of her family were beggers. She struggled to study and dropped out in the 10th grade, but began to love dance as she attended the Loving Community Center. She was spotted by an ashram volunteer who took her under his wing, and she rejoined school, became a proficient dancer, and has traveled the world performing in front of thousands of people as part of the Jai Jagat Tour. She is also excelling in education and is now in the 12th grade.

Umang Marsonia whose keen engineering skills got him a scholarship and helped him develop an awardwinning project which won an award. Photo: Share and Care

The other example is of Umang Marsonia, recipient of an Educate to Graduate (E2G) scholarship, distributed through a partner NGO in Rajkot. With his keen interest in electrical engineering, but unable to afford the education, Umang received an E2G scholarship of Rs. 40,000 annually, completed his bachelor’s degree in technology earlier this year from V.V.P. Engineering College in Pune.

Under the direction of a few of his professors, he designed and built an electric bicycle that could carry up to 375 pounds for almost 40 miles on a single charge. His invention was recognized at the “E-Mobility: An Approach to Green Energy” conference hosted by the Devang Mehta Foundation. His project won the first-place prize of Rs. 100,000.

Umang is currently working as an automotive engineer for KPIT Engineering in Pune.

Based in Rochelle Park, N.J., Share & Care Foundation was founded in 1982, and has earned the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator. For More details, please visit: shareandcare.org

To mark the 14th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008, demonstrations were held from the United States to Japan to pay respects to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and demanded that the perpetrators of the carnage be brought to justice.

Indian Americans and other South Asian communities staged demonstrations across the U.S. including outside the Pakistan embassy in Washington, D.C., condemning Pakistan for harboring terror groups and called on the world powers to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.

Demonstrations also took place in front of the Pakistan Consulate in Houston, Chicago and the Pakistan Community Centre in New Jersey. With posters and banners showcasing the brutality of the terror attacks, protestors called for action against Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

The Indian American and South Asian diaspora marked the 14th anniversary of the heinous 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks by organizing protests in front of the Pakistan Consulate in New York, located at 12E, 65th Street.

The protest started around 12 noon on November 26, 2022, and lasted for two hours, according to a press release from organizers. About 15-20 persons protested and shouted slogans against Pak-ISI-sponsored terrorism and the organized attacks by the Lashkar-e-Taiba in the financial capital of India. They called upon world powers to unite to root out terrorism. They also shouted slogans, namely, ‘Pakistan a Terrorist State’, ‘We Want Justice’, ‘Pakistan a failed state’, ‘Taking Pak out of FATF Grey List a mistake’ etcetera.

Jagdish Sewhani, president of The American India Public Affairs committee, speaking at the event is quoted saying in a press release that terrorism was not just India’s problem, but a problem for the whole world. “We all should come together and fight this menace of Terrorism,” he said, alleging that Pakistan was the epicenter of terrorism, adding, “The culprits of 26/11 are still moving freely in Pakistan, they must be brought to justice.”

During the three-day siege in Mumbai, 140 Indians and 26 nationals of more than 20 other countries including 6 Americans, were killed. An estimated 300 people were wounded during the attack in which 6 members of the the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which has been declared a terrorist organization by both India and the U.S., attacked landmarks like the Victoria Terminal, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and a Jewish synagogue, killing people in cold blood.

Meanwhile, Global Human Rights Defense held a demonstration in front of the peace palace in The Hague to commemorate the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, and raised slogans against ‘ruthless terrorism’ and demanded justice from Pakistan, according to the press statement released by Global Human Rights Defense.

According to the statement, the protest started on Friday, November 25, at noon and ended after 1.5 hours. India is working with several countries whose citizens lost their lives in the 2008 attack, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, adding that it will make sure that real perpetrators do not escape.

“It’s an occasion where entire country remembers it. I want to underline how strongly we feel about it and determined we are to complete the process of justice,” Jaishankar told ANI on Saturday.

“Today is the anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. Even after so many years, the people who planned and oversaw it have not been punished. They have not been brought to justice. This is something which we give utmost importance to,” the Jaishankar  added.

In 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists (LeT) carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks killing at least 166 people and leaving 300 wounded in Mumbai in a 3-day siege of the metropolis.

Two full days of programming during the first-ever South Asian House (SAH) at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) on March 11 and 12, 2023, will range from panel discussions on women in film, business tech, and climate change to curated sets of live and electronic music to a Reel Deal session, Comedy Hour, Industry Leadership Sessions, Mental Health Corner, Queer/Dalit Visual Art NFTs, and Desi Drag Brunch to a red carpet, awards ceremony on Oscar® Sunday recognizing South Asian Trailblazers in Cinema.

For the first time in its 37-year history, SXSW will partner with this innovative initiative to highlight, recognize, and appreciate South Asians from the seven countries – India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives – as well as accomplished members of the diaspora.

Brainchild of veteran producers, curators, and programmers Rohi Mirza Pandya (Box Office Guru Media & Desipina), Monika Samtani (Ms. Media & The Fem Word), Jitin Hingorani (Jingo Media & DFW South Asian Film Festival), and Kirtana Banskota (Banskota Productions & Nepal America Film Society), SAH will convene at Fourth and Co. in the iconic Warehouse District of downtown Austin, six blocks from SXSW® event headquarters.

SAH is excited to welcome community leaders and partners such as Shelly Kapoor Collins, Founder of the Shatter Foundation, a nonprofit to bring entrepreneurship education to girls. As one of the first to come on board, Kapoor Collins adds: “I am thrilled to partner with South Asian House in their endeavor to support not only the community as a whole, but to create a leadership program and space for female founders and entrepreneurs. Shatter Foundation is proud to be a part of this inaugural event at SXSW in 2023.”

SAH is also excited to welcome The Partnership, Inc., a nationally-recognized organization supporting the development of professionals of color into authentic leaders and the transformation of corporate cultures into diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. Since 1987, they have worked with more than 600 companies across all industries and provided more than 6,000 professionals with unparalleled leadership development programs and services.

Storylounge Studios, a NYC based artistic collective whose work spans the fields of digital media, film, theater, and music, will present “The Reel Deal,” hosted by Vick Krishna (TikTok, Gotham Comedy Club, NYC) and Samrat Chakrabarti (Mr. Robot, Midnight’s Children), focused on how to make effective Instagram and TikTok reels, as well as a Variety Show with music and comedy featuring special guests.

Other programming partners include Ragoth Bala, one of the co-founders of The Cumin Club, a brand that makes it easier to enjoy authentic Indian meals in just minutes. Their plant-based menu of 30+ regional dishes from all over India is curated by expert chefs and made with all-natural ingredients, zero preservatives, and healthy sides for a complete meal you can feel great about.

To round out the weekend’s eclectic programming, Indo Warehouse, a premium brand across New York’s world class electronic music scene, will feature its founding artists, Kahani and Kunal Merchant, who have played across the globe from Ibiza to Tulum. They will extend the reach of their sound at SAH, as they prepare for global expansion in 2023.

Finally, Pooja Kumar, Award-winning actress states: “I am so excited to be an official mentor for the South Asian House, which is bringing top Indian cinema and talent to Texas through its international curation.” Other mentors include Milan Chakraborty, Head of Film at Marginal Mediaworks and SXSW® veteran, and Falguni Lakhani Adams, Executive Producer at VICEMedia, who will also serve as a panelist on SAH’s “Women In Film” panel.

US Congresswoman and Assistant Speaker of the House of Representatives Katherine Clark and Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie joined about 300 entrepreneurs, corporate executives, philanthropists, educators and community leaders to honor New England Choice Award recipients at Hilton Woburn Hotel in Woburn, MA on Saturday, November 19, 2022.

Organized by INE MultiMedia, Inc., in collaboration with INDIA New England News, New England Choice Awards also honored Congresswoman Clark and Mr. Ritchie for their services. Dr. Manju Sheth, President of INE Multimedia and creator of the awards presented the awards to the two national leaders for their leadership and commitment to public service.

“One of the feedback that we heard constantly from our Awardees and audience was that it was a very elegant and unique event that was very inspirational and heartwarming,” said Dr. Manju Sheth. “This show has truly been a labor of love for me. I am very grateful to be given an opportunity to honor some extraordinary people.”

Renowned nephrologist, philanthropist, community activist and Visterra President and CEO Brian Pereira was honored with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement. In addition, six leading Indian American go-getters and super achievers from academics to business to healthcare, and a non-profit organization were awarded the prestigious New England Choice Awards (NECA) on Nov. 19, 2022 at Hilton Woburn.

This year’s NECA award recipients were: Madhu Sudan, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Sciences at John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University; Indira Viswanathan Peterson, a leading scholar of Sanskrit, Tamil literature and South Indian cultural history and performing arts; Aman Narang, President and Co-Founder of Toast Inc., which empowers restaurants of all sizes and has a market cap of $11 billion; Seshi Sompuram, President of Shishu Bharati, which teaches Indian languages and culture to about 900 students each year; Dr. Nagagopal Venna, MD, Chief of the Division of Neuro-Immunology and Neuro-Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital; Shriya Srinivasan, a MIT Postdoctoral Researcher, Incoming Assistant Professor at Harvard University, Forbes 30 Under 30 and a Biomedical Engineer; and India Association of Greater Boston (IAGB), one of the oldest non-profit community organizations in the United States.

The 2022 New England Choice Awards team consisted of Anu Chitrapu, Upendra Mishra, Mandy Pant, Anupendra Sharma, Manju Sheth and Aditi Taylor. The judging committee consisted of several prominent members and entrepreneurs of the Indian American community.

NECA this year was produced with the support of number of community sponsors: Cocoon Media, TaranaOM Creations, Sraveo, Foto Duniya, Paani Restaurant, and DJ Randeep.

Aakriti, a vibrant team of dancers with rigorous training in Indian classical dance disciplines, performed songs and dances from the film Bajirao Mastani and TV show Bandish Bandits. Young vocalist and singer Reeshabh Purohit of Berkele College of Music entertained the audience with songs.

As per reports, INE received over 200 nominations for these awards. A jury of 13 individuals selected the final winners. “It is a true privilege for us at New England Choice Awards to honor our extraordinary recipients for their immense contribution to their work and community,” said Dr. Manju Sheth, creator of NECA Awards and CEO of INE MultiMedia, a Waltham, MA-based (501c-3) non-profit organization devoted to promoting and supporting charitable organizations, art, culture, education and empowerment. “My congratulations to all the recipients.”

A lawsuit filed by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which claims that the California California Civil Rights Division’s (CRD) historic move to hold tech giant Cisco accountable for caste discrimination is “anti-Hindu,” is based on “error,” said Dr. Kevin Brown, professor of law emeritus at the University of Indiana, during a Congressional Briefing held on Wednesday.

In 2020, the CRD sued Cisco and two of its employees after a Dalit engineer reported facing workplace discrimination due to his caste. The CRD’s lawsuit accused Cisco of engaging in “unlawful employment practices on the basis of religion, ancestry, national origin/ethnicity and race/color.” In September 2022, HAF struck back with a lawsuit against the CRD, accusing California authorities of “wrongly tying Hindu beliefs and practices to the abhorrent practice of caste discrimination” and “[violating] the First Amendment rights of all Hindu-Americans.”

“The problem with this argument is that factually it’s an error,” said Dr. Brown. “The CRD is not seeking to define Hindu religious beliefs but to prevent caste discrimination. This is a form of discrimination that is practiced by a variety of religions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism. Thus, CRD is not [defining], nor does it need to define, Hindu religious beliefs in order to attack caste discrimination.”

“Hindu American Foundation goes on by wrongly claiming… that CRD is acting under the color of state law against Hindu Americans. This claim, too, suffers from an incorrect factual assertion that CRD is asserting the caste is a function of Hinduism,” Dr. Brown added. “U.S. law is very clear that governments have a compelling interest in the eradication of racial and ethnic discrimination that would in fact override religious beliefs directed towards such discrimination.”

“CRD is arguing that caste discrimination falls under one of the protected traits. So it’s either a form of race discrimination, a form of national origin discrimination, a form of color discrimination, a form of religious discrimination or a form of ancestry discrimination… As such, given CRD’s position, anyone who practiced cast discrimination and employment would violate its discrimination rules,” Dr. Brown said.

“Thus, what CRD must prove isn’t vague at all,” Dr. Brown asserted, adding that historically, the “very definition of American anti-discrimination law was constructed around a desire to prevent the functioning of the Indian caste system.”

Other speakers at the briefing described the deep-seated consequences of caste discrimination in the United States.

“Denying caste is the first defense of the casteists,” said Anil Wagde, an activist at Ambedkar International Center, a civil rights advocacy group. “Over 85% of the 4 million Indians in the United States are from oppressor castes. The Cisco caste discrimination case has proved this unwanted import is indeed here in the United States.”

“One-way caste persists in the US is through popularized mainstream culture. What we consider the culture and caste culture is anti-democratic… and built into it is the genocidal framework against Dalit and Adivasi people,” said Dolly Arjun, cultural activist and co-founder of Healthcare for Marginalized. “Transparency and anti-discrimination policies and international spaces in the US are among our only chances to expose the depth and breadth of this century’s long injustice.”

Commenting on another lawsuit filed by two Hindu professors against the California State University system to protest caste protections, Dr. Dheepa Sundaram, associate professor at the University of Denver, said, “It seems contradictory that the complaints both wish to argue that caste is not foundational to Hinduism and that Cal State does not have the right to define Hinduism. If one believes caste is not part of Hinduism, then why argue that Cal State’s policy banning caste discrimination maligns Hindus?”

“Moreover, Cal State’s decision to add caste to their campus-wide anti-discrimination policy was prompted by the testimony of Dalit activists and students, scholars of caste, and allies of caste-oppressed groups,” she added.

The briefing was co-hosted by Genocide Watch, World Without Genocide, Indian American Muslim Council, Hindus for Human Rights, International Christian Concern, Jubilee Campaign,  21Wilberforce, Dalit Solidarity Forum, New York State Council of Churches, Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America, India Civil Watch International, International Commission for Dalit Rights, Center for Pluralism, American Muslim Institution, Students Against Hindutva Ideology, International Society for Peace and Justice, The Humanism Project and Association of Indian Muslims of America.

Ferguson Library, Stamford in coordination with The Connecticut Chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, on Sunday, Nov. 13^th 2022.

The program started with a welcome address by the Library President Ms. Alice Knapp, who thanked GOPIO for initiating this celebration and all the attendees for their show of support by their participation. Ms.Knapp also said that the library looked bright and very colorful with all the decorations and was thrilled to hear that there were more than 80 performers at this year’s cultural show. This is the second year that the Library and GOPIO-CT have organized this event. At last year’s event, the Indian Consulate in New York had donated books for the “India Corner” at the library.

A traditional lamp was lit by Ms. Knapp,  Ms. Klompus, Mr.Prasad and other GOPIO members present. GOPIO Executive Vice-President Prasad Chintalapudi said that there is so much to learn from the Diwali festival. He said that the Devas and Asuras both gain knowledge and power but Devas use it for purpose of community growth and Asuras use it for destruction. Diwali festival is celebrated all over the world including at White House every year. This year New York Mayor Adams declared Diwali to be a school holiday in 2023.

The event was chaired by GOPIO Jt. Secretary Mahesh Jhangiani and Yelena Klompus the Library’s ELL, Citzenship & Cultural Programs manager. Prachi Narayan, Anita Mathur, Ashvini Persuad, and Shilpa Bhakta made the auditorium colorful with all the decorations.  Darshana “A glimpse into Hindu civilization” traveling exhibit was on display, offering an opportunity to learn about various topics ranging from yoga and divinity to mathematics and administration. Non-perishable food items were also collected for local food banks through the Sewa Diwali initiative.

Roushan Ahmed, a gifted  local henna  artist applied intricate  and exquisite Henna designs for everyone. Following the ceremony, Indian American dancers including children performed Indian classical, folk and Bollywood dances representing the different regions of India. Unity in diversity was the theme for the afternoon.  Yashasvi Jhangiani and Prachi Narayan kept the audience engaged and the cultural program flowing smoothly. The auditorium was packed, and this promises to become one of the library’s more popular celebrations. After the cultural show light Indian snacks and pizza was served to attendees.

The South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) held an in-person fund-raising Gala November 2, 2022 at The Prince George Ballroom in New York City. Attended by more than 240 invited guests, the ‘Coming Together Striving Forward’ gala had writer-actor-chef Madhur Jaffrey as the guest of honor, special guests Congresswoman Grace Meng, entrepreneur Adnan Durrani, Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar, Chef Chintan Pandya, Queens Council Member Sandra Ung, Council Member Linda Lee, media stars  Hena Doba and Sree Sreenivasan, Acting Consul General of Nepal Bishnu Prasad Gautam and Consul General of Bangladesh Mohammad Monirul Islam.

A highlight of the evening was food by Chef Hemant Mathur who catered the event, while performances by D.J. Rekha, Grammy award winner singer Falu and The New York Kathak Dance Company provided the entertainment for the evening. The event was emceed by Hena Doba and Sree Sreenivasan. Actor-Producer-Director Faran Tahir was also a special guest.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director Sudha Acharya spoke of the increasing needs of the underserved immigrant community and assured that the organization would continue to provide direct services as it had been doing for 22 years. Jaffrey appreciated the work of SACSS’ food pantry, saying it provided comfort to the soul through culturally palatable food. During the evening SACSS also honored and presented special awards to some of the dignitaries.  Congresswoman Grace Meng was presented with Community Trailblazer Award, entrepreneur Adnan Durrani with Pioneer in FoodYouWant Award, Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya were presented with Innovator in FoodYouWant awards

Accepting her award, Congresswoman Grace Meng noted the contribution of SACSS to the community through its food pantry and the new community center opened last year. Durrani spoke of his own experiences and lauded the work done by SACSS during the pandemic. Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar encouraged those present to uphold their cultural heritage. Chef Chintan Pandya said he would like to emulate the path carved by noted chefs like Jaffrey and Floyd Cardoz.

A fundraising auction was also held during the evening where chefs Pandya and Vijay Kumar of  Unapologetic Foods offered the prize of a dinner personally prepared by them at their home for a party of ten.  Other contributors to the fundraising auction were Christopher Hyland & Constantino Castellano of Christopher Hyland Inc., Hena Doba of Cheddar TV, Madhur Jaffrey, Anu Bhat of The Rural Painter and T.K. Sarasvathy of The Bhojan Art

The gala itself was sponsored by Ranu Boppana, Hena Doba, Adnan Durrani, Mysore Gandhi, Anjali Maniam, Mamta Prakash, Devi Ramchandran, Runi Mukherji-Ratnam and Basu Ratnam, Swarna

Shah and Navina Sitaram.The community sponsors of the fundraiser included John Albert, Canopy Biopharma, Community Service Society of New York (CSS), Vijay Dandapani, Binodh DeSilva, Driscoll Foods, India Home and TakeTwo Services. Other long term sponsors of SACSS included Guru Krupa Foundation Inc., Michael Becker and Tee Scatuorchio, Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, Christopher Hyland, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Francesa Gany, Rekha and Ramesh Gupta, and Shummi and Shikha Jindal.

The non-profit organization SACSS based in Flushing, Queens, has been providing direct services to the South Asian Community in New York City for many years, providing help with getting healthcare and public benefits, and has expanded its activities to food pantry and a Seniors’ community center. SACSS provides its services to close to 150,000 persons a year through free programs and help available in 19 languages including Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Nepali, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Spanish, Creole, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hakka and Malay. (Courtesy: News India Times)

For diabetics with obesity, there are SGLT-2 inhibitors – which are the frontline drugs for diabetes management – and injectable GLP-1 receptor analogues, that help in moderate to substantial weight loss, says Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman of Fortis-CDOC Center of Excellence for Diabetes, New Delhi

Can diabetes medicines lead to weight loss? Can they be given to the obese who are non-diabetic?

For diabetics with obesity, there are SGLT-2 inhibitors – which are the frontline drugs for diabetes management – and injectable GLP-1 receptor analogues, that help in moderate to substantial weight loss, says Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman of Fortis-CDOC Center of Excellence for Diabetes, New Delhi

We have been using these injectables for diabetes management for ten years now. Over the years, there have been many such injectables available – first we had a twice-daily injection, then once daily injection, then we had once-a-week injection, and now we have oral form of these drugs. These are powerful drugs that can lead to a loss of 5 per cent to 10 per cent of body weight over six months to one year.

The newer versions of these drugs, which are currently not available in India, can make a person lose up to 15 per cent of their body weight. This is remarkable. There is a great potential of these drugs as far as obesity is concerned.

Can these drugs be prescribed to obese persons who might not be diabetic?

As far as people who are only obese are concerned, right now the only approved drug in India is a very weak one called Orlistat. It’s a very old drug that has been on the market for more than 20 years. This drug blocks the absorption of fat in the intestine. But, since it works on the intestine, it can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea. Besides, the weight loss is not much.

On the other hand, worldwide, injections of these GLP-1 receptor analogues at a high dose are available for weight loss in non-diabetics. Now, another drug of the same class is being approved on the fast track for the treatment of obesity.

For diabetics with obesity, there are SGLT-2 inhibitors – which are the frontline drugs for diabetes management – and injectable GLP-1 receptor analogues, along with the oral GLP-1 analogue, that is available by the name Rybelsus for the last couple of months.

Just to repeat, in India however, there is only one approved weight loss drug. However, if you are using the GLP-1 receptor analogues in the doses currently available in India, then the patient has to be explained that it is being used out of the label (a drug used for the treatment of a condition for which it is not approved).

Does using diabetes medicines in non-diabetic obese persons lead to a drop in blood glucose levels?

No. These drugs are, in fact, known to not cause hypoglycaemia. These drugs are used by us, infrequently, in those who have morbid obesity and don’t want to go for bariatric surgery.

Importantly, since these medicines lead to weight-loss, can they result in remission of the disease?

Of course, if they lose that much weight. There is a 60 to 70 per cent likelihood that the persons go into diabetes remission. This is the additional advantage of using these drugs in pre-diabetic and diabetic persons who are obese.

Now, can people go off these medications after remission? Usually, the patients and their doctors set a target weight. If they reach the target and their sugars are normal, they can go off the medicines. But, they need to have, say, a high degree of exercise and a good diet to prevent regaining weight. Weight regain is always a problem with whichever modality is used to lose weight, except bariatric surger

We have been using these injectables for diabetes management for ten years now. Over the years, there have been many such injectables available – first we had a twice-daily injection, then once daily injection, then we had once-a-week injection, and now we have oral form of these drugs. These are powerful drugs that can lead to a loss of 5 per cent to 10 per cent of body weight over six months to one year.

The newer versions of these drugs, which are currently not available in India, can make a person lose up to 15 per cent of their body weight. This is remarkable. There is a great potential of these drugs as far as obesity is concerned.

Can these drugs be prescribed to obese persons who might not be diabetic?

As far as people who are only obese are concerned, right now the only approved drug in India is a very weak one called Orlistat. It’s a very old drug that has been on the market for more than 20 years. This drug blocks the absorption of fat in the intestine. But, since it works on the intestine, it can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea. Besides, the weight loss is not much.

On the other hand, worldwide, injections of these GLP-1 receptor analogues at a high dose are available for weight loss in non-diabetics. Now, another drug of the same class is being approved on the fast track for the treatment of obesity.

For diabetics with obesity, there are SGLT-2 inhibitors – which are the frontline drugs for diabetes management – and injectable GLP-1 receptor analogues, along with the oral GLP-1 analogue, that is available by the name Rybelsus for the last couple of months.

Just to repeat, in India however, there is only one approved weight loss drug. However, if you are using the GLP-1 receptor analogues in the doses currently available in India, then the patient has to be explained that it is being used out of the label (a drug used for the treatment of a condition for which it is not approved).

Does using diabetes medicines in non-diabetic obese persons lead to a drop in blood glucose levels?

No. These drugs are, in fact, known to not cause hypoglycaemia. These drugs are used by us, infrequently, in those who have morbid obesity and don’t want to go for bariatric surgery.

Importantly, since these medicines lead to weight-loss, can they result in remission of the disease?

Of course, if they lose that much weight. There is a 60 to 70 per cent likelihood that the persons go into diabetes remission. This is the additional advantage of using these drugs in pre-diabetic and diabetic persons who are obese.

Now, can people go off these medications after remission? Usually, the patients and their doctors set a target weight. If they reach the target and their sugars are normal, they can go off the medicines. But, they need to have, say, a high degree of exercise and a good diet to prevent regaining weight. Weight regain is always a problem with whichever modality is used to lose weight, except bariatric surger

(Dr Anoop Misra is the Chairman of Fortis-CDOC Center of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases, and Endocrinology in New Delhi. He has been an advisor to the Ministry of Health, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Department of Biotechnology, offering his expertise on several issues related to diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. In the past two years, Dr Misra has published 40 papers on Diabetes and Covid-19 in top science journals.) (Couresy: The Indian Express)

Amid continuing challenges of the pandemic, climate and humanitarian emergencies, leading philanthropists and non-profit organisations from India and the US have underscored the importance of collaborative and structured efforts for working towards solutions and joining forces to bring about transformational changes across sectors. Leading diaspora organisation ‘Indiaspora’ and India’s largest giving platform ‘Give’ hosted the Indiaspora-Give Philanthropy Summit at the Consulate General of India, New York on Tuesday.

In the inaugural year of our partnership, Give and Indiaspora jointly hosted the Indiaspora-Give Philanthropy Summit on October 28, 2022 at the Consulate General of India, New York. The event brought together leading philanthropists, foundations, and nonprofits to share insights about recent shifts and opportunities in philanthropy to India, understand pressing social issues in the United States, and explore how we can collectively work towards solutions.

The event brought together philanthropists, foundations and nonprofits to share insights about recent shifts and opportunities in philanthropy to India, understand pressing social issues in the United States, and explore ways to collectively work towards solutions.

Addressing the day-long summit, Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal said many in the diaspora around the world have got opportunities that have empowered them and they have scaled great heights in their lives and careers.

“Now we all have to give back because we have got so much from society. This is our moral duty, a moral calling,” he said.

Sharing his story, Jaiswal said he hails from a village in Bihar and now has the opportunity to serve as India’s Consul General in New York.

“But what good will my life be if I cannot change the lives of 10 people in my village. That is the commitment I have,” he said to a round of applause from the audience.

”Indiaspora’s core pillar is social impact and philanthropy and it was in evidence at the summit. We all want to be givers not takers,” entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist and Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami said.

India Philanthropy Alliance Director Alex Counts described the collaboration between Indiaspora and Give as very important.

“If we’re going to solve big problems” through the non-governmental sector in India, ”we need to do it together in a collaborative way.” Referring to the deadly second wave of the COVID19 pandemic in India, Counts said Indian-Americans, including those who had achieved tremendous business success in the US, “opened up their pocketbooks like never before” and were extremely generous in donating to pressing causes and needs.

While a lot of money that was contributed during the difficult months of the pandemic by the Indian diaspora in the US was mostly well used, “people realised that if Indians are going to be giving more, it should be done in a more organised way, a more collaborative way with less fragmentation.” There was a thinking that “if you want to give for the long term, for something that’s not just an immediate response, it needs to be thought through, it needs to be done in a collaborative, coherent way,” Counts said.

Counts added that the India Philanthropy Alliance, which is a group of 14 organisations that have come together and raise about a quarter of a billion dollars a year, is launching a campaign that will culminate in March next year in the ‘India Giving Day’, the first annual day to celebrate giving from the US to India.

“We’re hoping that this will be the biggest India focused fundraising day in the history of the United States,” he said.

Ashish Shah, CEO North America, Give, noted that the ability of Indians in the US to contribute to philanthropic causes has increased manifold over the years.

WISH Foundation Founder and Co-founder of Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence Sunil Wadhwani said the summit provided an opportunity for organisations to learn from one another “because there are a lot of nonprofits in the room. Each one is doing something different and there’s a lot we can learn from each other”.

He said that beyond sectors such as education and healthcare, tremendous work is required in areas such as climate action, gender equality, women’s empowerment and girls’ education.

Established in 2000, Give, together with its partners, is the largest and trusted giving platform in India, according to its website.

Give’s community of over 2.6 million donors supports over 2,800 verified nonprofits, serving more than 15 million people across the country. (PTI)

Kannada Koota New York, a 49 year old non-profit organization, celebrated the 67^th Kannada Rajyotsava with traditional flag hoisting and singing of patriotic songs at Alley Pond in New York on November 5, 2022.

Kannada Rajyotsava celebrates the formation of the Karnataka State in India on November 1, 1956. The day is celebrated in Karnataka with the state government giving awards to people who have made great contributions in the development of the state. A special cultural program is held that day inaugurated by the Chief Minister of the state.

The Kannada Rajyotsava is celebrated by the people with enthusiasm by getting together, hoisting the state flag, holding cultural events and processions. Kannada speaking Kannadigas constitute over 65 percent of the population of Karnataka State which was known before 1956 as the Mysore State.

Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Innovation from New York City Mayor’s Office participated in the event. Deputy Commissioner hoisted the Karnataka flag along with members of Kannada Koota.

The Deputy commissioner lauded the community and emphasized the cultural importance for future generations.  On behalf of NYC Mayor Eric Adams Mr. Chauhan conveyed Mayor Eric Adams message to all the members. Several cultural events followed after that like signing Karnataka Nada geethe(State Song) and other Kannada patriotic songs were performed by members.  Kannada Rajyotsava is a public holiday in the Karnataka state of India.

Kannada Koota celebrated it much in the tradition of the state with a hoisting of a 20 feet long Karnataka state flag by the Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation Dilip Chauhan from New York City’s Mayor’s office, and members of Kannada Koota, including its President Ajith Bhaskar. Speaking at the event, Chauhan said the organization and the community had made notable contributions to NYC. Chauhan said preserving the traditions was important for future generations to appreciate the community’s efforts and cultural heritage. A cultural variety program followed the singing of Karnataka Nada Geethe(State Song) and other Kannada patriotic songs.

Kannada Koota, born out of the need to preserve traditions of home, was established by like-minded Kannadigas in New York with an aim to promote the language, art, heritage and culture of their forefathers in Karnataka. The organization has expanded its umbrella to include Kannadigas from New Jersey and Connecticut.

Kannada Koota New York Executive Committee organized the event under the leadership of Ajith Bhaskar, President of Kannada Koota New York.  Kannada Koota New York will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary on April 2023 and looking forward to community participation and support.

Diwali, is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The name Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit term “Dipavali”, meaning “row of lights.” The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. It is one of the most popular festivals with south Asian communities and Indian diaspora. The festival has secured a sturdy foothold far from the subcontinent in places with significant Indian diaspora population – like New York. NYCHHC Lincoln provides a multicultural community setting to help the staff experience cultural diversity through participation in different forms of art.

On October 27th NYCHHC Lincoln hospital celebrated the India festival Diwali Festival of Lights with pomp and show. Lincoln Hospital truly exhibits how accommodating and accepting in regards to cultural diversity. Program started with the American national anthem sung by Pitique Desruisseaux and Indian national anthem sung by Tara Shajan & Sukhdeep Hayer.

The program was inaugurated and the lamp was lit by Chief Executive Officer Christopher Roker in his speech he mentioned that Diwali is “Personally” a day of reflection, it’s also about celebrations and  “ happiness, positivity, bringing people together.” Unity and diversity is also our strength.

The chief guest & keynote speaker was Tom George Kolath, actor, writer, director, film producer addressed the audience and he stated “Be the Change for others through showing the spirit of Diwali and it reflect the light in other people’s life.” That bigger picture of accepting and recognizing other cultures and festivals is always admirable.

You healthcare workers are so awesome. I would like to inhale all your love & support and Exhale my gratitude.” Mr. Kolath also thanked our Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul for taking that initiative and recognizing an Indian Festival to this Empire state and also in NY City.

Davinderpal Hanjan did a wonderful job being the Emcee and all staff who were dressed in Indian clothes participated in a fashion show which was very interesting to watch the different styles and dresses representing different states of India.

Roshin Mammen entertained the audience with his performance with drum beats to a Bollywood song. Sukhdeep Hayer, Tara Shajan, and others performed a catchy performance of Bollywood dance and Indian fashion show. The closing remarks was by Dr. Usha Venugopal who delivered the vote of thanks. The dance floor was opened with Bollywood music & staff enjoyed dancing to that catchy music. Staff enjoyed the Diwali sweets and food which was served thereafter.  HAPPY DIWALI.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams inaugurated Diwali celebrations in Times Square on October 15. The festival of Diwali marks the beginning of the Indian New Year. Deepavali – the Festival ofLight, this year falls on Oct 24 but the celebrations started a week before, in Times Square. Mayor Eric Adams, Senator Charles E. Schumer, India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal, NY State Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar – the first Indian American Assemblywoman, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine attended the event along with hundreds of Indian American community members.

“We acknowledge the Diwali, and we need to acknowledge the power of women and the significant role women play in our country, in our city. Let’s continue to lift our women as we liftup our country – our city,” said NYC Mayor Adams. On October 20, the Mayor announced that Diwali will be a public-school holiday in New York City starting in 2023. This sends a message about the significance of the city’s inclusiveness and the “long overdue” step will encourage children to learn about the festival of lights.

Consul General of India Randhir Jaiswal said, “Every year, we celebrate Diwali in Times Square but this year, it is somewhat different. It happened to be part of India’s 75th year of Independence.”

Renowned Oncologist Padma Shree Dr. Dattatreyadu Nori was recognized and honored for his lifetime excellent services to Medicine and Philanthropy by Mayor Eric Adam. Times Square witnessed huge participation of members of the Indian American community, Americans and others dressed up in traditional outfits from different states of India, showcasing India’s rich art, culture, and diversity. The Diwali Bazaar provided a variety of traditional Indian cuisines and sweets and merchandise for Diwali festivities.

The variety of traditional performances and lively acts by world-renowned artists like Jay Sean, Arjun, Rimi Nique, and Social Media fame artists Kiran + Nivi and Hrishi kept the audience glued for hours. 100s of students of Arya Dance Academy and Shiamak Davar School of Dance, Heeray, DanceX, Prashant Shah presented dazzling dance shows at the event.

“We love our community, our Indian community, and we love that we all come together here in New York with our diversity,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer. He has been celebrating the festival of Diwali with the Indian American community in New York for many years. “The Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities, you are so important to the city, and I wish you a holiday of light, prosperity, of happiness, health, and a wonderful year ahead,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine in his address.

Jennifer Rajkumar, the first Indian American NY State Assemblywoman was introduced by Mayor Eric Adams on the stage. “On the street, they call him Mayor Eric Adams – a Hindu Mayor. A plant-based diet, and meditation, he does it all. I am honored to be the first Hindu elected to be in the NYS office. The first Indian woman but definitely not the last one,” she said. Attendees were encouraged to take the advantage of Bivalent Vaccines at nearby COVID Clinics with the partnership of the “We Can Do This” campaign of Vaccines.gov, a Health & Human Services initiative.

“We appreciate the support and cooperation from the authorities of the City of New York, NYPD, FDNY, Health Department, Times Square Alliance, and other Government organizations to create yet another successful event at Times Square,” AR Helping Hands Foundation Diwali at Times Square organizer, Neeta Bhasin and Naresh Kumar said in a statement.

“A Unity Walk” in solidarity with Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Indian National Congress from Kanyakumari to Kashmir led by Shri Rahul Gandhi, was held at the iconic Times Square (47th St & Steps) to Union Square (Gandhi Statue) in New York City on Sunday, October 30th, 2022. 

Inspired by the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) USA organized a ‘Unity Walk’ from Times Square in New York City  to underline the message of unity and peace in India, a press release issued here stated. 

According to an IOC press release, about 300 members of the Indian diaspora took part in the ‘Unity Walk’ that began from Times Square on Sunday and walked up to the Gandhi statue in Union Square in downtown Manhattan.

The Pada Yatra is inspired by the “Bharat Jodo Yatra, currently being led by Rahul Gandhi” and “emphasizes unity and peace in India and the sub-continent.”

Indian Overseas Congress President Sam Pitroda flagged off the Ekta Pad Yatra from Times Square. At the conclusion of the 2.5 kilometer padyatra, a wreath was laid at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Union Square. 

In his remarks, Pitroda “urged India to continue to be led by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and respect the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights, justice, equality, inclusion, and related values and wisdom outlined in the Indian Constitution,” the release added.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Shri Rahul Gandhi will cover a distance of around 3500 kms and go through about 12 states and 2 Union Territories. It will be a padayatra throughout. The entire leadership and cadre of the Congress party will participate in the Yatra. Many other yatras will join the main padayatra from across the length and breadth of the country.

After 75 years of independence, the Indian National Congress pays rich tributes to all those who fought for India’s freedom, those who defeated the politics of divide and rule, those who came together to give the country its great Constitution, and those who put India on the path of progress, prosperity, social justice and harmony.

Today, as the politics of hate is being practiced by those who never took part in our country’s freedom movement, and whose ideologies resulted in the assassination of the Father of the Nation, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has been launched as a nation-wide movement to unite;

• every Indian who is committed to the protection, preservation and promotion of the values anchored in our country’s freedom movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi;
• every Indian who is dedicated to fighting the politics of hatred, bigotry and polarization;
• every Indian who believes that instead of divisive politics, the focus of governance should be on providing productive jobs to crores of youth, easing the burden on crores of our families of the intolerable price rise of essential commodities, ensuring the welfare and well-being of kisans and khet mazdoors, and protecting our Jal, Jangal and Zameen for securing livelihoods and dignity for crores of Adivasis, Dalits, and other weaker sections of society;
• every Indian who is determined to uphold the country’s Constitution against all odds, and ensure Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity for all, irrespective of caste, class, faith, gender or language.

“The United States and India need to stand together as they are great democracies that stand for human values,” declared US Congressman Jim Himes, a Democrat representing the 4th district of Connecticut during a networking reception, Diwali Celebrations, Dinner, Music and Interactive Session With Congressman Jim Himes at the Hampton Inn and Suites, Stamford, CT on Friday, October 28th, 2022. 

Stating that the Indo-US relationship is fundamental to the stability of the world, Rep. Himes referred to the compulsions that led to India’s response to Russia’s unilateral invasion of Ukraine. “We underrated the long-standing relationship India has had with Russia. We understand the constraints India faces. No one needs to sit  in judgement of India’s position on Ukraine,” Rep. Himes said. 

Rep. Himes shared with the audience about his recent visit to Ukraine and meeting with the leadership in this war-torn nation. Describing the pain and the suffering inflicted on the people of Ukraine, Rep. Himes said, “Everyone we met in Ukraine stated, we will  do everything in our power to defend every inch of our territory.” 

While hoping that the war ends soon, the Congressman pointed to how “Democracy is under threat today more than ever,” and he stressed the need for India and the United States need to “stand together to protect the democratic values.”

“There is a temptation to test the ties India and the United States have developed for centuries,” Rep. Himes pointed out. Stating that the this “friction is between India and the United States is only temporary” Rep. Himes said, “We will stand united and will work together towards the common values that are dear to both the nations.” Describing India and the United States as “cousin democracies” Rep. Himes said, “The Democratic party leadership is in understanding of the critical need for strengthening the relationship between India and the United States. We are very supportive of the need to build on the India US relationship,” he added. 

On the issue of long waiting, sometimes nearly 2 years to obtain an appointment for a Visa interview, while describing this as “a solvable problem, but the right intention and motive is essential,” Rep. Himes said, “We need to advocate with local representatives in every state to solve this back log.” As Chairman of the House Committee overseeing the State Department, Himes suggested that the US State Department will listen to Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York. “You need to have them understand the long delay in visa interviews,”  he said. 

On the Green Card back log, Rep. Himes said, attracting skilled laborers is “central to our economy.” On a question, regarding the discussions about the Country-based quota not being used and unused visas could be used to allow Green Cards to other qualified individuals who are caught in the backlog for Green Card approval, Rep. Himes was unsure if the Biden Administration will embrace the policy.

Rep. Himes serves on the US Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, a forum in which Members of Congress address the issues central to our relationship with this important South Asian nation. By promoting dialogue on issues of interest to the Indian American community, the Caucus strives to strengthen bilateral relations between the United States and India, promote trade with India, enhance economic development in India and the United States, increase anti-terrorism cooperation.

While commenting on the recent US decision to sell F-16 Fighter Jets to Pakistan, Rep. Himjes said, “I have my personal perspectives on India and Pakistan. I understand who are our partners in security.” 

On the question of “cyber security” Himes said, “It is getting more and more a serious issue.” While acknowledging that “China is very targeted” Himes said, “Russia is not as sophisticated.” Himes stated, the US is investing heavily on cyber security to address the fast and ever evolving security threats posed by many rogue nations and people, around the world. “We need to be more resilient and there is an urgent need to fix ther problem.” 

Congressman Himes had all praise for the Indian American community. He referred to how he came to meet with a new entrepreneur of Indian origin in Bridgeport recently, who is setting up a large firm that will help manufacture semiconductors that is in huge demand now. He also spoke about the contribution of the Indian American community for their contributions to creating a hub of tech innovation in Stamford in CT. “The brains of tech innovations are here,” he said, while pointing to the Indian community. 

While acknowledging that “We have so much to do on immigration” to enable these tech savvy and entrepreneurial Indian American community to have a smoother and faster way to have Green Card and Job Visas,  Rep. Himes, whose District has a fast-growing South Asian immigrant community, praised them for their contributions. “You are a secret weapon for economic growth,” he told the Indian American community, and called them “the future of US innovations.”

In his inaugural remarks, GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, said, “Every year, GOPIO-CT has had an interactive session with Rep. Jim Himes and other elected officials.” Dr. Thomas Abraham initiated the discussion by raising the “H1 and H4 visa issues and what needs to be done by the Biden Administration, especially for the need to clear the backlogs of pending Immigration numbers for our community.” Responding to these concerns that were shared in a series of questions by GOPIO leaders on the Immigration issues, Dr. Abraham described the immigration policy and the current situation as “messy.”

During the interactive session among members of GOPIO, who raised concerns about the Western Media being anti-India, Ritu Johorey, Board Member of GOPIO-CT refuted the claim and stressed that the Western Media is neither anti-India nor anti-Modi Government, and stated speaking of the realities in India and portraying what is happening in India today cannot be described as anti-India. The Diwali celebrations at an eloquently decorated Meeting Hall included Cocktail Dinner and a live Bollywood Music by popular Playback singers from across the state of Connecticut, emceed by Dr. Jaya West. 

The program started with a welcome by GOPIO-CT President Ashok Nichani who said that Rep. Himes is a great supporter of GOPIO and the Indian community. He said, over the last 15 years, GOPIO-CT, a chapter of GOPIO International has become an active and dynamic organization hosting interactive sessions with policy makers and academicians, community events, youth mentoring and networking workshops, and working with other area organizations to help create a better future. GOPIO-CT – Global Organization of People of Indian Origin – serves as a non-partisan, secular, civic and community service organization – promoting awareness of Indian culture, customs and contributions of PIOs through community programs, forums, events and youth activities. It seeks to strengthen partnerships and create an ongoing dialogue with local communities. For more details, please visit: http://gopio-ct.org/

At a largely attended Diwali Celebrations at the Gracie Mansion, New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), along with its Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, for its work in community mobilization and common good of the society in the New York area. Other recognized are Federation of Indian Associations of NY, NJ, CT (FIA) Chairman Ankur Vaidya, Indiaspora Founder M.R. Rangaswamy, Grammy Award Winner Falu Shah and Tulsi Mandir of Richmond Hill Queens represented by its priest Lakra Maharaj and Lion Romeo Hitlall of the Indo-Caribbean community. 

This was the first Diwali Celebration by Mayor Adams held at the Gracie mansion on October 25th evening after assuming office as the mayor of the city. Over 1100 people attended the festive celebration with Indian food, dances of India and people dancing to the tune of Bollywood music.

The program started with Mayor’s Chief Advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin with a welcome saying that she was learning more and more about Diwali and that people from all over world have been celebrating Diwali. She then introduced New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who introduced several other elected officials including NYS Senator Kevin Thomas and City Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Amanda Farías and Linda Lee. Others present with Mayor Adams were his senior team members of Indian origin including Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan and Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan (Trade and Investment).

Assemblywoman Rajkumar said that Goddess Durga showered her blessings, and that was why she won. She further added that she followed the teachings and focused like Arjuna on the Mahabharata, and that is why I won. 

Rep, Rajkumar said, “For over two decades, many of you in this room have fought to make Diwali a school holiday in New York City. I’ve been with you in that fight and for the first time, a New York City mayor has stepped forward to lift us up and create the Diwali holiday.”

Mayor Adams in his remarks has said that the Indian American community is very important for New York city.  “I looked at during the 70s when we saw such a large wave of those who came from India, moved to Queens, wanted to believe in American dream and you worked hard and opened small businesses, and you sent your children to school to learn different skills so they can be deputy mayors and doctors and leaders of agencies and help our city move forward, fortifying the strength of our city,” said Mayor Adams. 

“And you asked me on the campaign trail as we went from location to location, you said, Eric, we want to be acknowledged by having a holiday. While children can not only take off to acknowledge Diwali, but other children will have to now ask the question, “What is Diwali? What does it represent?” And we were faced with an awesome challenge. There were no more days in the calendar and everyone stated it was not possible, however, we have found a solution to make Diwali a holiday in the New York City School System in 2023,” Mayor Adams continued.

Mayor Adams further said, “And finally, we have to live true to what Diwali represents, since, there’s too much darkness engulfing in the desire to just find places we disagree. It is time for us to live up to Diwali, to sit down and communicate, to push back against hate crimes against Sikhs, against AAPI, against those of the LGBTQ+ communities, against African Americans, against Latinos, against Irish and Jewish and Polish and all the other groups that make this city. We need to be the beacon of light that shows the country how we need to push away darkness.” 

Mayor Adams concluded and said to live in the spirit of Ram, in the spirit of Sita, in the spirit of Diwali and live up to what this holiday represents and then we would know that we fulfilled our responsibility and obligation. 

New York city’s Trade and Investment Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan then introduced each of the honorees to receive their citation which was presented by him, Mayor’s Advisor Chief advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin and Rep. Jenifer Rajkumar. There were Indian dances before the ceremony started and ended with Bollywood dancing on the floor.

The Kerala Center in New York held its 30th Annual Awards Banquet at the Center’s auditorium in Elmont, NY on Saturday, October 22, 2022.  The Center honored six individuals who made notable contributions in their professions and to the society with their selfless dedication. 

This year’s honorees who accepted the awards at the ceremony were: Jose Kaniyaly, Executive Editor and Partner of Kerala Express weekly newspaper, for his contributions to Malayalam Media and Journalism; Thomas Joy, police officer and president of the American Malayalee Law Enforcement United (AMLEU), for Public Service; Bindiya Sabarinath, founder of Mayura School of Arts, for achievements in the category of Performing Arts and P. T. Paulose, for contributions to Pravasi Malayalam Literature. Dr. Javad Hassan, Chairman of NeST Group, who won the award for Corporate Leadership and Dr. Silvester Noronha of MIT, in the category of Applied Science, were unable to attend and accept the awards due to personal circumstances.  

The program commenced with the American and Indian National anthems sung by Riya Kootumkal and Bincy Cheripuram. The MC was Mrs. Daisy P. Stephen who then introduced Kerala Center President Alex K. Esthappan, who welcomed everyone and provided a brief description of the activities and goals of the Kerala Center. Indian Consul for Trade and Commerce, Manish Kulhary, was the chief guest of the function. New York Senators Kevin Thomas and Anna Kaplan were present to say felicitations and to present the awards. 

The chief guest was introduced by Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of the Trustee Board and Award Committee member. In his remarks, Dr. Abraham talked about the maturing of the Indian community in the last 50 years with our increasing political participation. He called upon the parents to inculcate community service in their children. 

Chief Guest, Indian Trade and Commerce Consul Manish Kulhary stated that he had a relationship with Keralites from his childhood as his teachers in his school in Rajasthan were Malayalees.  He praised Kerala for its achievement in education and healthcare, and also praised the Kerala Center for honoring individuals who excelled in their professions and serving the society with dedication. 

Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran, the chairman of the Award Committee and Board of Directors, in his speech explained the process of selecting the awardees.

The award for Malayalam Media and Journalism went to Jose Kaniyaly the Executive Editor and Partner of Kerala Express, a weekly Malayalam newspaper published from Chicago, which was founded in 1992.  In his speech, he encouraged associations and its leaders in America to give more recognition to medias and journalists here in conjunction with journalists in India. Kaniyaly was introduced by Christy Jose, youth representative of the Kerala Center, and Consul Kulhary presented the award.

The award for community service went to Thomas Joy, a police officer, a combat veteran of the Iraq war and president of the American Malayalee Law Enforcement United (AMLEU). In his speech, he encouraged our youth to get involved in public service.  Officer Joy was introduced by Samuel Joseph, youth representative of the Kerala Center, and Senator Kevin Thomas presented the award. 

The award for performing Arts went to Bindiya Sabarinath, the Artistic Director of the Mayura School of Arts in New Jersey established in 2001. In her speech, Mrs. Sabarinath said that she feels blessed that she was able to teach dance to more than thousand students already using her God given talents.  Bindiya was introduced by Annie Esthappan, youth representative of the Kerala Center, and Trustee Board member G. Mathai presented the award.

The award for contributions to Pravasi Malayalam Literature went to P. T. Paulose, a journalist, freelance writer, theatrical performer and director. In his speech, he said that receiving awards are sweet, but it is sweeter when it was from the Kerala Center which always stood for secularism, humanity and inclusiveness.  Paulose was introduced by James Thomas, youth representatives of the Kerala Center, and J. Mathews, Chief Editor of Janani magazine, presented the award.

In addition to New York senators Thomas and Kaplan, Jose Kadapuram, Director of Kairali TV, USA, made a felicitation speech.  As part of the Award Ceremony, a Souvenir was released by the souvenir committee members Raju Thomas and Abraham Thomas by giving a copy of it to Dr. Theresa Antony. 

James Thottam was the chairman of the Award Dinner. Board members Abraham Thomas, Mathew Vazhappally and John Paul coordinated the event.  The MC of the program, Daisy Palliparambil, impressed everybody with her outstanding performance. The songs sung by Bincy Cherian, Indian classical dance performed by Maya Devi of Mayura School of Arts and Brazilian dance performed by Beena made the awards night a more colorful one. Kerala Center Secretary Jimmy John concluded the ceremony with a vote of thanks to the guests, awardees, audience, sponsors and everyone worked so hard to make it a successful event. With dinner, the 2022 Award Night came to the end.

The Federation of Indian American Seniors Association of North America, FISANA recently elected Bharat Rana as its president. The election took place Sunday, October 16, 2022, at the Golden Era Medical Adult Day Care, a senior living provider in Edison, New Jersey.

Delegates from 18 different Seniors Associations from around the U.S. came to vote for their candidate between two contenders, Rana and Ranjit Patel.

Electors sipped hot Masala Chai and discussed the pros and cons of each candidate, and their ability to lead the organization, a press release from FISANA said.

It was a secret ballot and the process was conducted fairly by  G.K. Patel, who was in charge of it. The candidates first introduced themselves followed by the voting. Each person voting had to show their ID to confirm their identity.

The election commissioner G.K. Patel, announced vote counts — Bharat Rana secured 51 votes and Ranjit Patel received 22.

The newly elected president, Bharat Rana, thanked everyone and highlighted his vision for FISANA and urged members to support him in his efforts to take the organization to the next level

Ashton Place, Willowbrook, IL became the hub of melodious celebration of joy and happiness at the Diwali celebration hosted by Bollywood Sargam on October 21, 2022. The event hosts Pratibha Jairath of Bollywood Sargam and Ashok Potdar of Silver Senior group and Shreeji tours made every effort to bring smiles on all the guests present at the event. It was once again a full house. 

The lamp lighting ceremony included the sponsors and supporters Anil and Sweety Loomba, Mayur and Neelam Ganger, Pinky and Dinesh Thakkar, Bhupinder & Anita Beri, Brij and Vijay Sharma, Ashok Potdar, Hitesh Gandhi and Onkar sangha. Pratibha Jairath acknowledged the support and encouragement she received from each one present. The businessman, community leader and now a philanthropist Anil Loomba of Home Mortgage Solutions Inc. virtually sent his best wishes for Diwali to everyone. Pratibha also briefed upon the activities and initiatives of her Not-For Profit organization Vidya Jyoti. 

The singing trio Pratibha Jairath, Raju Bankapur, Pradeep Sood kept the audience on their dancing feet throughout the celebration. The program started with melodious songs when Pratibha gave special tribute to legendary Lata Mangeshkar and paid respect to the legend’s unmatchable contribution to the world of music. There was pin drop silence throughout the listening numbers but then folks came to the dance floor with Pratibha’s dancing numbers. The next singer Pardeep Sood had a dramatic Kishore Kumar number and his Punjabi medley that people love brought even more people to the dance floor. Very well-known artist Raju Bankapur’s versatile and unique medley created a lot of excitement. 

The beautiful dance performances by Priyanka Parekh and Jenish Balsara got a big applause from the audience. Raju Bankapur’s fingers created magic on the flute and transported the audience to the world of pure joy and ecstasy.

Orchestra Sa Re Ga Ma with Hitesh Master Nayak, Pt. Puran Lal Vyas , Gopal Shah and sound engineer/DJ Saif enthralled the attendees. Friends and families thoroughly enjoyed the fun packed melodious evening which is the hallmark of Pratibha Jairath that makes her one of the most sought-after entertainers and artists of Chicago.

As darkness fell over Lower Manhattan, the angular podium of the World Trade Center lit up with a sparkling digital mural celebrating the Indian festival of lights, Diwali. 

The spectacular square panel was turned on at 6:30 P.M. Oct. 22. It ran continuously for three nights until 2:00 A.M. Oct. 24. 

The event was organized by South Asian Engagement Foundation, a non-profit which aims to “elevate the Indian-American brand through educational initiatives and civic engagements.”

The initiative began last year, on Nov. 3. The rationale behind it is to draw a thread between the celebration of American Independence Day — a holiday celebrated since July 4, 1777, with a kaleidoscope of fireworks — with one that Indians have observed for over a millennium, also with the lighting of lamps and fireworks. 

School Holiday

New York Mayor Eric Adams is working with state Assembly member Jennifer Rajkumar on legislation that would declare Diwali an official school holiday.

“Continue the American tradition of watching fireworks over the Hudson River by embracing it with the Indian festival of Diwali,” wrote SAEF in a statement. 

After growing pressure from Indian Americans, New York Mayor Eric Adams announced at a press conference Oct. 20 that all children in the city’s public school system will get a day off, beginning next year, to celebrate Diwali.

“It is long overdue to say to our Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist students and communities that we see you, we acknowledge you,” said Adams.

State Legislation

New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks said, “It’s important for not only the young people who celebrate and who honor Diwali, but it’s important for all students.” 

Some 200,000 New Yorkers celebrate Diwali each year, said New York state Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, a Democrat, who has introduced a bill to remove Anniversary Day, commonly known as Brooklyn-Queens Day. Diwali could then be added to the list of school holidays.

“South Asian and Indo-Caribbean families like mine, all over the city, have made incredible contributions and today, I’m proud to say, our time has come,” said Rajkumar.

The office of Asian Community Affairs, Anissa Moore Nasssu County Deputy County Executive Jennifer Desena, Supervisor Town Of North Hempstead, Director of Asian American Affairs in Nassau County Arooj Islam, along with Indian American Forum Founding Member Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee & Chairperson Indu Jaiswal, celebrated Diwali honoring distinguished Indian American Community leaders. 

Emceed by Flora Parekh, the event highlighted the accomplishments of several prominent Indian American community leaders like Gurumaa Jyotishanand Saraswati (Vedic Heritage of India), Jasbir (Jay) Singh (Board Member – Asian American Advisory Board of Nassau County), Meena Shah, ( Vaishnav Mandir – VTNY), Dr. Bharathi Reddy (Internist), Madhu Pareek (Blue Host Hospitality), Hargovind Gupta (Vice President, IALI) and Dr. Neeru Bhambri (MemberAt-Large IALI). 

The tireless efforts of the county and founding members along with a dedicated Hosts committee of Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee, Chairperson Indu Jaiswal, Vimal Goyal, Bina Sabapathy, Veer Mukhi, Deepak Bansal, Jasbir Jay Singh, Beena Kothari, Flora Parekh, Jyoti Gupta, Anju Sharma, Nilima Madan, Shashi Malik, Indu Gajwani and Suhag Mehta and several volunteers and supporters, contributed to the success of the event keeping up the spirit of Diwali. 

Starting with the American & Indian National Anthems by Angel Shah, the event followed a traditional Diya Ceremony. Beautifully choreographed Diwali dances and performances by young girls and ladies group were the highlight of the evening. The venue was traditionally decorated by Jyoti Gupta, Anju & Sanju Sharma and Team. Mouth watering dinner and Prasad boxes were served. Several Indian American Forum Board members and community leaders namely Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori, Deepak Bansal, Mukesh Modi, Dr. Urmilesh Arya, Past Presidents of IALI, Vibhuti Jha, Anil Shah, Dr. Kunjbala Shah were in attendance. Indian American Forum has been instrumental in showcasing the Indian tradition in NY for several decades.

East Coast Durga Puja Association (ECDPA)  hosted its annual three-day  Sharod Utsav on October 14th,15th &,16th in Queens, New York.  It was a spectacular event, replete with live music concerts by celebrated performing artists from India and magnificent cultural shows by talented local artists from New York. More than 2,000 people attended the event. 

In addition to musical and cultural celebrations, several exhibitors of Indian clothing and jewelry showcased their merchandise.  Another highlight of the celebration were inter-active participatory events for the audience, which made the event a huge success. Celebration of Indian cuisine was another attraction of this event. Mouthwatering multi-course Indian dinners are served to all guests on all the three days. 

A special attraction was our chief guest of the event, the honorable mayor of New York City, Mr. Eric Adams. Mr. Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Innovation, an ardent, long-standing supporter of our community and event was also present. Our sincere thanks go to Mr. Mayor and Mr. Chauhan for finding time from their busy schedules to participate in the event said Himanshu Sehgal President of ECDPA. 

ECDPA’s  Sharod Utsav in New York is the oldest and the biggest celebration of its kind  in the US since 1970.

Uttarakhand Samaj of Greater Chicago hosted a Grand Diwali – The Festival of Lights celebrations, on Friday October 7th 2022 at Ashton Place Banquets, Willowbrook IL with family & friends. 

Guests came from near and far to attend the glittering evening to celebrate Diwali together, dressed in their traditional pahadi attire, ‘Pahunchi’, ‘Galobandh’, ‘Hansuli’, ‘Nathuli’ & ‘Rangwali Pichauda’.  Colorful rangolis, marigold flowers, brightly lit deeyas and Lord Ganesha’s idol presiding at the entrance welcomed the guests into the beautifully decorated Banquet Hall. 

Cultural programs began with USOGC Video presentation, compiled by Mrs Rashmi Joshi, covering all the past year’s activities by Team USOGC, followed by Nanda Devi Yatra ( coordinators: Rajni Rawat & Rajeshwari Rawat), which represents a traditional pilgrimage journey that takes place every year in Uttarakhand. USOGC 2022 Board was invited on the stage for Team Introductions. The Indian National Anthem was beautifully sung by Ms Sahiba Sidhu, followed by the US National Anthem to honor and pay their respect to our motherland India and our adopted country which has given us a new life and we love them both equally. 

President Chandan Singh, in his speech welcomed all the guests and dignitaries and said, “USOGC was registered as a charitable organization in Sep 2016. It was designed with a shared vision of bringing the Uttarakhandi community together living in the Greater Chicagoland area by increasing awareness, and promoting our culture, heritage, and language. Our goal is to bring all our Uttarakhandi friends and families together to share their views and provide social, and networking opportunities to all Uttarakhandies.” Singh informed the gentry about USOGC’s various community programs and its various initiatives conducting charitable events in the areas of education, health care, etc for people who need it the most here in Chicagoland as well as back home in Uttarakhand, India. He thanked all sponsors, and volunteers for their continued support. 

Event inauguration was performed by lighting of the traditional Deeya by Chief Guest & Grand Sponsor: Mrs & Mr Anil Loomba ( HMSI Home Mortgage Solutions) and Mr Chandan Singh (President USOGC) & wife Mrs Richa Chand (Founder/Past President) , along with the Guest of Honors: Consul Hon Vinod Gautham and Mrs Rita Sahstri & Mr Manesh Shastri (TECMA ), and special guests Mrs Kanan & Mr Om Dhingra, Mr Ravi Rawat, Advisory Board Member Dr Ajit Pant, Dr Vijay Prabhakar (Founder President AMEC & GSA), FIA President: Mr Hitesh Gandhi. Other members invited and acknowledged to join Lamp Lighting were:  USOGC Executive Board Members: Mrs Smita Pant(Vice President), Mrs Rashmi Joshi (Secretary), Mr Vikram Negi (Treasurer) and Guest of Honor: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mr Jagmohan Jayara (India House), Mr Jesse Singh (Remax), Mr Sunil Shah (Chairman FIA, NYL agent) Mr Mayur Max Ganger (Sajmil Builders), Mr Ajeet Singh (President IABC), Mr Keerthi Reevori(Chairman IABC).

Chief Guest, Mr Anil Loomba, in his speech, expressed happiness that we all came together to celebrate the first Diwali event of the season. and he hoped that we will continue the tradition in the following years as well. 

The Guest of Honor at the Event, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was introduced by Mrs Richa Chand and President Chandan Singh & his Executive Board, Advisory Board members Sudha & Hans Upadhyay welcomed and joined Congressman Krishnamoorthi on the stage as he got ready to address the excited and cheering audience. 

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, stole the hearts of the audience by addressing them as “Namaskar Dagadiyo!” Dagadiyo means friends in Kumaoni/Garhwali language.  In his eloquent manner, Raja continued his speech and commended President Chandan Singh and his Team for putting together a beautiful Diwali celebration and keeping the Uttarakhandi culture alive.  

Guest of Honor Consul Vinod Gautham, also echoed the same sentiment, and assured Consul General Office support to the members of Uttarakhand Samaj of Greater Chicago. He applauded the efforts by team USOGC and congratulated Mr Chandan Singh and the entire team USOGC.  Expressing his happiness and joy, he wished a very Happy Diwali to the Uttarakhandi community gathered there. 

For expressing Gratitude & Appreciation, for acknowledging Community Leadership Achievement, a special trophy memento depicting Uttarakhand’s famous Dham- “Kedarnath” was presented to Grand Sponsor & Chief Guest Mrs & Mr Anil Loomba, Guest of Honors: Congressman Hon Raja Krishnamoorthi, Consul Vinod Gautham, Mrs Rita & Mr Manesh Shastri, Sponsors: Mr Sunil Shah, Mr Jesse Singh, Mr Mayur Max Ganger, Mrs Om & Kanan Dhingra, Philanthropic efforts: Dr Vijay Prabhakar (Dr VGP), Dr Ghanshyam Pandey (Founder UP Association), USOGC Language Learning Program Teachers: Mr Ashutosh Joshi & Mr Dinesh Joshi. The trophy recipients all expressed happiness and spoke highly about the good work USOGC has been doing over the years. 

By purchasing the special Kedarnath trophy mementos, USOGC has helped support DTribals, a USA based corporation, which is working on an ecommerce platform to give opportunity to Tribal, Disable, Women operating small scale business and other minority people living in the remote villages of India.  A Food drive was also conducted by USOGC in partnership with SEWA International. USOGC Food Drive coordinators were Mr Shailendra Rawat & Mr Vikram Negi. A Silent Auction to promote Kumaon’ethnic art “Aipan” was also conducted by Mr Ashutosh Joshi. 

 As the evening progressed, various cultural performances were presented to the audience. 1)  Chalka Chalka Re – Kathak DanceBy Aarya Bahuguna, 2) Bedu Pako Baaro Masa – A Pahari Folk Song. Singers: Rashmi Gandhi & Hans Upadhyay; Accompaniments: Om Dhingra, Kanan Dhingra, Deepa Pant, Usha Shah; Choreographer: Sudha Upadhyay. 3) Tero Lehanga – Ladies Group Dance  Participants: Rajeshwari Rawat, Richa Chand, Rajni Rawat, Rashmi Joshi, Deepa Pant, Suparna Sharma, Meenakshi Jain; Choreographer:Rajeshwari Rawat 4) Cham-cham Ghunghuroo Solo Dance – By Kiran Rawat.

5) Ramayana skit. Director: Mohan Rawat,  Artists: Tanay Pant- Ram, Rishabh Mohan-Lakshman, Lavanya Sharma -Sita, Dancers: Roopali Dabral, Shenaya Sharma, Coley Fielding, Choreographer: Suparna Sharma, 6) Mero Pahada – Ladies Group Dance, Participants: Rajeshwari Rawat, Smita Pant, Aparna Bahuguna, Tara Bhandari, Roopali Pandey; Choreographer: Rajeshwari Rawat  7) Dolida Dance – By Chetna Pant & Puneeta 8) Moms & Minis Group Dance, Participants:Neetu Bhatt,Jinisha Bhatt, Ruchika Deepak, Sharanya Deep 9) Uttarkhandi Special – Board Group Dance, Participants: Rajeshwari Rawat & Chetna Pant, Richa & Chandan Singh, Rajni & Shailendra Singh, Renu & Vikram Negi, Suparna & Rahul Sharma, Meenakshi & Rajeev Jain, Choreographer: Rajeshwari Rawat.

The cultural events led by superstar emcees Mrs Richa Chand, Mr Mohan Rawat, Mrs Ruchi Dabral & Mrs Smita Pant, kept the audience thoroughly engaged and entertained throughout the evening. There were 4 raffle $50 gift cards sponsored by Mr Jesse Singh, given out to the lucky winners throughout the evening. Mrs Arti Rawat along with Mrs Pinky Thakkar, Mrs Rita Shastri and Mr Sunil Shah helped to pick the lucky winners. Each family was given a Diwali Gift. A Certificate of Appreciation was presented to the participants. Other notable and distinguished guests felicitated at the event were Mr Dinesh Thakkar, Mr Altaf Bukhari, Mrs Deepali Saraogi, Mr Ganesh Kar, Mr Dharmesh Gandhi, Mr Ravi Rawat, Mrs Vandana Jhingan(TV Asia), Mr Suresh Bodiwala(Asian Media), Mr Harry Sidhu & Mrs Anu Sidhu(Outland Media), Mr Subbu Iyyer, Mr Manne Lingaiah, MrMandar Piter, MrNick Verma, Mr Sateesh, Ms Shree Gurusamy,  Mrs Hema Shastri and many others who attended the event.  

Registration Desk was managed by Mrs Arti Rawat & Mrs Rajni Rawat. DJ Thomas provided music, Mr Ajit Patel & Mr Suresh Bodiwala – photographers, Mr Iliyas -Videographer, from Asian Media USA and Mrs Vandana Jhingan, TV Asia, and Desi Talk, Desi Junction, Adbhhut Media as Media partners for event coverage. 

Uttarakhand Diwali celebration was a very successful and well attended event. People left with a huge smile on their faces and said that they are looking forward to the next one now! USOGC believes and preaches… “Garv se kaho hum Uttarakhand se hain”. For more information, check out www.usogc.org and FB page. Contact email: [email protected]. Last but not the least, USOGC greatly appreciates our sponsors and supporters without whom this event would not have been a success. Sponsors: HMSI, TECMA Engineering Group, India House, New York Life, Sajmil Builders, REMAX Realty, Royal Basmati, VR Fabrics & Home Design, Health 4 Silvers, Care for Soul.

Metropolitan Asian Family Services celebrated its Pearl Anniversary this year. The remarkable event of the glorious 30 years of service to the community was held on Saturday, October 8th, 2022. This year’s fundraiser gala was so special as MAFS, a multicultural/multiethnic 501 (C) (3) organization that has changed the landscape, recognized and licensed by State and federal Governments. The event was emceed by Sameer Saini and Shweta Vasudev who had come from Texas.

The celebration started with the traditional “Deep Lighting” performed by Pandit Jagdish Joshi, followed by a beautiful Kathak-based Ganesh Vandana by Gauri Jog and her students. They danced gracefully and effortlessly well portraying the essence of lord Ganesha.

Prominent dignitaries in attendance were Congressman Bill Foster, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, US Senator Laura Murphy, State Representative Michelle Mussman, State Representative Janet Yang Rohr, State Representative Barbara Hernandez, Mayor of Hanover Park Rodney Craig, Village President Oak Brook Dr. Gopal Lalmalani, Mayor of Orland Park Keith Pekau, Mayor of Barrington Paula McCombie, Candidate State Senate at District 22 Raees Yawer, Executive Director of CLESE Marta  Pereyra, CEO, and President Age Options Diane Slezak, Businessman Darshan Dhaliwal, Doctor Hematology Oncologist Bharat Barai, Chairman Maneesh Media Mr. Chandmal Kumawat.

 The keynote address was given by Diane Slezak CEO, and President of Age Options, a long-standing partner of MAFS. In her speech, she praised the incomparable work done by MAFS for so many years and she remembered the initial years, and how they started their partnership with MAFS.

The life journey of Dr. Santosh Kumar was showcased by the Board Members and the MAFS staff with a theatrical performance. The performance was the depiction of her story of how MAFS founded and touched thousands of lives of seniors. In the end, all the artists thanked Mrs. Kumar on behalf of everyone for doing exceptional work for three decades and continuing to do so. The storyline was beautifully narrated by Ms. Roshita Pandey, and the creation and direction were by Ms. Dipti Shah and scripted by Manju Karla.

Mrs. Kumar felt very emotional and appreciative toward the performers, the board members, and all the supporters. In her speech, she revealed her immeasurable gratitude for all the honorable guests, partners who attended, the seniors, all her staff, and all the supporters of MAFS.

In a passionate speech, Congressman – Raja Krishnamurthy, wished the hundreds of people gathered at the gala to stand united, to serve the seniors. And gave the best wishes to continue the noble work MAFS is doing for so many years in the future. Mrs. Kumar and her sons Sagar and Prashant Kumar presented a beautiful painting of Mr. Raja Krishnamurthy as a gift to him during the event. The painting was made by highly artistic MAFS staff Mr. Rajender Singh. He commended Dr. Santosh Kumar for her exemplary service to the community for 30 long years.

 A very special tribute was given to Dr. Santosh Kumar by the MAFS senior staff Promila Mehta, Dahyabhai, Himali, Harish Mahajan, Harivadan Patel. A trophy, shawl, and rose flowers were given. The Global Eye Magazine, MEATF, and AMFC also honored Mrs. Kumar with a specially made beautiful trophy to congratulate her on 30 years of amazing services to greater Chicago by the Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy and Dr. Vijay Prabhakar.

Governor of Illinois Mr. J. B. Pritzker’s sent us a special video message on Pearl’s anniversary of MAFS that was much appreciated. He praised and mentioned that MAFS has touched thousands of lives for 365 days through a variety of programs they offer for the past three decades. Later, the dignitaries in their speech acknowledged the exemplary 365 days of nonstop hard work MAFS is doing for such a long period.

The highlight of the show was giving away awards and recognizing their support throughout the three decades to form and run the Non-Profit organization that serves our elderly day and night. Dr. Santosh Kumar gave the posthumous awards to the families of the founding mentors Mr. S. S. Bhatt, Mr. Manohar Manchanda, Mr. Ramesh Goyal, Mr. Naren Patel, and Mr. Pramod Kumar. She points out that the astonishing support they gave to form the MAFS will never be forgotten, and always be grateful for their help. 

The next category of the award was the outstanding partnership without which the MAFS would have not survived through 30 years. CLESE, Age Options, City of Chicago, Retirement Research Foundation, Wintrust Community Bank, Steeplechase, Healthcare Solutions Team, MODE Architect, Patel Brothers, Northwestern University, Mark T. McKinney, and Maneesh Media were the partners MAFS applauded. The pillars of MAFS awards were given by the dignitaries to MAFS staff for their wonderful contribution over all these years. The Pillars of MAFS were Prem Jalota, Promila Mehta, Harish Mahajan, Harivadan Patel, Dahyabhai Patel, Awilda Gonzalez, Pankaj Patel, Zareen Ahmed, Jahnavi Bavisi, Khyati Dave, Himali Bharucha, Dipti Shah.

Special Awards were given to Mr Darshan Singh Dhaliwal (Pramod Kumar Philanthropy), Dr. Bharat Barai (Community Service Award), and Ms. Marta Pereyra (Partnership Award). Also, MAFS recognized and gave community support awards to Ramesh Soparwala, Vandana Jhingan, Prashant Shah, Suresh Bodiwala, Sohan Joshi, and Vijay Prabhakar.

The mesmerizing fashion show with such a stunning collection of Indo-Western styles by Raaz Boutique. The audience could not take their eyes off fashion show models. The showstopper of the fashion show was none other than glamorous Mannara Chopra, An Indian Actress, and Model who predominantly works in Telugu and Hindi films, cousin of Actresses Priyanka Chopra and Parineeti Chopra. The evening was filled with a spectacular musical night by the electrifying singers Shilpi Paul and Nimesh Nagar. The

The audience was interacting with the performers by singing the famous Bollywood melodious songs. The singers thoroughly enjoyed themselves and created the same vibe in the audience that made the

the audience gets up and dances with them. Shilpi Paul was out of this world. Her singing style was full of energy that lasts for more than two hours. The celebration of Pearl Anniversary of MAFS was a huge success with the fund raised about $200,000 plus. Everybody had food, fun and entertainment.

The office of Asian Community Affairs, Anissa Moore Nasssu County Deputy County Executive Jennifer Desena, Supervisor Town Of North Hempstead, Director of Asian American Affairs in Nassau County Arooj Islam, along with Indian American Forum Founding Member Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee & Chairperson Indu Jaiswal, celebrated Diwali honoring distinguished Indian American Community leaders. 

Emceed by Flora Parekh, the event highlighted the accomplishments of several prominent Indian American community leaders like Gurumaa Jyotishanand Saraswati (Vedic Heritage of India), Jasbir (Jay) Singh (Board Member – Asian American Advisory Board of Nassau County), Meena Shah, ( Vaishnav Mandir – VTNY), Dr. Bharathi Reddy (Internist), Madhu Pareek (Blue Host Hospitality), Hargovind
Gupta (Vice President, IALI) and Dr. Neeru Bhambri (Member- At-Large IALI).

The tireless efforts of the county and founding members along with a dedicated Hosts committee of Dr. Bobby K. Kalotee, Chairperson Indu Jaiswal, Vimal Goyal, Bina Sabapathy, Veer Mukhi, Deepak Bansal, Jasbir Jay Singh, Beena Kothari, Flora Parekh, Jyoti Gupta, Anju Sharma, Nilima Madan, Shashi Malik,
Indu Gajwani and Suhag Mehta and several volunteers and supporters, contributed to the success of the event keeping up the spirit of Diwali.

Starting with the American & Indian National Anthems by Angel Shah, the event followed a traditional Diya Ceremony. Beautifully choreographed Diwali dances and performances by young girls and ladies group were the highlight of the evening. The venue was traditionally decorated by Jyoti Gupta, Anju &
Sanju Sharma and Team. Mouth watering dinner and Prasad boxes were served.

Several Indian American Forum Board members and community leaders namely Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori, Deepak Bansal, Mukesh Modi, Dr. Urmilesh Arya, Past Presidents of IALI, Vibhuti Jha, Anil Shah, Dr. Kunjbala Shah were in attendance. Indian American Forum has been instrumental in
showcasing the Indian tradition in NY for several decades.

The terrifying kidnapping and murder in Merced, California, of 8-month old Aroohi Dheri, her mother and father, Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh, and his older brother, Amandeep Singh, have horrified and left heartbroken the relatives in this tight knit Sikh family. 

A grieving close relative of the brothers told media, “You can’t even fathom. They were just starting a family, just making family memories… it was so short lived, it’s so heart breaking.” 

Two brothers, Jesus Manuel Salgado and Alberto Salgado, have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of the family members.  Jesus, a former worker at the victims’ family business, was arrested late Thursday on four counts of murder and four counts of kidnapping in the case, Merced County sheriff’s spokesperson Alexandra Britton said. 

Alberto also was arrested in the case Thursday night on preliminary charges of criminal conspiracy, accessory and destroying evidence in connection with the case, Britton told CNN Friday. 

Police say the four slain family members were kidnapped from the family’s trucking business in Merced on Monday, and parts of the kidnapping were captured on surveillance video. 

On Wednesday, the bodies of the four were recovered from an orchard in Merced County after a farmworker alerted authorities to the remains. 

As Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke announced the family’s bodies had been found Wednesday evening, he said, “there’s a special place in hell” for the perpetrator. 

“The circumstances around this, when we are able to release everything, should anger the hell out of you,” Warnke said. 

CNN was not immediately able to identify attorneys for the Salgado brothers, and calls to family members have gone unanswered. 

‘They worked very, very hard’ 

The Singh brothers came to America with their parents in 2002 from Punjab, India. Struggling to find work and master English, the family at one point slept in their car, recounts the family member. 

“They worked very, very hard to reach the point they did. They worked warehouse jobs, hourly jobs,” the family member told CNN. 

Older brother Amandeep was the one who decided driving a truck would give him autonomy, so he got his commercial truck driver’s license. After establishing himself, he bought a second truck and involved his younger brother Jasdeep. And in what is another example immigrants becoming part of the American dream, the pair then expanded, buying more trucks and opening up their own trucking and dispatch service in Merced. 

Jesus Manuel Salgado, left, and Alberto Salgado were arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of a California family of four. 

Merced County Sheriff’s Office 

According to the family member, Jasleen came to the United States in 2019 and soon after married Jasdeep. Because she had a background in billing and accounting, she handled the books for the trucking business. 

Early this year, Jasleen and Jasdeep became parents of Aroohi Dheri. The baby was part of a growing family that lived together – two grandparents, the two young children of older brother Amandeep, and his wife, now a young widow. 

Of the family being together in their grief, the relative says, “There are different cycles of grief – it’s the shock; it sinks in. We go into the memories and if you see anything that reminds you of something, you burst into tears. If you see another person or other crying in the hall, you burst into tears.”

On Saturday, September 24, 2022, thousands of female devotees and well-wishers of all ages and backgrounds gathered at the B.A.P.S Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL, to joyfully celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of their guru, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

The event titled “A Beacon of Values, Hope and Faith,” a cultural program organized by women, and for women, took place at over 100 BAPS mandirs across North America. The program centered on an immersive experience where guests could understand and experience the lasting impact that their guru had on individuals, families, and communities.

When asked about her thoughts on the program, Yogini Patel, a disciple of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, remarked, “What inspired me the most about today’s program was to hear real women come together and share stories of the vulnerabilities in their lives. It is crucial that women can come together in that way and support each other. It is truly a testament to Pramukh Swami Maharaj that he has created this beautiful space for everyone to come and be vulnerable and be able to share and grow from each other’s experiences.”

Rinku Patel, a BAPS volunteer, commented “One quality of Pramukh Swami Maharaj that I admire is his ability to lead. He does so through humility which is a very unique quality to have in a leader.”

HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life motto was: “In the joy of others, lies our own. In the progress of others, rests our own. In the good of others, abides our own. Know this to be the key to peace and happiness.” Grounded in this very motto, the program highlighted how Pramukh Swami instilled timeless values in leaders, was a source of hope for devotees, and guided individuals to become the best versions of themselves through expressions of faith.

The program included live, colorful performances by women portraying timeless values, experiences, stories from the past and present day, insightful multimedia presentations and energizing dances.

As the emotional program ended, thousands paid their respects and gratitude to Pramukh Swami Maharaj for their spiritual guidance, upliftment, and for deeply touching their hearts. Attendees left with a renewed commitment to continue HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s legacy by imbibing his life’s motto as their own.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a spiritual, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to improving society through individual growth by fostering the Hindu ideals of faith, unity, and selfless service. Its worldwide network of 3,800 centers supports these character-building activities. Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is free of addictions as well as morally, ethically, and spiritually pure. For more details, please visit www.baps.org.

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth and current spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was ordained a swami by Yogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named Sadhu Keshavjivandas. As he was appointed the head (Mahant) of the Mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami. His devout, humble, and service-focused life earned him the innermost blessings of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant Swami Maharaj travels throughout the world inspiring people through his insightful spiritual discourses and disciplined conduct. His virtuous lifestyle and profound devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and gurus are ideals toward which devotees strive. Mahant Swami Maharaj became the guru and President of BAPS upon Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s passing in 2016.

A total of six murders, including that of an eight-month-old infant, within a week’s time begs answer to the question every Indian wants to know — is the community safe in the US?

The US is home to more than 4.5 million Indians, which is the highest-earning ethnic group in the country.

President Joe Biden recently went on record to say: “It’s amazing, Indian of descent Americans are taking over the country: you, my Vice President (Kamala Harris), my speechwriter, Vinay (Vinay Reddy)… You guys are incredible!”

Even as one grappled with the shock of four Sikh family members, within the age groups of eight months to 39 years, found dead in California, news of 20-year-old student Varun Manish Chheda stabbed to death on Purdue University campus, sent shockwaves running across the Indian community world over.

Earlier this week, Gurpreet Kaur Dosanjh, a Walmart employee, was shot dead and lumped inside a car in a parking lot in San Jose, California.

In June this year, Satnam Singh, 31, was shot dead while sitting in a parked SUV down the street from his home in New York. This came days after Sai Charan Nakka, a 25-year-old techie from Telangana, was killed after sustaining an apparent gunshot wound to his head in Maryland

Apart from the gruesome killings, Indian-Americans have been consistently battling racial taunts, assaults, hate crime robberies, and vandalism of their properties.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 161 anti-Asian hate crimes took place in 2019, which rose to 279 in 2020.

Giving a religious break-up, the FBI said that 54 anti-Sikh crimes occurred in 2019, which rose to 89 in 2020.

Anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339 percent last year compared to the year before, with New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities surpassing their record numbers in 2020, according to research by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Late in August, four Indian American women were told that they were “ruining” America and should “go back to India” by a Mexican-American woman in Texas. In the same month, Krishnan Jayaraman was racially abused and called a “disgusting Hindu” by Californian Rajinder Singh in a Taco Bell outlet in Fremont.

Community members have also expressed concerns over multiple brazen attacks on Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in New York and other US cities.

“Such bigoted attacks motivated by racism, xenophobia, and other forms of hate victimise not only those directly targeted by them but also broader communities through creating an atmosphere of fear and danger,” Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi had said recently.

Last month, Indian-Americans held a peaceful protest at Time Square against the recent spurt in hate crimes and instances of vandalism of the Gandhi statue in the city.

An Indian American Attitudes Survey released last year found that “one in two Indian-Americans reports being discriminated against in the past one year, with discrimination based on skin color identified as the most common form of bias”.

Somewhat surprisingly, Indian-Americans born in the US are much more likely to report being victims of discrimination than their foreign-born counterparts,” the survey, supported by Carnegie Endowment, said.

Biden had spoken strongly against hate crimes at a recent event against racism.

It remains to be seen what Biden, who boasts of having appointed more than 130 Indian-Americans to key positions in his administration so far, does now for the community that has made significant contributions to this great landscape. (IANS)

It was a ‘Big Fat Wedding’ September 30, 2022, when Iram Shareef, daughter of Indian-American businessman and community leader Iftekhar Shareef, tied the knot with Ubaid Jafer, at Shalimar Banquets in Chicago, Illinois.

Leading businessman Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, came all the way from India to attend.

Over 1000 people attended including businessmen, politicians, community elders. In addition to , Robert Vadra from Delhi, India a leading businessman, special guests included Congressman Raja Krishnamurthy. Robert Vadra presented a special congratulatory message to Iftekhar Shareef signed by Gandhis. Also attended by Dr Bharat Barai a respected community elder from Indiana and many important leaders.

Iftekhar Shareef has held many important local and state level positions and been recognized for his community leadership as well as his business acumen and philanthropy. He has been a political activist supporting many candidates for office both at state and national levels and been bestowed numerous community leadership awards.

According to his eponymous website, iftekharshareef.com, he  has been President and CEO of many small and mid-size companies including National Bankcard Corporation, a credit card processing company. Other banks he has worked with include Old Kent Bank Of Michigan, Bank Of America, North Carolina, Columbus Bank and Trust Company, Columbus, GA, First National Bank Of Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, Fifth Third Bank, Columbus,Ohio.

Apart from being the founder, chairman and managing director of National Bankcard Chicago, Shareef is founder, president and CEO of Secure Check USA; founder, president and CEO of Skincare Systems Inc.; NBC Credit Card Solutions Private Ltd in Hyderabad; founder, chairman and managing director of IGS Real Estate Developers. He also owns and operates multiple shopping complexes,  motels, and commercial real estate in Chicago and Hyderabad.

The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIA-NY) organized its 35th Annual Deepavali Celebrations at South Street Seaport on October 2nd, 2022. 

Traditional and fusion dancers, scrumptious food, music, a bazaar with variety of vendors, happy crowd, all made the annual event held after the Covid pandemic, a memorable one for thousands of people from the New York tri-state who had come in large numbers to celebrate Indian culture.  

The celebrations were capped by a visit from the Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, who lit the traditional lamp along with leaders of the AIA-NY including President Harish Thakkar and Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media/ITV Gold, the media sponsors of the event.

Dr. Parikh, a Padma Shri recipient, praised organizers, especially Thakkar, for a successful festival and assured AIA-NY that he was there personally to support them as was his media conglomerate.

Several members of AIA wished everyone Happy Diwali and told ITV Gold they were happy the event took place. They included Dr. Jagdish Gupta, Nita Jain, who is also a Democratic District Leader, Vimal Goel, vice president of AIA, Nishant Garg, and Sunny Thakkar.

“Rain or shine, we still do the festival. There are a lot of vendors here. This is one of the biggest Diwali festivals, going on throughout the day” Harish Thakkar told ITV Gold.

Members of World Vegan Vision Drs. Shrenik Shah, Kalindi Bakshi, Suman Munjal, extolled the virtues of a vegan lifestyle in helping lower cholesterol, counter heart disease and diabetes.

Fireworks sponsored by Cheapo Air and Qatar Airways, rose to the sky for 23 minutes,  to everyone’s delight at the end of the event. During the fireworks, dinner was served on the Hudson, so that attendees had a ringside view. Mayor Adams addressing the crowd from the stage said he is trying to push for including Diwali as a school holiday in the city. He urged the community to lobby councilmembers to strengthen the case for it. Heeta Thakkar, the daughter of Harish Thakkar, made an appeal saying all cultures and communities deserved a holiday.

The Mayor said he was very involved with Indian-American and other minority communities in the city and has been trying to address their concerns. He also said any concerns the community or businesses had should be brought to his attention.

A few thousand people came to the festival where there were 22 stalls, representing 8 different restaurants, non-profit groups, and jewelers, etc., as well as four corporates – New York Life, Cheapo Air, Qatar Airways, and Verizon, Harish Thakkar told Desi Talk.

Mayor Eric Adams with highly accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer and student, 14-year old Maheshwari Jagabattula, right, and Harish Thakkar, president of AIA-NY, at Oct. 2, 2022, Deepavali festival at South Street Seaport. Photo: courtesy AIA-NY

Several youthful dance groups showed their talent on stage, and Bollywood singer Rex D’Souza, and New Jersey’s Vidya Dave, performed at the event. Fourteen-year old Bharatnatyam dancer Maheshwari Jagabattula impressed the crowd with her performance. A semi finalist in India’s Got Talent season 5, she has won many accolades and at this young age is doing her Masters in Forensic Science at Pace University, NYC.

“We wanted to make the show go on and at the end of the day, people were happy the event happened,” despite inclement weather, Thakkar told Desi Talk.

Dilip Chauhan Presented With Patron For Planet Award 2022

Green Mentors, an India-based Responsible Education Solution Provider organization successfully its 6^th NYC Green School Conference -2022 at SUNY Maritime College New York on September 24, 2022. This Conference was the 1st Conference on Responsible Education in the America   during the 77^th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Responsible education empowers   Schools and Universities to accept accountability for the future of their pupils’  and   responsibility of the  local  environment. The conference was associated with Climate Week NYC, the largest event on climate on the Planet.

This conference was held months after the India and the U S held the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and agreed further to strengthen cooperation in education and skill development through collaborations and promote student and scholar mobility to build people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

School leaders of India and America has launched the Indo – American  Green School Network at this conference. The first network of schools will bring Indian and American Schools together to build a sustainable future for every child.  The conference was divided in the  eight sessions, including Rethinking for Responsible Education, Leaders to learn from, SDG 4.7, and inspiring stories from outdoor Learning. In addition, Green Awards were presented to the celebrated Individuals and institutions for their exceptional contributions toward sustainable education.  In every session, inspiring speakers presented their  inspiring green stories, vision, and plans for sustainable and responsible education.

Virendra Rawat, the event organizer, said that this event inspired schools, Universities, Policymakers, education leaders  and the member states of the United Nations to bring back responsible education for a sustainable future. Event Keynote Speaker was Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of  New York City Mayors Office for International Affairs. During his address Mr. Chauhan mentioned that New York City Mayor Eric Adams t launched Building Action NYC a new citywide campaign to promote steps to make New York City’s buildings greener and more resilient while fostering a healthier future for the city and New Yorkers.

The city’s more than one million buildings — covering more than five billion square feet — constitute the largest source of the city’s carbon emissions, contributing almost 70 percent of the city’s total emissions. The work to limit building emissions will be a critical component of the city’s work towards reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. “Buildings are the largest emitters of carbon, so we are investing in bringing renewable energy to them and making New York City a national leader in green buildings — creating tens of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers and delivering environmental justice for our city.

Event was attended by high profile speakers from around the world, like  Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Office for International Affairs, New York delivered the Keynote  Address in the Conference,  Rear Adm. Michael Alfultis,  President of SUNY Maritime  College, New York, Dr Henry  Stoever, President&  CEO of  Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB),  Ryan Mcenany, Director, Energy & Resiliency of  PaceUniversity,New York, Paulo Vasconi Speroni, Coordinator of Youth Leadership and  Innovation of United Nations,  Dr.Nick Pozek, Assistant Director of Parker School of Foreign & Comparative Law at Columbia University,  Arlae Castellanos Executive Director, Green Schools Alliance, Laura Johnson Collard Executive Director, Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, Sibyl MaerFillo Director,Washington Outdoor School, Dr. Helen Bond, Professor ,School of Education  Howard University, Washington DC, Deepa Vedavyas from Neighborhoods and Environment, Cleveland Foundation, Ramya Shivkumar Director of Energy & Sustainability Windward Engineers and Consultants, Dr. Frederick Kakembo Deputy Vice Chancellor Ndejje University  Uganda, Birgilio Rivera Cabrera, CEO  of Civil ssociation,Mexico, Julio C. Garay, Professor  Bronx Community College of the CUNY have presented their inspiring stories at the conference.

The Committee presented PATRON FOR PLANET AWARD 2022 to Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs

The non-profit corporation, Shri Ganesh Events, hosted one of the biggest Ganesh Festival celebrations Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, 2022, in Jersey City, N. J.

Events began daily at 10 am and continued till 9 pm. They featured dances and various kinds of other entertainment at India Square on Newark Avenue in Jersey City.

The Ganesh Sthapana (installing of the idol) took place on Aug. 31 morning. And the Ganesh Visarjan (immersing the Lord’s idol in  water) happened on Sept. 4.

A Hindu priest performed the daily poojas and ceremonies; prasad and sweets were distributed to all devotees, worshippers and even visitors; the murti on the stage was elaborately decorated; and there was a separate stage for the various cultural events. Local groups performed dances; the Marathi Dhol was also part of performances, as was classical Indian dance. Indian television personalities also attended.

Shri Ganesh Events is run by “a team of successful entrepreneurs with a common goal to get the Indian festivals, music and entertainment in front of the Indian diaspora in Indian centric areas in United States of America,” the website of the organization says (ganeshfestivalusa.org).

The festival is believed to bring peace, prosperity and well-being in the community.

Sponsors included Parikh Worldwide Media, and the main organizers of the event were Bhavesh Patel and Suresh Patel.

US India Security Council – President Ramesh Viswanath Kapur hosted a lunch and fund raiser for Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy at his home in Winchester (MA). The lunch was attended by many priominent Indian Americans like – Vikram Rajyadaksha, Dr.Dinesh Patel, Abhishek Singh, Amar Sawhney, Deepika Sawhney, Dr.Raj Raina among others.

The event was held to support Congressman Raja KrishnaMoorthy for his forthcoming election in November and also express the support of the Indian American Community for the Congressman’s consistent and constant stand supporting causes that help the Indian American Community and also build stronger US-India relations. The event raised around 40k and there are more events planned to help the congressman.

Speaking at the event, Ramesh Viswanath Kapur welcomed the Congressman to his home and expressed gratitude to Raja Krishnamoorthy for his support in the past and urged the community to come forward and help the congressman in his tough election. He said that Raja Krishnamoorthy has been identified as one of the candidates by the republican party that wants to defeat him to reclaim the majority in the house.

He said that he is proud of the congressman who has never shied away from his roots. He said that Raja Krishnamoorthy is first Indian American Congressman he is hosting at his home. Ramesh Viswanath Kapur said that Raja Krishnamoorthy attended the Kashmir files program in the House of Representatives and was the keynote speaker at the Indian American’s against the genocide in ukraine event on the capitol hill. The Congressman arranged for the room and assisted with his staff for the event.

Raja Krishnamoorthy spoke about his journey from his humble beginning to being a house of representative and said he will always stand with the Indian American Community and celebrate their journey and success in the greatest countries in the world – USA. He also spoke about about his trip to Taiwan with speaker – Nancy Palosi and the stare down with the Chinese during the historic flight. He said that the delegation led by the speaker arrived to a massive gathering of people who welcomed the speaker and delegation in Taiwan and were seen as national heroes in the country.

He also said that due to his consistent stand he has been banned by China and Russia. He said that the ISI in pakistan also views him as a enemy for his stand against radicals in Pakistan. He reiterated that he respected all religions and never discriminated against any color, race or religion. He assured that if he wins, he will continue to support strategic relations between USA and India so that this friendship can deter China from its ambitions in the pacific.

The event ended with a informal interaction with the Congressman and a sumptuous lunch.

More than 6200 peoples attended Shree Umiya Mataji 2022 Navratri garba with Kinjal Dave organized by Shree Umiya Dham Chicago Midwest (SUDCM) on Saturday 17thth 2022 at RENAISSANCE SCHAUMBURG CONVENTION CENTER Schaumburg Illinois. Mtaji Palki was beautifully decorated and was placed in the center of the venue in a decorated mandap.

 It was a well-organized flow controlled set up. Starting with registration, the online ticket pick up station is managed by the KPS team managed by Dipak Desai, Tejas Patel & Satish Patel along with others at the left side inside the entrance. On the right side there was a special desk set up for unusual kase handling purposes which was managed by Vijay Patel. From here next station was set up with a hand bend distribution and putting on station managed by V, T Patel & Gaurang Patel with Unjha Team, before proceeding to the entrance of the venue. Good control and strict policy were set up (no hand band on, no entry in venue). It was all 100% implemented. Dr. Hemant & Rajendrabhai Patel were actively helping to continue moving attendees toward venue entrance. Show was sold out after record breaking tickets sale.

Program started at 6.30 pm with Deep pragatya ceremony attended by Mafatbhai Patel, Himanshubhai Modi, Mithabhai Patel, Jayantibhai Patel, Bhavic Patel, Harmil Patel, Haribhai Patel, Dahyabhai Prajapati, Prafulbhai Rami accompanied by SUDCM chairman Chhotalal Patel. After a deep pragatya ceremony Kinjal and her team took the stage.

Grand sponsors, Platinum sponsors & Maha Arti sponsors were honored by flowers on stage. Dr. Bharat & Panna Barai were honored on behalf Federation of Seniors of Chicago

Kinjal Dave’s event drew the largest Indian community crowd in the history of Chicago. In the audience we saw all generations having the time of their life. Gujarati Daughter’s wonderful voice in two tali, three tali, ras garba, sanedo and every type of song got everyone on their hills all night alone. Of course ladies did a little bit of shopping to support their test as well at the booths.

The SUDCM team and volunteers did a great job on reaching out to the community to bring in high profile sponsors, selling booths, banners, tickets, and organizing & managing the event. Lucky Draw was planned and managed by the Hemant Patel team. Thanks to them. They have collected over $2600.00. Good job guys. Lucky draw object was the latest model I-phone 14. Which was one of the brilliant idea SUDCM team came up with.

After Maha Arti by Mithabhai Patel & Jayantibhai Pate & family with rocking SANEDO and wonderful rocking songs by Kinjal, the event was concluded.

Special thanks to Rajesh Desai who organized and managed the entire project. He took control of the project and managed from start to end. Narendra Patel and Pankajbhai Patel worked with Rajesh on every step of the program. Kirti Patel & Falguni Patel worked as MC along with Rajesh Desai and Narendra Patel. KPS and SUDCM volunteers were a great help in every area.

SUDCM Chairman Chhotalal Patel complimented Rajesh Desai, Narendra Patel, Pankaj Patel, Kirti Patel & Falguni Patel for taking full responsibility in resulting a great successful event.

We can’t say enough about our sponsors who open their hearts and pockets which made this program possible, thanks to all of them.

National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens (NIAASC) held its 33rd Conference on 26th Aug 2022 in Naperville, Chicago in collaboration with Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) on Mental, Physical and Spiritual Health.

The conference was very ably emceed by Ms. Roshita Pandey, MAFS Grant Manager. She introduced and thanked NIAASC President Ms. Gunjan Rastogi; Founder Chairman NIAASC Mr. Rajeshwar Prasad; Geriatric Psychiatrist, Founder and Executive Director of India Home and NIAASC Board member Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi for collaborating with MAFS. Dr. Santosh Kumar, Founder, and Executive Director of MAFS and a NIAASC Board member, welcomed all for coming to attend a very timely conference on mental health. Dr. Santosh Kumar stated that mental health is a subject that is hidden under the sheet. Even though the pandemic has made mental health worse, it helped us to bring this topic to discuss at this conference and we have very specialized speakers on mental health. She also believed that mental health is not taboo, but it is a sensitive topic.

The conference started by lighting the auspicious lamp by all the dignitaries followed by the beautiful Ganesh Vandana kathak performance by the graceful Madhura Sane. All esteemed guests and panel of speakers Ms. Gunjan Rastogi; Mr. Rajeshwar Prasad; Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi; State Rep Janet Yang Rohr; Ms. Sadia Covert, DuPage County Board member; Dr.  Radhika L. Chimata; Dr. Santosh Kumar; Mr. Harish Doshi, MD International University of Vedic Wellness; Shree Guruswamy, case worker and social activist and Mr. Gopi Nair, the renowned motivational speaker addressed a very important issue that not just the senior community but all of us as a society are facing – the issue of Mental or behavioral health in the conference.

Ms. Gunjan Rastogi, apprised us that NIAASC works with Indo-American organizations in providing technical and logistic support in organizing activities for seniors. When it comes to mental health, she believes depression is something that can occur to anyone irrespective of age, gender, and status. Mr. Rajeshwar Prasad stated that NIAASC is not just a theory; it’s a practice.  He also mentioned that NIAASC has nine different language-speaking people to serve the community.

Mr. Rajeshwar Prasad honored Dr. Santosh Kumar by giving her a certificate of appreciation. Vasundhara Kalasapudi, M.D.  geriatric psychiatrist shared their journey of serving seniors in the New York area. India Home is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of and empowering the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean senior immigrant community in New York City through culturally competent services. Anybody can join the India Home even if the senior is on a tourist visa and enjoy their services.

Dr. Radhika L. Chimata, Psychiatrist & Neurologist gave a deep knowledge of the Importance of Mental Health. In her speech, she stated Mental health is a state of mind. When you’re mentally healthy, your feelings, actions, and relationships are in a good place. You’re able to live, learn, work, and enjoy your life. She shares her personal experience as a Psychiatrist & Neurologist which was related to the South Asian community.

Mr. Harish Doshi gave a presentation on Ayurveda & Mind-Body Connection. He highlighted the PPD (Psycho Physiological Disorders) or Psychosomatic Disorders & Its management with Ayurveda. The conference ended with a positive approach given by Mr. Gopi Nair in his speech on the Importance of Gratitude. ‘Gratitude is the only attitude a person should have; this is the mantra he gave to all of us to lead a happy life. Such a positive vibe he created at the end of the conference.

All speakers handled the questionnaire patiently. As they were speaking in Hindi the seniors felt more comfortable asking questions. All the speakers were honored by giving them a shawl and the book ‘India Calling 2022’ by Dr. Santosh Kumar. Ms. Radhika Subramanian, Public Benefits Coordinator sums up the conference and gave a vote of thanks to all speakers, guests, and attendees.

NIAASC is a non-profit 501c3 organization. It is the leading national information, referral, and advocacy organization committed to the well-being and quality of life of Indo-Americans in their senior years. NIAASC will be holding its Annual Meeting in New York on Dec 6^th for information or membership queries, kindly email [email protected]

The Indian Business Association (IBA) issued a formal apology on Tuesday for including a bulldozer in its Indian Independence Day parade in Edison and Woodbridge townships in New Jersey on August 14. The apology letter to the mayors of both towns was made public on Tuesday.

The letter, signed by IBA president Chandrakant Patel, acknowledges that certain aspects of the Independence Day event offended Indian American minority communities, especially Muslims.

The letter stated, “Unfortunately, there was a bulldozer among the floats in the parade which is a divisive image that did not reflect our mission. Our parade should never be about politics and should never include these blatant divisive symbols. Our parade should recognise us as South Asians living in two of the best towns in the country.”

On August 14, the IBA along with the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) held a parade along Oak Tree Road, from Edison to Woodbridge, to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. Videos and photographs indicated that the parade featured a bulldozer with a picture of Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Critics and civil rights organizations said that the bulldozer and the accompanying placard – ‘Baba Ka Bulldozer’ (Baba’s Bulldozer) – was a reference to Adityanath’s administration’s use of bulldozers to demolish illegal homes, businesses, and places of worship of Muslims and Christians. Other BJP-governed states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat also implemented this tactic to demolish allegedly illegal buildings.

“We hereby made the commitment that we will not allow these symbols in the future and that we will work with all different groups of South Asian heritage to make sure that our parade remains the best in the State of New Jersey,” Patel said in the letter.

He further said, “The parade should be and has always been about a celebration of our Indian heritage and inclusion and diversity among our many different cultures and religions. Unfortunately, there was a bulldozer among the floats in the parade which is a divisive image that did not reflect our mission. It was seen quite negatively by many who are deeply impacted and insulted by certain activities that have been happening in India. Many who participated or watched the parade or heard about the activities from social media accounts were offended by this symbol and by comments made by our guest speaker and that was not our intention.”

On August 16, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) along with rights groups Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) issued statements against the use of the bulldozer in the parade.

At a press conference held at Edison, IAMC, CAIR-NJ, Black Lives Matter (BLM), American Muslims for Democracy (AMD), and HfHR said they had met with the US Attorney General’s office and the New Jersey Attorney General’s office to seek legal action against the parade’s organizers. They said they had filed charges with the Edison Police Department against the IBA and sought police investigation into the event, which they categorized as a “hate parade”.

Samip Joshi, the mayor of Edison township in New Jersey, criticized the inclusion of a bulldozer by Hindutva groups saying that “any symbol or action that represents discrimination is unwelcome”. He added that the parade was not sponsored by the township.

On Tuesday, the New Jersey chapter of the CAIR acknowledged the apology. Selaedin Maksut, executive director of CAIR-NJ, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the IBA’s apology acknowledged its wrongdoing, which he said is “a step toward making future parades representative of the Indian population, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and Tribals.”

He said, “We agree that future parades cannot include blatantly divisive symbols and guest speakers and should never be about politics. Such hatred cannot be tolerated. Instead, the parade should celebrate India’s independence and rich culture and diversity.”

The Association of Indians in America, New York Chapter, (facebook.com/theaiany.org), considered one of the oldest community organizations in the United States, will be holding its flagship Diwali event October 2, 2022, a date that coincides with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

The AIA’s 35^th Deepavali celebrations at the scenic South Street Seaport site, will also play to the Government of India’s initiative – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – celebration throughout the year to mark India’s 75^th anniversary of independence.

Traditionally, the signature event attracts thousands of people to the celebrations and the same is expected this year. Local and national-level politicians and administration officials make sure to be seen at the event, which concludes with an impressive fireworks display over the Hudson River.

The festival features numerous stalls in its bazaar, both from vendors and corporation, offering everything from jewelry and clothes to life insurance, travel options, and health care services.

The highlight of this year’s celebrations includes an Inter-Collegiate Dance Competition named ‘Naach Inferno’ as well as a Vegan Expo featuring vegan food, cooking demonstrations and information sessions, hosted by World Vegan Vision (worldveganvision.org).

Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chicago Midwest (UMSCM) hosted Third Annual Patotsav, held at Umiya Mata Mandir at West Chicago, IL, from August 11 to August 14, 2022. The four-day festival included recital of Bhagwat Parayan for first 3 days, which included, Mahayagya, Umiya’s Grand Annakoot and Alokik Shringar Jagan Janani Darshan and on the fourth day, a Cultural Program to commemorate India’s Independence Day for Aug 15th was held.

On behalf of Umiya Mataji Santhana, the Chairman of the organization Mr. J.P. Patel, President Mr. Devendra Patel, and Secretary Shri Andi Patel, invited all the families living in Chicago and America.

The three-day Bhagwat Dasam Skand Katha Parayan was organized from August 11 to August 13 as part of the program of Umia Mataji Sansthan Chalit Tritiya Patotsav, for which Shastri Sri Dharmaswarupdasji, Swami Sanstha, had sent a special invite to Sri Swaminarayan, from Gurukul, Khirsara, Gujarat. His Guruji Shastri Sri Narayanaswarupadasji Swami also arrived with him. Every devotee who came to the festival took the benefit of his Amritamai Vani.

Bhagwat Katha was started on August 11 with Pothi Yatra and Kalash Yatra. All the devotees of the organization enthusiastically participated in the Pothi Yatra and Lord Shri Bhagwat was taken to Vyas Gadi.  On Aug 12th, at the end of the story, the aarti of Lord Krishna was performed by the main Sponsor, followed by the Mahaprasad. On Aug 13th, a beautiful description of Lord Krishna in Gokul and how Lord Krishna married Mata Rukamani was narrated by Mr. Dadramswarup Dasji, followed by Arti and Mahaprasad. Shastri Shri Narayanaswarup Dasji in his speech appreciated the management and hospitality by the organization during the Karan Divas. Krishna Janmotsav, Makhan Leela and beautiful decorations of Rukamani marriage were also made, which became the center of attraction for all. The entire atmosphere was resounding with joy and bliss.

The fourth and final day of Patotsav, was 14th August 2022, Sunday, on which the Mahayagna, which started at 9 am and completed at 4 pm, was successfully led by head priest Shri Kritarth Vyas, amidst chanting of mantras by the Brahmins. On the same day in the evening, India’s Independence Day (15th August) was celebrated by singing the American and then Indian Anthems. All the volunteers who served during these four days and throughout the year were honored.  A grand cultural program consisting of about 15 different performances was started with Deep Pragatya (lamp Lighting) and glorification of Lord Ganapati. Kathak dance, monologues, plays, garba, songs and performances by children giving messages to the society, from small children of different institutions to the elders of the group, everyone participated enthusiastically.

After that the book of Sanskrit, Gujarati and English Mantras “Poojantray” authored & published by prepared by Umiya Mataji Sansthan was released in the presence of Chairman Mr. J.P. Patel, President Mr. Devendra Bhai Patel, Secretary Mr. Andy Patel, Maharaj Mr. Kritarth Vyas and guests. Gifts were given to the guests. A 15 minute documentary film of the organization in Gujarati and English was also shown to everyone, in which various activities taking place in the temple, festivals & celebrations and talks about the proposed new temple nirmana were included.

Sponsors donated generously for this event and every volunteer worked hard with love and dedication to help manage with the arrangements for kitchen, dining, yajna, food preparation, decoration, donation collections and parking. Thus, Shri Umiya Mataji Sansthan Chicago Midwest Third Chalit Pratistha Festival 2022, led by President Shri Devendra Bhai was celebrated with great grandeur and in four days more than 3000 devotees stayed in the Ghasaro temple, making it a very successful event for the community.

India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence from Britain and IndiaFest Milwaukee marks its 10th year in Wisconsin. On Saturday Aug 20th, 2022 festivities began with the hoisting of the tricolor flag of India. This was followed by the rendition of the national anthems of both countries, India and the United States, in the presence of dignitaries and leaders. A chariot of Lord Jagannath, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, adorned with intricately decorated deities and traditional ornaments led the parade, accompanied by devotional songs.

India Day celebration at IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022 was graced by State Representative Scott Allen, former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, State Representative Dan Knodl, Former State Representative Jim Ott, Fond Du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney, and Milwaukee County Chief Equity Officer Jeff Roman.

Governor of Wisconsin Tony Evers, Mayor of Milwaukee Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn, US Senator Ron Johnson, State Senator Chris Larson, Ambassador of India to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Consul General of India (Midwest) Amit Kumar, Milwaukee Alderman Ashanti Hamilton and Mayor of Sun Prairie Paul Esser were among the invitees. Both the country’s flags were highlighted throughout the celebration, signifying the strong India-US relationship.

Officially, Aug 15th, 2022 was proclaimed as INDIA DAY in Wisconsin by Governor Tony Evers, in Milwaukee County by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and in the City of Milwaukee by Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Proclamations attached.

IndiaFest Milwaukee showcased the culture, history, and heritage of India’s ancient Indic civilization. It is more than food and dance. Ancient Indic culture is promoted through displays of traditional clothing, explanations, and displays of arts. Indian Instrument DJ Jason McKinsey, who is associated with David Latterman’s show, returned from a European tour the day of IndiaFest Milwaukee; and performed a unique rendition with classical Indian instruments. Hindustani classical music with Sitar, an eons-old Indian stringed instrument, was presented by Indrajit Banerjee, who traveled from Texas to Milwaukee. Contemporary Bollywood music was performed by the popular Orchestra SaReGaMa from Illinois.

Local talents were showcased through martial arts, classical and contemporary music, and traditional and Bollywood dance art forms. Children engaged in creating Indian flags and making arts/crafts related to Indian culture and heritage.

A travel blogger from Los Angeles traveled to attend IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022 in Wisconsin, before planning a trip to India. IndiaFest Milwaukee in Wisconsin delighted him.

A number of companies, including Wisdom Infotech, Trayix, Planned Parenthood, Airport Animal Hospital, India Garden, True Skool, VK Petroleum, West Allis Veterinary Clinic, North Side Petroleum, and Best Brains supported and contributed to India Day celebration at IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022. A few volunteers of IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022 helped with morning set up despite occasional showers, even when it seemed like it would be soaked for the entire day. Perhaps Lord Jagannath had protected the celebration from up above.

IndiaFest Milwaukee is an opportunity to get a glimpse of the warmth, breadth, and depth of India, launched by Spindle India, Inc, a nonprofit organization, founded by Purnima Nath. IndiaFest Milwaukee is an inclusive platform that transcends religion, region, language, culture, community, borders and political bias to promote true diversity, equality, and the value of inclusion and coexistence.

Ms. Nath, who serves as volunteer President of Spindle India, Inc., and produces IndiaFest Milwaukee says, “in America, people do not know much about Indian culture beyond a few popular food items such as curry, samosa, naan. Sadly, there are many misconceptions about India, the Indian community, and the ancient Indic civilization in the United States. Through such avenues and platforms, we can break barriers of cultural differences and communicate about the oldest-living-surviving Indian civilization through education, learning, and connecting that fosters understanding and opens the doors to potential broader acceptance.”

A group of Indian American and Asian organizations such as India Association of Greater Boston and India Society of Worcester have condemned the rising hate and violence against Indian Americas in the United States.

In a statement titled Condemnation of Hate and Violence – From New England Asian American Organizations” and posted on ISW and IAGB websites, the representatives of these and other organizations said the following:

“We the representatives of Indian American organizations in New England and our allies, strongly condemn the recent act of anti-Asian violence in Plano, Texas. We are very disturbed by this and recently increased acts of violence and hate crimes against Indians, South Asians, and Asian Americans in general. We do commend the Plano Police department for responding to the incident with urgency and understanding.

Asian Americans, like all other immigrants, have made significant contributions to this great land despite facing ongoing prejudice based on accents, color, religion, or perceptions of leadership or other abilities.

We believe in the fair treatment of all human beings regardless of age, education level, race, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, nationality, national origin, creed, accent, physical and mental ability, political and religious stance, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, socioeconomic status, veteran status, profession, or any other human differences.

We unequivocally and unapologetically condemn the divisive forces of hate, inequity, and injustice. We stand united in love and peace and stand against racist, discriminatory, violent acts against any community. Together, we say to those who are victims of such acts, “We see you; we hear you; we stand with you.”

Digital Rape – is a new terminology for me, and somehow my subconscious mind led me to a misunderstanding. It has nothing to do with modern digital technology, except some correlation with the fingers that you use to text on your smartphones.

The term ‘Digital rape’ does not relate to any sexual offense committed digitally, like defaming someone’s identity on the Digital platforms. It refers to the act of forcibly inserting fingers or toes inside the other person’s private parts without their consent. The word digital rape is derived from the word ‘digit’, which also means a ‘finger including the thumb or toe’; hence digital rape is meaningful now.

Similarly, there is a term “Digital Rape” that people often misinterpret-able and wonder how someone can rape digitally.Not knowing the actual term, they often consider it digital abuse. Sometimes it is confused with defacing someone’s identity on the digital platform. People think sharing naked pictures, or video’s on a digital platform without the owner’s consent is called Digital Rape.

Digital Rape is a term used to classify cases of rape. In the case of digital rape, the perpetrator used his finger or fingers to violate and force the sexual act upon the victim. Simply, a person is accused of Digital rape when the perpetrator used his/her finger or fingers to penetrate the vagina of the victim without her consent.

In India, until 2012, these types of offenses were not considered under the purviews of rape.In June 2022, there was a case in Noida, India, where a five-year-old girl was subjected to digital rape by her father.

In order to understand the sensitivity of this subject, three cases clear out the real meaning of the term ‘digital rape’.

Case 1: 2 year old digitally raped in Mumbai

In Mumbai, a 2-year-old girl was brought bleeding to the hospital. On examination, doctors found that her vagina was raptured, though there weren’t any sign of sexual assault or rape.

Case 2: 60 year old digitally raped in Delhi

In another incident which was occurred in Delhi, a 60 years old woman was sexually assaulted by an auto rickshaw driver, who used an iron rod to penetrate the 60 years old passenger who was visiting her relative’s wedding. Again, the driver was arrested but wasn’t convicted under Section 376 of the IPC.

Case 3: Conductor sentenced to 20 years in prison for digitally raping four-year-old girl onboard school bus

On December 12, 2018, Times now news published a report that explained a digital rape case. Here, a school-going girl was digitally raped by the conductor.

It all comes down to the point that the dignity of a female can be violated even without being raped. And how digital rape can have the same effect as rape.

But knowing that there are other ways that a man can use to violate a woman or child’s dignity; Supreme Court had to make some changes to its definition of rape. Keeping all the above cases and heinous instances of crime, the purpose of rape was extended in 2013.

According to this new definition, rape is considered an act of forcefully penetrating a woman’s vagina, mouth, anus, or urethra by a penis, any foreign object, or any other part of the body.

In many reports, it has been made clear that most of the time, the  offenders who disrespects  the modesty of a woman or violated the dignity of a child, is someone they knew personally. Usually, these crimes are committed by people close to the victim. Cousins, close friends, uncles (other relatives), neighbors, and sometimes their own father came out to be accused.

Luckily, most of the cases now do justice to the victim. And the offender has to spend a minimum of 5 years in jail. In some cases, the offender has to serve a lifetime prison sentence of 10 years, which can also be extended later.

Thankfully, the term digital rape has joined the definition of rape, and now there are strict laws for criminals who think digital rape is not raping. Better be aware of this terminology, and it’s consequences too!

India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence from Britain and IndiaFest Milwaukee marks its 10th year in Wisconsin. On Saturday Aug 20th, 2022 festivities began with the hoisting of the tricolor flag of India. This was followed by the rendition of the national anthems of both countries, India and the United States, in the presence of dignitaries and leaders. A chariot of Lord Jagannath, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, adorned with intricately decorated deities and traditional ornaments led the parade, accompanied by devotional songs.

India Day celebration at IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022 was graced by State Representative Scott Allen, former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, State Representative Dan Knodl, Former State Representative Jim Ott, Fond Du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney, and Milwaukee County Chief Equity Officer Jeff Roman.

Governor of Wisconsin Tony Evers, Mayor of Milwaukee Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn, US Senator Ron Johnson, State Senator Chris Larson, Ambassador of India to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Consul General of India (Midwest) Amit Kumar, Milwaukee Alderman Ashanti Hamilton and Mayor of Sun Prairie Paul Esser were among the invitees. Both the country’s flags were highlighted throughout the celebration, signifying the strong India-US relationship.

Officially, Aug 15th, 2022 was proclaimed as INDIA DAY in Wisconsin by Governor Tony Evers, in Milwaukee County by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and in the City of Milwaukee by Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Proclamations attached.

IndiaFest Milwaukee showcased the culture, history, and heritage of India’s ancient Indic civilization. It is more than food and dance. Ancient Indic culture is promoted through displays of traditional clothing, explanations, and displays of arts. Indian Instrument DJ Jason McKinsey, who is associated with David Latterman’s show, returned from a European tour the day of IndiaFest Milwaukee; and performed a unique rendition with classical Indian instruments. Hindustani classical music with Sitar, an eons-old Indian stringed instrument, was presented by Indrajit Banerjee, who traveled from Texas to Milwaukee. Contemporary Bollywood music was performed by the popular Orchestra SaReGaMa from Illinois.

Local talents were showcased through martial arts, classical and contemporary music, and traditional and Bollywood dance art forms. Children engaged in creating Indian flags and making arts/crafts related to Indian culture and heritage.

A travel blogger from Los Angeles traveled to attend IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022 in Wisconsin, before planning a trip to India. IndiaFest Milwaukee in Wisconsin delighted him.

A number of companies, including Wisdom Infotech, Trayix, Planned Parenthood, Airport Animal Hospital, India Garden, True Skool, VK Petroleum, West Allis Veterinary Clinic, North Side Petroleum, and Best Brains supported and contributed to India Day celebration at IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022. A few volunteers of IndiaFest Milwaukee 2022 helped with morning set up despite occasional showers, even when it seemed like it would be soaked for the entire day. Perhaps Lord Jagannath had protected the celebration from up above.

IndiaFest Milwaukee is an opportunity to get a glimpse of the warmth, breadth, and depth of India, launched by Spindle India, Inc, a nonprofit organization, founded by Purnima Nath. IndiaFest Milwaukee is an inclusive platform that transcends religion, region, language, culture, community, borders and political bias to promote true diversity, equality, and the value of inclusion and coexistence.

Ms. Nath, who serves as volunteer President of Spindle India, Inc., and produces IndiaFest Milwaukee says, “in America, people do not know much about Indian culture beyond a few popular food items such as curry, samosa, naan. Sadly, there are many misconceptions about India, the Indian community, and the ancient Indic civilization in the United States. Through such avenues and platforms, we can break barriers of cultural differences and communicate about the oldest-living-surviving Indian civilization through education, learning, and connecting that fosters understanding and opens the doors to potential broader acceptance.”

Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chicago Midwest (UMSCM) hosted Third Annual Patotsav, held at Umiya Mata Mandir at West Chicago, IL, from August 11 to August 14, 2022. The four-day festival included recital of Bhagwat Parayan for first 3 days, which included, Mahayagya, Umiya’s Grand Annakoot and Alokik Shringar Jagan Janani Darshan and on the fourth day, a Cultural Program to commemorate India’s Independence Day for Aug 15th was held.

On behalf of Umiya Mataji Santhana, the Chairman of the organization Mr. J.P. Patel, President Mr. Devendra Patel, and Secretary Shri Andi Patel, invited all the families living in Chicago and America.

The three-day Bhagwat Dasam Skand Katha Parayan was organized from August 11 to August 13 as part of the program of Umia Mataji Sansthan Chalit Tritiya Patotsav, for which Shastri Sri Dharmaswarupdasji, Swami Sanstha, had sent a special invite to Sri Swaminarayan, from Gurukul, Khirsara, Gujarat. His Guruji Shastri Sri Narayanaswarupadasji Swami also arrived with him. Every devotee who came to the festival took the benefit of his Amritamai Vani.

Bhagwat Katha was started on August 11 with Pothi Yatra and Kalash Yatra. All the devotees of the organization enthusiastically participated in the Pothi Yatra and Lord Shri Bhagwat was taken to Vyas Gadi.  On Aug 12th, at the end of the story, the aarti of Lord Krishna was performed by the main Sponsor, followed by the Mahaprasad. On Aug 13th, a beautiful description of Lord Krishna in Gokul and how Lord Krishna married Mata Rukamani was narrated by Mr. Dadramswarup Dasji, followed by Arti and Mahaprasad. Shastri Shri Narayanaswarup Dasji in his speech appreciated the management and hospitality by the organization during the Karan Divas. Krishna Janmotsav, Makhan Leela and beautiful decorations of Rukamani marriage were also made, which became the center of attraction for all. The entire atmosphere was resounding with joy and bliss.

The fourth and final day of Patotsav, was 14th August 2022, Sunday, on which the Mahayagna, which started at 9 am and completed at 4 pm, was successfully led by head priest Shri Kritarth Vyas, amidst chanting of mantras by the Brahmins. On the same day in the evening, India’s Independence Day (15th August) was celebrated by singing the American and then Indian Anthems. All the volunteers who served during these four days and throughout the year were honored.  A grand cultural program consisting of about 15 different performances was started with Deep Pragatya (lamp Lighting) and glorification of Lord Ganapati. Kathak dance, monologues, plays, garba, songs and performances by children giving messages to the society, from small children of different institutions to the elders of the group, everyone participated enthusiastically.

After that the book of Sanskrit, Gujarati and English Mantras “Poojantray” authored & published by prepared by Umiya Mataji Sansthan was released in the presence of Chairman Mr. J.P. Patel, President Mr. Devendra Bhai Patel, Secretary Mr. Andy Patel, Maharaj Mr. Kritarth Vyas and guests. Gifts were given to the guests. A 15 minute documentary film of the organization in Gujarati and English was also shown to everyone, in which various activities taking place in the temple, festivals & celebrations and talks about the proposed new temple nirmana were included.

Sponsors donated generously for this event and every volunteer worked hard with love and dedication to help manage with the arrangements for kitchen, dining, yajna, food preparation, decoration, donation collections and parking. Thus, Shri Umiya Mataji Sansthan Chicago Midwest Third Chalit Pratistha Festival 2022, led by President Shri Devendra Bhai was celebrated with great grandeur and in four days more than 3000 devotees stayed in the Ghasaro temple, making it a very successful event for the community.