Category: Community

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala and his deputies are on their way to the United States to inaugurate the American Regional Conference of the Loka Kerala Sabha on June 10 at the iconic Time Square and the prestigious Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Vijayan, who left Kerala on June 8th will kick-start his U.S. trip by paying a visit to the 9/11 Memorial in New York, which will be followed by a visit to the United Nations headquarters on the same day.

The organizers of the event expressed optimism for the success of this global event, especially in the context of controversies, accusations, and expectations regarding the American Regional Conference.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Regional Conference of the Lok Kerala Sabha on Saturday, June 10th at the Marriott Marquis near Time Square. Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, AN Shamseer will preside over the event.

The Kerala Chief Minister will inaugurate the Business Investment Meet on the 11th at Marriott Marquis, where he will interact with the investors in the US, including prominent American Malayali leaders, IT experts, students, women entrepreneurs, and other people from various fields. The Chief Minister will address the American community at a public meeting that evening.

On June 12th, the Chief Minister will meet Martin Reiser, Vice President of the World Bank South Asia Region in Washington DC. On the 13th, the Chief Minister will personally visit the Maryland Waste Management Systems. On the 14th, he will leave New York for Cuba. The Chief Minister will participate in various programs in Havana on the 15th and 16th and will meet with various dignitaries. The Chief Minister is also visiting important historical places including the Jose Marti National Monument.

New York State Senator Kevin Thomas, Illinois State Representative Kevin Olical, Texas Missouri City Mayor Robin Ilakatt, Texas Fort Bund County Judges Julie Mathew, Surendran Patel, KP George and others are participating as special guests at the Lok Kerala Sabha. They will hold discussions with the Chief Minister and the Lok Kerala Sabha representatives.

The officials of the organizing committee said that such discussions will help promote the vision in creating a New Kerala. Positive and negative responses to this conference are being received from individuals, organizations, and movements. But before leaving for New York, NORCANA Vice Chairman told the media that all these controversies are irrelevant and unnecessary.

Along with the Chief Minister, Finance Minister K.M. Balagopal, Chief Secretary Dr. VP Joy, various departmental secretaries to Chief Minister, and VM Suneesh will also arrive in New York. Chief Minister’s wife Kamala Vijayan, Speaker’s wife, and son are also in the group.

The American Regional Conference will be held on June 9, 10 and 11. Organizing committee president KG Manmathan Nair had already stated that not even a penny is taken from the government treasury for the conference and the expenses are borne by the sponsors and the American Malayali community. At a public event in New York’s famous Times Square, Vijayan will also speak to the international audience, organizers of the event said.

Apart from the members and invitees from the countries of the American region of the Loka Kerala Sabha, special invitees from the Malayali community will also come to New York. NORCANA Director Dr. M Anirudhan is leading the organizing committee.

Describing the objectives of the event, the organizers say, “Kerala’s people and its culture have traveled beyond borders, and to every corner of the world, fostering their assimilation and integration with the rest of the world. This movement of people and with them, our culture has created myriad Keralas of vibrant and distinct characters outside the geographical boundaries of the state. It is imperative to constitute a democratic space in order that cultural, socio-political and economic co-operation between home and outer Keralas are facilitated.

“The Government of Kerala has always been keen on sustaining close ties with its vast population residing abroad and within other Indian states and has formed the Loka Kerala Sabha Secretariat in the year 2018 along with its flagship program, the Loka Kerala Sabha. Previous Loka Kerala Sabha meetings in 2018 and 2020 has been successful with Malayali diaspora participation.”

The state of Kerala hosts the Loka Kerala Sabha (World Kerala Assembly) as a way to unite the Malayali diaspora that lives all over the world. The Department of Non-Keralite Residents is in charge of hosting it. It intends to use NRKs’ expertise for Kerala state development. The Loka Kerala Sabha would meet once every two years.

The Loka Kerala Sabha is a forum where the representatives of non-resident Malayalees meet together with the people’s representatives of Kerala to discuss and solve the issues related to the world Malayali community. The main sessions of the Loka Kerala Sabha, formed in 2018, were held in 2018, 2020 and 2022 at the Kerala Assembly Complex.

Apart from this, the first regional conference was held in Dubai and the regional conference of European countries was held in London. New York is hosting the regional conference of the American countries, which includes the USA, Canada, and the North American-Caribbean region.

Ekal Connecticut, which is a part of the much larger Ekal movement, held its annual fund-raising gala at All Saints Catholic School on May 6th in Norwalk Ct.

The evening resonated with foot tapping music performed by great singers with their band, fabulous Indian cuisine and a desire to make lives of children better.

Spear headed by youth volunteers one could see the hard work and determination of the volunteers.

Ekal Vidyalaya is an organization which supports education for kids in rural India and Nepal. For every 365 raised they are able to run a one teacher school for the year in rural and remote parts of India and Nepal.

This movement aims to eradicate illiteracy from these areas following the philosophy of rural development based on the criteria of equality and inclusiveness across all sections of society.

Ekal CT organizes this fundraiser every year. Ekal volunteers are all school sponsors. This year Asha and Adish Jain of Asha Foundation sponsored the program along with Warshaw capital LLC.

Program started with introductions by Kedar Godbole and Aditya Gupta. Swamiji of Wilton temple along with Asha and Adish Jain did the prayers and lamp lighting of the program. Harry Arora supported this program and spoke about the importance of supporting education for kids. Dr. Jaya Daptardar and Tanu Suneja were moderator of the program. Youth volunteers did a great job of raising the funds via bake sale before the event. If anyone wants to donate for EKAL foundation or need more information about Ekal, please visit www.ekal.org

Indian-American attorney and educator Neil Makhija has won the Democratic nomination for Montgomery County Commissioner, thus inching closer to becoming the first Asian-American to hold the top post in Pennsylvania state.

Makhija had thrown his hat in the ring for the primary election on Tuesday for Commissioner of Montgomery County, which has one of the largest Asian-American populations in Pennsylvania.

“It’s official! Our underdog campaign succeeded and I have officially won the Democratic nomination for Montgomery County Commissioner,” Makhija took to his Twitter to share the news on Wednesday.

“None of this would have happened without my incredible team + supporters, and for that I am immeasurably grateful. Together, we made history,” he tweeted.

Makhija, who belongs to a Sindhi family from India, will now be competing in the November general election to determine control of the three-member Board of Commissioners in Pennsylvania’s third largest county with over 865,000 people.

If elected, the 36-year-old election law professor at the University of Pennsylvania would be the first South Asian member to serve for the position left open by outgoing commissioner Valerie Arkoosh.

“Congratulations to my friend, @NeilMakhija, on becoming the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County (PA) Commissioner!,” Aruna Miller, Maryland’s first Indian-American Lieutenant Governor, tweeted.

In an email to his supporters, a victorious Makhija said his campaign “inspired a new and diverse coalition of voters to turn out to vote in every corner of the county”.

Montgomery County Commission is the governing body of Montgomery County, consisting of five members who are elected by districts.

Each Commissioner is elected to a four-year term and represents approximately 45,000 constituents.

The Montgomery County Commission’s responsibilities include control of all county public funds, adoption of an annual budget reflecting anticipated income and expenses (by law, expenditures cannot exceed revenue received).

If elected, Makhija, along with other commissioners, will be tasked with managing a budget greater than $500 million and 3,000 employees including elections, courts, district attorney’s office, public health departments and public infrastructure.

The commissioners will also oversee administration of the 2024 presidential election, which is expected to put local election officials in the spotlight in battleground Pennsylvania.

Makhija worked at the White House, Senate, and earned his JD at Harvard Law School on the Horace Lentz Scholarship.

As the son of Indian immigrants, the Pennsylvania native is passionate about enfranchising underrepresented communities and engaging new citizens in state and local politics. (IANS)

Pyaara Sindhi USA Inc., a newly established organization, held its first Sindhi Mela on Sunday April 30, 2023 at Asamai Temple Auditorium in Hicksville, New York to help connect all Sindhis in the tri-state area. In spite of bad weather, about 400 people attended the mela, organizers said in a press release.

Community leader and founder president of Pyaara Sindhi USA, Indu Gajwani said starting this organization was a dream come true. Gajwani, with the help of friends and community leaders, formed Pyaara Sindhi USA Inc.

“Every community except the Sindhis have their own exclusive events and melas,” organizers noted. Now the community has one of its own.

The other officeholders of Pyaara Sindh USA Inc. include President Harish Shahdadpuri, Vice President Jagdish Kakwani, Secretary Poojaa Makhijani, Treasurer Kishore Mulchandani, Director Ashok Chainani.

Indu Gajwani also thanked her husband Shyam Gajwani, “without whose support, guidance and help this would not be possible,” the organization said.  Indu Gajwani welcomed everyone and introduced the committee members. A Sindhi prayer, Behrano of Jhulelal (Sindhi God), was performed by Sindhi Pundit Hemant.

It was a free for all event with Sindhi food was served including sindhi snacks like chola dabal, boondi singar, pattice, pakora , with milkrose and tea. Attendees sported colorful traditional Sindhi outfits.

The cultural program brought Sindhi Sufi songs sung by famous singer Mahesh Chander along with Gope Chander’s family – Aarti, Haresh and Anil. The group was supported by Vijay Kumar on the keyboard, Sammy on tabla and Nuncha on dholak.

Pundit Hemant rendered soulful music and Sindh kalaams.  This was followed by cultural dances by children as well as adults.  Indu Gajwani also performed a Sindhi dance.

The Emcees of the show were Indu Gajwani and Kishore Mulchandani.

Raffles were drawn and prizes were given. This event ended with sindhi delicacies for dinner – Sai Bhaji Pulao, Bhee Wadi Patata, Daal Pakwan, Sevaian kheer and gulab jamun. There were also cupcakes for children.

Pyaara Sindhi USA Inc thanked the nearly 20 sponsors who came forward to support the event and make it a success. Scores of volunteers stepped up to help organize the event and were recognized and thanked by Indu Gajwani.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence the Association of Indians in America (AIA National) recently hosted its 25th Honor Banquet in Flushing Meadows Park, New York. The sold out event was attended by over 250 prominent members of the organization and the Indian community.

US Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, Consul General of India at New York Randhir Jaiswal graced the occasion as chief guests. New York Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar also attended the event.

The celebrations began with an invocation followed by both the American and Indian National Anthem. A classical dance performance by Maheshwari Jagabattula on A.R. Rahman’s Vande Mataram song brought in the patriotic fervour among the audience.

Schumer in his speech shared details about his recent trip to India and how fascinated he was with the country. He further emphasized the significance of the US-India bilateral relations and said, “Our partnership has a huge potential for growth in the 21st century.” Similar thoughts were expressed by Counsul General Jaiswal, who spoke at length of strengthening the relationship between the two nations.

Addressing the gathering, AIA National president Gobind Munjal highlighted India’s culture and values and the progress made by Indian Americans. “Indians in America bring distinct vision, values, needs and goals and we and our next generations should fully assimilate and participate in the political system and take active role in shaping the future of this great country,” he remarked.

Appreciating Indian culture, NYC Mayor said, “I like the Indian culture, tradition, values, the education and close family system and I like you to retain and enrich main stream America. I also want you to fully participate in the political system by getting everybody to register to vote and put forward candidates to have your voice heard.”

During the event, two distinguished guests received AIA’s “Honor Award” for their outstanding achievements. They included Padma Bhushan Arvind Panagariya, Ph.D. Professor of Economics and Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University since 2004 and Renu Khator, Ph.D Chancellor and President of the University of Houston, Texas.

Banquet committee chair, Dr Buddhadev Manvar and chair Board of Trustees, Dr Samin Sharma also addressed the gathering and applauded the AIA team for organizing the event.

The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians established in 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in the United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment.

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) and the 18% and Growing Campaign gathered in front of Queens Borough Hall Wednesday to call on City Council to invest in New York City’s AAPI communities.

Over 70 advocates, service providers, and community members attended Wednesday’s rally, in which speakers and attendees urged City Council members to support the collective fiscal requests of the greater AAPI community that would enhance the health, wellness, and economic well-being of thousands of New Yorkers.

The rally was the first 18% and Growing Campaign rally in Queens, a borough that is home to some of New York City’s oldest Asian American communities.

First founded in 2008, the name of the 18% and Growing Campaign takes its name from the fact that AAPI New Yorkers now comprise more than 18% of the City’s population. Today, the 18% and Growing Campaign is a unified coalition of 90 AAPI-led and serving community-based organizations from across the five boroughs.

But despite the AAPI community’s expansive growth and development, funding for AAPI communities in New York City has historically lagged behind.

“Over the course of the last 15 years, the 18% and Growing Campaign has been at the forefront of the push to get AAPI New Yorkers the resources and support they both need and deserve. Though persistent and harmful stereotypes like the model minority myth lead many to believe that all AAPI New Yorkers are thriving, the reality is quite different,” said CACF’s Co-Executive Directors Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung. “Enhancing programs like the AAPI Community Support Initiative will allow community-based organizations across the city to continue to improve and expand their programming for those who need language access support, mental health resources, and more. While there have been tremendous strides made when it comes to City Council support for our communities in recent years, we are reminded of just how much we still have to do – especially in terms of getting AAPI New Yorkers who are most marginalized the critical, culturally responsive support they need.”

In order to get our communities the support they need, the 18% And Growing Campaign will be advocating for the following critical funding needs:

• Enhance the AAPI Community Support Initiative to $7.5 million to expand social services by AAPI serving community-based organizations to address the fiscal equity needed to build bridges between culturally competent and linguistically accessible services and the most vulnerable AAPI New Yorkers.
• Enhance the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) to $7.5 million to provide capacity-building support to Black, Latinx, and AAPI-led community-based organizations.
• Enhance the Access Health Initiative to $4 million to support community-based organizations (CBOs) who provide education, outreach, and assistance to marginalized New Yorkers on how to access health care and coverage.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up 18 percent of New York City’s population, yet our communities rarely receive the funding and support they need to thrive,” said CACF’s Director of Policy and Government Relations Felicia Singh. “As we continue to experience the economic and health-related consequences of the pandemic, it’s become clear that the city has to do more to increase access to mental health care, culturally responsive youth programming, and gender-based violence prevention programs. As budget negotiations continue to ramp up, we’re calling on City Council to continue to build on last year’s investment in our communities by supporting our proposal in full.”

Several members of 18% and Growing Campaign spoke at Wednesday’s rally, including Tsering Lama, Policy Manager at Adhikaar, Christine Serdjenian, New York Organizer at Armenian-American Action Network, Mohamed Q. Amin, Founder and Executive Director at Caribbean Equality Project, Mitch Wu, Director of Queens Community Services at Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), Micah Dicker, Outreach Worker and Communications Specialist at CIANA, Shaaranya Pillai, Deputy Director at India Home, Julie Ma, Director of Strategy at the Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC), Josh Bentley, Grants and Advocacy Coordinator at Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc (KCS), Sandra Choi, Civic Participation Director at the MinKwon Center for Community Action, and Ngawang Tsering, Vice President at Tibetan Community of New York & New Jersey (TCNYNJ).

“Every day in our bustling worker center, we are providing essential services like Workforce Development, Health Care Support, Community Safety Support, Adult Literacy classes, Civic Engagement and Legal Services,” said Tsering Lama, Policy Manager at Adhikaar. “At this critical time, where CBOs remain the lifeline of the City for many communities, it’s critical that the NYC legislators fund AAPI CBOs like Adhikaar and our members of the 18% and Growing Coalition.”

“Being underfunded results in our communities being underserved. An equitable budget would help Armenian-Americans with data collection and disaggregation, increase access to much-needed mental health care services, and create culturally responsive educational curriculum and youth programming,” said Christine Serdjenian, New York Organizer at Armenian-American Action Network. “We are proud to be a part of the 18% and Growing Campaign and echo the fiscal requests of the greater AAPI community that would enhance the health, and economic and social well-being, of all AAPI New Yorkers.”

“New York City is home to the largest Indo-Caribbean and South Asian foreign-born population, many of whom live in immigrant communities like Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park in Queens. For the past three years, community-based organizations have been on the front lines providing life-saving services through resource mobilization,” said Mohamed Q. Amin, Founder and Executive Director at Caribbean Equality Project. “The 18% and Growing Campaign amplifies the intersectionality and growth of the diverse AAPI communities and our collective fight for fiscal equity, an investment in community-driven solutions to create thriving, sustainable immigrant communities.”

“It is difficult to ignore how AAPI New Yorkers have been neglected and how they have not been accounted for when it comes to funding social services and public benefits,” said Emira Habiby Browne, Founder and CEO at CIANA. “Budget equity means fighting for the most essential needs- health, education, language access, safety, and more- that are being kept from nearly one-fifth of our city’s population.”

“We pride ourselves in providing the tailored services our communities need, addressing gaps that conventional senior center programs just fail to address,” said Shaaranya Pillai, Deputy Director at India Home. “Despite how challenging and how expensive it is to find culturally competent care and personnel, we continue to invest in our older adults.”

“Access Health is an imperative program – it is essential. It allows community-based organizations to help our new neighbors or long-tenured friends get the benefits they deserve,” said Josh Bentley, Grants and Advocacy Coordinator at Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc (KCS). “And yet, if the equity budget, the city, and the state continue to neglect us, we cannot continue to offer these services to the extent we wish.”

“The investment that Asian Americans receive falls short of our community’s numbers here in New York City,” said Tina Han, Community Leader at MinKwon Center for Community Action. “WE DEMAND OUR FAIR SHARE!”

“The Tibetan community here in New York City is the largest in North America and we have around more than 20,000 Tibetans in NY/NJ,” said Ngawang Tsering, Vice President at Tibetan Community of New York & New Jersey (TCNYNJ). “We need our community center to help us preserve our culture.”

“As a member of the AAPI community, KAFSC recognizes the urgent need for greater investments and resources to support our rapidly growing and diverse community, particularly for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence,” said Jeehae Fischer. Executive Director at the Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC). “KAFSC stands in solidarity with our fellow community members in advocating for transparent investments and equitable opportunities that will allow our AAPI community to thrive. Together, we can build a more just and humane social ecosystem that supports and uplifts all New Yorkers, regardless of race or ethnicity.”

“New York City continues to struggle to get AAPI New Yorkers – many of whom are from immigrant and limited English proficient backgrounds – the resources they need to lead fulfilling and productive lives. To close that gap, resources must be allocated to community-based organizations like ours that have the trust and deep ties in the community to provide human services, health care, mental health supports, and racial literacy programming,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). “We join the 18% and Growing Campaign members to call on the City to enhance the AAPI Community Support Initiative to $6 million so that Asian American community members can receive culturally relevant and language-accessible services needed to not only survive but also thrive in these troubling times.”

Wednesday’s 18% and Growing Campaign rally was the second of four planned budget rallies across New York City. We will next rally on May 16th at McKinley Park in Brooklyn, and on May 24 in Little Yemen in the Bronx. To RSVP, head here.

For more information, please contact Winnie Kong, CACF’s Communications Associate, at [email protected].

The Virginia chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) hosted an award gala to mark its 14th anniversary on April 30, 2023. Nine members of the Indian American community received awards of excellence from Virginia Senators David Marsden and Chap Petersen as well as 43rd Speaker Eileen Filer Corn during the event.

The recipients were recognized for their contributions to education, medicine, science, technology, philanthropy, the arts, culture, choreography, and community service.

They included Michael Rao, president of Virginia Commonwealth University for Education, Siva Subramaniam, emeritus professor George Town University, Rahul Gupta director of National Drug Policy Control (White House) for Public Service, Sant Gupta for Science & Technology, Mayur Shah for Philanthropy, Ghazal singer Vatsala Mehra (Arts & Culture), Choreographer Navin KC (Arts & Culture), Rajeev Bhambri for Journalism and Mayur Modi for Community Service.

Senators and Delegates from Virginia, Dev. Marsden, Chap Petersen, Eileen Filler-Corn, David Bulova, Holly Siebold, and Fairfax county board of Supervisors chairman Jeff McKay, graced the packed event. Several American, Hispanic, and diverse Asian community leaders were also present.

Speaking at the event GOPIO Virginia president, Jay Bhandari, congratulated the award winners and said “Many people of Indian Origin are holding high positions in the US and are extremely accomplished and have demonstrated innovations and leadership in almost every field. They have significantly contributed to building a strong relationship between India and the USA towards economic, social, educational, and cultural progress of both these great nations.”

The event also had cultural performances including classical and Bollywood Dances as well as live music performances that entertained the guests. The event concluded with a 5-course vegetarian dinner for the guests.

A peaceful rally was held by Indian Americans in California to protest against a Democratic senator’s proposed bill in the state’s Senate seeking to ban caste-based discrimination. State Senator Aisha Wahab, the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the state legislature, introduced the bill on March 22. If passed, California, America’s most populous state, could become the first state to outlaw caste-based bias in the United States.

Participants at the peace rally organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) expressed that the legislation introduced by Senator Wahab contradicts the fundamental principles of equality and justice for all, regardless of race, religion, and ancestry. Harsh Singh, a Fremont city resident and tech worker, said, “This bill presumes guilt, profiles and stereotypes Hindus and Asians, which will increase hate and target our kids.”

Protesters displayed posters and banners against the legislation, appealing to California lawmakers not to single out Hindus or presume that they are guilty of being oppressive simply due to their birth. Participants of the peaceful rally in front of Senator Wahab’s office said that legislation SB-403 proposes to add “caste” as a protected category in California. The protesters argued that the proposed bill is based on unproven and biased data that targets South Asians, along with other people of color such as those from the Japanese, African, and South American communities. CoHNA argued that if passed, the bill would violate the civil rights of South Asians and other people of color and deny them equal protection and due process.

The bill was introduced exactly one month after Seattle became the first US city to outlaw caste discrimination after its local council passed a resolution moved by an Indian-American politician and economist, Kshama Sawant. Sudha Jagannathan, a Bahujan Hindu American and a mother, expressed her anger and frustration that America is forcing this identity on her while “all my life this was never an issue.” She said, “SB 403 will entrench the false and dangerous concept of caste as solely connected to Hindus. It reinforces the very discrimination that its supporters claim to stop via SB 403! My children and children will be branded with a caste, despite not knowing what it is!”

Aldrin Deepak, a tech worker, LGBTQ, and Dalit American activist, expressed dismay at how hate groups like Equality Labs seek to co-opt his identity and weaponize it against the very traditions that nourished and gave succor to millions through the ages. He said, “They seek to deny the place of Valmiki and Vyasa, authors of the world’s most glorious and influential epics-the Ramayana and Mahabharata.” He rejected the attempts from Equality Labs and California lawmakers to speak for him or his community. Mr. Deepak expressed his concern that SB403 would profile them and leave them subject to being judged by so-called experts based on subjective criteria like last names, dietary preferences, skin color, and more.

Nearly 100 people went to speak at Fremont City Hall to make their concerns heard after the peace rally. After introducing the legislation last month, Ms. Wahab told reporters that the “historic legislation is about workers’ rights, women’s rights, queer rights, and civil rights.” She said, “We want to ensure organizations and companies do not entrench caste discrimination in their practices or policies, and in order to do that, we need to make it plainly clear that discrimination based on caste is against the law.” Ms. Wahab also said, “Caste goes beyond religion and nationality. This legislation primarily protects millions who live in silence and have never had such protection because there is little understanding of this issue. This bill is about protecting people who are vulnerable.”

Equality Labs, which led the movement against caste discrimination in Seattle and is now spearheading a nationwide campaign, has asserted that caste-based discrimination exists in various sectors in California, such as technology, education, construction, restaurants, domestic work, and medicine. However, some Indian Americans are apprehensive that including caste in public policy could exacerbate instances of Hinduphobia in the US.

There have been reports of Hindu temples and statues, including those of Mahatma Gandhi and Maratha emperor Shivaji, being vandalized in the last three years, which many believe is aimed at intimidating the Hindu community.

Indian Americans constitute the second-largest immigrant group in the US, with approximately 4.2 million individuals of Indian origin according to the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the Census Bureau. It is worth noting that India has prohibited caste discrimination since 1948 and enshrined it in the Constitution in 1950.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Indian-American CEO Udai Tambar to the newly formed advisory board on implementation of the Racial Justice Charter Amendments on April 17, 2023. The youth advocate will serve as part of the board that will advise the mayor on ways to fight racial injustice and end systemic inequity.

Tambar was named along with fourteen other diverse leaders to the board, which will help ensure the city continues to lead the nation in innovative, racial equity work and carries out the city’s newly enshrined charter changes, according to a news release by the Mayor’s office.

Champion of youth welfare, Tambar to has devoted much of his career to serving youth, including serving as chief of staff and director of Youth and Children Services for the NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and as the Executive Director for South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which provides comprehensive youth development services for NYC’s under-resourced South Asian community.

Most recently, the Cornell University graduate served as vice president of Community Health at Northwell Health and is currently the president and CEO of New York Junior Tennis & Learning, the largest nonprofit youth tennis and education program in the nation, serving 85,000 K-12 NYC youth.

Speaking of the significance of the board, Mayor Adams said, “Our city has come a long way in the fight for racial justice, but there is still much more work to do to end systemic inequity. We are proud to announce the launch of this advisory board, which will help us apply the critical actions needed to these important initiatives. We are fully committed to advancing equity for New Yorkers from all backgrounds and walks of life.”

The Indian Nurses Association of New York (INANI) a chapter of National Association of Indian Nurses in America stands as the voice of nurses of Indian origin in New York state. Its priorities are promoting nursing education, improving nursing standard and quality and community support.  INANY conducts continuing nursing education for registered nurses and nurse practitioners to ensure that the stakeholders understand the latest developments in nursing care and treatment so that they could apply evidence-based practice.  \

INANY conducted a free continuing education conference last week with topics from nurses building resilience to confronting violence in the society.  The conference, held at the Kerala Center in Elmont, New York was attended by several RNs and NPs. The Association is also on a grant funded by New York state to mitigate the surge in anti-Asian hate since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and to train the public to extend helping hand to the victims of anti-Asian hate.

Dr. Jessy Kurian is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with long experience at Northwell Health System, the largest private healthcare system in New York state.  She has been successfully treating thousands of people suffering from mental illness.  Her presentation focused on depression, a mental disorder that affects more than 17 million of American population age 18 and older.  Adults with major depressive disorder have 64 per cent higher risk than the general population for developing coronary artery disease.

They are also at 20 times more likely than the general population thinking about suicide. Many teenagers, college students and young adults who keep depression in themselves tend to self-medicate with substances and become addicts. Women are almost twice likely as men to suffer from depression.  Because of the stigma associated with mental problems, most of the affected individuals and families do not seek the treatment, though this common mental disorder can be treated.  Dr. Kurian called upon the healthcare professionals to be advocates of those suffering to seek treatment and to help them lead a normal life.   Dr. Kurian talked about the symptoms of mood disorder, how to identify the different types of mood disorder, causes of mood disorder, and the various treatment modalities.

Dr. Myrtha Rabinowich, a nurse scientist and a leader of evidence-based practice initiatives in the twenty-three hospitals in Northwell Health System presented on the need for restoring balance and energy through self-care, mindfulness and meditation. Effective practice of mindfulness is an excellent resource to recover from stressful challenges and restoring resiliency.  Dr. Rabinowich taught simple and practical ways to minimize stress of life affecting physical and mental health and to how to grow inner strengths to balance the unpredictable daily life.

Dr. Ani Jacob, a Nurse Scientist at Northwell Health and Clinical Associate Professor at Adelphi University moderated the panel discussion about the need for bystander intervention to address the anti-Asian hate related incidents across the United States which saw drastic surge since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation’s Dr. Solimole Kuruvilla, Molloy College Associate Professor and INANI president Dr. Anna George, and Adelphi University Assistant Professor Dr. Mercy Joseph were the panel members.  The panel also gave a training on the evidence-based strategies to extend helping hand to address anti-Asian hate related incident without compromising self-safety.

Nurses and nurse practitioners who attended the conference received free continuing education hours required for their license.   credits required for the professional practice of nurses and nurse practitioners are available free of charge to conference attendees.

INANI President Dr. Anna George gave the welcome speech. The moderator of the program, vice president of INANI, Dr. Shyla Roshin introduced Dr. Jessy Kurian, Dr. Myrta Rabinowitch, Dr. Ani Jacob, Dr. Solimol Kuruvilla, and Dr. Mercy Joseph.  Anto Paul, the chair of the professional development committee gave vote of thanks.

(Chicago, IL: April 16, 2023) “Congratulations and best wishes to the new team of AAPI leadership, who have been elected to lead AAPI in the coming years,” Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI, and Chief Election Officer Dr. Kusum Punjabi and Past BOT Chair of AAPI, jointly announced here today. “We thank the election officers Dr. Ashok Jain, Dr. Sunita Kanumury, Dr. Sharad Lakhanpal, and  Dr. Shashi Shah, and all the members of AAPI for participating in the democratic election process and exercising their role as the electoral college members.”

While thanking the tens of thousands of Indian American physicians, who are active members of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), and the record number of large number voters who participated in the election process, Dr. Kolli said, “We have successfully concluded our elections for the year 2023-24 for AAPI leadership positions. We want to thank AAPI members who enthusiastically participated in the AAPI’s electronic voting process and have elected a new, diverse, balanced, and experienced team to lead AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States in the coming year and beyond.”

Dr. Kusum Punjabi, Chief Election Officer – 2023, who along with the election committee conducted the elections and counting process in the virtual presence of all the candidates and their representatives communicated the results of the election to the AAPI president to be released to all the members of AAPI and noted that  Dr. Amit Chakrabarty has been elected as the Vice President of AAPI, Dr. Sumul Raval was elected as the Secretary, and  Dr. Sreeni Gangasani was elected Treasurer of AAPI for the year 2023-24.

Dr. Syamala Erramilli, Dr. Hetal Gor, and Dr. Narendra Maheshwari have been elected to the AAPI’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term. Dr. Vijay Gunuganti has been elected as the South West Central Regional Director of AAPI, and Dr. Anuradha Mann will be the new Regional Director of AAPI’s South East Central Region.

“As the incoming President of AAPI, I would like to congratulate my incoming new team for the fiscal year 2023-24,” said Dr. Anjana Samadder, who will assume charge as the President of AAPI during the 41st annual convention in Philadelphia, PA in July this year. “I’m very honored and consider myself fortunate to be bestowed with the responsibility of leading the four-decades-old strong organization with the cooperation and collaboration of an excellent team of dedicated, hardworking, and loyal officers and executive committee members who are with me to take AAPI to newer heights,” she added.

Dr. Sammader did not have to contest the election this year, as she has been serving as the President-Elect during the past year. Dr. Satheesh Kathula, who has been serving as the Vice President in the current year also did not have to face elections, as he automatically becomes the President-Elect of AAPI for the coming year.

Dr. Anjana Samadder, the only 5th woman president of AAPI in its 41 years long history, will have a dynamic and diverse team comprising of Dr. Satheesh Kathula as the President-Elect, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty as the Vice President; Dr. Sumul Raval as the Secretary; Dr. Sreeni Ganagasani as the Treasurer; and Dr. Lokesh Edara – as the Chair, Board of Trustees; Dr. Ravi Kolli will continue to guide AAPI as the Immediate Past President of AAPI.

Dr. Lokesh Edara will serve as the Chair of the AAPI Board of Trustees for the year, 2023-24. “As the BOT Chair, I am looking forward to working towards strengthening the goals and mission of AAPI and to help make AAPI a healthcare leader in the US and globally and work in the best interests of our Physicians and our community here in the US and serve our motherland, India,” said Dr. Edara. “We will work together to promote our values of professionalism, collegiality, and excellence in patient care and enhance AAPI’s reputation as a premier professional organization offering educational programs and advocacy.”

While congratulating the newly elected leaders to the Executive Committee, Dr. Kathula, the President-Elect in 2023-24 said here in a statement: “I want to congratulate all the winners of the election. I want to especially thank all the candidates for their passion and dedication to serving AAPI and regardless of the outcome, we need you as a valuable team member of our beloved AAPI.”

Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, who won the election to be the next Vice President of AAPI, said, “I am humbled and honored to be bestowed with this responsibility. Thank you all for your support and for making my 25 years quest come true.  I thank all for believing in me.  I will work to the fullest of my abilities to reach our goals, address the challenges, and advance the issues important to our members. I look forward to working with you and making AAPI a powerful force. I am a live example that dreams do come true with dogged perseverance, dedication, and loyalty to AAPI.”

Dr. Sumula Raval, Secretary-Elect of AAPI said, “It is with great joy and gratitude that I stand before you today as the newly elected Secretary of AAPI for the year 2023-2024. I am humbled by the overwhelming support and trust you have placed in me, and I am deeply honored to serve this esteemed organization in such a significant role. I am committed to building upon past achievements and leading AAPI with integrity, transparency, and innovation. I will focus on promoting diversity and inclusion in healthcare, advocating for the needs of our members, and fostering collaboration. Let us continue to work hand in hand to make a positive impact on healthcare and uphold the values of AAPI.”

Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, the newly elected Treasurer of AAPI said, “I am thrilled and deeply humbled to have been elected as AAPI Treasurer for 2023-24. It is an honor to have your trust and confidence in me to help manage the finances of this fantastic organization. I promise to uphold the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity in managing our finances. I will work to ensure that our resources are used effectively to further our mission of promoting excellence in patient care, research, and education. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our organization.”

Dr. V. Ranga, the outgoing BOT Chair thanked the Election Committee for their meticulous planning and organizing the elections with integrity and fairness. He said, “I congratulate the winners and the new leadership who are entrusted with the responsibility of leading AAPI in the year 2023-24 and beyond. I wish them the very best and my wholehearted support.”

While conceding the election to Dr. Amit Chakrabarty to be the next Vice President of AAPI, Dr. Krishan Kumar said, “Thank you so much for supporting me all these years.  I am glad to see the healthy spirit of all candidates (winners or not) for the association.” In his message, Dr. Raj Bhayani, while conceding the election said, “I am thankful to my supporters who gave me their precious vote honoring my many years of service for AAPI.”

Dr. Sujeeth Punnam in his message to the elected leaders, said, “Congrats to all the winners. We sacrifice time from family, practice, and resources to work in this great organization. The only reward is the ultimate feeling that we are contributing to the greater good of Indian physicians in the US and humankind in general. I wish Dr. Sumul Raval the best of luck as he moves forward with his new responsibility.” Dr. Mukesh Nigam in his congratulatory note to Dr. Gangasani and all the winners, said, “I will continue to serve this great association, AAPI. AAPI is a big family full of talented people.  I cherish every moment of being part of it.”

The growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in healthcare, academic, research, and administrative positions across the nation. We the physicians of Indian origin are proud of our great achievements and contributions to our motherland, India, our adopted land, the US, and in a very significant way to the transformation of Indo-US relations.

Serving 1 in every 7 patients in the US, AAPI members care for millions of patients every day, while several of them have risen to hold high-flying jobs, shaping the policies and programs, and inventions that shape the landscape of healthcare in the US and around the world.

“Since its inception in 1982, AAPI has been at the forefront, representing a conglomeration of more than 125,000 practicing physicians in the United States, seeking to be the united voice for the physicians of Indian origin. I trust and believe that the new Team under Dr. Anjana Samadder will continue the noble mission and strengthen our efforts to make AAPI reach greater heights,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli.  For more details about AAPI, please visit: www.appiusa,org

Indian Nurses Association of New York (INANY) partnered with Adelphi University in New York to hold a panel discussion on the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents in the United States.  The program was initiated and planned by the university’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Council. For almost a year INANY has been collaborating with the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families with a special grant from New York State to fight the rapid increase in the anti-Asian incidents in the United States.

Though the history of anti-Asian hate related racism, discrimination and crime is as old as the Asian immigration to the United States, there has been an unprecedented sharp rise of incidents against them since the onset of COVID pandemic.

Dr. Ani Jacob, a clinical associate professor at Adelphi University, a nurse scientist at Northwell Health System and chair of INANY’s Research and Grants Committee was the moderator of discussion which was attended by students and faculty as well as virtually attended by students, other faculty and Asian American Pacific Islander organizations.  Dr. Anna George, the president of INANY, a nurse practitioner at Northwell and associate professor at Molloy University, Paul D Panakal, an adjunct faculty at Long Island University and a consultant at Northwell Health, and Dr. Mercy Joseph, an Assistant Professor at Adelphi University were on the panel.

Hate-related incidents against Asians in the United States date back to the beginning immigration of the community in the 19th century itself. The discrimination was validated and justified by legislation and court rulings.  There was even a court ruling denying a right for Asians and others to testify against whites.  The rules and laws were changed, Asian and Pacific Islander communities have started enjoying the opportunities for the American dream. Still, the nation witnessed an exponential rise in the incidents of hate and discrimination.  Asian Americans experienced bias, avoidance, bullying, exclusion, spitting and coughing on the face, direct and indirect verbal harassment, demeaning and physical assault.  The hate related mass shootings at a spa where six of the eight people killed were Asians and six of the nine killed at the Indianapolis FedEx facility were belonging to Sikh community.  The Stop AAPI Hate movement which collects data on incidents of racism, discrimination and crime against Asian Americans reported more than 11,400 incidents from March 2020 to March 2022.  These are self-reported incidents do not reflect the unreported cases.  Another survey conducted by the movement found that at least one in eight Asians had experienced discrimination.

Based on the 2020 census the Asian American Pacific Islander community constitutes 6.2 per cent of the US population and is considered as the fastest growing social group in the country.  Chinese (4.15 million), Indians (4.14 million), Filipinos (2.88 million), and Vietnamese (1.85 million) are the largest groups.  The hostility and suspicion that Asians were responsible for COVID and that they are carriers of coronavirus did have a negative affect among the communities.  The victims, their families and other loved ones found themselves living in fear and isolation, feeling unwanted in the society.

There are several organizations formed to stand against and to improve the social understanding of the communities.  Asian Americans advancing Justice that is active to protect the civil rights and to advocate for justice, the National Asia Pacific American Women’s Forum which provides umbrella for Asian women, Asian American Advocacy Fund, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families are some organizations in the forefront.  Indian Nurses Association of New York is collaborating the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families in raising awareness of the anti-Asian hate related incidents and to engage communities in mitigating the problem.

The panel discussion was titled Safety, Equity and Harmony for AAPI and was held at the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom at Adelphi University campus.  Dr. Kattiria Gonzalez, assistant professor at Adelphi introduced the panelists and welcomed the attendees.  The panelists presented official reports, statistics and other facts with some video clips of certain incidents to describe the distressing social situation among the 23 million Asian American Pacific Islander community.  The panelists also proposed an evidence based strategy to mitigate if someone witness a hate related bias or criminal incident.  The strategy called Bystander Intervention provides guidelines for safely intervene a hate-related situation.  They also called upon initiating a conversation among the students and others to raise awareness and improve education on the history of hate and violence.  Adelphi University associate professor Dr. Janet Raman, Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Charles Cal shared their own experiences and views and thanked INANY for their efforts.

Dr. Ani Jacob acknowledged and thanked Caitlin McElroy, the director of strategic initiatives at the University for working hard to successfully organizing and conducting the program.  She appreciated and thanked Dr. Anna George, Paul D Panakal and Mercy Joseph for conducting an in depth and informative discussion.

Chicago IL:  A new and unique organization, specializing in senior and elderly social care, the Dev Darshan Senior Care Center, hosted its Inauguration ceremony on March Saturday 25th 2023 at venue Manav Seva Mandir, Bensenville, IL.

Speaking passionately about Dev Darshan Senior Center, Founder President Hema Shastri said, “This is no less than a dream come true…a Dream that her late Father-in-law had dreamt in 2006.” Delighted, she introduced the Executive committee: Founder President: Hema Shastri, Vice President: Gira Ethindra,  Treasurer: Devesh Shastri, Members: Abhi Trivedi, Alka Sharma, Deepa Sawant, Jignaben Thakkar, Kashyap Desai, Meena Sawant, Neelam Desai, Nikhil Shah, Veena Mayani, Veerindrajeet Sangha, Vinita Gulabani, Vishnu Mahadeshwar; Advisory Group:  Ajeet Singh, Ajit Pant, Dr. Ashok Shah, Dr. Bharat Barai, Dr. Kamlesh Amin, Dr. Rasik Shah, Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, Jasbir Suga, Mukesh Shah, Vandana Jhingan; Volunteer committee: Mika Shastri, Lakshman Swamy, Jyoti Shirahatti, Anica Dubey, Pushpa Surati, Chris Olesch, Carmen Olesch, Amit Desai, Nita Patel, Miteshbhai.

This was indeed a special evening, when the entire Dev Darshan team geared to host its first event ever, the Inaugural ceremony.  The Manav Seva Mandir auditorium was jam packed with an audience of around 400. The social hour during dinner and meet & greet had a beautiful Flute performance by Raju Bankapur, a very talented artist. Master of the Ceremony, Richa Chand in her Opening Speech welcomed the guests and presented Dev Darshan Mission Statement, “The purpose of DDSC (Dev Darshan Senior Center) is to uplift senior citizens’ lives by providing a variety of programs such as yoga exercises, birthday celebrations, musical events, picnics, educational and notable speakers and much more. A place where all senior members from different ethnic groups can come together, make friends, enjoy, have a good time and truly be themselves. Where friends can become family.”

To honor the inspiration behind the Dev Darshan Senior Center, a beautiful commemoration ceremony was conducted for PARAMPUJYA Late Dr C.L Shastri by the Shastri family led by Hema Shastri, Devesh Shastri, Mika Shastri, and Darshan Thomas along with the other members of the Shastri family.  Guruji Nilkanth Shukla Batukbhai and Anu Malhotra, a certified yoga teacher and president of Mindful Meditation yoga, chanted mantras for peace and prosperity for all, followed by the DEEP LIGHTING CEREMONY and for which the Dev Darshan Advisory Committee Members were invited to join the Shastri family – Hema and Devesh Shastri, Dr Rasik Shah, Dr Bharat Barai, Mrs Panna Barai, Ajeet Singh, Dr Ajit Pant, Dr Kamlesh Amin.

Dr. C L Shastriji, a very well-respected priest and a well-known personality of Chicago, was born in 1927. He started learning Sanskrit from the tender age of 4 yrs old, making him very fluent in our ancient language of Sanskrit.  Shastriji always promoted Manav Seva Mandir’s expansion & educated all worshippers of our Vedic heritage. He served as the main priest at Manav Seva Mandir up till 2008. In 2008, he also established Jalaram Temple where he served as the Acharya and trustee until his demise in 2017.

Soon it was time for the beautiful renditions of the American anthem by Sanika Sahu escorted by Darshan Shastri and the Indian anthem by Bharti Desai and Hema Shastri. The Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi congratulated Hema Shastri and Team Dev Darshan for the new beginnings and stressed upon that one of the most important peoples in our lives are our parents and this senior center will definitely make a difference in their social health and well-being.

Welcoming Hema for her Inaugural speech, Mika Shastri spoke highly of her mother, who has been working diligently for the community for the past 25 years and in her heartfelt note, expressed her pride and happiness for all her wonderful achievements over the years! Hema’s enthusiasm and exhilaration were both very evident too. The Founder President Hema Shastri thanked her Team DDSC and said, “Without you all tonight would not be possible.” She continued, “It truly has been my dream and my vision to operate a Multiethnic Senior Center where all Senior members can come together, make friends, exercise & educate themselves while exchanging our knowledge and life experiences. We will enjoy different activities while being a multiethnic Senior group where everyone is welcomed and just be ourselves. A peaceful place where we can bring our family and friends to join us at any events and functions to participate and encourage all Senior men & women. A place where there is no room for hate or jealousy or any politics because we are too old for that BUT we are young at heart forever for good times only.” Hema recognized Mrs. Sadaska, the first senior to join DDSC with a bouquet of flowers.

In recognition of the valuable support provided to the Senior Center, the recipients were invited to receive the DDSC AWARDS, starting with FIA Chairman and Founder President Sunil Shah and wife Rita Shah, IABC President Ajeet Singh and wife Jaspal Kaur, Marketing and Finance Guru Dr Ajit Pant, Dr Rasik Shah, Dr Kamlesh Amin, Dr Bharat Barai and wife Panna, were invited to receive the Recognition award plaque.

For their valuable support, Nupur Sounds, Abhi Trivedi and Amit Patel, Royal Taj Events owner Mazher Khan and wife Yasmin were also presented with the honorary support plaques. V.P. of DDSC Gira Ethindra, Secretary-Neelam Desai, Emcee-Richa Chand, Singer-Bharti Desai were also recognized.

Also, in their support to DDSC, present in the guests were Amal McCaskill and Ronnie Fields, former professional basketball players. Amal McCaskill played in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. Amal also played professional basketball internationally. Ronnie Fields also played professional basketball in the CBA, ABA and played internationally in the Philippines, Venezuela, Turkey, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Greece.

The evening was full of entertainment for the guests, that included beautiful Bollywood dances, Bharatnatyam style – Achyutam Keshavam by Pika Munshi and a Bollywood Kathak inspired -Bollywood fusion dance by Carmen Olesch and beautiful songs were sung by Sanika Sahu and Swapnil Sahu. But the main highlight was the Bollywood Musical Extravaganza by the Special Guest Artists Sammy and Gautami, who flew from Texas to join the Dev Darshan Senior Center Inauguration ceremony.  The star singers sang all the hit new and old Bollywood numbers and serenaded the cheering crowd with their charismatic presence and singing talent! A truly melodious evening for all!

The proceedings of the evening concluded with a Vote of Thanks presented by Vice President Gira Ethindra. Overall, it was a great event by Dev Darshan Senior Center which brought all the people together and was successful in creating an awareness that Seniors are a big part of our community, and they need our love, attention, and care and they need to be included even in the sunset years of their life!  For more info visit https://www.devdarshancenter.org

More than 500 people, many in their cultural attire,  attended the April 1, 2023, Ugadi festival in New York at the Ganesh Temple auditorium in Flushing, hosted by the Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (TLCA), under the leadership of President of TLCA Nehru Kataru. Among the high-profile attendees was NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and his Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan. The Sreeramanavami festival was also celebrated alongside Ugadi on the same day.

Others who attended the event included Vice President Kiran Parvatala, and the Secretary Sumanth Ramsetty. Also attending were the TLCA Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Prasad Ankineedu, Secretary Nagendra Gupta, Treasurer Rao Voleti, Past Chairman’s Krishna Maddipatla, Venkatesh Mutyala, Dr. Purna Atluri, and many life trustees.

Ugadi is a Spring festival celebrating the start of the Telugu New Year. Each Telugu year is given a name and the year 2023-24 is named Shubhakruth.

The TLCA is one of the oldest Telugu associations in North America and has been promoting Telugu literature and culture in the New York Tristate region for the past 52 years, organizers said.

A strong contingent of 140 plus children and adults presented songs, dance, and drama items showcasing Telugu culture, mythology and history before a captivated the audience.

“It is the goal of TLCA to nurture and pass on the rich Telugu culture to the generations and every year Gurus and parents from this region strive to train the children for the programs,” the press release noted.

The mythological drama, Maya Joodam, a snippet from the epic Mahabharata, a dance-drama based on the theme of Ugadi, poetry recitals,  classical dances and popular numbers from Telugu movies were the prime attractions.  Guests enjoyed authentic festival food and delicacies bought from India, organizers said.

This was the first time in the history of the TLCA, that a Mayor was the Chief Guest of the day. “It was the most exciting experience for the community as this is the first ever visit by a Mayor of the City to the TLCA celebrations,” the press release noted.

Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation Dilip Chauhan, introduced the Mayor and explained the initiatives of the Mayor for bettering the lives of every New Yorkers.

In his speech Mayor Adam congratulated TLCA’s President  Kataru for the wonderful show put up by his team. Adams said it is always in his agenda to promote diversity and encourage the communities to come together and work for the overall progress of the region.  He said the Telugu community is blessed with highly qualified professionals such as doctors, engineers, and software professionals, contributing to the economic development of the region.  He assured full support from his Office for any requests from TLCA.

Deputy commissioner Chauhan said he has been associated with the Telugu community in New York City and Long Island for decades.  He said the community is very humble, peaceful and lives in harmony.

The Special guest of the evening, actress, Laya, honored the Mayor and the Deputy Commissioner with traditional shawls and bouquets.

President Kataru thanked the Mayor for attending and delivering an inspiring speech, as well as his assurance of support.  He thanked Chauhan for his efforts to bring the Mayor to the event.  Mr. Kataru said, the community treats Mr. Dilip Chauhan as part of the family for his continued encouragement for decades.

President Kataru said the Executive Committee under the guidance of the Chairman Ankineed Prasad Napaneni and the Board of Trustees, worked hard to mark the beginning of the Telugu New Year which is auspicious for all the Telugus in the community.  He praised the parents of the budding young generation for their devotion to Telugu culture and for nurturing it in the children.  He noted that the poetry recital was a new feature introduced this year and promised many more during his tenure to encourage the youth.  He expressed great appreciation for the donors without whose support these events would not have been possible.

Chairman Nannapaneni explained the efforts of TLCA for over 5 decades to preserve and promote Telugu culture and pass it on to the next generation. The organization provides a popular platform to showcase young talent.  TLCA encourages artists, art forms, and literature by bringing eminent artists from all over the world, he noted. Secretary Ramisetty presented vote of thanks for the overwhelming support from the community.

More than 500 people, many in their cultural attire,  attended the April 1, 2023, Ugadi festival in New York at the Ganesh Temple auditorium in Flushing, hosted by the Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (TLCA), under the leadership of President of TLCA Nehru Kataru. Among the high-profile attendees was NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and his Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan. The Sreeramanavami festival was also celebrated alongside Ugadi on the same day.

Others who attended the event included Vice President Kiran Parvatala, and the Secretary Sumanth Ramsetty. Also attending were the TLCA Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Prasad Ankineedu, Secretary Nagendra Gupta, Treasurer Rao Voleti, Past Chairman’s Krishna Maddipatla, Venkatesh Mutyala, Dr. Purna Atluri, and many life trustees.

Ugadi is a Spring festival celebrating the start of the Telugu New Year. Each Telugu year is given a name and the year 2023-24 is named Shubhakruth.

The TLCA is one of the oldest Telugu associations in North America and has been promoting Telugu literature and culture in the New York Tristate region for the past 52 years, organizers said.

A strong contingent of 140 plus children and adults presented songs, dance, and drama items showcasing Telugu culture, mythology and history before a captivated the audience.

“It is the goal of TLCA to nurture and pass on the rich Telugu culture to the generations and every year Gurus and parents from this region strive to train the children for the programs,” the press release noted.

The mythological drama, Maya Joodam, a snippet from the epic Mahabharata, a dance-drama based on the theme of Ugadi, poetry recitals,  classical dances and popular numbers from Telugu movies were the prime attractions.  Guests enjoyed authentic festival food and delicacies bought from India, organizers said.

This was the first time in the history of the TLCA, that a Mayor was the Chief Guest of the day. “It was the most exciting experience for the community as this is the first ever visit by a Mayor of the City to the TLCA celebrations,” the press release noted.

Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation Dilip Chauhan, introduced the Mayor and explained the initiatives of the Mayor for bettering the lives of every New Yorkers.

In his speech Mayor Adam congratulated TLCA’s President  Kataru for the wonderful show put up by his team. Adams said it is always in his agenda to promote diversity and encourage the communities to come together and work for the overall progress of the region.  He said the Telugu community is blessed with highly qualified professionals such as doctors, engineers, and software professionals, contributing to the economic development of the region.  He assured full support from his Office for any requests from TLCA.

Deputy commissioner Chauhan said he has been associated with the Telugu community in New York City and Long Island for decades.  He said the community is very humble, peaceful and lives in harmony.

The Special guest of the evening, actress, Laya, honored the Mayor and the Deputy Commissioner with traditional shawls and bouquets.

President Kataru thanked the Mayor for attending and delivering an inspiring speech, as well as his assurance of support.  He thanked Chauhan for his efforts to bring the Mayor to the event.  Mr. Kataru said, the community treats Mr. Dilip Chauhan as part of the family for his continued encouragement for decades.

President Kataru said the Executive Committee under the guidance of the Chairman Ankineed Prasad Napaneni and the Board of Trustees, worked hard to mark the beginning of the Telugu New Year which is auspicious for all the Telugus in the community.  He praised the parents of the budding young generation for their devotion to Telugu culture and for nurturing it in the children.  He noted that the poetry recital was a new feature introduced this year and promised many more during his tenure to encourage the youth.  He expressed great appreciation for the donors without whose support these events would not have been possible.

Chairman Nannapaneni explained the efforts of TLCA for over 5 decades to preserve and promote Telugu culture and pass it on to the next generation. The organization provides a popular platform to showcase young talent.  TLCA encourages artists, art forms, and literature by bringing eminent artists from all over the world, he noted. Secretary Ramisetty presented vote of thanks for the overwhelming support from the community.

Indian-American physician and community activist, Dr. Sampat Shivangi of Mississippi, participated in an event at the Parliament of the United Kingdom held at the House of Lords in British Parliament on March 7-8, 2023, to honor the Indian diaspora. The event was attended by Indians from European countries, United States, and diaspora elsewhere, Dr. Shivangi said.

House of Lords member Swaraj Paul was instrumental in organizing the event along with Lord Karan Bilimoria, and Lord Rami Ranger a business tycoon. “It was such a wonderful experience and opportunity to meet these British Indian billionaires who have made their strides in UK,” Dr. Shivangi said in his note about the visit.

Dr. Shivangi was also invited to the home of Lord Paul, who is in his 90s and “still very active and much involved in Indian diplomacy and Indian diaspora,” Shivangi said, adding, “He mentioned to me that London Zoo will be named after his family in recognition of his services to Britain.” Lord Paul also scheduled a visit to the House of Lords March 8, for Dr. Shivangi.

A conservative lifelong member of the Republican Party, Dr. Shivangi is the founding member of the Republican Indian Council and the Republican Indian National Council. Dr. Shivangi is the National President of Indian American Forum for Political Education, one of the oldest Indian American Associations. Over the past three decades, he has lobbied for several Bills in the US Congress on behalf of India through his enormous contacts with US Senators and Congressmen.

A close friend to the Bush family, he was instrumental in lobbying for the first Diwali celebration in the White House and for President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India.

Dr. Shivangi is a champion of women’s health and mental health whose work has been recognized nationwide. Dr. Shivangi has worked enthusiastically in promoting India Civil Nuclear Treaty and recently the US India Defense Treaty that was passed in US Congress and signed by President Obama.

Dr. Shivangi is a member of the U.S. National Advisory Council for Substance Abuse and Mental Health SAMHSA, Center for National Mental Health Services, in Washington, D.C.

Disqualification Of Rahul Gandhi Condemned

Indian Overseas Congress, USA, an advocacy organization for democracy and freedom in India, held a meeting in Long Island, N.Y., April 1, 2023, where it appointed new leadership and restructured the organization. It also held a protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case. The supporters held placards that said ‘save democracy, save India,’ ‘Modi-Adani Bhai Bhai,’ ‘Adani & 20,000 Crores Rs’, and ‘Rahul Gandhi Zindabad’ and shouted the slogans.

Delegates from ten states were present—over one-hundred-chapter delegates of IOCUSA attended, the organization said in a press release. The keynote address was delivered by Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, who challenged the conviction of Rahul Gandhi as an overreach, and expansion of control over various institutions in India.  “We are in a situation where the 2024 election becomes very important for the country. It is the idea of India we are fighting.”

Pitroda also emphasized the importance of “recalibrating collaborative efforts to canvass, educate, and respond to the electorate in India on what they are looking for from their elected representatives,” the press release said.

Pitroda appointed five regional new working presidents to cover the five zones that he had delineated of the USA for this purpose: Working President, North-East Zone – Pradeep Samala; Working President, South-East Zone – Dr. Sajan Kurian; Working President, South-West Zone – Srivatsa Ramanathan; Working President, Mid-West Zone – Kulraj S. Grewal; Working President, West Coast Zone. –Devenderpal S. Bhullar.

Other Changes/Appointments: Vice President, Community Liaison – Rajendar Dichpally; Chairman, Disciplinary Committee -Gurmit Gill; Chairman, Membership Committee -Nikhil Thagadur; Chairman, Social Media Committee- Avinash Dandiya; General Secretary -Sandeep Vangala; General Secretary -Balinder Singh Kundu.

Several individuals spoke at the meeting criticizing the developing political scene in India and discussing the upcoming 2024 elections. Among them were Secretary General Mohinder Singh Gilzian, George Abraham, vice-chairman, Minhaj Khan, Gurmit Singh Gill, Pradeep Samala, John Joseph, Rajendar Dichpally, Balinder Singh Kundu, Dr. Dayan Naik, Sabu Sakaria, Pavan Darsi, Gurinderpal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Amel Singh, Gulshan Singh Ghotra, Sharath Chandra, Gourishankar Ranganagoudra, Dr.Jayesh Patel, Devindarpal Bhullar, Kulraj Grewal, Srivatsa Ramanathan, Sharod Chandra, Johnson Myalil, Sukhy Dho, Verghese Pothanikadu, Zinda Singh and Pappy Badosh.

Krishna Sree Gandham and Sharath Chandra Vemuganti sang the Indian National Anthem, Secretary Secretary-General Harbachan Singh, Master of Ceremony, declared the event open. Pitroda bestowed “The Chairman’s” award upon Secretary General Harbachan Singh Esq., for his “untiring efforts and outstanding performances.”

Even as the brouhaha over the incident of the tricolour being pulled down at the Indian High Commission building in London had barely died down, videos of a mob attacking the Indian consulate in the US city of San Francisco have surfaced.

As per reports, with loud music playing in the background, a large mob is seen in the video, attacking the Indian consulate, spray-painting a huge graffiti on its outer wall, saying “Free Amritpal”.

In fact, according to reports, several videos, apparently filmed by the miscreants themselves, showed men breaking glass doors and windows of the consulate building with butts of poles with Khalistani flags.

Employees of the consulate were later seen removing the flags in the videos, when suddenly a mob can seen breaking through a barricade from behind which they were shouting slogans. The employees can be seen running inside the building with the protestors trying to follow them.

Videos further showed that after doors of the consulate were slammed shut on their faces, the protestors starting hitting them with flags, while one of them smashed the windows of the building with a sword. (IANS)

New York Telangana Telugu Association (NYTTA) held Maha Shivratri and Women’s Day celebration March 4, 2023, at the Hindu Temple Auditorium in Flushing, NY.

NYTTA founder Srivinas Guduru told Desi Talk that Shiv Ratri is celebrated in Telangana with fasting during the day and keeping a ‘jaagran’ at night, singing devotional songs. Shiv Ratri is also the day when the mother goddess Parvati was married to Shiva, Guduru said. “We thought it would be apt to celebrate Women’s Day offering prayers to Parvathi on Maha Shivratri,’ he said.

Attended by more than 600 devotees and special guests from New York, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut, the 8-hour long celebrations included dance and music performances by children and adults, and by visiting artists from India. A highlight of the celebration was a dinner with special Telangana items, some of which were specially brought from India, Guduru said.

Congratulating the gathering, Chief guest Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation at the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, said it was heartening to see that Telugu families were promoting their culture in their children in the U.S. Chauhan said the Telugu community has emphasized professional education and had been contributing to the local economy.

Founder Guduru spoke about the goals of NYTTA.  Chairman, Dr. Rajender Jinna, and President Mr. Sunil Reddy Gaddam, spoke about the upcoming events and the social work by the organization in India.

The Bihar Foundation of USA (East Coast) hosted the “Bihar Diwas Celebration” on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, evoking memories of home for the Indian-origin community living abroad.

On the occasion, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sent a special congratulatory message, lauding the efforts of Bihar Foundation USA in promoting the state’s heritage and traditions in America and for supporting a wide range of voluntary and philanthropic activities.

Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal appreciated the contributions of the diaspora from the state in the U.S., and also noted their philanthropic activities. He said through their determination and eagerness to work for the betterment of their home state, the aim of Bihar 2.0 will be achieved and fulfilled in 2023.

“From the famous ‘Litti Chokha’ to the popular ‘Jhijhiya’ song and dance, traditional dialects, and textiles, the celebration was seeped in colors and vibrant traditions of  Bihar and invoked among those present memories of their homes and childhood,” organizers said in a press release March 26.

Bihar Foundation of US (East Coast Chapter) Chairman and former President of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) Alok Kumar said the foundation aims to act as a bridge to support and guide members of the diaspora who wish to take up development and social projects in their state. It also seeks to offer assistance to those coming from Bihar, including students, as they navigate in the U.S.

Vice Chairman Ranjeet Kumar congratulated and thanked the team, Secretary Chandan Trivedi, Treasurer Alok Kashyap, and Joint Treasurer Anand Gupta for their efforts in making the event successful.

Trivedi thanked executive committee members Santa Mishra, Rajnish Ojha, and Manish Kumar who drove from the neighboring states to participate in the events. He conveyed special thanks to Sanjeev Jha and Pramod Kumar who drove all the way from Boston.

Three individuals hailing from the state were honored with the ‘Bihar Vishwa Gaurav’ award for their achievements and contributions. They included Padma Bhushan awardee,  renowned sociologist and social entrepreneur, founder of Sulabh International Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak; entrepreneur Ajay Singh who leads the Pokhrama Foundation and is the founder and CEO of Slayback Pharma, and Washington-based journalist and member of the White House Press Lalit Jha. In a special video message for the occasion, Super 30 founder Anand Kumar congratulated the honorees.

Hindu University of America (HUA) in association with Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) hosted a Friends of HUA Gala evening on 26 March 2023, at VPSS Haveli, Houston. The gala, which was attended by about 500 community members, honored Kiran and Ramesh Bhutada and their family for their generous gift of one million dollars to HUA. Ramesh Bhutada, CEO of Star Pipe Products, is a successful Houston-based businessman and philanthropist.

The Gala opened with the auspicious lighting of the lamp followed by a scintillating music performance by HUA faculty Dr Kanniks Kannikeswaran. His ensemble of Hindu classical singers accompanied by western music instrumentalists set the tone for the evening. He engaged the audience by having them hum along as well as sing some of the lyrics. His performance received a standing ovation.

This was followed by a short video on HUA’s courses and programs, as well as the experiences of students and faculty. Chairman of the HUA Board and Padma Bhushan awardee Ved Nanda and HUA President Kalyan Viswanathan spoke about the rejuvenation of HUA, its current state, and future roadmap. Houston-based faculty members Dr. Raj Vedam and Chandra Raghu shared their thoughts as well.

The evening’s highlight was Ramesh Bhutada’s address where he shared why he chose to support HUA.  Despite being born and raised in a traditional Hindu family and a member of several prominent Hindu organizations and traditions, he stated that he “did not really understand the essence of Hindu Dharma.” It took him 60 years to recognize the silver spoon that he was born with, that is, to understand the true essence of Hindu Dharma “which teaches us how to live in harmony within ourselves, with our family, friends, colleagues, and with the entire world. Other universities may impart knowledge for students to earn a livelihood. Only an institution like HUA can impart Hindu knowledge that teaches a student how to live their life.”

Stressing the fact that he did not want the next generation of Hindus to take as long as he did, Ramesh Bhutada urged the attendees to support HUA so that the youth of today and tomorrow can gain the knowledge and understanding of Hinduism much earlier in life, enabling them to live happy, productive lives for themselves and for the benefit of the entire world.

Drawing on his personal experiences as well as narratives from the Hindu American community, Ramesh Bhutada noted that the traditional Hindu upbringing and teachings about Hinduism within the family and home environment alone is not sufficient. Knowledge, he underlined, imparted by established educational institutions in the modern academic setting is critical to ensure the younger generations understand and apply Hinduism in their lives.

HUA President Kalyan Viswanathan also called on all the attendees to “come together to build a Hindu university that lasts a 1000 years just like the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur which has stood strong for over 1000 years, or like the Nalanda University that was a beacon to the world for 1700 years before it was destroyed.” He further shared that “over the next five years, HUA aspired to become self-sustaining, and establish itself as a shared platform for all Hindu traditions and organizations to offer their teachings.”

Proclaiming that the institution belongs to the entire Hindu community, HUA Chairman Ved Nanda stated that HUA “will seek to become an authoritative voice in the academic domain for all matters pertaining to Hindu Dharma, not only in the United States, but also globally.” He invited friends and well-wishers from all Hindu-American organizations, community leaders and members to support HUA’s efforts in becoming a leading hub for Hindu knowledge and learning.

Other remarks included well known Houston-based Physicist and Yoga Instructor Robert Boustany who stated that the “awareness dinner of HUA highlighted the necessity of all our seva in developing an educational system true to the deepest history of India in order to preserve that wisdom and value for our children and grandchildren” Chairman of HGH Board of Advisors Rasesh Dalal said, “Hindus can work wonders  when they work diligently with unity. The success of the HUA event is a live example!” Emcee Ahimsa Yukta, a freshman at University of Texas, Dallas, said that HUA’s motto – “That is knowledge which liberates”, was so inspiring that he was motivated to take a course at the university.   Volunteer support was provided by members of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Houston.

Even as the brouhaha over the incident of the tricolour being pulled down at the Indian High Commission building in London had barely died down, videos of a mob attacking the Indian consulate in the US city of San Francisco have surfaced.
As per reports, with loud music playing in the background, a large mob is seen in the video, attacking the Indian consulate, spray-painting a huge graffiti on its outer wall, saying “Free Amritpal”.
In fact, according to reports, several videos, apparently filmed by the miscreants themselves, showed men breaking glass doors and windows of the consulate building with butts of poles with Khalistani flags.
Employees of the consulate were later seen removing the flags in the videos, when suddenly a mob can seen breaking through a barricade from behind which they were shouting slogans. The employees can be seen running inside the building with the protestors trying to follow them.
Videos further showed that after doors of the consulate were slammed shut on their faces, the protestors starting hitting them with flags, while one of them smashed the windows of the building with a sword. (IANS)

“Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) – Connecticut Chapter is a vibrant organization that brings rich contributions for Stamford spanning education to business, innovation, arts and culture,” said Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons who was present to administer the Oath of office for the newly elected GOPIO-CT executive council and board of trustees on Friday, March 17, 2023 at the Stamford Hampton Inn and Suites in Stamford, Connecticut.

The program, put together by Ms. Ashvini Persaud and Dr. Anita Mathur, started with a prayer and an introduction about GOPIO by its founder and chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, who said that Indian Diaspora has achieved political mainstream in many countries and currently serves heads of state in the UK, Ireland, Guyana, Suriname, Seychelles and Mauritius.

Dr. Abraham said, “Indian Diaspora is proud of its achievement in the political arena as well as in the corporate world with many persons of Indian origin heading large multinational companies.”

All through the evening, fabulous singers Sreenivas Gunupuru, Sonali Gannu and Anthony Persaud with DJ Ryan Persaud, entertained the audience.

Mayor Simmons started off thanking Dr. Abraham, all members of GOPIO-CT and the entire leadership team for everything they do for Stamford City and the generous contributions for the local community.

“How proud we are to the Indian American community and the rich contributions brought to our city for so many years – everything from education to business, innovation, arts and culture as well as the organization’s activities have brought so much vibrancy to our city,” said Mayor Simmons.

GOPIO-CT has been funding a local community service organization every year. For 202, the chapter selected Mill River Park Collaborative (MRPC) which organizes activities for children and adults of all ages as well. A check for $5000 was presented by GOPIO-CT’s immediate past president Ashok Nichani to the MRPC Board Chairman Arnold Karp and the Director of Operations Dianne Houtz in the presence of Mayor Simmons. The activities for the year were inaugurated by the Chief Guest Mayor Caroline Simmons.

Mayor Simmons said that she and her team look forward to working with GOPIO-CT and supporting its initiatives to build a more inclusive and equitable society. She then administered the oath of office to the newly elected 2023 Executive Committee, Board, Trustees and the new president. Delegates from various service organizations were present at the event including Women’s Mentoring Network, Future 5 and Stamford Public Library.

President Dr. Jaya Daptardar officially welcomed new GOPIO CT Executive board members team Executive VP Mahesh Jhangiani, Vice President Prachi Narayan, Secretary Sushanth Krishnamurthy, Joint Secretary Ashwini Persaud, Treasurer Srinivas Akarapu, Immediate past President Ashok Nichani who served from 2019 to 2022; Board members: Meera Banta, Dilli Bhatta, Ruby Chadda, Ravi Dhingra, Sonali Gannu, Nandu Kuppusamy, Manish Maheswari, Dr. Anita Mathur, Vikas Mathur, Ravi Nichani, Mangal Shah and Dr. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox; Trustees: Shelly Nichani, Prasad Chintalapudi, Joe Simon, Shailesh Naik, Dr. Thomas Abraham and Neelam Narang. “We will all work together with GOPIO Chairman, trustees and board members to serve the community and will make sure to make the difference,” Dr. Daptardar added.

The newly elected President Dr. Jaya Daptardar spoke about the recent fundraiser. She said “On Feb 6th earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. GOPIO CT executive team came together in raising funds for Turkey disaster relief. Our GOPIO CT immediate past president Mr. Ashok Nichani contacted Turkey embassy and found resources to send the required aid. We couldn’t find reliable resources to send relief to Syria but we did as much as we could for the survivors in Turkey. Together 5000 dollars of needed supplies such as food, tent, men’s and women’s jackets, baby formulae, children’s clothes and orthopedic supplies were sent by Turkish Airlines.”

Dr. Daptardar presented the 2023 GOPIO events and activities overview which includes a seminar on investments and tax tips in April, Health and Wellness seminar in May on Mental Health as part of the Mental Health Awareness, “Hope in Motion’ Walkathon on June 11th to raise funds for Bennet Cancer Center of the Stamford Hospital, India Day Celebration on August 6th, Welcome Dinner for Indian students at UConn in September, Diwali party in November and partnering with community Diwali event at Ferguson library in Stamford and finally Holiday Party in December which will raise funds for a local charity.

Sponsors of the event were International Museum of the Saree (Queens, NY), Infinity Solutions (Stamford, CT), Wayne Purville of Cero Communications (Mount Vernon, NY), Braj Agrawal CPA (Jackson Heights, NY), Dr. Rajesh Kalra of NCR Care (Queens, NY). GOPIO-CT Vice President Prachi Narayan gave the vote of thanks. The program continued with Bollywood music and dance.

Over the last 17 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 community.

Global Indian Council, incorporated in the State of Texas as a nonprofit, nonreligious, and nonpolitical organization, giving equal opportunity to people, has been formed with the objective of giving back to the community to connect, support, promote, and empower youth, students, and professionals worldwide in ventures that would benefit the society at large.

Atlanta Consul General Dr. Swathi Kulkarni kick-started the organization, and the officials were sworn in by Hon. Former Ambassador Pradeep Kapoor, who was well inspired by its vision and mission.

“It deserves special mention that GIC continues its long journey with solid footprints across the seas with Chapters established in prominent cities in the United States, Singapore, Canada, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, the UK, and India, and many are in the process of launching,” said Dr. Jija Madhavan Hari Singh, the Goodwill Ambassador of the organization.

Global Indian Council’s Global President, Mr. PC Mathew, announced the names of the office bearers presented by the Global General Secretary Sudhir Nambiar in the Global Cabinet held on March 12, 2023, and congratulated the new office bearers for their passion for serving the community. He also thanked the cabinet member Dr. Mathew Joys for taking the initiative for its formation and expressed his gratitude to the Brand Ambassador, Santy Mathew, for his tireless support.

GIC Northern Kerala Chapter based in Kozhikode will be led by prominent leaders and professionals:

1. Prof. Varughese Mathew – President (Principal, St. Xavier’s College, GIC Founders & CoE Marginalized Community)
2. Dr. Anoopkumar A S – Vice President, (ICU Baby Memorial Hospital), 3. Adv. T. K.RAJMOHAN.

IPS Retd – Secretary (Specialist at Community Participatory Road Safety Program (CPRSP),

4. Attakkoya Pallikandy -Associate Secretary (IndoArab confederation Council.& Global NRI Meet at Goa).
5. Prof. P Reshma – Treasurer (Associate Professor, Sociology), 6. Dr. Ms.Rathi Thampatty – Associate Treasurer)

(Former Principal, Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College), 7. Adv. P.S. Sree Hari – CoE Member ( Pravasi & OCI Legal),

8. Dr. Jaykish Jairaj – National Council (P V S Hospitals), and 9. Adv. Abdul Jaleel Onath – State Council

(MD JSR legal solutions, Leading Legal group/ HC)

Global Vice President Prof. Joy Pallattumadom, Treasurer Dr. Tara Sajan, Assoc. Treasurer Tom Kolath, Associate Secretary Adv. Yamini, Compliance Officer Adv. Susan Mathew, Public Relations Officer Adv. Seema Balasubramanian, Chairs and Co-Chairs of the Center of Excellence, congratulated the Chapter Office Bearers; and offered all support to the projects and plans envisaged by the Chapter in due course.

Senator Charles Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, who has just returned from a trip to India, wherein he led a Congressional delegation of nine Senators followed up with a meeting with the Indian American community here to address the concerns of the fast growing community in the United States. Following his visit to New Delhi, the powerful Senate Leader and a close friend of India has stated, India is precisely the kind of partner the US needs to provide a check against China, powerful American Senator Chuck Schumer told his colleagues.

The meeting with the Indian America leaders was initiated by Dr Raj Bhayani, Mohinder Taneja, Sunil Modi, Dr Sunil Mehra, and Govind Batheja, and was attended among others virtually by New York state Assembly woman Jenifer Rajkumar, Consul General Randeep Jaiswal, Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Dr Raj Narayan, Dr Raj Jinnah, Bobby Kalote and Dr. Mihir Meghani along with 200 national Indian leaders.

Dr Raj Bhayani, Sunil Modi and Mohinder Taneja moderated the meeting and welcomed Majority leader. Sen. Schumer provided an update about his India visit last month. He was exuberantly happy about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He applauded various programs initiated by Modi government such as gas connections and easy remote internet access empowering rural India.

The Senate Majority Leader led one of the most powerful United States Delegations to India, comprising of eight Senators and several other leaders as part of the US delegation to India, Several initiatives were launched along with strong emphasis on stronger U.S.-India ties in view of the rising Chinese threat. Sen. Schumer said,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciates that the two largest democracies of the world need to work together against the hegemony of the China.

In response to a question asked by Dr Raj Bhayani, Sen. Schumer promised to reverse the Medicare cuts this year. In addition, he assured that the Green Card backlog will be cleared soon. He believes high skilled workers such as physicians should be given direct Green Cards instead of H1 or J1 visa and he will work on making it happen.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says ties between the U.S. and India are a “crucial counterweight to outcompete China.” Among the countries’ shared strategic interests, Schumer listed “outcompeting China, combating climate change, increasing trade and deepening bonds between our two countries” as well as “close cooperation between the U.S. and India in areas such as AI, green hydrogen and advanced tech manufacturing.”

The delegation visited several sites such as Raj Ghat and Jaipur foot and had dinner hosted by Anand Mahindra apart from various joint meetings with Indian government.  “I strongly believe the continued and strengthened U.S.-India relationship will be the great story that will define the 21st century,” Schumer said.

At the conclusion of meeting, the Senate Majority Leader promised that he plans to organize regular meetings every quarter with an objective of strengthening Indo-US relationship and to address the concerns of the Indian Americans in the United States.

Gaura Purnima – the holy appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu – was celebrated with fervor and gaiety at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krsna Temple, at 1716 W Lunt Avenue, Chicago, IL. Hundreds of Numerous people including devotees from various backgrounds, nationality, race and religion attended the grand celebration at the temple on Monday, March 6th 2023.

Shri T. D. Bhutia, The Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of India, Chicago graced the occasion and briefly addressed the gathering. “While Bhagavad Gita is a spiritual text, it is also a live book. We may belong to any country or follow any religion, but all of us are surrounded by problems on a daily basis. Whenever we stand on the crossroads of life like Arjuna, Srimad Bhagavad Gita shows us a solution to these problems through service and dedication.”

ISKCON Chicago has been serving the Rogers Park community for the past 50 years. The temple is part of the global ISKCON community comprising 650+ temples and Bhakti Centers, farmlands, eco-villages and vegetarian restaurants.

The Hare Krsna movement traces its roots back 5,000 years and is centered on Bhakti Yoga – the Yoga of Love as laid out in the eminent Vedic scriptures such as, Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana. ISKCON Chicago has been in the forefront of serving Chicago community for the past 50+ years. The temple is part of the global ISKCON community comprising 650+ temples and Bhakti Centers, farmlands, eco-villages and vegetarian restaurants.

Each week, the temple congregation hosts Sunday Feast featuring kirtan, dancing, chanting, meditation, and ending with satvik vegetarian meal. ISKCON Chicago also convenes frequent study groups, music and Sunday school classes for children, distributes food and spiritual books, hosts festivals and workshops, besides regular worship services in the temple.

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) conducted its election last month and the new team was sworn-in on March 4th at a virtual Zoom ceremony with veteran community leader from New York Mr. Lal Motwani as its president. Motwani has been a Founder Life member from GOPIO inception in 1989 and was serving as the International Coordinator-at-Large and later as Executive Trustee of GOPIO Foundation in his last term.

Others sworn in at the ceremony are media and community leader Mr. Umesh Chandra from Brisbane, Australia as Executive Vice President; Los Angeles area community leader Kewal Kanda as Vice President, New Jersey businessman Prakash Shah as Global Ambassador and former IBM official and community activist Ms. Jasbir ‘Nami’ Kaur as International Coordinator-at-Large.

Five additiona Regional International Coordinators were sworn-in as follows: Businessman Roger Latchman from Johannesburg, South Africa as Africa Coordinator; Engineering Entrepreneur Deo Gosine (Trinidad and New York) as Caribbean Coordinator; Real Estate Investor Ashok Madan of Southern California as North America Coordinator; former engineer Harmohan Singh Walia of Sydney, Australia as Oceania Coordinator and New Delhi businessman Dhiraj Ahuja as South Asia Coordinator.

The election was conducted according to the GOPIO bylaws by a team of the Interim Committee which was appointed by the GOPIO General Body Meeting held on January 14^th consisting of Mr. Ram Gadhavi (Wayne, New Jersey, USA), Mr. Mahavir Arya (Sydney, Australia) and Mr. Mridul Pathak (New York). In a spirit of unity, nominees with multiple nominations withdrew from their multiple nominations except one, making it a unanimous choice for all positions.

The ceremony started with a universal prayer song by Ms. Devika Gadhavi, who is a young professional working for the New York Times. Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of GOPIO welcomed the participants from all continents and provided a brief introduction to the birth of GOPIO and many of its achievements in the last 34 years. Dr. Abraham also highlighted the great services provided by GOPIO Chapters during the pandemic such as providing food to the frontline workers at the beginning of the lockdown, getting N95 masks to the hospitals, replenishing food pantries and sending oxygen concentrators to India when the pandemic was at its highest level.

“GOPIO chapters around the world have been doing a lot of organizational ground work in many countries to promote leadership in public service and the thrust have been to promote and involve the Indian Diaspora in the larger society and local communities wherever they live,” said Dr. Abraham.

Congratulating the new team, former GOPIO President Niraj Baxi said that the ceremony on March 4^th signifies marching forward for GOPIO.  The program ended with a melodious Bollywood celebration song by GOPIO-Edison President Pallavi Belwariar.

Lal Motwani has been termed a strong community leader who has been involved in several community groups and served as President of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), Society of Indian American Engineers and Architects (SIAEA) and Alliance of Global Sindhi Associations. He was the Executive Trustee of GOPIO Foundation from Sept. 2021 to Jan. 2023.

An architect by profession, Motwani retired as the Assistant Director of New York City’s Housing Authority, Office of Facility Planning and Administration. Motwani has been able to leave his “mark” on a number of New York City landmarks, be it John F Kennedy (JFK) airport, LaGuardia Airport, World Trade Center, American Express, Port Authority of NY/NJ, City Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank and New York City Housing Authority, the world’s largest public housing facility housing 1/8 of the NYC population.

In his acceptance speech, President Motwani said, “We will soon activate those regions which are not active now and we will get all the councils to become active again. We need many volunteers to get involved in the Councils such as Human Rights, Cultural, Academic, Women, Science and Technology, Youth and Young Professionals, Media, Health and Wellness and on Seniors. We will officially launch GOPIO Chamber of Commerce (GICC) in different parts of the world.”

Connecticut (CT) Humanities, a statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded a US$12,500 grant to India Cultural Center (ICC), Greenwich, for the second time in a row in 2023.

The Connecticut Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant will aid ICC continue its mission of fostering inclusion by educating and engaging the community in Indian culture. A non-profit organization, ICC’s cultural awareness programs are targeted towards both the Indian-American diaspora and the community at large.

According to a media report, the funding will enable ICC invest in marketing and event management support, to attract more attendees to its ICC Speaker Series and HoliFest celebrations.

Last year, their HoliFest drew over 700 attendees, and this year, ICC is targeting over 1,000 attendees at the event, which will take place on May 6 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park.

CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant Awards grant was part of the US$8.5M to 724 non-profit organizations. Funding for CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants is provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.

“It all began with a colleague of mine working at St. Barnabas Hospital reaching out to me, seeking help for the victims and their families, who are impacted by the earthquake,” recalls Dr. Hemant Patel, past president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and a founding member of the New Jersey Chapter of AAPI. “I contacted the local New Jersey Chapter leaders, including Dr Binod Sinha and Dr Kishore Ratkalkar, who have been gracious and enthusiastic about the cause. And thus, began the campaign to support the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.”

Though the campaign to raise funds and material support to those who were impacted by the earthquake began in early February, a fundraiser was organized at the King Palace in New Jersey on February 24th, 2023. Attended by over 120 local leaders and members of AAPI, the NJ Chapter of AAPI under the leadership of Dr Binod Sinha, Dr Hemant Patel, Dr Kishore Ratkalkar, and Dr. Pradip Shah raised nearly $213,000 in cash, material supplies including temporary housing, wheelchairs, and medical supplies to help and support the victims of the devastating earthquake.

On behalf of national AAPI, Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI donated $5,000 as a partner of the event. According to Dr. Hemant Patel, AAPI’s national Charitable Foundation has committed to support this noble endeavor. Rakesh Jain of Mobility Ideal Healthcare committed to provide money and materials worth $150,000 to help the suffering people of Turkey and Syria.

Lauding the initiatives and the coordinated efforts to support the earthquake victims, Dr. Kolli, said, “I am grateful for the leadership of Dr Hemant Patel, Dr Binod Sinha, Dr Kishore Ratkalkar and Dr. Pradip Shah, who rose to the occasion and have come forward to support the needy in Turkey and Syria. Their efforts and the contributions of NJ AAPI members and the local community are a testament to AAPI’s larger commitment to humanity as a whole, helping and supporting people, reaching beyond the boundaries of nationhood, ethnicity, creed, and political affiliations.”

The recent earthquake in Syria and Turkey has caused widespread devastation, leaving thousands dead and many more injured or homeless. It has left thousands of families without shelter in freezing temperatures. Thousands of people in Turkey and Syria are reeling from deadly earthquakes and aftershocks that struck the region in February, killing more than 50,000 people.

“We are grateful to the generous donors who have come forward to support this noble gesture from AAPI,” said Dr. Pradip Shah, President of NJ Chapter of AAPI. “Your contributions will help us in supporting hospitals and donating emergency medical kits and other much needed resources that are much needed for the thousands affected by the calamity.”

According to Dr Binod Sinha, Chair of the BOT, NJ Chapter of AAPI, “This event and the fundraising efforts are truly unique, as no other physicians’ community or physicians’ organization has organized a formal fundraiser for this cause. When Dr. Patel contacted me, I expressed my wholehearted support and worked hard to support those who have lost their dear ones, their livelihood, and their belongings in the aftermath of this deadly natural calamity.”

“As the death toll continues to rise in Syria and Turkey following the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake, we at the NJ Chapter of AAPI, continuing with the mission of AAPI, rose to the occasion and mobilized all possible efforts to support the needy,” said Dr Kishore Ratkalkar, Cahir of BOT, NJ Chapter of AAPI. “We are continuing to receive contributions from several members and, we shall be able to offer more help to those impacted by the tragedy. I urge the generous Indian American community to join in our efforts to help the victims of Turkey and Syria. we are asking the community for financial and material donations to help with the efforts that are likely to continue for weeks and months.”

During the Fundraiser, Turkish Physician, Dr. Vedat Obuz, who represents TASC gave an update on the current situation in Turkey. A Syrian physician, Dr. Haythem Albizem, who is the founder of Global Justice provided an update on the grave situation in Syria.  “There is a sense of panic, including among children. Many people, including children, are displaced and remain outside in streets and open areas. The government in Syria closed schools and universities for today and some are being used as shelters. The psychological impact on some people we met is grave,” UNICEF said in a statement.

Among those who participated at the event were Ambassador of Turkey Murat Mercan and Consul General of Turkey Rehan Ozgur. During his comments, the Ambassador Mercan said, “This is a unique and one of a kind of an event,” and appreciated the organizers “from the bottom of my heart for this great humanitarian gesture.”

Others who attended the event included representatives of JFK/HMH, President & Chief Executive, Amie Thornton, JFK University Hospital Vice President of Operations, Jaikumar Sreekanth, JFK University Hospital Regional Chief of Surgery HMH Dr Faiz Bohra, Foundation Executive Director JFK University Hospital Sheri Marino, and Frank Babar, JFK University Foundation Board Member. They announced stronger collaboration with the New Jersey State Chapter of AAPI. Sangeeta Malik, the coordinator of event who served as the master of ceremony was instrumental in raising funds by conducting the auction during the fund raiser.

“This event has helped in fostering a great sense of gratitude by the members of the Turkish and Syrian community towards the Indian American community for this great humanitarian gesture, as expressed by many in attendance at the fund raiser,” Dr. Hemant Patel said. According to him, the fund-raising committee members will soon be meeting the Ambassadors of Turkey and Syria to present the check, expressing their solidarity with the victims of the earthquake. For more details and to donate and many other noble initiatives of AAPI, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

More than 300 people attended the Indian American Forum (indianamericanforum.org) gala where several distinguished women were celebrated and recognized for their achievements Sunday March 5, 2023.

The event was the 12th Outstanding Women’s Achievements Gala, part of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Celebrations, Indu Jaiswal, chairperson of IAF told Desi Talk. “It was very successful, sold out event. We had to turn people away,” she said, adding that this year second general women were included in the awardees.

Held at the Metropolitan Caterers in Long Island, New York, the gala was organized under the leadership of Jaiswal and Gala Chair Shammi Singh, and their team members. They welcomed all the guests and congratulated the honorees praising their efforts in achieving success.

Dr. Purvi Parikh – an allergist and immunologist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill. She is currently on faculty as Clinical Assistant Professor in both departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Parikh has published articles in allergy, asthma, and immunodeficiency syndromes in various peer reviewed journals and textbooks. Dr Parikh is also involved in local and National Medical Societies.

Vandana Jauhar, a leading musical artist and singer with her popular albums “Albela” and “Papa”. Check her melodious singing on https://vandanajauhar.hearnow.com/. Vandana has been composing and singing for several years. She is also involved in Nargis Dutt Foundation with charitable contributions.

Dr. Parul Dua Makkar, the owner of PDM Family Dental in Long Island, NY. She has co-authored of the book ‘Life Interrupted, Dr. Dua’s Survival Guide’ which is a winner for the Best Inspirational/Motivational CIPA Evy Award. Dr Dua also is involved in workshops and programs for prevention of Oral Cancer.

Sandhya Bhatia, Branch Manager, Vice president ·of Flushing Bank, who has demonstrated a history of working in the financial services industry. She is skilled in Portfolio Management, Business Relationship, Risk Management, Banking, and Strategic Partnerships.

Nayana Brahmbhatt, a BAPS volunteer who has volunteered in various capacities since 1989, including community outreach, public relations, hosting annual women’s conferences, served in kitchen department and participated in training and nurturing young girls,  Diwali events, organizing mandir activities. She is also a tennis player and helping young students.

Young Achiever-Ria Parashar, a volunteer at Children’s Hope who helps the special needs community also received recognition.

Dr. Purvi Parikh, center with bouquet in hand, recognized at the March 5, 2023, hosted by the Indian American Forum. Seen beside her is husband Dr. Dan Sraow

Elected women officials of New York attended, including New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, and Town of North Hempstead Clerk Ragini Srivastava.

Indian American Forum board members and special guests conducting the lamp-lighting ceremony at the 12th gala for women achievers held in Long Island, NY, March 5, 2023. Photo: courtesy IAF

Dr. Bobby Kalotee of IAF, who is Chairman Human Rights Commission Nassau County New York, and on the Board of Directors Nassau University Medical Center, welcomed and praised the achievements of Rajkumar and Srivastava saying they portrayed women’s empowerment and success.

Sunita Sadhnani entertained the audience with her singing. Dr. Bobby Kalotee speaking to the gathering at the Indian American Forum event to honor women achievers, March 5, 2023, in Long Island, N.Y. Photo: courtesy IAF

Traditional performances by Desi Beats and Angel Shah that symbolized the significance of Holi as a festival of colors, were enjoyed by the audience.

The 5 women achievers were also presented with Citations from  Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby from Town of Hempstead, Supervisor Town of Oyster Bay Joseph Saladino, Elaine Phillips from the Nassau County Comptroller Office, and Town of North Hempstead Clerk Ragini Srivastava.

The awards ceremony was moderated by Ratna Bhalla, Inesha Joneja, Chanbir Sethi, Roopam Maini, Dr. Prachi Dua, Dr. Pallavi Singh and Sunita Manjrekar.

Among those present during the event were Padma Shri recipient Dr Sudhir Parikh, Dr Sudha Parikh, Dr Bobby Kumar Kalotee, founder of IAF, Dr Urmilesh Arya, Dr Bhupendra Patel, Surinder Rametra,  Beena Kothari, Vijay Goswamy, Anju Sharma, Sanju Sharma, Jasbir Jay Singh, Flora Parekh, president of Gift of Life USA, Anil Shah from VTNY, Sunil Jain from Vass Pipe, Rizwan Qureshi  from HAB Bank, Madhu Pareek from Navika, Anuj Rihal, Dr. Harshad Bhatt from BAPS, Gobind Munjal President National AIA, Smiti Khanna, Dr Dina Pahlajani President Children’s Hope, members of AAPIQLI, Harry Malhotra, Jasbir Jay Singh several past honorees and many distinguished community and organization leaders. Aashmeeta Yogiraj emceed the event.

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.